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Savannah James’ Everybody’s Crazy podcast has given the world an inside look into her life and she recently revealed that there’s one seemingly harmless term that she hates. During a conversation about side chicks and sneaky links, Savannah revealed she hates being called “wifey” and even used to tell LeBron James not to introduce her as his wife before they got married.

“When I tell you I hate, loath, “wifey” with my whole entire soul,” Savannah said. “… Because n**** don’t call me your wifey and I’m not. I’m not. I had to politely tell my husband back in the day.

“He used to introduce me, ‘This my wife, this my wife.’ I had to put him to the side like, ‘Excuse me, sir, don’t introduce me as that, please. I’m not your wife and I deserve that title when the time is right. I don’t want you to start to think that it’s okay for you to say this,’” Savannah concluded.

with James introducing her as his wife, calling her “wifey” is still not acceptable. I don’t believe it to be offensive but to each their own.

On the topic of side chicks and sneaky links, it’s not something that Savannah appears to have lost sleep over. LeBron has built up a reputation as a great family man and has never been involved in any kind of cheating scandal. Some accusations along those lines have been made over the years, but none have been proven to be true and the relationship between husband and wife seems as strong as ever now.

LeBron made his long-awaited return to the international basketball stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics but it turns out he did so, only after getting permission from his significant other. James revealed he decided to play for Team USA after getting the green light from Savannah.

Well, the U.S. certainly should be grateful toward Savannah then, as there is a good chance they wouldn’t have won the gold if LeBron wasn’t on the team. The 39-year-old shone at the grand event, averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game to win tournament MVP. LeBron came up big for Team USA in some critical moments and you wonder who would have stepped up in that manner if he wasn’t around.

With that triumph, James now has three Olympic gold medals, but he won’t be gunning for a fourth one. This was his last appearance on the international stage and he certainly went out with a bang.

Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy found their touch on the greens as they took the halfway lead in the FedEx St Jude Championship.

 

But Rory McIlroy failed to recover from an early double bogey as he shot a second-round 73 to sit 12 shots off the pace.

 

Matsuyama – without his regular caddy and coach after their passports were stolen in London – recovered from finding the water on the short fourth hole to fire a 64, McCarthy going one better after holing three birdie putts from 25 feet or longer.

 

They moved to 11-under par at a sweltering TPC Southwind in Memphis, the opening leg of the end-of-season FedEx Cup play-offs, to sit one ahead of Sam Burns who went out in 29 en route to a 63.

 

FedEx rankings leader and world number one Scottie Scheffler carded three late birdies in a 65 which leaves him on nine-under-par, one ahead of Justin Rose – who shot a second successive 66 – and American Nick Dunlap.

 

“It’s just nice to have a clean card,” said Scheffler said. “No bogeys, did a good job of having some nice up-and-downs to kind of keep the momentum and the round going.”

 

With only the top 50 in the rankings reaching the second leg of the playoffs, the BMW Championship in Colorado, defending FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland moved into a qualifying spot as he moved to seven-under-par with a 63 after working on swing changes.

 

“I made a conscious effort to try to cut the ball more,” said the Norwegian. “When I did that, I ruined a relationship that happens in my swing that makes it really difficult for me to control the face coming down.

 

“So now it’s just kind of me learning from that. I know exactly what happens because I’ve gotten myself measured, and now it’s just kind of a process of getting back to where I was.”

 

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is alongside Hovland on seven-under-par after a 66 with English duo Matt Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rai both two shots further back, one better than Tommy Fleetwood.

 

Jordan Spieth had two double bogeys on par threes in a 75 and is struggling to make the cut for the next event.

 

 

 

Najwyżej notowana Iga Świątek awansowała do ćwierćfinałów Cincinnati Open, pewnie wygrywając w dwóch setach z Martą Kostyuk.

Polska gwiazda odniosła zwycięstwo 6-2 6-2 w piątek (sobota czasu AEST), po dużo bardziej kompletnym występie po przegranej w tiebreaku drugiego seta w środę, gdy przedłużyła swoją walkę z Francuzką Varvarą Grachevą.

„Dziś cały czas utrzymywałam wysoki poziom intensywności” – powiedziała Świątek.

„Nie było dla mnie istotne, jaki był wynik, chciałam po prostu dalej grać swoją grę. Skupiłam się na sobie.”

Rozstawiona z numerem 3 i dwukrotna mistrzyni Australian Open Aryna Sabalenka również awansowała po zwycięstwie 7-5 6-2 nad Eliną Switoliną, ale piąta rozstawiona Włoszka Jasmine Paolini, finalistka French Open i Wimbledonu, przegrała z Mirrą Andreevą 3-6 6-3 6-2.

Anastazja Pawluczenkowa pokonała rozstawioną z numerem 7 i złotą medalistkę olimpijską Zheng Qinwen 7-5 6-1.

Hiszpanka Paula Badosa wygrała 6-4 6-4 z Julią Putintsewą, która w czwartek pokonała Coco Gauff.

To był pracowity dzień dla wielu zawodniczek, które musiały rozegrać dwa mecze po opóźnieniach spowodowanych deszczem w tym tygodniu.

Amerykanka Jessica Pegula musiała rozegrać dwa mecze, a 30-latka wygrała oba, aby awansować do ćwierćfinałów.

Pegula rozpoczęła dzień od trudnego zwycięstwa 5-7 6-4 6-2 nad ubiegłoroczną finalistką Karoliną Muchovą.

Po kilku godzinach przerwy wróciła na kort, aby pokonać rodaczkę Taylor Townsend 6-2 6-3 i zapewnić sobie miejsce w najlepszej ósemce.

To była siódma z rzędu wygrana Peguli po zdobyciu tytułu w Canadian Open w Toronto w zeszłym tygodniu.

Once again, the best player on the planet turned in a masterful performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Scottie Scheffler carded a bogey-free, 5-under 65 on Friday to put himself in a terrific position through 36 holes. He sits at 9-under par for the tournament, two strokes back of co-leaders Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy.

“It’s just nice to have a clean card,” Scheffler said.

“No bogeys, did a good job of having some nice up-and-downs to keep the momentum and the round going. I holed a nice putt for par early in the round on 5, and then I had a couple of nice chips after that, getting it close to the hole, making what could have been a stressful par into a pretty stress-free par with some nice pitches. Overall, it was a pretty good day.”

Scheffler had a benign start, making his first birdie of the day at the par-5 3rd. Another followed at the par-3 8th, but he posted seven pars on his opening nine to go out with a 2-under 33.

The day before, he made four birdies over his first six holes, immediately vaulting himself into contention thanks to his hot start. But unlike Thursday, Scheffler caught fire down the stretch, making three straight birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes to climb up to 9-under and re-assert himself among the leaders.

“I think you’ve got to be playing some really great golf to shoot a low score,” Scheffler said of TPC Southwind.

“There’s opportunity out there. The greens aren’t super firm. You can attack when you’re in the fairway. But there’s a good amount of water on the course. The Bermuda rough can be tough to judge and there’s a good amount of trees, as well. There’s trouble around, so you’ve got to be really on top of your game to shoot low scores.”

It’s no secret that Scheffler has had an incredible season, as he continues to be on top of his game pretty much every week. He has amassed six victories, which includes wins at Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass. He also won a gold medal, thanks to a final round 9-under 62 that may have been the best round of his career. But he has picked up right where he left off in Paris, shooting a 66 and a 65 in Memphis to vie for another title again.

He’s playing flawless once more, which leads to us to ask, will win number seven come in Memphis? It would surprise absolutely nobody if it does.

**Eddie Hearn Drops Bombshell on Turki Alalshikh Over Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Showdown—You Won’t Believe What He Said!**

In a dramatic turn of events, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has set the boxing world abuzz with his latest comments regarding the highly anticipated Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou fight. The feud between Hearn and Saudi Arabian sports mogul Turki Alalshikh has reached new heights, and Hearn’s recent revelations have only added fuel to the fire.

**The Controversy Unfolds**

The tensions between Hearn and Alalshikh began to surface as discussions about the Fury-Ngannou fight grew more intense. The bout, which pits boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury against former UFC star Francis Ngannou, is one of the most talked-about matchups in recent history. With such high stakes, it’s no surprise that behind-the-scenes negotiations have been fraught with friction.

Hearn, who has been vocal about his discontent, recently launched a scathing critique of Alalshikh. During a high-profile interview, Hearn accused the Saudi sports figure of making underhanded moves to manipulate the fight’s logistics and potentially undermine the integrity of the match.

**The Bombshell Revelation**

In his latest statements, Hearn claimed that Alalshikh had attempted to exert undue influence over the fight’s promotion and financial arrangements, suggesting that there were attempts to alter the agreed terms and conditions to benefit one side disproportionately. “There have been some questionable tactics at play,” Hearn stated. “It seems Turki Alalshikh is trying to bend the rules in his favor, and that’s not something I can stand by.”

Hearn’s comments have stirred significant reaction among fans and analysts, many of whom are now questioning the fairness of the fight and the integrity of the promotional process. The feud between Hearn and Alalshikh highlights the growing tensions in the world of high-stakes boxing and the increasing influence of international figures in the sport.

**Impact on the Fight**

The ongoing spat between the two figures could have significant repercussions for the Fury-Ngannou bout. As negotiations continue, there are concerns that the fight could be affected by these off-ring dramas. Fans are anxiously waiting to see whether this controversy will impact the match itself or the overall promotional strategy.

**Looking Ahead**

As the situation develops, all eyes are on how this dispute will unfold and what it might mean for the future of both fighters and the sport. The Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou fight remains one of the most eagerly awaited events, and with such dramatic behind-the-scenes conflicts, it’s clear that the build-up to this fight will be anything but ordinary.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to evolve and as Hearn and Alalshikh’s clash shapes the future of this blockbuster matchup.

Some people are just born to shoot, and Stephen Curry’s shooting skills are truly unmatched. As young as seven years old, Steph had the tough of a pro and nearly used it to beat an NBA shooting guard in his prime during a game of one-on-one.

“I played this kid when he was 7 years old in his driveway when I was playing with the Charlotte Hornets. I was over there hanging out with his dad, Dell Curry, and he said ‘Ed, I bet my son can beat you.’ So I go out in the driveway and I’m messing around with him and this dude is shooting shots from the street… And they going in… We playing a game of 10, and this dude going [7-0]. I said, ‘Hold up’… I’m in the NBA. I went old man style on him, man. I started backing it down and laying it up. He got mad but I’m not letting him get another shot. I won the game and he was hot

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Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Curry Almost Beat One Of The NBA’s Top Shooters When He Was 7 Years Old

Eddie Johnson tells the story of the time he was almost beaten in a one-on-one against 7-year-old Stephen Curry.

NICO MARTINEZ

3 HOURS AGO

NBA NEWS & MEDIA

STEPHEN CURRY

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS NEWS & ANALYSIS

CHARLOTTE HORNETS NEWS & ANALYSIS

DELL CURRY

START CONVERSATION

Some people are just born to shoot, and Stephen Curry’s shooting skills are truly unmatched. As young as seven years old, Steph had the tough of a pro and nearly used it to beat an NBA shooting guard in his prime during a game of one-on-one.

“I played this kid when he was 7 years old in his driveway when I was playing with the Charlotte Hornets. I was over there hanging out with his dad, Dell Curry, and he said ‘Ed, I bet my son can beat you.’ So I go out in the driveway and I’m messing around with him and this dude is shooting shots from the street… And they going in… We playing a game of 10, and this dude going [7-0]. I said, ‘Hold up’… I’m in the NBA. I went old man style on him, man. I started backing it down and laying it up. He got mad but I’m not letting him get another shot. I won the game and he was hot.”

NBA players are known to start young, but Curry may have been an extra special case. For him to almost beat a professional NBA sharpshooter at 7 years old really says a lot about his natural talent. Somehow, even before he was 10, Curry knew how to shoot from long distance and it was enough to keep the world’s best players, like Eddie Johnson, on their toes.

Eddie Johnson played for 17 years in the NBA, securing the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1989. His shortest stint was with the Hornets. He was there for just a single season and played 73 games in total for them with averages of 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 45% shooting. He was teammates with Dell Curry during this stretch, which is when he went to his house and played his pickup game with Steph. Naturally, Dell had an inkling that his teammate would struggle to beat the child on his home rim.

Stephen Curry, who was born in Akron, Ohio, spent much of his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. His dad played there for most of his career and he grew up completely immersed in the NBA environment. So by the time Steph was 7, he was already good with a basketball and could shoot better than most professional players

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NBA NEWS & MEDIA



Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Curry Almost Beat One Of The NBA’s Top Shooters When He Was 7 Years Old

Eddie Johnson tells the story of the time he was almost beaten in a one-on-one against 7-year-old Stephen Curry.

NICO MARTINEZ

3 HOURS AGO

NBA NEWS & MEDIA

STEPHEN CURRY

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS NEWS & ANALYSIS

CHARLOTTE HORNETS NEWS & ANALYSIS

DELL CURRY

START CONVERSATION

Some people are just born to shoot, and Stephen Curry’s shooting skills are truly unmatched. As young as seven years old, Steph had the tough of a pro and nearly used it to beat an NBA shooting guard in his prime during a game of one-on-one.

“I played this kid when he was 7 years old in his driveway when I was playing with the Charlotte Hornets. I was over there hanging out with his dad, Dell Curry, and he said ‘Ed, I bet my son can beat you.’ So I go out in the driveway and I’m messing around with him and this dude is shooting shots from the street… And they going in… We playing a game of 10, and this dude going [7-0]. I said, ‘Hold up’… I’m in the NBA. I went old man style on him, man. I started backing it down and laying it up. He got mad but I’m not letting him get another shot. I won the game and he was hot.”

NBA players are known to start young, but Curry may have been an extra special case. For him to almost beat a professional NBA sharpshooter at 7 years old really says a lot about his natural talent. Somehow, even before he was 10, Curry knew how to shoot from long distance and it was enough to keep the world’s best players, like Eddie Johnson, on their toes.

Eddie Johnson played for 17 years in the NBA, securing the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1989. His shortest stint was with the Hornets. He was there for just a single season and played 73 games in total for them with averages of 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 45% shooting. He was teammates with Dell Curry during this stretch, which is when he went to his house and played his pickup game with Steph. Naturally, Dell had an inkling that his teammate would struggle to beat the child on his home rim.

Stephen Curry, who was born in Akron, Ohio, spent much of his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. His dad played there for most of his career and he grew up completely immersed in the NBA environment. So by the time Steph was 7, he was already good with a basketball and could shoot better than most professional players.

Had Eddie Johnson not used his impossible size and strength to beat Curry that day, he might have actually taken the loss against him and it would have been an even crazier story. But when he looks back now, Johnson shouldn’t feel as bad knowing how good No. 30 turned out to be.

Today, almost two decades later, Curry is still inspiring awe in the NBA’s best. As a 4x champion, 2x MVP, 2x scoring leader, 10x All-Star, and Olympic gold medalist, Steph is one of the GOATs of the game and he has become the face of the modern NBA itself.

After averaging 26.4 points per game last season, Curry is still among the NBA’s elite and he’s expected to continue leading the Warriors for years to come. Steph Curry is truly a generational legend and the signs were there from very early on that he was going to be special.

 

Podczas gdy najwyżej rozstawiona Iga Świątek i trzecia rozstawiona Aryna Sabalenka awansowały do ćwierćfinałów turnieju w Cincinnati w piątek, piątą rozstawioną Jasmine Paolini wyeliminowano w trzeciej rundzie w wyniku porannego deszczu. Włoszka została pokonana przez Mirrę Andreevą z Rosji 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, która przełamała serwis Paolini przy stanie 5-3 w drugim secie i już się nie oglądała.

Andreeva wygrała 60 procent punktów przy pierwszym serwisie w pierwszym secie, a następnie wzmocniła swoją ofensywę, wygrywając 94 procent w drugim secie. Zrealizowała 5 z 8 break-pointów w tym dniu, podczas gdy Paolini wykorzystała 3 z 6. Świątek z Polski bez problemu awansowała do ćwierćfinałów, pokonując Ukrainkę Martę Kostyuk, rozstawioną z numerem 15, 6-2, 6-2. Świątek wykorzystała 27 niewymuszonych błędów Kostyuk i wygrała 71 procent punktów przy pierwszym serwisie. „Wejście na kort bez moich rutyn było na pewno trochę trudne” – powiedziała Świątek w transmisji Tennis Channel, odnosząc się do porannej pogody. „Nie rozgrzewałyśmy się rano, więc wyszłyśmy od razu na kort. Cieszę się, że udało mi się zagrać swoją grę. Było o wiele bardziej wietrznie i wilgotno z powodu deszczu rano. Cieszę się, że udało mi się dostosować.”

Świątek i Andreeva spotkają się w ćwierćfinale. Sabalenka z Białorusi wygrała bez problemu 7-5, 6-2 z Ukrainką Eliną Svitoliną, wykorzystując wszystkie cztery szanse na przełamanie, a także broniąc 4 z 5 break-pointów przeciwko niej.

Sabalenka zmierzy się teraz z dziesiątą rozstawioną Liudmilą Samsonovą z Rosji, która pokonała Elinę Avanesyan z Armenii 4-6, 6-0, 6-3. Kanadyjka Leylah Fernandez awansowała po zwycięstwie 6-1, 6-4 nad Rosjanką Dianą Shnaider, podczas gdy Hiszpanka Paula Badosa również awansowała po zwycięstwie 6-4, 6-4 nad Yulią Putintseva z Kazachstanu. W parze meczów drugiej rundy, siódma rozstawiona Qinwen Zheng z Chin wygrała 6-1, 7-5 z Magdaleną Frech z Polski, podczas gdy Rosjanka Anastasia Pawliuczenkowa wygrała 7-5, 6-4 z Duńską Caroline Wozniacki. Zheng i Pawliuczenkowa zmierzą się w trzeciej rundzie później tego wieczoru.

Zheng zdobyła złoty medal na igrzyskach olimpijskich w Paryżu, pokonując Donnę Vekić z Chorwacji w finale kobiet.

Scottie Scheffler, who is quite legitimately one of the nicest men in professional golf, has a bit of a mean streak. A highly competitive dude, he harbors no compunction about squashing his opponents like a bug. But if an actual bug gets in his way, he shows his soft side.

Ranked No. 1 in the world by a ruthless margin, Scheffler seems poised to inflict further misery on his peers after shooting a tidy but not especially pleasing five-under 65 Friday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind. At nine-under 131, he trails co-leaders Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy by two strokes, which ain’t much ground to make up for a guy with six wins this year and is coming off a furious rally to win the gold medal in the Olympic golf competition

Yeah, I could have hit it closer [to the hole], could have hit a few more greens, could have made a few more putts,” said Scheffler, who wasn’t so much complaining about his bogey-free round as he was sounding like your typical weekend woulda-coulda-shoulda golfer. “Nice to have clean card, though.”

Scheffler, who leads the FedEx Cup standings for the third year in a row after the regular season, simply is not a nice person to be around with a club in his hand. He’s not as cutthroat as Tiger Woods, who gleefully enjoyed running up the score, as it were, during many of his record-tying 82 tour wins. But Scottie is equally determined to get the “W” and is none too pleased when the mission isn’t accomplished.

While playing for a second day in a row with Xander Schauffele, who is second in both the World Ranking and the FedEx Cup standings, Scheffler showed his softer side. Not to Schauffele, of course. Nope. Beat him by four shots.

On the 16th hole, a bug of unknown entomology happened to find Scheffler’s ball an accommodating place to rest after Scheffler had hit his tee shot. When he arrived at his ball, the Texan didn’t wave off the interloper or in any way threaten it. He simply carefully removed it.

“It was some sort of bug,” he said, “but I don’t know exactly what it was, but it had wings, so I was able to grab it and just kind of move it.

You seemed entertained by it,” asked a questioner, clearly intrigued. He wasn’t alone. This thing now had legs. We’re talking about the story here.

“It was entertaining because I grabbed both of its wings very gently,” Scheffler said. “I was able to grab it off the ball, and it was trying to flutter as I had it by its wings so you could kind of feel it moving. I just wanted to make sure I put it away from my ball so it wouldn’t be going back on my ball.”

So why not kill the thing? That would stop it, too, no?

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to catch it, and then when I did, I was like, I’m not going to kill it now that I caught it,” he explained. “So I just kind of let it fly away.”

Quite the dog-and-butterfly kind of moment. Scheffler birdied the hole and the next one, too, which made three birdies in a row, and all of a sudden he was looking like the same big ol’ windshield barreling down golf’s highway getting ready to make his opponents go splat.

The point here is that Scottie Scheffler clearly has a soft side. It’s just rare to see it on a golf course

 

Rory McIlroy carded a two-under-par opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship on Thursday, but his day of sporting activity was not over.

The four-time major champion would have been forgiven for a well-earned rest after a day in the searing heat and humidity of TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, but instead, he opted for a game of tennis.

Holding a pair of racquets, McIlroy posed for a picture with Wiley Barron – son of Champions Tour major champion Doug Barron – at a nearby tennis centre, with the image shared on the PGA Tour Champions’ social media platforms

McIlroy, 35, is a big tennis fan. During the Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a medal, the Ulsterman and his wife Erica Stoll travelled to Roland Garros to watch Spanish superstars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in doubles action against Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

“I got to my first event last night watching Rafa and Carlos play doubles,” McIlroy said after his first round at Le Golf National. “I never watched Carlos play live in person before, which I was really excited for that. Excited for Rafa as well. That was really cool to see, and the atmosphere there was electric when they started to make that little fightback in the second set. That was cool to be a part of.”

McIlroy did not speak to reporters on Thursday after signing a card of 68, which featured an eagle, two bogeys and a pair of late birdies to move him four shots behind leader Chris Kirk. But ahead of the tournament, he said he hopes he can use the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which conclude in a fortnight with the Tour Championship, to “flip the script” on a frustrating season.

McIlroy has won three times in 2024, including two victories on the PGA Tour. But at times, his campaign has promised much more, particularly at the US Open in June when he blew a two-shot lead in the final five holes as Bryson DeChambeau claimed the title.

 

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Rory McIlroy shows true colours with post-round actions at FedEx St Jude Championship

Rory McIlroy made a solid start to the FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on Thursday, but instead of getting some rest after a gruelling day in the heat, he headed for the tennis court

 

Rory McIlroy carded a two-under-par opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship on Thursday, but his day of sporting activity was not over.

The four-time major champion would have been forgiven for a well-earned rest after a day in the searing heat and humidity of TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, but instead, he opted for a game of tennis.

Holding a pair of racquets, McIlroy posed for a picture with Wiley Barron – son of Champions Tour major champion Doug Barron – at a nearby tennis centre, with the image shared on the PGA Tour Champions’ social media platforms.

 

McIlroy, 35, is a big tennis fan. During the Olympics, where he narrowly missed out on a medal, the Ulsterman and his wife Erica Stoll travelled to Roland Garros to watch Spanish superstars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in doubles action against Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

“I got to my first event last night watching Rafa and Carlos play doubles,” McIlroy said after his first round at Le Golf National. “I never watched Carlos play live in person before, which I was really excited for that. Excited for Rafa as well. That was really cool to see, and the atmosphere there was electric when they started to make that little fightback in the second set. That was cool to be a part of.”

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.

McIlroy did not speak to reporters on Thursday after signing a card of 68, which featured an eagle, two bogeys and a pair of late birdies to move him four shots behind leader Chris Kirk. But ahead of the tournament, he said he hopes he can use the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which conclude in a fortnight with the Tour Championship, to “flip the script” on a frustrating season.

McIlroy has won three times in 2024, including two victories on the PGA Tour. But at times, his campaign has promised much more, particularly at the US Open in June when he blew a two-shot lead in the final five holes as Bryson DeChambeau claimed the title.

 

“I certainly don’t want to sit up here and belittle my achievements at all this year and what I’ve done, but at the same time, I expect a certain standard from myself,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, I’ve won a couple of times. I’ve had an opportunity to win a few more times than that and haven’t been able to get over the line. So I would have liked to have added a couple more to that win column.

“But there’s still three tournaments left in this PGA Tour season. I think I’ve actually got eight or nine tournaments left this year, but three on the PGA Tour, to turn an okay season into a very good one.

“I think when the bulk of the season has come and gone and you’ve got this opportunity of three weeks to really, I guess, flip the script a little bit or change the narrative and what that season means, I think that’s a motivating factor, and part of the reason that I’ve probably played well in the playoffs for the

Młoda Rosjanka awansowała do ćwierćfinałów turnieju WTA 1000 po raz drugi w swojej karierze. Po raz pierwszy udało jej się to kilka miesięcy temu podczas turnieju w Madrycie, gdzie przegrała z Aryną Sabalenką w dwóch setach. Tym razem stanie do walki z numerem 1 na świecie, Igą Świątek.

W wyczekiwanym meczu 1/8 finału rywalizacja była zacięta od początku. Andreeva (nr 24) zaczęła od wczesnego przełamania, ale Paolini (nr 5) szybko wyrównała w następnej grze. Włoskiej zawodniczce udało się objąć prowadzenie w 6. grze (4-2), co pozwoliło jej później wygrać seta 6-3.

Paolini początkowo znajdowała rozwiązania na potężny serwis młodej Rosjanki, ale w drugim secie Andreeva dodała więcej różnorodności do swojej gry. Rosjanka zaprezentowała imponujące statystyki serwisowe w drugim secie, trafiając 65% pierwszych serwisów i wygrywając 94% z nich (16/17). Z drugiej strony, Paolini miała problemy, trafiając tylko 59% pierwszych serwisów i wygrywając jedynie 47% z nich.

Andreeva utrzymywała presję na serwisie Paolini, mimo że Włoszka nieustannie utrzymywała swój serwis w trudnych warunkach. Niemniej jednak, Mirra Andreeva zdobyła przełamanie w 8. grze, a następnie wygrała seta 6-3, doprowadzając do decydującego trzeciego seta.

Ostatni set był całkowicie pod kontrolą Andreevej, która przełamała serwis rywalki w 1. i 5. grze. Choć Paolini udało się odzyskać jedno przełamanie, nie było to wystarczające do odrobienia strat, gdyż straciła serwis po raz trzeci z rzędu. Mimo że Paolini obroniła piłkę meczową, ostatecznie uległa, a Andreeva wygrała 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 i awansowała do ćwierćfinałów, gdzie zmierzy się z numerem 1 na świecie, Igą Świątek, z którą nie miała dotąd żadnych poprzednich spotkań.