Serme meets Sobhy in Nantes women’s final
By MATT COLES – Squash Mad Correspondent

Welshman Joel Makin fought back from two games down to reach the final of the Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital after beating home favourite Gregoire Marche in front of a partisan crowd at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne.

The Frenchman, who had already knocked out the No.1 seed Simon Rosner earlier this week, quickly got into a rhythm, and was able to put the ball in the right places. He took the first 11-8, before then controlling the second even more, winning it 11-6 to double his lead and put himself on the verge of victory.

However, the ‘Golden Tiger’ came roaring back into life, as he was able to get in front of Marche on court and put the pressure on the Frenchman. As the match time ticked over the hour mark, Makin took the third game to bring himself back into the match.

The Welshman then dominated the fourth game, bar a few mistakes, to send the match into a decider. In the end, the Welshman had too much for the home favourite, despite the backing of a hugely vocal crowd.

Makin won the fifth 11-7 to seal victory after 95 minutes of brutal squash on the glass court, sending the handful of Welsh and Birmingham fans into raptures. He moves on to the final on Saturday evening.

“I am relieved to get through that one to be honest. I was passive and I got it wrong early on. I sat back too much, even though I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t quite get it right and credit to him, he was moving unbelievably well,” Makin admitted.

“He was taking the ball in and taking his chances. Once it got to 2-0, I knew I needed to take him in and just work him. I had to try and stretch him out and he started to slow down. It was tough after that and it worked in the end.

“The atmosphere has been brilliant all week so I have enjoyed coming down and watching. Seeing your opponent for the next stage gives you a bit of a feel of how they are playing. We have all seen each other loads before but you get a feel for what they are doing this week.”

Makin will play New Zealand’s Paul Coll in the final after the World No.6 got the better of Egypt’s Zahed Salem in the last match of the night. The Kiwi rounded off the semi-finals action with a convincing victory over the Egyptian in straight games.

The Kiwi came out strongly in the first game, but the No.4 seed was able to match him shot-for-shot in the opening exchanges. Coll managed to just eke out a lead in the final stags of the first to take the early lead in the match.

The second was easier for the New Zealander, who restricted the World No.14 to just five points as he doubled his lead in the match. Coll would go on to secure his place in the final of the event after winning the third game to seal victory inside 40 minutes.

“I am very relieved to get off court in three. It was mentally very tough and I had to keep myself very focussed. It was easy to drift off and think about my bed. I didn’t think about squash, I just concentrated mentally on staying sharp and just playing what was there,” Coll said.

“I took a longer nap than usual, just slept as long as I could during the day. I just started my day a few hours later than normal. It was very tough, it was still tough to warm-up and get started in the match. During the day was fine, I just postponed everything a few hours.

“I watched the whole thing [Makin v Marche] from my bed. It was a very physical match, and he did well to come from 2-0 down against a French crowd. It was a pretty impressive performance from him, but I have played him the day after a 100-minute match and we then played another 100-minute match again so I am sure he will back up again tomorrow.

“A win would be perfect. I made the final of my first event last year and just missed out so if I could go one better this time round it would be amazing. I will just try to leave everything out there. I just need to recover, sleep as long as I can in the morning. It is another late match so I will just prepare for it like I did today.”

France’s Camille Serme is through to the final of the Open de France – Nantes 2019 presented by Tailor Capital after she beat Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy in a convincing three-game performance at the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne.

The pair were meeting for the fourth time on the PSA World Tour, with Serme aiming to keep up her 100% record over the Egyptian, dating back to 2016. She started off with that mindset, restricting the 19-year-old to just four points in the first game.

Serme continued that form into the early part of the second, taking an 8-2 lead. However, the Egyptian looked to fight back, reeling off four straight points. The World No.3 managed to compose herself though, and was able to double her lead in the match with an eventual 11-7 victory in the second game. A similar pattern happened in the third, with Serme going on to take a big lead.

This time, though, El Hammamy managed to come back from 6-1 to level the game at 7-7. However, a couple of strong shots from the Frenchwoman moved her back in front, allowing to comfortably take the victory in 35 minutes, to the rapturous applause of the partisan crowd.

“Obviously, I am very happy to win in three. When it was 2-0, I was actually thinking how nice it would have been to be over. Obviously, I was ready from the start. Even if it was best-of-three, I wanted to keep the momentum going with a really good start and I think I showed that in the first game,” Serme said.

“The third game, I was feeling really hot on court. It is warmer today on court and I think I felt a little bit of fatigue and she came back to 7-7. Luckily, I managed to play two good shots at the right time so I am really happy.

“It is amazing. Every time I think of it, or I hear them [the crowd], I get goosebumps. It is like in the third game, I used the extra push. From the very first match, it was like this and I thought to myself that I wanted to play as much as I could on that court. I just want to finish on a win tonight.

“I think I will be watching [Sobhy v Perry], maybe while I am having dinner to make sure I recover properly. I have been to a couple of finals, but it has been a while since I won a tournament. No pressure on myself but I would really love to win this one!”

Serme will play United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy in the final of the Open de France – Nantes, after the American overcame England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry in a four-game battle at the Chateau.

In a ferocious opening game, Sobhy had to save several game balls before squeezing home 15-13.

The second was much more straightforward for the New York-born Sobhy, who ran out to a 9-2 lead. Although Perry got a few points back, the World No.8 was able to close the game out to double her lead in the match.

Sobhy then went out to a 4-1 lead in the third, only for Perry to fight back. The Englishwoman kept herself in the match by winning 10 of the next 11 points to win the game 11-5, to move back to just one behind.

However, the American regained control in the fourth game, as he moved out into a commanding lead early on, a lead that she would not relinquish, as she booked her place in the final of the tournament, where she will face World No.3 Camille Serme.

“I knew that I was in for a battle with SJ. The last few times we have played it has been close and so I watched her match yesterday, and it was more about going out there and doing what I can do best, enjoying myself and playing freely,” Sobhy said.

“I think it just helped with the whole atmosphere and the fact that I was playing so late, I just said to myself to go out there and to just enjoy it. To squeeze that first game was so crucial, because we are both momentum players, so if we can get up on the other person that it really helps our confidence.

“I am very happy about that, and I knew after being 2-0 up, she was going to come back strong. I was really happy to rigour in the fourth and find my form and length again.

“I am really looking forward to the final. Going into the tournament, I saw the draw and I thought I had a really good opportunity. I have never been into the finals of a 70k before so I just wanted to test where I am at, especially after the long summer. Camille and I played a few weeks ago in Bellevue and she beat me in five. Hopefully I can reverse that tomorrow.”

2019 Open de France – Nantes, Chateau de Ducs des Bretagne, Nantes, France.

Men’s Semi-Finals:
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) bt [6] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-2: 8-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (95m)
[2] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [4] Zahed Salem (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-8 (39m)

Final:
[3] Joel Makin (WAL) v [2] Paul Coll (NZL)

Women’s Semi-Finals:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [5] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-8 (35m)
[3] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt [2] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 3-1: 15-13, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6 (46m)

Women’s Final:
[1] Camille Serme (FRA) v [3] Amanda Sobhy (USA)

Report by MATT COLES (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA

Dan Carter or Jonny Wilkinson? Jonah Lomu or Shane Williams? John Eales or Martin Johnson? Gavin Hastings or Jason Robinson?

There are no easy choices in our all-time World Cup XV selector. But there are no shortage of stellar options either.

Put together your XV representing the greatest of the great to do it on the biggest stage.

We will reveal BBC Sport readers' best XV on Tuesday, 1 October - teams must be selected by 17:00 BST on Monday, 30 September to count.

Australia head coach Michael Cheika says he received threats amid the fallout from Israel Folau's controversial social media post.

The 30-year-old devout Christian had his contract terminated by Rugby Australia in April for writing "hell awaits" gay people.

Full-back Folau, who won 73 caps, is now suing the governing body, arguing his contract was unlawfully ended.

"People were saying all sorts of stuff," Cheika said.

"Just threats I was getting; people on the street, some to my face, a couple at some games. It was just crazy stuff."

Folau - who is seeking £5.6m (AU $10m) in compensation, an apology and a return to the national side - escaped punishment for similar anti-gay comments last year.

Cheika, whose side start their Rugby World Cup campaign against Fiji next Saturday in Japan, said the governing body had to act in the team's best interests.

"I'm not disappointed in the individual [Folau] because if that's what he believes, and that's where his passion is, I will never tell someone to hide it," he added in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I might not agree with everyone, but I'd never want someone to not say what they feel. I'm no person to judge.

"The other disappointing part is that we lost one of our best players; a guy who I helped come back. I wouldn't say I'm responsible for what's happened. It's just life. But I had to do what was needed for the team."

Cheika denied claims the Wallabies camp was split following Folau's sacking but revealed team meetings were held in order to move forward.

"Of course, we had to address it," he said. "We spoke about it in small groups, then one on one, and then in the team environment together, so everyone was clear on what was going on.

"Then we got on with business, which is representing Australia in footy. That's what we're here to do."

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton was ruled out for the rest of the season with patellar tendinitis, the team announced after Friday night's 11-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Upton, who had an MRI earlier this week after complaining of right knee discomfort and missed his second straight game Friday, will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and will need six weeks of recovery. He is expected to be ready for spring training in 2020.

It was an injury-plagued season for Upton, who went on the injured list in late March because of turf toe on his left foot and missed the Angels' first 71 games. Limited to 63 games, he finished with just 12 homers and 40 RBIs, his lowest totals since his 43-game rookie season in 2007.

The Angels have lost five straight while playing without Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

Trout missed his fifth straight game Friday with an irritated nerve in his right foot. He was in the Angels' early lineup but was scratched about two hours before game time to give him another day of rest. The Angels aren't expected to shut down Trout, who leads the American League with 45 homers.

Ohtani had surgery Friday on his left kneecap and will need eight to 12 weeks of recovery.

The Angels were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with Tuesday's 8-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Great Britain will compete in January's inaugural ATP Cup following Andy Murray's late decision to enter.

Britain may not have qualified for the 24-team event had Murray not entered under his protected world ranking of two.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are also in the field for the new tournament, which will be played across three Australian cities.

The draw takes place at the Sydney Opera House on Monday.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray said in January that he planned to retire after this year's Wimbledon after struggling to recover from hip surgery.

The Scot went on to return to the court in time to feature at Wimbledon, where he eventually played mixed doubles with Serena Williams.

Murray missed out on returning for the US Open, choosing to play in the Winston-Salem Open instead, where he lost to Tennys Sandgren in the first round.

The ATP Cup, which carries 750 ranking points, is separate from the Davis Cup but could amalgamate with that tournament after it is revamped, according to International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty.

LAS VEGAS – Austin Hill was not going to be denied Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Hattori Racing Enterprises driver gave up track position to bolt on four new tires during a late pit stop, then proceeded to drive back through the field to win the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series World of Westgate 200.

A caution period on lap 81 for the expired engine in Tyler Dippel’s truck brought most of the field down pit road, but Hill’s No. 16 Toyota was not one of those to hit the pits. When Hill’s team saw the rest of the field pit, they realized they may have made a mistake.

It was at that point the team made the decision to pit the next time back around the track. While most of the field that pitted on the previous lap just took fuel, Hill’s team instead chose to pit for four tires in addition to fuel.

That decision proved to be the race winning call.

Restarting 17th on lap 87, Hill began storming through the field. By the 108th lap Hill was in third and one lap later he moved into second and began to track down race-long leader Ross Chastain.

Chastain quickly watched his lead, which was more than a second when Hill moved into the second position, disappear. With 12 laps to go Hill caught Chastain and began looking for a way around the Florida watermelon farmer.

Coming out of turn four Hill made his move, looking to the inside of Chastain. Hill beat Chastain to the start-finish line and completed the pass in turns one and two, dispatching Chastain with ease.

Once out front Hill drove off into the distance, easily beating Chastain to the checkered flag by more than two seconds to earn his third NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series victory of the season.

“This is the hardest one I’ve had to win,” Hill said, who has earned wins at Daytona Int’l Speedway and Michigan Int’l Speedway this year. “We were going to stay out that last caution and we stayed out and everybody else pitted. So we decided that we needed to pit or we were going to be screwed.

“We came down pit road, restarted at the tail end of the longest line. Man, it stayed green and I had to drive all the way through the field. This truck was unbelievable.”

Christian Eckes finished third after starting from the pole, followed by Sheldon Creed and Todd Gilliland.

Friday’s race was the final event in the first round of the Truck Series playoffs and saw two drivers eliminated from championship contention. Those drivers were ThorSport Racing competitors Grant Enfinger and Johnny Sauter, both of whom fell out of the race with engine issues.

The drivers who advanced to the second round of the Truck Series playoffs include Brett Moffitt, Hill, Chastain, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton and Tyler Ankrum.

For complete results, advance to the next page.

LANCASTER, N.Y. – Matt Hirschman won the 30th annual Tommy Druar/Tony Jankowiak Memorial 110 for the Race of Champions Modified Series on Friday night at Lancaster Speedway @ New York International Raceway Park.

The 110-lap race originally started on Aug. 17, but was halted after six laps after a crash by Karl Hehr damaged the catch fence on the front straightaway. The race resumed on Friday night to kick off the 31st annual U.S. Open weekend at Lancaster.

When the race was stopped Eric Beers was scored as the leader followed by Chuck Hossfeld, Patrick Emerling, Daren Scherer and Daryl Lewis, Jr.

The race resumed 27 days after it was halted, and Beers retained his command of the field followed by Hossfeld and Emerling. Hossfeld developed an issue around lap 20 and began dropping through field. He eventually spun out in turn two on lap 24 to bring out the yellow flag. Hossfeld would be in and out of the pits throughout the rest of the race.

Several of the front runners pitted during the caution period, including Emerling, Daren Scherer, Amy Catalano and Kevin Miller. The race restarted on lap 32, but was quickly under the caution flag again when RoC Series points leader Andy Jankowiak, Chris Ridsdale and George Skora III tangled in turn three. Jankowiak’s car drove over the front end of Ridsdale. He went to the pits, but came back out with something dragging from the rear of the car.

Beers continued to lead the race with Tommy Catalano now in second place followed by Matt Hirschman and Amy Catalano. Jankowiak stopped on the track to bring out the yellow flag again on lap 41.

The race went past the halfway point with Beers still leading. Catalano and Hirschman traded the runner-up position back and forth. Emerling led the cars that pitted earlier in the race, and was up to fourth place by lap 57.

Owen Bednasz spun out on lap 71 to bring out the caution flag after just over 20 laps of racing under green. This gave Beers and Hirschman the opportunity to pit for a new tire while Catalano elected to stay out.

Catalano inherited the lead when Beers pitted, which also moved Emerling to second followed by Scherer, Skora, Hirschman and Beers. It took Emerling just three laps to get by Catalano when the race restarted. Hirschman quickly moved his way to the front of the field, and he passed Catalano for second lap 83. Emerling and Hirschman eventually pulled away from the pack.

Skora and Miller tangled on lap 97 to cause another caution period. Hirschman continued to pursue Emerling when the race restarted. On lap 100, Hirschman got a run to the inside of Emerling down the frontstretch. He was able to stay to the inside of Emerling going into turn one, and took the lead for good by the time they exited turn two.

One final caution with five laps to go was all that separated Matt Hirschman from his fourth career win in the Tommy/Tony 110. He pulled away in the final circuits to secure his first RoC Modified Series win of 2019. Emerling had to settle for second, but he managed to cut Andy Jankowiak’s series points lead to just 12. Beers finished third with Kevin Miller and Tommy Catalano rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Matt Hirschman, Patrick Emerling, Eric Beers, Kevin Miller, Tommy Catalano, Daren Scherer, Owen Bednasz, Amy Catalano, George Skora III, Alan Bookmiller, Chris Ridsdale, Austin Beers, Andy Jankowiak, Chuck Hossfeld, Scott Wylie, Bobby Hanel, Timmy Catalano, Dave Kozlowski, Daryl Lewis Jr., Mike Leaty, Tyler Catalano, Karl Hehr, Bill Mislin, Randall Richard.