Husband and wife power into semi-finals to delight coach Matthew
By STEVE CUBBINS – Squash Mad Correspondent

Greg Lobban and his wife Donna enjoyed a dazzling double celebration with wins over Paul Coll and Emily Whitlock in the Edinburgh Sports Club Open.

Lobban produced a phenomenal, attacking performance to take out No.2 seed Coll in straight games. Earlier, his wife Donna had produced a similarly impressive display to topple top seed Whitlock in the women’s quarter-finals.

The overjoyed couple are both coached by former world champion Nick Matthew, who took to social media to share his delight at their performances. 

Day Three started with men’s round two as the eight seeded players started their campaign against the previous day’s winners. As with with the women’s draw, all eight won through to set up evening quarter-finals as predicted by the seedings.

The women’s quarter-finals started with top seed and former champion Emily Whitlock taking on fifth seeded Australian Donna Lobban – almost a local with husband Greg watching and the crowd definitely in her favour.

Had the seeding been done on highest world ranking, they would have been #1 and #2, and that closeness was borne out as Donna claimed two close first games, finishing both the stronger for 11-8,11-8 and almost pulling back Emily’s early lead in the third which the top seed took 11-9.

The fourth was a humdinger as Donna edged ahead to 10-8, but after saving those match balls, and four more in extended extra points, Emily edged home 18-16 to set up a decider.

Donna moved ahead again in the fifth, and only needed two more match balls as she delightedly closed out the match 11-8 in 67 minutes.

Both Scots exited the draw as Alexandra Fuller overcame Alison Thomson in straight games 11-6, 11-5,11-8 in 28 minutes. Then, in an uncanny repeat of the top match, Rachael Chadwick went two up against third seed Lisa Aitken, who battled back to take the third and save two match balls in the fourth before finally falling 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-13, 11-8 in just over the hour.

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Chadwick said: “I’ve never got close to Lisa, she’s battered me every time before so I went in without any pressure. I had to pick the time to play on her forehand, she’s lethal there. I was pleased to sneak the first two, felt I should have won the fourth, and she was really up for the fifth, I was glad to win that one. This seems like a lucky tournament for me, I’ve had some good results here.”

In the last women’s quarter-final, second seed Julianne Courtice let 10-6 leads slip in both the first two games against Satomi Watanabe, but took them both 12-10 before the former champion closed out the third 11-8 in 31 minutes.

The men’s quarters started with a sensational upset – home favourite and 2018 Champion Greg Lobban, this time a 5/8 seed, ousting second seed and defending champion Paul Coll in straight games! Greg maintained leads through the first two games then recovered from 2-6 down to close out the match 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 in 45 minutes.
It was an astonishing performance

Five time champion Daryl Selby wasted no time in despatching Welshman Peter Creed 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 in 23 minutes to set up a semi-final against Lobban, a repeat of the 2018 final.

Wales’ Joel Makin added to the home nations’ interest in the semi-finals as he overcame determined resistance from Alan Clyne, taking the match 11-3, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5 in 49 minutes.

Last up it was top seed Karim Abdel Gawad against Declan James in a rematch of their thrilling encounter in the World Teams in Washington. James took the first and had game ball for a two-love lead, but Gawad levelled in extra points. Long story short, Gawad prevailed in five, like he does, controlling the decider to win 9-11, 13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 in 80 minutes.

PSA Edinburgh Sports Club Open 2020, Edinburgh Sports Club, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Men’s Round Two:
[2] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-0 Fergus Richards (Sco) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (30m)
[5/8] Greg Lobban (Sco) 3-0 Sean Conroy (Irl) 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (32m)
[3/4] Daryl Selby (Eng) 3-0 Dougie Kempsell (Sco) 11-5, 12-10,11-7 (35m)
[5/8] Peter Creed (Wal) 3-1 Robert Downer (Eng) 11-3, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10 (44m)
[5/8] Alan Clyne (Sco) 3-0 Rory Stewart (Sco) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 (40m)
[3/4] Joel Makin (Wal) 3-1 Jamie Henderson (Sco) 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (28m)
[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 3-1 Abhay Singh (Ind) 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7 (38m)
[5/8] Declan James (Eng) 3-1 Miles Jenkins (Eng) 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9 (46m)
Men’s Quarter-Finals:
[5/8] Greg Lobban (Sco) 3-0 [2] Paul Coll (Nzl) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (45m)
[3/4] Daryl Selby (Eng) 3-0 [5/8] Peter Creed (Wal) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (23m)
[3/4] Joel Makin (Wal) 3-1 [5/8] Alan Clyne (Sco) 11-3, 5-11, 11-7, 11-5 (49m)
[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy) 3-2 [5/8] Declan James (Eng) 9-11, 13-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4 (80m)
Men’s Semi-Finals:
[5/8] Greg Lobban (Sco) v [3/4] Daryl Selby (Eng)
[3/4] Joel Makin (Wal) v [1] Karim Abdel Gawad (Egy)

PSA $20k Women’s Challenger, Women’s Quarter-finals:
[5] Donna Lobban (AUS) bt [1] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 16-18, 11-8 (67m)
[4] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt [8] Alison Thomson (SCO) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (28m)
[6] Rachael Chadwick (ENG) bt [3] Lisa Aitken (SCO) 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-13, 11-8 (62m)
[2] Julianne Courtice (ENG) bt [7] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) 12-10, 12-10, 11-8 (31m) 

Semi-finals:
[5] Donna Lobban (AUS) v [4] Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[2] Julianne Courtice (ENG) v [6] Rachael Chadwick (ENG)

Pictures by STEVE CUBBINS courtesy of  ESC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dick Berggren has always been a man of many words.

However, for more than three decades on television and even longer in print, those words revolved around telling the stories of others.

Friday night at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center, it was Berggren’s story that was finally told en masse, as he was honored with the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

It was a turning of the tables – and an honor – that Berggren noted he was nearly at a loss to describe.

“I’m just kind of coming to grips with what’s happened today, to be honest with you,” Berggren told SPEED SPORT. “Despite the fact that I held a microphone and looked into a camera for so many years, I’m kind of a shy guy. To have what’s happened in the last couple of days happen to me, it’s been a little overwhelming, to say the least. … I think it’s going to take me a little while to grab ahold of this.

“It’s pretty special, though,” Berggren continued. “I mean, at my age … after all the years that I spent going to the races and trying to tell America what was going on and what I saw, to have it result in something like this where you get applause and something appropriate to put on the wall at home, it’s really special and I feel very, very lucky.”

Berggren, a 31-year veteran NASCAR pit reporter who also served as the editor of both Stock Car Racing and Open Wheel magazines and later founded Speedway Illustrated, started as a college professor by trade but first showed his talents in racing as the PA voice at Maine’s Arundel Speedway.

Before he jumped behind a microphone, Berggren first drove stock cars and modifieds in his own right in the Northeast. And yes, that driving tenure came with its own unique story, too.

“There was a time when I was trying to run a modified and a sprint car, actually, and somehow I wound up one Monday morning with the only thing I could use to get myself to (college) classes being my ramp truck with the sprint car on the back,” recalled Berggren, who was teaching at Emmanuel College in Boston, Mass., at the time.

“I parked it in the faculty parking lot, and about 20 minutes later there was a PA announcement that said, ‘Dr. Berggren, please report to the President’s office.’ She wanted to know what that thing was in the parking lot and how fast I could get it out of there!” Berggren continued, to a peal of laughter from the crowd. “I explained to her that car was all I had in life, and how I had every dime I could (put) into that thing and that I wasn’t about to put it out on the streets of Boston.

“Needless to say, that was the end (of that job).”

The end of Berggren’s driving days led to his start in announcing, and later, in television.

It was a profession that longtime NASCAR on FOX lead voice Mike Joy joked he and Ken Squier dragged Berggren into “kicking and screaming,” but it was a match that led to countless memorable moments for NASCAR fans.

Of course, there were just as many memories that Berggren himself holds dear to this day.

“I wanted to interview people who would interest the audience to the point that they cared about what was going on and wanted to stick with the broadcast,” Berggren explained. “If I needed to fill five minutes, Kenny Wallace was always a good go-to, because you could ask him almost anything and he would be interesting and fun. Then there were people like Bobby Alison, who you could ask almost anything and he would give you entertaining content … and those were the things I looked for.

“I’ve made a lot of great memories in this sport. I’m privileged to have played such a part in it.”

That part included far more than just NASCAR coverage. It also featured years of short-track racing journalism through the two magazines he edited, as well as the one he founded.

Berggren’s love affair with grassroots motorsports is one that he summed up in a way that only he could on Friday night.

“Have you ever looked at a woman and fallen in love right then and there?” Berggren asked. “That’s how it was for me the first time I went to a short track event. I fell in love with it.”

And as he held the Squier-Hall Award commemorative medal and overlooked a throng of assembled media members Friday night, Berggren also imparted some advice given to him at the very start of his career some four decades earlier.

“I’ll always remember what I asked (SPEED SPORT founder) Chris Economaki when I first got started doing radio and television. I said, ‘What advice have you got for me? What should I do to make something of myself in this and to do a good job?’ And he just looked at me and sternly said, ‘Dick, ask a good question,’” Berggren said. “Too many of today’s journalists make a statement. So ask a good question.

“There’s a lot of interesting people that participate in automobile racing. Tell their stories, ask good questions of them. That’s what I want people to remember and to keep doing.”

Past recipients of the Squier-Hall Award include its two namesakes, Ken Squier and Barney Hall, as well as Economaki, Tom Higgins, Steve Byrnes, Benny Phillips, Norma “Dusty” Brandel and Steve Waid.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Amid a handful of humorous moments and many sentimental expressions of thanks, five legends of stock car racing were added to the ranks of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Led by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, the Hall of Fame’s 11th induction class was officially enshrined in the Crown Ballroom of the Charlotte Convention Center, joining the ranks of the best ever in the sport in the process.

Stewart, fellow Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte, five-time champion team owner Joe Gibbs, legendary engine builder and crew chief Waddell Wilson and the late Buddy Baker comprised the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020, bringing the total number of inductees to 55 through 11 years.

While each of this year’s five inductees was linked in some way, they all featured their own unique stories as well.

Wilson led off the list and became the fourth crew chief to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

He turned the wrenches and built engines for numerous NASCAR stars, including Baker, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Benny Parsons – all NASCAR Hall of Famers in their own rights.

Wilson guided Baker to the 1980 Daytona 500 victory – just his second start as a Cup Series crew chief – and went on to a total of 22 wins and 32 poles as a crew chief.

Those performances, of course, came after the more than 100 race wins that Wilson accrued as an engine builder, many with the powerhouse Holman-Moody operation that dominated the 1960s.

While all those moments made for countless stories, Wilson didn’t want to focus on those moments during his speech on Friday night.

“I have plenty of stories about races and individuals that I could share, but I don’t want to tell my stories,” said Wilson, who was inducted by daughter Lisa Hawkins and sons Gregg and Freddie Wilson. “What I want to do is to thank all of the people that helped me throughout the years. I have been blessed to work with some of the best and most talented people in NASCAR, and I will always be grateful.”

Baker followed his former crew chief as the second member of the Class of 2020, with his sister Susie Baker accepting the Hall of Fame ring for her late brother, who passed away in 2015.

The six-foot-six star driver won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including three of NASCAR’s majors: the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the 1972 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and that 1980 Daytona 500 win, where he set the event speed record that still stands.

Baker was inducted by NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley and famed Charlotte Motor Speedway promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler.

Gibbs led off his two star drivers, the third member of the 2020 class to enter the Hall of Fame, after capping his year last fall with a fifth NASCAR Cup Series championship – earned by Kyle Busch.

Busch’s victory at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway was JGR’s 19th win in 36 races, a modern-era Cup Series record by one organization.

It also capped a bittersweet year for the Gibbs family, after the passing of Gibbs’ son and team president J.D. Gibbs – an integral cog in the Gibbs juggernaut – on Jan. 11, 2019.

To continue reading, advance to the next page.

Alex Ovechkin not only led the Washington Capitals to a win Friday night, he made a significant jump up the NHL career goals list.

Ovechkin scored two goals in the Capitals' 5-3 victory at Ottawa to pass Mark Messier for No. 8 on the list with 695 career goals.

"Eight is a good number," the Capitals' captain said with a smile. "I would say it's nice to be in good company. There are a lot of legends up there."

Ovechkin ripped a shot from the right circle over a blocker at 10 minutes, 27 seconds of the second period to make it 3-1 and tie Messier. He later added an empty-net goal with seconds remaining to pass the Hall of Famer.

Messier congratulated Ovechkin via a statement to the NHL.

"You have amazed us all with your skill, shot, and grit -- a rare combination. But more importantly, you have inspired a generation of girls and boys with your passion to score and play the game," Messier's statement said in part.

Ovechkin is 13 goals behind Mike Gartner for seventh on the career list. His 695 goals have come in 1,135 career games. The 34-year-old has 37 goals this season.

Ottawa fans gave Ovechkin a hearty cheer and, when he moved into eighth place, responded with a cheer of: "Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!"

Praise also was heaped on Ovechkin from both dressing rooms.

"You hate seeing it against you, but it's just incredible," Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot said. "He's proven he's elite. He's one of the greatest of all time in the NHL to score goals."

Capitals coach Todd Reirden said Washington is fortunate to have a player like Ovechkin.

"That's how special a player he is," Reirden said. "We're lucky as coaches and players to see a guy chase an unbelievable record, and he hasn't stopped the last few games.

"He was on, he was sharp and he was ready to go."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pakistan have recalled offspinner Bilal Asif into their Test squad, in a bid to counter what is expected to be a left-hander heavy Bangladesh line-up, for the first game in Rawalpindi. Seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf also returned to the squad after having been ignored for the team's most recent Test series at home against Sri Lanka.

Squad: Azhar Ali (capt), Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Harris Sohail, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Yasir Shah, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi, Bilal Asif, Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf

More to follow...

India A 216 and 127 for 2 (Panchal 67*, Gil 33*, Rae 1-16) trail New Zealand A 562 for 7 declared (Cleaver 196, Chapman 114, Porel 2-90) by 219 runs

Career-best scores from wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Cleaver (196) and Mark Chapman (114) left India A fighting for survival in the first four-day fixture in Christchurch.

New Zealand A, who won the one-day series 3-2, continued their challenge of India A courtesy their lower-order spunk, recovering from 176 for 6 to 562 for 7 declared. The lead of 346 giving them a cushion to push for an innings victory when play resumes on Sunday, with India A on 127 for 2.

Priyank Panchal, an India A regular, missed out in the first innings but built set himself up nicely and is firmly within grasp of a 24th first-class century. He was 67 not out, while Shubman Gill, who cracked a run-a-ball 83 in the first innings, was more sedate this time around, finishing 33 not out at stumps.

Mayank Agarwal, India's first-choice opener for the two-Test series to follow, bagged a pair, however. Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed for 26, thereby extending barren run without a half-century for 10 first-class innings. The visitors still trail by 220 runs.

The day completely belonged to Cleaver and Chapman, who dashed India A's hopes of bowling them out cheaply by amassing 268 for the sixth wicket. The stand ended when seam-bowling allrounder Vijay Shankar had Chapman caught by captain Hanuma Vihari in the 133rd over.

The respite was all too brief for India A as Cleaver then added 114 for the seventh wicket with McConchie at a run rate of over four an over. Cleaver, though, fell four shy of a double-hundred in the 160th over and in the next over New Zealand A declared after McConchie reached his fifty.

India A's bowlers toiled hard, with Ishan Porel and Sandeep Warrier coming away with two wickets each. Meanwhile, Siraj, Vijay, and Nadeem picked up one wicket apiece.

Cleaver, Kane Williamson's cousin, had managed only 139 runs in six innings in the Plunket Shield, but his return to form bodes well for New Zealand A as well as Central Districts. Cleaver had also been in the thick of the action on the opening day, when he snaffled a ricochet off short-leg fielder Rachin Ravindra to send back Vihari for 51 in bizarre fashion.

Australia 8 for 156 (Mooney 65, Sciver 3-23, Glenn 3-28) tied with England 4 for 156 (Knight 78, Wilson 39*)
England won the Super Over

For the third time in four days a T20I went to a Super Over and it was England who prevailed at the end of a gripping match in Canberra having restricted Australia to eight after debutant Annabel Sutherland hauled the home side level in the initial 20 overs when the game had appeared gone.

Australia needed 40 off the last three overs when Sutherland struck 22 off 11 balls and Delissa Kimmince 15 off 6 to mean the tie-breaker was needed. Sophie Ecclestone did superbly to keep Alyssa Healy and Ash Gardner to single figures then captain Heather Knight, who had turned England's innings around with another career-best, struck consecutive boundaries.

After ten overs England were in significant trouble on 3 for 41, but for the second game running Knight made a new high score to rebuild in a magnificent 115-run stand with Fran Wilson.

Australia made a positive start in the powerplay but legspinner Sarah Glenn turned things in England's favour. Having removed Gardner she then claimed Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes in the space of three deliveries in her final over. When Nat Sciver had top-scorer Beth Mooney stumped for a free-flowing 65 the game was almost England's but Sutherland pulled it back for Australia before they came up short.

Perry goes straight through

These tri-series matches, while important in themselves, will also give an eye on some tactics that might be used in the T20 World Cup. Perry was used straight through for her four overs with the new ball and produced a miserly spell that conceded just nine runs - the fifth time she has gone for less than 10 in her full allocation in T20Is. Amy Jones had a particularly tough time against her with 13 dots from the 17 balls she faced from Perry. Her spell was a large reason why England limped to the halfway mark on 3 for 41.

Knight's charge

Knight, who averaged 11.64 against Australia in T20Is before this match, has started this tour in fine form and followed her 67 against India with another outstanding innings as she and Wilson - who retained her spot at No. 5 - resurrected the innings with a stand of 115 in 11 overs. They put the Australia attack under pressure in the latter half of the innings and they couldn't stem the flow of runs - not the first time it has happened to them when an opposition batter has got going. The final five overs of the innings brought 66 runs with the last, from Megan Schutt, being taken for 20 as Knight twice cleared the boundary.

Contrasting powerplay approach

Australia coach Matthew Mott has instilled a no-fear approach into the team's batting and their intentions were clear at the start of the chase when Mooney and Healy played their shots. However, after taking two boundaries off Freya Davies' first two deliveries Healy picked out mid-off and Gardner took nine balls to get off the mark. Mooney, though, was playing superbly and at the end of the fielding restrictions had 32 off 21 balls with Australia's required rate under eight an over.

Glenn makes England favourites, but then…

Gardner's frustrations ended when she picked out mid-off against Glenn and Meg Lanning dragged into her stumps against Ecclestone as England applied pressure. However, it was Glenn's last over that really changed the game when Perry was pinned lbw by a straighter delivery the ball after clearing the rope for her first boundary. Two balls later, Haynes popped a return catch to Glenn and suddenly Australia's chase was falling apart when Sciver also claimed two in three balls in the 17th over. However, their batting is exceptionally deep and that was on display as Sutherland stuck three consecutive boundaries off Katherine Brunt who conceded her most expensive T20I figures. Still, England looked in control with 18 needed off seven only for Kimmince to launch Sciver's last delivery for six then in the final over scooped Ecclestone for four. Three were needed off the last ball but they could only scamper two.

Ecclestone holds her nerve

The left-arm spinner was handed the pressure of the crucial six balls of the Super Over and she could not have done much better. She beat Healy first ball and after three deliveries Australia had just three runs. A brilliant piece of work off her own bowling meant the fifth ball was a dot and another yorker only yielded a final-ball single. In reply, Perry started with two singles but then Knight lapped a boundary to ease the pressure before clearing the off side to bring victory.

LOS ANGELES -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard put on a commanding performance in Friday night's 127-119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 48 points, dishing out 11 assists and grabbing nine rebounds.

On a night when the Lakers honored Kobe Bryant in the organization's first game since the former guard's tragic death in a helicopter accident Sunday, it was Lillard who stole the show. The All-Star guard went 22-for-32 from the field and 7-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Lillard had recorded his first career triple-double in Wednesday's win over the Houston Rockets, scoring 36 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists.

Over the past five games, Lillard is averaging 48.4 points, 9.8 assists and 8.2 rebounds.

What made Lillard's performance Friday night more impressive was that he did it without the help of forward Carmelo Anthony, who sat out because of personal reasons in the wake of Bryant's death.

The Lakers held several emotional tributes throughout the game and played Bryant highlights inside Staples Center throughout the night as fans repeatedly chanted "Kobe! Kobe!" Players and fans alike shed tears while remembering the late star.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- After an upset-ridden fortnight at the Australian Open, Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza are set to battle for the women's title Saturday (3:30 a.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App). It is a matchup no one predicted entering the tournament -- which is surprising, considering how dominant both have been during their subsequent runs to the final.

So how exactly did they each get here? Let's break it down, match by match.

Sofia Kenin

The 21-year-old came to Melbourne as the No. 14 seed after a career year in 2019 that resulted in three singles titles and her highest ranking to date (No. 12). She was eliminated in the second round in Brisbane and Adelaide leading into Melbourne. With the hype surrounding many of her fellow Americans, she was largely overlooked by fans and analysts alike.

First round: Starting play on the first day of competition as part of an extremely tough quarter that included former champions Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki, Kenin faced Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan on the relatively small Court 3. Kenin needed just 78 minutes to pull off the 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Second round: Back on Court 3 two days later, Kenin took on fellow American Ann Li, a teenage qualifier who had ousted Australian Lizette Cabrera in her opener. Kenin wasn't going to let Li do the same to her, and she had a staggering 79% win percentage on first serve and won seven games in a row at one point. Ultimately, her fellow countrywoman was no match for her, and she advanced in under an hour, 6-1, 6-3.

Third round: Moving to the larger Margaret Court Arena, Kenin had a much trickier time against Zhang Shuai, who had already played spoiler to Americans Sloane Stephens and Caty McNally. Kenin struggled initially, trailing 3-0 in the first eight minutes and then facing set point twice in the opening set before clawing her way back. In the second set, she was down a break but held off Zhang in a tiebreak for the 7-5, 7-6 (7) victory in just over two hours to advance to the second week in Melbourne for the first time.

Fourth round: In one of the most-anticipated matches of the tournament, Kenin took on 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff in front of a capacity crowd at Melbourne Arena. Gauff was the talk of the tournament and the overwhelming crowd favorite, having just eliminated defending champion Osaka in straight sets. Gauff took the hard-fought first set in a tiebreak, but from there on it was all Kenin. She broke Gauff early in the second set, then let her make unforced error after unforced error (she had 48 in total), all while remaining calm. Kenin blanked Gauff in the third set for a statement win, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-0, and was the only American woman to advance to the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals: Coming into the next round with more eyes on her than before, thanks to the win over Gauff, Kenin needed to bring all she had against Ons Jabeur, who was playing for history of her own as the first Arab woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Kenin started strong at Rod Laver Arena with a 3-1 lead, but Jabeur managed to even it at 3-all before Kenin hit her stride. She saved six of the seven break points she faced and held off a slew of tricky shots from Jabeur for a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Semifinals: Playing in her first semifinals at a major, Kenin had the unenviable task of facing world No. 1 and hometown favorite Ashleigh Barty in front of a loud and rowdy Laver crowd on a day that hovered around 100 degrees. But Kenin shocked Barty -- and her fans -- and staved off set point in two sets for a 7-6 (6), 7-5 win in an hour and 45 minutes. Kenin dropped her racket and cried when she secured in her spot in the final.

Garbine Muguruza

The 26-year-old came to Australia with virtually no expectations after a disappointing 2019. Having won the French Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017, Muguruza had struggled in the years since, making it to just one major semifinal in that time. She was eliminated in the first round at the All England Club and at the US Open last year, and her ranking dropped to a five-year low of No. 36 to end the season. She had a strong start to 2020, with a semifinal appearance at Shenzhen followed by making the quarterfinals at Hobart before having to withdraw with a viral illness. She entered Melbourne unseeded and very much under the radar. In fact, her health made some question whether she would even be able to play in the tournament.

First round: Facing American qualifier Shelby Rogers in her opener, it looked for a time as if Muguruza would be facing another early exit when she was handed a bagel in the first set. Despite the slow start and a medical timeout, though, Muguruza recovered and pulled off an impressive comeback that included winning 12 of the last 13 games for a 0-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory.

Second round: Muguruza had the challenge of playing Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in the second round at Rod Laver in front of a biased crowd as a consequence of being unseeded. She suffered another sluggish start, losing the first two games, but then won the next five. Ultimately, Muguruza had 34 winners and managed to break her opponent four times to hold on for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory in 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Third round: Being unseeded resulted in yet another tough matchup, as she took on world No. 5 Elina Svitolina in the round of 32. There would be no slow start for the Spaniard this time, and she had a nearly flawless performance as she defeated Svitolina for the fourth time out of four tries in a major. Muguruza took the first set in just 23 minutes and easily advanced behind a 6-1, 6-2 final score.

Fourth round: Facing yet another top-10 player, Kiki Bertens, the odds were against Muguruza again at Rod Laver. Again Muguruza proved the bigger the opponent, the better her game. She notched six aces and 19 winners and broke Bertens' serve five times in a 6-3, 6-3 victory that lasted just over an hour. Muguruza advanced to her first major quarterfinal in almost two years, and it marked the first time she had achieved back-to-back wins over top-10 players since Indian Wells in March of last year.

Quarterfinals: Muguruza next took on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 30th seed who had eliminated 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the previous round. Unlike in her previous two matches, Muguruza was tested in the first set and was down a break twice before taking the opener in 57 minutes. After falling down a break to start the second, she found her rhythm and dominated down the stretch for a 7-5, 6-3 win. She had six aces on the day and advanced to her first semifinal at Melbourne.

Semifinals: After reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep needed just 53 minutes to bulldoze her way into the semifinals, she became the immediate favorite to win the title, but Muguruza would not be intimidated. Playing in the midafternoon sun and extreme heat of Laver, the two squared off in what felt like a heavyweight bout for the ages. There were no easy points, and it was a tense clash from start to finish. Ultimately it was Muguruza, behind 10 aces and 39 winners, who held on for the 7-6 (8), 7-5 win in 2 hours and 5 minutes. It ended with Halep hitting into the net after a six-shot rally. Muguruza clenched her fist in victory but otherwise showed little emotion as she made it back to her first Grand Slam final since 2017.

HOUSTON -- Coach Mike D'Antoni took small-ball strategy to historic extremes during the Houston Rockets' 128-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rockets became the first NBA team to play an entire game without a player listed taller than 6-foot-6 since the New York Knicks in a Jan. 31, 1963, loss to the Chicago Zephyrs.

It's history that the Rockets will probably repeat soon, as 6-foot-10 starting center Clint Capela continues to deal with a case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot that has been bothering him for several weeks, causing him to be in and out of the lineup. D'Antoni told Capela that he "shouldn't come back until he's pain-free," which might not be until after the All-Star break.

In the meantime, playing small makes sense to D'Antoni, even with 7-foot reserve centers Tyson Chandler and Isaiah Hartenstein available.

"We're 2-0 with it," D'Antoni said, referring to Monday's 126-117 road win over the Utah Jazz, in which the only playing time logged by a Rocket taller than 6-foot-6 was Hartenstein's six minutes off the bench. Danuel House Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha, both listed at 6-foot-6, were the tallest Rockets to play Friday.

D'Antoni cited the damage Rockets star guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook did against Dallas with a wide-open floor as reason to stick with small ball. Harden had 35 points -- including 14 in the fourth quarter, when the Rockets held off a Mavs rally -- and six assists. Westbrook had 32 points and nine assists.

"When we're getting to the rim, it's pretty devastating, so they better beat us up inside pretty well before we have to change," D'Antoni said. "We won't blink too quick.

"The underlying thing is we're just really trying to open it up for James and Russ to get to the rim so we can get layups. Those are the best shots -- and fouls. That lineup permits that. Now, can you play that well enough defensively and rebounding to make them blink and they go small? Or do their bigs impose their will? That's the challenge, and we'll see. If we play hard and we're attentive to details, it'll work."

Mavs big man Kristaps Porzingis, standing 7-foot-3 with skills, presented an immense challenge for the Rockets. Porzingis scored a season-high 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting -- attempting only four 3-pointers, well below his norm with the Mavs -- and grabbed 12 rebounds.

"It's challenging, especially when you got to guard bigger guys like tonight, [with] Porzingis under the basket," said Harden, who jumped the opening tip for the first time that he could remember at any level. "It brings the competitiveness out of you. You've got to compete, you've got to be physical, and that's when you rely on your teammates."

However, the Rockets outscored the Mavs by 11 points in the 36 minutes played by Porzingis.

"It's crazy," Porzingis said of the Rockets' extremely small starting lineup, which featured 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker at center. "It's the NBA of today -- a lot of mismatches, a lot of trying to open the floor. It happens, especially with them. They play that way. Everybody is open, and James Harden or Westbrook create something, and they kick out the ball. They're good at what they do."

According to Westbrook, Porzingis is an exception in the modern NBA as a 7-footer who can cause problems against the Rockets' switching scheme and smaller defenders.

"I mean, ain't that many that you've got to worry about, honestly, that you've really got to pay close [attention]," Westbrook said. "Porzingis is a rare case, being able to shoot it and score inside. There's not many that we've got to really worry about that, that we've got to change our whole philosophy behind."

The Rockets are willing to risk giving up buckets to opposing big men to create opportunities for Harden and Westbrook to attack one-on-one with shooters spacing the floor, preventing rim-protectors from roaming the paint.

"Me against any defender, I know I can get to my spots and get what I want," Westbrook said. "If they do help, I'm able to make the pass and make the right reads. If it's one-on-one, I can get anywhere I want. There's really nothing nobody can do."

The Rockets managed to beat the Mavericks despite being outrebounded by a 52-37 margin. D'Antoni cited rebounding as the biggest challenge to playing small.

Tucker had only one rebound in 36 minutes, but his primary responsibility is to box out the opposing big man. The Rockets are relying on Harden and Westbrook to grab the lion's share of the rebounds. Harden had 16 rebounds against the Mavs -- his most in a game since Dec. 31, 2016 -- and Westbrook grabbed six.

"It shouldn't be a problem, but there will be times that they reach over you, and they score," D'Antoni said. "People will go, 'Ohhh!' We're not going to shut them out, but I think over the long haul, we can be a lot better than we were tonight, and we can guard. A lot of it is just individual. You've got to hunker down, and let's go and get in front of the guys.

"If we do that and we get conscientious about boxing out and getting back, we could make this lineup pretty good."