Australia's captain Aaron Finch is firming to play in the opening international of the summer, a Twenty20 date with Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, though he has no qualms about lending the leadership to Alex Carey or Pat Cummins should he still require more time to recover from a side strain that was initially disguised by a parallel back spasm.

The road to hosting the 2020 T20 World Cup has begun with a series of meetings, media commitments and training, with Finch and the coach Justin Langer eager to ensure the group chosen for six matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan over the next two weeks starts to develop role clarity and comfort in each other's company.

ALSO READ - Langer's bid to turn Australia into a T20 fortress

If Finch is unfit, there is the strong likelihood that the wicketkeeper Carey will lead Australia for the first time, after his leadership credentials were strongly endorsed by the selection chairman Trevor Hohns, who has gone as far as to say that he would like to see the South Australian leading the Redbacks in place of Travis Head.

"The two guys who are vice-captains, Alex and Patto, both are well-placed to do it. Everyone who's involved with the leadership group is across a lot of things. They'll have no issues stepping in if need be," Finch said. "I don't think it's going to be a long-term injury. I'm feeling better and better every day. It'll be a case of having a hit today, assessing how it goes, having a hit tomorrow and keep reassessing each day.

"Probably a little bit of a later diagnosis than what we first thought it was, a bit of a back spasm. It sort of started to get better and then I felt a bit of a twinge in my side. As a result, had a scan on Monday in Perth. Maybe last Friday actually in Perth. Just a little tear there, not a hell of a lot. So I still think I'll be fine on Sunday.

"The back was the same thing [as end of BBL last summer]. The side is something that's totally new. Sitting down for a couple of days in that Shield game at the Junction Oval and then coming out and trying to swing a bit too hard. It wasn't one [shot] in particular. Could have been a number. I went pretty hard."

Having worked assiduously alongside Langer to build a strong 50-over World Cup campaign out of the humblest of beginnings last year, Finch argued that the scheduling of plenty of T20 matches for the Australian short-form team over the next 12 months, certainly when lined up against their regular split of Tests, ODIs and T20s, should allow for a similarly promising build-up.

"It's great that we've got 21 games of T20Is over the next 12 months leading into the T20 World Cup," Finch said. "That's probably the first step, having that continuity of selection in the T20 format. We've probably not had that in the past. It's been a process of managing players of the back of Test series or high workload tours. It's going to exciting to be able to have a similar squad over the next 12 months to two years with the two T20 World Cups back-to-back.

"The 50-over World Cup was exciting and certainly didn't pan out the way we wanted it to. We fell two games short. But as the lead-up went, from about December right up to the end of that World Cup, we got a lot of things right. We built a lot of good stuff through the Indian ODI series and the Pakistan series in the UAE and continued that on. That's a really key thing we've taken out of it and hopefully with this as well."

As flagged by Langer to ESPNcricinfo, Australia's T20 blueprint for the next 12 months will draw a lot from his experiences at the Perth Scorchers, who were masters of creating pressure through use of the game's defensive skills, while also allying superior fitness to predatory fielding and proactive running between the wickets. Finch said that planning was certainly more advanced than at the same point 12 months out from the 50-over World Cup.

"A bit more advanced I would say, especially with the style we want to play," Finch said. "We know what style we want to go with over the next 12 months. That makes it a bit clearer to be able to map out how you go about that. I expect it to be a little bit smoother. Obviously, with form and injury, the personnel can change. But the 14 guys we have got here, that's the plan to move forward with. Over the next 12 months and leading up to that World Cup to have that solid base of 14-16 players that can take us into that tournament.

"It's about having specific guys for the roles as well. Ashton Agar is in there as the allrounder, the spinning allrounder, if we do decide to play two spinners we've still got the option of three genuine quicks. If we go without the legspinner then we still have four genuine quicks as well. It's just a bit of a change of mind-set of balancing up our team. It's still going to be a case of managing players through workloads at various points. All in all, we want to win as many games as we can and create a style and culture around the group of winning T20Is."

MINNEAPOLIS -- With two minutes left in the game, and the game well in hand, the Minnesota crowd turned its appreciation to someone it knows well: running back Adrian Peterson. And the cheers caused the longtime running back, one of the hardest runners in the NFL, to choke up.

The Washington Redskins running back, who moved into sixth place on the NFL's all-time rushing list earlier in the game, was shown on the scoreboard in both end zones, leading to a prolonged ovation, chants of "AP!" and Peterson twice waving to the crowd. The second time, he kissed his fingers, then showed them to the crowd. He smiled, but he later said the applause also caused him to be emotional. Peterson spent 10 years with the Vikings, rushing for a franchise-record 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns.

"I had to hold tears back, to be honest," Peterson said. "It was special, a special moment."

He also called it a bittersweet one, considering the Redskins lost 19-9. But Peterson showed he still had life left, rushing for 76 yards on 14 carries. The Redskins had the ball for only 8:01 of the second half, giving Peterson fewer chances to run the ball. But it was a much better return than the one he made in 2017 when, playing for the Saints, he rushed six times for 18 yards in the season opener.

This one meant a lot to both Peterson and the crowd. That Saints game was known for the scowl Peterson gave to coach Sean Payton. There was no scowl to be seen Thursday.

"Just coming back and seeing the love they still have for me and they showed, man, it felt good," Peterson said. "Even in defeat I'm able to embrace it and take it for what it was and it meant a lot. I spent a decade here so just to see that ovation and the love they showed it was meaningful."

Peterson even caught himself doing something he once did often during his decade here.

"There was a couple times during the game I caught myself singing the Skol song," he said. "It's a natural instinct. Some things are just triggered."

It was also another night in which Peterson moved up the all-time rushing list. He passed both Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson and now resides in sixth place with 13,701 yards. He trails Curtis Martin by 400 yards for fifth place. Peterson has rushed for 383 yards this season, but 275 have come in the three games since Jay Gruden was fired.

"It means a lot," Peterson said of passing Bettis and Tomlinson. "Came to the game expecting to climb the ladder and these guys I'm passing are the ones that paved the way for me. I loved LT growing up and Bettis, big boy running that ball extremely hard. That's kind of how I got some of my motivation to be really aggressive, watching him banging in there. To look up on the screen and see that I passed those guys it's humbling. But this is what I set forth to accomplish."

The Cleveland Cavaliers and forward Cedi Osman have agreed to a four-year, $30.8 million contract extension, sources told ESPN.

The contract will start next season at $8.75 million and descend in value with the final season in 2023-24 non-guaranteed.

A former second-round pick, Osman is in the final season of a three-year, $8 million deal. He would've been a restricted free agent next summer.

He averaged 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season as the team's starting small forward.

The New York Times first reported the agreement.

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, has been suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA-NBPA's anti-drug policy with a positive test for a diuretic, the league announced Thursday night.

The National Basketball Players Association plans to file arbitration papers immediately on behalf of Ayton, believing that there will be a case to have the penalty reduced or rescinded based on a collective bargaining agreement provision of "unintentional ingestion," league sources told ESPN.

Diuretics are banned because they can mask performance-enhancing drug use. Sources with knowledge of Ayton's testing told ESPN that follow-up testing on him showed no traces of any other banned substances.

The NBPA has the ability to expedite two cases a year with the league, and sources say it's likely the union will use one of them on Ayton to try to get him back on the court as soon possible.

The timing is terrible for the Suns, who beat Sacramento on opening night Wednesday behind 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks by Ayton.

Ayton would lose $2.17 million over a 25-game suspension.

"I want to apologize to my family, the entire Suns organization, my teammates, partners, our fans and the Phoenix community," Ayton said in a statement. "This was an unintentional mistake and unfortunately I put something in my body that I was completely unaware of.

"I do understand the unfortunate impact that this has on so many others, and for that I am deeply sorry. I'm extremely disappointed that I've let my team down.

"I will continue to work with the NBPA to go through arbitration and am hopeful of a positive resolution."

The team also issued a statement.

"On behalf of the Phoenix Suns organization, (coach) Monty Williams and I are disappointed in the actions by Deandre Ayton that led to his testing positive for a banned diuretic and subsequent suspension by the NBA. This does not uphold the standards and principles we have set for the team,'' Suns general manager James Jones said.

"Deandre has expressed his deepest remorse. While he is suspended we remain committed to his growth and development on and off the court. His actions are not taken lightly, and we are committed to ensuring that Deandre understands the profound impact it has had on the team, organization, and Suns community.''

HOUSTON -- James Harden blamed himself more than he credited the Milwaukee Bucks' execution of their unique defensive scheme for his struggles to score in the Houston Rockets' 117-111 season-opening loss Thursday night.

Harden, the NBA's scoring champion in each of the last two seasons, finished with only 19 points on 2-of-13 shooting in the loss. He didn't have a field goal in the second half, when he was held to four free throws and the Bucks rallied from a 16-point deficit to win at the Toyota Center.

"Give them credit, they came back and played well in that second half, but this one is on me," said Harden, who had 14 assists and seven turnovers. "I wasn't aggressive enough, and that's what it was."

The Bucks firmly believe that their defense had a lot to do with Harden's problems. As they did in their two wins over the Rockets last season, Milwaukee had Harden's primary defender shade his strong hand so heavily that their feet faced his left hip, making it difficult for him to launch his lethal step-back jumper and funneling him into traffic, where shot blockers Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo usually awaited.

"He's such a great player, you have to kind of think, 'Can we do something a little unconventional, something a little different?'" Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He's seen everything. He's seen us a couple of times last year. I thought in the second half the discipline was better."

Harden had 15 points in the first half despite not getting his first field goal until there was 2:06 remaining in the second quarter. He was 10-of-10 from the free throw line by halftime.

Harden missed all seven of his shots from the floor in the second half -- including six 3-pointers -- and didn't score until a trip to the free throw line with 1:26 remaining.

"I trust the philosophy that the coaches had, and it worked out," said Bucks shooting guard Wesley Matthews, who was the primary defender on Harden for much of the game in his Milwaukee debut. "This is a different kind of situation for me. I felt like [in previous seasons] that I had to make the stop, I had to get the stop. That's not the case with this team. We've got a team full of defenders with length and activity. It's truly a team defense. That's a credit to everybody in this room."

Harden insisted that the Bucks' scheme wasn't a factor in him attempting fewer field goals than he did in any game last season, when his scoring average of 36.1 points per game was the highest by any NBA player in three decades.

"It's me," said Harden, who averaged 32.5 points but shot only 39.3 percent from the floor in the Rockets' two losses to the Bucks last season. "I can get any shot I want to. ... It's the first game of the season, so I've got to get my rhythm as well. I wish I would just go out there and make every shot and have my swag up like I will be. It'll come."

The reigning MVP offered a dissenting view from the visitors' locker room on how the Bucks affected Harden, who Antetokoumpo called "one of the best offensive players today in our league."

"We just tried to make him drive the ball and make him make the pass," said Antetokounmpo, who had 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists before fouling out with 5:18 remaining in the game. "The less shots he takes, the better for us. I think guys like [Eric] Bledsoe, George Hill, Wes did a great job, not just send him to Brook, send him inside, send him to the crowd. He had a tough night and, hey, guys like that, you know, they're going to get 20 shots up. But we gotta just try to make it as tough as possible and make his teammates make a play, not him."

Rockets sixth man Eric Gordon, in particular, failed to make the Bucks pay for their defensive game plan. Gordon went 4-of-19 from the floor and 3-of-12 from 3-point range, missing several good looks generated by Harden's passes after penetrating.

"The way they play, the rest of the guys have got to step up," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's their game plan. Now, I think James will during the season be more ready to do it, but they just collapsed on James. He was finding people -- had 14 assists and would have had about 20 if we hit our shots. They chose to play that way, and it worked out for them."

HOUSTON -- Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to protest the call but knew he didn't have the case. The reigning MVP had nobody to be mad at but himself as he made the long walk from the opposite baseline to the Milwaukee Bucks bench.

Antetokounmpo had been absolutely dominant since halftime of Thursday's season opener, reeling off 20 points, ripping down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists in less than 14 minutes on the floor as Milwaukee stormed back from a 16-point deficit to take a six-point lead on the road against the Houston Rockets.

But that whistle, blown when he nudged his forearm into Clint Capela's back to knock the Rockets big man off balance as he went up to catch a lob was Antetokoumpo's sixth foul. He had to helplessly watch the final 5:18.

"I was pissed. I'm not going to lie," said Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. "Obviously, stupid sixth foul. I got under Clint Capela. I could've avoided it, but it's a [season] opener. You're so excited. But you have to be able to, as a basketball player, to control your excitement."

Antetokounmpo couldn't contain his smile as he criticized himself. That's because his Bucks teammates managed to hold on for a 117-111 victory despite the reigning MVP's disqualification -- and the efforts of the other two most recent MVPs wearing Rockets uniforms.

The Rockets, as you might recall, brashly stated their belief that James Harden should have repeated as the MVP last season. They tweeted (and later deleted) his case seconds after it was announced that Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks to the league's best record, won the honor.

Those final five minutes of Thursday's contest would have been a heck of a time for Harden to get a small measure of revenge, but that didn't happen. He was out of sorts the whole game, taking the blame for the Rockets' loss after the Bucks held him to 19 points on 2-of-13 shooting, including only four points and no field goals in the second half.

Or the stage could have been set for Russell Westbrook to put the finishing touches on a storybook Houston debut.

Westbrook, once considered a villain in Houston due to his victory over Harden in the 2016-17 MVP voting, was certainly thrilling in his first regular-season appearance in Rockets red. Westbrook was the primary reason the Rockets had a chance down the stretch, scoring 19 of his 24 points in the second half, including eight in the final five minutes. He also finished with 16 rebounds and seven assists, bringing the anticipated turbo boost to the Rockets, whose 27 fast-break points matched their highest total from last season.

But Westbrook missed a free throw that would have tied the score with 3:53 remaining, and Houston never got over the hump against the Greek Freak's supporting cast.

"It's not about our offense," Westbrook said. "When we lose games, it's about our defense. We focus and pride ourselves on doing that, and we've got to do a better job of that, starting with myself."

That's hard to argue despite one of Harden's worst shooting nights of the two-time scoring champion's tenure in Houston.

After all, Milwaukee managed to score 16 points in the final 3:53 despite the absence of Antetokounmpo, the man the Bucks count on to carry them offensively.

Khris Middleton, the All-Star a season ago who struggled shooting for most of the night, hit a momentum-halting 3 immediately after the Rockets pulled within a point. Brook Lopez, the big man who earned his "Splash Mountain" nickname because of his late-career metamorphosis into a 3-point specialist, went old-school in punishing smaller Houston defenders in the post, scoring all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and six in the final 3:14. Ersan Ilyasova and Wesley Matthews, a couple of veterans the Bucks hope can knock down the big shots Milwaukee missed in the Eastern Conference finals last spring, combined to swish three long jumpers in the final couple of minutes.

"These guys in this locker room, we're fighters, we're competitors," said Matthews, a Milwaukee native who scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and was frequently the primary defender on Harden during his Bucks debut. "If Giannis fouls out, we can't just come into the locker room. He left everything out on the court for us.

"We're going to compete. We're going to fight. We had a job to do."

The Bucks finished the job despite an 0-2 MVP disadvantage down the stretch. It's only one game, but it's the kind of win that strengthens the Bucks' belief that bigger accomplishments are within their reach than just the NBA's best regular-season record.

"The chemistry is amazing," Antetokounmpo said. "We need to keep working on that, and you're going to find adversities throughout the season. But at the end of the day, you've got to face moments like this because moments like this make you better."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Joe Maddon was an outsider when Tyler Skaggs died unexpectedly on July 1. He only read about the nasty fallout, which thrust the Los Angeles Angels into the middle of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Maddon never asked about any of it during the interview process. It never came up, he said. But now, as the new manager in the midst of what is arguably the darkest time in this franchise's history, he hopes to help.

"This is an insidious situation that permeates our entire population, not just here," Maddon said, alluding to the opioid crisis afflicting this country. "If there's any way I can be helpful in that, I'm more than happy to be utilized."

Maddon was introduced on a makeshift stage in front of the pitcher's mound at Angel Stadium on Thursday afternoon. He provided a 20-minute opening statement in front of several Angels luminaries who knew him from his prior stint with the organization, which spanned from 1976 to 2005. Maddon shared stories about interactions with the likes of Mark Langston and Jim Abbott and Garret Anderson, spoke wistfully about his humble beginnings as a scout and preached about the importance of striking a proper balance between "data versus art."

"In today's game, everyone is working off the same sheet of music," Maddon said. "I think there's a reason why fans have been turned off a bit by our game. That's because the game looks the same no matter where you go. I want to reestablish our own identity here."

The Angels have suffered through four consecutive losing seasons and have not won a playoff game in 10 years. They have employed the game's best player, Mike Trout, for each of the past eight seasons and have only one postseason appearance to show for it. Brad Ausmus was fired after only one season as the team's manager, a decision owner Arte Moreno said he had been pondering for "a while."

"You really get caught a little bit in the whole analytical part of the game," Moreno said. "To me, you need to be in the fun part of the game."

Under Maddon, the Angels believe, fun will resume. Maddon declared, proudly, that the Angels are "gonna bunt this year." He talked about making key former Angels players feel more involved with the organization and harped on the importance of juggling new-age advances with old-school mantras.

"You should never ever disassociate one or the other," Maddon said. "To just be all analytically inclined or heartbeat inclined, you are going to lose; you are not going to be the best version of yourself."

Maddon's first 19 years with the Angels were spent in the minor leagues, as a catcher, a scout, a manager and a roving hitting instructor. He later joined the major league staff, serving as a bullpen coach, first-base coach, bench coach and, on two occasions, interim manager. When Mike Scioscia was hired for the 2000 season, Maddon found stability, serving as Scioscia's bench coach for six seasons, including the World Series-winning campaign in 2002.

It led Maddon to the Tampa Bay Rays, for a highly successful nine-year run that saw the franchise reach the World Series for the first time. From there, Maddon joined Theo Epstein on the Chicago Cubs, leading them to their first championship in 108 years. His stint in Chicago ended 24 days ago, on the final day of his fifth season. But Maddon spoke fondly of his time there and lauded the decision to hire former catcher David Ross as his replacement.

"He's going to be perfect in that situation," Maddon said. "David and I remain very close. He's actually scheduled to do an event for me in December in Pennsylvania. He better not back out. David is wonderful. Everything you've read about him, that's who he is. He's a great leader. He's straightforward. He's blunt, but in a good way. And as we've talked about, he really understands pitching. So, he's a perfect choice."

Maddon revealed what he described as his "pipe dream" -- for the Angels to beat the Cubs in an upcoming World Series.

To do that, the Angels need starting pitching -- lots of it. Shohei Ohtani will return to a two-way role in 2020, but the Angels need at least two starters, preferably for the top of their rotation, and will probably have to venture into the free-agent market to get them. Gerrit Cole, the local product who spoke fondly from the World Series about following the Angels as a kid, will be a prime target.

"Payroll will go up next year," said Moreno, who has kept the opening-day payroll at an average of about $164 million the past four years. "I'm not gonna tell you how much."

Maddon, 65, signed a three-year, $12 million contract, but said he intends to manage the Angels beyond that. His general manager, Billy Eppler, is signed only through next season after Moreno opted merely to pick up the 2020 option on his contract. The decision to hire Maddon seemed to undercut Eppler, who previously handpicked Ausmus as Scioscia's successor. But Eppler said they "feed well off each other," and Maddon said he would "like to work with [Eppler] for five-plus years."

Above Maddon and Eppler, Angels brass is bracing for the potential ripple effects of a DEA investigation into Skaggs' opioid use. A public-relations employee, Eric Kay, who has been placed on paid leave while in outpatient treatment for substance abuse, told federal investigators that he provided oxycodone to Skaggs and abused it with him for years, as first reported by ESPN's Outside The Lines.

Kay also told DEA agents that two other Angels employees knew about Skaggs' opioid use, including Tim Mead, the longtime senior vice president of communications who is now president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mead has denied those claims. With regard to Skaggs' opioid use, Moreno said the organization informed Major League Baseball, and other proper authorities, about Kay's involvement at around the time ESPN's story came out Oct. 12.

The Angels also interviewed Buck Showalter, John Farrell and Johnny Washington for their managerial opening, but Maddon was considered the heavy favorite from the onset. Given his history, his charisma and his track record, Moreno believes he is the right person to steer the organization through a volatile time.

Maddon, a three-time Manager of the Year, just wants to win.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it or pussyfoot around it -- my goal is to be playing [in October]," he said. "I don't like watching this crap on TV right now. I don't like it. It's much more fun to be involved, much more fun to be under the scrutiny, much more fun to be second-guessed than to not. Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure of the moment, ever. When you arrive at that point, that's when you can really do some special things. That's what I'm really going to preach this year."

The longtime major league umpire who earlier this week sent a threatening tweet that included a reference to a rifle has apologized for the post.

In a statement to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Rob Drake expressed regret for the since-deleted tweet and said he'll learn from it.

"Once I read what I had tweeted I realized the violence in those words and have since deleted it," Drake said in the statement Thursday. "I know that I cannot unsay the words, but please accept my sincerest apologies."

Drake tweeted late Tuesday that he planned to buy an AR-15 rifle "because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020."

The tweet, which he deleted soon after posting, followed one he sent earlier in the night regarding the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings with President Donald Trump.

Drake deactivated his account Wednesday.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday that Major League Baseball is looking into the tweet. The MLB Umpires Association on Thursday called Drake a "passionate individual and an outstanding umpire" who "chose the wrong way to convey his opinion about our great country."

"I want to personally apologize to everyone that my words made feel less safe," Drake said in the statement. "I especially want to apologize to every person who has been affected by gun violence in our country. I also acknowledge and apologize for the controversy this has brought to Major League Baseball, my fellow umpires and my family. I never intended to diminish the threat of violence from assault weapons, or violence of any kind."

Drake, 50, made his major league debut in 1999 and has been a full-time major league umpire since 2010. He worked postseason games in 2010 and 2012 through '15, and he was on the crew at the All-Star Game in 2013.

Born in Pennsylvania, Drake now lives in Arizona.

Tampa Bay Rays executive Chaim Bloom is the favorite to become the next general manager of the Boston Red Sox, a source tells ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Bloom, 36, is the Rays' senior vice president of baseball operations. He has spent 15 years with the team in capacities including minor league operations, player development, contract negotiations, salary arbitration and international scouting.

He has operated in a front office unlike Boston's in that the Rays have a low budget and remain competitive. This season, they had the lowest payroll on opening day at $49.08 million, and the Red Sox had the highest at $187.23 million.

The Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski, their president of baseball operations, in September, less than a year after winning the 2018 World Series. Boston failed to make the playoffs this season, finishing 84-78, 19 games behind the American League East champion Yankees.

Late in September, Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner said at a news conference that they intended to make major cuts to the payroll to get under the luxury tax threshold next season, saying they fired Dombrowski because of differing opinions on how to build for the future.

It's a crucial offseason for the Red Sox, who need to decide what to do about 2018 MVP Mookie Betts, who will be a free agent after next season, and J.D Martinez, who can opt out of his $23.75 million deal five days after the World Series, as well as other players on expiring contracts.

Bloom is a Philadelphia native and attended Yale University, graduating in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in classics.

Cornell fresher beats Harvard legend Sobhy
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

Malaysia’s World No.48 Sivasangari Subramaniam caused the biggest upset on day one of the 2019-20 CIB PSA Women’s World Championship as she shocked United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy at Cairo’s Shooting Club to claim her first ever win over a top 10 player.

The 20-year-old from Sungai Petani Kedah put in some noteworthy performances at the U.S. Open earlier this month – beating England’s Alison Waters and testing World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry – but she outlined her credentials as one to watch in the future with an 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6 triumph over Sobhy in 51 minutes.

Sobhy, whose father hails from Egypt, struggled from the beginning of the match and didn’t seem her usual self on court, but the World No.8 fought on to go 2-1 up and 6-1 up in the fourth.

But her energy levels dropped and she finally succumbed to fatigue as Subramaniam put her through her paces to come back and win the tie-break, before finally getting the better of Sobhy in the decider to reach round two for the first time.

“It definitely means a lot to me getting the big win in my PSA career,” said Subramaniam afterwards.

“I’m really happy today and I gave it all I could. I was 6-1 down in the fourth and then I just tried to push myself because I was doing too many errors. I tried to hang in there and I ended up getting the win.”

Subramaniam left Malaysia to study communications at New York’s Cornell University so a victory over former Harvard star Sobhy gave her achievement more epic proportions in the USA. 

She added: “I’m training under my coach, David Palmer, and he’s really working on my movement and squash tactics. I think it’s working, I’m happy with how I’m playing right now, so hopefully I can maintain and do better in the next round.”

That means Subramaniam is one win away from appearing on the iconic glass court in front of the stunning Great Pyramid of Giza – the only remaining ancient wonder of the world – which will be used from Saturday October 26 onwards. To get there, she must take on Dutchwoman Milou van der Heijden, who came from a game behind to beat Egypt’s Menna Nasser.

Defending champion Nour El Sherbini made her first appearance of the season after shaking off a knee injury to beat England’s Rachael Chadwick in straight games.

The World No.2 has missed out on appearing at the Oracle NetSuite Open and FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships in recent weeks due to the problem, but it took her just 25 minutes to overcome today’s opponent as she began her attempts to win the prestigious trophy for a fourth time after winning in 2015 and 2016, in addition to the 2018-19 event.

“I really missed the tour and the matches,” said El Sherbini, who will take on Canada’s Hollie Naughton in front of the Pyramids in round two.

“I was really excited about today’s match and I just wanted to get on court and see how it goes, but it went really well. I was playing good and I’m really happy to be back.

“In the first game [my knee] was in my head a little bit, but I was running ok and it felt good. I didn’t have any problems and hopefully it is going to be like this the whole week.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in front of the Pyramids and this court is very special. You can play and see the Pyramids, so it is very special and I’m really looking forward to playing my next round there.”

World No.1 Raneem El Welily also began her attempts to win a second World Championship title after easing to an 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 victory over wildcard Sana Ibrahim.

El Welily became the first female squash player in history to win a trophy in front of the Pyramids when she won the Al Ahram Open in 2016, and will need to beat United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford Clyne in the next round if she is to compete in front of the landmark again this year.

“I’m looking forward to that [appearing in front of the Pyramids] but I’m just here now thinking about what I just did and what I should be doing to get to tomorrow’s match and hopefully I get through,” said Egypt’s El Welily afterwards.

“Sometimes there are nerves, sometimes I’m more motivated. It’s an emotional feeling [playing a World Championship on home soil] but I’m trying to keep positive and energised. These are exciting times for squash in Egypt, so I’m happy to be home.”

England No.1 Perry was another of the players to book her place in the last 32 as she overcame Jemyca Aribado, who became the first Filipino squash player in history to appear at the PSA Women’s World Championship.

Speaking after her 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 victory, Perry said that coming up against new players from across the globe is part of the charm of the World Championships.

“It’s amazing to see different countries coming into the sport and giving squash a go,” she said. “It’s always interesting to play different players, it makes it a bit different and that’s something that’s special about the World Championships. There’s always that extra group of players that you’re not necessarily that familiar with. Although I’d seen her name on the Challenger Tour, I hadn’t actually seen her play before, which isn’t common.”

Perry, who beat legendary Malaysian Nicol David and France’s World No.4 Camille Serme during a breakthrough tournament last time she appeared in front of the Pyramids, will play 2007 World Champion Rachael Grinham in the last 32.

South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller reached round two of this event for the first time after upsetting the higher-ranked Emily Whitlock, while Malaysia’s Aifa Azman and Hong Kong’s Ho Tze-Lom also caused upsets against Joey Chan and Mariam Metwally, respectively.

Round two begins on Friday October 25 at 12:45 (GMT+2), while the CIB Egyptian Squash Open – a men’s PSA Platinum tournament – gets under way tomorrow at the same venue, with play beginning at 12:00. 

2019-20 CIB PSA Women’s $430k World Championship, Great Pyramids Of Giza, Egypt.

First Round:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [WC] Sana Ibrahim (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (23m)
[18] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (31m)
[29] Julianne Courtice (ENG) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-5 (25m)
[11] Alison Waters (ENG) bt [L] Marina Stefanoni (USA) 3-0: 11-8, 17-15, 11-7 (36m)
[13] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Rachel Arnold (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 (26m)
Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bt [20] Emily Whitlock (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-8, 16-14 (37m)
[25] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-3, 11-0 (27m)
[5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 (22m)
[7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [L] Jemyca Aribado (PHI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (25m)
[24] Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (25m)
[31] Coline Aumard (FRA) bt Danielle Letourneau (CAN) 3-1: 11-9, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6 (42m)
[9] Tesni Evans (WAL) bt Nicole Bunyan (CAN) 3-0: 11-1, 11-3, 11-2 (19m)
[L] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt [16] Joey Chan (HKG) 3-2: 14-12, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8 (48m)
[26] Tinne Gilis (BEL) bt Enora Villard (FRA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 (28m)
[17] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt [L] Sunayna Kuruvilla (IND) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (40m)
[4] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-1: 11-13, 11-5, 11-1, 11-0 (37m)
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Salma Youssef (EGY) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
[21] Millie Tomlinson (ENG) bt Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 3-2: 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8 (52m)
[32] Nada Abbas (EGY) bt [L] Milnay Louw (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 (21m)
[15] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Lisa Aitken (SCO) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-6 (21m)
[14] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 (27m)
[27] Donna Lobban (AUS) bt Ineta Mackevica (LAT) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-9 (21m)
[30] Milou van der Heijden (NED) bt Menna Nasser (EGY) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (37m)
Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [8] Amanda Sobhy (USA) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6 (51m)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 (27m)
[19] Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Emilia Soini (FIN) 3-1: 13-11, 5-11, 11-3, 12-10 (32m)
[22] Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [L] Cindy Merlo (SUI) 3-0: 12-10, 11-3, 11-7 (20m)
[10] Annie Au (HKG) bt Olivia Fiechter (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7 (36m)
[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Haley Mendez (USA) 3-2: 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6 (49m)
Ho Tze-Lok (HKG) bt [23] Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-1: 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10 (41m)
[28] Hollie Naughton (CAN) bt Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-2: 13-11, 10-12, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7 (60m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Rachael Chadwick (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (25m)

Second Round (Top Half) October 25:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [18] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[29] Julianne Courtice (ENG) v [11] Alison Waters (ENG)
[13] Salma Hany (EGY) v Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
[25] Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [5] Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
[7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) v [24] Rachael Grinham (AUS)
[31] Coline Aumard (FRA) v [9] Tesni Evans (WAL)
Aifa Azman (MAS) v [26] Tinne Gilis (BEL)
[17] Nele Gilis (EGY) v [4] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Second Round (Bottom Half) October 26:
[3] Camille Serme (FRA) v [21] Millie Tomlinson (ENG)
[32] Nada Abbas (EGY) v [15] Yathreb Adel (EGY)
[14] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) v [27] Donna Lobban (AUS)
[30] Milou van der Heijden (NED) v Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)
[6] Joelle King (NZL) v [19] Zeina Mickawy (EGY)
[22] Nadine Shahin (EGY) v [10] Annie Au (HKG)
[12] Joshna Chinappa (IND) v Ho Tze-Lok (HKG)
[28] Hollie Naughton (CAN) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)

Men’s CIB Egyptian Squash Open
First Round (October 25):
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) [Bye]
[9/16] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [Bye]
[17/32] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) v Vikram Malhotra (IND)
[17/32] Mazen Hesham (EGY) v Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
[17/32] Max Lee (HKG) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)
[9/16] Daryl Selby (ENG) [Bye]
[17/32] Chris Simpson (ENG) v Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[6] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) [Bye]
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) [Bye]
[17/32] Lucas Serme (FRA) v Omar Abdel Meguid (EGY)
[9/16] Gregoire Marche (FRA) [Bye]
[17/32] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY)
[9/16] Saurav Ghosal (IND) [Bye]
[17/32] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v Mazen Gamal (EGY)
[9/16] Fares Dessouky (EGY) [Bye]
[4] Simon Rosner (GER) [Bye]
[3] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [Bye]
[17/32] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
[17/32] Leo Au (HKG) v Ramit Tandon (IND)
[17/32] Adrian Waller (ENG) v Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
[17/32] George Parker (ENG) v Nathan Lake (ENG)
[9/16] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) [Bye]
[17/32] Mostafa Asal (EGY) v Alan Clyne (SCO)
[7] Diego Elias (PER) [Bye]
[8] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) [Bye]
[17/32] Borja Golan (ESP) v Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
[17/32] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [WC] Moustafa El Sirty (EGY)
[17/32] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v [WC] Yehia Elnawsany (EGY)
[17/32] Cesar Salazar (MEX) v Victor Crouin (FRA)
[9/16] Zahed Salem (EGY) [Bye]
[9/16] Joel Makin (WAL) [Bye]
[2] Tarek Momen (EGY) [Bye]

Picture courtesy of PSA