Zak Crawley is under no illusions about the task ahead if he is to secure himself a place in England's Test side.

But for a man who is not yet 22, Kent opening batsman Crawley, who this week earned his first international call-up for the two-Test tour of New Zealand in November, is not short of a plan.

"I know how selection works, you've got to prove yourself," Crawley told ESPNcricinfo. "And there's some people who have had great years this year who I'm going up against, so I'm going to have to have good practice and try and impress them that way, because obviously there's only one innings left before that tour.

"I'm not going in there assuming I'm not going to play or I'm going to play, I'm just going to try and put in the hard work and hopefully win them over like that.

Crawley will be vying with Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope for key batting positions at the top of England's far-from-settled top-order.

Sibley, who also earned his first Test call-up for the New Zealand tour, is the leading scorer in county cricket and the only batsman in Division One to pass the 1,000-run mark with 1,324 runs at 69.68. He scored 215 not out and 109 in Warwickshire's penultimate match of the season, an eight-wicket win over Nottinghamshire last week.

And Pope, who has played two Tests for England batting at No. 4 against India last year, is also enjoying a fruitful end to the 2019 Championship, having missed much of the season through injury. In only his fifth match of Surrey's current campaign, his unbeaten 79 against Nottinghamshire gave him 533 runs at an average of 88.83 in eight innings.

"I'm not bothered where I bat, to be honest," said Crawley. "Most likely it would be top of the order but if they said to me, 'bat anywhere', I'd bat anywhere, so I won't pigeon hole myself to one spot just yet."

With Kent's final match of the season heavily interrupted by the weather, Crawley looks set to finish his campaign with 820 runs at 59.46, including two hundreds and five half-centuries. However, his past four innings have yielded scores of just 3, 4, 15 and 0, and so a phone call from England's chief selector, Ed Smith, shortly after his duck against Hampshire at Canterbury brightened Crawley's mood immeasurably. .

"It's something I've been working for my whole life so hopefully now I can just seize the opportunity and go well, that's the plan," Crawley said. "There was an idea at the end of the tunnel where I wanted to be at, and England is definitely right up there. If and when I get the go, hopefully I can just put in a good performance and hopefully play for a long while."

Crawley credits a stint with Sydney Cricket Club in the last NSW Premier Cricket season, particularly in the T20 arena, for his impressive development over the English summer. While at Sydney, he scored the fastest century in the competition, reaching an unbeaten 100 off just 42 balls.

"I had a good winter away last year," Crawley said. "It seems to be a common theme when people have good winters, they come back and have good summers. I reckon that had probably the biggest influence on me.

"That was one of my goals in the winter, to do well in white-ball this year natually, and improve that game. This is a Test call-up so I'm more than happy with that but that was one of my main goals for the winter so that was very pleasing. I was just trying to know my game better and move forward, and I think I did that pretty well in the winter. I definitely came back to England with a clear picture of what I wanted to achieve and what I needed to do to do that."

Kent captain Sam Billings, who earned a recall to England's T20I squad for five matches in New Zealand in November, was hugely impressed with Crawley's T20 progress, which included a top score of 89 off 55 balls against Essex last month, and tipped big things for the youngster across all formats.

"With my own call-up, I was actually happier with Zak getting called up," Billings said. "His temperament is probably the most impressive thing with him, his work ethic as well. He will be a very successful cricketer around the world, not only in the four-day, five-day game but also in T20. How he just naturally picked up the game and he has all the skills to go with it, for me it's great to see him kick on and get the recognition he deserves."

Ahead of their three-Test series against India, which begins in Visakhapatnam on October 2, South Africa play a three-day warm-up match against the Indian Board President's XI, starting Thursday in Vizianagaram. Rain is forecast for all three days of the match, and both teams will hope there is enough dry weather for their players to get a decent workout before the Tests begin.

Here are some of the key issues the two sets of players will look to sort out during the game.

Rohit Sharma, the opener

Contrary to widespread belief, Rohit Sharma has done a pretty good job when he's got the opportunity to play Test cricket. Since the start of 2016, he averages 53.00 in 11 Test matches. It's a sign of the depth of India's batting resources that he can't command a consistent spot in the middle order.

Thanks to KL Rahul's long run of poor form and Prithvi Shaw's doping ban, however, he now has an opportunity to try and turn himself into a long-format opener. Moving to the top of the order transformed Rohit's ODI career. Can he make a similar move up the order work in Test cricket too?

Rohit doesn't have much previous as a red-ball opener. In 137 innings in first-class cricket, he has opened just three times, the last of those occasions - when Mumbai attempted to chase an improbable target of 155 in 11 overs - coming in December 2012.

Apart from the Test-match combination of Rohit and Mayank Agarwal, the Board President's XI squad also includes two other openers, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal. Those two will probably have to accept a move down the order for now.

Can South Africa's batsmen crack the Asia code?

Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis. Only one member of that world-class middle order remains standing now.

This isn't to say South Africa have an inexperienced batting line-up, per se. Dean Elgar (56 Tests) has only played two fewer Tests than du Plessis, while Temba Bavuma (36) and Quinton de Kock (40) have been around Test cricket for a while, and Aiden Markram (17) is well settled at the top of the order.

But all of them have poor records in Asia.

This is South Africa's first tour of Asia without both de Villiers (who averaged 54.56 in the continent) and Amla (47.66). In the absence of those two legends, their senior batsmen will have to step up and show the way for less experienced players like Theunis de Bruyn, Zubayr Hamza and Heinrich Klaasen.

Umesh Yadav's window of opportunity

He took ten wickets in his last Test match at home. During India's epic 2016-17 home season, he bowled more overs than Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma put together.

But until Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a stress fracture, Umesh Yadav wasn't even in India's squad for the Tests against South Africa. It is a reflection of just how vast India's pace pool is, and also of Umesh's own limitations.

If fit, Ishant and Shami should remain India's first-choice new-ball pair for the Tests, and Umesh may not get a look-in unless - and it's a big unless - they play three quicks. Still, if he can knock over a few top-order wickets in Vizianagaram, he will keep himself in the conversation.

Can South Africa's spinners surprise?

The last time South Africa toured India, they came up against some of the squarest turners seen in this country in a long time. If their batsmen didn't like it, their spinners should have enjoyed it, but Imran Tahir, Simon Harmer and Dane Piedt fell a long way short of matching the threat of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra.

Four years on, their squad includes Keshav Maharaj, who may well be their best red-ball spinner since readmission, Piedt - who has forced his way back into Test cricket after topping the 2018-19 4-Day Franchise Series wicket charts with 54 at 27.74 - and the allrounder Senuran Muthusamy.

Piedt and Muthusamy have been in India for a while now, having been part of the South Africa A touring side, and Maharaj has taken been in terrific form for Yorkshire in the County Championship, taking 38 wickets in five matches at 18.92.

With Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje in the pace mix, South Africa will use the Board President's XI match to figure out what kind of bowling combination they will take into the first Test - two quicks and two spinners, three and one, or even three and two, given the batting ability of Muthusamy and Philander.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jason Pierre-Paul have agreed to a reworked contract that includes the defensive end's compensation dropping by around $3 million for 2019, while the 2020 year of his deal was eliminated, per a league source.

Given that there are varying opinions on whether and when Pierre-Paul will be able to resume his playing career after a neck injury suffered in a car accident this past May, the contract reflects a compromise between the two sides.

Pierre-Paul was placed on the non-football injury list, which means the team was not obligated to pay him his full salary of $13.65 million for this season. With the amended deal, Pierre-Paul's compensation for the year is now $10.5 million, and the 30-year old can hit free agency in March if he is able to continue to play football, which he believes he can.

For the Buccaneers, this deal creates financial flexibility in the form of $4.4 million in cap savings, which is helpful for a team that has been tight to the salary cap.

There is no timetable for Pierre-Paul's return and the organization is proceeding cautiously, given the nature of his injury. He was cleared by the team and independent doctors to resume rehabilitative exercises last month after he opted not to undergo surgery.

Shaquil Barrett has stepped up in his absence, tying an NFL-record with 8 sacks in the first three games.

Bruce Arians said Monday that Pierre-Paul is "progressing" and that it's been good to see him at the team facility.

"Yeah, he's been in and out a bunch," he said.

ESPN's Jenna Laine contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon could soon be moving up his reporting date, though no final decisions have made, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Gordon had previously planned to return at some point in October.

He must report no later than Nov. 29 to play in 2019 and accrue credit for this season toward becoming a free agent in the offseason.

Without Gordon, the Chargers (1-2) rank 13th in the NFL with 111.7 rushing yards per game as Austin Ekeler (160 yards) and Justin Jackson (142) have combined to fill the void.

Gordon, 26, continues to hold out because of a contract impasse with the Chargers. Gordon's representation asked for and was granted permission by the Chargers to pursue a trade, but so far no deal has materialized with another team.

Gordon is scheduled to make $5.605 million in the final season of his rookie deal. Just before the season started, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco announced that the team postponed negotiations with Gordon until the season is over. If Gordon chooses to report, he will play under his current contract.

Gordon desires a contract extension that will compensate him among the top running backs in the league like Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell, who earn an average of $13 million to $14 million annually. During training camp, the Chargers offered Gordon a new contract that doubled his salary at roughly $10 million annually.

The former first-round draft pick has rushed for 3,628 yards and has 1,577 receiving yards with 38 total touchdowns in his first four seasons.

ESPN's Eric D. Williams contributed to this report.

On Wednesday, we released Nos. 30-11 in the 2019-20 edition of NBArank, predicting which players will be the best this season.

The list features plenty of up-and-coming phenoms and established All-Stars joining new teams, including Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook.

Who is most likely to crack the top 10 next season? Which newcomer is going to make the greatest impact? Who has the most to prove?

Our NBA experts answer the big questions about the results and what they mean.

More: NBArank 100-51 | 50-31 | 30-11

1. What is your biggest takeaway from the rankings?

Royce Young: After an awkward, subversive, discombobulated season in Boston, Kyrie Irving somehow moved up nine spots. NBArank is a predictive ranking, so maybe a new situation will bring the best out of Irving, but there's plenty of reason to believe not much is going to change. With Kevin Durant out for presumably the season, Irving will be tasked with leading a young locker room, and well, we've seen how that goes.

Andrew Lopez: The guard play is strong in the NBA right now. Of the 20 players between Nos. 11-30, 14 are listed as guards -- and that doesn't include Luka Doncic, who is listed at small forward. In fact, nine of the players are listed at point guard. That's going to make for some interesting choices on the All-Star ballot for voters during the season.

Tim Bontemps: The youth movement. Trae Young (No. 28), Jamal Murray (No. 27), De'Aaron Fox (No. 25), Donovan Mitchell (No. 20) and Luka Doncic (No. 16) are all on rookie deals, and they're ahead of longtime stars Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Horford and Draymond Green. My initial reaction to seeing that was that it appears this is a changing of the guard in the NBA.

Mike Schmitz: The diminishing value of centers. Only two of the 20 players slotted in this range could be defined as true centers, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. While a few are certainly in the top 10, to me this is further proof that it's a game for guards and forwards now more than ever.

Bobby Marks: Kyrie at No. 11. It's hard to justify moving him up nine spots, especially after a below average postseason. Yes, his regular-season statistics jump out at you, but the ranking should take into account how much impact that player has on winning and team success, not just what appears in the box score.

2. Which newcomer ranked 30-11 will make the greatest positive impact this season?

Schmitz: Jimmy Butler. This Heat team jumps into the Eastern Conference playoff race after finishing last season 39-43. Of course, there's never a dull moment with Butler, but coach Erik Spoelstra is well equipped to handle his personality, and the 30-year-old's two-way impact and ability to shoulder the offensive load should play well with Miami's roster.

Lopez: Kemba Walker has a bit of a leg up on the other newcomers, thanks to his time with Team USA. Walker has already had a chance to play with Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Of course, the outcome probably wasn't what any of those four wanted, but it was still time spent together playing basketball. After eight seasons in Charlotte, Walker will try to make good on his four-year deal worth $140.8 million and lead the Celtics past the first round of the playoffs -- a place Walker has never been.

Marks: Despite being one the NBA's most productive point guards, Mike Conley has gone unnoticed the previous two seasons as Memphis shifted to a full-scale rebuild. That should change with his new team. The Utah Jazz feature two franchise players, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, along with a supporting cast to challenge for a top seed in the Western Conference.

Bontemps: Because of everything that has happened around Jimmy Butler the past couple of years, people forget just how good he is. A tentpole star for the Heat to -- finally -- build their team around again will make a huge difference for Erik Spoelstra this season and will give Miami a chance to be a factor in the East.

Young: Conley could completely transform the Jazz. He fits in culturally and checks a lot of boxes as a player, but his steady control of the game and ability to create on his own raise Utah's ceiling. Conley allows Donovan Mitchell to slide off the ball more and play as a slashing guard, but don't sleep on Conley's takeover talent. He's a proven playoff winner and has a history of big shots and big plays.

3. Which player ranked Nos. 30-11 is most likely to make next year's top 10?

Bontemps: I'll cheat a bit and pick two of those young guys: Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell. If Doncic is as committed to his fitness as some of these videos we've seen this summer suggest, he could explode this season. Mitchell, on the other hand, is on a team with a chance to make the NBA Finals next spring. If he leads the Jazz on that kind of playoff run, a top-10 spot is possible.

Schmitz: Doncic. The fact that he's ranked ahead of several All-Stars speaks to the respect he has quickly garnered. So long as he comes into the season in tip-top shape and develops a rapport with Kristaps Porzingis, there's no reason he can't crack the top 10 as a 21-year-old next season, given his size, feel for the game, versatility and potential star power.

Marks: No disrespect to the players who fall in the 11-30 range, but none. If we are going to move a player such as Doncic into the top 10, then somebody has to fall out. Barring an injury, something that we cannot predict, the only change in the top 10 should be a healthy Kevin Durant rejoining the list of All-NBA and MVP candidates.

Young: It could be the last season for a while that Doncic is outside the top 10. His ascent is fully engaged, and with the Mavs set up to win more consistently this season, Doncic will be tasked with more responsibility. But he'll also grab more attention. He can dominate games and stuff box scores, and he has flair and flash that will make him an easy top-10 player for years to come.

Lopez: I don't necessarily see the top 10 changing that much, but let's go with Doncic here. Here's the list of players to put up Doncic's stat line of 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, Richie Guerin, James Harden, John Havlicek, Grant Hill, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. That's it. Only Robertson and Doncic accomplished the feat as rookies, and only Doncic pulled it off at 19 years old.

4. Which of these players has the most to prove this season?

Marks: The two newly minted max players: Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray. A $168 million contract comes with expectations (ask Andrew Wiggins). Despite the extension not kicking in until 2020-21, Simmons and Murray are faced with the tasks of getting Philadelphia and Denver to at least the conference finals after each fell short by one game last season. As it happens, neither is considered the best player on his own team; Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic hold those honors.

Lopez: Russell Westbrook. It's weird to think that a guy who averaged a triple-double each of the past three seasons has something to prove. But after a trade to Houston -- which cost the Rockets Chris Paul, two first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, and two pick swap possibilities in 2021 and 2025 -- Westbrook has to show that he was worth that haul. He has reunited with buddy James Harden, but will it be enough to get Houston over the top and into the NBA Finals?

Schmitz: Simmons. He's already an All-Star, but I'm fascinated to see whether he's able to take his game to the next level, particularly in the postseason. Will his perimeter shooting/half-court scoring against a set defense improve? I love the additions of Josh Richardson and Al Horford, who will help space the floor for Simmons. That said, whether he makes a leap this season is a storyline I'm watching most closely, as he's one of the truly unique players in the NBA.

Young: Westbrook isn't a top-10 player anymore, apparently. This is not necessarily a disagreement, but not giving him the label of "top 10" feels a bit jarring, especially considering he's riding a three-season streak of averaging a triple-double. Westbrook had a "down" year last season in the way only he can -- massively productive across the board but with bad shooting and low efficiency. So in a new situation with the Rockets and with age becoming a looming threat, he'll have some motivation this season. As if he needs any more.

Bontemps: Irving and Westbrook. The two star point guards both famously changed teams this summer. For Irving, signing with Brooklyn will give him a chance to show that what happened in Boston last season wasn't his doing. For Westbrook, being traded to Houston and again playing alongside Harden will allow him to prove either that he can adjust his game to fit around others or that he never will do it.

5. What is your bold prediction involving one or more of the players ranked here?

Bontemps: Pascal Siakam will make an All-NBA team this season. Siakam had a terrific season in helping the Raptors win their first NBA title. But with Kawhi Leonard now in L.A., Siakam is going to get every chance to build on what he did last season. If he helps keep the Raptors in the top four in the East, I think he'll be rewarded for it.

Young: Two players will finish in the top five of MVP voting: Donovan Mitchell and Kemba Walker. After not living up to sky-high expectations last season, Mitchell is poised for a leap year. The Jazz will be good, the team around him is stacked, and Mitchell could be a 25-point scorer on a 55-win team. That's a pretty simple formula. Walker will have narrative backing; if the Celtics are reformed and a stable winner this season, he'll be a trendy pick.

Marks: That we'll see Devin Booker selected to play in the All-Star Game. Because of how poorly Phoenix has played since his arrival, we forget how good Booker has been. Yes, his defense is a work in progress, but with a new coach in Monty Williams and finally some stability at point guard in Ricky Rubio, Phoenix should start winning more games and allow Booker to get the recognition he deserves.

Schmitz: Pascal Siakam will be an All-Star next season.

Lopez: I'm going to go really bold with this one: Ben Simmons makes a 3-pointer this season. It's easy to get caught up in the offseason hype of trainer videos, but this has to be the year that Simmons makes a 3-pointer. Right?

More: NBArank 100-51 | 50-31 | 30-11

For the ninth season in a row, ESPN.com is predicting the top players in basketball with NBArank.

Who will be the best player this season? To get the final prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.

LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard. Zion Williamson vs. Luka Doncic. Devin Booker vs. D'Angelo Russell.

We asked, "Which player will be better in 2019-20?" To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each player's contributions to his team's ability to win games in the regular season and postseason.

We'll roll out our top 100 players over the next week. Here are Nos. 30 to 11.

More: 100-51 | 50-31 | Rising stars

NBArank: 30 to 11

30. Devin Booker

• Phoenix Suns | SG

• Previous rank: 31

• 2019-20 projected RPM wins: 6.0

One big question: Will Booker find a way to make his teammates better and win? Phoenix's struggles haven't been all Booker's fault. Far from it. In 2018-19, he averaged career highs of 26.6 points and 6.8 assists, and now he's on his fifth head coach in as many seasons. However, at some point, if Booker is going to be a star, he will have to lift the Suns to more than 21 wins -- the number he has averaged over his first four seasons. -- Ohm Youngmisuk

29. Tobias Harris

• Philadelphia 76ers | SF

• Previous rank: 60

• Projected RPM wins: 3.2

One big question: Can Harris help make up for the loss of Jimmy Butler? As the adult in the room for the Sixers last season -- to use Brett Brown's words -- Butler averaged 4.1 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, compared to Harris' 2.3. With Butler and his closing abilities now in Miami, can Harris and his freshly minted five-year, $180 million deal assume that role for a Philly team that is big on talent but small on shot creators? -- Dave McMenamin

28. Trae Young

• Atlanta Hawks | PG

• Previous rank: NR

• Projected RPM wins: 2.3

One big question: Young is a voracious scorer and offensive mastermind, but in his sophomore season he will need to address his greatest vulnerability: defense. His defensive real plus-minus of minus-4.74 in 2018-19 was the lowest rating for an NBA starter in five seasons. While rookies often struggle to grasp the physical demands and nuances of NBA defense, Young must get up to speed if he aspires to lead the Hawks to the kind of success his brilliant offensive gifts portend. -- Kevin Arnovitz

27. Jamal Murray

• Denver Nuggets | PG

• Previous rank: 46

• Projected RPM wins: 5.8

One big question: It's a two-parter for Murray: what and when? What does the next evolution of his game look like, and when is it coming?

Year 2 to 3 is traditionally an important developmental stretch for a young player, and Murray took significant strides last season. Coach Mike Malone praised Murray for his poise, ball control and generalship of the young Nuggets, but for Denver to move up another rung in the Western Conference, Murray needs to start scratching the surface of being a star. -- Royce Young

26. D'Angelo Russell

• Golden State Warriors | PG

• Previous rank: NR

• Projected RPM wins: 3.6

One big question: How is Russell going to fit into the Warriors' system? This is one of the biggest questions in the league this season. If Russell can fit into Steve Kerr's offensive schemes quickly, he will help bridge the gap until Klay Thompson returns from his ACL injury. If he doesn't, Russell might be headed elsewhere before next season as the Warriors try to find their way without Kevin Durant. -- Nick Friedell

25. De'Aaron Fox

• Sacramento Kings | PG

• Previous rank: NR

• Projected RPM wins: 4.5

One big question: Can Fox make another leap?

Despite finishing third in Most Improved Player voting, Fox made the most dramatic transformation of any player last season, going from sub-replacement level as a rookie to a quality starting point guard. Our panel is expecting another jump from Fox, who won't turn 22 until December and made a strong impression with USA Basketball this summer. I'm a little wary given the possibility that his dramatic 3-point improvement (from 31% to 37%) might not hold up. -- Kevin Pelton

24. Mike Conley

• Utah Jazz | PG

• Previous rank: 44

• Projected RPM wins: 3.8

One big question: Will Conley be able to lift Utah into title contention this season? That was the assumption by many when Conley was dealt to Utah. It's a lot to put on a point guard who will be 32 years old when the season starts, but with Conley (and Bojan Bogdanovic), Utah could make some noise in the West. -- Andrew Lopez

23. Blake Griffin

• Detroit Pistons | PF

• Previous rank: 33

• Projected RPM wins: 5.6

One big question: Can he stay healthy? There's no denying his talent. He's coming off a third-team All-NBA selection, and he displayed his overall skill set masterfully in Motown last season. Members of the Detroit Pistons training staff will be paying close attention to his load management this season, as they'll look to keep him fresh during the second half of the season. Griffin played in 75 games last season and averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists. It will be interesting to see how he gels with new teammates Derrick Rose and Tony Snell. -- Eric Woodyard

22. Pascal Siakam

• Toronto Raptors | PF

• Previous rank: NR

• Projected RPM wins: 6.0

One big question: What is Siakam's ceiling? Last year, he blossomed into a star next to Kawhi Leonard, helping the Raptors win their first title while earning the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Now that Leonard is gone from Toronto, this has become Siakam's team. If Toronto is going to remain a factor in the East, it needs Siakam to take another step and become an All-Star and All-NBA candidate this season. -- Tim Bontemps

21. Jimmy Butler

• Miami Heat | SG

• Previous rank: 13

• Projected RPM wins: 7.2

One big question: Can he stay healthy? The Heat have a style that leads them to play so many close games. Butler is a game-changer in these moments; he could be worth five wins based on his clutch ability alone. However, he has to be on the floor to do it. He's missed an average of 16 games per year over the past six seasons, and he just turned 30. -- Brian Windhorst

20. Donovan Mitchell

• Utah Jazz | SG

• Previous rank: 22

• Projected RPM wins: 7.7

One big question: Can Mitchell tap into his quick feet and 6-foot-10 wingspan to find some defensive consistency? Touted for his defensive potential when he entered the league, he's still evolving as an on- and off-ball defender. Last season, he ranked 204th overall in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus. That and how he meshes with Mike Conley are worth tracking. -- Mike Schmitz

19. Bradley Beal

• Washington Wizards | SG

• Previous rank: 29

• Projected RPM wins: 9.2

One big question: How will the current state of the Wizards impact Beal, both mentally and physically, on the court? With John Wall out and a clear emphasis on player development, Washington will likely finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Will the frustration of losing and playing heavy minutes (back-to-back 36 MPG seasons) take its toll on Beal to the point that he will ask out? Or will the All-Star embrace the challenge of trying to lead a young Washington team? -- Bobby Marks

18. Karl-Anthony Towns

• Minnesota Timberwolves | C

• Previous rank: 17

• Projected RPM wins: 10.4

One big question: Can Towns become as good on defense as he is on offense? His offensive numbers are grand -- he's a double-double machine -- but the league's best big men control the game on defense, too. Last season, Towns and the Wolves ranked 24th in defense. The season before, they were 25th. That isn't good enough, folks. Towns has the size and the talent to change his team's defensive culture, and the future success of the team is riding on him. -- Kirk Goldsberry

17. Kemba Walker

• Boston Celtics | PG

• Previous rank: 26

• Projected RPM wins: 4.9

One big question: Just how good is Walker? We are about to find out. For years, he has been stuck in the definition of basketball purgatory in Charlotte. Joining the Celtics this summer as a free agent puts him at the helm of a vastly more talented team. And it will engender comparisons to Kyrie Irving all season. -- Bontemps

16. Luka Doncic

• Dallas Mavericks | SF

• Previous rank: 63

• Projected RPM wins: 7.8

One big question: What kind of shape will Doncic be in at the start of the season? He played himself into Rookie of the Year condition after coming in with the excess weight that comes with being the king of Madrid. How Doncic maintains his body is a big factor in whether he's an eventual MVP candidate. -- Schmitz

15. Ben Simmons

• Philadelphia 76ers | PG

• Previous rank: 19

• Projected RPM wins: 6.1

One big question: Can Simmons become a $170 million player? The Sixers didn't give him that money for the player he is today. They gave it to him for the player they believe he can become -- someone who is the best player in a playoff series. He's not there yet for a number of reasons, with his jump shot being at the top. But he's ranked here, essentially two seasons into his career, because he has a tremendous skill set. -- Windhorst

14. Rudy Gobert

• Utah Jazz | C

• Previous rank: 23

• Projected RPM wins: 2.7

One big question: Can Gobert add to his offensive game? The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is a weapon in a limited offensive role, leading the league in screen assists (6.0 per game), field goal percentage (.669) and dunks (306) in 2018-19. He'll never be a go-to post-up threat, but it'd be a major plus if Gobert could reliably punish smaller defenders on switches even when he doesn't get to the rim, as he did in France's win over Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. -- Tim MacMahon

13. CJ McCollum

• Portland Trail Blazers | SG

• Previous rank: 30

• Projected RPM wins: 3.4

One big question: Is McCollum ready to step up as a co-headliner with Damian Lillard for an entire season? McCollum has long been the secondary scoring Robin to Damian Lillard's Batman for the Trail Blazers. The past two seasons, McCollum averaged 21.2 PPG in the regular season versus Lillard's 26.3. However, that story changed during the past two playoffs, with McCollum upping his scoring to 24.8 PPG versus Lillard's 25.2 PPG. If McCollum can maintain that raised level of shotmaking throughout the season, it would ease the load on Lillard and help Portland challenge for the top spot in the West. -- André Snellings

12. Russell Westbrook

• Houston Rockets | PG

• Previous rank: 7

• Projected RPM wins: 6.9

One big question: It's the question as old as time: Will he change? Does he want to change? Can he if he does? In a new situation with the Rockets, if there was ever a time for some personal growth for Westbrook, it's now. People close to Westbrook say he has a refreshed mindset and is excited about the challenge of adapting to fit alongside James Harden. The chemistry will be there between the two, but sometimes a square peg and a round hole can be best friends and still not fit. Westbrook will assuredly make an effort, but can a trimmed down version of him still be the dominant player he has always been? -- Young

11. Kyrie Irving

• Brooklyn Nets | PG

• Previous rank: 20

• Projected RPM wins: 6.6

One big question: Can he be an effective leader? Irving has made it clear that he won't set out to prove anything about his leadership or basketball abilities to people outside the team. That isn't important to him, and that's fine. He needs to prove to his coaches, teammates and the Nets' front office that he can be a force of unity. Irving has admitted that leadership was hard for him, but he has shown flashes of it. Last season, Celtics players told ESPN that Irving pulled them aside before the playoffs. Irving let the team's young players know that playoff basketball is a different, more urgent game. When he did that, Terry Rozier told ESPN that the locker room exuded a different energy. The team was together, Rozier said, "not like before." -- Malika Andrews

More: 100-51 | 50-31 | Rising stars

PHOENIX -- Ildemaro Vargas had a game-tying, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning on Tuesday and then singled with the bases loaded in the 19th at 1:34 a.m. local time on Wednesday to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Carson Kelly and Nick Ahmed started the final rally with back-to-back singles off John Brebbia (3-4), who was the Cardinals' 11th pitcher of the night. Jarrod Dyson and Robbie Ray -- a pitcher who had to pinch hit -- struck out before Christian Walker was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Then it was Vargas' turn to be the hero again, smacking a single -- his fourth hit of the game -- through the left side of the infield. He raised his hands as players rushed the field to celebrate.

The game lasted 6 hours, 53 minutes and featured 24 pitchers and 48 strikeouts, with both teams plowing through bullpen arms thanks to September's expanded rosters. The Diamondbacks used a franchise-record 30 players. It was the longest game by innings and time in Chase Field history.

The two teams were set to play again in Phoenix 11 hours later.

It's a particularly tough turnaround for the Cardinals, who are locked in a playoff race with the Milwaukee Brewers. St. Louis is 2½ games ahead of Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Cardinals have four games remaining, and the Brewers have five.

The Cardinals' bullpen blew two one-run leads, once in the ninth inning and again in the 13th as they wasted a stellar outing from starter Jack Flaherty.

Paul Goldschmidt looked like he'd be the hero after giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the 13th when he hit a homer for the second straight night in his return to Chase Field. The six-time All-Star spent his first eight seasons with the Diamondbacks before being traded to St. Louis last offseason.

Turns out, there was much more baseball left to play.

Ahmed started the D-backs' 13th-inning rally with a triple, and then Dyson drew a walk off John Gant. Pinch-hitter Caleb Joseph ripped a single through the right side of the infield to tie the score at 2-2, but the rally stalled when Walker hit into a double play and Vargas grounded out.

Several hours before the game's conclusion, Flaherty continued his run of outstanding pitching with seven brilliant innings, including a no-hitter through six, but Andrew Miller couldn't hold a 1-0 lead in the ninth.

With one out, Vargas stunned the Cardinals with a solo shot that just cleared the fence in right-center field and tied the game. Miller retired the next two batters.

The Diamondbacks looked like they might rally in the 11th when Tim Locastro hit a one-out single. With two outs, Vargas hit a high chopper for an infield single, but Locastro was thrown out at third when he barely slid past the bag while trying to take an extra base.

Flaherty, who finished with 11 strikeouts, has been brilliant for the Cardinals as they've charged to the top of the division. The right-hander has a 0.97 ERA during the second half of the season and has given up just seven earned runs over the past two months.

Dexter Fowler provided the Cardinals' early offense, leading off the game with a solo homer to right field. It was Fowler's 18th homer of the season.

Arizona was eliminated from the NL wild-card race after Monday night's 9-7 loss to the Cardinals. Diamondbacks starter Mike Leake gave up one run over six innings and struck out three.

LET'S GET HYPE

By the 15th inning, the D-backs' and Cardinals' benches appeared to be having a good-natured contest to see who could be the most raucous and obnoxious when cheering. It was easily heard because most of the Chase Field crowd was gone.

STARTS WITH A BANG

Fowler had the 26th leadoff homer of his career and second of the season. It came one day after he went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in the Cardinals' 9-7 win.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (6-7, 4.68 ERA) allowed one run over four innings and in his previous outing against the Chicago Cubs.

Diamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly (12-14, 4.31) will head to the mound to begin a game that starts at 12:40 p.m. local time. He'll bring a 15-inning scoreless streak into the game.

NEW YORK -- Brian Cashman told a story about a horse named Nifty. Cashman hated his summer job on his father's farm in Kentucky, hated mucking out stalls and cleaning fecal stains from barn walls with his bucket of ammonia and oversized brush. Young Brian loved baseball, and he wanted no part of his old man's life as one of the best breeders, traders and horse whisperers around.

Then he met Nifty. Before he would leave Lexington to study and play ball at Georgetown Prep in Maryland, the 5-foot-7 Cashman was charged to break in this brown quarter horse that was a lot bigger than he was. He would introduce Nifty to a saddle, lay on her back, and the horse would try and try to throw him off. Cashman said the process took at least six grueling weeks in the oppressive heat, but sure enough they bonded and he could finally ride that horse out of the stall and into an open field.

Cashman later got word at school that Nifty missed him dearly. In fact, Nifty wouldn't let anyone else in the saddle but the kid who couldn't wait to get a million miles away from those barns.

"One of the greatest experiences of my life," Cashman said of breaking in that horse.

He was sitting in his Yankee Stadium office near the end of a season that has constantly kicked and thrashed at him like old Nifty, forcing the 52-year-old general manager to hold on for dear life. Cashman was talking at around the time he learned that reliever Dellin Betances' season would be a one-and-done proposition, thanks to a freak Achilles injury, and that Major League Baseball was placing his 18-4 pitcher, Domingo German, on administrative leave while it investigates a domestic violence allegation against him.

The Yankees have watched an MLB-record 30 players go on the injured list this year, costing them, according to Spotrac, more than 2,500 days of service while those players earned more than $80 million. They won the American League East anyway, despite (or because of) Cashman's offseason choice to stay clear of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. They won 102 games (and counting) despite his midseason choice to stand pat as his biggest threat from here to a parade, the Houston Astros, added Zack Greinke and compelled The New York Post to portray Cashman as a zombie to illustrate its back-page headline, "The Walking Deadline."

The Yankees' starting rotation might yet compromise their bid to win it all. But the moves Cashman did make in the offseason and late last summer -- for the likes of DJ LeMahieu, Adam Ottavino and Gio Urshela -- fortified a roster deep enough and flexible enough to overcome the staggering list of injuries, and to inspire an interesting question.

After Cashman won a dozen division titles and four World Series rings in his previous 21 seasons as the Yankees' GM, was this his best work ... ever?

"You could flip it and say, 'Is this my best or my worst?'" he said through a laugh. "I got 30 guys hurt. I picked a lot of broken guys."

The GM was the Yankee who didn't break, even after some overheated Connecticut cops pulled guns on him in August while mistaking him for a thief who had stolen Cashman's Jeep Wrangler. The GM thanked police for their efforts and dismissed the whole incident, if only because he has proved one thing, above all, across all these years of running the most relevant team in the most volatile market:

You can kill Cashman. You just can't kill him off.

"I expected to be attacked," he said of the zombie depiction, not the cops, after his trade deadline inaction. "I expected to be publicly humiliated and ridiculed. I didn't react to it. I've grown thick skin. I understood the context, and I can appreciate the humor it provides. ... I made tough decisions not to do what I consider horrible deals on players that, if we imported, I didn't think would make any difference whatsoever but would cost us a lot in talent. Basically if I did it, it would be to cover my ass ... Everything I wanted didn't get moved. And the stuff that did get moved hasn't played out as well as I think people would have hoped in their world."

Cashman figured out long ago that the cover-my-ass approach wouldn't get him very far in New York, which is one reason Marcus Stroman ended up with the Mets. (Stroman took a Twitter jab at Cashman on Tuesday in response to the GM telling Yahoo the Yanks would have used the starter in the postseason bullpen.) Only Ed Barrow, Yankees GM from 1920-1945, has survived longer in the job, and Barrow didn't have to fight octagon matches with George Steinbrenner. In Cashman's Yankee Stadium office, isolated on a wall near the door hangs a simple framed profile shot of The Boss sent by a fan who found it while cleaning out his garage. The GM put up the picture because, he said, "I didn't have anything from The Boss, and he had a massive impact on my life."

This photo of the late owner, with one forbidding eye still locked on his underling, advances the narrative of Cashman as a scarred product of Daddy Steinbrenner, whose volcanic eruptions hardened the GM for the battles to come with Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Joe Torre and the New York tabs. But Cashman's toughness shouldn't be traced to Steinbrenner. It should be traced back to that horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky; Castleton; and to a man who had tangled with the Yankees' owner before assigning Brian to go one-on-one with Nifty.

The man who ran a storied franchise in the bluegrass with the same firm hand his son uses to run a storied franchise in the Bronx.

AT 16, AFTER squabbling with his father over his career ambitions, John A. Cashman Jr. ran away from his Long Island home. He was not interested in college, or in following his dad as a stockbroker on Wall Street. John wanted a piece of his dad's second career -- John Sr., a father of nine, was also a presiding judge at Roosevelt Raceway. John Jr.'s dream was to become a horseman.

He reportedly spent his runaway time at New Hampshire's Rockingham Park, and did some grooming, training and driving for the harness Hall of Famer, Delvin Miller, in Pennsylvania and Orlando. In 1959, after winning three races as Vida Hanover's driver, the 19-year-old Cashman was named assistant racing secretary at Vernon Downs in Central New York. Two years later, Cashman became the country's youngest racing director, at Roosevelt, at a salary of $12,500. He helped pack a defining New York venue at a much younger age than his son would; Brian, at 30, would become baseball's second-youngest GM ever in the winter of 1998.

John Jr. was in the Army Reserve when he was set up with a Long Island girl, Nancy Pratt, who used to show her horse in local events. Their blind date took place at the racetrack, of course. They married in 1963 and effectively lived at Roosevelt. "It was big-time back then," Nancy said. "We would get 30,000 or more fans at night. ... John was so driven, just like Brian would be in baseball. He worked day and night. He'd wake up and it was all about the horses."

"If we were struggling or if George [Steinbrenner] was on my ass with the latest complaint or problem, just crushing me, my dad would just say, 'Hey man, you can handle it.' He'd prop me up. He'd tell me, 'Keep fighting. Just stick with what you believe. Tell him what you think.'" Brian Cashman on his late father, John

The third of what would be five Cashman children, Brian was seven months old when his father left Roosevelt after six years to make more money breeding and selling. John was part owner of the stallion Speedy Streak, the Hambletonian champ. The Cashmans lived in Goshen and Washingtonville, New York, for 10 years, and life was good, except when it wasn't. John had to defeat his most daunting opponent -- alcoholism. "The children were young," said Nancy, now 77, "and he just had to shape up, and he knew it. He did it by himself. I was very proud of him."

Nancy said her husband was sober for the last 40 years of his life.

Brian didn't know his old man was an alcoholic until he opened a drawer in his office one day and found literature on a path to sobriety. He never asked his dad about it. "We were the old Irish family," Brian said. "Whatever your problems are, you don't talk about it."

John Cashman got his big career break in 1980, when he was asked to become general manager of Castleton Farm. "A beautiful show place," said longtime horseman Bob Boni, a close friend of John Jr.'s. "The Yankee Stadium of harness racing."

Cashman was widely regarded as fair, personable, relatable. He was genuinely liked by those beneath him on the organizational flowchart. And yet he was never afraid to speak his version of the truth. Brian Cashman witnessed his father making tough calls while in charge of the country's premier standardbred farm. John once fired an employee out of necessity, Brian said, and that employee "went on a bender and then called the house and said, 'I'm going to kill you and your family.'" Brian recalled seeing a police car parked outside the family's home.

"Most people are wired in a way to avoid conflict," Brian said, "and my father, like everybody, was willing to do that. But when circumstances dictated it, he would not allow bulls--- to fly. He was allergic to bulls---."

John Cashman ran Castleton for more than two decades, and Brian likened his eye for talent to that of Gene Michael, the scout who helped shape the Yankees dynasty of the 1990s. Brian thought horse people had the same reverence for his father's scouting ability that baseball people had for Michael's. "He could spend a whole day watching a horse jog and break down his gait," Brian said, "and somehow get insight into his soul. He'd be able to tell you if that horse was someone he'd be willing to place bets on in terms of purchasing, or recommending someone to buy a piece of that horse or not."

Bob Boni never met anyone with a better read on horses and the people who managed them. In fact, after spending half a century in the industry, Boni, the owner of New Jersey's Northwood Bloodstock, called Cashman the greatest harness racing executive of all time, hands down. John was inducted into the harness racing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Cashman helped create the Breeders Crown series and ran the United States Trotters Association, and he won too many awards and served on too many important councils and boards to count. He oversaw various properties under the Castleton umbrella, including Pompano Park, just north of the Yankees' spring training base then in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cashman had established a number of friendships with railbird ballplayers, including Yankees great Whitey Ford and former Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca, who had landed young Brian a bat boy job with his old team. The horse game also connected John to Steinbrenner, a notoriously bad loser on the ballfield and at the track.

"Normally John and George had a good relationship," Nancy said. "Except one year George didn't think John sold him the right horse. For three months the horse wasn't doing well, and George didn't pay the sales company. He wouldn't talk to John until he took back the horse. And then the horse started doing well, and he talked to John again."

Brian recalled his father standing up to Steinbrenner every time the owner wanted his money back on a losing horse. He said his old man also refused a Steinbrenner request to fix a celebrity drive in advance so the Boss would end up starting on the inside rail.

Brian's older brother, John III, trained horses for Steinbrenner for five years and called that period "a nightmare." John III said his father warned him that he shouldn't train for the owner, that The Boss had a long history of refusing to pay his bills. Steinbrenner screamed at John III once when their horse got beaten by a nose. "He finished second!" John III responded. "You know what second is?" The Boss shot back. "The first horse to lose."

"Most people are wired in a way to avoid conflict, and my father, like everybody, was willing to do that. But when circumstances dictated it, he would not allow bulls--- to fly. He was allergic to bulls---." Brian Cashman

Steinbrenner made up for his attacks on John III by hiring his younger brother in 1986. Brian was on a Florida trip, playing Division III ball for Catholic University, when he lost all his travel money in a high-low card game. His father told him to head over to Pompano, where track publicist Allen Finkelson would loan him some cash. Finkelson told Brian that he was Steinbrenner's best friend before asking the college freshman what he had planned for the summer. "I'm going to play in a summer baseball league," Cashman said.

"What if I get you an internship with the New York Yankees?" Finkelson asked.

Cashman was a Dodgers fan who despised the Yankees; he eagerly took the job anyway. He was a gofer by day, and a 160-pound security guard hauling drunks out of the stands by night. "My brother was very much like my dad," John III said. "They both climbed the ladder from the very bottom to the top."

The top, for Brian, was Steinbrenner's stunning offer for him to become Yankees GM after Bob Watson decided he'd had enough of The Boss' verbal abuse. On the day he was promoted, Feb. 3, 1998, Cashman had the nerve to admit at his news conference that he was an administrator who didn't consider his scouting ability a strength. He also had the nerve to announce that he didn't believe star center fielder Bernie Williams was worth the money he was seeking.

Steinbrenner had blown through more than a dozen GMs in 25 years of ownership, and it was hard to see Cashman lasting longer than Watson did. But on the phone from Castleton that day, John Cashman said he was putting his money on his son to beat the longest odds.

"Whitey Ford told me Brian has the perfect personality to deal with George," John said. "I happen to agree with him."

IN A QUIET moment at his desk last week, as he faced a wall covered with the names of every player in his system, Brian Cashman's voice wavered when he talked about his father's final days in 2012. John had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and Cashman had enlisted the help of Yankees president Randy Levine and MLB commissioner Bud Selig in getting him the best available treatment. John agreed to be flown out to Arizona for an assessment. "He did everything we wanted him to do to try to beat this thing that was unbeatable at the time," Brian said.

A lifelong Yankees fan, John closely watched his son's club every day as he was dying. "He would lose himself in how the team was competing on a daily basis," the GM said. Brian played his father's favorite Frank Sinatra and Alabama songs in John's final hours in hospice. John didn't often express how he felt about his son and his four siblings -- "It's just not the Irish way," Brian reminded. But the GM appreciated it when a few mourners at the funeral pulled him aside and told him how proud his father was of everything he'd accomplished.

"I used to tell John, 'You used to be a big-shot harness racing executive, and now all you are is Brian Cashman's father,'" Boni said. "And every time I told John that, he loved it."

John Cashman used to start his day by checking in with his three sons and two daughters. With Brian, the conversation usually revolved around Steinbrenner. The Boss forever threatened Brian's job, berated him for allegedly getting outfoxed by counterparts and ordered him to perform humiliating tasks -- John III said Steinbrenner once demanded that his brother personally collect the players' spring training rental car keys before they headed north.

Brian wasn't hesitant to punch back, and to trade F-bombs with his employer. His father always knew the right thing to say to temper the storm. "If we were struggling or if George was on my ass with the latest complaint or problem, just crushing me," Brian said, "my dad would just say, 'Hey man, you can handle it.' He'd prop me up. He'd tell me, 'Keep fighting. Just stick with what you believe. Tell him what you think.'

"He had this little way of just telling you to keep getting after it, and doing what you think is right, and you will be fine. But there were many times I was ready to move on. George Steinbrenner was as great an owner as you can have, but as difficult a boss as you can have also. And because of that roller coaster ride of emotions, my dad was always there to counsel me or guide me. I know he never wanted me to leave the Yankees. He was really proud of that."

So Brian Cashman never did leave the Yankees. He has no timetable on how much longer he wants to do this ("Just living in the moment," he said); he's been their GM longer than Bill Belichick has been head coach of the New England Patriots. During Cashman's time running the Yanks, the Mets have had six GMs, the Jets have had six and the Knicks have had eight. Cashman has survived the transition from the old Yankee Stadium to the new Yankee Stadium, from George Steinbrenner to Hal Steinbrenner, from a philosophy of spending opponents into oblivion to making the money smarter through analytics. As much as anything, he has survived nine seasons without a World Series title, an eternity in the Bronx.

"I used to tell John, 'You used to be a big-shot harness racing executive, and now all you are is Brian Cashman's father. And every time I told John that he loved it." Bob Boni, longtime horseman and family friend

But Cashman has averaged 95 victories over his 22 seasons. He is chasing his sixth World Series ring, his fifth as GM, and his first without Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the iconic cornerstones acquired by other executives. If Cashman wins another championship with a third manager (Aaron Boone would join Torre and Joe Girardi), it might make him a mortal lock to match his father as a Hall of Famer. Cashman says he never thinks about the Hall and cannot fathom a place in a Cooperstown that doesn't include The Boss. In fact, he can't understand why recent Yankees inductees (including Torre and Rivera) haven't used their platform to campaign for the owner. "Why don't you openly talk to why is he not here during your induction speech?" Cashman asked.

Steinbrenner is always there, somewhere, in Brian's mind. So is his old man. He thinks about John Cashman every day. Brian is proud that the Meadowlands named a race after him, and that his daughter, Grace, sang the national anthem before it as a tribute to her grandfather. The GM still laughs over the notion that his dad "broke every child labor law" when Brian worked garbage detail at Castleton, or when Brian had to hold up a pregnant mare's tail while a veterinarian dug deep to inspect the health of the foal.

"He was a tremendous father," the GM said.

Brian replicated his work ethic. He said he either inherited or innately learned John's willingness to make tough choices and to say things important people didn't want to hear. When Brian ordered Jeter to fix his defense and his relationship with A-Rod, and challenged The Captain to test the market during turbulent contract negotiations, longtime horsemen knew that sounded just like John Cashman's son.

Given that the Cashmans have always lived by the scoreboard, a question needs to be asked: Who's the better sports executive, John the father or Brian the son? "A toss of the coin," said John III, the family member. "I'll make it a dead heat," said Boni, the family friend.

Maybe October will end up being the tiebreaker, maybe not. Either way, Brian Cashman will honor his father as tries to ride this pinstriped pony home.

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep retired from the Wuhan Open after sustaining a lower back injury in her third-round match against Elena Rybakina in China.

The world number six, who ended the year as world number one in 2017 and 2018, withdrew when trailing 5-4 in the first set against the Kazakh wildcard.

Meanwhile, Australian top seed Ashleigh Barty qualified for the quarter finals with a 6-3 7-5 win against Sofia Kenin.

Third seed Elina Svitolina also progressed against Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Ukrainian US Open and Wimbledon semi-finalist Svitolina, ranked ninth, won 6-4 6-2 as she continues her battle for a world top-eight spot that would allow her to defend her title at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen in October.

Romanian Halep, currently third in the race to Shenzhen, said that the "sharp pain" in her lower back felt in "the same zone" as the injury which kept her out for three months at the end of 2018.

World number two Karolina Pliskova will compete for a quarter-final spot against Dayana Yastremska later on Wednesday.