Sydney Thunder have signed South Africa bowling allrounder Chris Morris for BBL09 while England batsman James Vince has re-signed for with Sydney Sixers.

Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond was delighted to secure Morris for the BBL. He has extensive T20 experience globally and has been a valuable commodity in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and, most recently, Delhi Capitals. Bond has watched Morris closely whilst serving as Mumbai Indians bowling coach over recent seasons.

"Chris is someone who I had my eye on," Bond said. "It's always great to have a player who can change the game with bat and ball. He's an experienced, hardened cricketer who bowls 90mph and smacks it with the bat. Those players are very rare, so he brings a unique skill set.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming his personality and competitiveness to the team as well."

Morris will join the Thunder after his commitments with Nelson Mandela Bay Giants in the Mzansi Super League in South Africa end. The MSL final is set for December 16, and the Thunder play the opening game of the BBL on December 17 in Brisbane. Morris' early availability will be tested further given the Thunder play three matches in the first five days of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Vince returns to Sydney Sixers after playing eight matches last season coming in as a replacement for countryman Joe Denly. Vince will return to Sydney alongside another Englishman Tom Curran as the Sixers' two overseas players.

Vince was instrumental in helping the Sixers to the semi-final, making 75 off 46 balls against Brisbane Heat and then 74 not out from 50 balls in a record-breaking partnership with Josh Philippe to beat competition leaders Hobart Hurricanes.

"James made a huge impression within our group through his consistent performance in the vital No.3 position that assisted the team reaching the semi-finals," Sixers coach Greg Shipperd said. "As captain of his county Hampshire, and an England player, he brings great knowledge, leadership and calm to our group.

"He is one of the sweetest strikers of the ball in the world, with a rare purity of strokes on both sides of the wicket making him tough to contain. Who can forget his breathtaking unbeaten partnership with Josh Philippe at the SCG. He will compliment beautifully our opening duo of Philippe and Daniel Hughes."

Vince is keen to atone for last year's semi-final loss. "Having lost out in the semis in BBL 08 I'm hoping we can go all the way this time around," he said. "There is a huge amount of talent in the squad and some great people at the club. I'm looking forward to contributing to what is hopefully going to be a great BBL for the Sixers."

No. 3 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame are both steeped in rich tradition, but they don't have much real history together, not as far as actual on-field meetings go. Yet their matchup Saturday feels like one filled with the bad blood, pettiness and season-changing implications that go hand-in-hand with rivalry games.

We can start in 1981, when Georgia beat Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship. We can thank Dec. 29, 2018, for dredging up the antagonism.

As Clemson and Notre Dame played in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Georgia players tuned in from New Orleans, where they prepared to play Texas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs felt they deserved a spot in the top four despite two losses, and so did a vocal contingent that lobbied hard on their behalf.

Undefeated Notre Dame, despite playing as an independent with no conference championship game, made it in at No. 3 but drew the bulk of the Bulldogs' ire after Clemson raced out to a 20-point halftime lead. Multiple players took to social media to voice their displeasure, with tweets ranging from receiver Mecole Hardman's "They say the '4 best teams' huh?" to Monty Rice chiming in, "The best 4 should get in #exposed."

A few days later, Georgia lost to Texas, and in the eyes of some, that settled the argument. But their point was made. In the never-ending playoff discussion centering on the most fundamental of questions -- should the four most deserving teams or the four best teams make it in? -- Georgia vs. Notre Dame provided the most heated debate yet.

Much of that has to do with Notre Dame and its unique place in the college football landscape. Throw in the all-powerful SEC, with loyalists who firmly believe it is the toughest conference and will not entertain any argument on the matter, and you get a situation that remains unresolved to this very day. Is it best or most deserving?

Because there are still those who wonder whether the committee got it right last year, and whether Notre Dame's poor showing should forever close the door on its playoff aspirations so long as it keeps playing as an independent. With that as the backdrop, the Irish travel to Georgia on Saturday in perhaps the most anticipated nonconference game of the season.

Although last year is over, this is the type of playoff play-in game that would have drawn us all in. Still, the postseason implications remain very real.

In all likelihood, Georgia can withstand a nonconference loss and keep its playoff hopes alive. That may not be the case for the Irish, who probably need to go undefeated for another legitimate shot. Borrowing the neuralyzer the "Men in Black" use to erase memories might help, too.

Because right now, all anyone can remember about the Irish and their postseason efforts are their 42-14 loss to Alabama in the 2013 BCS national title game and their 30-3 semifinal loss to Clemson. Notre Dame is 5-13 in bowls since 1993 and has lost every major bowl game in which it has played. Not exactly the type of results that inspire confidence in their ability to compete for a championship.

"We always have something to prove," Notre Dame defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji said. "We're focused on the Notre Dame 2019 team, and we're not worried about anything outside the locker room. We're Notre Dame. We're at the highest level. That's just how it is, and all the teams are looking out for us, so we've got to step it up each and every game."

Georgia feels the exact same way. So much so, coach Kirby Smart made the Bulldogs' preseason motto, "Do More." Rather than ignoring the large Alabama elephant in the room, he wanted his players to embrace their shortcomings in their past three championship games against the Tide, and use them as motivation to literally do more.

"We put the pedal to the metal," Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis said. "We had to grind. We had to work for what we got."

That meant doing more after their scheduled workouts. More watching film. More asking questions. More focus on the weight room, eating right, getting treatment. More running after practice. More catching passes after practice. More reps. More time in the facility on off days.

"We've come up short," quarterback Jake Fromm said. "Obviously, we've got to do something, so we think doing more is a little bit better."

This game is the first real test of that mantra, the team's first against a top-10 opponent this season. You could make the argument the mantra also fits Notre Dame. After all, the goal for both teams will always be the same: winning another national championship.

Both programs rank among the most important and powerful blue bloods, yet they last won national titles in the 1980s. As the years pass and their championship seasons recede further from view, every season feels like one that is missing something. And the desperation grows.

Perhaps that is why finishing No. 5 last season struck such a nerve with the Georgia players, coaches and fans. We are approaching 40 years since the 1980 national championship season, a drought nobody could have ever expected when Herschel Walker led them to victory.

Perhaps that is why getting blown out (again) with a national championship in reach is so difficult to accept for Notre Dame. Each team that lines up will always and forever be judged on whether it finally brings another trophy home to South Bend, Indiana.

In these ways, the programs are more similar than not. Their game Saturday is just the third in their long histories, and their last meeting in 2017 went down to the wire. Georgia rallied to win 20-19 in what was a coming-of-age moment for Fromm, who made his first career start while filling in for the injured Jacob Eason and has started every game since then.

But there was some chippiness and trash talk coming from the Bulldogs in the week leading up to that game. Most notably, safety Dominick Sanders said the goal was to "punish them from the start."

Smart was not pleased with those comments, and it is a safe bet he was not thrilled his players took to social media to chirp about getting left out of the playoff last year. But if anything, both Notre Dame and Georgia can look to last year and the way both their seasons ended in massive disappointment and use it.

Especially with playoff hopes riding on what happens Saturday.

"We've got to rush harder, we've got to stop the rush better, we've got to pass the ball better, we've got to stop the pass, we've got to do all the football things right," Georgia running back Brian Herrien said.

"The football gods are watching."

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and guard Lonzo Ball have been full participants in the team's voluntary offseason workouts in New Orleans, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

Neither player has been restricted by the injuries that shut them down last season while members of the Los Angeles Lakers, representing a significant step with training camp around the corner on Oct. 1.

Ingram and Ball were part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis from New Orleans to L.A. in June.

Ingram missed the final five weeks of last season while suffering from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Ingram had his best stretch of work that season after LeBron James came back from a hip injury, as Ingram averaged 23.0 points over the final 15 games he played, while shooting 56.5% from the field and 37.9% from deep.

Ingram had been shut down since March 4, but he mentioned at his introductory news conference in New Orleans in July that he was "pretty close" to returning to basketball workouts.

Ball injured his left ankle on Jan. 19 against the Houston Rockets and was shut down for good on March 9 by the Lakers.

In all, Ball missed the final 35 games because of the ankle sprain.

CHICAGO -- Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish struck out eight straight batters during Tuesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds to set a franchise record for most consecutive strikeouts within a single game.

Darvish accomplished the feat from the second inning to the fourth inning, compiling 11 strikeouts overall in his first four innings.

Kyle Farnsworth, Kerry Wood and Juan Cruz also racked up eight consecutive strikeouts as Cubs pitchers, but they did so over multiple games.

Darvish whiffed the last two Reds in the second inning, then went on to strike out the side in the third and fourth innings, before Jose Peraza ended the streak when he lined out to lead off the fifth.

Darvish is the first pitcher to strike out 11 batters in the first four innings of a game since Chicago White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon did so in 2017.

Tom Seaver holds the record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game when he set down 10 straight in 1970.

Including the six innings he pitched in his previous start and the first four innings on Tuesday, Darvish had struck out 25 batters over 10 innings pitched.

Wood shares the major league record of 20 strikeouts in a game with three other pitchers: Roger Clemens (who did it twice), Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer.

Darvish finished with 13 strikeouts in seven innings versus the Reds, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk.

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle in Tuesday night's game against the Orioles, securing it with a triple that drove in two runs in the top of the ninth.

The rookie came to the plate in the ninth against Orioles pitcher Mychal Givens, having hit a single, a double and a homer earlier in the game.

There were two men on, and the Jays were down to their last out. Biggio hit the ball deep to left center. Orioles center fielder Mason Williams made a run and hit the wall trying to make the catch.

Craig Biggio, Cavan's father, had one career cycle with the Astros, coming on April 8, 2002, vs. the Rockies. Craig and Cavan Biggio are the second father-son duo in MLB history to each have a cycle in their careers. They join Gary and Daryle Ward.

"This whole year has been hard to put into words, and obviously your son to hit for the cycle in his first year in the big leagues -- and his mom drove down there to watch him play -- makes it even more special," Craig Biggio told MLB.com.

It was also the first four-hit day of Cavan Biggio's career. The only other player in the last 10 seasons to hit for the cycle within his first 100 games was Cody Bellinger in 2017.

Biggio, 24, joins Kelly Gruber (April 16, 1989 vs. the Royals) and Jeff Frye (August 17, 2001 vs. the Rangers) as Blue Jays to hit for the cycle.

Biggio also had two stolen bases. Biggio is just the second player over the last 100 years to hit for the cycle and have multiple stolen bases in the same game, joining Charlie Moore in 1980.

BARRE, Vt. – The 57th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is already shaping up as one of the most star-studded auto racing events of the season in the Northeast.

Numerous champions, former Milk Bowl winners, and rising standouts have already sent in their entries and will attempt to qualify for the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl on Sept. 28-29.

For many fans, the main man to watch on Milk Bowl Weekend will be Bubba Pollard. As perhaps the most successful driver in modern short track racing, Pollard is making his first attempt at the Vermont Milk Bowl in a car prepared by Joey Polewarczyk Racing. He will try to add to a résumé that includes wins in the Canadian Short Track Nationals, the Oxford 250, and the All-American 400.

Thunder Road is never easy on invaders, and the Milk Bowl will be no exception. At least five past winners of the Milk Bowl will try to add their name to the Barre granite monument once again. They include three-time winner Patrick Laperle, two-time and defending Milk Bowl winner Jason Corliss, 2010 winner Joey Polewarczyk Jr., 2009 winner John Donahue and 2006 winner Brent Dragon.

Several of the most accomplished racers in Vermont are also trying to break through the glass ceiling and claim their first Milk Bowl triumph. Defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Scott Payea, defending King of the Road Scott Dragon, perennial Thunder Road title contender Trampas Demers and multi-time ACT winner Jimmy Hebert are all on the entry list. Former King of the Road Bobby Therrien is back to try and avenge last year’s heartbreak where Corliss stole the overall win in the final corner.

A number of Thunder Road locals will join Dragon and Demers in defending against the all-star invaders. This year’s Vermont Governor’s Cup winner Brooks Clark has entered the event. So have top-10 point runners Kyle Pembroke, Tyler Cahoon, Christopher Pelkey and Marcel J. Gravel. Former Flying Tiger champion Brendan Moodie and former Milk Bowl segment winner Jim Morris will also represent the Late Model ranks.

Drivers who’ve had success at other tracks around the region are trying to duplicate it at Thunder Road. Multi-time Devil’s Bowl Speedway champion Josh Masterson has entered the event. Two top-10 point drivers from New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park, Stephen Donahue and Mike Bailey, return home for the biggest event of the season.

The Donahue’s are one of two father-son duos entered as Marcel D. Gravel has joined his son on the entry list. Alexendre Tardif recently wrapped up a top-five in the Autodrome Chaudiere Late Model points while Mike Benevides has been a regular at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway this season. Joel Hodgdon has raced everywhere in his first year behind the wheel of a Late Model and could be a dark horse. Mason Mitchell, a champion in the ARCA Menards Series, is looking for some redemption in his second attempt at qualifying for the Milk Bowl.

DORTMUND, Germany -- On the face of it, Barcelona got off lightly by emerging from Signal Iduna Park with a 0-0 draw in their Champions League Group F opener against Borussia Dortmund.

First of all, Ernesto Valverde's team did not suffer the same fate as European champions Liverpool, or Europa League winners Chelsea, by making a losing start to their group campaign. Barca also drew a line under their 4-0 semifinal second-leg mauling at the hands of Liverpool last season by surviving a second-half onslaught from Lucien Favre's Dortmund to emerge with a clean sheet and a point -- a point earned by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen's penalty save from Marco Reus.

But this is a Barcelona team that is under incredible pressure to make amends for two humiliating Champions League exits, against Liverpool and Roma, in the past two seasons, and the reality of this result in Germany is that the doubts over their credentials remain as large as ever. They may have drawn, but Barcelona have now won just one of their past eight Champions League away games -- at Manchester United in last season's quarterfinal -- and they rarely looked like winning this one.

- Champions League group stage: All you need to know
- ESPN Champions League fantasy: Sign up now!

"We had to suffer a lot, especially after the break when we lost control and they were very dangerous," Valverde said. "We have to thank Marc-Andre ter Stegen for his outstanding saves. We know we have to improve away from home."

With Lionel Messi starting the game on the substitutes' bench due to a calf injury, we saw just how big of a hole the Argentine forward leaves in the side when he is not available. Messi doesn't miss too many games when it matters, but if the first-half performance against Dortmund was a glimpse into a future when he can no longer be relied upon to create magic for Barca, it did not provide a pretty picture.

But even when Messi is fit and firing, as he was in both those defeats in Rome and Liverpool, Barcelona still have their frailties and they were exposed time after time by Dortmund. The home side created 14 clear-cut chances, including Reus' missed penalty and a Julian Brandt strike that rattled the crossbar in the closing stages.

But for the heroics of Ter Stegen, Barcelona could have been heading home to Catalonia on the back of another heavy away defeat, so it would be foolish to regard the 0-0 scoreline as a true reflection of the game. Barca rode their luck -- and every top team has to do that now and then -- but when Valverde reviews the tape of this game, he will be confronted by a number of problems that must be addressed if he is to deliver the club's first European Cup since 2015.

Up front, Messi will always offer a threat, but Luis Suarez, at 32, is heavier and slower than during his peak years and is a declining force in the Champions League. Ansu Fati, the 16-year-old sensation, will need time to find his feet at this level, while we are still waiting for former Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele to find form at the Nou Camp. And as for Antoine Griezmann, the €120 million summer signing from Atletico Madrid, he struggled to make an impact against Dortmund and time will tell how he performs when Messi returns to the starting lineup.

Midfield is another issue for Valverde. Arthur sprays a nice pass from side to side, but offers little penetration, while the axis of Sergio Busquets and summer signing Frenkie de Jong is still settling down. Against Dortmund, there was not enough drive from midfield, a lack of box-to-box energy and the Germans capitalised by overpowering Barca in the second half.

Barcelona's biggest problem, however, is at the back, where Gerard Pique is now becoming a liability against forwards with pace and movement. On two occasions, the 32-year-old's lack of mobility saw him exposed in dangerous positions on the edge of the Barcelona penalty area: first, when he was caught in possession by Reus in the first half, and then on 54 minutes, when a clumsy foul on Achraf Hakimi led to a free kick, which was wasted by the hosts.

Clement Lenglet is a solid, but unspectacular centre-half, and he does not give Barcelona the protection they need with Pique beginning to show frayed edges. When faced with pace -- and Dortmund had plenty -- Pique and Lenglet were caught out repeatedly and cut open just as Liverpool did to them in last season's semifinal.

On this occasion, largely thanks to Ter Stegen, the Spanish champions survived, but you cannot win a Champions League with an unreliable defence. That shortcoming has been Barcelona's undoing in the past two seasons, but it also accounted for the Champions League hopes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Ajax last term.

Liverpool had their own defensive flaws during the group stage of last season's campaign, but they ironed them out in time for the knockout stages. Barcelona must now do the same, regardless of this opening day clean sheet against Dortmund.

Clearly, it would be premature to dismiss Barcelona's chances after just one game, but make no mistake, they have problems to solve. They cannot expect to win the competition by riding their luck all way to the final in Istanbul next May.

NAPLES, Italy -- Liverpool may consider losing 2-0 late on to Napoli in the Champions League at Stadio San Paolo as a good omen. After all, despite delivering their most deficient performance of last season in a 1-0 defeat here nearly a year ago, Jurgen Klopp's side went on to become Europe's best.

As was the case in 2018-19, Tuesday's trip to southern Italy represented the club's first away test on the continent. And while the arena and the opponents were the same, the manner of Liverpool's display was in stark contrast to the passive, blunt showing of 349 days ago. They were still on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline, which belied the design of a game that Carlo Ancelotti admitted the visitors nearly "took complete charge" of on Tuesday night.

Napoli's manager conceded that the two goals his side scored were from "curious circumstances." Dries Mertens got the first in the 82nd minute after a controversial penalty call when referee Felix Brych felt Andy Robertson had impeded Jose Callejon in the area. Replays showed that the Spaniard had dived and Klopp's assessment of the "gamechanging moment" that VAR did not overturn was in line with the footage. "When a player jumps before there is contact, then it cannot be a penalty," he said.

The second goal was born out of an uncharacteristic loose pass from Virgil van Dijk, with Fernando Llorente pouncing to double Napoli's advantage in added time.

Liverpool will be wondering how exactly they're returning to Merseyside with a 2-0 defeat after dictating large swathes of play. The hosts created more big chances but Klopp's men were wasteful when they did work openings. The front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were atypically laboured instead of illuminating.

"I felt we played some good stuff, it was just the final bit I felt we were missing today," said captain Jordan Henderson said in his post-match remarks. "At home, Napoli are a good side and they are going to create some good chances. You've got to be prepared to defend as a team, which I felt we did.

"We won some great balls in midfield and counter-attacked really well, but it was just that last little bit -- and obviously the mistakes for the goals -- that we need to improve on. Overall, we can be better of course. We'll take responsibility, we'll move forward and try to react in the right way."

- Report: Napoli score twice late to beat Liverpool
- Liverpool ratings: Robertson 5/10 in defeat

Klopp echoed the midfielder's evaluation. "I think we controlled the game in a lot of moments, we had a lot of interceptions, we won the ball and had counter-attacks," he said.

Both teams showed a lot of respect for each other, [were] very compact and defended well: that's how you play a game against a strong side, to be honest. The second half was a bit wilder, then we started to control the game again and then we conceded. You want to then have at least a point and we didn't get that because of the penalty.

"I think when you see the pictures it is clear that it wasn't. What can I say about it? It was very decisive in that moment for sure, but we cannot change it anymore."

There were several positives for Liverpool, chiefly Fabinho's performance which deserved to be on display in a museum as midfield art. His intelligent, well-timed interventions scuppered Napoli attacks before they became threatening and he instantly turned defence into offensive sequences for Liverpool.

No-one made more ball recoveries, tackles or passes than the 25-year-old. Fabinho was rivalled as his team's man of the match by goalkeeper Adrian, who served up his strongest showing for the club since deputising for the injured Alisson. He made a sharp double save to deny Fabian Ruiz early on before a strong right hand denied Mertens on the volley at the far post. It was goalkeeping of the highest standard, but Adrian's goal was still twice breached in a match that Klopp admitted was weird to analyse.

The big takeaway is that Liverpool's most exacting Group E test is now out of the way. Napoli are a more formidable proposition than they were last year when they also twice drew with Paris Saint-Germain the competition. In a mini pool that contains Genk and Red Bull Salzburg, the Italians are odd-ons to progress to the knockout round with the Anfield club, especially after Matchday 1.

While Liverpool have now lost four successive matches away from home at this stage in the Champions League, the defence of their European crown won't be dimmed by Tuesday's result. If anything, it will harden their desire to right these wrongs as was the case last season.

Chelsea, who suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to Valencia in the tournament on Tuesday night, lie in wait at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. It's vital that the Reds shake off this rare setback and extend their unblemished Premier League streak and five-point gap on Manchester City at the weekend.

BOSTON -- It didn't take long for Mike Yastrzemski to feel the history as he walked into Fenway Park on Tuesday, as his San Francisco Giants visit the Red Sox for a three-game series. The memories all came rolling back. As a kid who grew up in the Boston area rooting for the home team, absent of the fact that his grandfather Carl Yastrzemski was a city icon, the younger Yaz thought back to all of the games he attended at Fenway growing up -- from the 1999 Home Run Derby to the World Series runs in 2004 and 2007.

He thought about all the times he'd spent with his family at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox retired his grandfather's No. 8 back in 1989.

"Playing here is cool and I see it as part of my job and something I've always wanted to do. That doesn't really overwhelm me," the younger Yastrzemski told the media before Tuesday's game. "To do it in a setting where I have so many fond memories with friends and family and have them be able to be here, it's special."

The Yastrzemski family doesn't usually gather in the season, but the series in Boston will be the exception. The elder Yastrzemski, who rarely appears at Fenway Park save for a first pitch before a World Series game, met with his grandson on the field before Tuesday's game, giving Mike tips on playing the Green Monster. He told the Boston Globe on Monday that he planned to do a television interview with his grandson prior to Tuesday's game but would leave afterwards to watch on TV.

"We've got everything planned for Wednesday," Carl said about the family's plans for Fenway. "We thought about going in on Tuesday, but decided against it. He's going to have enough people bothering him and it might be a little easier on him if I'm not there watching him.''

Yaz & Yaz pic.twitter.com/ZU3NBxpdSI

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 17, 2019

Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a 14-year veteran manager, decided to play into the moment, putting Mike in the leadoff spot manning the same left field as his grandfather.

"To be honest, sure, I wanted him to play left field tonight. He gets the nod there. It'll be a cool moment," Bochy said. "I'm sure for a lot of people here, it'll be a great reminder of all the great things his grandfather did, bringing special memories into their minds. I look forward to it. I had a chance to meet Carl today and he came into the clubhouse and we sat and talked for a while and so this is cool for everybody. The fans here in Boston, but us too."

"It will be the first time since 1983 that the name 'Yastrzemski' will be announced,'' Carl, now 80, said. "It's definitely going to be emotional. To see him come into Fenway Park where I played for 23 years, to have his name announced, that will be a great thrill for me.''

The younger Yastrzemski grew up a huge Red Sox fan, citing Trot Nixon, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez among his favorite players growing up. Mike admitted that it wasn't until high school, turning 15 years old, when he began to realize everything his grandfather accomplished in his hometown.

"When I turned 23, that was the big shocking moment, was that for my entire life he has showed up to Fenway Park every day," Yastrzemski said. "That blew my mind. I can't picture 23 years worth of Major League Baseball experience. That's when that really set in."

Yastrzemski will have over 150 family and friends attending the series, including friends from his high school alma mater, St. John's Prep in Danvers, MA. While Tuesday represents a dream come true, it's been a long path for Mike, who spent spent six years in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system before getting his opportunity in San Francisco this year, where he's hitting .265/.324/.509 with 19 homers. His slow climb to the majors has helped him appreciate this moment a little bit more.

"Through the long path it took me to get here, I started to understand which things are important and which aren't so I could stay focused on the things that have really grown to matter and the story that needs to unfold here," Yastrzemski said. "It's special for my family and my grandfather as opposed to keeping it on me."

When that moment comes, when Mike Yastrzemski hears his name for the first time over the Fenway PA more than 58 years after his grandfather played his first game in Boston, he hopes to take a moment to appreciate everything it took to get to this moment.

"That's the one thing I'm unsure of how it'll affect me. Everything else I've got a good grasp on. Hearing that will probably be emotional but that's probably the moment that I need to allow myself to enjoy and take my time and this special," Yastrzemski said. "This isn't just special for me. This is special for anyone who saw my grandfather play and saw the Red Sox play over history. They have some tie to him because of his historic value to the organization. While it is special for me, I need to let it be special for everybody else as well."

‘The whole week in Nantes was amazing’
Interview by JEROME ELHAIK – Squash Mad Correspondent

A few months after les Bleues clinched their first ever European Team Championship, French women’s squash had another major success last weekend: carried by an ecstatic crowd, Camille Serme won the open de France at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes, after a magnificent final against Amanda Sobhy.

The world number 3 couldn’t have dreamed for a better start in 2019-2020, especially since she’s still chasing after her ultimate goals: the number 1 spot as well the World Championship title. She may now be in her thirties but Camille has never looked so strong.

Camille, is there any specific moment that comes into your mind when you look back at your victory at the open de France?

Not really because the whole week in Nantes was amazing, whether it was the unique and beautiful place where we had the chance to play, or the incredible atmosphere. We rarely have the opportunity to play in front of such a crowd on the tour. They definitely lifted us, and it’s great that Amanda enjoyed it as much as I did even if people were cheering for me!

Even though you may drop one place in the next rankings, the decision to go to Nantes rather than Shanghai (where a tournament with a bigger prize money and more ranking points took place the week before) was the good one wasn’t it?

To be honest, we had discussed it with my staff, but we did not hesitate very long before giving a positive answer to the organisers when they asked if I would come to Nantes. We don’t have many big events in France, and therefore I was happy to come and represent my country.

Where does this title rank among the best memories of your individual career, especially since it was your first one since February 2017?

I’d say it comes just after my three titles in major tournaments (British Open, US Open and Tournament of Champions). This time I didn’t cry after the match, but I couldn’t hold my tears when I saw my brother and his wife in the stands because I didn’t know they’d be here!

You are a relatively reserved person, is it difficult to be under the spotlights and have a packed room chanting your name?

Let’s be honest, being the centre of attention and having so much support is a nice thing! Besides, I’ve gotten used to it and I am more comfortable speaking in front of an audience now than I was before. I think I’ve handled the situation pretty well, because being the number 1 seed and having to defend that position is not easy.

You received countless congratulatory messages, especially on social media which you are very involved on.

I feel like the impact of this victory was at least as big as my three major titles, probably because it was in France. I always take the time to read those messages, it’s important for me because I think it’s a way to enjoy it.

After the final, your coach Philippe Signoret said Amanda Sobhy surprised him, especially on the backhand side which is usually not her strong one. Do you agree?

I do. I’d watched the videos of her previous rounds in Nantes, and she definitely was much more accurate in the final. The fact that she beat a higher ranked player in the semis (England’s Sarah-Jane Perry) probably took some pressure off her, and it’s in these situations that we can produce our best squash.

You didn’t looked too worried after losing the first game.

No, because I knew I could take the upper hand physically.

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Since you mention it, many people – including me – have been amazed how much you’ve improved in this department over the summer …

That’s true that I felt very good on court and I’d been moving well since my first match. We worked a lot during the summer and it’s nice to see that it’s already paying off.

This work was done with your new fitness coach, Frédéric Pfeferberg. Philippe Signoret mentioned it wasn’t easy to make the players accept this change.

I had been working with Frédéric Roualen for a long time (author’s note: also fitness coach of a very successful French women’s judo team, he couldn’t dedicate a lot of his time to squash), and we have a great relationship. Besides, when we first looked at Frédéric Pfeferberg’s sessions we were a bit surprised, because there was a lot of work in the gym and I was worried I’d gain too much muscle mass. But I decided to trust him and I do not regret it. On top of that, he’s a very nice person. Like Philippe he loves what he does, they complete each other very well! As far as the training goes, we’d been warned that it may not have an immediate impact, so it’s very encouraging that the results are already there.

Don’t you think you could have made this change sooner?

Life is all about meeting people isn’t it? I do believe it was the right timing for this. Besides, I was very happy with the work done with Fred Roualen, and I had good results in the past. Everyone tells me I still have a lot of room of improvement. I hadn’t realized I was playing so bad before (she laughs)!

A few months ago, you talked about your ambition to be world number one and win the World Championship within the next three years, before starting a family. However, your coach thinks you could play for 10 more years…

He said that? It’s funny because the other day Coline Aumard (French number 2) asked me “if you reach your goals before the end of these three years, will you stop right away?” The only reason why we set this deadline is to give me a purpose, and let’s not forget we never know what can happen in life…

On the other hand, you haven’t ruled out the possibility of resuming your squash career after having a child. Last week, tennis player Kim Clijsters announced that she was going to make a second comeback, at 36 years old…

I didn’t know that, it’s amazing. A lot of people tell me it’s not a good idea, but I like challenges and it would be one! I am aware that a child cannot raise itself, but when the times comes we’ll discuss it with my husband (kayakist Quentin Urban, who got two medals including a gold one at the French championships last weekend) and make a decision.

What’s your schedule for the next few days?

I was supposed to train tomorrow (the interview was on Sunday), but we made a deal with my staff that if I won in Nantes I would get a day off… Then I’ll be back to training, and in a few days we leave for San Francisco.

After this tournament (24-30 September), there will be the US Open (5-12 October), and then the World Championship – which is the main goal of your season – at the end of October. The draw came out today, did you have time to look at it?

I did not, but Philippe sent me a message to tell me I could play Amanda Sobhy in the quarters.

Last question: as a top level athlete who always has things to work on or improve, is it easy to disconnect?

I think I can, but I also believe it’s more difficult for Philippe and Frédéric (she laughs). Even though I am supposed to have a day off tomorrow, I am sure they’ll ask me to come and do some video analysis with them!

Pictures courtesy of of Lauranne Rochais, Ladies Squash and Mikphotos