Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said his side must "stay all together" following their 7-2 shock defeat to Bayern Munich in Champions League group stage action.

The disastrous result at Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Tuesday night was the club's worst home defeat in European action, thanks in part to Serge Gnabry's four-goal performance.

- Spurs ratings: Defensive woes exposed in Bayern beating

Runners-up in last season's final, Spurs looked a shell of themselves as the five-time European champions put on a clinic behind Gnarby's big night and Robert Lewandowski's brace.

LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino called for "calm" after his Tottenham Hotspur team had just suffered the club's biggest-ever home defeat by losing 7-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.

After such a brutal humiliation, which resulted in the stadium being virtually empty but for the celebrating Bayern fans at the final whistle, Pochettino had two options, and he chose the diplomatic one rather than allowing his frustrations to boil over after perhaps the worst 90 minutes of his managerial career.

Spurs had allowed Bayern to take 20 shots at goals, scoring seven of them, and they ended up with the heaviest-ever home defeat by an English club in European competition. And just to cap a horrible night for Tottenham, Serge Gnabry -- a player who scored just once in 18 appearances for North London rivals Arsenal during an unproductive five-year spell at the Emirates -- truly rubbed their noses in it by scoring four for Bayern.

Little wonder, then, that Pochettino attempted to lower the temperature after the game by insisting that it was no time for recriminations and finger pointing.

"It's a moment to stick together," he told the assembled media. "We cannot talk now, not today. We must be calm.

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"We know how we feel, it's very disappointing, so the feelings are not so good. We are not going to fix anything by shouting. We must stay calm."

Just four months ago, Pochettino's team were contesting the Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid. They lost that night, but being there was an achievement in itself and it also provided justification for the Argentine's approach and his determination to focus on the biggest competitions rather than drain his squad's resources on the domestic cups in England.

It was a tangible sign of progress and that Pochettino was taking Spurs down the right path. But since losing to Liverpool in the Wanda Metropolitano, little has gone right for Pochettino and his team, and this dismantling at the hands of Bayern was a brutal reality check.

Since the start of this season, Spurs have won three, lost three and drawn four, scoring 18 goals and conceding the same number at the other end.

But the malaise goes beyond the start of this campaign and the defeat against Liverpool, with Tottenham suffering a miserable calendar year so far that would look far worse but for the run to the Champions League final. Pochettino's players have won 17 and lost 16 of their 39 games in all competitions in 2019, scoring 62 and conceding 49, so they are not performing like a team on an upward trajectory.

Spurs are in a tailspin and Pochettino may no longer be the man to pull them out of it. And having repeatedly been evasive and vague on his future at the club, perhaps he no longer possesses a burning desire to be the man to do it.

Bayern were good, make no mistake. Robert Lewandowski gave a centre-forward's masterclass, scoring twice to move level with Ruud van Nistelrooy on 56 goals as the Champions League's fifth-highest all-time goal scorer, while Gnabry played the tormentor.

But it is difficult to gauge just how impressive Bayern were, simply because Spurs were so bad. Pochettino's team was too open and the manager failed to correct that flaw, choosing to chase the game with attackers rather than settle on damage limitation when the roof began to cave in during the final 10 minutes. His team selection was also up for debate again, with Christian Eriksen once more named on the substitutes' bench before being thrown into the fray late in the game.

By the end of it, with Bayern scoring three goals in five minutes to make it 7-2, Pochettino's players looked completely lost, with heads bowed and shoulders drooping.

Is Pochettino still getting his message across? Are his players listening? Those are big questions that are yet to be answered, but the manager insists that he is ready to face his critics.

"Sometimes you need to face this situation," he said. "It's nice to play a Champions League final, it's nice to put my face in front of you after eliminating Ajax or Man City to get to the final, but I must now put my face in front of you to say it wasn't as good as I expect.

"The most important thing is to move on, assess the team and our players. That is the most difficult job for us.

"After five years, our sixth season here, we need to be clearer and work like always, give solutions to the players. We are very critical of ourselves. We have to find a way to fix the problem and move on.

"It's more psychological now. The important thing is to have one idea, one assessment and stick with this idea and start to improve."

Pochettino, whose team now face back-to-back encounters with Red Star Belgrade, admits he saw Tottenham's difficulties coming, however.

"I knew a few months ago it was going to be a tough season," he said. "I told you. After the Champions League final, it was a chapter closed and we need to open another chapter for the medium or long term.

"Defeat isn't going to change my opinion. You need to show your quality like men because, in this type of situation you must show are strong, strong together, and bounce back."

Pochettino is right. He and Spurs must bounce back, but on this evidence, they don't look like doing that.

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson didn't want to have any miscues on his first official day of practice.

So there were no windmill dunks. No dribbling between the legs.

He just wanted to be one of the guys.

"It's the first practice," Williamson said Tuesday. "I'm not trying to mess up. Maybe my second year or something. I'm just trying to learn the system and be the best player I can be."

Williamson is one of a number of new faces for the Pelicans. New Orleans only has five healthy players in camp who played for coach Alvin Gentry last season -- Jrue Holiday, Frank Jackson, E'Twaun Moore, Kenrich Williams and Jahlil Okafor.

Because of that, Holiday said practice had sort of a "deer in the headlights" feel to it.

"I think it was just a new step," said Holiday, who is entering his 11th NBA season. "It was new going from college to this kind of setting. It was intense. Everyone was focused and locked in."

That included Williamson, who was being as inquisitive as he possibly could.

"He asked questions. That's not overthinking," Holiday said. "He doesn't want to be wrong. That's a great thing. Especially defensively. Asking questions, seeing where he's supposed to be and worrying about the scheme. He did a great job today."

Gentry tried to downplay Williamson's performance as the team doesn't want to put so much on the rookie's shoulders.

Williamson and the rest of the new Pelicans spent a lot of practice on defensive drills, although pushing the pace came up often.

"He wants us to be a fast-paced team," Williamson said of Gentry. "If you get a rebound, push it."

Williamson credited Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski for preparing him for his first NBA practice, saying the adjustment was "pretty easy."

As for where Williamson will spend most of his minutes, the Pelicans are seemingly tinkering around with possibilities.

The team's approach will depend on whether Williamson is playing small forward or power forward. Pelicans guard JJ Redick mentioned surrounding Williamson with shooting if he plays center.

Gentry said Williamson's athletic ability fits in with how the team wants to play.

"He can rebound and push it on the break," Gentry said. "He can run the wing. He can run and be a post-up player. He's a real versatile player. We almost play positionless basketball. It's not like he's a power forward, a small forward or a guard. He's just a basketball player. He fits into the scheme of things of what we're trying to do because of so much he can do."

A Houston furniture salesman, attempting to mitigate millions of dollars in potential refunds from a promotion, placed one of the largest bets ever taken by a U.S. bookmaker on Tuesday at a Mississippi sportsbook.

Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston, bet $3.5 million on the Astros to win the World Series at the DraftKings sportsbook at Scarlet Pearl casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. At +220 odds, the wager would pay a net $7.7 million if the Astros win the World Series.

McIngvale also recently placed a $200,000 World Series bet on the Astros +250 at the South Point in Las Vegas and has additional wagers for undisclosed amounts with Nevada bookmakers Caesars, MGM, Treasure Island and Circa Sports. He's shopping around for more, too.

McIngvale's $3.5 million wager at the Scarlet Pearl is nearly equal to how much was bet on baseball at Mississippi sportsbooks in the months of June, July and August combined.

"I think it's the biggest [bet] that's ever happened in Mississippi," DraftKings chief revenue officer and co-founder Matt Kalish said.

Not only is it believed to be the biggest bet ever in Mississippi, but it's also easily one of the largest wagers ever reported in the United States -- and McIngvale may not be finished yet.

McIngvale has been in communication with multiple sportsbooks in New Jersey, inquiring about making large wagers. In early September, bookmaker FanDuel, after discussions with McIngvale, requested approval from New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to accept a bet of greater than $5 million on the Astros.

For much of the baseball season, McIngvale has been offering to refund mattress-related purchases of $3,000 or more if the Astros win the World Series. He ran a similar promotion in 2017 and refunded more than $10 million in purchases, when Houston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the franchise's first World Series. That year, McIngvale placed more than $1 million in bets on the Astros with Las Vegas bookmakers, helping him limit his exposure from the promotion. This year, with more states offering sports betting, he has expanded options, like Mississippi and New Jersey.

"It's a whole different game in 2019," McIngvale told ESPN last week, as he was shopping around for the best price and highest limits.

While a few $1 million bets regularly show up on the Super Bowl, multimillion-dollar wagers -- especially on the World Series -- are extremely rare:

• In 2018, an unnamed bettor at an MGM sportsbook in Las Vegas placed a $3 million money-line bet on the Philadelphia Eagles to beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The Eagles pulled off the upset, and the bettor won a net $4.5 million.

• In 1995, veteran Las Vegas bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro says that he took a $2.4 million money-line wager from prominent investor Carl Icahn on the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers (1-8) to beat the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Icahn won a net $300,000 when the 49ers blew out the Chargers.

The Astros were down to +210 in DraftKings' odds to win the World Series, after taking McIngvale's bet. The Dodgers are the second favorite at +260.

Prior to McIngvale's wager, more money had been bet on the New York Yankees to win the World Series at DraftKings than had been bet on any other team. The Yankees are +425.

"This does change the picture for us a little bit," Kalish said Tuesday. "This will make the Astros the biggest liability."

McIngvale, 68, is a beloved figure in Houston. He opened up his furniture store to those in need during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey and says he always roots for the Astros, regardless of his position.

He declined to characterize how big of a liability he has on this year's promotion.

"I know these wacky promotions like this one, when people get their money back, it's the greatest publicity I could ever hope for," McIngvale said.

The Astros will host the winner of the Tampa Bay Rays-Oakland Athletics wild-card game in an American League divisional series.

In the weeks leading up to baseball's postseason, McIngvale hired two Las Vegas gamblers to help him locate the best price. Anthony Curtis, one of the gamblers, said McIngvale was looking to get down upward of $10 million on the Astros.

After Tuesday's bet, Mattress Mack is almost halfway there.

Playoff baseball is finally here! If the start of October baseball doesn't get you excited, how about kicking off the postseason Tuesday with Max Scherzer facing the hottest team in the majors?

What's on tap

The most important thing of the day: The Nationals are a popular pick as the National League team most likely to knock off the Dodgers, but that won't matter one bit if Mad Max & Co. can't get past the red-hot Brewers in the one-game showdown between the NL wild-card teams.

The view from inside the stadium: Injuries be damned (see: Yelich, Cain, Braun), the Brewers are confident thanks to a filthy bullpen that fueled their Cinderella September run. But nobody is more confident than the battle-tested and Baby Shark-infested Nationals, who have won eight straight and for the first time in their playoff history seem to be peaking at just the right time. -- Eddie Matz

A stat to impress your friends: According to FanGraphs, the Nationals had a season-low 22.2% chance to make the playoffs on May 23 before going 74-38 the rest of the way to take the NL's top wild-card spot. But that's nothing compared to the Brewers, who had a 5.6% chance of making the playoffs as recently as Sept. 5 before an 18-2 stretch paved their way to the postseason.

Predictions: The Nats are way healthier than the team that got swept at home by Milwaukee in May. They're also starting some guy named Scherzer. Nationals 5, Brewers 3. -- Matz

The Nationals are starting Scherzer, but with a 5.16 ERA in September, he hasn't quite been the Scherzer we're used to seeing dominate. The Brewers bullpen their way to the victory. Brewers 3, Nationals 2. -- David Schoenfield

Off the diamond

Social media says:

The 2019 MLB postseason bracket is set ? pic.twitter.com/T1REvwUNhW

— ESPN (@espn) September 29, 2019

Quote of note: "We wouldn't be where we are without our starting pitching. In my very biased opinion, we have the best rotation in the game right now. A game like [Tuesday's], you put roles aside, you put egos aside, and you go with your best guys. Those are our best guys." -- Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle on the possibility of starters Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin being used out of the bullpen against Milwaukee

Australian thrower beats Chinese duo with last-round effort at the IAAF World Championships

Going into the final round of the women’s world javelin final on Tuesday night in Doha, Kelsey Barber was lying in fifth place with Chinese duo Shiying Liu and Lyu Huihui set for a one-two.

“Going into the sixth round it was a case of clearing my mind and believing there was more there,” Barber said. “It’s one thing to say it and believe it but another to actually do it.”

Barber believed and she delivered with a 66.56m throw to go into the lead. It was three metres better than she had thrown in the first five rounds and the 28-year-old’s face was full of joy as the enormity of what she had done sank in.

“I feel really proud to win in the Australian colours today and hopefully it’ll put track and field on the map a little bit more in my country,” she said, adding that taking her run-up back slightly gave her more space and was the technical tweak needed to give her gold.

Barber threw 67.70m in Lucerne earlier this year to go No.12 all-time. Otherwise she has been the perennial runner-up during 2019 – in Lausanne, Zurich’s Diamond League final and the Anniversary Games in London.

World No.1 Lyu Huihui led in the first four rounds with 65.06m in round two. But her team-mate Shiying Liu threw 65.88m in the fifth round to take the lead. At this stage it looked set for a Chinese gold and silver, but Barber passed them both with her big winning effort in the last round.

In the final round neither Huihui nor Shiying could improve, which meant Barber won Australia’s first world javelin title.

World javelin champion Kelsey Barber of Australia with silver and bronze medallists Shiying Liu & Lyu Huihui of China. "I feel really proud to win the Australian colours today and hopefully it’ll put track and field on the map a little bit more in my country," she says. pic.twitter.com/qgydxBJKj0

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 1, 2019

In his quest for a fourth successive world title, Pawel Fadjek of Poland led the hammer qualifiers with 79.24m from European champion Wojciech Nowicki’s 77.89m.

There was success for Britain’s Nick Miller, too, as the Commonwealth champion threw 76.26m in the third round to qualify as 10th of the 12 for Wednesday’s final.

Long-standing American and world championship 800m records fall in brilliant two-lap display in Doha

With 1:42.34 Donavan Brazier smashed Johnny Gray’s 34-year-old American record and Billy Konchellah’s 32-year-old championship record. The man from Michigan also registered the biggest winning margin in the event’s history at the world championships. So was it the perfect race?

“Yes, not sure what else I could have done better tactically,” the 22-year-old said. “When I made a move there was no looking back from there.”

Runner-up Amel Tuka won Bosnia and Herzegovina’s best medal at the world championships with silver in 1:43.47 with Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich of Kenya third in 1:43.82, American Bryce Hoppel fourth in 1:44.25 and Puerto Rico’s Wesley Vasquez fifth in 1:44.48.

In trademark style Vasquez blasted into the lead, passing 200m in 23.61 with Brazier the only athlete to fully commit to going with him.

Coming into the home straight for the first time, Adrian Ben of Spain was already tailed off at the back, although he later rallied to move up to sixth.

Going through the bell in a fast 48.96, Vasquez looked strong but Brazier made his move down the back straight, cruising smoothly past with 250m to go as Vasquez began to tighten up.

Behind, the fast-finishing Tuka had been a few metres behind the leading duo at the bell in third place but on the last bend he caught the fading Vasquez as Brazier, who had gone through 600m in 76.18, extended his lead in pole position.

Entering the home straight Tuka surged past Vasquez but there was no catching Brazier who held his form to win by an emphatic 1.13 seconds as Gray’s US record of 1:42.60 and Konchellah’s 1:43.04 championship best fell.

“Going through the bell that fast is nerve wracking,” said Brazier. “I’ve only broken 50 one time before on a first lap and I locked up like crazy. But I had the confidence to go through that fast here and to see it come together strategically at such a late world champs is very rewarding.”

Brazier ran a PB of 1:42.70 on the eve of the championships to win in Zurich and is coached by Pete Julian from the Nike Oregon Project. With the news of Alberto Salazar’s four-year anti-doping ban breaking on the eve of Brazier’s final, the athlete was asked about it post-race but he stressed he is coached by Julian and has little to do with Salazar.

Donavan Brazier says he was unaware of the investigation into Alberto Salazar when he joined the Nike Oregon Project. The 800m runner stresses that he's coached by Pete Julian and has little do with Salazar. "The investigation started when I was still at high school," he says. pic.twitter.com/hUhZd76hm8

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 1, 2019

Brazier said it would be “ignorant” if anyone tarnished his victory by linking it with Salazar. “I’m coached by Pete Julian,” he stressed. “The investigation (into the Nike Oregon Project) started when I was still at high school and I didn’t even know what the Oregon Project was at the time.

“I joined the group early summer 2018. From start I was in contact with Pete and have never been asked to be coached by Alberto. I didn’t even know there was an investigation on and I still don’t know 100% what’s going on with the investigation.

“I just woke up to a text saying the founder of the Oregon Project, Alberto Salazar, had a four-year ban. I don’t know even what it means to the Nike Oregon Project.”

Seddon qualifies for steeplechase final

He was only seventh in his steeplechase heat but Zak Seddon produced a few noteworthy facts.

His 8:22.51 was the fastest by a Briton in the World Championships since Roger Hackney 32 years ago and he became the first finalist since Tom Hanlon in 1993.

He was drawn in the fastest heat which was led through 1000m in 2:45.51 and 2000m in 5:33.88 and he looked comfortable near the front. The last kilometre though got faster and faster with the leading quartet inside 2:40 and the race was won by Getnet Wale in 8:12.96, with three others at 8:13.12 or faster.

Only three got through in each heat by position with six places available by time. With Seddon only fourth best for time qualification, it meant no more than two could qualify in the other two races but that’s what happened. Lamecha Girma won heat two in 8:16.64 with fourth at 8:18.66 and fifth at 8:23.08 and the final heat was won by defending champion Conseslus Kipruto in 8:19.20 with fourth at 8:21.09 and fifth at 8:23.99 so the Briton qualified by half a second.

.@Zakeroo12 chats with @Jason_AW after his steeplechase heat and he has since been confirmed for the final #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/hL8Mc6R1Gx

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 1, 2019

Seddon said: “It was my second best time. That was the best I could give today, so I am happy with that. To turn up at a championships, in a championships-style race and get that close to my best is good, I am happy with myself.”

American retains his title after top competition in Doha

The jumps at the IAAF World Championships in Doha have all been great contests and of the highest standard and that continued with a pulsating pole vault competition that saw Sam Kendricks retain his title.

It took two make or break third attempt jumps for him to win gold as teenage sensation Armand Duplantis pushed him all the way.

Two hours-plus earlier, none of the vaulters exited at the opening height of 5.55m but four found the increase to 5.70m too much.

At this stage, five of the eight had a perfect record – Olympic champion Thiago Braz, defending champion Kendricks, European champion Duplantis, London runner-up Piotr Lisek and Germany’s European under-23 champion Bo Kanda Lita Baehre.

The bar was raised to 5.80m and the big three – Kendricks, Lisek and Duplantis – maintained their perfect record with first time clearances.

None of the other five could clear it on their other attempts either and the three medallists were decided.

The bar was raised to 5.87m and all three failed at the first attempt.

Duplantis’ second attempt was excellent and he took the lead but only for a few minutes as a pumped up Lisek had an even better clearance to return to being a joint leader.

Kendricks’ second attempt was better but still came down and meant he was down to third for the first time.

Surprisingly, with nothing to gain, he elected to have his third attempt at this height rather than go higher and he produced the best vault of the competition so far but remained in third.

Neither Duplantis or Lisek went close with their initial attempts at 5.92m and suddenly, from being seemingly destined for third, the American went into the lead with a superb vault.

Lisek, not interested in strengthening his position in second, passed but Duplantis chose to have another try and again failed but with his final attempt he went clear to move into the silver medal position.

With the bar raised to 5.97m, no one came close initially and it meant Lisek bowed out at his second attempt.

At the third attempt though, much to the delight of the large Swedish crowd, Duplantis squeezed over and was back in front again.

His earlier hold of gold was a fleeting one and so it proved again as Kendricks showed what a great competitor he is by going over with his final jump to regain the lead thanks to his earlier clearance.

Duplantis had three reasonable attempts at 6.02m but couldn’t clear so the American had another gold.

After the competition Kendricks and Duplantis embraced and they were joined by Lisek for synchronised backflips in celebration.

“I am elated, stunned and excited, all at the same time. It’s almost hard to take it in,” said Kendricks.

“To have three men over six metres all going for it – the Titans of the event this year – made it such a memorable night. We weren’t duelling as enemies but as rivals and friends.”

Young American grabs his first global title while Briton is left heartbroken at having to settle for fourth in Doha

It might not have been spectacular, but Noah Lyles became world champion at the first time of asking when he came through to take 200m gold in Doha.

As the 22-year-old celebrated and savoured what will surely be the first of many major titles, however, Britain’s Adam Gemili found himself at the very opposite end of the emotional scale.

The Briton had run himself into a clear lead coming off the bend and, for a few moments, he dared to dream. The former European champion just could not hold his form, however, and Lyles began to edge past on his left, while Olympic silver medallist Andre De Grasse did likewise on the right.

The American hit the line first in 19.83 (0.3 m/sec) ahead of his Canadian rival’s 19.95, while Gemili’s agony was complete when Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez managed snatch bronze in 19.98 and he was forced to settle for fourth in 20.03.

“I had it,” said a disconsolate Gemili, who will now hope to bounce back as Britain’s 4x100m relay team prepare to defend their world title later this week.

“I just lost all my bounce at the end. I had nothing left. All my form went out of the window and I just ran like such an amateur. I just can’t believe that, I came so close.

“This was such a good opportunity. I’ve been running so well through the heats; my body feels good and I let it go when I had it. I don’t like apologising for a performance, but I feel like I’ve let so many people down. There are so many people that have believed in me who have sent me so many nice messages over the last few days.”

He added: “The last two years I’ve been plagued by injuries, but I’ve got back to where I should be, so to not to break 20 seconds is so disappointing and heart-breaking. I had the medal and it just slipped out of my hands.”

For Lyles, a sprinter renowned for his flamboyance, the nature of his victory almost felt low-key and Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19 is safe for the time being.

The new champion’s satisfaction was clear, however, after he became the second world gold medal winner in his family – his father Kevin was part of the American squad which won the 4x400m relay in Gothenburg 24 years ago.

“So many times this year I’ve thought of being world champion, you wouldn’t believe it,” said Lyles.

“I have on my phone, I say it to myself in my car, I think it all the time – and finally to have done it feels unbelievable.

“I don’t know how many people come to their first World Championships and get the gold, but I’ve done it. I just knew no matter what position I found myself in I can always find a way to come through. And when I crossed the line I just felt relief. This time last year I’d only just started running. Think of that. Don’t say I’m the new Bolt. I’m me. If you like me, I’ll happily entertain you. It’s my time.”

MEN’S 200m FINAL FACTS

Noah Lyles (USA)                    19.83               0.168 (reaction time)
Andre De Grasse (CAN)          19.95               0.168
Alex Quinonez (ECU)              19.98               0.189
Adam Gemili (GBR)               20.03 SB          0.158
Ramil Guliyev (TUR)               20.07               0.164
Aaron Brown (CAN)                20.10               0.163
Zhenye Xie (CHN)                    20.14               0.161
Kyle Greaux (TTO)                  20.39               0.170

Dina’s golden moment edging closer

Dina Asher-Smith’s chances of adding world 200m gold to her 100m silver were greatly enhanced when she progressed with ease in winning her semi-final on a night when Jamaica’s Olympic champion Elaine Thompson withdrew from the competition due to injury.

The Briton clocked 22.16 (0.5 m/sec), the fastest time recorded throughout the heats and semis. With no Dafne Schippers, Marie-Josee Ta Lou or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to concern her either, there will surely never be a better chance for Asher-Smith – already the favourite going into these championships – to claim her first global title.

Americans Brittany Brown and Anglerne Annelus were second and third-fastest qualifiers in running 22.46 (0.4) and 22.49 (0.4) to win semi-finals two and one respectively.

Asher-Smith will be Britain’s sole representative in the final. Jodie Williams ran 22.78 for fifth in semi-final one, while Beth Dobbin was sixth in the second semi-final with 23.11.

There was frustration for both.

“I backed off too much around the bend,” said Williams. “I’ve been going out too hard all season, so the plan was to hold, hold, hold. I just came off the gas a little too much. It is so frustrating because that is well within my capabilities, getting into that final. That should have been easy.It’s a massive missed opportunity for me.”

Dobbin said: “There is something missing. I don’t know what it is but I’ve just not found the shape I was in during July. I had a niggle after the Anniversary Games but I didn’t think it would set me back as much as it has but there is clearly something wrong.”

Hudson-Smith out, Yousif through, James fastest

There were mixed fortunes for Britain’s 400m athletes in the competition’s qualifying heats. European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith’s race last barely 80 metres of the first heat before he pulled up with a hamstring problem and was helped from the track in a wheelchair. Rabah Yousif, meanwhile, progressed in third from heat six with a run of 45.40.

With Wayde van Niekirk not competing, there will be a new champion crowned in 2019 and 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James was the fastest qualifier overall with 44.94, American Diamond League champion Michael Norman clocking 45.00 and Jamaican Demish Gaye 45.02. Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir (45.08) and America’s Fred Kerley (45.19) also progressed.

Smooth 400m progress for Shaunae

Gold medal favourite Shaunae Miller-Uibo unsurprisingly qualified fastest for the women’s 400m final, clocking 49.66 from the second semi, while Bahrain’s 2017 world silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser (49.79) was second-fastest overall and America’s Wadeline Jonathas third with a personal best of 50.07. Defending champion Phyllis Francis qualified in 50.22

Neither of the British duo of Laviai Nielsen and Emily Diamond were able to progress.

Nielsen was distraught after finishing eighth in her semi-final with 52.94, while Emily Diamond was encouraged by her season’s best of 51.62 in fourth from the last semi-final.

“I’m absolutely over the moon with that,” said the 28-year-old, who competed with the 4x400m mixed relay earlier in the week. “It’s been a gruelling four days. I have tested my body and I have surprised myself in each round. You should never doubt yourself about what you can do – the last few days have shown that if something is thrown at me, I can go out there and give it my all. To come away with a season’s best today, and another sub 52, I’m thrilled.”

McLaughlin and Muhammad clear first hurdle

Sydney McLaughlin led the way in the opening heats of women’s 400m hurdles qualifying, the young American easing her way to victory in the first race with 54.45. Her team-mate and world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad was third-fastest with 54.87 in winning heat three, with Norwegian Amalie Iuel was second-quickest in a national record of 54.72.

Britain’s Jessica Turner (55.72) and Meghan Beesley (55.97) both also made their way through.