LOS ANGELES -- Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter waged the possible fight of the year, but it was Spence who got the nod in an action-packed victory by split decision to unify two welterweight world titles Saturday night at Staples Center.
After a little bit of a slow start, the fight turned into an all-out slugfest in the third round and never let up as the crowd of 16,702 spent long portions of the fight on its feet. But it was Spence -- who scored a knockdown in the 11th round -- winning 116-111 on two scorecards, while one judge favored Porter 115-112. ESPN had it 115-112 for Spence.
Both men said ahead of the fight that the winner should be viewed as the best fighter in the 147-pound division. It is a talent-rich weight class that is also home to Manny Pacquiao, the all-time great legend who owns one of the belts, as well as Terence Crawford, who owns the other major belt and ranks No. 2 in the ESPN pound-for-pound best poll.
But Spence, who was No. 5 on the pound-for-pound list heading into the fight, made his case to rise, as he scored the biggest win of his career against a two-time world titlist in a tremendous battle.
"It feels good to win. This is a lifetime dream. It shows hard work pays off," Spence said of unifying belts. "Thanks, Shawn Porter, my whole team and all my Texas people for coming out. Shawn Porter is a rough and awkward fighter. I didn't get off what I wanted to. He's a true champion. He made it tough."
Spence retained his title for the fourth time and accomplished his long-stated goal of unifying belts, even if he did not get the knockout he so vociferously insisted he would notch.
It was an impressive follow-up performance for Spence, who shut out four-division world titlist Mikey Garcia in March in a high-profile decision victory. Garcia was a much smaller man who had called Spence out and moved up two weight divisions to challenge him. Spence never imposed himself. Instead, he easily outboxed Garcia in a one-sided rout.
He promised things would be different against Porter, a bona fide welterweight with a strong résumé, loads of experience and a good chin. Spence was true to his word, delivering everything he said he would other than a knockout.
"All my punches have bad intentions. Boxing Mikey Garcia, I wanted to show people I could do it with that style," Spence said. "Porter was throwing a lot. I wanted to show I was the bigger and stronger welterweight."
The fight began with each man doing what most expected, with Spence (26-0, 21 KOs), 29, a southpaw from DeSoto, Texas, working his jab and Porter looking to force his way inside.
The fight turned into a slugfest in the third round as they attacked each other with abandon. Spence landed a hard counter left on the button, but Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs), 31, of Las Vegas, took it well, and as they continued to trade, he got in a big right hand.
Porter, making his second title defense, opened the fourth round with a flurry of punches that all appeared to land and then connected with a right hand. Spence came back with a counter left, and they battled back and forth. Porter landed a tremendous right hand on the top of Spence's head, and then a left from Spence rocked Porter's head back with 30 seconds to go in an action-packed round.
They continued to battle at a fast pace in the middle rounds, with Porter forcing everything he could to stay on Spence on the inside, and Spence looking to land his left hand.
Porter had a strong seventh round. He started fast and never slowed down as he outworked and outhustled Spence, who might have been looking for a breather after such an intense pace through the first half of the bout.
Porter landed a left hand to the head that wobbled Porter about 30 seconds into the eighth round and continued to fire away. He landed a right hand late in the round in which Spence did not seem to do much.
The ninth round also was action-packed with both fighters landing powerful shots but Porter, who would not given an inch, seeming to land the more telling right hands to the head over and over. He snapped Spence's head back with one early in the round, and they fought toe-to-toe for most of the round.
As the 11th round opened, the crowd broke into a "Porter! Porter!" chant as the fighters waded back into battle in another round of fierce back-and-forth action..
Spence scored the definitive moment of the fight late in the 11th round when he cracked Porter with a left hand on the chin to score a knockdown. Porter easily beat the count and went after Spence with abandon and incredible determination.
"I think that knockdown was the difference. I couldn't come back to the corner with my head down after that," Porter said.
Both fighters were going for a knockout in the 12th in yet another wildly exciting round. Neither man would give in as they traded to the final bell with the crowd on its feet.
Spence landed 221 of 745 punches (30%), and Porter landed 172 of 744 (23%), the most Spence has been hit in his career.
Porter was proud of his effort but credited Spence, whom he has known and been friendly with for years.
"He's a strong kid. We both came in to do the job," Porter said. "I think I had a little more than what he expected, but he handled it. Congratulations to him and his team. We're proud of what we did."
Porter had never shied away from a challenge and embraced fighting Spence when few other top welterweights were interested. Porter had already defeated the likes of Danny Garcia for a vacant world title last September, formidable mandatory challenger Yordenis Ugas in March as well as Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi.
Though he met his match in Spence, he knew he had been in a special fight.
"I've said this before: I've had a lot of experience in the boxing ring," Porter said. "Did you enjoy that fight?"
The answer from all probably was a resounding yes, with Spence enjoying it as much as anyone. After the fight, Garcia, a former welterweight and junior welterweight titlist, who was part of the Fox PPV broadcast team, was in the ring. Spence was asked if he would fight him -- even though he has said he wants Pacquiao or Crawford to further unify the division.
Said Spence: "I've told my team: You line them up, I'll knock them down."
No college football team ranked in the AP Top 10 lost in Week 5, but only one of them was truly tested.
Top-ranked Clemson survived an upset bid Saturday from unranked North Carolina. Tar Heels coach Mack Brown's decision to go for 2 after Javonte Williams' 1-yard touchdown rush brought UNC within 21-20 didn't work out, and the defending champs extended their winning streak to 20 games.
Even though No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 LSU were idle, the SEC continued its dominance. Bo Nix and JaTarvious Whitlow combined for six total touchdowns as No. 7 Auburn routed Mississippi State 56-23.
Outside the SEC, No. 5 Ohio State raced out to a 38-0 halftime lead en route to a 48-7 victory at Nebraska. While J.K. Dobbins led the Buckeyes with 177 rushing yards, it was Master Teague III (13 carries, 81 yards, 2 TDs) and quarterback Justin Fields (12-72-1) who found the end zone.
Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts upped his bid for the Heisman Trophy by throwing for three touchdowns and 415 yards, while also running for 70 yards and a score in the sixth-ranked Sooners' 55-16 victory over Texas Tech.
Through the end of September, the race for the College Football Playoff is beginning to take shape.
Here's how our writers see the playoff field after Week 5. (Note: These are not their projections for how the season will end.)
Andrea Adelson: 1. Alabama; 2. Clemson; 3. LSU; 4. Oklahoma Edward Aschoff: 1. Clemson; 2. LSU; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State Kyle Bonagura: 1. Alabama; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Clemson; 4. Ohio State Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Clemson Heather Dinich: 1. Alabama; 2. Auburn; 3. LSU; 4. Georgia David M. Hale: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Clemson; 4. Georgia Sam Khan Jr.: 1. Auburn; 2. LSU; 3. Alabama; 4. Clemson Chris Low: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Auburn; 4. Clemson Ivan Maisel: 1. Oklahoma; 2. Ohio State; 3. Clemson; 4. Alabama Ryan McGee: 1. LSU; 2. Alabama; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Clemson Adam Rittenberg: 1. Auburn; 2. Ohio State; 3. Alabama; 4. LSU Alex Scarborough: 1. Clemson; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Alabama; 4. Ohio State Mark Schlabach: 1. Alabama; 2. Georgia; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Ohio State Tom VanHaaren: 1. Alabama; 2. Clemson; 3. Ohio State; 4. Oklahoma
Here's how close we came to having the college football world turned on its head Saturday evening: Against Clemson, North Carolina's Sam Howell got hit at the 3-yard line, was spun upside down, and then half-flipped/half-fumbled the ball into the hands of Tar Heels receiver Dazz Newsome.
In a parallel universe, Newsome scores. Unranked North Carolina wins. No. 1 Clemson loses its first regular-season game in two years.
That didn't happen, of course. The Tar Heels' 2-point conversion failed, and Dabo Swinney's squad held on to win 21-20. This is Clemson, after all. The Tigers are masters of stopping 2-point tries, having survived similar near-disasters against Notre Dame in 2015 and Texas A&M last season. But it's hard not to wonder ... what if?
On the field throughout their victory, the Tigers hardly looked like a team ready to go toe-to-toe with a genuinely good opponent anyway.
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North Carolina scores TD, fails on 2-pt conversion to go ahead
Javonte Williams runs in a 1-yard touchdown but North Carolina cannot convert on the 2-point conversion to grab the lead.
So what would've happened if Newsome found the end zone? Is a one-loss Clemson team, muddling through the season with a résumé that looks like a high school sophomore applying for a job at Taco Bell, still a lock for the playoff?
It's an intriguing discussion, because if the Tigers don't flip a switch soon, this might not be the last time the debate looms over a stunningly close fourth quarter.
Trevor Lawrence was the Heisman Trophy favorite entering the season, but five games in, he's got just eight touchdown throws to go with five picks.
After exploding for 205 yards in the opener, Travis Etienne has gone four consecutive games without topping 76.
The defensive line, the strength of the Tigers throughout this run of playoff campaigns, failed to rattle North Carolina's freshman QB, Howell.
Yes, Clemson is 5-0. That's the important part, as Swinney was quick to note after the game. But Swinney also reminded fans that Clemson was outplayed and outcoached, and for a team that was a cinch for the playoff, those comments are tough to ignore.
So what gives?
Perhaps this lackluster schedule is a part of it. As Mack Brown, Swinney's counterpart Saturday, is well aware, the only thing harder than winning is to keep winning. The demands, the attention, the hype that follow a championship all take a toll. Swinney has always seemed to have the magic formula for his Tigers, a Svengali spell to convince his guys they're still the underdogs. But given the near certainty surrounding Clemson's playoff march in 2019, maybe that magic is running out.
There's something to be said for the old notion that Clemson gets everyone's best shot, too. Brown's decision to go for 2 -- made even before North Carolina scored a potential game-tying TD with 1:17 to play -- underscored the idea the Tigers are everyone's Super Bowl. If there's a trick up their sleeve, it's coming out for Clemson.
After the game, Swinney also commented that this is a young team, and as silly as it sounds, perhaps that's the ultimate issue. Lawrence and Justyn Ross are just sophomores. The defense is full of fresh faces. So maybe it takes a game like Saturday's for these kids to grow up, for them to learn how to struggle and persevere.
That final 2-point try probably added plenty of gray hairs to every Clemson fan in the country, so it only makes sense it aged the team a bit, too.
Heisman Five
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Hurts and Lamb combine for huge day in Oklahoma's win
Jalen Hurts throws for 415 yards with four total touchdowns while CeeDee Lamb catches seven passes for 185 yards and three touchdowns in Oklahoma's win over Texas Tech.
Through four games, Hurts has nearly 1,300 total yards of offense, has 12 touchdowns and is completing 77% of his throws. And those are just his numbers from the first halves of his games.
Ole Miss has jumped out to an early lead in each of the past two seasons against Alabama only for Tagovailoa to utterly torch the Rebels' defense the rest of the way. This Saturday: tossed six touchdowns (school record) for 84 career total TDs (also a school record).
Fields had six touchdowns in the second quarter a week ago. In Saturday's drubbing of Nebraska, he had just three in the entire first half. Fields is really slacking.
Taylor racked up 119 hard-earned yards against Northwestern, his ninth consecutive 100-yard game. That's the longest streak since Florida Atlantic's Devin Singletary had 12 straight in 2017. Taylor even made those throwback khakis Wisconsin was wearing look good.
So long, old friend
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UCF's Davis off to the races for 73-yard TD
Dillon Gabriel fires a pass to Gabriel Davis, who breaks a tackle and goes to the house for a 73-yard UCF score.
It's the end of an era in college football. On Saturday, we bid farewell to arguably the nation's greatest rivalry, the Civil ConFLiCT.
This proud tradition came to a raucous end in a game for the ages, when the upstart Knights of UCF narrowly escaped mighty UConn by a score of 56-21.
Now, the rivalry dies, thanks to UConn's decision to leave the storied American Athletic Conference, but we'll always have the memories. There was the time UCF won the trophy, then just left it on the field and forgot about it. Then there was the time ... OK, that was the only good thing to come from the rivalry.
Regardless, it's always sad to see tradition end, so we felt it was only wise to come up with some alternative rivalries that might fill the void.
The Healthy CarCinogen: The annual showdown between East Carolina and Cincinnati checks all the boxes. One terrible team vs. one good one? Done. A rivalry with no geographic significance? Yessir. A pointless trophy that gets lost the first time it's awarded? OK, we've got to work on that.
The Battle for Eastern Missouri: We'll give the winner of Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee full ownership of the eastern edge of Missouri, which borders both states, perhaps giving the winning coach the key to the city of Cooter, Missouri.
The Upbeat U Bowl: UTEP and UAB will fight for the right to be the most upbeat university in the country -- Upbeat U being an anagram for UAB-UTEP.
The Troy MAClure Bowl: This will be a revolving rivalry showdown between Troy and a team from the MAC. You might remember this trophy from such games as Troy 35, Akron 7 last week or Troy 42, Buffalo 32 in 2018.
Bully is a MOOD for MSU fans everywhere
Mississippi State's mascot came away unscathed after Auburn's JaTarvious Whitlow nearly barreled into him. The same can't be said for the Bulldogs, who lost a blowout to the Tigers.
And then there were ... 18
Virginia, Kansas State, UAB and Cal all fell in Week 5, leaving us with 18 remaining unbeaten teams to wrap up September. Some of the names were expected: Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Ohio State, Oklahoma. A few others register as only mild surprises: LSU, Auburn, Wisconsin. And there are always a few top Group of 5 teams still standing at this point, too, and it's no shocker that Memphis, Appalachian State and Boise State are here.
The rest, though? There are some teams treading in new territory. So, how do they stack up? Here's how we'd rank them based on likelihood they're still undefeated at the end of October.
Wake Forest: The Deacons are shaping up as the only real competition for Clemson the rest of the way, but the crazy thing is the reverse might be true, too. Wake has winnable games ahead of it all the way to its road trip to Death Valley on Nov. 16.
Baylor: Matt Rhule's team is playing well, and the schedule is incredibly backloaded. Though K-State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State all present some challenges, it's not crazy to think the Bears could run the table until seeing Oklahoma and Texas in back-to-back weeks in mid-November.
SMU: The Mustangs are off to their best start in 35 years, so this is uncharted territory in the post-death penalty era. If they can escape Temple on Oct. 19 and a road trip to Memphis on Nov. 2, though, they could make a real run at a New Year's Six bowl.
Minnesota: The Gophers might be the quietest 4-0 team in the country, perhaps due to some narrow escapes. Though they were in control throughout their game against Purdue on Saturday, it was their fourth one-possession victory of the season. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, that's the first time that has happened since Penn State in 1985. Those Nittany Lions won their first 11 before losing to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, and ironically, Minnesota has a pretty manageable schedule before a date with Penn State on Nov. 9.
Iowa: Life gets far more difficult for the Hawkeyes starting next week, with a trip to Michigan followed by a date with Penn State, but we've seen Iowa pull some upsets before. Kirk Ferentz is always good for making the Big Ten a bit more interesting.
Non-Beliebers
After Arkansas was stunned by San Jose State last week, QB Nick Starkel vowed to give up his Justin Bieber fandom to focus more on football. Seemed like a good idea to us, though The Biebs was less than thrilled about it.
"I'm disappointed @nick.starkel," he said on Instagram.
So, how'd the Bieb-free lifestyle go for Starkel? A mixed bag. He threw four fewer interceptions Saturday and completed 12 of 17 passes ... but he also hurt his arm while throwing a pick at the goal line. His backup, Ben Hicks, nearly helped Arkansas upset Texas A&M, but the bid fell just short. The win helps A&M avoid its first 2-3 start to the season since 2008.
The lesson: Best to stay on Bieber's good side.
Rutgers: The gift that keeps giving ... up TDs
Trouble at work? Fighting with the spouse? Lost a brutal road game to Wisconsin and your khakis are wrinkled?
Well, we've got the cure for your Saturday blues: Rutgers.
Nothing turns a frown upside down quite like the football team from New Jersey, designed to act quickly by rolling out the red carpet for your offense on its way to the end zone while never letting its own offense dent your scoreboard.
Just watch as Michigan's wretched performance against the Badgers is erased in an instant with just one dose of Rutgers. Now those chants of "overrated" have been replaced by the joy of a 52-0 victory.
Clinical trials show Rutgers consistently delivers strong results to all opponents in need of an easy win. Need a shutout for your battered defense? Rutgers has gone scoreless nine times since the start of the 2014 season. Want to get your second-string players some work? Rutgers has lost 21 games by 30 or more since 2013. And if you're a member of the Big Ten, there's even more benefit to taking Rutgers -- the Scarlet Knights haven't cracked 20 in 13 consecutive conference games, all losses.
Warning, side effects including watching a Rutgers football game.
Best of ESPN Stats & Info
Clemson closed out the first quarter of its game against North Carolina trailing 7-0. Alabama was losing 10-7 to Ole Miss after the first frame, too. The last time both Clemson and Alabama trailed after one quarter on the same day? That would be Nov. 6, 2010, one month after Trevor Lawrence's 11th birthday.
At Alabama, DeVonta Smith put on a clinic against an overwhelmed Ole Miss secondary, catching 11 passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns. Smith caught four of his scores in the first half alone, and by game's end, he had stamped his name into the record book, setting the Alabama record for receiving yards and tying the SEC mark for touchdown catches.
Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman accounted for 345 yards and two passing TDs in a win over Boston College, sending the Demon Deacons to their first 5-0 start since 2006. It was Newman's ninth straight game with a TD pass, which is the longest by a Wake QB in 15 years and just two shy of Brian Kuklick's school record.
Virginia ran the ball 29 times, and 55% of those runs were stuffed for a loss or no gain. That's the highest stuff rate by a Notre Dame defense since the Irish stopped 56% of Stanford's rushes in 2005. For the game, Notre Dame held the Cavaliers to just 4 yards on the ground, a massive turnaround from some early-season woes. The Irish entered play ranked 110th in rushing defense.
Princeton quarterback Kevin Davidson threw for 381 yards and seven scores in a thrashing of Bucknell. The seven touchdown passes set an Ivy League record.
Big bets and bad beats
Pittsburgh had a close call with FCS Delaware, trailing in the fourth quarter and winning by just four. Panthers fans probably knew better than to bet the home team, though. It's the fifth time in the past nine seasons Pitt has failed to beat an FCS team by more than a touchdown, including a 2012 loss to Youngstown State. Since Pat Narduzzi took over as head coach in 2015, Pitt is 0-5 against the spread vs. FCS teams.
Nothing like a Friday night bad beat to get the weekend off to a rollicking start, and Air Force gave us one bettors won't soon forget. The Falcons were a 19.5-point favorite and led 41-10 with less than five minutes to play. So what happened? San Jose State scored twice, including one TD that followed a head-scratching decision by Air Force to go for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 22, leading to a 41-24 final.
Northwestern might not always pull out the win, but the Wildcats have been cover machines when playing the underdog role of late. Pat Fitzgerald's bunch struggled to do much of anything on offense in Saturday's 24-15 loss, but the defense kept things relatively close against 23.5-point favorite Wisconsin. Northwestern is 14-5-1 against the spread in its past 20 games overall as a 'dog -- though last weekend's blowout against Michigan State was a notable exception -- and it's a whopping 11-0 ATS as a road underdog.
Bettors won't have the final say in Clay Helton's future at USC, but they'll probably be happy to see him go when the time comes. After failing to cover in a loss to Washington on Saturday, the Trojans are now a dismal 9-21-1 against the number since 2017.
The Civil ConFLiCT ended in a completely uncivil way for UCF backers. UConn tossed the final TD in the rivalry with 19 seconds left, allowing the Huskies to cover a 42-point spread. In lieu of winnings, someone should send a piece of the ConFLiCT trophy to anyone who had the Knights.
Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard finished with 296 yards on the ground in a 26-13 victory over Kansas State. It's Hubbard's third 200-yard game of 2019, becoming the first Big 12 player with three such performances in his first five games of the season since Ricky Williams in 1998. He's just the seventh FBS player to do it in the past 15 seasons, joining Leonard Fournette, Ameer Abdullah, LaMichael James, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Moats and Cody Getz.
Under-the-radar play of the week
Until Saturday, the "Charlotte Special" meant a free month's rent when you signed a year lease on a new apartment in Uptown, but the 49ers gave the term new life with a perfect rendering of the "Philly Special." This one comes a week after Pitt ran the play to beat UCF, too. Will the play ever get old? No. No, it won't.
THE CHARLOTTE SPECIAL?! ��@CharlotteFTBL trickery takes them down to the goal line!
Sure, UMass got smoked by an FCS opponent three weeks ago, and yes, the Minutemen had allowed 40 or more points in every game this season, and of course Walt Bell's team isn't very good. But let it be known that UMass is not the worst FBS team this season, thanks to a 37-29 win over Akron. The Zips turned the ball over three times, allowed UMass to convert on 11 of 18 third- or fourth-down tries and fell to 0-5 on the season. A road trip to Kent State next week might be Akron's best shot to avoid a winless season. The Zips, Rice and New Mexico State are the only remaining winless FBS teams.
Following success against Russia’s Evgeny Tikhnov (12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5) and Norway’s Martin Froseth (11-9, 11-7, 13-11), Napat Thanmathikom secured the cadet boys’ singles title at the final expense of Romania’s Andrei Istrate (11-8, 11-8, 11-7). Thus he added to his success of earlier in the week when he had won cadet boys’ team silver in harness with Tanapat Thanmathikom.
In the opposite half of the draw, in the later rounds, Andrei Istrate had beaten England’s Felix Thomas (11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2) and Romania’s Paul Szilagyi (11-5, 11-9, 11-8).
Added to collection
Likewise, Sarvinoz Mirkadirova added to her medal tally. Bronze medallist in the cadet girls’ team event, alongside compatriot Alexandra Smirnova, by the narrowest of margins, she clinched the cadet girls’ singles title at the final expense of Russia’s Svetlana Dmitrienko (8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9).
Earlier at the quarter-final stage, Sarvinoz Mirkadirova had beaten Russia’s Sofia Umanets (11-6, 15-13, 11-5), followed by success in opposition to Brazil’s Giulia Takahashi (11-4, 11-9, 12-10). Similarly, Svetlana Dmitrienko had accounted for Hong Kong’s Poon Yat (11-5, 11-1, 11-9), before ending the hopes of Germany’s Jele Stortz (6-11, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10).
Success for Germany and Romania
Disappointment for Jele Stortz but in the cadet girls’ doubles event it was success; partnering Mia Griesel, the title was clinched at the final expense of Russia’s Mariia Bordiugovskaia and Karina Iusupova (14-12, 14-12, 11-5).
Gold for Germany, in the cadet boys’ doubles competition it was both gold and silver for Romania; Daniel Moldovan and Paul Szilagyi overcame Andrei Istrate and Horia Ursut to reserve the top step of the medal podium (11-9, 11-7, 11-8).
Five days completed, new names on the international roll of honour, names to note, one wonders what the future holds.
Notably the top 14 names on the September women’s world rankings are all on duty; moreover, all could well be in action in Zhengzhou.
China’s Chen Meng, Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling followed by colleagues Wang Manyu, Liu Shiwen and Sun Yingsha occupy the top six seeded places. Next in line is the Japanese trio of Mima Ito, Kasumi Ishikawa and Miu Hirano. Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching is the no.10 seed, being pursued by Hong Kong’s Doo Hi Kem, Singapore’s Feng Tianwei, China’s Chen Xingtong and Korea Republic’s Suh Hyowon.
Heads standings
Sun Yingsha, devastating at the recent ITTF-ATTU Asian Championships in Yogyakarta heads the women’s singles standings (1,319 points), two platinum level tournaments to follow the Swedish Open, Germany and Austria being the destinations, she is home and dry. It is the same for the next on the list Chen Meng (1,300 points), Wang Manyu (1,051 points) and Liu Shiwen (779 points) as well as for Ding Ning (775 points) and Mima Ito (760 points).
Similarly in realistic terms, Chen Xingtong at no.7 (739 points) is well set as is Miu Hirano (570 points), Kasumi Ishikawa (466 points) and Zhu Yuling (406 points), the players who complete the top ten names on the women’s singles standings.
Need good performances
Looking ahead with high hopes but for Cheng I-Ching, Doo Hoi Kem, Feng Tianwei and Suh Hyowon, they need to exceed expectations in Stockholm in order to enhance their chances of a Zhengzhou place. A total of 16 players competing in the women’s singles event at the Grand Finals; Feng Tanwei, listed on the standings at no.14 (271 points) and Cheng I-Ching (254 points) are all above the waterline, for Doo Hoi Kem and Suh Hyowon, there is very hard work ahead, Doo Hoi Kem stands in the no.19 spot (165 points), Suh Hyowon at no.21 (146 points).
Perhaps not a mountain to climb but a very steep hill; the reason being that of the top 16 players on the current ITTF World Tour Women’s Singles Standings only one player does not appear on the Stockholm entry list; the absentee is China’s He Zhuojia named at no.12 (338 points).
Required to qualify
Notably, Wang Yidi, also from China, listed at no.11 (383 points), appears on the entry list and like Japan’s Hitomi Sato and Korea Republic’s Jeon Jihee must compete on the opening days of play.
On the standings, Hitomi Sato is named at no.13 (279 points), Jeon Jihee at no.16 (234 points).
Required to qualify in Stockholm, the question posed is will they qualify for Zhengzhou; Sweden provides a guide, Germany makes matters ever clearer, Austria holds the answers.
2019 ITTF World Tour Standings: Prior to commencement of Swedish Open
Before then, however, Warren Gatland's side had suffered 13 successive defeats against Australia, a sequence of results stretching back to 2008.
Gatland and his players say last year's victory has renewed their confidence for this fixture, while Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika believes Wales are the favourites.
Wales are unchanged from their win over Georgia, with Alun Wyn Jones set to win a record 130th cap, surpassing the previous mark set by Gethin Jenkins.
Wales were ranked number one in the world as recently as August, while their Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year coincided with a record 14-match winning run.
Australia also came into this World Cup in fine form, having beaten New Zealand 47-26 - a record margin - in the Rugby Championship last month.
Their preparations for this match have been disrupted by the suspension of wing Reece Hodge because of a dangerous tackle but, with the vastly experienced Adam Ashley-Cooper taking his place, the Wallabies remain a potent threat.
There are three other changes to the team which beat Fiji, with the accomplished and seasoned half-back pairing of Will Genia and Bernard Foley recalled, while Dane Haylett-Petty replaces Kurtley Beale at full-back.
There is one alteration on the Wales bench as centre Owen Watkin comes in for full-back Leigh Halfpenny to offer cover for Hadleigh Parkes, who starts despite breaking a bone in his hand against Georgia.
The teams
Wales: L Williams; North, Jonathan Davies, Parkes, Adams; Biggar, G Davies; Wyn Jones, Owens, Francis, Ball, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Wainwright, Tipuric, Navidi.
Replacements: Smith, Dee, Lewis, Shingler, Moriarty, T Williams, Patchell, Watkin.
Officials: Referee, Romain Poite (France); Assistant referees, Luke Pearce (England), Karl Dickson (England); TMO Ben Skeen (New Zealand).
What they said
Wales head coach Warren Gatland: "We have not really looked too far ahead. If you do get out of the group, all quarter-finals are going to be pretty tough. It is about taking one game at a time and trying to build and create momentum.
"We feel as if we are a team who are capable of doing that, the longer we go in tournaments we feel as if we get better and more cohesive.
"It is a pretty good start in the first game. It is going to be a tough Australian team, but we have had some close battles in recent times and were good enough to get a win last time.
"We have trained well this week and the guys have definitely gone up a notch in intensity. I think it's going to be a great game."
Australia head coach Michael Cheika: "I've been privileged to be part of a few of these now and they're always very tight. For my first Test match in charge of Australia I had the privilege of going to Cardiff.
"We like to run with the ball, they like to play a lot of counter-attacking footie sometimes and they're great defenders as well. We've got very contrasting styles.
"The one thing you see in these games is full commitment from all players on both sides, which makes them tight. It's an interesting sort of battle - last year there was a fair bit of ball movement, but nobody scored a try.
"Once you start having a series of close games, they almost become self-fulfilling prophecies because everyone sort of knows what's going to happen. It's a good rivalry."
The ground
This will be the third match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be played at the large, bowl-shaped Tokyo Stadium, which hosted the opening game between Japan and Russia and will also stage the third-place play-off.
Used for football and rugby union, the stadium opened in 2001 and has a capacity of 49,970.
Tokyo Stadium was originally built for athletics as well as football and rugby and, although its focus on football means a track was not built around the pitch, it is a long way from the touchline to the stands.
Fly-half Dan Biggar says Wales know their path to World Cup glory could rest on Sunday's crunch Pool D game against Australia.
An easier route in the knock-out stage is likely to rest on the outcome in Tokyo.
England are favourites to win Pool C ahead of France or Argentina with Wales in line to face one of those sides.
"The bottom line is we're fully aware what topping our group means," said Biggar.
"We are getting into the real depth of the tournament and Sunday's result will have a big impact on the pool."
England have started with wins over United States and Tonga, but are yet to play France and Argentina in their group.
Coach Eddie Jones will be in the Tokyo Stadium crowd scouting England's potential quarter-final opponents.
"I don't think England will have it all their own way, they have the two toughest fixtures to finish, but they are looking strong, aren't they? " said Biggar.
"Gats [Warren Gatland] said in a meeting on Friday we'll probably be playing France or England in the quarter-finals, so it's one of those where France on their day are as good as anyone in world rugby.
"For us we're not focusing on that, we are looking to get the job done on Sunday which would put us in a strong position to get out of the group.
"You get the sense that the winner on Sunday puts themselves in one heck of a strong position and the loser probably has a bit more pressure on them the week after."
'Bit more belief'
Australia have won 13 out of the past 14 games against Wales.
Gatland's side finally defeated the Wallabies 9-6 last November with Biggar kicking the winning penalty.
Australia have identified Biggar as a key Wales figure and have also reshuffled their backline selection to counter his kicking game and aerial ability.
Experienced half-backs Will Genia and Bernard Foley return, and Dane Haylett-Petty comes in at full-back, while Kurtley Beale drops to the bench following signs of vulnerability under the high ball.
"The relief to get the win against them in November was big and it gives us a little bit more belief and confidence going into Sunday's game," said Biggar.
"The players they have picked are still excellent players. They're probably bringing a little bit more stability to their team."
Captain Alun Wyn Jones will break Wales' cap record with his 130th appearance for his country and has said blood has been spilled in training.
Biggar has not been short of friendly fire from his team-mates having been struck on the chin by James Davies in the warm-up against Georgia before also colliding with Liam Williams during the game.
The 29-year-old has reported a clean bill of health and says Sunday's showdown is the sort of match players dream of being involved in.
"It is one of those where if you are not excited about playing in big games in World Cups like this then you are in the wrong sport," said Biggar.
"This is what everyone has worked all summer for.
"This is why we have given up all our weeks for our families, being away for three months in the summer."
CONCORD, N.C. – Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 turned sour for Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell on the 59th lap.
Both drivers were in contention to win Saturday’s race, with Briscoe starting from the pole and leading a race-high 21 laps while Bell led 19 laps. However, an incident between the two while battling for the second position behind eventual race winner A.J. Allmendinger left both drivers a bit frustrated.
Briscoe was attempting to pass Bell through the frontstretch chicane when the two came together, forcing Bell to run wide and miss the second portion of the chicane. Bell stayed in the gas and ran alongside Briscoe through turn one and into turn two, but they made contact and Briscoe spun to bring out the caution flag.
Briscoe rejoined the race at the rear of the field while Bell was penalized for skipping part of the chicane and not coming to a complete stop on the frontstretch, with NASCAR officials sending him to the tail of the field as his penance.
Bell was able to race back through the field to finish 12th while Briscoe rebounded to finish ninth. Neither driver was very pleased in the moments after the race.
“I felt like we had the car to beat all day long. We were able to constantly come back through the field,” Briscoe said. “We had to go for points obviously because of our situation and we were always able to get back. There at the end I felt like I still could have ran down A.J. I felt like we were really good on the long run and that’s kind of where he struggled.
Chase Briscoe led a race-high 21 laps Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Andrew Coppley Photo)
“I still haven’t seen a replay of what happened, so it’s hard for me to say (what happened). It always feels different, I feel like, than the way you actually see outside of the car, so I don’t know what happened. I felt like I was doing everything I could do try to win the race and knew that pass was crucial down there to try to have a shot to catch A.J. and, like I said, I haven’t really seen it so I don’t know what happened.”
Bell said he was going to let Briscoe take the position, but Briscoe forced the issue through the frontstretch chicane.
“The 98 (Chase Briscoe) was really fast and I was going to let him go as soon as he got beside me and then whenever we got into the chicane, he didn’t leave me any option besides running me off the race track,” Briscoe said. “At that point, I was just going to race him back as hard as I could.”
Bell thought NASCAR would give him a pass for missing the chicane because he felt like he was forced by Briscoe to miss it, but officials penalized him anyway.
“I knew it was a penalty to miss the chicane, but there was a clause in there in the driver’s meeting where if you missed the chicane due to an incident, NASCAR would review it,” Bell said. “I figured that me getting run off the race track and having no other option was a justifiable reason, but I guess not.”
Briscoe felt like the incident was simply the result of two drivers racing hard for a position, but admitted he was a bit confused about the contact and resulting spin.
“It was a racing deal. I feel like we were both trying to win the race and there’s nothing wrong with that. I felt like I got turned down here and that’s what I don’t understand,” Briscoe said. “I mean, we’re both racing for the win and I felt I was doing everything I could. I had no reason to move him off the race track or anything.”
Bell said that if Briscoe felt the need to discuss what happened Saturday, he was welcome to come talk to him at any time.
“We haven’t ever had any issues before. He’s a hard racer, I’m a hard racer. If he has a problem with it, he can come ask me my opinion. That’s that,” Bell said.
MAQUOKETA, Iowa – The rush from work to the track turned into a rush of domination on the track for Joe Bonney.
The hometown ace took the lead for good on lap 38 and ran away with the annual Junky Garien 100 Enduro at Maquoketa Speedway.
Bonney took off from the first row of three and paced the early going on the makeshift road course within the three-eighths-mile dirt oval.
The infield portion of the road course became impassable due to the mud after several cars became stuck in the same area. So the race was re-routed to the oval.
Bonney swapped the top spot early with Kile Vohringer before taking the advantage for good on lap 38. The race was shortened to 72 laps due to time limit. By that time, Bonney had lapped the field and cruised behind a group of cars.
Vohringer pulled to a stop on turn three on lap 61, pitted and came back to finish sixth, four laps behind.
Bryan Maher was the only car one lap down. Lukas Short, Chris Hansen and Lane Vohringer rounded out the top five.
Bonney fell to fourth at one point on lap 27 during a fierce four-car battle with Kile Vohringer, Chris Vohringer and Shane Oberbreckling before racing back to the point.
Chris Vohringer finished seventh, but was credited with leading a lap during that tense battle.
BRASELTON, Ga. – NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott headlined the list of winners during Saturday during the HSR Fall Classic at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
With Sunday’s final day of competition still ahead, more than a dozen different race winners have been crowned in the opening two days of competition Friday and Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Among this weekend’s winners was Elliott, who took the overall and American-class victories in Friday’s Sasco Sports International/American Challenge sprint race. Driving a Ray Evernham-owned 1965 No. 19 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster, Elliott topped a field of 29 entries with a 3.473 second margin of victory.
Elliott’s win was his fourth HSR feature race victory of the season in three different race cars. He swept the Stock Car feature races at this past April’s HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and earned his first Sasco Sports overall race win in May at the Barber Historics. The stock car wins at The Mitty were in a more-than-familiar red 2006 No. 9 Dodge Charger while the Barber Sasco Sports victory came at the wheel of the Vintage Race Car Restorations 1970 No. 9 Ford Mustang Boss 302.
On Friday, Elliott shared the overall Sasco Sports podium with runner-up and Porsche class winner Todd Treffert in his Speedconcepts 1974 No. 14 Porsche 911 IROC. Treffert built on that success today with an overall and GT Classic (GTC) class win in the featured B.R.M Chronographes Endurance Challenge race.
Treffert was followed across the line by B.R.M. Challenge Vintage class winner Jamie Busby, who finished a solid second overall in his 1970 No. 88 Porsche 914/6 prepared by the 901 Shop.
Robert Albino finished third overall and second in the Vintage division in the B.R.M. race in a strong follow up to a victorious performance on Friday. Winning the International division, Albino joined Elliott and Treffert as class winners in the Sasco Sports race.
The Friday victory was Albino’s second-straight Sasco Sports International class win in his Hudson Historics 2000 No. 99 BMW Z3 Coupe, one race after taking the same honor in the Le Sommet des Légendes HMSA/HSR event at Circuit Mont-Tremblant this summer. Albino also scored the overall victory in his BMW in the special Sasco Sports Race B for small-bore cars last April at The Mitty.
Other podium players in Friday’s Sasco Sports race included Craig Ross who was third overall and second in the American division in his 1970 No. 72 Cross Ross Boss Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302.
The overall Sasco Sports top five was completed by the final two podium-placing Porsche-class competitors. Mike Banz was fourth overall and second in class in his Heritage Motorsports 1974 No. 13 Porsche 911 RSR. Phil Gilsdorf took the final top-five overall finishing spot and was third in class in his 1968 No. 61 Porsche 911.
Third in Friday’s Sasco Sports American class went to Mike Levine in his 1965 No. 4 Chevrolet Corvair.
Ernie Wilding and Aaron Nash joined Albino in an all-BMW sweep of the Sasco Sports International class in their Crucial Motorsports BMW M3s. Repeating his runner-up showing in the Sasco Sports race at The Mitty, Wilding was second in his FAS Autosports 1995 No. 82 BMW M3. Nash finished third in his Crucial Motorsports No. 83 1997 BMW M3.
Wilding returned to victory lane Saturday with a runner-up GTC finish behind Treffert and just ahead of Banz and co-driver Kathy Blaha in third in the 1974 No. 40 Porsche 911 RS prepared by Heritage Motorsports.
The B.R.M. Vintage-class podium was completed by co-drivers Jerry Peters and Brady Refenning in the 901 Shop 1970 No. 8 Porsche 914/6.
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