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Daniel Bell-Drummond fifty leads Kent to easy win at Gloucestershire
Kent 138 for 3 (Bell-Drummond 56*, Cox 31*) beat Gloucestershire 137 (Hammond 30, Leaning 2-16) by seven wickets
Gloucestershire started well enough, advancing to 51 for 1 thanks to a brisk 30 from Miles Hammond, only to then lose nine wickets for 86 runs in a collapse which culminated in them being dismissed for a wholly inadequate 137 in 19.3 overs.
Seamers Michael Hogan, Kane Richardson and Grant Stewart each claimed two wickets apiece, while off spinner Jack Leaning returned figures of 2 for 16 from four overs as Kent produced a coherent performance in the field, fully justifying the decision to bowl first.
Gloucestershire have now lost five of their eight matches in this format and only victory over fourth-placed Hampshire in Bristol on Tuesday will suffice to keep alive their outside hopes of making the knockout stages. Although Kent have now won three successive games, they also trail Hampshire by four points and have much ground to make up if they are to stage a late challenge.
Put in to bat, Gloucestershire made the worst possible start, Grant Roelofsen pushing at the first ball of the innings, sent down by Fred Klaassen, and feathering a catch to Jack Leaning at slip. Apparently unperturbed by such an early setback, Hammond and Ben Wells set about redressing the balance in a hard-hitting second-wicket alliance of 51 in five overs.
But Kent quickly regained a stranglehold, Richardson claiming two wickets in the space of three deliveries in the sixth over to nip any sustained recovery in the bud. He clean bowled a swinging Ben Wells for a run-a-ball 15 and then induced new batter Ben Charlesworth to chance his arm and hole out to Tuwanda Muyeye at deep square leg without scoring as the home side completed the powerplay on 57 for 3.
Gloucestershire's plight deepened in the next over, Ollie Price risking a quick single against Stewart and being run out for five by Cox's rapid pick-up-and-throw from mid-on, while Hammond fell in the eighth, caught at the wicket by Sam Billings off the bowling of off spinner Leaning.
Gloucestershire's new captain had raised 30 from 20 balls, with five fours and a six, and at the point of his departure, the hosts were 64 for 5, having surrendered four wickets in just 15 balls.
Leaning struck again in the tenth, Graeme van Buuren hoisting him straight to Cox at long-off as Gloucestershire further subsided to 73 for 6 at the halfway stage. Slow left armer George Linde then conceded just 15 runs in 18 balls from the Bristol Pavilion End as Tom Price and Zafar, charged with the not inconsiderable task of rebuilding, were effectively frustrated by spin during the crucial middle overs.
Demonstrating necessary urgency under duress, Zafar hit Leaning back down the ground for six in the 14th over in a quest to re-ignite an innings which had lost it's way, while Tom Price was dropped on nine by Hogan at short fine leg off the bowling of Klaassen, a lapse that suggested a Gloucestershire recovery was still possible.
But the returning Hogan ended any chance of that, persuading Zafar to hole out to long-off for a 20-ball 25 and then removing Matt Taylor in identical fashion four balls later. Tom Price skied Stewart to Billings and departed for 11, but Payne smashed 16 off nine balls in a last-wicket stand of 23 with Smith, to at least give home supporters a glimmer of hope.
Further hope was forthcoming as Payne ran out Muyeye off his own bowling in the first over to subject the Kent reply to early pressure. When Tom Price held a smart return catch to dismiss Joe Denly for 11 and claim his maiden T20 wicket, the visitors were 38 for 2 in the sixth over and Gloucestershire's players were prepared to believe.
Captain Billings provided a necessary change of gear, plundering 15 runs from one Ollie Price over to set a tempo which quickly saw him catch up Bell-Drummond and advance the score to 75 for 2 at the end of 10 overs.
By the time Wells ran out Billings for an 18-ball 28 to terminate a third-wicket alliance of 39, the rate was almost down to a run a ball and Kent, with Bell-Drummond set, were handily placed.
Cox picked up where Billings had left off and Hammond recalled the experienced Payne to bowl the fifteenth in a last-ditch attempt to turn the tide. But Cox helped himself to 10 runs off the over and Bell-Drummond went to 50 via 46 balls as Kent closed inexorably on their target.
Having played his part superbly well, Cox finished on 31 not out from 20 balls, while Bell-Drummond weighed in with a quartet of fours and a brace of sixes in an extremely well-paced innings.
Usman Khawaja no stranger to centuries with added meaning
Firstly, there was the comeback itself at Sydney in the last Ashes, an opportunity he thought may never come around. Then, having long carried a tag of being unable to play spin, which should really have been shed when he saved the game in Abu Dhabi in 2018, he dominated in Pakistan on a hugely significant homecoming tour. Then he followed that with a century against India in Ahmedabad a few months ago.
And now Edgbaston in 2023, ten years on from his first Test tour of the country which had brought his only other fifty. Despite a prolific return to the side, his average in England - 17.78 before this match after two low scores in the World Test Championship final last week - had not gone unnoticed.
"I honestly don't know," Khawaja, with daughter Aisha on his knee at the press conference, said of what prompted the celebration. "Think it was a combination of three Ashes tours in England, being dropped in two of them. I don't read the media, genuinely I don't, but I'm getting sprayed by the crowd as I'm walking out there today and as I'm going to the nets that I can't score runs in England, so guess it was more emotional than normal.
"Feel like I'm saying this all the time, same thing happened in India. Not that I have a point to prove, but it's nice to go out and score runs for Australia just to show everyone that the last 10 years haven't been a fluke."
The theme from Khawaja over the last few years has been how comfortable he now is being himself. "It's just what you see is what you get, this is Usman," he said. "I don't try to hide it. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, but I'm happy to be out there and show everyone the real me. Don't know why the bat throw happened, but it happened. That was me."
As Khawaja said, his previous Ashes history in England had not been a happy one. A top score of 54 in the first of six previous meetings in 2013. He was dropped for the final match of that series at The Oval. He did not make the 2015 tour during a near two-year absence from the Test side, then in 2019 he was the fall guy to accommodate Marnus Labuschagne on Steven Smith's return from concussion at Old Trafford. This time he had come prepared.
"England is, in my opinion, the toughest place in the world to bat for top-three batsmen," Khawaja said before the tour. "If I've learned anything, it is work hard, train hard and [when] going to England, go with low expectations. You are going to fail as a batsman, but when you do score you try to cash in as much as you can."
The century was in a mould of the previous six he had made on his return to Test cricket, with an almost zen-like calmness. Led by Broad, England were very good with the new ball early in the day. Khawaja was beaten on occasions but never ruffled although there was not the amount of seam or swing that has previously troubled him.
While runs have flowed at home, he has equally left his mark overseas. Since January 2022, Khawaja has scored more than 1000 runs outside Australia. No batter has scored more runs in away Tests with the next most prolific batter in away Tests in this period being Joe Root, who has 802 runs in an equal 19 innings.
It appeared that the second new ball had finally done for him on 112 when Broad, from around the wicket, a line that has not troubled Khawaja the same as it has Warner, brought a terrific delivery back into off stump only for his foot to have been inches over the line.
His play against Moeen Ali brought back memories of how he had dominated Pakistan's spinners last year on some docile surfaces. Watchfully respecting the good balls, but quick to apply some pressure (not that Stokes sees his bowlers being hit for boundaries that way) with sweet, crisp footwork. He rarely misjudges length against the spin.
"England, to their credit, they stuck to their guns, kept the field up and eventually got the wicket of Heady by just keeping the guys up," Khawaja said. "It was good cat and mouse."
The comparison between Khawaja and his opening partner is hard to ignore. While Warner battles to get the ending he wants in Sydney early next year, Khawaja is mapping out the most glorious final coming to an international career littered with ups and downs. And though this is likely a final tour of England - "unless I pull a James Anderson," he said - that finishing point may be some time off yet.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
Usman Khawaja admits Bazball's allure but says Australia will play their way
"It's hard not to get taken away by it," Khawaja said as he finished the second day unbeaten on 126. "The way they batted yesterday was pretty entertaining, even for someone like me who was on the field. Some of the shots were really entertaining. [Joe Root] reverse-lapping them, [Harry Brook] charging down and hitting over the top of cover.
"It's great to watch, I understand why people enjoy watching it but doesn't matter how you win in Test cricket it's all about trying to win. Whether they win or we win at the end of this Test, no one will care how you did it, whether you scored at six an over, whether you scored at three an over. This is why a Test match is a beautiful game. You have to do things your way. I've learned that over a long career."
However, while Khawaja is of the school that the result still matters, England are continuing their approach of taking that away from their thinking.
"Our vision as a Test team is far greater than results. Australia can go about it how they want to go about it, but we'll stick to our plans and we're happy with how we did it over the first two days."
"Think Stokesy has taken a little bit of that, but I like he does it his own way," he said. "He challenges the game and challenges people in different ways. We are here to entertain and think that stuff is extremely entertaining. Even the last ball when he just literally went right next to the bowler and said, you've got a free hit for six or four if you want it. Luckily [Alex] Carey just blocked it. I love that kind of stuff, it's cool."
LOS ANGELES -- As Rickie Fowler walked up the 18th fairway at Los Angeles Country Club on Friday, fans chanted his name. It was a sound the California native, once ranked among the top five golfers in the world, hadn't heard in quite a while.
Fowler has a 1-stroke lead over Wyndham Clark at the halfway point of the 123rd U.S. Open. In a tournament that prides itself in being the toughest test in golf, Fowler is already 10 under and has carded 18 birdies (with eight bogeys). It's the most birdies or better in the first two rounds of a major in the past 30 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
"Yes, I'm in the lead, but we're only halfway there," Fowler said. "Being in the lead is nice, but it really means nothing right now. I'm looking forward to continuing to challenge myself and go out there and try and execute the best I can."
To win his first major championship, Fowler will have to hold off a loaded leaderboard that includes four-time major champion Rory McIlroy (8 under), Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele (8 under), Harris English (7 under) and reigning LIV Golf League individual champion Dustin Johnson (6 under). World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is 5 strokes back, and reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith trails by 6.
Going back to 1996, according to Elias Sports Bureau, 24 of the past 27 U.S. Open champions were either leading or within 2 strokes after 36 holes. The exceptions were Matt Fitzpatrick in 2022 (3 back), Brooks Koepka in 2018 (5 back) and Webb Simpson in 2012 (6 back).
Golf fans can complain that Los Angeles Country Club's North Course isn't difficult enough for a U.S. Open. But it's hard to find fault with the leaderboard heading into the weekend.
They're all chasing Fowler, who finished in the top four of each of the majors in 2014. But then he lost his swing and confidence. He fell to 176th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He didn't qualify for three of four majors last year.
"I sure hope everyone can relate to struggles because everyone deals with them," Fowler said. "No one's perfect. I think you'd be lying if you haven't been through a tough time, especially if you play golf. I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's been a while since I've felt this good in a tournament, let alone a major. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm definitely looking forward to it."
Here comes the sun
The sun finally emerged from the marine layer above L.A. shortly after players in Friday's morning wave finished their rounds. It wasn't good news for players in the afternoon wave.
The North Course was markedly more difficult in the afternoon. The scoring average in the first round was 71.38 with 37 players under par. There were six rounds of 65 or better and 340 birdies or eagles. On Friday, the scoring average was 72.22 with 33 players under par. There was just one round under 65 and 291 birdies or eagles, according to Elias.
"The conditions now, it's a little brighter, sunnier, a little bit of breeze," McIlroy said. "It's got the potential to get a little firmer and faster over the next couple days, which will make the scores go up a little bit. We'll see what it's like at the end of the week."
English said conditions are now such that the USGA can make the course as difficult as it wants. The weekend forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with high temperatures from 74 to 78 degrees. There's little chance for rain with winds from 6-7 mph from the south/southwest.
"We saw some [difficulty] with the pin locations today," English said. "I don't do AimPoint, but at least 3-percent slope. They can get [greens] as firm and fast as they want and put those pins in some tough spots. It's going to be fun. The rough is still going to be penal, and I think everybody is going to get the U.S. Open they've been wanting to see."
Another LIV champion?
The LIV Golf League-PGA Tour rivalry has dominated talk around the majors the past two seasons, and this week has been no different after the PGA Tour announced last week that it's forming an alliance with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
Can a LIV Golf League player follow Koepka's third PGA Championship victory at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, last month? Johnson and Smith are both within striking distance.
Johnson, the 2016 U.S. Open winner, is still in the mix for his third major championship victory, despite carding a quadruple-bogey 8 on the second hole.
DJ hit his drive on No. 2 into a fairway bunker to the left. He popped up his second shot, and his ball landed 95 yards away in the deep rough. Johnson then hit his third shot into a barranca, a narrow gorge, and took an unplayable lie. His fifth shot flew the green, and then he couldn't get up and down. Somehow, he recovered to card an even-par 70 in the round.
Asked what was his worst shot in the sequence, Johnson said, "Probably the bunker shot, but it really wasn't that bad. I just caught it a little bit heavy so it came out a little bit left. I was just trying to get it back in the fairway."
Asked if he hit a good shot while making an 8, DJ said, "No." With the way Johnson is driving the ball, he feels like he has a chance.
"Obviously, I feel like I'm swinging really well and rolling it good, too," Johnson said. "So, if I can keep driving it like I am, I'll be around here on the weekend."
No defense
The USGA might want to put a high fence around the 15th hole. The short par 3 has already surrendered three aces, including Fitzpatrick's first career hole-in-one as a professional on Friday. The Englishman became the first defending champion to record an ace at the U.S. Open. France's Matthieu Pavon and American Sam Burns each had one in the first round.
"Without that, I probably wouldn't be here for the weekend," said Fitzpatrick, who is 1-over 141 after 36 holes. "So, yeah, it was needed."
It is the first time there were three aces at any hole in the U.S. Open since there were four on No. 6 at Oak Hill Country Club in the second round of the 1989 U.S. Open, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Fitzpatrick's ace came from 115 yards. The USGA is expected to shorten the hole to as few as 78 yards on either Saturday or Sunday, which would make it the shortest par 3 in U.S. Open history. It is a completely different challenge than Nos. 7 and 11, which are two of the longest in the tournament's history, at 299 yards and 297 yards, respectively.
Fitzpatrick said he prefers the 15th over the other par-3s on the course.
"It's a great hole," he said. "It's miles better than the other two long par-3s. It's not even a contest. For me, I just think that you got a sand wedge or a lob wedge or a gap wedge in your hand and you're nervous, and I think that's the thing.
"That's why you're always hitting 3-wood in and 7-wood. You're not nervous. You're not thinking about it. You're just trying to hit it as hard as you can and get it to the green. There's no real thought process in it, behind it."
Headed home
Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson's 53rd birthday on Friday wasn't much of a celebration, at least not at the golf course. Mickelson is headed home after finishing 3 over after 36 holes, missing the cut by 1 stroke.
Mickelson failed in his ninth attempt to become the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam. He has missed the cut in three of his past four U.S. Open starts. Mickelson declined to speak to reporters after the round.
The cut line of 2-over 142 is the lowest in terms of total strokes (LACC is a par-70 course) in U.S. Open history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The previous low was 3-over 143 at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, last year, and Olympia Fields outside Chicago in 2003.
Other players who are headed home after missing the cut include Jordan Spieth (3 over), Mito Pereira (3 over), Justin Rose (4 over), Max Homa (4 over), Adam Scott (5 over), Sungjae Im (6 over), Keegan Bradley (6 over), Jason Day (9 over) and Justin Thomas (14 over).
It was Thomas' worst scoring total to par in a major.
"Yeah, it's definitely the lowest I've felt," Thomas said Friday. "It's pretty, honestly, humiliating and embarrassing shooting scores like that. At a golf course I really, really liked. I thought it was set up very well."
Where are the roars?
There have been only a handful of noticeable roars on the property this week, for the three hole-in-ones and a couple of eagles. Otherwise, it's been pretty tame at LACC, especially for a major championship.
"I wish it would have been louder," Fitzpatrick said of the reaction to his ace. "I wish it was a few more people. But, yeah, I'm surprised there's not been as many people out as I thought this week."
The USGA limited ticket sales to only 22,000 per day, including 9,000 for the general public. The rest went to skyboxes, suites, corporate partners and LACC members. There are about 30,000 people on the grounds each day, according to the USGA. It's also a difficult course to get around.
"The crowds aren't as big out there," English said. "A couple tee shots and a couple greens, there's really nobody around because the fans can't get around a whole lot."
It is one of the smallest build-outs in U.S. Open history for the 18th green. Adding grandstands to the other side of the green would have been difficult because of the No. 1 fairway and No. 10 tee. It also would have blocked members' views from the back porch of the clubhouse.
England in 'really positive' position after second day - Stuart Broad
"How can I be polite? It's a very slow, low surface that saps the energy out of the ball, would be the nice way to put it," Broad added. "It's been pretty characterless so far - a bit soulless. But ultimately you can only judge it towards the end of a Test match and see how it develops.
"It's certainly one of the slowest pitches I can remember bowling on in England. I think there was a stat that, for the Aussies in the first 10 overs, it moved the least-ever recorded. It has certainly been hard work for the seamers.
"Ultimately, we're looking to entertain and have fun and get the crowd jumping, and it's quite a difficult pitch to get plays-and-misses on and nicks to slip and stuff… these sorts of pitches are your worst nightmare when Steve Smith walks to the crease, to be honest."
Australia reached stumps trailing by 82 runs with five first-innings wickets remaining after Usman Khawaja batted through the day for an unbeaten hundred. But with Pat Cummins - who has averaged 11.71 in his last 40 innings - due in at No. 8, Broad believes England's toil resulted in "a really good day".
"The game is nicely poised: we're one or two wickets away from the tail," Broad told the BBC's Test Match Special. "It's been a hard, gruelling day on a pitch that's offered very little so far, but for us, being 90-odd ahead with five wickets to get, and trying to get in a position where we're not batting last on that pitch is a really positive place to be."
He added to Sky Sports: "To still be 82 runs ahead of Australia with Pat Cummins and the tail next, we're pretty happy. Things could happen pretty quickly for us in the first hour tomorrow… to pick up their key batters relatively cheaply, we're pretty happy."
Australia have scored at 3.30 runs an over in their first innings compared to England's scoring rate of 5.03, and Broad believes that the "clash in styles" will make for an intriguing series.
"I think that's the nature of the pitch slightly, to be honest," he said. "It certainly doesn't feel like the sort of pitch you'd have eight slips and gully, and the sort of pitch that you can play really extravagantly on.
"I think the great thing about this series is both teams have got quite a clear style of play and both teams will stay true to how they're going to play that. So I think they [the teams] probably clash in styles, but that will make for exciting cricket."
CASSELBERRY, Fla. -- Ray Lewis III, the son of two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis, died of a suspected overdose, according to a police report obtained on Saturday.
Lewis' younger brother, Rahsaan Lewis, first posted about his sibling's death Thursday in an Instagram story.
Lewis died Wednesday after officers were called to a Central Florida home and found him unconscious in a bedroom, according to the Casselberry Police Department.
Lewis was reported to be 28 years old. He played cornerback at his father's alma mater, Miami, for two seasons before transferring to Coastal Carolina in 2015. He finished his career at Virginia Union.
"The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident," police said in a statement.
A person in the home was attempting CPR on Lewis when an officer arrived Wednesday evening. The officer was advised by a second person that Lewis needed the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone, which the officer administered using Narcan, according to the police report.
The antidote and further life-saving attempts were unsuccessful. Police said Lewis was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead of a suspected overdose, pending an official autopsy report.
His coach at Virginia Union, Mark James, said his former player "was a great kid."
"He played hard and it was a pleasure knowing him," James told The Associated Press by phone Friday.
Rahsaan Lewis said on his Instagram story on Thursday, "Really can't believe I'm even typing this, but RIP big brother."
James remembered Lewis as a level-headed young man who worked hard and never acted like he was above others despite his father's success as an NFL standout and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
"I think by the time we got him, he was ready for the business of going to school and finishing and playing football and being an impact [player]," James said. "He was a hard worker."
At Coastal Carolina, Lewis played 12 games at cornerback with 19 tackles. He had 37 tackles for Virginia Union in 2017.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The Colorado Rockies designated Dinelson Lamet for assignment on Saturday and recalled fellow right-hander Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Albuquerque.
The move for Lamet comes one day after he struggled mightily in an 8-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Lamet allowed a career-worst eight runs on five hits -- including three homers -- and five walks in four innings.
Lamet, 30, is 1-4 with an 11.57 ERA in 16 games (four starts) this season.
He is 17-24 with a 4.61 ERA in 117 career games (60 starts) with the San Diego Padres and Rockies.
Hollowell, 25, is 0-0 with a 1.54 ERA in nine relief appearances this season with the Isotopes.
He went 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in six relief appearances last season with Colorado.
Freese 'humbly' declines invite into Cardinals HOF
David Freese, whose heroics in the 2011 postseason led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title, has decided after "an extreme amount of thought" to decline an invitation to join the team's Hall of Fame, he announced Saturday.
"This is something that I have given an extreme amount of thought to, humbly, even before the voting process began," Freese said in a statement. "I am aware of the impact I had helping the team bring great memories to the city I grew up in, including the 11th championship. ...
"I feel strongly about my decision and understand how people might feel about this. I get it. I'll wear it. Thank you for always being there for me, and I am excited to be around the Cardinals as we move forward."
Freese was World Series MVP and National League Championship Series MVP, driving in 21 runs during the 2011 postseason to set an MLB record. In the World Series, he hit .348 with seven RBIs, three doubles and an epic Game 6 home run that kept the Cardinals alive in the series against the Texas Rangers.
Overall, he spent five of his 11 MLB seasons in St. Louis after entering the majors in 2009. He was an All-Star selection in 2012. Including stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates, Freese was a career .277 hitter when he retired after the 2019 season. He was even better in the postseason, with a .299 average.
"I look at who I was during my tenure, and that weighs heavily on me," said Freese, who was the the top vote-getter for induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in online balloting by fans. "The Cardinals and the entire city have always had my back in every way. I'm forever grateful to be part of such an amazing organization and fan base then, now and in the future.
"... I'm especially sorry to the fans that took the time to cast their votes. Cardinal Nation is basically the reason why I've unfortunately waited so long for this decision and made it more of a headache for so many people."
The Cardinals were down to their last out against the Rangers in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. In the bottom of the ninth, with the Cardinals trailing 7-5 and facing closer Neftali Feliz, Freese hit a two-out, two-run triple to right field to send the game into extra innings.
On his next at-bat, in the 11th inning, Freese cemented his hero status with a leadoff home run off Mark Lowe to force a decisive Game 7, which St. Louis won 6-2 aided by a game-tying two-run double by Freese.
Freese was born in Texas, but he grew up in the St. Louis suburbs and rooted for the Cardinals. He said that he would continue to remain around the Cardinals organization, participating in alumni activities and fan-related events.
"Although we are disappointed that David has declined to be inducted into our Hall of Fame, we respect his decision and look forward to celebrating his great Cardinals career in other ways going forward," Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III said in a statement. "He is always welcome at Busch Stadium."
Jose Oquendo and Max Lanier will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame on Aug. 20.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nottingham Open 2023: Andy Murray beats Nuno Borges to reach second successive grass-court final
Britain's Andy Murray moved into his second successive grass-court final with a win over Portugal's Nuno Borges in the Nottingham Open semi-finals.
Cazaux, 20, is the world number 181 and beat fifth seed Dominik Koepfer.
In the women's event, Katie Boulter faces Jodie Burrage in the first all-British WTA final since 1977.
"You come here to enjoy the tennis but ultimately you want to win the tournament," said Murray after completing a 6-3 6-2 win over third seed Borges, the world number 73.
"I practised with him [Cazaux] a few weeks ago, he is a top young French player so it will be a good one.
"I've been playing a lot of youngsters recently and it's always tough. Some of these guys it's the first time seeing them but I've practised with him so hopefully not too many surprises.
"I've enjoyed it [the tournament] a lot. The courts are brilliant in terms of quality and some of the best grass courts I've played on so well done to groundsman and their team for making them so good - it's why the quality of tennis has been good."
Murray is 44th in the world rankings and trying to get into the top 32 before Wimbledon, which begins on 3 July.
He has now won nine matches in a row and not dropped a set in the last six of them, including all four matches in Nottingham.
Murray stormed into a 4-1 lead after only 16 minutes and broke Borges' serve early in the second set with the Portuguese unable to recover.
After Sunday's final, Murray's next tournament will be at the Queen's Club Championships in London.
He has been drawn against seventh seed and world number 18 Alex de Minaur of Australia, a player Murray has never beaten in their three previous meetings, in the opening round.
Skupski and Koolhof win in the Netherlands
Britain's Neal Skupski, along with Dutch team-mate Wesley Koolhof, won the men's doubles of the Libema Open in Rosmalen, the Netherlands.
The pair played the duo of Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov in the final and recorded a 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 win.
In Nottingham, the men's doubles final was an all-British affair with the team of Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday beating the pairing of Liam Broady and Jonny O'Mara 6-3 6-7 (10-7).
In the Stuttgart Open in Germany, American Francis Tiafoe will play German Jan-Lennard Struff in the final after semi-final victories over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz respectively.
Winner's share and full purse breakdown for the 123rd U.S. Open
The U.S. Open is offering a major-record $20,000,000 purse with the winner receiving $3.6 million. Sixty-one professionals and four amateurs made the cut and below is a look at the money the pros will earn.
A total of 76 professionals missed the cut and will be awarded $10,000 each.
|
Place |
Money |
|
|
1 |
$3,600,000 |
|
|
2 |
$2,160,000 |
|
|
3 |
$1,413,430 |
|
|
4 |
$990,867 |
|
|
5 |
$825,297 |
|
|
6 |
$731,779 |
|
|
7 |
$659,727 |
|
|
8 |
$590,864 |
|
|
9 |
$534,753 |
|
|
10 |
$491,182 |
|
|
11 |
$448,249 |
|
|
12 |
$414,455 |
|
|
13 |
$386,187 |
|
|
14 |
$356,431 |
|
|
15 |
$330,926 |
|
|
16 |
$309,672 |
|
|
17 |
$292,669 |
|
|
18 |
$275,665 |
|
|
19 |
$258,662 |
|
|
20 |
$241,659 |
|
|
21 |
$226,993 |
|
|
22 |
$212,328 |
|
|
23 |
$198,088 |
|
|
24 |
$184,910 |
|
|
25 |
$173,433 |
|
|
26 |
$163,656 |
|
|
27 |
$156,217 |
|
|
28 |
$149,628 |
|
|
29 |
$143,252 |
|
|
30 |
$136,876 |
|
|
31 |
$130,500 |
|
|
32 |
$124,124 |
|
|
33 |
$117,747 |
|
|
34 |
$112,009 |
|
|
35 |
$107,333 |
|
|
36 |
$102,657 |
|
|
37 |
$98,194 |
|
|
38 |
$93,943 |
|
|
39 |
$89,692 |
|
|
40 |
$85,441 |
|
|
41 |
$81,190 |
|
|
42 |
$76,939 |
|
|
43 |
$72,689 |
|
|
44 |
$68,438 |
|
|
45 |
$64,187 |
|
|
46 |
$60,361 |
|
|
47 |
$56,535 |
|
|
48 |
$52,922 |
|
|
49 |
$50,797 |
|
|
50 |
$48,671 |
|
|
51 |
$47,396 |
|
|
52 |
$46,333 |
|
|
53 |
$45,483 |
|
|
54 |
$45,058 |
|
|
55 |
$44,633 |
|
|
56 |
$44,208 |
|
|
57 |
$43,783 |
|
|
58 |
$43,358 |
|
|
59 |
$42,933 |
|
|
60 |
$42,508 |
|
|
61 |
$42,083 |
|
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
