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This year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is on track to become the most attended standalone women's sporting event ever with over one million tickets sold, FIFA said on Thursday.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the ninth edition of the Women's World Cup, which starts on July 20, has sold 1,032,884 tickets, surpassing the previous tournament in France in 2019.
- Women's World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
"The future is women, thanks to the fans for supporting what will be the greatest FIFA Women's World Cup ever!," Infantino said in a statement.
"The momentum is building in the host countries and across the globe, and I look forward to seeing you there to witness the stars of women's football shine on the world stage."
FIFA had already announced that Australia's opening match against Ireland will change venue to the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia, the tournament's largest stadium, due to high public demand for tickets.
This will allow up to 100,000 fans to attend the World Cup's opening games, with the match between co-hosts New Zealand and Norway taking place hours before in Auckland.
Samit Patel, Jake Ball lead Nottinghamshire to victory over Durham
Nottinghamshire 187 for 7 (Munro 49, Sowter 4-29) beat Durham 161 for 9 (de Leede 58, Patel 3-30, Ball 3-38) by 26 runs
Notts Outlaws took at least temporary possession of top spot in a tightly bunched North Group as they deposed Durham with a 26-run win in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge.
Durham opted to field first and picked up an immediate dividend when left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis bowled Joe Clarke with the second ball of the match but that was the limit of their success in the powerplay as Notts powered to 65 for 1 with Hales 33 from 19 balls and Munro on 29 from 17, Hales having hit Brandon Glover over long-off for the first six of the night, Munro dishing out similar treatment to Wayne Parnell.
The introduction of Sowter's leg-spin ended the Hales assault, his compatriot Ashton Turner taking a good diving catch on the long-on boundary. The Australian-born bowler struck again in his second over as Matt Montgomery was leg before reverse sweeping, he and Ben Raine dragging back the scoring rate as the Outlaws' innings reached halfway at 98 for 3.
Sowter, continuing in the fine form he has shown throughout this season, dealt the home side a third major blow as Munro, having just driven him to the rope to move within one run of a half-century, did not quite get enough on his next attempt to find the boundary, Turner taking a second catch, at long-off. Notts were grateful that Trevaskis couldn't hold on to a stinging return catch offered by Tom Moores on one as they moved to 139 for 4 from 15.
The Outlaws needed a strong finish and Moores signalled his intention to provide it by hammering Sowter over long-on for six, only to become a third victim to the Sowter-Turner combination as the leg-spinner picked up a fourth scalp for the second match running. De Leede bowled Patel for 28 from 26 three balls later but skipper Mullaney's 21 from 13 balls ensured Durham would need to score at more than nine an over.
It was closer to 10s at the end of Durham's batting powerplay, from which they emerged with 52 runs but three wickets lost after Alex Lees, who had cleared the rope off Shaheen Shah Afridi in a 13-run opening over, reverse swept Patel's left-arm spin to short fine leg, Graham Clark holed out to deep mid-wicket off Carter's off spin and Michael Jones was well held by a back-peddling mid-off from Ball's first delivery.
Durham looked on course to be up with the pace at the halfway stage but suffered a double setback in the 10th over that handed the initiative to Notts as Patel struck twice in three balls, bowling Robinson and having Turner caught second ball as he tried and failed to clear the boundary at wide long-on. Carter then turned 80 for 5 into 91 for 6 in the next over as Parnell, who had finished the 10th over with a straight six, chipped him straight to extra cover, putting the visitors firmly on the back foot.
De Leede landed a couple of meaty strikes to move into the 40s but as the last five overs arrived, Durham needed a few more, with 68 required from 30 balls, but continued to lose wickets, Trevaskis out trying to paddle-scoop Ball before De Leede - missed earlier when Afridi seemed to lose the ball in the floodlights - hit the Pakistan international to Mullaney at extra cover. Ben Raine then found Hales on the long-on boundary as Ball claimed his third wicket, leaving an unlikely 31 required from the last over, with nine down, as Durham slid to an eighth consecutive Blast defeat against the Outlaws.
Steven Smith on David Warner's new batting guard: 'I nearly fell into it'
A segment for Channel Seven by Ricky Ponting during the lunch interval on the second day brought attention to the crater Warner had created in the batting crease as part of a plan to aid his footwork.
Unlike a normal batting guard where the marks run perpendicular to whichever stump the batter asks for, Warner dug what resembled a small trench parallel to the stumps with holes at either end.
Smith, who came in following Warner's dismissal shortly before lunch on the opening day, admitted it had taken him by surprise.
"I nearly fell in it," he joked. "I got used to it eventually but almost twisted my ankle a few balls to be honest then I sort of got used to it. I've never experienced that before on that side really, you occasionally get the edging of the footmarks at the backend of the game where you kind of fall into them where you are off balance, but when I'm moving to off stump and I've got this hole there it's something I haven't experienced before.
"I'd no idea it was coming until I walked out and marked my guard and saw this big hole. Was just wondering who made this? Think I asked Marnus [Labuschagne] what was going on at the end, there's a big hole I'm about to fall into. It was odd."
"Maybe he should it more often, it worked for me," he said. "He can keep digging that hole I suppose… whatever the batter needs I suppose to get themselves into a good position."
Warner, whose position has been under scrutiny, had made a compact 43 on the opening day, becoming increasingly assured after a tricky first hour, and later said it was as good as he had felt for 24 months.
Ponting, who is Warner's coach at Delhi Capitals in the IPL, explained that the method he was using was to aid his footwork and stop him going too far to leg stump.
"He's actually got a line going across the back vertical to the stump line," Ponting said. "And look at each end of that line there, there's two quite deep holes. Now I know for a fact, having worked with David Warner for the last couple of years, a lot on his batting, when he's batting his worst, his trigger movement has gone back outside leg stump.
"So only two days ago he came up with this plan of digging two holes and making sure that when he moved his foot that his foot stayed within those two holes. If he moved back and across, he could feel his heel going into the hole. If you move too far across to the off stump, then his toes go into the hole.
"That's the sign of a modern player, someone that's played over 100 Tests still trying to find a way to get better."
Although what Warner did was unusual, it did not contravene any Laws which only come into play for the protected area in front of the popping crease where bowlers are not allowed to encroach in to and batters are not allowed to enter "without reasonable cause" or take their guard in.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
Unparalleled talent, unapologetic exuberance and an Oklahoma team on the verge of history
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The defending champions were teetering, if only for a moment.
On Wednesday night, during the opening game of the best-of-three Women's College World Series championship set, the Oklahoma bats that had come to signify dominance in college softball, leading the country in batting average, on-base percentage and home runs, fell noticeably silent against Florida State with only one hit and no runs through three innings.
The Sooners' gloves weren't working, either. The top fielding team in the country committed its 17th error of the season when third baseman Alyssa Brito was eaten up by a sharp ground ball in the third inning. In the following inning, pitcher Jordy Bahl couldn't field a harmless tapper back to the mound for the team's 18th error -- her first this season.
But after each miscue, Bahl dug in and delivered, throwing inning-ending strikeouts that culminated with explosive displays of emotion. The fiery Bahl ripped off her face mask each time and screamed. Catcher Kinzie Hansen spiked the ball in celebration.
How's that for being unapologetically energetic? When designated player Haley Lee led off the fourth inning being hit by pitch, she turned to the pro-Sooner crowd and waved her arms wildly, encouraging them to cheer louder. Hansen promptly drilled a double to the center-field fence and Bahl, who had come on as a pinch runner for Lee, scored all the way from first base.
The Sooner fans at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, who had been restlessly waiting for a breakthrough, erupted. And from there, the rout was on as Oklahoma scored two more runs in the inning and went on to win 5-0, setting up an elimination game Thursday night.
Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso later said her team was uncharacteristically anxious to start the game. She said that maybe the two weather delays had something to do with it.
Which is why she summoned the players into an area behind the dugout in the fourth inning. Away from prying eyes, she said, they had a "little conversation."
"Who are we right now?" Gasso asked her players. "This is not how we play the game."
She hit reset.
"We don't try hard," she said, "we just play."
And that might be the secret to Oklahoma's 52-game winning streak. Aside from having a dizzying array of talent, it is a team that plays with a style that's unflinching, uncompromising and absolutely unrelenting.
They're a team, Hansen said, that thrives on chaos.
They're a team that dances in the dugout and eggs on their head coach until she gives them a little shimmy.
When center fielder Jayda Coleman threw out Kalie Harding trying to stretch a single into a double to end the top of the sixth inning, a party broke out in short left field.
When the game ended, the bench players came onto the field waving towels in the air.
If Wednesday night proved anything, it's that getting in a jam doesn't bother these Sooners. It might actually wake them up. Ask Clemson and Stanford and any other team that dared to get tangled up in a close game with Gasso's squad this season.
She's the one encouraging every fist-bump and high-five. She's OK with her players throwing their bats after a walk -- as long as they're not thrown toward the opposing dugout.
She needs them playing loose. She needs them creating their own energy.
In theory, Oklahoma entered this WCWS with all the pressure. It was the budding dynasty with a never-ending win streak. It was the wire-to-wire favorite to win a third consecutive national championship and a sixth title in 10 years.
It was the team with five All-Americans, four batters hitting .400 or better and three pitchers with a sub-1.00 ERA.
But that wealth of talent -- which doesn't include so many quality transfers and high school recruits -- is exactly why the Sooners can smile through harrowing moments. At least that's how Liberty coach Dot Richardson sees it. And she ought to know. She helped UCLA take home the first of seven championships from 1982 to 1992. She won gold medals with Team USA in the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.
"Competitive athletes compete," she said, "they don't bicker. Everyone, when they're really good, they want to play the game. They might get jealous, they might say stuff, but they want to play the game and compete at the highest level."
Richardson saw it up close earlier in the season when Liberty and Oklahoma played to a 0-0 tie through seven innings. Then the Sooners cobbled together the winning run in the eighth when Bahl scored from second base on a walk-off bunt that resulted in a throwing error.
They always seem to find a way.
"They're loud and they're cheering and they're lit," Richardson said. "They're on top of the world and they believe they're invincible. And you have to feel that way. When you want to be more than good -- when you want to be great -- you have to play with freedom."
Richardson has kept an eye on them ever since.
"And every time I have met them as players or that we've talked to them ... they don't want to just be good, they want to be great," she said. "And to build this huge legacy."
On Wednesday night, they took yet another step toward making history.
UCLA was the last team to three-peat.
Oklahoma is eager to join the Bruins.
Mets' Alonso to get more testing on injured wrist
ATLANTA -- New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso returned to New York for further testing Thursday after being hit on his left wrist by a pitch and leaving Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Braves.
Manager Buck Showalter said Alonso had a CT scan in Atlanta on Thursday morning. The slugger was scheduled for an MRI later Thursday in New York.
Asked why the additional testing was taking place in New York, Showalter said, "I think we'd rather have our people look at it."
Alonso, who leads the majors with 22 homers, was hit by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of Atlanta's 7-5 win Wednesday night.
The Mets said Wednesday night that Alonso had a contusion and X-rays revealed no broken bones. More tests were scheduled even before Showalter said Alonso had more soreness in the wrist Thursday morning.
"We had plans for him to have the scan this morning anyway, just to be on the safe side," Showalter said.
Following Wednesday night's game, Morton apologized to Alonso, one night after Alonso hit a long homer and then was heard yelling to Braves right-hander Bryce Elder, "Throw it again. Throw it again, please. Throw it again."
"He was looking for me," said Alonso of Morton's postgame visit Wednesday night. "He just wanted to apologize. Obviously he didn't mean to. For people speculating for this or that, I just wanted to clear that. Chuckie's a good guy and the situation didn't call for it either. There's nothing to it. I just happened to get hit with an up-and-in fastball."
The Mets entered Thursday night's game on a five-game skid and played without Alonso for the first time this season.
A serious injury to the slugger would be damaging to the Mets' hopes of getting back into contention in the NL East. New York entered Thursday's game in third place, 7½ games behind Atlanta. Showalter said he remained optimistic Alonso can return during a three-game series at Pittsburgh that begins Friday.
Alonso leads the NL with 49 RBIs and is hitting .231.
Rookie Mark Vientos, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on May 17, made his first start of the season at first base as a fill-in for Alonso, who has 59 starts at first and three at designated hitter.
French Open 2023: Novak Djokovic takes on Carlos Alcaraz in Paris semi-finals
From the moment the French Open draw was made almost a fortnight ago, the tennis world licked its lips at the prospect of one blockbuster match.
The countdown towards Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, against Spanish world number one Carlos Alcaraz was on.
On Friday, the two men - at opposite ends of their careers but in the same stunning form - finally go head-to-head at a Grand Slam when they meet in the Roland Garros semi-finals.
"That's the match that a lot of people want to see," said 36-year-old Djokovic, who is bidding for a third French Open title and a men's record 23rd major.
Alcaraz, 20, won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in September and is contesting his maiden semi-final on the Paris clay.
"Since the draw came out, everyone was expecting that match. Myself as well. I have really wanted to play this match," Alcaraz said.
The pair have long been considered the main contenders to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday, even before 14-time champion Rafael Nadal withdrew with a hip injury.
Whoever wins in the last four will be favourite to beat the victor of Friday's other semi-final between Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud and Germany's 22nd seed Alexander Zverev.
Duel the tennis world has been waiting for
When Djokovic's name popped out of the French Open computer in the same half of the draw as Alcaraz, there were murmurs among those sitting in the Roland Garros ceremony.
Djokovic may have won five of the past seven majors he has played, but he is seeded third in Paris after having injury issues in the build-up.
That meant he would either land in Alcaraz's half and potentially face him in the last four, or end up on the side of second seed Daniil Medvedev and not able to face the top seed until the final.
Of course, the unpredictable nature of sport means things rarely pan out as expected in the draws.
But the fine form of Djokovic and Alcaraz - both dropping just one set so far - has ensured the blockbuster semi-final will take place.
"It's definitely the biggest challenge for me so far in the tournament," said Djokovic, who won the Roland Garros title in 2016 and 2021.
"If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. He's definitely a guy to beat here. I'm looking forward to that."
Djokovic and Alcaraz, who has won four of the eight tournaments he has competed in this season, have been two of the standout players on the men's tour this season.
However, duels between the pair - either head-to-head or even being present in the biggest tournaments - have been rare.
"We played only once in Madrid last year, 7-6 in the third for him. We haven't played since," said Djokovic.
"Most of the tournaments this year we were not in the same draw, but here we are."
Further spice to the occasion is provided by the world number one ranking being on the line.
Alcaraz will remain at the top if he beats Djokovic, with the Serb needing to win the tournament to reclaim the position.
Will youth or experience prove key?
While the pair's results at Roland Garros this year have been similarly superb, there is a huge gulf between them in terms of career experience.
Djokovic is appearing in his 45th major semi-final, with only Roger Federer (46) playing more, and is aiming to eclipse Nadal as the oldest French Open men's champion.
Alcaraz, who turned 20 at the start of May, would become the youngest Roland Garros finalist since a 20-year-old Nadal won the title in 2006, and hopes youth will be a bigger factor than pedigree.
"It's going be his 45th semi-final of a Grand Slam, this is going to be my second," he said.
"I would say the experience is better in that point, but I'm not going think about that."
French Open 2023: Karolina Muchova proving doctors wrong with run to first Grand Slam final
Little more than a year ago, an injury-laden Karolina Muchova was told her tennis career could be over.
But on the rollercoaster that is life, the toughest moments make way for the highest of highs - in this case a first Grand Slam final at the French Open.
Just as she has to had to fight back from injuries - to her back, her abdominals, her ankle - she had to battle on court, with world number two Aryna Sabalenka her challenge to overcome.
More than three hours later, Muchova and her weary body came out on top in a 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 epic.
World number one Iga Swiatek lies in wait in Saturday's final but for now, the Czech is simply enjoying the ride.
"There have been many moments, many lows, from one injury to another," said Muchova, 26.
"When I missed the Australian Open last year, and I was in a pretty bad state health-wise, I was working out a lot to try to get back.
"Some doctors told me, 'maybe you'll not do sport any more'. But I always kept it kind of positive in my mind and tried to work and do all the exercises to be able to come back.
"It's ups and downs in life all the time. Now I'm enjoying that I'm on the upper part now."
Ranked 43rd in the world, Muchova had only once reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam before her Roland Garros run, that coming at the Australian Open in 2021.
In Swiatek, she will play the defending champion and a player set to enter her 64th week at the top of the rankings but the stats reflect well on Muchova, having beaten the Pole in their only previous meeting in Prague in 2019.
Furthermore, on the five previous occasions Muchova has faced players ranked first, second or third in the world, she has won.
"I don't think I will be the favourite," she said. "Yeah, it's nice. I didn't really even know about this statistic.
"It just shows me that I can play against them. I can compete, and obviously the matches are super close.
"Even today, match ball down, you really never know if I win or lose, but it's great to know that I have the chance to win and I win against the top players, and that for sure boosts my confidence."
Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract that runs through the 2024-25 season, the team announced Thursday.
Athanasiou, 28, was headed for unrestricted free agency prior to agreeing to the deal. He tied for the team lead with 20 goals while also recording 20 assists in 81 games last season, his first with the Blackhawks after signing a one-year, $3 million contract in the summer.
He has totaled 236 points (125 goals, 111 assists) in 459 career games with the Detroit Red Wings (2015-20), Edmonton Oilers (2020), Los Angeles Kings (2020-22) and Blackhawks.
Heat's Butler 'excited' for Messi's impact in Miami
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler said he was "excited" for Lionel Messi's potential impact on the city following news that the Argentine World Cup winner would be signing for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF.
Messi, 35, announced on Wednesday that he intended to join Inter Miami once his contract with French champions Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of this month.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
News that one of the greatest and most decorated players in history would be heading to South Beach has already caused a buzz around the soccer world and beyond.
Butler, the leading figure for a Heat team currently facing off with the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals, was asked during a media availability Thursday what impact he thought Messi could have on soccer in the United States.
"A lot of good," he said. "Obviously, he is one of the greatest players to play that beautiful game. I'm so excited for the city of Miami, to be able to have a player of that caliber here. I'm excited for the city of Miami in so many different ways.
"Obviously us being in the Finals and having an opportunity to do something special. Now that he is here, I think all the football/soccer fans from all over the world are going to come here and get an opportunity to watch him compete. I'm glad he is here."
Messi's arrival promises to elevate the profile of Inter Miami in a city that's also home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins, MLB's Miami Marlins and the NHL's Florida Panthers, as well as the Heat.
Butler was far from alone among the city's existing sports elite to welcome Messi to the city.
"I just want to say welcome to the 305 Lionel Messi. Now we've got two number 10s, but I just want to know which one is the fastest," the Dolphins own No. 10, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, joked in a video message on Wednesday. "But anyways, congrats to you man."
With the Heat trailing 2-1 to the Nuggets ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday and Messi still to tie up the loose ends of his transfer to Inter Miami, Butler understandably said he would take his time before trying to meet up with the former Barcelona icon.
"I wouldn't say that I know him enough, but I have met him before," Butler said. "Will I reach out? Probably not. I know he has probably got a ton of stuff going on anyway.
"He is coming over here to do something special for this city. I won't reach out. I'm happy that he is here, though. I really am. I know we will link whenever he is here."
Information from ESPN's Nick Friedell was used in this report.
MIAMI -- Michael Porter Jr.'s shooting, scoring and minutes have dwindled with each game in the NBA Finals.
But Michael Malone gave the forward a vote of confidence before Friday's Game 4 and made it clear that Porter is Denver's starting small forward.
"I think so many people are quick to dismiss people," Malone said. "Michael Porter isn't making shots right now, and we know he is a great shooter. We know what he is capable of... If he's taking the right shots and we're generating the right shots for him, I want him, I want KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope], two guys that we know are better than they showed in three games, they've got to keep shooting the ball because that is the only way they're going to get out of that slump.
"But we believe in Michael. He is our starting small forward. I have zero doubt he is going to have a very big game coming up here that is going to help us win this championship."
The Nuggets got back on the floor for practice on Thursday. Jamal Murray was seen wearing a bandage on his left hand. Malone said his point guard, who had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Nuggets' 109-94 Game 3 win, is fine and has a floor burn.
As far as Porter is concerned, the forward says he is just missing shots and that he hasn't lost confidence. Since having 14 points and 13 rebounds in 43 minutes during Game 1, Porter has shot a combined 3-for-15 and scored a total of 7 points in Games 2 and 3. Porter has made just 3-for-19 from behind the arc. He also saw his playing time drop to 26 minutes in Game 2 and 21 minutes in Game 3.
"I mean, I wouldn't even say I'm not feeling confident in my shot, I'm feeling pressure, anything like that," Porter said. "I'm just missing, you know what I mean? Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in. I think a lot of shots have been right there, I've just missed.
"I know my teammates have confidence in my shot. I know my coaches do. I'll get it going."
Bruce Brown has played 27 and 29 minutes in Games 2 and 3 while rookie Christian Braun had his best game of the Finals with 15 points, making 7-of-8 shots, in 19 minutes in Game 3.
But Malone and other Nuggets like Murray have continued to express confidence that Porter will start burying shots.
"It's been a couple of rough games for me," Porter said. "I think I played hard defensively pretty good. Still tried to rebound the ball while I was out there.
"For me, shooting and offense is natural. I can't put too much stock into a couple rough games shooting-wise, even though I wish shots were falling obviously. Really, I'm just glad the team won. I know there's going to be a couple games this series where the team is going to need me on the offensive end. I'm looking toward to trying to bounce back in that area as well."
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