Demon crowned Washington king at second time of asking
The Australian men's No.1 fought gallantly to claim an enthralling contest in the US capital over fellow 26-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 5-7 6-1 7-6 (7-3), in just over three hours.
A workman-like tiebreaker capped off a week full of positives, and 10th career title success, for de Minaur ahead of next month's US Open in New York, while Davidovich Fokina fell just short of claiming his first ATP Tour title.
Seventh seed de Minaur, who lost in straight sets to Germany's Alexander Zverev in the 2018 Washington final, improved to a tour-leading 21 hard-court wins for the season by beating Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the semis.
On Monday (AEST), Davidovich Fokina, the Spanish 12th seed, was broken early in the opening set but responded immediately for 2-2. He gained the advantage again in the 11th game before serving it out in 66 minutes.
It lit a fire under the Aussie, who went up 3-0 in the second and broke again to take it to a third set.
But he dropped serve for 3-1 in the decider, before breaking back when Davidovich Fokina was serving for the championship at 5-4.
The 'Demon' went on to claim a breaker littered with unforced errors by his opponent.
De Minaur will return to the top 10 in the rankings after reaching the decider. His 42 wins at ATP 500 level since the start of the 2023 season is the most by any player on tour.
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Courier-Mail
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- Courier-Mail
Emerging forward joins Buddy Franklin in epic 19yr first as Lions outclass Collingwood
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Morris' career-best is the first time that any Lions player has kicked half a dozen goals in a game at the 'G since Jonathan Brown all the way back in Round 19, 2007. Additionally, he's the youngest player since Lance Franklin in 2006 to kick six at the 'Sporting Colosseum'. The Pies threatened a final-term comeback through super sub Bobby Hill in his return to AFL football, but it was star Zac Bailey who sealed the game's fate with just over three-and a-half-minutes to play. Collingwood had no response to Logan Morris. For Collingwood, Nick Daicos was monumental in the first half with 17 disposals, four inside 50s, two goal assists and a major before the main break, but slowed down as the Lions took control once more. Inclusions Jordan de Goey (tactically subbed in third quarter) and Bobby Hill (starting substitute) importantly looked to get through the match unscathed. 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Hugh McCluggage was the one for Brisbane orchestrating the side's threatening forward chains, recording three score involvements with nine disposals and two clearances in the first term. 'McCluggage has been outstanding in this first quarter. He's had a year and a half. I tell you what, if he's not All-Australian this year, you would be horribly surprised,' Lyon said on quarter-time. The Lions capitalised with three goals from turnover to Collingwood's none in the opening 30 minutes — but their defence suffered a key blow. Reliable stopper Ryan Lester was subbed out of the game early in the second quarter with concussion, as Bruce Reville entered the action earlier than anticipated. 'It was late in the third quarter, he went up into a marking contest and he just copped a little bit of a stray elbow from (Dan) McStay,' Geelong great Cameron Mooney reported from the boundary line. 'It really looks like there wasn't much in it, but it was enough obviously for the Brisbane Lions to make sure that he wasn't going to come back on.' Meanwhile, incredibly, Smith kicked his third goal of the night — again a dead-straight set shot — halfway through the second term, presenting as an unlikely sparkplug for the raring Lions. 'This is an amazing win,' Dunstall said of Smith's eye-opening return in just his fifth career AFL game and first of this season. But the Lions then had to withstand the Pies' pressure, which went up a notch from halfway through the second quarter, as the visitors' ball movement game stalled at the hands of the league's stingiest defence. 'Coming out of the back half now, the pressure is great (from Collingwood), I understand that. But they've got to find a way to use the ball short, break it up, and try and get some run back through the corridor. Banging it long to Cameron, Moore, whoever else, isn't working,' Lyon said. It was a five-goal-to-two second stanza from the Pies, who narrowed Brisbane's lead to one single point at the main change. Triple Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt sang the praises of Brisbane's emerging duo. 'They've been held together by a couple of young key forwards; Logan Morris and Henry Smith have both kicked three to throw the Collingwood backline a few curveballs,' he said. Morris booted his fourth and fifth goals of the evening early in the third, both with snaps. For the third time this season, Morris had five majors to his name. It was a four-goal-to-one premiership quarter by the Lions, who took a handy 19-point lead into the final change. 'A lot of talk has been about 'do the Lions miss Joe Daniher?' Well, young Logan Morris said 'hold my drinks, everybody, I've just snagged five at three-quarter-time',' Mooney said at three-quarter-time. 'One or two more, and this man might drag his team over the line.' It'd been an 18-year wait for another Brisbane Lions player to kick six goals on the MCG since 2007 when Brown did it — but cometh the moment, cometh the Morris. The 38-gamer snapped home his sixth, on his left foot, at the 13-minute mark to extend the Lions' buffer to a game-high 27-point lead. Lachie Neale and McCluggage wound up combining for a whopping 70 disposals, 19 clearances and 12 score involvements. Originally published as Emerging forward joins Buddy Franklin in epic 19yr first as Lions outclass Collingwood
Herald Sun
an hour ago
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Useless Lewis Hamilton reaches new low at Hungarian Grand Prix
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. A crestfallen Lewis Hamilton declared himself 'useless' after qualifying in 12th position for the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc surged to pole position. Seven-time world champion Hamilton exited the session in Q2 with his head down and his helmet on as the 40-year-old retreated to the team's motor home. He was one of several casualties on a day of wet and wild conditions. 'I'm useless,' said the British driver. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. 'Absolutely useless. The team has no problem. You've seen the car on pole so they probably need to change driver.' While series leader Oscar Piastri and the Australian's McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris found themselves unable to cope with changing conditions in the final minutes, Leclerc improved his lap time to snatch his unexpected pole. It was his first at the Hungaroring, his first this year and first since last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku as well as the 27th of his career. It was Ferrari's first pole in Hungary since Sebastian Vettel in 2017. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fifth ahead of teammate Lance Stroll, the pair enjoying their best qualifying of the season, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto seventh ahead of Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and the two Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. Hamilton, meanwhile, was backed to bounce back by four-time champion Verstappen who himself ranted about his Red Bull car and team after struggling to line up eighth on the grid. 'Looking at the whole weekend, I think we're happy to be in Q3 because I've been more outside the top 10 than in it — so, yeah, it's been difficult this whole weekend,' said the Dutch driver. 'No grip, front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying so, for me, it was not really a shock. I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend.' The 27-year-old Dutchman added that Red Bull — who had left a towel in his cockpit during a pit stop on Friday which led him to throw it out of the car, 24 hours after he had declared he was staying for 2026 — did not yet understand the problems with the car. 'No, clearly not,' he said. 'I mean, otherwise, of course, we would have changed it already, but somehow, this weekend, nothing seems to work.' Last year, Verstappen said he had been quick enough to challenge for pole, but this season, 'from lap one, it just felt off — and we threw the car around a lot and nothing really gave a direction. 'Now, it's just nothing works. You know, it's like just going around in circles and nothing gives you any kind of idea of what to do.' Looking ahead to Sunday's race, he said: 'There may be a few cars in front of me that I can maybe battle with a little bit and, of course, Lewis is still a bit further down the road which, I think, he shouldn't be there right? So, he will come through a bit.' The two multiple champions, who battled so intensely in 2021 when Verstappen claimed his first title after a controversial victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, appear to have found a rapprochement and mutual respect. But Hamilton's heart-on-sleeve vulnerability as he seeks his first Ferrari podium after 13 races this year may soon become a sad ending story if he cannot sort out his qualifying woes. As the record-holder of nine poles and a record eight wins at the Hungaroring, he has to produce a rousing reminder of his best racing days on Sunday, as Verstappen expects. Starting grid for 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Front row Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari), Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 2nd row Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 3rd row Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 4th row Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber), Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 5th row Liam Lawson (NZL/RB), Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB) 6th row Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 7th row Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams), Franco Colapinto (ARG/Alpine) 8th row Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes), Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Red Bull) 9th row Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas) 10th row Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber), Alex Albon (THA/Williams) Originally published as 'I'm useless': Lewis Hamilton reaches new low at Hungarian Grand Prix
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Wallabies win on the right side of violence
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