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MANILA – Filipino Alexandra Eala and American Venus Williams marched to the doubles quarterfinals after beating American Alexandra Osborne and Australian Catherine Harrison in the first round, 6-3, 6-4, Wednesday night at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.

Eala and Williams, teaming up for the first time, will next face the second-seeded pair of Slovakian Tereza Mihalikova and British Olivia Nicholls.

Mihalikova and Nicholls, both ranked No. 29 in the doubles, defeated Chinese duo Xinyu Jiang and Yifan Xu, 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Slovenian pair Andreja Klepac and Nika Radisic ousted the top-ranked pair of American Nicole Melichar-Martinez and New Zealander Erin Routliffe, 6-4, 4-6, 10-2.

Klepac and Radisic will be up against Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi and Vera Zvonareva, who pulled off a 6-4, 4-2, 10-8 victory over Belgians Magali Kempen and Alexandra Panova.

German Tamara Korpatsch and British Emily Webley-Smith also ousted the No. 4 pair of Ukrainian Lyudmila Kichenok and American Desirae Krawczyk, 3-6, 7-5, 10-8, to set up a quarterfinal duel with Chinese tandem Su-Wei Hsieh and Xinyu Wang, 6-4, 7-5 winners over Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri and American Quinn Gleason.

Third seeds Ellen Perez of Australia and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands survived Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei and Carla Tauson of Denmark, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 10-6 to advance in the quarterfinals where they will meet Chinese pair Qianhui Tang and Shuai Zhang, who prevailed over Germans Tessa Johanna Brockman and Ella Seidel, 6-4, 6-1.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to send veteran forward Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals, the teams announced Wednesday.

In order to make it happen, the Sabres first signed Tuch to an eight-year, $84 million contract.

The Sabres will receive a 2027 third-round pick and forward David Kampf in exchange for Tuch.

It is Washington’s second big addition in as many days after acquiring winger Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis for the No. 16 pick in the draft, prospect Milton Gastrin and forward Connor McMichael. It’s also Buffalo’s second subtraction from its roster after sending defenceman Bo Byram to Chicago.

Also Wednesday, Nashville and Colorado made another swap, with the Predators getting Jack Drury, prospect Chase Bradley and a 2029 third-round pick for fellow forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov. It’s the second trade between the teams since Chris MacFarland left his post as Avalanche general manager to take over control of the Preds’ hockey operations department in early June.

“Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the faceoff circle,” MacFarland said. “His addition to our forward group bolsters our depth in the middle of the ice, and we’re thrilled to have him.”

More moves are expected in the leadup to the first round of the draft Friday and with free agency on the horizon next week.

“Sunday, the ball started to roll and now everybody’s on the treadmill,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said on a call with reporters. “It’s gone from a nice leisurely 2.5 walk (to) probably a 4.5 walk today and there’ll probably be a 6 jog tomorrow and an 8 run on Friday.”

San Jose GM Mike Grier, whose trading of young forward William Eklund to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick suggests the Sharks are not done dealing, observed that there is a lot of movement happening around the league. The salary cap is increasing to $104 million.

“The cap’s going up: Teams have money to spend, for the most part, for the first time in a while,” Grier said. “On top of that, I think free agent market, the free agent class, this year might not excite a lot of people, so I think that’s leading to a lot trades and people being open to trying to improve their teams in different ways. There’s some good players out there, but prices are high.”

The sign-and-trade option was all that was left for the Sabres to get anything in return for the 30-year-old Tuch, who was expected to be the top unrestricted free agent available if he hit the market July 1.

Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen said there had been no progress in contract talks with Tuch, who is coming off a season with 33 goals and 33 assists. The sign-and-trade allowed Tuch to get an eight-year deal, whereas he would have been limited to seven in free agency.

Like Tuch, Kekalainen said there was no movement with Byram, who he said expressed no interest in wanting to remain with the Sabres after his current contract expired next summer.

Kampf, 31, appeared in just two games with the Capitals last season. He played 38 games for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025-26, recording two goals and four assists.

Trade Details

Washington

Acquire

• Alex Tuch

Buffalo

Acquire

• Third-round pick
• David Kampf

June 24, 2026 – 3:25 pm ET

SIGNING DETAILS

• Alex TuchSigned bywsh

• Length:8 yrs
• Contract Type:Re-signing
• Salary Cap Hit:$10.5 million
• Total:$84 million

June 24, 2026 – 3:25 pm

ATLANTA: Haiti were the first team to exit the World Cup and, despite another defeat in their final game on Wednesday (Jun 24), they served up a thriller in Atlanta, almost putting Morocco to the sword, and showed just why they deserve their place in the tournament.

Haiti’s return after a 52-year absence may have ended in similar fashion, three defeats from three, but they went out in style, with the first half offering up probably the most entertaining 45 minutes of football at this World Cup so far.

‘We Will Be Back’ read a sign held up by a Haiti fan at Atlanta Stadium, and their performance against the 2022 semi-finalists showed they may not have to wait so long to return.

Morocco were looking for goals in a bid to top Group C, but Haiti twice took the lead. Morocco went on to win 4-2 in a game which will nevertheless serve as a wake-up call.

Haiti’s only previous World Cup appearance came in 1974, and their qualification this time around was seen as a result of FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament.

After a battling 1-0 loss to Scotland, Brazil proved too strong and Haiti went down 3-0 to exit the tournament, but their performance against Morocco will live long in the memory of the large contingent of passionate Haiti fans at Atlanta Stadium.

“We showed that we didn’t steal our spot here,” manager Sebastien Migne said. “We deserve to be here.

“I hope that what we gave the fans was good enough for them. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a point, we would have loved to give at least a point to our fans.”

Haiti captain and goalkeeper Johny Placide had announced that the Morocco game would be his last international match and the 38-year-old denied the Moroccans on several occasions, pulling off a stunning double save in the first half.

The opening lines from Haiti’s anthem, which was belted out before kickoff, read ‘For the Country, For the Ancestors, Let us march united, Let us march united’, but this game and World Cup qualification was also in large part for the diaspora.

Haiti did not play any qualifiers at home due to the ongoing security crisis in a country torn apart by gang violence since 2021. Travel restrictions meant most of their support at the World Cup came from Haitians already living in the U.S.

Most of their players were also sourced from abroad, and Migne, who has yet to visit Haiti, is determined to take the country back to the world’s biggest stage.

“We scored two goals, which is historic at a (single) World Cup game for Haiti,” Migne said. “We’ll keep working so that we can come back in four years from now.”

MIAMI: Scotland coach Steve Clarke thinks his team are heading home from their first World Cup in 28 years after what he viewed as a largely self-inflicted 3-0 loss to Brazil in their final Group C match on Wednesday (Jun 24). 

The Scots, with three points, still technically have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages at a World Cup for the first time as one of eight third-placed teams with the best records over the 12 groups. 

As things stand, Scotland have the sixth-best record but Clarke clearly believes that they will be overtaken by at least two other teams with 20 group matches remaining.

“Fair result,” he said. “You give a team like Brazil the chances that we gave them in the game, you expect to get punished. And that’s what happened. I think we’re probably going home.

“We know they’re deadly in the attacking third of the pitch, and we gave them for sure the first two goals, probably the third goal as well. 

“So we gave them the goals, but on the counter of that, they also missed a few chances and Angus (Gunn) had to make a few good saves.

“We created one or two chances, but nothing really clean.” 

Clarke’s frustration with his team’s performance on Wednesday was clear but he said he was not angry with the players who got Scotland to their first World Cup since France in 1998.       

“I’m disappointed for them because they didn’t reach the levels that they can reach,” he said. 

“I think we all know that. Anybody that’s watched this team over the last few years knows that we didn’t reach the levels that we can reach.”

The former Chelsea fullback said their campaign had also exposed structural issues in Scottish football that needed addressing.   

“I think when you see the physicality, the power and the technique of both Morocco and Brazil, you can see that we have to do something about it,” he said. 

“We have to try and be better at producing young players that can grace the world stage.”

Scotland’s Tartan Army of fans have lit up the tournament and while Clarke once again saluted their contribution, he said it was important supporters did not forget why they had been in the U.S. in the first place. 

“Don’t forget that this group of players brought these fans to America. This group of players qualified,” he added. 

“Otherwise, we’re doing what we always do. We’re sitting on the sofa and we’re watching the World Cup without Scotland. 

“They’ve had a great time, great ambassadors for the country, but they wouldn’t be here without that group of players.” 

ATLANTA: Haiti manager Sebastien Migne was disappointed his side could not earn a first World Cup point for the country but was proud of how they battled against Morocco where they twice went ahead before conceding two late goals to lose 4-2 on Wednesday (Jun 24).

Haiti, back at the World Cup for the first time since 1974, had already been eliminated after two defeats ahead of their final Group C game.

• “I’m disappointed from a result standpoint, I would have liked for us to score more and win, but that being said, I didn’t feel as though the boys gave up. Even in challenging conditions after that third goal, I was worried we would collapse,” said Migne.

• “It has to do with the Haitians’ culture. They just don’t give up that easily. So they were a nice reflection of the culture of the country. They represented their country right.”

• “We managed to show that we were worthy of this qualification. We were in the right place. Now we need to make some improvements and not wait for another 52 years.”

• “It’s a ripe new chapter in the history of Haiti. We were very close to making history in this World Cup, and in case we couldn’t win, we wanted to leave the World Cup with our heads high, and I think we did that.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Germany’s “bogeyman” Antonio Ruediger will be ready for more playing time as coach Julian Nagelsmann plans a few tweaks to the starting lineup when the team go for three wins in their final World Cup Group E match against Ecuador on Thursday.

Germany have already qualified, but will face a test of their defence at New York New Jersey Stadium with Ecuador desperate to salvage their winless campaign and centre back Nico Schlotterbeck out of the tournament with an ankle injury.

Real Madrid’s bruiser Ruediger could do the trick, after stepping in for the injured Schlotterbeck during their 2-1 win over Ivory Coast last week and with his knee no longer in pain after undergoing surgery a year ago.

“His knee doesn’t bother him right now, he feels very good and I think he did a great job when he came into the match last time and he will do the same tomorrow,” said Nagelsmann, via an interpreter. “We hope that Antonio is being rewarded with more match time.”

The four-times champions have made amends at the tournament this year, after failing to get past the group stage in the previous two editions. Nagelsmann said he was not planning to tinker too much with the starting 11.

That means fans will likely see super-sub Deniz Undav on the bench again on Thursday, a role the Stuttgart forward said he was happy to fill after scoring two goals in their 2-1 comeback win against Ivory Coast on Saturday.

“If it weren’t okay (starting on the bench) I wouldn’t be here at this press conference. I will try to give my best input whether I’m in the starting lineup or later,” he told reporters. 

“I joined from the bench twice and we won the game and I’m very happy about that… the most important thing is we win the match.”

LONDON, June 25 : The International Tennis Federation officially became known as World Tennis on Thursday, with the sport’s global governing body outlining its ambitious vision to boost participation by 30 per cent.

Founded in 1913, the ITF sets and enforces the sport’s rules, regulates international competition and runs the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, tennis at the Olympic Games and the tournament levels below the main Tours.

It also oversees the development and growth of the sport worldwide, and in announcing the name change pledged to reinvest 85 per cent of all income it generates each year for the next decade.

In an open letter, World Tennis president David Haggerty and CEO Ross Hutchins outlined five strategic priorities:

• Growing participation

• Powering future stars

• Elevating official national competitions

• Ensuring a sport fit for the future

• Investing to grow the game

“Tennis is already one of the world’s largest sports. But we want to shout from the rooftops to anyone who hasn’t discovered us yet, ‘Tennis for all!’ and most importantly, tennis for you,” the letter read.

“If more people play, watch or follow, everyone in the game benefits. That’s the future we’ll be striving for.

“We believe it’s possible to increase global participation from 106 million people playing tennis to 140 million by 2035. That’s an increase of more than 30 per cent. We want to be ambitious, but we do think it’s realistic too.”

Explaining the need for a change of name, former professional player Hutchins said it was about being ‘recognisable’ and separate from organisations such as the men’s ATP Tour and women’s WTA Tour.

“The ITF isn’t well known enough or isn’t understood enough by audiences that can have a difference and a positive impact to our game,” Hutchins said.

“World Tennis shows the global nature of us, shows the focal point of us as an organisation.” 

The change in name comes at a crucial time for tennis with leading players demanding a greater share of Grand Slam revenues and some of them making their point by limiting their media appearances at the French Open.

Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic recently called for more unity between the various organisations in the sport or risk fragmentation.

Hutchins, formerly the ATP’s Chief Sporting Officer, said that World Tennis would drive collaboration.

“I’m very open and transparent in what I believe and now in this position, I feel it even stronger than before, that collaboration is the way forward,” he said.

BENGALURU, June 25 : Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defence under close watch after his French Open stumble, with concern not just about what his body can endure but how physical disruptions can feed into a game that leaves little room for doubt.

The warning signs surfaced in Paris, where Sinner’s campaign ended in a physically compromised second-round defeat, prompting the Italian to return to Milan for medical tests as questions about the toll of a relentless season grew.

Sinner has since adopted an unusual build-up to Wimbledon by skipping traditional grasscourt tune-up tournaments in favour of controlled training blocks, including work on hardcourts, as he prioritises regaining fitness and rhythm.

LONG PRACTICE SESSIONS FOR SINNER

“I took one week off and spent some time with my friends and family, which was really important. After that, we went straight back to practice, because there’s a big run coming up,” Sinner told Vogue about Wimbledon and the U.S. hardcourt swing.

“We don’t have a lot of time to practice for that usually. I’m always trying to see the positives in situations, and the positive part of going out early of Roland Garros, though I’d have liked to go deeper, is getting some extra time.

“We try to maximize every day, so there have been a lot of long practice sessions, and I’m very happy with the shape and mental state I’m in right now.”

TITLE DEFENCE BRINGS EXTRA PRESSURE

The 24-year-old’s place at the top has been reinforced by steady success this season, including ATP 1000 titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, prompting top coach Patrick Mouratoglou to dismiss concerns about his recent dip.

“I don’t think what happened at Roland Garros is going to affect Jannik’s performance or Jannik’s confidence,” Mouratoglou said on Instagram, also singling out Novak Djokovic and French Open champion Alexander Zverev as leading contenders.

“Look at what he (Sinner) has done since January, it’s a joke how many matches he won in a row. All those Masters 1000s. To be the defending champion is always an extra pressure, but I think he is really used to that kind of pressure.

“He’s the huge favourite, and I think he’s in the best position to win the title.”

However, former player Jeff Greenwald, author of “The Best Tennis of Your Life” and a sports psychology consultant, said physical limitations could become a major factor even for someone like Sinner at the highest level.

“His team will be managing this with great scrutiny and exhaust all measures to help him navigate this more effectively,” Greenwald told Reuters.

“Five sets is gruelling and, like mental lapses, physical lapses and fatigue will always play a role. Knowing you can go the distance is essential at the highest level of the game.”

HE WILL FIND HIS RHYTHM, COACH SAYS

Gustavo Granitto, an International Tennis Federation coach who is certified in the Gazing Red2Blue mindset framework used by some professional athletes, backed Sinner to regain clarity as he builds into the tournament at Wimbledon.

“I don’t think it’ll leave him undercooked,” Granitto said about Sinner’s decision to skip warm-up events.

“I believe that since March, he’s put together a great winning streak that may have drained a lot of his energy at a critical moment, like Roland Garros.

“He’ll arrive at Wimbledon in good shape and mentally recover after the break. I haven’t heard that he’s carrying any injuries … he will find his rhythm, if he needs to.”

Overview
Bruce Thornton was named Mr. Georgia Basketball in 2022 and was a four-star recruit, picking Ohio State over Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. With the Buckeyes, Thornton was a four-year team captain and became Ohio State’s all-time leading scorer. He earned two Second-Team All-Big Ten nods (2025, 2026) and one Third-Team honor (2024). Thornton was also an AP Honorable Mention All-American as a senior, leading the Buckeyes to their first NCAA Tournament since 2022. He joined Talor Battle as the only Big Ten players ever to record 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. Over his final two collegiate seasons, Thornton averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game with 53/40/84 shooting splits. In four seasons, he missed only one game. 

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Career Highlights

• Three‑time All‑Big Ten Team selection, including Second Team honors in 2024‑25 and 2025‑26.
• Ohio State’s all‑time leading scorer (2,164 points), breaking Dennis Hopson’s 39-year-old record in 2026.
• One of two Big Ten players ever with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, joining Talor Battle.
• In 2025-26, averaged 19.9 points and named an AP Honorable Mention All‑America selection.
• First four‑time team captain in Buckeyes history; three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

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Analysis
Thornton made an immediate impact in college and only got better over time. He plays under control, hardly ever turning the ball over while delivering elite offensive production. As he got older and stronger, his efficiency improved, but his game was built on being more physical than his opponents. That’ll be difficult to replicate at the NBA level, but Thornton has enough veteran moxie and savvy to develop into a crafty professional scorer. While not the biggest or most gifted athlete, he has a low center of gravity and plenty of tenacity to be intrigued by his defensive upside. 

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Projection
Thornton’s college arc and playing style draw natural comparisons to Jalen Brunson, who was a four-year, undersized guard and needed multiple years in the NBA before surprisingly developing into an All-NBA talent. That’d be a best-case scenario for Thornton, who’s more likely to have a long career as a reserve or depth option. He’s bigger than Tyus and Tre Jones, but like the brothers out of Duke, Thornton could be a steady backup guard whom coaches feel comfortable leading the second-unit offense. Thornton is also a few inches shorter than Lu Dort but just as strong and could be an annoying 3-and-D player for years if he focuses on being a wing at the next level. 

ST. LOUIS — Prior to Wednesday’s 9-4 win against the Cardinals, the D-backs recalled left-hander Mitch Bratt (D-backs’ No. 14 prospect) from Triple-A Reno and designated veteran first baseman Carlos Santana for assignment after activating him from the 60-day injured list.

To make room for Bratt on the 26-man roster, Arizona optioned lefty Kohl Drake to Triple-A. Bratt, who owns a 2.84 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 12 walks over 44 1/3 innings in 11 starts for Reno this season, made his MLB debut on Wednesday.

Despite entering with a roughly 50-pitch limit, Bratt still successfully navigated three innings and allowed just one run on two hits and struck out three. While he lamented wasting a few pitches on two walks, he was able to settle in and feel his feet once he heard the first sign in his PitchCom.

“It’s crazy. A lot of emotions leading up to it,” he said after the D-backs’ win. “Finding out two days ago now, it’s been a whirlwind of 48 hours, but yeah, ecstatic. Really happy with how it went.”

He estimated that a group of approximately 20 friends and family members were able to make the trek to St. Louis for his debut, including some who drove up to 13 hours from the greater Toronto area, where Brat is from.

Bratt and Drake were both acquired from the Rangers along with David Hagaman in a trade for Merrill Kelly in July.

“They were both [at Spring Training] early, so it was kind of cool just meeting them, sharing the fact that we’re both D-backs now,” Kelly said.

The D-backs signed Santana to a one-year, $2 million deal over the offseason to be their starting first baseman, but he ended up playing only eight games with the club. Santana went 2-for-24 (.083) in those games before going on the IL with a right adductor strain. He suffered a setback while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno in May, delaying his return.

The D-backs became the ninth team the 40-year-old has played for during a career spanning 17 seasons in the Majors. Much of that time has come with the Guardians over three separate stints with the club, and he also played for the Phillies, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Brewers, Twins and Cubs before joining Arizona.

With Santana sidelined, the D-backs have given much of the playing time at first base to Ildemaro Vargas.

“I feel terrible that it came to that,” Lovullo said. “He got injured, never really got any footing here. He was getting some playing time, and all of the sudden he was gone. … He’s a great man. He’s been doing it for a very long time at a very high level. We felt like there was a need for him, but things have changed.”

The emergence of Vargas at first, as well as a desire to find opportunities for LuJames Groover and Pavin Smith, shrunk down the opportunities for Santana, and eventually left Arizona in a spot without a clear roster fit as he was returning to health.

“Carlos is an unbelievable teammate and a human being, and we’re going to miss that,” Lovullo emphasized. “It’s the toughest part of this game when you have to say goodbye to somebody like that.”