🎾 Down Under Duo Flying At Flushing Meadows

Hello there, it's Monday, 5 September. What a weekend of sport! There was A LOT happening so we've done our best to get you across the big stuff. If you feel like you need an extra day to recover from all the ups and downs, feel free to take the day off work (pending approval of your manager, boss, partner and/or children and pets). Let's get into it! 

⏱ 1,358 words = 6 minutes

👀  What a debut! 

THE MAIN GAME

🎾 Serena Williams bows out in style

Serena Williams' fairy tale run at the US Open has come to an end at the hands of an Aussie. 

Golden points: Australia's top-ranked women's player Ajla Tomljanovic disappointed 24,000 fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday morning by eliminating living legend Serena Williams in 3 sets.

• Tomljanovic needed 6 match points to defeat Williams, who used all her experience and energy from the crowd to keep fighting right until the end. 

• It means Williams' professional career looks to be over. She signed off by thanking her dad, mum and sister Venus, and we challenge you not shed a tear watching her farewell speech.

• But she left the door open for a possible return, saying she loves Australia - home of the next grand slam where she's won 7 singles titles.

• Tomljanovic handled the occasion with grace and class. She said she didn't hold it against the crowd for cheering every Williams point like she'd won the title because if it wasn't her playing Williams, she'd be cheering her on too.

• Tomljanovic plays Liudmila Samsonova in the round of 16 this morning, before the huge match between #1 seed Daniil Medvedev and Aussie Nick Krygios.

What they said: "I don't think we are friends. When I say 'friends', we haven't been to the bar together but I feel like we respect each other a lot. It's 3-1 to him but I'll try to do better this time and it'll be a great match for people to watch," - Medvedev on facing Kyrgios this morning.

Watch it: Tomljanovic and Kyrgios will both likely start at around 9am AEST this morning depending on when earlier matches finish. Watch it on 9Gem and Stan Sport. 

QUICK SINGLES

🏎 F1: Max Verstappen makes the most of a Mercedes mix-up to win the Dutch Grand Prix. Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton vented his frustration at his team (with some colourful language) after a pit stop strategy backfired and allowed Verstappen to overtake him and cruise to his 10th win of the season. Verstappen is now 109 points clear in the drivers' standings and it's gonna take something special to beat him. 

🏉 AFL: Six teams remain after an epic week one of footy finals. The Lions pipped the Tigers in a see-sawing match at the Gabba, the Swans upset the Dees at the 'G, the Cats clawed back to catch the Magpies and the Dockers came from nowhere to down the Bulldogs. That summary doesn't do the weekend justice but we can tell you Melbourne hosts Brisbane this Friday at the MCG. Then on Saturday, it's Collingwood playing Fremantle, again at the MCG. Nothing beats finals footy. Speaking of...

🏉 NRL: Week one of the NRL Finals is set and we've got some scrumdiddlyumptious matches. Kicking things off on Friday is Penrith against Parramatta in a western Sydney derby. On Saturday, Melbourne hosts Canberra in the afternoon and then in the evening, the Sharks play the Cowboys at PointsBet Stadium aka Shark Park. And on Sunday, arch-rivals the Roosters and the Rabbitohs play their 2nd match in as many weeks at the new Allianz Stadium. Here's a handy graphic from the NRL explaining what the finals look like. 

🏏 Cricket: Australia got beat by Zimbabwe but in good news, Mitch Starc set a new world record. So it wasn't a great day for the Aussies in Townsville on Sunday - they got bowled out for 141 by Zimbabwe, who then chased it down with 3 wickets in hand. Fortunately, Australia won the 1st 2 games, so they won the series 2-1. Starc picked up his 200th ODI wicket in his 102nd match, the fewest games it's taken a bowler to get 200. The Aussies play New Zealand in Cairns tomorrow. 

⚽️ Football: The Matildas are out for a bit of payback after losing to Canada. The Aussies lost 1-0 on Saturday in Brisbane in the 1st of 2 friendlies against the Tokyo Olympic champions. Canada's Adriana Leon scored a brilliant goal in the 11th minute and that was the last of the scoring despite plenty of golden opportunities that went begging. The teams play again tomorrow night in Sydney. 

🏉 Rugby: The Wallabies lost to the Springboks so now it's going to be really tough to win The Rugby Championship. South Africa beat the Wallabies for the 1st time on Australian soil in 9 years on Saturday, winning 24-8 in Sydney. It means Australia is now 2nd on the TRC table, behind New Zealand, and will have to beat the All Blacks twice to win the comp. That's a tough ask given the Wallabies haven't won the Bledisloe Cup since 2002. Saturday wasn't a great day for Aussie teams. 

🚣‍♀️ Paddling: Jess Fox is so good she can lose and still win. Fox won her 4th-straight kayak world title on the weekend to take her overall career tally to 9 world titles across all disciplines - and she's only 28! It wasn't a great event for Fox in Spain - she missed out on the kayak finals and a 50-second penalty sent her from 1st to 10th in the canoe - but she had enough points in the bag to win the kayak world title. 

LEFT OF FIELD

🥊 UFC: Remember last week we told you how Aussie fighter Rob Whittaker was using all of this self-control not to devour French pastries so he could make his weigh-in for his fight in Paris yesterday? Well, he made the weight and boy did he go to town on some sweet and savoury delights to celebrate. The pic below says it all but the sugar spike didn't hurt him because he hurt his opponent Marvin Vettori to win his middleweight fight by unanimous decision. 

📽 Highlight reel: A couple of weeks ago Manchester United didn't have a win. Now they're not only winning but beating the unbeaten Arsenal 3-1. It was a big day for Man Utd's new signing Antony scored on his debut. 

THE POLLING BOOTH

Friday's result: 30% love all birthday party activities, particularly the three-legged race and the one where you eat a donut from a string off the clothesline. 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• 🎾 9:00am - US Open - Kyrgios v Medvedev - Flushing Meadows, New York - 9Gem, 9Now, Stan Sport

• ⚾️ 9:00am - MLB - Dodgers v Padres - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

There's only one thing the manager hates more than a bunch of wet towels on the floor, and that's a referral that's gone missing... Tell your teammates, supporters, and physio about us. No one likes a ball hog...