🎾 No Stopping Serena Williams

Good morning, it's Friday, 2 September. Far out, there's a bit happening. Serena keeps winning, Kyrgios loses his cool (and keeps winning), Brisbane wins an AFL epic, Parramatta beats the Storm (again) and the Aussies name a bolter! If you reckon that's heaps, check out what we're watching this weekend at the bottom of the newsletter. We can't remember a bigger Saturday of sport. Christmas has come early!

⏱ 1,493 words = 6 minutes

👀 Goal or no goal?

THE MAIN GAME

🎾 Serena Williams is a pretty good player

Serena Williams' farewell tour ain't over yet and there's no end in sight.

The score: Serena Williams beat Anett Kontaveit 7-6(4) 2-6 6-2 in the US Open Women's Singles 2nd round.

Golden points: On paper, this looked like a mismatch. Kontaveit, the women's world #2 up against Williams, a player ranked #605 who had one win the past 450 days.

• But this was no ordinary #605. Williams wound back the clock to put on a vintage performance in front of another jam-packed crowd, celebs and Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods, who was sitting with her team for the entire match.

• Williams powered her way to the 1st set in a tie-breaker but her heavy groundstrokes misfired in the 2nd set, so it was all square heading into the 3rd.

• A quick bathroom break, without a motivational rev-up, had Williams refocused for the deciding set. It was one-way traffic. Williams broke Kontaveit's serve at will to race out to a 4-1 lead before sealing the win with her 38th winner.

• It means Williams is through to the 3rd round at the US Open for the 21st time. She'll now face Australian Ajla Tomljanovic tomorrow morning AEST.

• Unless you've been living under a rock (hello if you have been!) you'd know this is set to be Williams' last grand slam and with all the upsets, her side of the draw is wide open. Fairy tale finish, anyone?

The stat: Remember just before when we said Williams is through to the 3rd round of the US Open for the 21st time? Well, get this - the 3rd round is her worst result at the US Open and the last time that happened was in 1998 in her 1st appearance. She's made at least the semi-finals in her past 11 US Opens.

What they said: "I’m loving this crowd. There’s still a little left in me. We’ll see. I’m a pretty good player, this is what I do best. I love a challenge and I’m rising to the challenge," - Williams is feeling it.

What's next: Serena and sister Venus will play doubles this morning from 9am AEST, then Serena will play Tomljanovic at probably the same time on Saturday.

QUICK SINGLES

🎾 Tennis: Nick Kyrgios rallies to make the 3rd round in New York. If it was vintage Serena Williams it was vintage Kyrgios yesterday as well. He was a class above French opponent Benjamin Bonzi for the 1st 2 sets but then things came undone in the 3rd set as Kyrgios berated himself and his team. But just as the match looked like it was going to a 4th set, Kyrgios rattled off 9 straight points from 0-40 at 4-4 to progress. He complained during the match about smelling marijuana in the stands. The US Open is not a grass event.

🏉 AFL: Brisbane knocks out Richmond in an epic 106-104 elimination final win that had it all. Lions coach Chris Fagan says it's one of the greatest finals in AFL history (he might be biased) but it's hard to argue about a match that had 32 goals, 17 lead changes and a bit of controversy. So close was the match that the start Tigers theme song was accidentally played at full time. The Lions will now play the loser of tonight's Demons-Swans match at the MCG.

🏉 NRL: Parramatta sealed a top 4 spot with another win over Melbourne. It's now 4 wins in a row for the Eels against the Storm and last night's 22-14 win means they'll finish 4th and play minor premiers Penrith in round one of the finals next week. It's the 1st time since 2014 that the Storm haven't finished in the top 4 - they were eliminated that year by the Bulldogs 28-4 in week one of the finals. Melbourne will play either Brisbane or Canberra next week at home.

🏏 Cricket: Australia has named its squad for the men's T20 World Cup and we've got a bolter! Singapore-born, Perth-raised, Hobart Hurricanes heavy hitter Tim David is the surprise call-up in Australia's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup on home soil next month. David hits a boundary every 4.5 balls in T20 cricket, and many of those have been over the boundary. He comes in for leggie Mitch Swepson as the only change to the Aussie squad that won the T20 World Cup for the 1st last year in the UAE.

🏀 NBA: Donovan Mitchell is heading to Cleveland. That's what NBA bombshell-dropper Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting this morning. According to Woj, the Utah Jazz is getting Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, 3 unprotected first-round picks, and 2 pick swaps. That's a lot. The Jazz has entered rebuild mode after trading All-Star centre Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and now Mitchell to the Cavaliers.

LEFT OF FIELD

🥇 Aussie sport: Tug-of-war isn't just for ancient athletes or participants in Squid Game. It's a real thing and last weekend Woolgoolga won the men's open weight national title. Woolgoolga, a great little spot near Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid-North Coast, beat the Brisbane Bulldogs in the final. It's a full-circle moment for Woolgoolga captain Michael Singh. His dad was part of the last Woolgoolga team to win it back in 1992. Now's he a champion and says there's more to tug-of-war than you think. He likens the strategy element to a game of chess, so we're thinking a Squid Game-Queen's Gambit crossover is on the cards here.

📽 Highlight reel: We can't talk about an epic AFL final without giving you the highlights. Here are the last 2 minutes, including the late drama and match-winning goal. 

📸 Photo finish: How to kick a football, by Sam Kerr. The Matildas play Canada in the 1st of 2 international friendlies tomorrow in Brisbane. Can't wait. 

THE POLLING BOOTH

Thursday's result: Burritos beat tacos by a single vote as the preferred Mexican delight.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• 🎾 9:00am Friday - US Open - Williams/Williams v Hradecka/Noskova - Flushing Meadows, New York - 9Gem, 9Now, Stan Sport

• 🏉 7:50pm Friday - AFL - Demons v Swans, Qualifying Final - MCG, Melbourne - 7 Sport, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 7:55pm Friday - NRL - Roosters v Rabbitohs - Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏏 9:40am Saturday - Cricket - Australia v Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI - Riverway Stadium, Townsville - Foxtel, Kayo

• ⚽️ 2:45pm Saturday - Football - Matildas v Canada - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Channel 10

• 🏉 4:35pm Saturday - AFL - Cats v Magpies, Qualifying Final - MCG, Melbourne - 7 Sport, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 7:35pm Saturday - Rugby - Wallabies v Springboks - Allianz Stadium, Sydney - Channel 9, Stan Sport

• 🏉 8:10pm Saturday - AFL - Dockers v Bulldogs, Elimination Final - Optus Stadium, Perth - 7 Sport, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 11:00am Sunday - AFLW - Essendon v Carlton - ETU Stadium, Melbourne - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏎 11:00pm Sunday - F1 - Dutch Grand Prix - Zandvoort, Netherlands - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

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