Two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula leads an exceptional field for the first WTA 1000 event of the North American hard-court summer, the Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers in Montreal, Canada.
The Montreal main-draw entry list was revealed this week. All of the world’s Top 68 players in this week’s PIF WTA Rankings are entered in the field, as the event returns to the province of Quebec in its new expanded fashion.
The tournament alternates between Montreal and Toronto on an annual basis. This year in Montreal will be the Omnium Banque Nationale’s debut as a 12-day event with a 96-player main draw, increasing from its previous week-long duration and 56-player draw.
Main-draw play in Montreal will kick off on Sunday, July 27, and the tournament will end with a Thursday night final on August 7. Over 5 million dollars (U.S.) are on the line at the event, with the singles champion pocketing $752,275.
Regardless of location or tournament length, Pegula has been the Queen of Canada over the last two years. The World No. 3 won the title here in Montreal in 2023, then successfully defended her crown last year in Toronto.
She will try for the three-peat against a jam-packed field that includes World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and this year’s Grand Slam champions, 2025 Australian Open titlist Madison Keys and 2025 Roland Garros winner Coco Gauff.
Of course, the rest of the Top 10 are scheduled to join them: Iga Swiatek, Jasmine Paolini, Zheng Qinwen, Mirra Andreeva, Paula Badosa and Emma Navarro.
Alongside the Top 68 players in this week’s PIF WTA Rankings (dated June 30), the following players have received main-draw entry via protected ranking: Marketa Vondrousova, Sorana Cirstea, Zhu Lin and Anastasija Sevastova.
Grand Slam champions in the main-draw entry list are: Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Keys, Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Barbora Krejcikova, Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Jelena Ostapenko, and Sofia Kenin.
Another previous Omnium Banque Nationale champion and Grand Slam champion, Bianca Andreescu (2019 Toronto and 2019 US Open), has already received an early main-draw wild card, as has rising Canadian teen Victoria Mboko.
Along with Pegula, the previous Omnium Banque Nationale champions in the entry list include Belinda Bencic (2015 Toronto) and Elina Svitolina (2017 Toronto).
You can find the entire main-draw entry list via the Omnium Banque Nationale website here!
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (AP) — Half-centuries by Steve Smith and Cameron Green turned Australia’s situation against the West Indies from delicate to controlling on day three Saturday of the second test.
Australia, 1-0 up in the three-test series, was back in charge after recovering its second innings from 12-2 at the start of the day to 221-7 at stumps and a decent lead of 254 runs.
With the pitch playing tricks, often shooting low, Australia was beginning to like its chances of setting a target that was beyond the West Indies’ reach.
“We are in a nice spot,” Smith said. “I don’t think the wicket is going to get any better, will probably do a few more tricks. The new ball is going to be pretty crucial for us. Hopefully, we can get (the lead) up to somewhere around 300.”
Australia generally labored to score 209 runs in 58.3 overs around three delays for showers that added up to nearly two hours of play lost. When stumps were called because of bad light, Alex Carey was on 26 off 27 balls with captain Pat Cummins on 4.
But they were on top.
Smith joined Green after nightwatchman Nathan Lyon held out for nine overs to reach 8.
The first ball Smith faced from Alzarri Joseph smashed his right glove. Inside the glove was the pinkie finger he dislocated in the World Test Championship final last month and which sidelined him from the first test in Barbados.
“It was not ideal (getting hit on the finger) but it feels all right,” Smith said. “It is that kind of surface. Some can shoot up, you might have to take a few on the hands.”
Green resumed the day on 6 and soon passed his highest score at No. 3 in the order, 15. After lunch, his fifth boundary earned him 50 off 122 balls.
But the next ball he was out when he edged Shamar Joseph onto his stumps. Green finished on 52 and ended a 93-run partnership with Smith.
Smith’s sixth boundary brought up his 50 in 79 balls.
He and Travis Head got Australia to tea and a lead of 208.
But soon after, Smith was trapped by Justin Greaves. Smith reviewed but it showed the ball hitting his pad in front of off stump. His 71 off 119 balls included seven boundaries and a six flogged off Roston Chase over long-off.
Greaves also got Beau Webster for 2 but Head and Carey gave the total a 31-run surge before Head’s off stump was bowled by Shamar Joseph on 39.
Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers as the French forward continues comeback in Real Madrid’s 3-2 win against Dortmund.
Kylian Mbappe’s spectacular bicycle kick was among three goals in the second-half stoppage time, as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match.
The drama was not restricted to the late goals, with Real keeper Thibaut Courtois using his fingertips to palm away the potential levelling goal from the game’s final play.
Gonzalo Garcia and Fran García scored in the first 20 minutes as Madrid built a 2-0 lead.
Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier scored three minutes into stoppage time, and Mbappe, who entered in the 67th, restored a two-goal lead with his bicycle kick one minute later.
Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute of added time after he was fouled by Dean Huijsen, who received a red card and will miss the semifinals.
Courtois used all of the lengthy arm on his 200cm (6ft 7in) frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot just before the final whistle.
Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois saves a shot from Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer [Vincent Carchietta/Reuters]
Madrid advanced to a semifinal match against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a day after Chelsea meets Brazilian club Fluminense.
On a sunny afternoon, in 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) at the 3pm kickoff, Gonzalo Garcia scored in the 10th minute and Fran Garcia in the 20th.
Garcia, a 21-year-old who made only five Spanish league appearances in the past two seasons, was given the start by new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso over Mbappe, who is still regaining fitness after acute gastroenteritis.
Garcia has four goals, tying Benfica’s Angel Di María and Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo for the tournament lead.
Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia scores their first goal past Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel [Hannah McKay/Reuters]
Mbappe came on for Jude Bellingham, who missed a chance to play against his brother, Jobe, who was suspended for yellow-card accumulation.
Madrid beat Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 Champions League final and overcame a two-goal halftime deficit in a 5-2 victory in this season’s league phase. Los Blancos were eliminated by Arsenal in this year’s Champions League quarterfinals.
Madrid has won five consecutive games against Dortmund and is unbeaten in seven since a 2014 Champions League quarterfinal defeat.
American midfielder Gio Reyna did not get off the bench and finished the tournament with one 13-minute appearance for Dortmund in five matches.
This game drew 76,611 fans to MetLife Stadium, the site of next year’s World Cup final. Seats looked filled, except for a completely empty suite level on one side.
There was a moment of silence before kickoff for Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and his brother, Penafiel’s Andre Silva, who died in a car crash on Thursday.
Faith Kipyegon returned to record-breaking ways at the Eugene Diamond League on Saturday (5 July).
Nine days ago, she failed in an heroic attempt to become the first woman to run a four-minute mile in Paris. The Kenyan star looked notably fatigued in the closing stages, but she showed she was in great shape as she surged to a new 1500m world record in front of a sell-out crowd at Hayward Field.
Her race was the last of the night with the scene set for another historic run. And Kipyegon once again delivered. Australia’s Jessica Hull was in touch with the three-time Olympic gold medallist after the bell, but then the 31-year-old unleashed a typically devastating kick just as her compatriot Beatrice Chebet had done in breaking the 5000m world record some 90 minutes earlier.
Kipyegon ran the last 400m in 59.1 as she took victory in 3:48.68, 0.36 inside her mark from last July’s Paris Diamond League.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji took second in 3:51.44 with Hull coming home third in 3:52.67.
This is the third time Kipyegon has set a new world record over 1500m, having first broken it in Florence in 2023. A week after her Italian exploits, she broke the 5000m world record which now belongs to Chebet.
July 5 (Reuters) – Steve Smith’s magnificent 71 guided Australia to 221 for seven at stumps on day three of the second test against West Indies in Grenada on Saturday, helping the tourists to build a commanding 254-run lead despite late wickets and persistent rain interruptions.
Australia, who began the day two wickets down after losing Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja on Friday, made it to lunch at 69 for three and appeared vulnerable on a pitch offering variable bounce and seam movement.
Nathan Lyon’s nightwatchman role lasted 33 balls and yielded eight runs before he fell to Alzarri Joseph, with John Campbell taking the catch at third slip.
At that point, Australia were crying out for some heroics, and up stepped Smith and Cameron Green, who combined for a crucial 93-run partnership that turned the tide inexorably in the visitors’ favour.
Green contributed a vital 52, his highest score batting at number three, before falling immediately after reaching his half-century when he chopped a Shamar Joseph delivery on to his stumps.
Smith, back in the side after missing the first test with a finger injury, found his rhythm after a cautious start, smashing a six off Roston Chase and hitting seven boundaries in a patient knock that spanned 119 balls.
The veteran looked in complete control as he guided Australia through the middle sessions but his masterful innings ended when he was given out lbw to Justin Greaves after an unsuccessful review.
“We’re in a nice spot,” Smith said. “I don’t think the wicket is going to get any better, it will probably do a few more tricks.
“The new ball is going to be pretty crucial for us. Hopefully we can get up to somewhere around 300 and then we’ll see how it goes.”
Travis Head provided explosive support with 39 from 60 balls, including four boundaries, before being bowled by a Shamar Joseph delivery that nipped back sharply and caught him completely off guard.
Beau Webster managed just two runs before edging Greaves to slip, but Alex Carey helped to avert a mini-crisis with an unbeaten 26 that included some aggressive strokeplay.
The pitch continued to pose challenges through the day, with balls keeping low at times and offering variable bounce that troubled the batsmen.
West Indies’ bowlers toiled hard on the surface, with Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Greaves claiming two wickets apiece, but their efforts were undermined by Australia’s patient accumulation of runs.
With Carey and Pat Cummins at the crease overnight, Australia’s imposing advantage leaves West Indies facing an uphill battle.
Sunday promises to be decisive, with Australia needing a few more runs to set an even more daunting target, while West Indies require early wickets to keep alive their hopes. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Toronto; editing by Clare Fallon)
Hosts Morocco were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Zambia in an entertaining start to the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) at the Stade Olympique in Rabat on Saturday night.
It was Zambia who struck first, stunning the home crowd with a goal inside the opening minute.
Barbra Banda capitalised on space just outside the box, unleashing a powerful low shot into the bottom left corner following a rapid counter-attack initiated by Margaret Belemu.
It was a dream start for the Zambians, who looked sharp and aggressive from the outset.
Morocco regrouped quickly and began to push forward. Their pressure was rewarded in the 12th minute after Najat Badri was brought down by Grace Chanda in the penalty area.
Following a brief VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, and Ibtissam Jraïdi stepped up to level the scores with a composed strike into the top left corner.
However, Zambia continued to pose problems on the break. In the 27th minute, Banda turned provider, slicing through the Moroccan defence with a perfectly timed through ball that found Racheal Kundananji.
The striker made no mistake, finishing coolly past goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi to restore Zambia’s lead.
The first half ended 2-1 in Zambia’s favour, with the visitors looking the more clinical side. Morocco, meanwhile, were left frustrated by a series of near misses and wasteful finishing, particularly from Fatima Tagnaout and Ghizlane Chebbak.
The second half saw Morocco gradually dominate possession, and their efforts intensified as the game progressed.
They came close on several occasions, including a powerful shot from Sanaâ Mssoudy that was saved at full stretch by Zambian goalkeeper Ng’ambo Musole.
With time running out, Morocco finally found the breakthrough. In the 87th minute, Chebbak picked up the ball outside the box and unleashed a brilliant strike into the top corner, levelling the match at 2-2 and sparking wild celebrations in the stands.
Despite a late surge, neither side could find a winner in the closing minutes, and the match ended in a draw — a fair result given the balance of play.
The result marks the first time since 2004 that a WAFCON host has failed to win their opening match, ending an eight-edition streak.
Both Morocco and Zambia now look ahead to their remaining Group A fixtures with everything still to play for.
European champions Paris Saint‑Germain have edged past Bayern Munich 2‑0 to reach the semi-finals at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The deadlock was broken in the 78th minute when Désiré Doué latched onto a brilliant ball from João Neves and curled a left-footed strike past Manuel Neuer.
The drama intensified with two PSG red cards late in the game—Willian Pacho in the 82nd minute and Lucas Hernández in injury time.
Deep into stoppage time, Ousmane Dembélé sealed the victory in the 90+6th minute, sweeping in a composed finish that ensured PSG’s progression despite their numerical disadvantage
The match also saw a worrying moment as Bayern’s Jamal Musiala suffered a serious ankle injury late in the first half following a collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 05: Jamal Musiala #42 of Bayern Munich has a shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma #1 of Paris Saint-Germain during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 05, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Paris Saint‑Germain: 2 (DÉSIRÉ DOUÉ 78’, OUSMANE DEMBÉLÉ 90+6’)
Bayern Munich: 0
15 times Europoean champions Real Madrid flexed their muscles with a dramatic 3-2 win over another German side, Borussia Dortmund.
Early goals from Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia put the Spaniards in control and despite edging the possession stats, Dortmund never really looked like getting into the game until second half injury time.
Maximilian Beir’s deflective shot gave Dortmund late hope. But Kylian Mbappe effectively sealed the result two minutes later with a spectacular volley for 3-1. Dean Huijsen was then sent off for bringing down a Dortmund player in the box and Serhou Guirassy converted from the spot. Thibaut Cortouis then made an incredible last gasp save to deny Dortmund what would have been a remarkable equaliser.
Real Madrid will face PSG in the second semi final on Wednesday (US time) with Chelsea and Fluminese to meet in the first semi on Tuesday.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 05: Fran Garcia #20 of Real Madrid C. F. celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter-final match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium on July 05, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Carl Recine – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Real Madrid 3 (Gonzalo GARCIA 10′ Fran GARCIA 20′ K. Mbappé 90’+4)
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won a superb duel with Julien Alfred to take the women’s 100m at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic on Saturday (5 July).
Jefferson-Wooden made the far better start of the two, but the Olympic champion moved menacingly alongside the home runner with the pair well clear of the rest. However, Jefferson-Wooden refused to yield and crossed the line first in 10.75, just outside her world lead of 10.73 set at Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meet.
Alfred suffered her first defeat of the year as she took second in 10.77, with Ivorian veteran Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith clocking a season’s best 10.90 in third. Jamaican champion Tina Clayton (11.02) was fourth.
Sha’Carri Richardson, who had just one previous run under her belt this season – in Tokyo in April – was never competitive as she finished ninth in a season’s best 11.19. In the build-up to the race, the 2023 world champion revealed she had suffered an injury in February.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou was the fastest NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifier Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but he also drew the ire of Team Penske’s Will Power.
Power thought three-time and defending series champion Palou should have been more polite to him during the morning practice. To make his point, Power, a two-time series champion, six times directed one of the big curse words at Palou, and he pointed his finger at the Spaniard at least that many times.
Later, Power argued that it was as much the fault of Palou’s strategist Barry Wanser for sending Palou into his path, but he was just as angry that Palou didn’t yield the track to his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
“I went out on new tires, and he came out a lap later in front of me and then stayed there,” Power told FS1. “(He) then spent four laps just going slow, so I had to keep backing up, backing up, backing up, which was frustrating.
“Then, I came in (to the pits), made a change, went out, (was) on a money lap (and CGR) sent him out of the pits again right in front of me – and he didn’t move. He just kept going, and I had to back off again.”
Power noted that not only did Palou didn’t have traffic ahead of him on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course, no cars were behind him. One resolution would have been for Power to slow down to give himself a gap to Palou, but he didn’t choose that path.
“He could have backed off, which I always do for him and anyone else if I’m in that position,” Power said.
Palou said he anticipated what Power wanted to say to him – and likely how he was going to say it – as he approached him on pit lane after the session.
“Yeah, I knew, I knew,” Palou said. “Look, I think if you look at (either) practice, everybody is complaining about traffic, and we’re all angry that we don’t get clear laps. But maybe he thought we did something personal to him. For sure, that was not the intention.
“I don’t know if you saw, but I was always like a second or two seconds in front of him. He was just having to back off. I never tried to defend or anything. I think he was just a little upset, and that’s OK.
“But, yeah, I knew what he was coming (to discuss) – I just didn’t want to start to get into an argument. Yeah, it happens. It wasn’t my first time with him, so it’s good.”
Power, Teammates Fail To Advance
Power’s day didn’t get any better in qualifying. He and Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin did not turn laps in Round 1 that were fast enough to have them advance to the second round.
Newgarden will start Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport from the 18th position (of 27 cars). McLaughlin and Power will start together on the 11th row, qualifying 21st and 22nd, respectively. McLaughlin blamed traffic for preventing him from having a faster lap in qualifying.
All three Penske drivers are former series race winners at this track, so they must be accounted for in this race. McLaughlin has been particularly strong in recent years, finishing first, fourth and third in the past three races, an average finish of 2.66.
Newgarden has won two series races here. Power and McLaughlin have won one each.
Keep an Eye on Turn 4
This popular section of the Mid-Ohio circuit is the first corner the field will encounter at the start of Sunday’s race. Cars will be two-wide – at least – as they approach the hard right-hander. Trouble awaits, especially for those positioned in the left lane.
That portion of the track has been redefined since last year’s race, and it is flatter now to lessen the drop-off from asphalt to the gravel trap known as “China Beach.” Several cars drifted wide in practice, dropping left-side tires in the new grass. But that’s not the primary issue.
There now is a bump at a popular braking point, and the bump seems to be more prominent on the left side. McLaughlin hit it at a bad time Saturday, and it pushed his car off the track. He wasn’t the only one, and he won’t be the last. If another car is alongside when the bump bites, more than one car could get chewed up.
Longer Race Changes Pit Strategy
This will be the first INDYCAR SERIES race at this track since 2019 that’s 90 laps in length, and the 10-lap increase will change strategies.
For the past four years, 80 laps were the norm, but that was an easy two-stop strategy with tight pit windows. The result was conservative racing and few options. This year, three stops will be necessary, and there should be some flexibility in when to make them.
Fuel should last between 26 and 28 laps, but look for some competitors to pit early to get track position in the event of an early caution.
INDYCAR staged 90-lap races here from 2013-19.
Odds and Ends
McLaughlin is one of six drivers who won series races last year but are winless this year, and each of them won multiple races. Power and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward joined McLaughlin as three-time winners; Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, Newgarden and Colton Herta of Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian won two each. This year, Palou (six) and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood (three) are the only winners through nine races.
Kirkwood qualified seventh but like McLaughlin thought he was impacted by traffic ahead of him in the second round of qualifying. As a consolation, the driver who stands second in the standings (93 points behind Palou) will be one of the highest qualifiers with two sets of new Firestone Firehawk alternate tires for the race, and that should be an advantage.
Santino Ferrucci has been the hottest non-winner in the field the past four races. Despite having an average starting position of 18.25, the driver of the No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet has finished fifth, second, fifth and third, an average finish of 3.75, helping him climb to ninth in the standings. He qualified 17th for Sunday’s race.
Marcus Ericsson’s season continues to be a struggle. Twenty-first in the standings, the driver of the No. 28 FOX INDYCAR Honda of Andretti Global saw the front of his car slam the right-side barrier at Turn 14 in practice. Repairs were made, but Ericsson could only manage to qualify in the 11th position.
Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen qualified 10th, but the No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet will move back six positions for the start of the race due to an unapproved engine change following last week’s test at Iowa Speedway.
