Zverev wins US Open for second Grand Slam title

Alexander Zverev held off Ben Shelton to win the US Open on Sunday, capturing the second Grand Slam of his career just months after winning the French Open. bettingx.club

The top-seeded German ruthlessly snuffed out a late surge by Shelton to triumph 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-2, crushing the eighth seed’s hopes of becoming the first US man in 23 years to win a Grand Slam title.

Zverev expunged the bitter memory of his 2020 US Open defeat, when he was two points from victory before falling to Dominic Thiem in five sets.

It would be six years – with two major finals disappointments – before he would break through this season.

“I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said at the trophy presentation.

The 23-year-old Shelton was one month shy of his first birthday when Andy Roddick hoisted the 2003 US Open trophy in the last major triumph for a US man.

Hopes were high that Shelton could end the drought after his epic five-set quarter-final victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, and a come-from-behind win over compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.

But Zverev’s all-court excellence proved too much for Shelton, despite the support of a star-studded Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd trying to will the American to victory.

With their backing, Shelton surged in the third set, eliminating the errors that Zverev had ruthlessly exploited.

Serving to extend the set, Zverev fell behind 0-40. Shelton fired long on his first set point but on the second Zverev’s forehand volley went wide. Shelton had his first break of the match and they were headed to a fourth set.

Zverev, however, responded immediately and decisively, breaking Shelton in the first game of the fourth set and rolling home.

He lifted his arms in triumph after Shelton fired a serve return long on match point and finally received his own huge cheer from the crowd – but not before some prompting.

Zverev said he didn’t initially realize he’d won because he had lost track of the score.

“I knew I broke him twice, but I thought it was 5-1 instead of 6-2, which helped me in a way, because I didn’t really get nervous serving out the match,” Zverev said.

“In that moment I was in the zone a lot. I didn’t hear noise at all. Then also, of course, when the crowd is loud, it’s impossible to hear the umpire, so I didn’t hear that she said, ‘Game, set, match.'”

Zverev had followed up his French Open victory with a runner-up finish at Wimbledon.

But his New York prospects had looked bleak as he labored through two five-setters to start the tournament.

Now the 29-year-old ranked second in the world has a chance to challenge for the number one ranking with Italian Jannik Sinner currently sidelined by a knee injury.

With this win, Zverev said he might consider himself the best player in the world “right, right now.”

“If everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead.”

Very few chances

Shelton had entered to a massive ovation but from the start the sharpness that carried him past Alcaraz and Tiafoe was lacking.

Zverev, with utter calm and a superb serve, quickly asserted his authority with a break in the first game, Shelton double faulting on break point.

Eight games later the American double faulted on set point.

Shelton rallied from 0-30 down to force the second-set tiebreaker, but was helpless as Zverev roared to a 5-0 lead and took a two-sets-to-none lead with a service winner.

Shelton gave it all he had in the third, hitting the deck as he chased one blistering Zverev forehand. Although he capitalized on uncharacteristic errors from the German to extend the match there was no stopping Zverev in the final set.

“I made too many errors when I had the ball there on my strings,” Shelton said. “I wasn’t amazing attacking on my forehand today. I wasn’t great in transition.

“It’s not easy,” he added. “Playing a guy like him there’s very few chances.”

Pro Ref, l’organisme qui gère les arbitres de Premier League (ex-PGMOL), a reconnu une « erreur d’appréciation » sur le but d’Erling Haaland. C’est ce but qui a offert le derby de Manchester à City (1-0), ce dimanche. Manchester United, de Bryan Mbeumo, a été contacté dès le soir même. Une revue des officiels impliqués […]

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Damian Willemse says the Springboks can take plenty of positives and confidence from the team’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series win into the remainder of 2026.

Rassie Erasmus’ troops beat the All Blacks 43-28 in Baltimore on Saturday to clinch the series 3-1 and confirmed the world No 1 status of the back-to-back world champions.

Willemse hailed South Africa’s victory – the highest winning margin of the series – after the men in green and gold took a 17-14 lead into the break at the M&T Bank Stadium.

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“We expected a tough game against New Zealand; being 2-1 down, they wanted to fire us up and draw this series,” the 28-year-old said.

“How we reacted after half-time when they scored that try, we stuck to our guns, made plans. I’m proud of everyone in the team.

“We’re super stoked and happy with the series win. This really means a lot to all of us.”

Willemse, who slotted in at fullback for the injured Cheslin Kolbe after missing the third Test with a hamstring problem, emphasised how the South Africans regrouped following their series-opening defeat at Ellis Park.

“After the first Test, taking that loss, there were parts of our game that we had to work on,” he added.

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“We got momentum and opportunities which we didn’t finish and as the series went along, we got better.

“The attack wasn’t really there; the breakdown was a bit of a shambles … certain areas of our game that we had to work hard on.

“Credit to the coaching staff and how they came up with plans and solutions and got us going again and gave us belief.

“For a lot of the guys, this is the first big series for them. We’ll take a lot of positives and confidence from this and we’ll just keep on growing and building our game.”

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Willemse now adds a Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry winner’s medal to his World Cup, Rugby Championship and British & Irish Lions series collection.

“Whenever you run out to represent the Springboks and you’ve got the Springbok in your heart, you want to go out there and make everyone proud.

“This doesn’t only belong to us, it belongs to South Africa as well.”

The Boks now have a week’s break before a one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday, 27 September.

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images

The post Gaza: We’ll keep on growing and building appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus said they would have been proud to be part of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series even if they hadn’t won it.

The Boks clinched the series 3-1 with a 43-28 win in the final game against the All Blacks in Baltimore on Saturday.

It was South Africa’s third consecutive victory over the New Zealanders, after bouncing back from a 33-16 defeat at Ellis Park – which broke their 12-Test winning streak – with a 33-26 win in Cape Town and a 29-24 victory in Soweto.

The Boks dominated all areas of play but only led 17-14 at the break. But instead of falling short as they did from a similar position in the second half in Johannesburg, the Springboks scored two early second-half tries and maintained their momentum, ultimately winning six tries to four.

Arendse changed the game

Erasmus said Kurt-Lee Arendse’s individual effort, when he picked up a loose ball in his own half and ran through defenders to the All Blacks’ try line, was probably the moment when the Boks stretched the gap over their opponents.

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“Kurt-Lee started burning guys,” the coach said after his 100th match in charge of the Springboks.

“Kurt-Lee himself admitted he had been going through a mental and physical dip. He had concussions and stuff. I thought when he scored that try it was pivotal. Until then it was anyone’s game.”

The All Blacks trailed 43-21 for the final 15 minutes before their consolation try. Still, Erasmus said the difference between the sides was not as great as the scoreboard showed.

Springboks proud to be part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

The coach also spoke of the value of the first proper tour between the two greatest rugby nations since New Zealand won 2-1 in South Africa 30 years ago, in 1996.

“I grew up in the era when there wasn’t [Springbok] rugby, and we only watched New Zealand and the [Boland] Cavaliers tour and the flower-bomb Test [in 1981]. My heroes were [former All Black No 8] Murray Mexted, those kind of guys.

“When this came up on the radar we said we would support it.”

Erasmus said every week had intrigue on and off the field, with the media and public arguing about the legality of scrums, making the series all the more interesting.

“I think it’s great for the game,” he said, adding that even if they lost the decider and it ended up being a 2-2 tie, the series was a success.

“New Zealand were getting into communities in South Africa. South African New Zealand supporters got to see their heroes in the flesh. And then they produced.

“We are proud to be part of this. Not necessarily because we won. One day when we are old we’ll say we played in 2026, in that first tour when the Greatest Rivalry started. So, massive privilege, massive respect for both sides. I like it.”