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Genesis Open 2021: Max Homa Edges Tony Finau in Playoff for Win

Feb 21, 2021
Max Homa tees off on the first hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)
Max Homa tees off on the first hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang)

Max Homa knows how to win in the most dramatic fashion possible.   

His five-under 66 on Sunday helped him finish 12 under for the Genesis Invitational and keep pace with the red-hot Tony Finau (12 under overall, seven under on Sunday) before beating him in two playoff holes to earn the title in Pacific Palisades, California. Both players catapulted past Sam Burns (11 under), who came into Sunday atop the leaderboard but shot a 69.

Homa had an opportunity to win the tournament on No. 18, going into the hole tied with Finau, but missed a three-foot birdie attempt. 

So the pair went to extra holes and started on No. 10, where Homa found the trees, though he managed to salvage a birdie attempt:

Both players finished with pars and headed to No. 14 for a second playoff hole, during which Homa put himself in position for a birdie. This time, he executed:

Finau finished the hole with a second straight par, and the title belonged to Homa.

Homa, who grew up in Los Angeles and watched the Genesis Invitational growing up, was emotional after his victory:

It was a tough break for Finau, who was superb Sunday but didn't quite have enough to beat Homa in the playoff. 

There's a bit of "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" happening for Finau on the golf course these days, though it shouldn't overshadow the fact he's playing fantastic golf:

For much of the tournament, it looked as though Burns was going to claim his first PGA Tour win. And while he didn't play poorly Sunday, he couldn't hold off the surging Homa and Finau. Still, finishing third represented the best result of his career. 

And when the two guys chasing you are hitting some of the shots you'll see below, well, you can forgive yourself for giving up the lead:

Other notable finishers at the tournament included Jon Rahm (seven under), Dustin Johnson (six under), Jordan Spieth (four under) and Rickie Fowler (three under). 

Oh, and tournament host Tiger Woods provided an update about his health and his plans for The Masters:

"God, I hope so," Woods said when CBS' Jim Nantz asked him if he would be at The Masters. "I've got to get there first. A lot of it's based on my surgeons and my doctors and my therapists and making sure I do it correctly. This is the only back I've got, so I don't have much more wiggle room left."

Australian Open 2021 Results: Women's Final Score and Men's Final Predictions

Feb 20, 2021
Japan's Naomi Osaka holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup aloft after defeating United States Jennifer Brady in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Japan's Naomi Osaka holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup aloft after defeating United States Jennifer Brady in the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Naomi Osaka's name will be engraved on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for a second time following a two-set drubbing of American Jennifer Brady in Saturday's Australian Open women's final. 

Osaka overcame huge forearms from Brady, which seemed to enhance the Japanese's own intensity, and meticulously placed her shots en route to a tough first-set win and a slightly more straightforward second.

The two-time Australian Open winner's dominance was on full display throughout the tournament as she dropped just one set in seven rounds of competition.

The victory also extended her unbeaten streak to 21 and her Grand Slam trophy haul to four.

They are staggeringly impressive numbers for a 23-year-old phenom in the midst of establishing herself as the top star of women's tennis.

    

Women's Final Score

No. 3 Naomi Osaka def. No. 22 Jennifer Brady, 6-4, 6-3

     

Osaka has never lost when she has made it to the quarterfinal round or further in Grand Slam competition, making her one of the best big-game performers in all sports. She is also the first woman to win the first four Grand Slam finals of her career since Monica Seles—and only the third player to do so in the Open era. 

The Japanese star remained humble despite her success when addressing first-time Grand Slam finalist Brady in her post-match comments: "We played in the semis in the U.S. Open a couple of months ago, and I told everyone that was listening that you would be a problem, and I was right. ... I think we're going to play a lot more matches, so here's to that."

Osaka recognized the significance of playing a major tennis tournament at this time in the middle of a worldwide pandemic: "I feel like playing a Grand Slam right now is a super privilege, and it's something that I won't take for granted."

Perhaps more impressive than her extraordinary play on the court has been the effect of Osaka's inspirational efforts off-court. ESPN commentators Chris Evert and Chris Fowler and President of Tennis Australia Jayne Hrdlicka all celebrated the champion's efforts to bring awareness to social injustice.

It is indicative of a transcendent athlete, whose reach will extend far beyond her sport and only grow stronger with every championship trophy she hoists.

     

Men's Final Prediction

Novak Djokovic is the world's No. 1 player and has overcome an oblique injury to make it to his ninth Australian Open finals.

The defiant 33-year-old laid down the gauntlet to his opponent, Russian Daniil Medvedev: "Pressure is always there, it's what we do. Everyone talks about the new generation coming and taking over us, but realistically that isn't happening still."

And he is right. Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continue to dominate men's tennis despite a crop of young, hungry and immensely talented players hot on their heels. Sunday, Djoker faces the latest challenger to his throne in Medvedev, who may be the best player in this year's Open competition.

Medvedev dismantled Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, the same player who eliminated Nadal one round earlier. Since November, the Russian has beaten every one of the ATP's Top 10 players except Federer, who remains sidelined. 

He will leave Australia, at the least, as the third-ranked player in the world, thanks to his extraordinary play in this tournament. A win over Djokovic will move him a spot higher to No. 2.

To do that, he will have to do something no other man has ever done: beat the Serb in the Melbourne final.

Djokovic has a win percentage of 91 at the Australian Open, he has broken serve 45 times in finals, and he has amassed 100 aces in his six Open matches here in 2021, per ATP. 

His dominance in Melbourne makes it extremely difficult to rule in the favor of his opponent, but not impossible.

Medvedev has been phenomenal in this tournament, and with Djokovic essentially daring the 25-year-old to beat him, the stakes have been raised. Look for the young Russian to do the unthinkable and become the one in Djokovic's 8-1 Australian Open record by the end of Sunday.

Prediction: Medvedev def. Djokovic in five sets 

Isaiah Thomas Drops 19 as Team USA Beats Bahamas in FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying

Feb 19, 2021
Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas (4) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, in Washington. The Warriors won 125-117. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas (4) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, in Washington. The Warriors won 125-117. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting for Team USA in its 93-77 win over the Bahamas in FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers Friday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

James Nunnally added 19 points off the bench, and former Philadelphia 76ers guard Dakota Mathias had 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson posted 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Team USA, which led 54-40 at halftime and didn't let the Bahamas get closer than nine points in the second half.

Thomas hit five of nine three-pointers, including three straight in the first quarter:

His final bucket helped Team USA seal the win with under five minutes left.

Thomas added four rebounds and two assists, and Team USA outscored the Bahamas by seven with him on the court.

Thomas, a free agent who last played in the NBA for the Washington Wizards in February 2020, is looking to get back in the league. He told Tom Carothers of Red Line Editorial that "a lot of NBA teams" want to watch him perform.

Hip injuries hindered his career toward the end of a phenomenal 2016-17 season in which he averaged nearly 29 points per game. He was on and off the court for numerous teams over the following three years, and the Los Angeles Clippers waived him last February after acquiring him from Washington.

Thomas underwent hip surgery last May, and he says he's now "100 percent" and that it's "night and day" how he feels compared to prior to the surgery, per Carothers.

He was one of numerous ex-NBA players to represent Team USA on Friday, including Johnson, Mathias, Nunnally, Brandon Bass, Josh Boone, Treveon Graham and Jordan Sibert.

Thomas, who made his Team USA debut Friday, will get back on the court Saturday when Team USA plays Mexico.

The United States is 5-0 in group play and has already qualified for the FIBA AmeriCup, which will occur in September 2022.

Australian Open 2021 Results: Thursday Bracket Winners, Scores and Top Stats

Feb 18, 2021
Japan's Naomi Osaka, right, is congratulated by United States' Serena Williams after winning their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Japan's Naomi Osaka, right, is congratulated by United States' Serena Williams after winning their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

The much-anticipated battle between Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams felt more like a coronation than a hotly contested semifinal match at the 2021 Australian Open.

"I don't know if there's any little kids out here today, but I was a little kid watching her play," Osaka said about Williams in her post-match interview. "And just to be on the court playing against her, for me, is a dream."

No. 3 Osaka was anything but childlike as she routed Williams in straight sets, knocking the most celebrated female tennis player of all-time out of the tournament.

"I felt like I just started making way too much unforced errors because I was worried about what she would do if I were to hit a soft ball," Osaka told reporters after the match. "When it was like 2-0, I was just telling myself to control what I can control and try to play within myself instead of thinking about what she would do or anything like that."

Williams was emotional after her loss, leaving a post-match press conference in tears. The legendary competitor fell short of capturing Grand Slam championship number 24 in a match where she, ironically, amassed 24 unforced errors.

When asked if she may have been saying goodbye when she acknowledged the fans when leaving the court in Melbourne, Williams told reporters, "If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone. So..."

Osaka will meet her 2020 U.S. Open semifinal opponent, American Jennifer Brady, in the final.

    

Women's Scores

No. 22 Jennifer Brady def. No. 25 Karolina Muchova, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

No. 3 Naomi Osaka def. No. 10 Serena Williams, 6-3, 6-4

   

Brady earned a grueling, three-set win over Karolina Muchova to cash her ticket to the final.

The American said in her post-match interview that she felt a bit flat: "I was super excited, but at the same time I was pretty flat-footed. My legs felt fresh, but at the same time they just weren't moving. I felt like I was stuck in the mud. I didn't really pick up my intensity until the third set."

Brady will have to shake off that feeling in time for the final. The last time the two competed on a stage as grand as the Australian Open, Osaka knocked off the Pennsylvanian in a three-set match that included a tough first-set tiebreaker.

"I think it'll be a really tough match. Obviously she's won a few Grand Slams. We had a tough match at the U.S. Open in the semifinals. I think she even said that it was one of her top two matches, which was a little bit unfortunate for me at the time," Brady said.

According to Tennis.com, a win for Brady would make her the first former college player since 1979 (Barbara Jordan) to win a major tennis event.

       

Men's Scores

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Aslan Karatsev, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

       

Novak Djokovic sailed to a victory over qualifier Aslan Karatsev of Russia, earning his ninth trip to the Australian Open final.

"This is the best I've felt in the entire tournament," the Serb said post-match. Djokovic previously struggled with an oblique injury that had some questioning his status for the tournament.

He outclassed Karatsev from the start, hitting 30 winners and 17 aces in the one-sided match.

The world's No. 1 will play either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Australian Open 2021 Results: Tuesday Bracket Winners, Scores and Top Stats

Feb 16, 2021
United States' Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Romania's Simona Halep during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
United States' Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Romania's Simona Halep during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Serena Williams dominated Simona Halep in the Australian Open quarterfinals Tuesday to keep the veteran on course for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

The 39-year-old progressed to the 40th major semifinal of her career with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over the second-seeded Romanian, despite finishing with more unforced errors (33) than winners (24) during the match. 

However, the No. 10 seed was pleased with her showing against Halep. 

"I definitely think this was the best match I played in this tournament, for sure," Williams said. "Obviously I had to, going up against the No. 2 in the world so I knew I had to do better. And that's what I did, so I'm excited."

The American won the last five games to put Halep away and dropped just six games to the world No. 2.

The win sets Williams on a collision course with No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka.

"She's such a strong player on the court and she's such an inspiration person off the court," Williams added. "It's so good to see someone who is so inspiring when they do both things, whether they're doing their job or not doing their job."

            

Women's Results

No. 3 Naomi Osaka def. Su-Wei Hsieh, 6-2, 6-2

No. 10 Serena Williams def. No. 2 Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3

   

Williams' win overshadowed Osaka's 6-2, 6-2 victory in which she outclassed Su-Wei Hsieh, winning 89 percent of her first serves.

Two years ago, the Taiwanese player threatened to oust Osaka in Melbourne after taking a 7-5, 4-1 lead. But the Japanese star showed the resiliency of a champion and hit back to win the match and, eventually, the whole tournament.

"I told myself just to be really intense from the beginning," Osaka said, per Joel Drucker of Tennis.com. "I felt like I knew what to expect and that I couldn't afford to be lazy with my footwork or anything."

The world No. 3 and Williams have played four times in their careers, splitting the series.

For both, though, their fifth match is one of great significance.

For Osaka, it is an opportunity to further establish herself as the queen of this generation of women's tennis; for Williams, it's a chance to prove age is merely a number, not a cap on excellence.

          

Men's Results

Aslan Karatsev def. No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 6 Alexander Zverev 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(6)

   

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic saw off the challenge of Alexander Zverev to advance to the 39th grand slam semifinal—his ninth at the Australian Open—of his career.

More impressive is the fact that the 33-year-old is progressing despite a much-publicized oblique injury, but he highlighted the coronavirus pandemic as a reason why many players were struggling for full fitness.

"The 14-day quarantine, people don't realize but I think the amount of injuries during this tournament show how much effect it has on the players' bodies. It's taken its toll unfortunately on all of us," Djokovic said.

Djokovic will face unseeded Aslan Karatsev in the semifinals, but he conceded his knowledge of the Russian is limited. "To be honest I haven't seen him play at all before the Australian Open," he said.

The 27-year-old continued his improbable run in the tournament Tuesday, knocking off No. 18 seed Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(6).

"Of course, I'm really surprised that I'm here. I'm just going to keep playing each match," Karatsev told Eurosport.

For the fairy tale to continue, he will have to do what no player has done since 2018: beat Djokovic in the Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal Defeats Fabio Fognini to Advance to QF at 2021 Australian Open

Feb 15, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a backhand return to Italy's Fabio Fognini during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a backhand return to Italy's Fabio Fognini during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Rafael Nadal is moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open following a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Fabio Fognini on Monday in Melbourne.  

This is the fifth straight year Nadal has navigated his way to the quarters in the tournament, and he has failed to reach this stage only twice since 2006. He missed the 2013 Australian Open and lost in the first round in 2016.

Fognini upset Nadal in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open. Referencing the victory at the time, he said you "have to risk" and "have to attack him when you have the chance" when facing off against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Early on, it looked like Nadal was on his way toward a straightforward victory. He dropped serve in the fifth game of the first set but built a 5-2 lead anyway thanks to a pair of service breaks.

Fognini referenced the need to gamble against Nadal, and he did just that in the opening frame. The Italian hit some masterful groundstrokes and compiled 14 winners, five more than his opponent. However, his approach also saw him pile up 11 unforced errors.

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1361175351871864832

The roles reversed to start the second set. Fognini looked more assured, and his aggressive strategy allowed him to dictate more points.

With a service break in the sixth game, Fognini jumped ahead 4-2 and seemed to be firmly in the driver's set. Instead, he unraveled. Nadal took the next four games to claim the set. After falling behind 5-4, Fognini hit a ball into the stands out of frustration.

In that aforementioned U.S. Open match, Fognini lost the first two sets before mounting an incredible comeback. If he did it once, then maybe he could do it again.

Having lost his focus to close out the second set, the 33-year-old regained his composure a bit more as the third got underway. While serving at 1-1, though, he dumped a forehand from the baseline into the net to gift Nadal another service break.

Nadal wasn't at his best, but he only needed to extend points long enough for Fognini to make mistakes. The resistance Fognini showed earlier in the match was nowhere to be found as too many of his shots sailed long or failed to make it into Nadal's half.

In his newest quest for a second Australian Open title, Nadal has yet to drop a set. That bodes well given how much the COVID-19 pandemic hampered training for everybody taking part in the tournament. The 34-year-old hasn't had to expend a wealth of energy, so he should be more than ready when he faces a tougher test than the one he encountered Monday.

           

What's Next?

Nadal will meet either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Matteo Berrettini in the round of eight. He's 6-1 against Tsitsipas and beat Berrettini at the U.S. Open in their only head-to-head meeting to date.

           

Stats are courtesy of the Australian Open's official site

Daytona 500 2021 Results: Top Finishers and Reaction from Great American Race

Feb 15, 2021
Michael McDowell runs during a NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying session Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Michael McDowell runs during a NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying session Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Michael McDowell prevailed as the finish of the 2021 Daytona 500 was overshadowed by a wreck that involved race leader Joey Logano.  

Because the caution flag waved, NASCAR officials had to review the video to check if McDowell was in first place and thus the race winner.

               

Daytona 500 Results

1. Michael McDowell

2. Austin Dillon

3. Chase Elliott

4. Denny Hamlin

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Ryan Preece

7. Ross Chastain

8. Jamie McMurray

9. Corey LaJoie

10. Kyle Larson

Full leaderboard available at NASCAR.com

           

Logano had the finish line in his sights when he got bumped by Brad Keselowski. The fiery crash looked far worse than it proved to be as all the drivers involved exited their cars.

Logano and Keselowski are teammates, but Logano probably isn't feeling a ton of unity at the moment.

That opened the door for McDowell's improbable triumph. He led only one lap on the night and made it count. This is the first win of his NASCAR Cup Series career, and it means he'll collect one of the coveted 16 playoff spots.

On what proved to be such an unusual day, he was an appropriate victor.

Denny Hamlin dominated much of the race, winning the first and second stages. He maintained the lead into the final stage until the cars all headed to pit road with just under 30 laps remaining.

As they exited pit road, the Ford cars formed a convoy as Hamlin and his fellow Toyota drivers became separated. That left Hamlin vulnerable and powerless to stop the line of Fords led by Logano. A small pack of Chevrolets pushed Hamlin further back, and he was running by himself on the inside.

The three-time Daytona 500 champion was unable to recover.

Hamlin's stage wins at least ensure he doesn't come away totally empty-handed in an event that got off to an inauspicious start.

Fans didn't have to wait long to see "The Big One." On the 14th lap, Kyle Busch bumped the rear of Christopher Bell, who made contact with Aric Almirola. Almirola took out Alex Bowman before hitting the wall, and a 16-car wreck was underway.

That left track officials with a massive cleanup effort to get the action back underway. Then Mother Nature intervened. Lightning and inclement weather forced the race to be delayed. Motorsports.com's Jim Utter noted the red flag extended for more than five-and-a-half hours.

For the teams involved in the massive crash, that set up a race against the clock to get cars back up to the standard required to re-enter the race. Tyler Reddick's No. 8 car was in rough shape as he warmed the engine back up.

As they awaited the signal to return to their vehicles, drivers had to get creative to pass the time.

https://twitter.com/MarissaBriscoe_/status/1361124669336731649

Jimmie Johnson reflected on one positive from his retirement:

There were some initial problems in terms of getting the track fully dry. Once the green flag waved, the action largely went without any issues right up until the last lap.

The NSACAR Cup Series stays in Daytona for the upcoming week. The O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 At Daytona will run Sunday on the road course, and it will have a high bar to clear to match the chaos from the 2021 Daytona 500.

Call of Duty 2021: Los Angeles Thieves' Top Plays, Prize Money from Week 1

Feb 14, 2021
Spectateurs watch the final of League of Legends tournament between Team G2 Esports and Team FunPlus Phoenix, in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. The biggest e-sports event of the year saw a Chinese team, FunPlus Phoenix, crowned as world champions of the video game League of Legends. Thousands of fans packed a Paris arena for the event, which marked another step forward for the growing esports business. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Spectateurs watch the final of League of Legends tournament between Team G2 Esports and Team FunPlus Phoenix, in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. The biggest e-sports event of the year saw a Chinese team, FunPlus Phoenix, crowned as world champions of the video game League of Legends. Thousands of fans packed a Paris arena for the event, which marked another step forward for the growing esports business. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Professional Call of Duty is finally back on the menu. And while new players are now sitting at different tables, everyone is trying to secure a cut of this Call of Duty League season's $5 million prize pool.  

Week 1 of the 2021 CDL season was capped off with a tasty matchup between two of the league's most popular teams in the OpTic Chicago and the Atlanta FaZe, but one other beloved franchise deserves a toast: the Los Angeles Thieves.

As Hector "H3CZ" Rodriguez regained control of the OpTic Gaming brand from Immortals Gaming, the former OpTic Los Angeles league spot opened up. Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag, founder of 100 Thieves, was quick to secure the team, unbothered by its porous results in 2020.

In the shift to 4v4 gameplay and Treyarch's Black Ops Cold War, the Thieves shook up their roster while fans shook up expectations. Those hopes dropped in the preseason when Los Angeles got swept by Chicago, but two quick wins in Week 1 earn the revitalized roster some renewed faith.

        

Call of Duty League Opening Weekend

Thursday, February 11

Minnesota ROKKR 1 - 3 Los Angeles Thieves

Seattle Surge 0 - 3 Dallas Empire

          

Friday, February 12

Paris Legion 0 - 3 OpTic Chicago

Los Angeles Guerrillas 0 - 3 Atlanta FaZe

         

Saturday, February 13

Paris Legion 2 - 3 Los Angeles Guerrillas 

Toronto Ultra 3 - 1 Florida Mutineers

New York Subliners 0 - 3 Los Angeles Thieves

           

Sunday, February 14

Seattle Surge 3 - 2 London Royal Ravens

Minnesota ROKKR 3 - 2 Dallas Empire

OpTic Chicago 2 - 3 Atlanta FaZe

         

In the preseason, Los Angeles got smoked by OpTic, and neither Kenny "Kenny" Williams nor Austin "SlasheR" Liddicoat posted a single positive kill-death ratio (K/D) in any of the game's three quick maps (per BreakingPoint). That changed dramatically in their first official match against the ROKKR in Week 1.

Against Minnesota, Kenny and SlasheR went huge as the two veteran stars, both back home in 100T branding, posted nasty K/Ds and some deadly plays. In the 3-1 win, Kenny posted a 1.13 K/D while SlasheR posted a 1.03 (per BreakingPoint).

In the second match of their week, it was another former star returning to peak form as Thomas "TJHaLy" Haly put up huge highlights to dismantle the Subliners. Quickly sweeping New York, the Thieves immediately jump back into contention consideration. 

https://twitter.com/LAThieves/status/1360770957577609216

Additionally, that game served as a quality grudge match for former Subliner Donovan "Temp" Laroda, who is playing with a consistency that proved rare during his time in New York.

And adding weight to its win against the ROKKR, Minnesota downed the reigning champions and 2021 favorites Dallas Empire 3-2 on Sunday. While that isn't enough to rank Los Angeles ahead of Dallas moving forward, it does give enough reason to hold the Thieves in much higher esteem than their 2020 failures projected.

Australian Open 2021 Results: Winners, Scores, Stats from Sunday's Bracket

Feb 14, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Canada's Milos Raonic during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Canada's Milos Raonic during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021.(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

The grimaces that painted Novak Djokovic's face as he lunged for a ball or slid across the baseline reflected a double-tough athlete determined to win a championship despite an oblique injury that called into question his ability to compete effectively.

Across the court, Milos Raonic showed no emotion, never letting his opponent know where he was at mentally as he battled the world's top-ranked player in the round of 16. He methodically worked his way through each match, answering Djoker's first-set victory with his own in the second.

This despite a lower-leg injury of his own that the trainer was called to check on early in the match.

Djokovic gutted out a second win in the third set and took a 5-4 lead in the fourth after Raonic fired a forehand shot into the net. He would not relinquish it, giving him his 300th Grand Slam victory.

The gritty performance set up Djokovic for a quarterfinal showdown with No. 6 Alexander Zverev and wrapped up a day of dramatic close calls for the sport's top women's players.

                 

Men's Scores

Aslan Karatsev def. No. 20 Felix Auger-Aliassime, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov def. No. 3 Dominic Thiem, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0

No. 6 Alexander Zverev def. No. 23 Dusan Lajovic, 6-4, 7-5 (5), 6-3

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 14 Milos Raonic, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

       

Grigor Dimitrov stunned 2020 U.S. Open winner Dominic Thiem and the tennis world Sunday with a straight-sets win, blanking the third-ranked Austrian in the third. It was shocking domination of one of the best players in the world, who was fresh off a five-set thriller against Nick Kyrgios.

Thiem cited some physical issues while speaking after the match, saying, "I'm not a machine. I'd like to be."

He stated that he did not want to use the physical limitations as excuses, only to lean further into them moments later. "As soon as you're not at 100 percent at this level, then results like this come up, and that's exactly what happened today," he said, per Eurosport. 

Dimitrov will have the opportunity to continue his impressive run in the quarterfinals when he battles the unseeded Aslan Karatsev, himself fresh off an upset of world No. 2 Felix Auger-Aliassime.

                  

Women's Scores

No. 3 Naomi Osaka def. No. 14 Garbine Muguruza, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

Su-Wei Hsieh def. No. 19 Marketa Vondrousova, 6-4, 6-2

No. 10 Serena Williams def. No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

No. 2 Simona Halep def. No. 15 Iga Swiatek, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

     

In order to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, Naomi Osaka not only had to overcome fellow former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza, but she also had to come from behind to do it.

The 23-year-old dropped the first set 4-6 before battling back and winning the final two sets to continue her run in Melbourne. The win was Osaka's 18th consecutive victory and has her in the position to win a second straight Grand Slam.

It was anything but easy, as Osaka acknowledged after the match: "In the stressful points, I feel like I just had to go within myself."

Osaka saved match point twice before going on a four-match run to preserve her title aspirations. She spoke of her growth and evolution as a player following the win, per WTA Tennis:

"For me, I feel like I'm very happy with myself for the way I overcame the match. I think maybe a year ago - definitely a year ago - I probably wouldn't have won this match. There are so many things that I was thinking about on the court that just would have blocked me from trying to win the match or trying to problem solve."

Osaka will meet unranked Su-Wei Hsieh next.

Serena Williams, the greatest to ever play the game, upset No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka. Her first-set defense set the tone for the match and was key to her 6-4 win there. She would overcome a disappointing second set and put her opponent away to advance.

"I just felt like even games that I lost, I was so close to winning," she told reporters. "Not all games, but probably most of those games. I just needed to play better on the big points. I knew that I could. I still hadn't reached my peak. I was like, ‘OK, Serena, you got this, just keep going.'" 

Williams has a date with No. 2 Simona Halep who, like Osaka, fought back from a first-set loss to win her fourth-round match. 

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