I Dig Sports
'Can't please everybody' - unfazed Collins booed in loss
Collins became Melbourne Park's pantomime villain on Thursday when she said fans who heckled her were contributing towards "the Danielle Collins fund" and she would use her prize money on a trip to the Bahamas.
Against Keys, there were cheers when Collins made her first double fault and, at the end of the first set, the chair umpire reminded fans to respect both players.
But Collins, who was also hampered by a knee injury and had to take a medical timeout, said it is important to "bring some entertainment" to the sport.
"I don't have a big ego when it comes to this stuff, I don't care what some guy sitting in his basement is writing about me," she added. "I'm just trying to enjoy my life and have fun.
"You can't please everybody. Earlier in my career I was more concerned about what people think and I was much more guarded about my personality.
"Maybe with age comes an attitude of being yourself and accepting who you are. I'm proud of myself, I've gotten to the point where I really don't care anymore about what people who aren't important to me think."
Collins will now be taking that trip to the Bahamas and added "a lot of my friends have asked if they're going to be invited on the yacht".
From packing her bags to making history - lucky loser Lys through to fourth round
Lucky losers are players who lose in qualifying at a tournament but receive a place in the main draw if someone withdraws through injury or illness.
Lys had her bags packed and a flight booked after losing in the final round of qualifying, but a place in the draw opened up when Russia's Kalinskaya pulled out on Monday before her first-round match.
Lys was on site receiving treatment from the physio when the withdrawal was announced and was given 10 minutes' notice before she took to court to face Australian Kimberly Birrell.
Despite being worried about the lack of preparation time, she came through 6-2 6-2 - and moved her flight to Sunday.
That flight will have to change again, with Sunday spent preparing for a match against five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek on Monday.
"Right now I think after the press conference we're going to go and try to change it a little bit further," Lys said.
"It's actually really funny. We just picked a date. We're like: 'OK, Sunday's six days away. We're just going to pick Sunday.'
"I'm glad we have to change it now."
When she does eventually fly home, she will be doing so at least A$420,000 (210,342) richer - a marked difference on the A$50,000 (25,300) Lys thought she would be taking away after losing in qualifying, and a boost to her career earnings of $798,163 (655,413).
Lys has competed in all four majors but her best performance at a Slam before this was a US Open second-round appearance in 2023.
She is the sixth lucky loser to make the last-16 of a Grand Slam in the Open era but the first to do so in Melbourne. None have ever gone past the fourth round.
"Obviously I'm very happy to be making it to second week. I feel like second week was always such a dream for me," Lys added.
How breathing change helped 'zen-like' Draper set up Alcaraz tie
Draper has shown signs of fatigue during previous gruelling matches, but his off-season work is starting to show.
One difference is his breathing.
"I had a lot of problems with my sinuses when I was younger, so I breathe a lot through my mouth," said Draper.
"When you are anxious or you have long points and have to recover quickly, it's not efficient to breathe through your mouth.
"I've been trying to reverse what I do and breathe through my nose better."
Former British number one Annabel Croft has also pointed to Draper keeping better control of his emotions.
"Jack is so much calmer on court than he ever was as a junior. Generally across the board, his calmness is quite zen-like," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Lots of great champions like Bjorn Bjorg and Roger Federer have completely controlled their emotions on the court. It makes a massive difference in saving that energy."
Tuipulotu Six Nations injury concern for Scotland
When everybody at Glasgow - and at Murrayfield - talk vaguely, or not at all, when asked about Sione Tuipulotu's injury, you get a feeling that bad news is on the way.
All of Scotland waits with bated breath for the official prognosis.
Tuipulotu is one of the form inside-centres in the world game; a captain, a physical brute, an artist, an inspiration to his team. If he's missing some, or all, of the Six Nations then a chunk of optimism about Scotland's campaign is going to go with him.
His partnership with Huw Jones is a cosmic blend. Now it looks like an alternative is needed.
Jones and Tom Jordan does not pack enough physical punch. Franco Smith never plays them together at 12-13 for Glasgow.
Most likely, it is going to be another Warriors pair, Stafford McDowall and Jones, in the midfield in the championship.
That is still a forceful and dynamic unit, but the potential loss of the big man is a nightmare on many fronts.
As for Tuipulotu's fitness for the Lions, let us just presume that whatever time he misses in the Six Nations he will still have time enough to get himself roaring again for the summer in Australia.
Seabrook hat-trick helps Saints edge Munster in thriller
Tom Seabrook scored a stunning hat-trick as Northampton Saints edged a thriller with Munster to clinch top spot in Pool 3 and a home tie in the Investec Champions Cup last 16.
On only his second consecutive Saints start in over a year, the winger scored the opening try out wide after some neat hands by the hosts.
In a game dominated by wingers with finishing prowess, Munster hit back through Calvin Nash, who sprinted past an unaware Alex Mitchell to claim Conor Murray's box-kick for a fine try.
Nash doubled his tally moments later after Munster threw the ball through the hands and the wing was off his touchline to dive over, before Jack Crowley's penalty stretched the visitors' advantage.
Saints looked to wrestle back momentum before the interval and Munster had to succumb after Gavin Coombes was sent to the sin-bin, allowing Curtis Langdon the opportunity to dot down from the bottom of the rolling maul.
The hosts still trailed by three at the break, but Seabrook collected James Ramm's excellent looping pass to cross for his second try.
Full-back Ramm then turned from provider to finisher as he burst through the Munster defence following Fin Smith's clever tip pass to seal the bonus.
Munster were not done there, however, as winger Diarmuid Kilgallen latched on to a sublime no-look round-the-back pass by Murray to open his account for the Irish province.
With the game finely poised, Saints took command again when Seabrook wrapped up his treble after a first-phase attack from the line-out freed him on the inside.
But Munster retained their belief and Kilgallen doubled his tally down the other end, before Crowley's superb conversion from out on the left dragged the visitors to within just two points.
In search of the victory to leapfrog Northampton in the table and seal home advantage in the last 16 and the quarter-final, should they progress, Munster poured forward in the tense finale and rolled through the phases following a Crowley break as Saints stood firm.
The hosts claimed a crucial turnover inside their own half through Henry Pollock's efforts and there was a huge sigh of relief at a partisan Franklin's Gardens as the ball was kicked dead to confirm a Saints success as pool winners.
Harlequins seal progress with victory over Glasgow
Harlequins: Green; David, Beard, Waghorn, Murley; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Chisholm, Lewies, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: Riley, Jones, Kerrod, Launchbury, Lawday, W Evans, Care, J Evans.
Glasgow: McKay, Cancelliere, Jones, McDowall (capt), Rowe, Jordan, Dobie; Sutherland, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Ferrie, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey.
Replacements: Hiddleston, Bhatti, Talakai, Samuel, Brown, Venter, Afshar, Weir.
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TULSA, Okla. Ken Schrader is still racing and winning over a half century since he carried a 1964 Impala to his first victory at Missouris Lake Hill Speedway.
From the first days of his career, he displayed a willingness to race nearly any type of car at any venue ranging from the smallest bullring to superspeedways.
In 2024, he proclaims to have raced nearly 100 times. Although he will turn 70 years old this May, he has concluded, I guess you just have to die out of this thing.
Already active in the 2025 season, Schrader made a quick trip to Tulsa, Okla., where he was inducted into the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame. While now a member of that esteemed group, oddly enough, he confessed that at one point he had little interest in driving a midget. That soon changed.
His first ride came with multi-time St Louis Auto Racing Assn champion Bud Hoppe, but he eventually found a steady ride with L. Gene Hamilton. In 1980 he flew into Chicago and took a cab to Indianas Illiana Speedway.
Not realizing how long the trip would be he was forced to borrow money from USAC registrar M. A. Todd to pay his fare. Luckily enough he claimed his first USAC win that evening. All told he would nab 21 USAC National midget wins. He also excelled on the big stage. He took the Copper World Classic at Phoenix Raceway three times; he was the best at the 1981 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway, and in 1983 he was victorious at the Night Before the 500 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Schrader won the USAC Sprint and Silver Crown championship, and in 1982 his four wins help owner Nick Gojmeric claim the USAC National midget entrants title.
Given his total body of work, his versatility, and personality, by 1985 he was a steady presence on the NASCAR scene. All told he has started nearly 1,000 races across NASCARs three major touring series. Yet, in 1990 Schrader had the itch to go midget racing, and in particular he wanted to give the Chili Bowl Nationals a whirl.
For him it was an easy decision. I mean, its the second week of January and youre racing, he says, what could be better than that? It was so cool and so much fun.
In 1990, he raced for owner Terry Caves with Steve Kinser as a teammate. A solid fifth-place run in his preliminary night translated into a ninth place finish on Saturday. Kinser had better luck on Saturday night finishing second to John Heydenreich in a tight battle. Schrader was back with Caves in 1991, but did not fare as well.
In 1992 and 1993 he returned to the Chili Bowl, this time with Ralph, Greg and Chris Wilke. The car was approaching eight years old and by current standards was down on power. The story that circulated was that the piece had essentially been in storage.
Greg Wilke lightly debunks the notion, Well not exactly. It just wasnt as competitive outdoors because by now the Pontiac was available. Our Cosworth was only 120 inches.
Nonetheless, Wilke felt he had one key advantage.
We brought it out because we understood that Kenny with his skills and abilities could make up the difference. The track generally got slick by the end of the night, so it was smooth and fast.
True to from Schrader was spectacular in his preliminary night. On this night, the bottom groove was the way to go. Schrader started from the outside of the fourth row and immediately marched forward. Lealand McSpadden, and Page Jones pounded the cushion early, while Schrader waited for the race to come to him.
Lined up next to Sammy Swindell on the front row for the finale the action was hot from the drop of the green flag.
Recalling the night well, Schrader says, We started on the front row together and he wanted more space than I was willing to give him. The contact that ensued sent Ken to the rear where he immediately put on a show for fans. He eventually climbed back to seventh place and was named the Rich Vogler Hard Charger.
After the race Schrader instructed the Wilkes to take that car home and pickle it. That is exactly what they did.
In his 1993 preliminary night, Schrader led Danny Lasoski and Brent Kaeding to the checkered flag and earned a spot alongside Dave Blaney in the big show. The start of the 50-lap feature saw Blaney and Schrader locked into a terrific duel. Schrader was out front after 21 laps were down, but a broken fuel pump belt ended his night. To this day you can hear the frustration in Greg Wilkes voice. We had the fastest car, he said, I thought we had it. It doesnt take long for Ken to recall the moment either.
The team stayed intact for 1994 but could only muster a mid-pack finish on Saturday. They couldnt help reflecting on what could have been. For Greg Wilke, memories of working with Schrader provoke nothing but positive feelings.
He was just so easy going, he said. I remember one night we were pushing him out at the Chili Bowl, and I could see his knee was tight against the power steering. I said Kenny, is that alright? And he looks down and says, well it is against it so I cant hit it very hard. That was his demeanor. It was great that we were able to race with him.
As Ken Schrader talks about his days at the Chili Bowl one can detect a glint in his eye. That may have prompted Ken to reach out to another open-wheel star.
I sent Tony (Stewart) a text that said, dont you wish you were at the Chili Bowl? He wrote back, Hell yes, but then he sent me a picture of himself playing with his baby.
WAYNESVILLE, Ga. With the forecast for rain continuing through the evening hours, Saturdays Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing event at Golden Isles Speedway has been canceled.
Sundays program is still on as scheduled.
A complete program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is on tap, featuring a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main. The 604 Late Models, Crown Vics, and Mini Late Models are also on the racing card.
The pit gates will open at 2 p.m. and general admission gates at 3 p.m. The on-track action is slated for 5:30 p.m. with hot laps.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Two of the three IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge winners to kick off the season dominated at Daytona Intl Speedway. The third, however, captured a surprising victory on the last lap of the 45-minute race.
Valentino Catalano won overall with an authoritative drive in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class after a race-long battle with teammate Markus Pommer.
Adam Adelson, in the first of his three races at Daytona this month hell also compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Wright Motorsports started things off strongly with a flag-to-flag victory in the debut of the new Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) class, GT3-specification cars now entered in VP Racing Challenge.
Kiko Porto, meanwhile, dominated the weekend pace-wise in Grand Sport X but only captured the race win on the last lap when his closest rival, Steven Clemons, slowed unexpectedly from the lead.
Catalano Emerges on Top from Gebhardt Battle
Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports made its podium debut to cap off the 2024 season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with drivers Catalano, in the No. 30 Duqueine D08, and Pommer, in the No. 31 Duqueine D08. They backed up that solid debut outing last year in Daytona this weekend.
From pole, Catalano led a majority of the race only briefly losing the lead to his teammate on an exchange for one of the 26 laps and resumed out front to secure the win by 1.071 seconds over Pommer.
Pommer, however, finished second on the road but third in the race results after he was given a 10-second penalty for a false start at the green flag for changing columns.
I thought it was pretty smooth, I would say, Catalano said. I knew it was a long race, so I didnt push that much. I created a bit of a gap and could hold it quite good. At some point, I heard that Markus got a penalty and then I was just managing my tires and I didnt take any risks. I was just driving smooth and slow to get it home. and it worked out, so Im really happy about that.
That promoted Brady Golan to second in his No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P320. Golan, too, had a penalty but his was pre-race after missing the pre-grid time which forced him to start from the rear of the P3 class field. Undeterred, the teenager gained four positions on the first lap to an eventual third place, which became second, 5.503 seconds in arrears, once Pommers penalty was applied.
Fourth on the road and the top-rated Bronze driver in class was Mirco Schultis, in the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320. IMSA introduced a Bronze Cup podium this race to award trophies to all of the top-three Bronze-rated finishers in each of the three classes.
The debut of the GTDX class within VP Racing Challenge was largely uneventful. After starting from pole, Adelson led all 26 laps in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with a 30.236-second margin of victory.
I knew where we were going to get our tire temperature up way more quickly than the LMP3 cars on the start, so for me it was about making sure if I was faster than any of them to get by, Adelson said. Thankfully I successfully did so and that really helped me build a gap.
Its absolutely incredible, he added about winning the GTDX class debut. Believe it or not, even just the addition of the torque sensors on the WeatherTech car, makes it so you have to drive it quite differently. Regardless, any track time is good track time. Its the first time GTDX is running with VP Challenge, so its an honor to be here and win that inaugural race.
While Adelson enjoyed a simple drive, the battle behind him was intense among three Ferrari 296 GT3 cars and a single BMW M4 GT3.
Like Golan in P3, AJ Muss in GTDX had a mission to complete from a pre-race penalty. The driver of the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari qualified fastest but had all his times disallowed for exiting the car during qualifying, which dropped him to the rear of the eight-car GTDX grid.
From there, the snowboarder-turned-driver was on a charge and rose to second ahead of teammate Matias Perez Companc in the No. 50 Af Corse Ferrari.
Those two ended just ahead of the top-rated Bronze driver in GTDX, Dave Musial (the father of the father-son Musial pairing) in the No. 99 Conquest Racing Ferrari. His margin over fellow series debutante Samantha Tan, in the No. 38 ST Racing BMW, was just 0.241 of a second.
A race-long battle between a pair of Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 cars, Porto in the No. 8 RAFA Racing entry and Steven Clemons in the No. 76 BSI Racing entry, ended when Clemons car slowed entering NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 of the Daytona International Speedway oval, and Porto flew past.
We started strong at the beginning but then started losing so much pace, Porto explained. The other Toyota was faster; he was going to pass me anyway and I was just trying to survive.
Then when I saw it, they were just slowing down in the last corner and I was like, I dont know what happened. I dont know if they had a mechanical or if they risk too much in the field, I dont know. But I was like, okay, Im not lifting anymore and things gotta happen.
Gregory Liefooghe was second in the No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4, 11.015 seconds behind Porto but only 0.059 of a second ahead of Patrick Wilmot, in the No. 12 Swish Motorsports BMW M4 GT4. Wilmot concluded a late deal to drive with Swish owner Michael Daytons team for Daytona after a small fundraising effort and said he hopes to continue into the second event of the year at Circuit of The Americas.
Bronze Cup also had a late change in this class. Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO1) was out front for most before stopping off course. Rob Walker (No. 53 Kingpin Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) emerged as top Bronze in GSX, fifth in class.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. So far, the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 practice sessions have featured BMW dominating the speed charts during the opening two days of action at Daytona Intl Speedways 3.56-mile road course.
The German brand set fast time in both of Saturdays early Rolex 24 At Daytona practice sessions with the two BMW M Team RLL sister cars ultimately sweeping the first two positions on the speed charts.
While 25-year-old Sheldon van der Linde who claimed the days overall fast lap of 1:36.196 in the No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 on Saturday afternoon was clearly pleased with the teams effort and what that may mean for next weekends iconic Rolex 24 race, the South African cautioned that some competitors had been careful not to show their hand yet.
He was encouraged, however, by the obvious progress his manufacturer and team have made in the last two years competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Its obviously positive to see that all the hard work weve done over the winter this year and through the WEC season last year, weve learned a lot, and were trying to translate that into America obviously, said van der Linde, an FIA World Endurance Championship veteran who will drive full-time in IMSAs Grand Touring Prototype class for the first time this season.
Its only the Roar and we know a lot of people are sandbagging quite a lot, he said. Its quite clear in the GTD class as well, but for sure, a good way to start the weekend and the car feels good so thats positive.
Its hard to say what we expected because we didnt really know where wed be coming into the Roar. Like I said, everyone is doing something different with their program. So, in the end, its very hard to know where we are, but we expected to be a lot stronger than last year and I think that alone really, really shows this year.
Overall Saturday, it was smooth running on track temperatures in the low 70s under mostly cloudy skies with only a single incident in the two practice sessions the No. 22 United Autosports USA LMP2 contacted the tire barrier outside the chicane on the backstretch during the afternoon session.
Although there were no instances for accidents during the morning one hour, 45-minute practice, it was slowed twice a quick yellow for a debris on track and an 11-minute pause to allow the field to practice the new split category restarts for the upcoming race. This season, before restarts, all four classes will be divided on track by category, including a new-for-2025 class split of the GTD PRO and GTD cars.
The general feeling was that the split went better than expected, happening quickly and without incident even with a full 37-car count among the GTD entries (15 GTD PRO and 22 GTD).
That worked fine, said IndyCars Scott McLaughlin, who is teaming with NASCAR stars Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch and former Rolex winner Ben Keating in the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport GTD PRO class Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the Rolex 24.
It was quick, more just getting the pack up. It was pretty solid. I dont think theres much of a difference.
Franck Perera, who set fast time (1:48.036) in the GTD class Saturday morning driving the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, was among the drivers who cautioned with the changing weather conditions both expected for Sunday (rain) and next weeks race (cooler temperatures).
For sure it is positive when it is going the way you want, said Perera, a past Rolex 24 class winner. He noted each session is a test and theres still practice, and I think the weather will be tricky the next couple days.
Felipe Fraga took fast time in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with a lap of 1:40.108 in the No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07. Andrea Caldarelli was quickest in both sessions in the GTD PRO Class with a fast lap of 1:48.049 in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 during the afternoon practice.
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