"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Nearly 20 years ago, as Payne Stewart rolled his final putt on the 72nd hole of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Phil Mickelson started slowly walking toward Stewart -- even before the winning 18-footer fell in and Stewart famously threw his right arm into the air.

With a look of resignation, it was as if Mickelson already knew the putt was good.

After Stewart's caddie, Mike Hicks, jumped into his arms in celebration, Stewart cupped Mickelson's baby face in his hands and offered words of encouragement.

"You're going to be a father," Stewart told Mickelson, who arrived in Pinehurst, North Carolina, that week with a beeper tucked in his bag. His wife, Amy, was back in Scottsdale, Arizona, expecting their first child, and Mickelson vowed that if that beeper went off -- no matter when, no matter where he was on the leaderboard -- he was gone.

A few minutes later, while Stewart was being interviewed by NBC's Dan Hicks, he turned to the 29-year-old Mickelson and said, "You're good. You'll win yours. You'll win yours."

Almost two decades later, long after Stewart and five others were tragically killed in a plane crash in a South Dakota field on Oct. 25, 1999, Mickelson is still trying to fulfill his prophecy.

"I probably would have thought I'd have one by now," Mickelson said.

Mickelson, who will celebrate his 49th birthday Sunday, will once again try to become the oldest major champion and only the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam when he makes his 28th start in the U.S. Open this week at Pebble Beach.

Only Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen won the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open and PGA Championship during their careers.

Mickelson needs to win the U.S. Open to join golf's most exclusive club. He has finished runner-up in the sport's national championship a record six times, most recently in 2013 at Merion, where he had three bogeys over the final six holes and finished tied for second, two shots behind Justin Rose.

"I don't think about [the career Grand Slam] a lot," Mickelson said. "I do think about what I have to do to win a U.S. Open. And it's getting increasingly difficult."

It's not as if he needs the final leg of the Grand Slam to validate his career. He is unquestionably one of the greatest and most popular golfers who has ever lived. He has been serenaded by crowds on his birthday, which often falls on the calendar during the U.S. Open, and is a crowd favorite at courses around the country.

Player, who completed the career Grand Slam with a victory in an 18-hole playoff at the 1965 U.S. Open at Bellerive Country Club, said winning the U.S. Open would "alter his legacy 10-fold."

"If any professional today deserves superstardom, it's Phil Mickelson," Player said. "And it's fair to argue that he is at that level even with only five majors and no career Grand Slam because of his relationship with the public. Much like Arnold Palmer, not because of his record, but what he did for the game."

Mickelson has won 45 times on the PGA Tour, including five major championships -- the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010, the PGA Championship in 2005 and The Open in 2013. He has earned more than $90 million in his career; only Tiger Woods ($118 million) has made more.

"It's one of those things that, no matter what, he's going to be one of the greatest players that's ever played this game," Woods said. "How he's viewed and whether he wins the career Grand Slam or not, I still think he's one of the best players to ever pick up a golf club."

"It would be pretty special to be part of the elite players that have won all four. To me, that's the sign of a complete game." Phil Mickelson

As Mickelson enters the twilight of his career, the question that keeps coming -- and one he might even be pondering himself -- is can he live without a U.S. Open title? Or is the legacy of becoming the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam something he needs to justify his career in his own mind?

Can Mickelson desperately want something and yet still be perfectly content if he doesn't get it? Can he, as Fitzgerald suggested, hold two opposing ideas in his mind and still function?

"You know, there's not much I could do right now that would do anything to redefine my career, but there's one thing I could do, and that would be to win a U.S. Open," Mickelson said. "So if I were to do that, it would change the way I view my career because there are only, what, five guys that ever won all the majors. And you have to look at those guys differently. And if I ever join that crowd, and the only way to do that is to win a U.S. Open, it would redefine my career."

THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY of near misses for Mickelson at the U.S. Open, and perhaps none as painful as the one two decades ago at Pinehurst and the one seven years later at Winged Foot.

In 1999, Mickelson was still searching for his first major championship. He had every reason to skip the first U.S. Open played at Pinehurst No. 2, the iconic Donald Ross course in the Carolina Sandhills.

Amy Mickelson wasn't due with their first child until June 30 -- that U.S. Open ran from June 17-20 -- but doctors ordered bed rest after early complications. Even though doctors gave him the OK to play, Mickelson wasn't thrilled about being thousands of miles from home. He arrived at Pinehurst with a beeper and handed it to his caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, and waited to see if it went off.

Mickelson opened the final round -- the U.S. Open always ends on Father's Day -- trailing Stewart by one stroke. It was a dramatic duel over the first 14 holes, with neither player leading by more than two shots. On the par-3 15th hole, Mickelson nearly rolled in a 30-footer for birdie, with the ball spinning all the way around the hole before lipping out. He tapped in for par and took the lead when Stewart missed an 8-footer to save par.

On the par-4 16th hole, Mickelson hit his second shot into the thick greenside rough, chipped up and then missed a 6-footer for par. Stewart regained a share of the lead when he made a slick downhill 25-footer for par.

"On 16, when I made bogey, when I had a very easy up and down, that's where that flipped," Mickelson recalled.

With two holes to play, Stewart hit his tee shot on the par-3 17th to within four feet of the cup. Mickelson hit his ball to seven feet.

Stewart's birdie putt went in; Mickelson's missed.

Trailing by one shot at the par-4 18th, Mickelson seemed to catch a break when Stewart hit his tee shot into the wet, deep rough on the right side of the fairway. Mickelson hit his drive down the middle and his second shot to 35 feet right of the hole. Stewart was conservative and laid up on his second shot before chipping onto the green with his third.

"Well, there's only five guys that have done it. So that's the hard part. It's just one of those fickle things. You've had some of the greatest champions of all-time that have been missing one leg of the grand slam. So for a person who we all know hasn't driven the ball as straight as he would probably like, he's had six seconds in the U.S. Open. That's incredible to be there that many times. He's figured out a way to play well in the U.S. Open. It just happens to be one of those things where he hasn't won, but he's been there. And wouldn't surprise me if he's there again." Tiger Woods

To force an 18-hole playoff on Monday, Mickelson either had to make his long birdie putt or Stewart had to miss an uphill 18-footer. Mickelson's putt slid just past the hole.

"When Payne was lining up that [18]-footer on 18 on Sunday, Mike Hicks comes over to me and says, 'Hey, did you get any of the dots [pin placements] for tomorrow's playoff?' And I was like, 'Huh?'" Mackay told ESPN in 2014.

"And then I turn around, and Payne's putting and the ball goes in the hole. Well, I think any caddie would have looked at it as if it were a real bonus if this goes in."

Mackay declined to be interviewed for this story. His 25-year partnership with Mickelson ended in June 2017.

The only thing going through Hicks' mind at the time was a charity event the next day, which he'd been planning for months. Stewart was supposed to play in the event at Hicks' home course, along with Fred Couples, Paul Azinger and Hal Sutton, to raise money for the North Carolina Children's Hospital.

"When he's over the putt, you don't think ever in a million years the guy's going to make this putt to win," Hicks said. "We're coming back tomorrow for a playoff. This is the honest truth. I'm thinking, 'Who am I going to get to take his place in this outing tomorrow?'"

Of course, Stewart's ball vanished into the hole to win his second U.S. Open title, denying Mickelson his first.

"Obviously, I was happy we won, and I was happy I didn't have to worry about finding somebody to take his place the next day," Hicks said.

Mickelson returned to Arizona, where his daughter, Amanda, was born at 6 p.m. Monday, which would have been only a few hours after a U.S. Open playoff would have ended. Amy Mickelson's contractions started the previous Friday, but she kept them a secret from him until the tournament was over.

Hicks, who now carries Vaughn Taylor's bag, could never have imagined that Mickelson would still be trying to win his first U.S. Open two decades later.

"If we get in, I'd obviously want to win, but I'd be pulling for Phil at Pebble Beach this year," Hicks said. "It would be poetic justice for him to win there."

THE DRAMATIC FINISH AT PINEHURST was only the beginning of Mickelson's heartache at the U.S. Open.

At Bethpage Black in 2002, in the first major championship ever played at the state park on Long Island, Mickelson opened with rounds of 70 and 73 and was eight shots behind Woods. But then Mickelson shot 67 on Saturday to move to within five shots of the lead.

Oct. 25, 1999.

We miss you, Payne. pic.twitter.com/GXLBMJokMN

— Pinehurst Resort (@PinehurstResort) October 26, 2017

When Woods had three-putt bogeys on his first two holes Sunday, Mickelson saw an opening. He birdied No. 13 to get to within two, but then hit his tee shot on No. 16 into the deep rough and bogeyed that hole and the next one. He finished three shots behind Woods, who won his second U.S. Open title.

At that point in his career, Mickelson was 0-for-40 in majors, a drought that finally ended when he won the Masters in April 2004.

Two months after that Masters win, at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Mickelson shared the 36-hole lead with Shigeki Maruyama at 6-under. After limping through his third round, along with nearly everyone else on the sun-banked and wind-whipped Long Island track, Mickelson fell behind Retief Goosen by three shots with six holes to play in the final round. But then he birdied three of four holes and took the outright lead with two holes left.

On the par-3 17th, Mickelson hit his drive into a left bunker. When he arrived at his ball, he noticed a small rock directly behind it. (The USGA allowed players to remove stones and pebbles from bunkers when the U.S. Open returned to Shinnecock in 2018.)

"I tried to go behind the rock and underneath it, and it took all the spin off it. It had over-spin on it," Mickelson told Golf Digest in 2018. "It shot past the hole in the one spot I couldn't go, downhill, down wind. It was not a hard shot -- basic uphill bunker shot into the wind. Couldn't have been easier. But that one thing changed everything."

After that bad break, Mickelson, who has long been regarded as one of the best short-game players in the world, did the unimaginable: He three-putted from about five feet for double-bogey.

Goosen ended up winning by two strokes.

"I got in my car and I had a message from [fellow caddie] Joe LaCava," Mackay recalled. "Whatever you do, don't ever watch a replay of today's golf, which is advice I should have listened to. The greens were impossibly difficult that afternoon. Retief Goosen, to his credit, made putts, and that was tough.

"Phil played really well and lost to a guy who made a bunch of 20- and 25-footers on greens where it was hard to make it from five feet. He played really, really well that day. Nine times out of 10, when he plays that well, you're going to win. And he didn't."

Some of Mickelson's bad breaks have been self-inflicted. When he arrived at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, he had three major championship titles. He won the PGA Championship at Baltusrol in 2005 and his second Masters in 2006.

Only needing a U.S. Open victory to complete the career Grand Slam, Mickelson led by two after 15 holes of the final round and had a one-shot cushion standing on the tee box of the 72nd hole. But then he made one of the worst swings of his career, wildly spraying his driver off a corporate hospitality tent way to the left. Making matters worse, he failed to maneuver his second shot around a tree and ended up making a double-bogey to lose to Geoff Ogilvy by one.

Afterward, Mickelson famously said, "I am such an idiot. I can't believe I couldn't par the last hole."

Even now, the collapse at Winged Foot is probably the missed opportunity that hurts him the most.

"I really should have won that one," he said. "The shot that lingers is not the drive off 18 as much as the 3-iron cutting around that tree. Because if I had not hit the tree, if I had made sure I got it around the green, I would have been up by the green with an opportunity to salvage par with my short game, which was the best it's ever been in my career that week.

"All I had to do was par the last hole. I'll always feel I should have won that one."

Mackay disagrees. He was amazed that Mickelson was even in the hunt, given the way he'd played over 72 holes.

"It wouldn't be in my top three [disappointments]," Mackay said. "He played really well for nine holes on the back nine on Saturday. For whatever reason, he had it for nine holes on Saturday, and the other 63 he did not have it. It's a 72-hole tournament. A lot of people after the fact were treating it like, 'Geez, you've got a 1-shot lead in the U.S. Open. It's over.' It's not the way it works. Hard holes. It's a hard golf course."

Mackay said Mickelson was still searching for his swing when he walked to the first tee for the final round at Winged Foot.

"On Sunday, that was the day he had it the least," Mackay said. "He hit balls and he putted. We were walking over toward the first tee, and he stopped and was hitting shots over the putting green to the range, looking to find something. That's how unsure he was. It wasn't nearly as tough of a loss as some of the others."

Of course, there were more. At Bethpage Black in 2009, Mickelson trailed Ricky Barnes by six shots entering the final round. Barnes collapsed, and Mickelson tied Lucas Glover for the lead with an eagle on 13. But then he bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes and finished two shots behind Glover.

Four years later, at Merion, Mickelson had a one-shot advantage going into the final round. He made two double-bogeys in the first five holes and three bogeys in the final six to shoot a 74. He lost to Rose by two.

"He's still trying to get it," Hicks said. "I think that's the most difficult one to win. Everything has to be aligned, but he's had every chance. He's had his opportunities. It's just a hard one to win."

NOW, AS MICKELSON INCHES CLOSER to a half-century in age, with his face more leathered, his waist surprisingly smaller and his calves more defined, he's trying to do what no other professional golfer has done -- win a major championship at age 49.

Mickelson has won at Pebble Beach a record-tying five times, most recently at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.

"The difficulty is not the age," Mickelson said. "The difficulty is that when you're in your 20s you feel like you have multiple chances. And when you're turning 49, you're like, 'I've got two more chances, this year, and maybe Winged Foot [in 2020], and that's about it.'

"With that being the only one in the four that I haven't won, and what it would offer me and how I look at my career, I put more pressure on it. That's the difficult thing."

Julius Boros is the oldest man to win a major championship; he was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship and denied Arnold Palmer the only major title The King never won.

Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he won the 1986 Masters. Tom Watson, then 59 years old, just needed a par on the 72nd hole, and he would have won the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry; he made bogey and lost to Stewart Cink in a playoff.

Maybe Mickelson isn't too old to do it.

"I thought winning them at age 40 was just as easy as winning them at 20," Nicklaus said. "The only difference was that I knew what I was doing at 40 and I wasn't sure what I was doing at 20.

"I think as you get older you accommodate your aches and pains. You accommodate how you make adjustments to what your body is. But you get smarter, too. You should get smarter. If you don't get smarter, you're not progressing in life."

Mickelson hasn't done much since winning at Pebble Beach in February. He has missed four cuts, most recently at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. He hasn't finished better than a tie for 18th at the Masters.

"I got off to a great start this year, was playing really well, and I've been in a little lull here," he said. "The game is not far off, but mentally I'm not as sharp as I have been, and I'm not as intense on the course, so I've got to change that a little bit."

He'll also have to change his approach at Pebble Beach. The rough is expected to be much thicker this time, and Mickelson won't be able to bomb his drives the way he did here four months ago. He's more apt to hit irons and hybrids off the tee to keep the ball in tighter fairways. He has to replace power and aggression with patience and accuracy.

"It's a whole different golf course where you're playing almost defense, playing for par first and then trying to make birdie," Mickelson said. "Whereas in February, it is full-bore, all-out, go make birdie on every single hole."

If Mickelson can do that, he just might be in contention in the final round Sunday, near the 20-year anniversary of the beginning of his long and frustrating quest for an elusive U.S. Open title.

And a victory would stamp his undeniable place in history as a career Grand Slam winner.

"Well, there's only five guys that have done it," Woods said. "So that's the hard part. It's just one of those fickle things. You've had some of the greatest champions of all time that have been missing one leg of the Grand Slam.

"So for a person who we all know hasn't driven the ball as straight as he would probably like, he's had six seconds in the U.S. Open. That's incredible to be there that many times. He's figured out a way to play well in the U.S. Open. It just happens to be one of those things where he hasn't won, but he's been there. And wouldn't surprise me if he's there again."

Even if Mickelson doesn't do it, his legacy in golf seems secure.

"It's very self-explanatory," Justin Thomas said. "If he wins, he wins the Grand Slam. But, no, Phil's legacy is Phil's legacy. I think everything he's done and everything he's accomplished is top, I don't know, top couple of all time, regardless if he wins the U.S. Open."

"He's still one of the best players to have ever played," said Rory McIlroy, who needs only a Masters victory to complete the career Grand Slam. "And his record of [45] PGA Tour wins is stellar also. I mean, will people look back on Phil Mickelson if he's won the U.S. Open or not and judge him differently? I don't know. Maybe."

Does winning a U.S. Open title and completing the career Grand Slam really matter that much to Mickelson?

You're damn right it does.

"It would be pretty special to be part of the elite players that have won all four," he said. "To me, that's the sign of a complete game."

The two-time defending champs are in trouble. The upstart challengers from Canada have them on the ropes with a chance to land a historic haymaker on Monday night.

The Toronto Raptors have built a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals thanks in large part to their ability to control the Golden State Warriors' offensive production -- especially from the Dubs' role players, who have mostly been awful in this series. Even with Kevin Durant now listed as questionable, Golden State likely needs some help beyond its star backcourt to extend this series, whether KD plays or not.

All of the Warriors' key metrics are disturbing, but as we approach Game 5 in Toronto on Monday night (9 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN App), let's start at the top with the most telling metric at the team level: net rating.

Net rating

Through the lens of net rating, this 2019 matchup currently stands as the third-most-lopsided Finals of the decade. It's also the worst Finals performance of the Splash Brothers era.

Offensive efficiency

This season, NBA teams on average scored 110.4 points per 100 possessions. In the Finals so far, the defending champs are managing a bleak 107.2 points per 100 -- a minuscule number for this dynasty.

The Raptors' players and coaches deserve a lot of credit for their defensive efforts against the Warriors. In last season's Finals, the Warriors had an outrageous offensive rating of 122.1, and in the 2017 Finals that number was 120.4.

But those lofty marks are light-years ahead of what the Warriors have accomplished through four games, during which they have struggled to score at even an average clip. The loss of Kevin Durant hurts, but the Warriors easily logged the best offensive efficiency in the conference finals without him, scoring 113.3 points per 100 possessions against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Effective field goal percentage

As Dean Oliver taught us, the most important component of offensive efficiency is effective field goal percentage, and a quick tour of the Dubs' eFG this series reveals big trouble in Splashtown.

It should come as no surprise that the greatest shooting dynasty we've ever seen has led the NBA in the most important shooting metric for five consecutive seasons. This season was no exception, as the Warriors led the league with an eFG of 56.5%, well above the NBA average of 52.4%.

Shooting efficiency is one of the core elements of the Dubs' story, but in these Finals, their eFG is a lousy 50.3%. The Cavs ranked 29th in the NBA this season with the exact same eFG, and folks, any time your shooting numbers can be compared with that of the 2018-19 Cavs, you're probably not destined for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The role players

Oh, and speaking of the Cavs ... this is the first team the Warriors have faced in the Finals that wasn't from Cleveland. And as the Raptors showed us in the conference finals, they're an outstanding defensive squad, something we rarely if ever said about even LeBron James' best Cavs teams.

Regardless, Golden State's poor team-level struggles are just a composite of multiple individual struggles, and when we drill down to the shooting efficiency of the team's most active shooters, it's easy to tell what's happening.

Remember, anything below a 50 eFG is generally regarded as poor.

The problem is the Dubs' role players are almost all struggling to score at acceptable rates. Aside from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney, every Warrior who has shot at least four times per game this series has an eFG below 46%, and the exact dudes who needed to step up in Durant's absence have flailed instead. From a scoring perspective, DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green have been especially disappointing.

When the Warriors added Cousins last summer, the NBA internet went bonkers as yet another All-Star was joining an already dominant team. On paper, with Durant sidelined, the 2019 Finals would be Boogie's opportunity to show the world he's a dominant superstar capable of playing winning basketball on the game's biggest stage. It hasn't worked out as he works his way back from a quadriceps tear. Cousins didn't even finish Game 4 because he has been atrocious on both ends of the court: too slow on help defense and too inefficient as a scorer.

With Cousins on the court this series, the Dubs have an offensive rating of just 97.9. That jumps to 110.2 when he sits. As an individual scorer he has been a mess, making just 5 of 12 shots in the restricted area and 2 of 11 shots outside of it. In the regular season, Cousins logged a respectable 51.5 eFG, but even in a low-usage scenario in this series he has been arguably the most inefficient scorer in either team's rotation. If his exclusion at the end of Game 4 is a fair indicator, Boogie's down production might cost him playing time in Game 5, and even more than that, at this summer's negotiating tables.

When you plot out the Warriors' Finals performances over the past five seasons, you can quickly see that this year's role players have been ineffective scorers relative to previous cohorts.

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The Warriors have rarely had rotation guys put up bad scoring numbers, but in this year's Finals they have a bunch of them -- you can see them in pink in the lower left of that chart. Compare those low-efficiency numbers to the dark blue dots from last year, when none of the Warriors had an eFG below 50.

In their previous four Finals appearances, the Warriors had only five players who averaged more than four shots per game with an eFG below 46. This season's team has six: Cousins, Green, Jonas Jerebko, Shaun Livingston, Quinn Cook and Andre Iguodala.

That not-so-fantastic six has combined to shoot 57-of-148 (38.5%), with a dismal composite eFG of 41.9 while accounting for nearly 45% of the Warriors' shots. Their collective stank is not just pulling down the overall shooting numbers of a team led by superstars who will be remembered for their incredible shooting stats, it's also destroying any chance they have of beating a team that has been much better on both ends of the court.

On his way out of town in 2016, Harrison Barnes was disparaged because of his poor play in the Finals. Well, as you can see, there's a cluster of players this year who are emulating Barnes' poor Finals showing.

But even as the Warriors' role players have been woeful as shooters, the Raptors' supporting cast has been solid. So far this series, 16 total players are averaging at least four field goal attempts per game. Of that group, seven of the eight lowest eFGs belong to Golden State.

When you compare the shooting numbers of both squads, you can quickly see that Toronto's role players have been a lot more efficient.

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From a scoring perspective, Curry, Thompson and Looney have been good. Everyone else on the Dubs has been bad. While Golden State is trying to absorb the lackluster shooting performances of its role players, the Raptors' non-stars have been propelling much of their success. Serge Ibaka was great in Game 4. Danny Green was great in Game 3. Marc Gasol was great in Game 1. The Warriors don't really have any such performances from their role players.

As the series shifts back to Toronto for a massive Game 5, we'll all have our eyes on Kawhi Leonard, the Splash Brothers and possibly Durant. But if the first four games of this series have taught us anything, it's to keep an eye on the role players, too. Their performances are vital.

Until one of the superteams goes on a tear, we seem to have settled into a fairly stable situation. The Dodgers and Astros are going to spar for No. 1, as they did again this week, splitting our first-place votes 3-2 to keep the Dodgers atop MLB's pecking order. Then we have the Twins, Yankees, Rays and Cubs jostling for position among the best teams behind our dynamic duo. And then things get really interesting.

That's because we're starting to see some extreme stratification. The Brewers and Phillies might be the best of the rest beyond the big six, and there may not be much hope for the seven decisively bad teams. But even splitting all of them out, you've got 15 different teams bouncing around .500, entertain visions of .500 who can't be counted out yet. Which creates an interesting problem -- whose gains and whose track records seem likely to stick? The Rockies swayed our voters, barely convincing them they belong in the conversation for top 10; on points they're basically tied with the Braves. But go all the way down to No. 23, and the White Sox are just two games under .500.

So on the one hand, almost every team is just a win streak away from shaking things up. But until that happens again, there's a lot of parity reflected in these Power Rankings. Despite no team moving up or down more than two slots this week, this won't stick -- it can't, can it? Somebody's going to get hot and tear through their schedule, and somebody's bid to win is going to come apart at the seams (just like the Mariners' already have). But does that mean shaking up the top 10 even more dramatically than seeing just one team, the Rockies, get there? Or even threatening to unseat the Dodgers or Astros from their perches at the top? We'll have to see.

For Week 10, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 45-21
Week 9 ranking: 1

Our weekly Hyun-Jin Ryu note: He still hasn't allowed more than two runs in a start all season and has allowed zero runs in six of his past seven starts after seven scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks. He lowered his ERA to 1.35. If he can keep this going, he'll be just the fifth pitcher since 1980 to have a first-half ERA under 1.50 (minimum 80 IP). The previous five guys to do it: Zack Greinke, 2015 (1.39); Roger Clemens, 2005 (1.48); Pedro Martinez, 2000 (1.44); Bob Knepper, 1981 (1.15); Jim Kern, 1979 (1.48). Kern was actually a reliever, but pitched 85⅓ innings in the first half (and finished with 143 on the season). -- David Schoenfield

ICYMI: 'MVP! MVP!' A look inside Bellinger's breakthrough

2. Houston Astros

2019 record: 45-22
Week 9 ranking: 3

Finally, the Astros' injury stack left them no choice but to recall power-hitting phenom Yordan Alvarez from Triple-A Round Rock. Alvarez, 22, was hitting .343/.443/.742 in the minors with 23 homers and 71 RBIs in 56 games. A lefty hitter, Alvarez has shown virtually no platoon split this season. If he starts mashing anywhere near the level he was in Triple-A, it will be tough to get him out of the lineup, even on an Astros roster that is over-stuffed when everyone is healthy. -- Bradford Doolittle

ICYMI: Brantley matching his career 2014 season for Astros

3. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 43-21
Week 9 ranking: 4

Jorge Polanco leads the club in WAR but Eddie Rosario leads in home runs and runs batted in, and he should soar to career-best marks in each category. Rosario has yet to knock in 80 runs in a season; he could be on his way to 130 or so if his pace keeps up. Sure, Rosario has certainly improved against left-handed pitching, but this is also about taking advantage of run-producing opportunities. Rosario should be an AL All-Star. -- Eric Karabell

4. New York Yankees

2019 record: 40-24
Week 9 ranking: 2

The Yankees lost series on the road to Toronto and Cleveland and while they did get Didi Gregorius back (he homered in his second game), they put Domingo German on the 10-day IL with a left hip flexor strain -- he had struggled his last three starts. The revolving day of the Yankees' roster is remarkable: They actually have 49 players on their 40-man roster, as players on the 60-day injured list don't count against the 40-man limit. When/if those players start returning, that means somebody will get bumped and those exposed to the waiver wire, which also limits the flexibility to keep calling up a new pitcher every day. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Aaron Judge's absence looms large in clubhouse

5. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 40-24
Week 9 ranking: 5

The Rays were reportedly among the near-missers in the Kimbrel sweepstakes, with The Athletic reporting that Tampa Bay offered the reliever three years for $39 million. While a fully functional Kimbrel would help any team, the Rays carefully monitor their spending, and may have dodged a bullet. As it stands, the Rays' bullpen metrics are all fine. If Tampa Bay was willing to expand its payroll by whatever amount for Kimbrel, the Rays can now focus on using some of that to afford a trade for a bat, preferably a DH type who wouldn't affect Tampa Bay's excellent defense. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Rays stand in Red Sox's way to return to AL East race

6. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 37-27
Week 9 ranking: 6

Craig Kimbrel's importance to the Cubs' bullpen will likely come more from the spillover effect of his presence than the actual work he does as a ninth-inning lead protector. Much has been made of the Cubs' 12 blown saves this season, more than all but three other teams in the majors. However, just five of those blown saves occurred in the ninth inning and in two of those instances the Cubs ended up winning the game. Chicago's bullpen metrics have been more average than terrible. Kimbrel, if effective, will make it easier for Joe Maddon to piece together matchups in advance of the ninth. Still, the real validation of the Kimbrel signing will come in October, not before. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Kimbrel -- Process tough, but glad he's with the Cubs

7. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 37-28
Week 9 ranking: 8

Jay Bruce is certainly enjoying life back in the NL East after a brief sojourn to the AL West, and he should continue to play regularly in left field and supply power numbers after Andrew McCutchen was lost for the season with a knee injury. The Phillies might have initially acquired Bruce for an intended part-time role, but the situation quickly changed, as Bruce seems well on his way to his sixth 30-homer campaign. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Phillies advantaged over Braves at the deadline?

8. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 38-28
Week 9 ranking: 7

The Brewers made the tough call to send down rookie Keston Hiura when Travis Shaw was ready to return to the lineup, after Hiura hit .281/.333/.531 with five homers in 17 games during his first stint in the Show. Since his return to Triple-A, Hiura went 7-for-17 with two doubles and a homer. Meanwhile, Jesus Aguilar floundered through another week. Given the paper-thin margins in the NL Central race, everyone had better produce or else the Brewers will have no choice but to answer the door that Hiura is knocking on so loudly. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: After Kimbrel, moves for the rest of NL Central to keep up with the Cubs

9. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 34-32
Week 9 ranking: 9

By Game Score, Chris Sale's start last Wednesday was the best of his career: A complete game shutout with 12 K's, no walks and three hits (all singles). Since the start of May -- when Chris Sale panic was at its shriekiest volumes -- the Red Sox ace has a 2.28 ERA, 78 strikeouts in 47 innings, and at least 10 K's in all but one outing. And he's doing it with fastball velocity that's still, even since May 1, about 2 mph lower than last year. -- Sam Miller

10. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 33-31
Week 9 ranking: 11

Things can certainly change quickly in baseball. After finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young race in 2018, Kyle Freeland struggled to the tune of a 7.13 ERA in 12 starts this year. Meanwhile, the Rockies coaxed seven one-run innings out of Freeland's replacement, Peter Lambert, in a 3-1 victory over the Cubs on Thursday, and the team has gotten five quality starts in nine games from its rotation since Freeland's May 31 demotion to Triple-A. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

ICYMI: Arenado ranks among too-early All-Star choices

11. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 36-29
Week 9 ranking: 10

They signed Dallas Keuchel to a one-year deal to help bolster the rotation and he should be ready fairly quickly to join the team. His start on Saturday for Triple-A Gwinnett was rained out, so he'll instead start on Monday for Class A Rome and is slated to throw 75 to 90 pitches. Keuchel said he has been staying in a regular routine and pitching every fifth, although will likely make at least a couple minor league starts before joining the Braves' rotation; Mike Foltynewicz would seem to be the odd man out given his struggles. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Does signing Keuchel make Braves NL East favorites?

12. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 31-32
Week 9 ranking: 12

The Cardinals' inconsistency on offense -- as well as in the win and loss columns -- during the past month can be traced largely to the team's struggles at the top of the lineup. Since May 20, the team's .270 wOBA combined from their Nos. 1-3 hitters ranks dead last in baseball, and since that date, Paul DeJong has batted just .109/.234/.218. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Moves to help the Cards catch the Cubs

13. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 34-30
Week 9 ranking: 14

The Rangers have given 140 innings to pitchers with ERAs over 6.00 this year -- collectively, those innings have yielded 142 runs -- and yet, if the season ended today, the Rangers would be in the playoffs as the second wild card. -- Miller

ICYMI: Is Rougned Odor's slump the Rangers' biggest disappointment of 2019?

14. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 33-33
Week 9 ranking: 13

Since sweeping the Mariners two weeks ago, the A's stumbled through a 5-8 run against the Angels, Astros and Rangers, and looking much less like a contender with the trade deadline coming into view. If they tear down, relievers Blake Treinen or Joakim Soria are both affordable, effective thirtysomethings under club control through 2020. In happier news, both top prospects A.J. Puk and Jesus Luzardo are going to start rehab assignments, encouraging hopes they may debut later this season. -- Christina Kahrl

15. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 33-32
Week 9 ranking: 16

During his 10-year career in the majors, Carlos Santana has had to be many things. He has been a leadoff hitter and a cleanup man, and he's played all five corners -- catcher, third and first base, right and left field. The one thing he hasn't done is go to an All-Star Game, but as the AL's OPS leader among first basemen with a considerably longer track record for success than rivals like C.J. Cron or Luke Voit, this might be the year he changes that. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Indians' Hand among relievers contenders covet

16. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 29-35
Week 9 ranking: 17

A rough start to June has seen the Reds drop five games out of six while totaling only 11 runs on offense. May standouts Eugenio Suarez and Derek Dietrich have been as responsible as any of the Reds' hitters; in seven team games the duo has combined to bat .160 (8-for-50) with only one extra-base hit. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Reds' Castillo primed for Midsummer Classic invite?

17. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 33-33
Week 9 ranking: 15

Rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup on Thursday, playing a big part in the team's 5-4 Friday win over the Nats with a home run and a stolen base. He has been a valuable catalyst out of the leadoff spot, as the team is 18-14 in his healthy games on the roster, and winners of seven out of their past eight in which he began the game in that lineup spot. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Tatis Jr. going 100 percent in return from injury

18. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 34-32
Week 9 ranking: 19

Ketel Marte is outslugging Bryce Harper, hit the longest home run in baseball this year, and on Sunday passed his career high for home runs with his 15th. He's also listed at 165 pounds, the fourth lightest hitter in the majors, just behind Billy Hamilton and tied with Terrance Gore. A big moment for little guys, or an indictment of supposed "listed" weights? -- Miller

ICYMI: D-backs get best first-round value in MLB draft

19. New York Mets

2019 record: 32-33
Week 9 ranking: 18

Rookie first baseman Pete Alonso continues to threaten historical marks in terms of hitting for power by a first-year player, but his current home run pace is also well ahead of the organization's overall mark for a season. Carlos Beltran (2006) and Todd Hundley (1996) each hit 41 in a season for the Mets. Nobody has hit more, from Dave Kingman to Darryl Strawberry and Mike Piazza. Alonso is truly special. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Bobby V on 20th anniversary of his dugout disguise

20. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 30-35
Week 9 ranking: 22

Anthony Rendon remains among the MLB leaders with an OPS over 1.000 -- which means he may finally be headed to his first All-Star Game. Let's see why/how that has happened:

2014: 18th in NL in OPS in first half, 13 HR, 53 RBIs; beat out by Todd Frazier, Nolan Arenado and Kris Bryant
2015: Injured (played just 18 games)
2016: Didn't have a good first half (.254, 9 HRs, 33 RBIs)
2017: .304/.407/.552, 16 HRs, 54 RBIs (seventh in OPS); beat out by Arenado, Jake Lamb and Justin Turner
2018: .285/.352/.526, 15 HRs, 45 RBIs; beat out by Arenado and Eugenio Suarez

-- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Sizing up Strasburg's journey from 1 to 100 wins

21. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 30-34
Week 9 ranking: 21

The Pirates' injury problems on the pitching staff have made it difficult for them to deliver leads to closer Felipe Vazquez, who in the team's past 19 games has just three save chances. Chris Archer's healthy return has helped boost the rotation, though, as he's the winner of back-to-back starts since his activation. -- Cockcroft

22. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 31-35
Week 9 ranking: 20

No Angels pitcher boasts more wins than lefty Tyler Skaggs, but the organization likely expected much better than a 4.97 ERA and two quality starts in 11 chances, too. Skaggs, 27 and acquired from Arizona in the winter of 2013, still has yet to finish a big league season with an ERA better than 4.00, and has only once made 20 starts in a season. The Angels remain desperate for rotation improvements. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Draft heist of the century? How Mike Trout fell to the Angels

23. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 31-33
Week 9 ranking: 23

It's time to start thinking about Lucas Giolito as a Cy Young candidate and stop marveling at the suddenness with which he turned around his early-career inconsistency. Giolito dominated the Royals on Saturday and has won his past seven starts with a 0.88 ERA and .385 OPS allowed during that span. Giolito leads all AL starters with 3.0 fWAR on the season. This week, the White Sox host Giolito's original team, the Nationals, though he's not slated to start. Lucky thing for Washington. -- Doolittle

24. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 26-38
Week 9 ranking: 24

If relievers end up being the hottest commodity at this year's trade deadline, Farhan Zaidi might be a very busy man in his first deadline as the Giants' head honcho. While the focus is on Madison Bumgarner, the Giants have a quartet of veterans with closing experience in lefties Will Smith and Tony Watson and righties Mark Melancon and Sam Dyson, giving him enough bargaining chips to be a one-stop shop for contenders with bullpen problems. -- Kahrl

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 23-42
Week 9 ranking: 25

The Blue Jays had the second-worst May in franchise history; now, they're having their second-worst June. All that's left now is the trading, and closer Ken Giles (1.08 ERA, 1.15 FIP, a free agent after 2020) will be in more headlines over the next month than "Local Man," "Millennials" and "New Research Finds." -- Miller

ICYMI: Blue Jays draft Roy Halladay's son

26. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 28-41
Week 9 ranking: 26

It was a tough week to be a Mariner outfielder: Mitch Haniger landed on the IL with a ruptured testicle and Braden Bishop with a lacerated spleen. Combined with the Jay Bruce trade, that meant a new outfielder in Mac Williamson. Throw in a couple a new pitchers as well -- former Mariner Andrew Moore and Tayler Scott, who became the first South African pitcher in the majors -- and the Mariners have now used 50 different players. I'm beginning to wonder if Jerry Dipoto has an undiagnosed medical condition that means he can't help but make all these transactions. The MLB record is 64, set by the 2014 Rangers, so the Mariners have a ways to go, but it's still only June 10. Tacoma, Seattle's Triple-A franchise, has used 37 different pitchers (!) and 54 players. -- Schoenfield

27. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 23-40
Week 9 ranking: 29

Since bottoming out on May 15 at 10-31 and making you wonder if a 120-loss season was in the cards, the Marlins have gone on a modest tear, going 13-9 and winning five of seven series. But the stable rotation that has been the platform for that success took its first hit of the season with Caleb Smith landing on the IL with a hip injury. Smith should be back before the end of the month, but his absence and a tough schedule between now and the All-Star break could spell the end of the Marlins' nice run. -- Kahrl

28. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 24-38
Week 9 ranking: 27

And just when you might despair of Tigers hitting with the Kitties ranking 29th in runs scored per game, JaCoby Jones has started lighting up the scoreboard, going on a .407/.458/.759 tear at the plate with four home runs (among 10 extra-base hits) and four steals since May 24. He's not alone; Christin Stewart has chipped in a .397 wOBA during that stretch as well. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Greene among key relievers contenders covet at deadline

29. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 20-45
Week 9 ranking: 28

The Royals are predictably struggling but nobody can blame Adalberto Mondesi. The switch-hitting shortstop continues to show that his breakout 2018 campaign was not a fluke, as nobody in baseball has more triples or stolen bases this season. The Royals could trade Whit Merrifield and other lineup fixtures, but Mondesi figures to stick around awhile. An All-Star berth could be pending. -- Karabell

ICYMI: AL draft recap -- Evaluating Royals' selection of Witt

30. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 20-45
Week 9 ranking: 30

If baseball games lasted only two innings, the Orioles would be an OK team. Through one inning they've got a "record" of 20-17 this year; through two innings, that goes up to 25-24. And then... well, from the third inning on they've allowed nearly twice as many runs as they've scored. -- Miller

ICYMI: Takeaways from Day 1 of MLB draft after O's take Rutschman

Results from Hengelo’s FBK Games, plus the BAL, UKWL, Gouden Spike, Racers Track Club Grand Prix and more

After another busy weekend in athletics, links to separate event reports can be found below, followed by a list of other recent highlights.

Adam Hickey and Nicole Taylor win England titles at FASTFriday
Divine Oduduru storms to fast sprint double at NCAA Champs
Sha’Carri Richardson runs record-breaking NCAA sprint double
GB’s Jonathan Albon wins trail world title

FBK Games, Hengelo, Netherlands, June 9

Eilish McColgan improved her own Scottish 5000m record and moved to third on the UK all-time list with 14:47.94 to finish fifth in a race won by Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in 14:37.22.

It follows recent performances of a 14:52.40 5000m in Stockholm and a 4:02.29 1500m in Rome by McColgan, who wasn’t even sure if she would be well enough to race in Hengelo after suffering with a cold after Rome.

PB & Scottish record this evening in Hengelo! Picked up a cold after Rome and wasn't going to race… right up until the warm up! Glad I did! ?

Went off bit too hard & paid the price over the last few KMs. But ran a lot of the race alone so I'm happy with a 14.47 for now! pic.twitter.com/4okTTVxND2

— Eilish Mccolgan (@EilishMccolgan) June 9, 2019

Telahun Bekele won the men’s 5000m in 12:57.56 for another sub-13 minute run just three days after his 12:52.98 in Rome.

Sam Kendricks cleared 5.91m to improve the pole vault meeting record set by Sergey Bubka in 1992, while Adam Hague’s 5.41m saw him finish sixth on countback.

Michael Cherry won the 400m in 45.15 and Orlando Ortega the 100m hurdles in 13.27.

Kyle Langford was second in the 800m as he clocked 1:45.87 behind Cornelius Tuwei with 1:45.67, while Guy Learmonth finished sixth in 1:47.20.

Another GB runner-up spot was secured by CJ Ujah as he ran a 10.13 100m on his season debut behind Arthur Cissé with 10.05. Harry Aikines-Aryeetey was eighth in 10.27.

Gouden Spike, Netherlands, June 8

Olympic heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam achieved a 13.62 (-1.4m/sec) 100m hurdles win and a windy 6.65m (+4.1m/sec) in the long jump.

Finette Agyapong won the 200m in 23.39, while Jake Smith and Petros Surafel both achieved European U23 Championships 10,000m qualifying marks with respective PBs of 29:15.08 and 29:22.55. Ciaran Lewis clocked 9:21.54 in the 3000m steeplechase.

Pavel Maslák ran a 20.84 200m before confirming in his post-race interview that he’s not planning on the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

BAL and UKWL, Barnet and Leigh, June 9

Newham and Essex Beagles improved on their second spot in the opening match to win the second British Athletics League Premiership match in overcast drizzly conditions at Allianz Park, north London, Tom Pollak reports.

They were helped to victory by a 46.34 second 400m win by Rabah Yousif.

Britain’s No.1 Scott Lincoln was top performer with a winning 19.29m in the shot while BUCS champion Will Grimsey high jumped a winning 2.15m and Jersey Commonwealth Games thrower Zane Duquemin continued his return to form after injury by winning the discus with 60.22m.

The tightest finish was in the 100m where just five thousandths of a second separated Jahde Williams and David Bolarinwa and they were both given an official 10.51.

Southend won the National 4 match, beating Reading and Enfield and Haringey.

Shaftesbury Barnet won the opening UK Women’s League Division 1 match beating Southampton and Wigan.

They achieved their victory despite pole vaulter Jade Ive failing to clear a height.

At the UK Women’s League Premier Division match, Jessie Knight won the 400m hurdles by two seconds, clocking 56.67 to to take more than a second off her previous best.

Alicia Barrett won the 100m hurdles in 13.27 (1.9m/sec), with Heather Paton breaking the 36-year-old Scottish record with her time of 13.34 in second.

Alisha Rees won the 100m in 11.61 (0.6m/sec) from Rachel Miller with 11.62 and Shannon Hylton in 11.66, with Hylton winning the 200m in 23.74 (-0.3m/sec) from Rees with 23.97 and Miller with 24.13.

Thames Valley Harriers won the match from Trafford.

Racers Track Club Grand Prix, Kingston, Jamaica, June 8

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce continued her return to top form as she clocked 10.88 to win the 100m. Zharnel Hughes won the men’s race in an equal European lead of 9.97 ahead of Yohan Blake’s 10.01.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo won the 400m in 49.54, while Kendra Harrison won the 100m hurdles in 12.54 as Cindy Ofili ran 13.06 for fifth.

Britain’s Delano Williams ran 20.79 for fourth in the men’s 200m, while Jodie Williams achieved the same position in the women’s race in 23.03.

Golden Roof Challenge, Innsbruck, Austria, June 8

Juan Miguel Echevarría jumped a best of 8.15m (0.2m/sec) to win the long jump, as GB’s Feron Sayers was second with a best of 7.92m (0.0m/s).

Angelica Bengtsson cleared a meeting record 4.61m in the pole vault. Britain’s Charlie Myers cleared 5.51m in the men’s event.

Jena, Germany, June 8

Harry Hughes threw 77.89m to finish fourth in the javelin competition won by organiser Thomas Rohler with 82.56m.

Paralympic champion Hollie Arnold had a strong season opener as she threw 41.94m. Her training partner Rebekah Walton won that competition with a best of 51.35m.

First Competition of the season done and dusted!!! Best ever seasons opener at @jenjavelin today ????? Well done to my training partner @bekah_walton for taking the win today in our comp! Thanks coach @David_T_Javelin for the support! pic.twitter.com/c4lbQAti3v

— Hollie Arnold MBE (@HollieA2012) June 8, 2019

Chania, Greece, June 9

Nick Miller threw the hammer 77.72m, his furthest mark since winning the Commonwealth title last April, to win by two metres and achieve the World Championships and Olympic qualifying standards.

Richard Kilty won the 100m in 10.32 (1.0m/sec).

Alex Haydock-Wilson was second in the 400m with a 46.83 PB.

Portland Track Festival, Oregon, USA, June 8-9 

Josh Kerr ran an 800m PB of 1:46.06 and Charlie Da’Vall Grice clocked 1:46.47 for his best time for three years.

Neil Gourley ran 1:47.11 to just miss his PB.

James West ran 3:37.22 for third in the 1500m.

La Coruna, Spain, June 8

Tom Bosworth clocked 81:23 for 25th in the 20km race walk won by Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi in 77:41.

NYRR New York Mini 10km, USA, June 8

Sara Hall produced a strong finish to win the NYRR New York Mini 10km (incorporating the USATF Champs) in Central Park.

The American clocked 32:27 to beat Stephanie Bruce and Sally Kipyego.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has confirmed she will play at the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham.

American Williams, 38, will make her debut at the grass-court event after accepting a wildcard, joining world number one Naomi Osaka and French Open champion Ashleigh Barty in the draw.

Defending champion Petra Kvitova and British number one Johanna Konta are also playing in the tournament.

The tournament runs from 15-23 June.

Former world number one Garbine Muguruza has been forced to withdraw from the event held at Edgbaston Priory Club due to a left leg injury.

Shock on day one of PSA World Tour Finals 
By SEAN REUTHE in Cairo 

The opening day of the 2018-2019 CIB PSA World Tour Finals saw defending women’s champion Nour El Sherbini fall to a surprise defeat against England No.1 Sarah-Jane Perry as the season-ending tournament got under way at Cairo’s Mall of Arabia.

The PSA World Tour Finals is the final tournament of the PSA World Tour season, with the first four days featuring round-robin matches during the group stage. Fixtures are held using a best-of-three games format and Perry marched into first place in Group B as she claimed a 2-0 victory over the World No.2.

It was the Egyptian who started stronger in both of the games, going 8-5 up in the first before losing six points in a row, while she held a 9-3 advantage in the second. But Perry soon whittled down that lead as she found her accuracy and range to devastating effect to make it three wins on the bounce against her opponent after wins at the Hong Kong Open and last month’s Allam British Open.

“I just relaxed and remembered that there wasn’t any pressure on me,” said 29-year-old Perry.

“I remember playing her on this court in Gouna a couple of years ago, and I got an absolute lesson and have had a few of those over the years. It makes it a bit of a bonus being here at the end of the season following my [elbow] operation, so I’m just trying to seize any opportunity that comes my way on the court.

“You can’t afford to have a bad start and you can’t afford to go 9-3 down in any game. I didn’t think about winning that game when I was 9-3 down, I just tried to play my way back in because I knew how important the third game was.”

Perry takes the maximum four points on offer to top Group B, with the other two players in Group B – Nour El Tayeb and Nouran Gohar – set to meet tomorrow.

In Group A, World No.1 Raneem El Welily got her title challenge under way as she stormed to a 2-0 win against Welsh World No.9 Tesni Evans, beating her 11-4, 11-6.

Fresh from winning a quartet of awards at the PSA Awards dinner last night – including the PSA Women’s Player of the Year – El Welily was in dominant form as she swept her opponent aside, with the Alexandria-born 30-year-old moving top of her group.

“As Egyptians we are very lucky to be playing the last tournament at home and not having to travel on a plane,” said El Welily.

“We are very lucky to be able to play in front of our home crowd and to be playing in a tournament where my family and coaches can watch and also playing in a tournament that CIB and Wadi Degla, my own sponsors, are sponsoring.”

France’s Camille Serme sits in second in Group A after she defeated New Zealand’s Joelle King. All three games went to tie-breaks as both played to an intense tempo in Cairo. However, it was the Frenchwoman who was able to hold her nerve and close out as she claimed a 12-14, 12-10, 12-10 victory in 55 minutes. The 2-1 win means Serme takes three points, while King also claims a point as she moves into third place.

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ElShorbagy saves four match balls against Elias

Defending men’s champion Mohamed ElShorbagy overturned four match balls as he defeated Peru’s Diego Elias to take a 2-1 victory, meaning he finishes the day in second place in Group B.

All four of their previous matches had gone the distance to five games, and despite the best of three format, crowds at the Mall of Arabia were treated to a spectacular 63 minute affair which saw ElShorbagy take a nail-biting third game by a 17-15 margin.

“We both had a lot of match balls,” said 28-year-old ElShorbagy. “Matches like this, every time we play each other it always goes down to the wire. He’s a great player and I always say that he is going to beat us all one day and I’m going to try and make it as late as possible, but one day he is a future World No.1 and a future World Champion.”

ElShorbagy sits level on three points with World No.3 Tarek Momen, but has a lower percentage of points won, meaning Momen ends the opening day top of Group B courtesy of a 6-11, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Germany’s World No.5 Simon Rösner.

Meanwhile, World No.1 and last year’s runner-up Ali Farag got off to a winning start in Group A as he toppled fellow Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar in straight games.

Farag, the reigning World Champion, finished top of the men’s PSA World Tour Finals Leaderboard and is looking to cap off an incredible season that has seen him win six PSA World Tour titles.

He took maximum points on offer as he earned a 12-10, 11-9 triumph to put himself on the verge of securing a semi-final spot, with the top two from each group qualifying for the last four.

“I’m still learning a lot about myself,” Farag said. “Coming into this tournament, I knew I needed a bit of a rest, and I didn’t need to train any more as it has been a long season, and I had to be smart with my head and body. I took a couple of days off by the beach and did some exercises away from squash which was needed, and I think that made me sharp ahead of this tournament.”

The CIB PSA World Tour Finals continues tomorrow (June 10) when the likes of British Open champion Nouran Gohar and New Zealand’s Paul Coll get their tournaments under way. Live action will be shown from 19:00 (GMT+2) on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan).
 

CIB PSA World Tour Finals 2019, Mall of Arabia, 6th of October City, Egypt.

Men’s Group A:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [8] Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 2-0: 12-10, 11-9 (39m)

Men’s Group B:
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [7] Diego Elias (PER) 2-1: 6-11, 11-3, 17-15 (63m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt [6] Simon Rösner (GER) 2-1: 6-11, 11-3, 11-8 (44m)

Women’s Group A:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt [8] Tesni Evans (WAL) 2-0: 11-4, 11-6 (18m)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [5] Joelle King (NZL) 2-1: 12-14, 12-10, 12-10 (55m)

Women’s Group B:
[7] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 2-0: 11-8, 11-9 (23m)

TODAY (June 10) Men’s Group A:
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [5] Paul Coll (NZL)

Men’s Group B:
[6] Simon Rösner (GER) v [7] Diego Elias (PER)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)

Women’s Group A:
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [4] Camille Serme (FRA)
[5] Joelle King (NZL) v [8] Tesni Evans (WAL)

Women’s Group B:
[3] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) v [6] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA PR and Media Manager). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures and graphics courtesy of PSA

Record numbers set for July showdown
By DONNA HELMER – Squash Mad Correspondent

A record numbers of players are expected to turn out for the newly merged HEAD National Racketball Championships at Edgbaston Priory Club next month.

The two-day event, which takes place over the weekend of 6-7th July, is expected to lure a huge draw following the amalgamation of the National Racketball Championships and National Squash 57 Championships.

With 29 national titles up for grabs from the Under 13s to the inaugural Over 80s, this accessible tournament enables players of all ages and abilities to come together and play at one of the UK’s finest clubs, whether they’re competing for fun or pursuing a major title.

Year after year, the tournament continues to attract the finest players from around the UK including Tim Vail and Bett Dryhurst – who have triumphed 10 and 31 times respectively.

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Speaking ahead of the tournament, Mark Fuller, UK-Racketball Director said: “I’m very excited about the competition this year – it’s looking likely that this will be one of the biggest events in the sport’s history!

“With the help of England Squash, we have already seen a significant increase in entries.

“The game’s top players including many of last year’s defending champions have already signed up. There has never been a better time to play this event for the first time and fight it out for a national title.

“This is an event for all ages and abilities, so whatever your standard, join us in Edgbaston for a thrilling weekend of action!”

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For Wales under-20s lock Teddy Williams, a World Rugby Championship match with Argentina was not even his hardest test of the day.

Tackles and mauls were the stress relief for 18-year-old Williams, one of three members of the Wales under-20 side who is balancing the World Rugby U20 Championship with their A-level exams.

Williams, a pupil at Cardiff Welsh medium school Ysgol Glantaf, sat chemistry in the morning, then was driven hastily across the city of Rosario back to the stadium just in time to help his side defeat the hosts 30-25 in a contest that kicked off at 1pm.

"It was a bonus to have him as an option off the bench. Originally we thought he would take the exam in Buenos Aires and would miss the match," head coach Gareth Williams explained.

"We have three players involved with exams - we are balancing it."

The day before the Argentina victory, Williams sat a biology exam. He also took a maths exam along with team-mate Aneurin Owen, 18, before Wales' 32-13 defeat by France.

This week Williams, the son of former Wales international Owain Williams, will sit further exams in chemistry, maths - with Owen - and biology.

Owen suffered a head injury after colliding with a team-mate against Argentina, and while he was not fit enough to play against France he is fit enough for a maths exam.

Their team-mate, Leicester Tigers fly-half Sam Costelow, 18, had to travel even further to do his exams.

Different regulations meant he was forced to travel four hours and almost 200 miles to the capital city of Buenos Aires with a chaperone from the Wales management team in order to sit a geography exam.

Team manager Darren Joy has been responsible for making the arrangements, having contacted each of the respective schools three months ago to begin making plans.

While all the schools were willing to help, Joy endured a lot of red tape obtaining the requisite paperwork to ensure the players did not have to pick between the tournament and their education.

"The work the boys have put in is amazing, especially if you add in the fact that for a lot of them, it is their first time being away from home for a prolonged period," head coach Williams added.

"They have needed to keep their focus on two fronts with the rugby and the exams and that has been really impressive from them.

"To be able to set-up the exams over here in Argentina, we give a lot of credit to team manager Darren Joy.

"He has made it as comfortable as possible for the boys to complete their exams and make sure it doesn't impair on their preparation or performance."

Wales conclude their group matches against Fiji in Santa Fe on Wednesday.

For three of the squad, it will be a test they relish.