NEW ORLEANS -- Defense, the old coaches used to tell us, wins championships.

And though the scoring-happy modern NFL sometimes makes that old saying sound silly, the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles would like a word.

Sunday night in a city that has hosted a record-tying 11 Super Bowls, the Kansas City Chiefs' quest for Super Bowl history never got off the ground. Philadelphia's swarming defense held Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending champions to only 23 yards in the first half, led by 24 points at halftime and rolled to a 40-22 victory that kept the Chiefs from becoming the first team to win three straight Super Bowl titles and delivered the second in Eagles history.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose cellphone screen saver for the past two years has been a photo of him walking off the Super Bowl LVII field in Arizona surrounded by yellow and red confetti after losing to the Chiefs, was absolutely brilliant. He was selected Super Bowl MVP, throwing for 221 yards, rushing for 72 and accounting for three touchdowns. He threw only five incompletions with one interception for a passer rating of 119.7.

Philadelphia's defense forced three turnovers and held Mahomes and the Kansas City offense to 275 yards, building a ridiculous-looking 40-6 lead before the Chiefs threw a couple of late touchdowns. By that point, it had turned into an all-night party at the end of a weeklong party for Eagles fans in the Big Easy. And in the end, it was the oft-maligned Hurts and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

"This is the ultimate team game. You can't be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody -- offense, defense, special teams," Sirianni said. "We didn't really ever care what anyone thought about how we won, or their opinions. All we want to do is win."

The Eagles took it to the Chiefs and didn't let up. The first half was a mash-up of things that aren't supposed to happen. The Chiefs bottled up Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley, limiting him to 31 yards on 12 carries before halftime. But it didn't matter, partly because Hurts made pinpoint throws and sharp decisions, the Chiefs committed uncharacteristic penalties and Mahomes threw two interceptions -- something he has done only five other times in his career in a half.

"There's things I still need to get better at, and they showed tonight on the biggest stage," said Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP before turning 30. "I can't be out there making bad plays worse. Sometimes I get to where I want to make a big play to spark us. Tonight they were going to make me be a fundamental quarterback, stay in the pocket and take what was there, and I still have to get better at that."

Mahomes spent more than 10 minutes answering questions about what went wrong and took responsibility for all of it, which is what great quarterbacks and leaders are supposed to do. But this was a total meltdown by the Chiefs, exemplified by a late second-quarter stretch that saw an interception returned for a touchdown, a seven-yard sack of Mahomes on third down and another interception deep in their own territory all within the span of four offensive snaps.

It was at that point that the Eagles' defense knew the night had a chance to be special.

"Three big plays in a row," Eagles defensive lineman Josh Sweat said with a huge smile. "That's when I was like, 'Oh. It's just that day.'"

Yes, as shocking as the Eagles' dominance might have been, the fundamental problem that cost the Chiefs their chance at history was the same one that cost them the Super Bowl four years ago against the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers: They could not protect their quarterback.

Philadelphia generated pressure on 16 of Mahomes' 42 dropbacks in spite of not blitzing once. Veteran Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney, who appeared to solve the team's left tackle problem when the Chiefs moved him from left guard with five games left in the regular season, was manhandled repeatedly by the Eagles' defensive front. Edge pressure from Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith, interior pressure from Milton Williams and Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis ... it didn't matter where it was coming from, Mahomes couldn't do anything against it.

"Just did what we've been doing all year," Sweat said. "That's our pride, being able to rush just four guys and still get it done. Once you get it going, it's like nothing can go wrong."

"Defense wins championships," said Hurts, perhaps one of those old coaches at heart. "We saw how they played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, gave us short fields. And we're able to do what we do."

Hurts capitalized on those opportunities. With Barkley bottled up, Hurts retained his composure, found open receivers and took off running when the situation called for it. He was the game's leading rusher with 72 yards on 11 carries, and he looked completely in control all night.

"We've always said it's about being able to win in different ways," Hurts said. "We've been dominant in the run game. We've been efficient in the passing game. We've just done what needed to be done."

And every time it looked as if the Chiefs might do something to even things out, they made the kind of massive mistake you don't expect from a team that has played in this game five out of the past six years. An unnecessary roughness penalty by Trent McDuffie that extended the drive and led to the Eagles' first points of the game. A forced throw by Mahomes that Eagles rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean intercepted and ran back for a touchdown. A post-play unnecessary roughness penalty by Nick Bolton that turned a third-and-26 into a first-and-10. The second Mahomes interception, which came one play after the Kansas City defense forced a punt and kept the score 17-0 with 1:49 left in the half.

It was the Eagles, not the perennial champion Chiefs, who looked like the more composed and experienced team. It was the underestimated Hurts, not the MVP finalist Barkley, who drove the offense. And it was the defense, which finished last year as one of the NFL's worst and transformed this year into its best, that made life miserable for Mahomes.

The Barkley signing was the headliner of the Eagles' brilliant 2024 offseason, but you can make the case that the hiring of Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator and the drafting of defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell were the more important moves. The Eagles have the ninth-highest-paid quarterback in the league, third-highest-paid running back, fourth-highest-paid tight end, highest-paid guard, fourth-highest-paid right tackle and fifth-highest-paid left tackle. They're one of only two teams (along with Tampa Bay) that pay two wide receivers at least $25 million per year. The Eagles have invested a lot of their salary cap into their offense, which means they need to get high-end production from defensive players who don't make top-of-the-market money.

The Eagles led the league this season in defensive snaps played by players on their rookie contracts. They also ranked third in sacks, third in tackles and first in pass rush win rate by players on rookie deals. Their past four draft classes have brought them Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Smith, Carter and the aforementioned rookie defensive backs.

Mitchell's coverage and DeJean's interception were critical to Sunday's victory, but the Eagles got sacks from Williams and rookie Jalyx Hunt to go with the 2.5 that pending free agent Sweat collected. Smith chased down Mahomes on a critical play early in the game and prevented what could have been a big gain. Davis and Carter each were credited with a quarterback hit. It was a total team effort from a defense whose construction was outstanding and whose coaching brought it all together.

Sunday night in New Orleans, it all paid off in the ultimate way for the Eagles -- the hurt that lingered from two years ago, when they let the Chiefs hang around and come back to beat them in Super Bowl LVII; the recovery from last year's second-half collapse and early playoff exit; the second year in a row changing offensive and defensive coordinators; the Barkley signing; the Georgia-heavy drafts.

The odd controversies that dotted their season, whether it was Sirianni jawing with fans, A.J. Brown criticizing the "passing" and reading books on the sideline, Brandon Graham airing dirty laundry on a podcast ... all of the highs and lows of the past three seasons culminated Sunday in a career-defining win for Howie Roseman, Sirianni, Hurts and everyone else in midnight green.

They rolled in with what they believed was the better team and left no doubt.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW ORLEANS -- Howie Roseman huddled with a handful of senior aides and personnel men for one of a series of meetings from the NovaCare Sports Complex in South Philly.

It was January 2023, and the Eagles' executive vice president and his staff were in the midst of offseason planning. Philadelphia was days ahead of a Super Bowl run that would fall just short of the ultimate prize in a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Roseman and his team were discussing the additions that might get them back to this stage.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was scheduled to become a free agent that year, and his name was raised in a way sources in the room said was more than fleeting. The Eagles had seen plenty of Barkley since he entered the league, and the NFC East, in 2018. They'd mostly limited him -- Barkley hadn't logged a 100-yard game vs. Philly since his rookie season -- but they also knew what was on tape. Barkley was a nightmare to game-plan against.

"It's really hard to find difference-makers at any position," a team source said. "With a guy like [Barkley], positional considerations become less of a focus."

The Giants ended up putting the franchise tag on Barkley, and the Eagles moved forward. Turns out they were getting a 14-month jump on the eventual prize. The 2023 season would include a late-season plummet highlighted by tension between quarterback Jalen Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni, who barely escaped with his job. Philadelphia sought big-picture solutions for the offense.

Barkley's name was again raised as an option in January 2024 -- albeit a relatively pricey one that would serve as a departure from the franchise's usual methodology. Roseman hadn't paid running backs top dollar in recent years. The last Eagles back to receive a substantial deal was Demarco Murray, who was signed for five years and $40 million in a curious move instigated by then-head coach Chip Kelly in 2015. Murray lasted one season in Philadelphia.

But Barkley was the type of player who transcended philosophy, the kind some Eagles scouts privately dreamed of acquiring as they watched him from the press box twice per season. Philadelphia made the deal for Barkley on the first day of free agency and watched 11 months later as he helped lift the Eagles to their second title with a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Though the Chiefs limited Barkley to 57 rushing yards on 25 carries, his 2,504 combined regular-season and playoff yards would become the most in NFL history.

"We knew that the focus would be on the run game and we took advantage of it," said Barkley, who added six catches for 40 yards. "We took advantage of it in the pass game. Jalen [Hurts] came out, played big and it took a team effort. Coaches, everyone in the Eagles organization, it takes all of us."

The excitement about the possibilities with Barkley began building in the 2024 offseason and never abated even as green confetti rained on the running back and his teammates at Caesars Superdome on Sunday night.

"When I heard that news," offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, the architect of the Eagles' elite blocking scheme, said of the acquisition, "I was like 'Holy cow. This is going to be unbelievable.'"

People inside the building were elated. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton remembers introducing himself to other coaches as "Saquon Barkley's running backs coach" the day the news broke in mid-March.

The most important, high-visibility part of the Eagles' run to Super Bowl LIX played a position that has seen its value plummet around the NFL, with a franchise tag figure that surpasses only that of kickers and punters. Barkley's acquisition raised a lot of questions for the team that let him walk, for the team that gave him more than $12 million per year in an out-of-character move and potentially for the league's view of the running back position moving forward.

Barkley answered the questions about his value with one of the finest seasons by a running back in NFL history, and now comes the debate about whether his mesmerizing 2024 performance has changed anything in the NFL -- and Barkley's own future.

"I'd like to say he's exceeded expectations, but he's always been one of the best players I've ever seen whenever I've watched him," Roseman said last week. "And I have always known about what kind of person he is because it's not hard to find that out. So I'm really not surprised by any of this, and I don't say that in an arrogant way, it's based on who he is, nothing to do with me, because this is who he's always been. And I'm just glad everyone gets to see that."

AS THE EAGLES prepared for Super Bowl LIX, hundreds of NFL types descended upon Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl. Scouts gathered at bars in downtown hotels after the day's evaluations were complete, and one veteran scout weighed the merits of the term "generational talent" between cocktails.

He concluded no player in this year's draft class fit the description, at running back or any other position.

"That's Myles Garrett, Saquon Barkley, guys like that," the scout said. "Very few should be mentioned in this space."

Still, when Barkley signed for three years and $37 million on the first day of 2024 free agency, the move carried some risk for the Eagles. Barkley had logged a heavy workload with 1,900 carries dating to his days at Penn State and had also sat out 25 NFL games over six seasons, with a right ACL tear and multiple ankle injuries compromising his availability. New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen highlighted the fears about Barkley's dependability when he made his stance clear during an episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks."

"We've got to upgrade the offensive line, and you're paying [quarterback Daniel Jones] $40 million," Schoen told the front office group assembled in his office. "It's not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back."

Schoen's words and that stance did not age well for the Giants, who won three games and benched Jones midway through the season, ultimately releasing him. Barkley would flourish elsewhere.

Multiple NFL executives said injury history was their only reservation about the Barkley signing in Philadelphia, with one calling it a "no-brainer" because of the "caliber of player."

"Based on their offense, you figured he'd have a good year -- not sure anybody knew he'd be [an] MVP [candidate]," an AFC executive said. "As long as he's healthy, I don't think anybody was doubting him. Anytime you have a talent like that, you can do a lot of things. He's a core piece."

Questions did persist about how Barkley would acclimate to an offense with a dual-threat quarterback and two high-end receivers in A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. But as one national NFL scout pointed out, the key element was pairing Barkley with Hurts in the ground game.

"That dual-threat offense with the [run-pass option] behind that great offensive line has brought out the best in Saquon," the scout said. "When they signed him, the first thing I said is, 'He's going to have a monster year.' And he did."

His performances this season will forever live in Philly folklore, echoing through Birds-obsessed living rooms from Morristown to Drexel Hill. A sampling from a season in which Barkley would win the NFL rushing crown and league Offensive Player of the Year with a franchise record 2,005 yards in 16 games:

• 147 yards and two touchdowns on 17 rushes in a Week 3 win over a Saints team that had been one of the league's biggest surprises up to that point.

• 176 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in his first career matchup against the Giants in Week 7

• A jaw-dropping 26-carry, 255-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Rams in Week 12, followed by a similarly jaw-dropping 26-carry, 205-yard, two-TD outing against those same Rams in an NFC divisional round playoff game seven weeks later.

Then, a Barkley-authored scene in the NFC Championship Game offered strong evidence it was over on the first carry.

Barkley had been the emphasis for the Washington Commanders entering the NFC title game. The Commanders were seeing Barkley for the third time this season and were saying all the right things. Defenders would prevent home runs by working in sync. They would avoid overconfident tackling angles, embrace the mundane and keep Barkley contained. They would fill gaps when he cut back into another lane. The script had been written meticulously, until Barkley ripped it up.

On the first play from scrimmage, Hurts pitched it as Barkley moved to his left, in what Barkley later revealed was a dummy call based on a formation shown in a previous matchup with Washington. Left tackle Jordan Mailata was on the move to swallow a defender. Tight end Dallas Goedert moved his man 15 yards downfield. Commanders pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. was tripped up during his pursuit, slowing linebacker Bobby Wagner in the process. Stoutland noted that Eagles players want to block extra hard for Barkley because of how much he credits his teammates for good plays, which was the case here.

Barkley handled the rest, with a hesitation move, a spin and a cutback to dodge three defenders as if he were back in grade school recess. A 60-yard touchdown as a delirious Lincoln Financial Field crowd rejoiced and Commanders coach Dan Quinn's eyes widened.

"Rare change of direction, spins, jump cuts, vision behind the line, seeing a safety and working it back -- he has the quickness of a smaller back and the size of a big back," Quinn said of Barkley afterward.

The brilliance in the Eagles' plan for Barkley stretches beyond the player's immeasurable skill to the imposing nature of the players blocking for him. The Eagles have long presented one of the league's elite lines. Barkley was the right Eagle, at the right time, behind the right line to catalyze a Super Bowl run. The way the Eagles' line synchronized behind him seemed like a dance routine. Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen joked that the Eagles' line can "block out the sun ... probably the biggest line we've gone against," which requires near-mistake-free tackling to beat them. Cullen & Co. did as fine a job against Barkley on Sunday as could be expected, and the Eagles still finished with 135 yards on the ground.

"Have you seen them? Huge, huge guys," Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton lamented. "Those guys work great together as a group. Really disciplined. They do their jobs at a high level. The way they stunt together, move together, communication pre-snap. Same page. It's like a routine, man."

Now the NFL awaits a look at Barkley's 2025 dance card.

BARKLEY IS VIEWED not as a one-hit wonder but a player the Eagles can build around ... at least in the short term. He turned 28 on Super Bowl Sunday and is due a $1.17 million base salary in 2025, along with a $9.843 million option bonus, which the Eagles will almost surely pay. He's due $14 million in 2026, the final year of his current deal. Philadelphia can decide well before then whether to extend his contract or let him play it out, setting the stage for free agency at age 30 -- largely considered the danger zone for backs.

One league executive predicts the Eagles, known for being proactive on player deals, could be open to extending Barkley by one or two years to give him more up-front money while protecting the back end with escape hatches. His magical 2024 season paved the road, but it's the next two seasons that will determine whether Barkley can remain healthy and productive enough to stay on a Hall of Fame path.

"I could see them tacking on a year or two with a marginal bump in pay over 2025 and 2026," the executive said. "But [the Eagles will] likely only do a deal if very low risk."

His legacy and contract aside, Barkley has strengthened the running back's status in the game at a time when many teams have devalued the position.

One veteran AFC assistant said the emphasis on big-money passers over the past decade caused defenses to increasingly drop into coverage, with more two-deep-safety looks. This reality in turn inspired offenses such as Philadelphia's to return to the run more heavily over the past two seasons. While few backs boast Barkley's ability, the trend he helped exemplify could change the calculus for teams who might seek to move running backs up draft boards and free agent wish lists.

"It's about time running backs start getting credibility," an AFC executive said. "You won't sign an average back to big money, but you will sign an average quarterback to big money. Maybe that's because teams were getting to Super Bowls without an elite back. But with the evolution of the game, teams are returning to doing things we did best. We all know how big a part a running back is to an offense."

Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton was quick to note last week that five different rushers produced 1,400 or more yards this season, a Barkley-led vengeance tour. Only one rusher (Christian McCaffrey) surpassed 1,400 last season. The ability to run the ball when you want changes the complexion of a game, Bolton said.

"[Backs] at the NFL level felt disrespected, and they took ownership of it this offseason," Bolton said. "You have elite guys working together and trying to find the best way to be valued again. They came back this year and are hungry. You can tell with how they are running the football."

The Vikings' Aaron Jones, Chargers' J.K. Dobbins and Steelers' Najee Harris are listed among the league's top 50 free agents and will offer a test of whether the paradigm is truly shifting. Running back and 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, a consensus top-10 choice in current ESPN mock drafts, will also find himself coveted one season after "2K Sa."

Beyond this season, the Bills' James Cook, Jets' Breece Hall or any number of star running backs set for free agency in 2026 will have Barkley to thank for the enhanced profile. Running backs won't return to the days of being the highest-paid players. But there's room for the position to grow, and it took a transcendent talent to enliven it.

"There are certain players in the history of this league that are difference-makers -- everything's different, production level, explosiveness," Stoutland said. "When you get your hands on a guy like that, you're very fortunate."

Dallas Mavericks star power forward/center Anthony Davis is expected to sit out multiple weeks because of a left adductor strain, sources told ESPN on Sunday night.

His absence could stretch to a month, sources said, because of an injury that cut short his spectacular debut with his new franchise. Davis, the headliner of the Mavs' return from the controversial trade of 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, exited Saturday's win over the Houston Rockets with 1:37 left in the third quarter after recording 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in 31 minutes.

He was ruled out of Monday's home game against the Sacramento Kings when the Mavs released the evening injury report.

Davis, 31, downplayed concern about the injury postgame, saying he was "very confident" that it was not a significant setback. Davis sat out the previous five games -- his final three with the Lakers and first two with the Mavs -- because of an abdominal strain.

"Just the leg got tight, like a little spasm," Davis said Saturday. "Just came back and tried to get it loose and everything. Obviously, dealing with the ab strain still, so just tried to get it loose. It wouldn't really loosen up and let go, but it's nothing serious. I'm fine."

Starting forward P.J. Washington, who sat out the second half of the win over the Rockets because of a sprained right ankle, was listed as questionable against the Kings. Key reserves Max Christie (right shoulder strain) and Dante Exum (left Achilles tightness) are also questionable.

Defenseman Quinn Hughes will not play for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, the Vancouver Canucks announced Sunday. He'll be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson.

Hughes has missed four straight games for the Canucks, having been out since Jan. 31 with what is speculated to be a lower-body injury. He is acting on the advice of team medical staff.

"He knows his body, and what he can do or not do, so I trust him a lot," Vancouver general manager Patrick Alvin told Sportsnet on Thursday. "We're supporting him."

Coach Rick Tocchet said it's "possible" that Hughes would have been available to the Canucks this week if there weren't a break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that it was "a tough question to answer."

It's a disappointing loss for the Americans in the four-team round-robin tournament that begins this week. Hughes, 25, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman last season and has been his team's most valuable player this season with 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists) in 47 games.

He's part of a generation of young stars getting a chance to represent the U.S. in a "best on best" tournament for the first time -- a generation that includes Jack Hughes, the New Jersey Devils star and Quinn's younger brother.

Sanderson, 22, is in his third NHL season and has 35 points in 55 games for the Senators. The University of North Dakota alum was selected fifth overall in the 2020 NHL draft. He joins a U.S. defense corps that includes Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Team USA opens 4 Nations Face-Off play Thursday against Finland in Montreal (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

MILWAUKEE -- Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid acknowledged Sunday that he might have to undergo another surgery on the left knee that has bothered him over the past year if it isn't feeling any better by the end of the season.

ESPN's Lisa Salters reported during the ABC telecast of the 76ers' 135-127 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks that he told her he believes repairing his knee "will likely take another surgery and a long recovery period, something he didn't have after the initial injury last February."

The 2022-23 MVP wasn't as definitive about it when talking to reporters after the game but indicated offseason surgery could at least be a possibility.

"I think the straightforward answer is that when you've got something that's inconsistent, at some point, you've got to do something about it," Embiid said. "We don't know what it is. We're looking into every option."

Embiid returned to action Tuesday after missing 15 games because of his knee problem. He has averaged 26.3 points, 10 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the three games he has played over the past week.

He played just 39 games last season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 76ers announced in early February of that season that he had undergone surgery. Embiid came back in early April, was part of the 76ers' playoff run and then won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team last summer.

Embiid acknowledged after Sunday's game that he didn't have enough time after undergoing surgery last year.

"At some point I probably need to just, especially when the summer comes around, these few months to just recover fully," Embiid said. "Like I said, don't know what it is, but if that keeps being the same pattern, then obviously you've got to try something else."

Embiid, 30, has averaged 24.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 15 games this season.

"Every day, take it day by day," Embiid said. "If it gets worse, then you've got to do something about it. If it's not consistent enough, then that's not good enough."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dallas Mavericks power forward/center Anthony Davis was ruled out of Monday's home game against the Sacramento Kings due to a left adductor strain, which cut short his spectacular debut with his new franchise.

Davis, the headliner of the Mavs' return from their trade of 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, exited Saturday's win over the Houston Rockets with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter after recording 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in 31 minutes.

Davis, 31, downplayed concern about the injury postgame, saying he was "very confident" that it was not a significant setback. Davis missed the previous five games -- his final three with the Lakers and first two with the Mavs -- due to an abdominal strain.

"Just the leg got tight, like a little spasm," Davis said Saturday. "Just came back and tried to get it loose and everything. Obviously, dealing with the ab strain still, so just tried to get it loose. It wouldn't really loosen up and let go, but it's nothing serious. I'm fine."

Dallas starting forward P.J. Washington, who sat out the second half of the win over the Rockets due to a sprained right ankle, is listed as questionable against the Kings. Key reserves Max Christie (right shoulder strain) and Dante Exum (left Achilles tightness) are also questionable.

Carlos Alcaraz edged a tight final against Australia's Alex de Minaur to win the Rotterdam Open and claim the first indoor hardcourt title of his career.

It was a 17th ATP title for the 21-year-old Spanish top seed but his first since winning in Beijing in September.

The four-time Grand Slam winner had to fight hard for the victory after third seed De Minaur won the second set to take the match into a decider.

But a break of serve for Alcaraz in the sixth game of the final set proved decisive and he went on to win the next two games to seal a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory.

The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, who also claimed the US Open in 2022, has won grand slam titles on all three outdoor surfaces.

Alcaraz's latest success, in his first tournament back following defeat by Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals, added another string to his bow.

He thanked the Rotterdam crowd for a "special week" as he claimed the winner's prize in his first appearance at the event.

For De Minaur, however, it was a second successive defeat in the Rotterdam final, after finishing runner-up to world number one Jannik Sinner last year.

"It's been a lot of improvements in my game over the last couple of years and I am going to keep on pushing for more," said De Minaur, 25, who has won nine titles on the ATP tour.

"It's been two years now with this runners-up trophy, I'm hoping I will get my hands on the winner's one day."

At the Dallas Open in Texas, Denis Shapovalov beat second seed Casper Ruud 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to secure the third, and biggest, ATP title of his career.

Canadian Shapovalov, 25, also defeated top seed Taylor Fritz and third seed Tommy Paul on his way to the final.

Emma Raducanu fell to a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time in her career as she was beaten in straight sets by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round of the Qatar Open.

The British number two let slip 3-1 leads in both sets as Russian Alexandrova won 6-3 7-5 on Sunday.

Raducanu had received a wildcard entry for the tournament in Doha, which is the first WTA 1000 event of the year.

Alexandrova will next face top seed and world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Raducana, ranked 60th in the world, started brightly against Alexandrova, who she beat in the first round of the Australian Open in January.

But Alexandrova, who won a WTA Tour title in Linz, Austria last week, was able to take advantage of Raducanu failing to secure a second break of serve and sealed the opening set by winning five consecutive points.

Alexandrova, 30, dipped slightly in the early stages of the second set, which allowed Raducana to lead once again, but the world number 26 claimed a crucial break at 5-5 and then served out the match.

Raducanu was joined by her mentor Jane O'Donoghue in Doha, who flew out to offer the 2021 US Open Champion her support.

The visitors were winning with more ease than anybody had imagined.

Hope arrived at the end of the half for Scotland when, having coughed up a lineout close to the Irish line, they went again, ran direct through Jack Dempsey and then found the holy grail of fast ruck ball and accurate hands.

Huw Jones fed McDowall, who slipped it out the side door to Van der Merwe. His finish was sensational.

There was a further sliver of optimism early in the new half. A solid start brought a Scotland penalty. Kinghorn banged it over. A nine-point game now.

Still a mountain to climb, but there was an edge to the Scots now that wasn't there before.

Kinghorn launched an attack from deep and Ireland scrambled. Henshaw came within a whisker of being done for a deliberate knock-on, a yellow card and possibly a penalty try, but like Van der Merwe, he escaped.

Back we came for penalty advantage and Kinghorn narrowed the gap to six from in front of the posts. Eleven unanswered points and expectations rising at Murrayfield.

Ireland were having none of Scotland's revival, though. In seven minutes leading up to the hour they struck out and settled the contest once and for all.

It was Lowe who finished it after Scotland were dragged right and left. The wing stepped around Kinghorn who had come barrelling out of the line and went over.

Prendergast's conversion made it 24-11 and soon after Gibson-Park took advantage of a woefully flat Scotland defence when dinking a kick over the top.

With nobody in the backfield, Ireland didn't have a massively difficult job in putting Conan over for the bonus point try.

There was that Prendergast penalty and the White try to come, but they were academic.

Ireland march on with serious intent while Scotland are shunted back into wearily familiar territory.

Watch as Rugby Special pundit Chris Ashton analyses England fly-half Fin Smith's man-of-the-match performance in his side's Six Nations 26-25 win over France.

WATCH MORE: Late Daly try secures dramatic England victory against France

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