There was so much that was new and dynamic about Jesse Marsch's first year in charge of FC Salzburg. For Marsch, it was a new team in a new country in one of Europe's most iconic cities. And even amid sky-high expectations, he delivered a league title, as well as qualification to the group stages of the Champions League. The Racine, Wisconsin native managed a budding superstar in Erling Haaland, now of Borussia Dortmund, and even gained notoriety with a viral video of his German/English halftime speech against Liverpool.

But the game waits for no one, as Marsch knows all too well. The compensation, in terms of both praise and money, has already been paid. And a manager's reservoir of trust from the players, in terms of decisions both on the field and off, eventually has to be refilled.

So now an even greater challenge awaits, that of keeping the momentum going. This is trickier than it sounds, even for a team as relatively well heeled (at least by Austrian Bundesliga standards) as Salzburg. Keep things too much the same, and the message gets stale. Change too much, and information overload begins to hamstring the players. And so Marsch has set out on a quest to find balance and move Salzburg forward, with Tuesday's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich his latest opportunity to do so. Even during his vacation, he found himself taking notes on how to improve the team.

"My message at the beginning of preseason was: How good can we be at the things that we're good at?" Marsch told ESPN via telephone. "And then also add a few other things that we think can still make us even better. But I find that you can't get too cute with trying so many new things because you have to understand also how to be true to yourself and in the past what's made you good."

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Marsch is keen to have his side play even more aggressively, and at a higher tempo -- not exactly easy given the high-pressing style his team already uses. But he'd also like to see his team do more in possession, while also continuing to incorporate more young players.

"And then the daily work is to keep the individual motivated and getting better and getting better," he said. "That's everything from a top player or captain to academy players."

With a year under his belt as a manager in Europe, Marsch's tactical plan and way of training are already well established. For that reason, he finds about 70% of his time is devoted to man-management and the mentality of the group.

That process has required some tweaking over the course of Marsch's career, especially as he's encountered different cultures in different locker rooms. There are times when a player that comes from nothing feels more allegiance to his family than the team. There are other times when the impulse of a player is to lash out at everything around them -- including the coach -- rather than to look within. There is also the reality of where Salzburg fits in the global game. It's very much a club that players are hoping to use as a stepping stone to bigger stages, much like Haaland did last year with Dortmund and Takumi Minamino did with Liverpool.

That pressure can create more of an inward focus.

"I found that creating a group mentality was a lot easier to do in the U.S. than it has been here in Europe," said Marsch. "They don't do a lot of personal reflection and think about how their actions actually affect the group. And so my way is always to try to create a responsibility within the player pool to each other, not to necessarily the coach.

"That's even a new concept here. When I would talk to players when I first came here, whether it was Leipzig or here in Salzburg, about how when they behave selfishly, [I'd say] they're not just letting themselves down, but they're letting the group down. Forget about the relationship with the coach. That should be one of their last motivations. If the players are proving themselves to see each other and giving of themselves to each other every day, then they're all going to be successful.

"That's one of the things you have to do: convince the group that it benefits all of them to give to each other because when the group succeeds, the individual succeeds."

One way Marsch addresses this is through a heavy amount of squad rotation, especially with the Champions League once again taking a prominent place in Salzburg's schedule. Marsch adds it's important to spread the wealth early in the season, the better to keep players engaged. Through just six league games, 23 players have made at least one appearance.

"Then [squad rotation will] benefit you later in the year, when a player's suspended or an important player is hurt," he said. "You know now you need one of these players that maybe isn't in the normal 11. When you need him in the most important games, he's ready. And we certainly found that out with our group last year when it came to the championship round."

That emphasis on the collective has long been at the forefront of Marsch's philosophy, and it was a light that went on for him when he served as an assistant under Bob Bradley with the U.S. men's national team. As a player, all Marsch -- a ball-winning midfielder in his playing days -- thought about was winning. When he started coaching, he realized that he was missing a lot of small details that could help players, and the team, over time.

"I started to see that actually creating the process, and creating clues for each player as to how to move themselves along on a daily basis or weekly basis, then they would be more able to commit to what we wanted them to do and thus help the team more," he said. "When you do that as a team with each individual, then typically what happens is you control results more."

Marsch has also long had a desire to develop young players, and it was this philosophy that created friction with his bosses during his first head coaching job in 2012 with the Montreal Impact. In Montreal, Marsch's knowledge of MLS meant he was brought in to establish a foundation. But there was a strong impulse from upper management to bring in established stars like Alessandro Nesta and Marco Di Vaio. Marsch is well aware that it was his job to adapt, but the club's approach still made him uncomfortable.

"My way of leading is about engaging everybody and treating everybody like they're on the same level," he said. "And [Montreal's] was a little bit more about prioritizing certain people or certain situations. For me, that always puts the team in stress."

Marsch is clear that if he had the opportunity to do things over again, he would "100%" go to Montreal because he learned so much. But in retrospect it's obvious that philosophically there was a disconnect between the club and the manager.

And so, the two sides agreed to part ways. Marsch, still under contract, took the opportunity to travel the world with his family. But eventually, that trip (and his old Montreal deal) came to an end, and the extent of the leap he had taken into the unknown by leaving became apparent. There were interviews aplenty. Marsch recalls as many as seven and yet he wasn't finding the connection, the philosophical alignment he wanted.

"My wife and I had many conversations where I contemplated leaving football, coaching college, what to do next," he said.

When it finally came time to interview with the New York Red Bulls, Marsch felt it was more of the same given the Red Bulls' history of signing big stars like Thierry Henry. Little did he know that a philosophical sea change was afoot.

"The first thing I said to them is, 'I don't think I'm your guy because the ideals of the club and the superstar overspending don't seem to match what I think about a team in football, which is all about teamwork, and people being together and everybody giving to each other,'" he recalled. "And actually, that conversation is exactly why they hired me. So that was the key for me.

"Without Red Bull, I don't know where I'd be, honestly."

Marsch's subsequent success in New York, winning the Supporters' Shield in 2015, made him a rising star within Red Bull's global soccer hierarchy. He also stayed true to his ethos of bringing along young players, with the likes of Tyler Adams and Matt Miazga eventually heading to Europe.

At Salzburg, Marsch has continued that approach, although it has its drawbacks. In the middle of last season, Haaland was sold to Dortmund and Minamino was transferred to Liverpool. But Marsch acts more like a proud parent. In his view, if he creates the proper environment, if he pushes and engages with the player in the right way, then he is going to end up on a bigger stage.

"If you do your job, well, they're going to leave, because that's the way it works," he said. "When Erling Haaland leaves, and now when people ask me, 'Can he be the best player in the world?' I say, '100%, absolutely he can,' and I believe that. And so that's partly pride but it's also just pure joy of having a chance to work with such wonderful young men who have so much potential."

A one-year spell as an assistant under Ralf Rangnick at RB Leipzig followed his time in New York, and beyond what Marsch learned in terms of tactics, the real benefits came from learning German and the street cred that came with already being in Europe under such a respected manager. The link to Leipzig worked against Marsch at first, with the banner "Nein zu Marsch" -- meaning "No to Marsch" -- sparking to some early challenges. But the Salzburg fans have since been won over, so much so that the fact that Marsch is an American rarely, if ever, enters the conversation.

"I feel like I'm much more now judged on how the team plays," he said. "A big reason why I learned the language and I worked hard to adapt to who we are and what we do with our fans and everything is so that they don't judge me for anything other than how the team plays. That's the goal. But to get to that goal, I mean, I even understood that pedigree meant something. So when I went to Leipzig for a year, and we had a successful year in Leipzig, and I work here with Ralf Rangnick. Did I learn a lot? Yes. But the pedigree of doing that maybe was as important if not more important than actually what I learned."

That process of assimilation and gaining acceptance is one that every American that heads overseas has to go through. And with Weston McKennie landing at Juventus and Christian Pulisic already at Chelsea, there is a sense that attitudes are changing toward American players as well. Marsch detects progress, but feels there is still a way to go.

"I still think that we're caught in a day and age where the American is thought to be tactically not great, technically not great, but an incredible mentality and a work rate, that competitiveness, that's higher than most," he said. "But we're slowly evolving to where we have more and more young players that are more technically gifted, and that are more tactically sound, along with the athleticism that we have and the will to compete. The key is can we keep driving more and more the things that some of our weaknesses and match them with some of the things that are some of our strengths? Christian is doing well. Tyler's doing well. Weston's doing well. We just need to keep moving that needle."

As for Marsch, the early returns so far this season are positive. Salzburg is a perfect six out of six in the league and once again qualified for the group stage of the Champions League. After tangling with the likes of Liverpool and Napoli last season, Marsch's side have been placed in Group A alongside Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Lokomotiv Moscow -- with a draw against Lokomotiv and a valiant 3-2 defeat to Atletico in the books so far. Marsch relishes the test, one that is intense on all fronts.

"You have to be really sharp in game preparation to know what you're going to need on that day and how to make adjustments," he said. "But the other part is, especially with a young team, making sure that you're confident in your presence and in your messaging that when the big games come, that they know that their leader believes that they can manage the game, that they can win the game. So I think that it's a test in football acumen, but also a test in courage and the ability to help a group believe."

For now, the reservoir of trust in the manager remains full.

Joe Clarke, the Nottinghamshire batsman, is set to sign for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.

Clarke, 23, was the fifth highest run-scorer in this year's Vitality T20 Blast. His strike-rate - 175.00 runs per 100 balls - was better than anyone else in the top 50 run-scorers in the competition.

While he is yet to represent England at senior level and has never previously appeared in a T20 franchise competition, he has long been thought of as one of the most exciting talents in the English game.

He made five Championship centuries in his first full season - a season which started while he was still a teenager - and might well have already graduated to the international cricket had his career not been temporarily derailed after he was considered unavailable for selection due to disciplinary issues.

He is understood to have been considered for a place in England limited-overs squad for the tour to South Africa but, with the likes of Dawid Malan, the No.1-ranked T20I batsman at present, and Joe Root, England's Test captain, fighting for their places in one format or another, Clarke has been obliged to bide his time.

Clarke is understood to be a temporary replacement for Jason Roy at Perth Scorchers although teams can field three overseas players in their XI for the next two seasons. Roy has England responsibilities during the tournament.

The NFL competition committee expects to present a resolution to owners that includes a 16-team playoff scenario in the event games are lost because of the coronavirus pandemic, league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The contingency plan -- which could become more likely as bye weeks disappear -- would feature eight playoff teams from each conference.

The competition committee met via video conference Monday, according to sources.

The contingency, if necessary, would take four division champions and four wild-card teams from both the AFC and NFC. The playoff seeds would be 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5.

NFL team owners already had approved a plan in March to expand the postseason to 14 teams beginning with the 2020 season. That plan increased the number of wild-card teams per conference to three, up from two.

Information from ESPN's Kevin Seifert was used in this report.

Daryl Morey, speaking Monday for the first time as president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers, expressed excitement about the championship potential of a roster built around All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

"My goal is to win a championship, so whatever gets us there is what we'll do," Morey said during a virtual news conference officially announcing his hiring. "But I would say to have two star-plus players in 24 and 26 years old, that is why I couldn't get Doc Rivers to come interview in Houston.

"He saw this roster and he said, 'It's amazing,' and 'Sorry I couldn't fly to Houston to meet with you, Daryl.' And then, obviously, I end up here a couple weeks later. ... It was pretty cool."

Last month Morey agreed to leave the Houston Rockets, where he had run the team's basketball operations for more than a decade. At the time, he said he was planning to take a "gap year."

But on Monday he found himself sitting alongside Rivers (hired as coach last month after a departure from the LA Clippers), general manager Elton Brand (whom Morey is now ahead of on the organizational depth chart) and owner Josh Harris.

"That was my plan," Morey said of taking a gap year, before adding with a smile, "My kids are giving me a lot of crap about it.

"I'm a pretty competitive guy, but that was my plan. My wife was actually urging me to do that. But Elton and Doc and Josh were relentless, just relentless, as soon as I stepped away. Frankly, the more you look at what Elton has put together, on this roster with Joel and Ben as the headliners but with great players -- Al [Horford], Josh [Richardson], Tobias [Harris] and some of the younger players brought in last year -- I'm with Doc.

"He and I have been chatting a lot, and the more you dig into the players that are here, the more you get excited about what this team can do."

In the span of a month, the Sixers have landed one of the best and most respected coaches and executives in the NBA. Harris said that, in both cases, when he and the rest of the Sixers' ownership had an opportunity to pursue both men, doing so was a no-brainer.

"You have to be self-reflective," Harris said. "When we came out of the bubble, we were self-reflective. It didn't work last year. We were disappointed. And also, it's hard. People like Doc Rivers, or coaches like Doc Rivers, executives like Daryl Morey, they're under contract. It's very hard to get them out of their current situations. It's very rare they leave current situations, or you have availability to talk to them.

"So, the minute they were available, we jumped on it, and yeah, I think we're now really well set up with great leadership and great people. I think it is a new dawn, a new era, and I hope it lasts for a long, long time. And I think hopefully it will yield success on the court. I believe that it will."

The Sixers entered last season with sky-high expectations, only to fall short. The team was hindered by injuries -- most notably to Simmons in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida -- while the trio of Simmons, Embiid and Horford, in particular, struggled to fit together.

But while Embiid and Simmons are about as big of a departure as one could find from the small-ball, 3-point-shooting team Morey and Mike D'Antoni built with the Rockets, his long-standing philosophy has not been to chase 3-point shooting, but to chase stars. And, repeatedly, Morey went out of his way to praise Embiid's potential, in particular, during Monday's news conference.

"Well first I would say, how we play is going to be up to Doc," Morey said. "But that's one reason I'm very excited to be here is to work with a championship coach like Doc. I think -- and I think he agrees with me, he can jump in -- the best way to win in the NBA is to take your talent and figure out how to utilize them the best. Right? It's not to take your talent and hammer it into a particular system. It's to try to get the most out of who you have.

"It doesn't take much to look at when Joel is on the floor and healthy, and he's been in here twice a day for quite a while, he's very focused and motivated, this is an unbelievable defensive team. The fact that he's also an extremely good offensive player ... Joel is the kind of player you win championships with if you look back through NBA history. We were trying to build our best team around our talents in Houston, but here Doc is going to take the talent we have and use them to the best of our ability."

While no one doubts the individual talent of both Embiid and Simmons, questions remain about their fit together on the court -- particularly in today's NBA, where shooting and spacing are crucial. But both Morey and Rivers attempted to quash any notion that Philadelphia should move on from either of them.

"I absolutely think they can work together," Morey said.

"I have no doubt they can," Rivers said. "Again, I haven't been in the lab with them yet, but I know they can.

"I think we have to change the narrative. They haven't won yet, not that they can't win. The 'can't' should be taken out. But there's a lot of combinations of players around the league that haven't won yet, and they're just two other ones. I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

Part of that challenge will land on Morey's shoulders -- specifically, trying to sort out how to make a roster full of talented, but seemingly ill-fitting, pieces fit better. Or, more likely, changing some of those pieces in order to accomplish that goal.

But while Morey has a well-earned reputation as being the most active executive in the league, he stressed the importance of finding the right mix around the team's stars, as well as patience.

"One thing I think organizations make mistakes is they try to make sure the roster is perfect on Game 1 [of the season]," Morey said. "The players who are going to thrive under Doc and how Doc utilizes them is going to teach Elton and I a lot about how best to fit the players around them.

"If there's a great opportunity, obviously we're going to do it early. But the main thing is, you want to do great moves when they are available. But often the best move is not a move that is done right away.

"We want to increase our understanding before we start to make those moves."

RUNNEMEDE, N.J. -- A Honus Wagner rookie baseball card has sold for more than $1.4 million.

The price was a record for the rare T-206 card of the Pittsburgh Pirates great, the highlight of the Goldin Auctions October Legends Auction. Also fetching a record price was the basketball rookie card of Michael Jordan, which sold for $124,230.

Other notable sales included a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card that sold for $584,250 and a 1958 Pele card that went for $295,200, a record for a soccer card.

Several items from Cal Ripken Jr.'s personal collection netted $1.2 million, with the money going to the family foundation. The jersey the Hall of Famer wore for the final game of his record 2,632 consecutive-game streak sold for $184,500.

The auction netted more than $16 million. Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, said the October session set a record for an online sports auction.

Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber moved one step closer to winning the AL Cy Young Award when he was announced Monday as one of the top three finishers in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Bieber joined Minnesota Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda and Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu on the list of finalists. But Bieber, 25, is considered the favorite after the right-hander went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77⅓ innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts.

The winner of each BBWAA award will be announced next week.

The top finishers in voting for AL Manager of the Year are Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash, Toronto's Charlie Montoyo and Rick Renteria, who was let go by the Chicago White Sox after the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Cash was roundly criticized for pulling ace left-hander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 of the World Series against the champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Balloting for the BBWAA awards was completed before the start of the postseason.

The finalists for AL Rookie of the Year are Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier and center fielders Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners and Luis Robert of the White Sox.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm, San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth and Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams are the top finishers for the NL rookie award.

A look at some of the latest results in athletics

Be Fit Today Track Academy Open, Dagenham, October 31

In less than favourable conditions, National and Inter-Counties cross-country runner-up Shaikira King just missed her 1500m PB of 4:38.46 set in September, which ranked her third all-time in the UK under-13 age group, running a top class 4:38.67.

Herne Hill Halloween Harriers Endurance Meeting, Battersea, October 31

While the earlier heavy rain had relented in windy conditions, Herne Hill’s Kiwi Georgie Grgec just missed her PB with a 9:21.7 3000m.

The 2019 UK masters athlete of the year, Clare Elms, ran 10:32.1 in her race to top the UK outdoor W55 rankings by nearly a minute as she scored over 100 per-cent on age-grading.

ATW Cross Country, Merchant Taylors School Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, October 31

Former under-20 Inter-Counties bronze medallist Luke Prior (25:28) was fastest senior man from Alex Lepretre by three seconds Martin Duff reports.

Runners started in waves of six every 15 seconds and the women were mixed in with the men. Hannah Viner was comfortably the quickest with 28:59.

In younger age groups, Inter-Counties fourth-placer Aimi Weightman took the U17 women’s plaudits from Kiya Dee, who had won that race, while U13 National champion Alden Collier was beaten into third in the U15 boys’ standings led by Thomas Redmond.

RunThrough Olympic Park 5km & 10km, Olympic Park, November 1

M45 Will Levett’s 5km victory in 16:11 was the pick of the performances.

Braganica, Paulista, Brazil, October 31

Felipe Bardi Dos Santos won the 100m in a windy 10.04/2.6 after a 10.03/2.8 semi-final.

Lucas Carvalho won the 400m in 46.40.

European Masters Championships, Funchal, Portugal, October 31

Former world and European marathon champion Martin Fiz from Spain won the M55 title on a hilly course and hot conditions in 79:08.

The overall race winners were M40 Miguel Ferrer Muro from Spain (72:39) and W45 Miriam Paurat from Germany (86:47).

Shelby Township Half Marathon, USA, October 28

Keira D’Amato won the women’s race in a PB 68:57 from Emma Bates (69:44).

Triathlete Morgan Pearson won an exciting men’s race in 62:15 from Tyler Day and Frank Lara (both 62:17).

Wuxi City, China, November 1

London Marathon Olympian Li Zicheng won in 2:14:52 from Yang Dinghong (2:15:40) while world championships participant Li Dan won the women’s race in 2:33:16.

Yao Miao (2:35:08) and Li Zhixuan (2:36:52) completed the top three.

ElShorbagy brothers power through in Qatar
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

World No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy has booked his spot in the third round of the 2020 Qatar Classic, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after getting the better of former World No.1 Gregory Gaultier at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha today.

ElShorbagy had beaten Gaultier in their last meeting all the way back in 2017 and controlled the match masterfully, refusing to get drawn into any discussions with the referee in a match that went through its scrappy periods.

The 37-year-old Gaultier lost his focus at times – even receiving a conduct stroke for ball abuse – and his frustrations contrasted with that of ElShorbagy, who cut a cool, composed figure on court as he closed out a confident 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 victory in 40 minutes.

“When I saw the draw, I knew that playing him would be really tough,” said ElShorbagy.

“Mentally, it is the toughest first match you can get because of what he has achieved. I watched him in 2006 when he played the World Championships [at the Great Pyramid of Giza] and he is someone who really inspired me. He was my role model, he still is my role model.

“I admire what he has done for the game and just seeing the way he moves, the way he plays, for me, he is one of the greatest players of all time. I am really happy to be on court with him. It is a pleasure for me and I hope that we see him for many years to come.”

ElShorbagy will play Germany’s Raphael Kandra in the last 16 after the World No.33 toppled India’s Saurav Ghosal to reach the third round of a Platinum event for the first time in 13 months.

Ghosal, the World No.13, took the opener but picked up a groin injury during the second game. He played on, but his movement was clearly inhibited as Kandra came back to win three games without reply.

“Altogether, this is definitely not how you want to win,” Kandra said. “Of course, he played on and he was still kind of moving but wasn’t at his best and I wish him a quick recovery, he probably has time now since COVID-19 is kind of taking us back. Overall, I’m super happy, it has been a while since I’ve been in the third round and I’m really looking forward to continue.”

Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy will join younger brother Marwan in the last 16 after he got the better of England’s George Parker in the final match of the day, winning 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 in 61 minutes.

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ElShorbagy, a three-time Qatar Classic champion, lost his World No.1 spot to Ali Farag yesterday but can reclaim top spot if he wins the tournament and Farag fails to make it to the final. The 29-year-old will take on compatriot Youssef Ibrahim in the next round.

“He played really well, that’s the way he plays and it was up to me to respond and up to me to find a way to win,” said ElShorbagy.

“The fourth was very tight and it could have easily gone to a fifth game. He is such a great player and I have trained with him a few times down in Bristol. I know what he can do, I know how dangerous he is. He has so much potential, and I don’t think he knows how much potential he actually has.”

Ibrahim advanced following the retirement of Cesar Salazar due to injury, while Germany’s Simon Rösner became the first top 10 player to exit the tournament after falling to a peerless performance from World No.12 Fares Dessouky.

The pair had only faced each other twice on the PSA World Tour before, but they had an average match time of over 75 minutes. This clash, though, was only just over half of that time as Dessouky dominated throughout, beating the World No.8 by an 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 scoreline.

“Obviously, it was not an easy match,” Dessouky said. “I know it was 3-0 but it was very close. I had to dig really deep to get every single point and to play at a fast pace, which wasn’t easy at all, I am happy to be through.”

Dessouky will play Spanish veteran Borja Golan in the next round after the 37-year-old defeated World No.16 Omar Mosaad. There were also wins for World No.5 Paul Coll and Frenchman Gregoire Marche, respectively.

Round two continues tomorrow (November 3) when defending champion and World No.1 Farag will begin his tournament. Play starts at 11:00 (GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan). 

2020 Men’s Qatar Classic, Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre, Doha, Qatar.

Second Round (Top Half):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (61m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 4-11, 11-3, 12-10 retired (35m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 13-11 (68m)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 (39m)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [WC] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (40m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (46m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (38m)

Second Round (Bottom Half, November 3):
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
James Willstrop (ENG) v Greg Lobban (SCO)
Tom Richards (ENG) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [8] Joel Makin (WAL)
[5] Diego Elias (PER) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Declan James (ENG)
Richie Fallows (ENG) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)

Third Round (Top Half, November 4):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
Borja Golan (ESP) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Raphael Kandra (GER)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Paul Coll (NZL) 

Pictures courtesy of PSA 

Cardiff Blues were beaten 11-7 at a wet and windy Rodney Parade as Ulster won their fourth consecutive Pro14 match.

Michael Lowry crossed for the visitors with the last play of the first half to give Ulster a 8-7 lead at the break.

John Cooney's second penalty was the only score in the second half, maintaining Ulster's unbeaten start.

Ulster climb to the top of Conference A while Cardiff Blues, who have now won two and lost two, remain second in Conference B.

Blues had Wales back-row Josh Turnbull back from suspension following a frustrating defeat to Munster last time out, while Will Boyde returned after injury.

Ulster had fly-half Billy Burns back from injury to captain the side alongside scrum-half John Cooney, who had been released to play by Ireland, while flanker Matty Rea made his 50th appearance for the Irish province.

The Irish visitors started the game strongly with their forwards carrying hard. Their sustained pressure was rewarded with Cooney slotting a penalty after Will Boyde was penalised at a ruck on 16 minutes.

The hosts responded well and seven minutes later crossed for the evening's opening try, excellently taken, during a rare foray into their opponents' half.

From a lineout midway inside the Ulster half, the Blues went through a couple of phases before Jarrod Evans put in a perfectly placed chip for Lee-Lo to pounce on and cross to score, with Evans converting.

Mounting penalties

Ulster then controlled the rest of the first 40 minutes with virtually all the territory and possession, forcing Blues to defend phase after phase of attack.

With replacement Olly Robinson in the sin-bin, and paying the price for a mounting penalty count, the visitors' dominance was finally rewarded with full-back Lowry picking up a loose ball to dance through.

Cooney missed the fairly straight-forward conversion, which meant Ulster's lead was just one point at half-time.

Blues started the second period positively and gained a foothold in the visitors' half, but were left empty-handed as Evans pulled a penalty attempt wide.

With the game evenly poised as the final quarter approached there were worrying scenes, with Lee-Lo stretchered off after taking a heavy bang to the head in making a tackle on Luke Marshall.

The game opened up somewhat in the latter stages with both sides trying to show adventure as the conditions improved, but ultimately it was Cooney's boot that proved the difference as he slotted a penalty on 64 minutes after a breakdown offence by Blues.

Despite both sides' efforts that was the final score of the game and as the Irish side maintained their 100% start to the season, Cardiff Blues had to settle for a losing bonus point.

Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Aled Summerhill, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Hallam Amos; Jarrod Evans, Lewis Jones; Corey Domachowski, Kristian Dacey (capt), Dmitri Arhip, James Ratti, Rory Thornton, Josh Turnbull, Jim Botham, Will Boyde.

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Brad Thyer, Scott Andrews, Ben Murphy, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Hill, Jason Tovey, Garyn Smith.

Ulster: Michael Lowry; Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Stuart McCloskey, Louis Ludik; Billy Burns (capt), John Cooney; Eric O'Sullivan, Adam McBurney, Marty Moore, Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, Alby Mathewson, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Adam Jones, Ben Breakspear (both WRU)

TMO: Ian Davies (WRU)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With 96 laps to go in Sunday’s All American 400 super late model feature at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, a collective gasp came from around the facility, followed quickly by shock and silence.

Illustrating just how quickly things can change in motorsports, Derek Thorn — the race’s dominant driver, who led 202 of the first 204 laps — suddenly found his car smashed against the turn-one wall.

Contact with Carson Hocevar, as the pair battled for the lead following a restart, led to the shunt. Hocevar was penalized for aggressive driving and put to the tail of the field, but retired from the race a few laps later after his crew determined there was too much front-end damage to repair.

In a flash, it was a whole new ballgame, with Casey Roderick eventually emerging as the winner.

However, for Thorn, the disappointment of having “a race-winning car” and leaving the .596-mile Tennessee oval empty handed was weighty.

It was understandable, then, that he needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts before speaking to reporters following the crash.

“I’ll have to go back and look at the video. It felt like he just hooked us into the fence, but without looking at the video, it’s hard to say,” Thorn said. “The thing was unbelievably fast. It was the best car I’ve ever had, especially here. It was our race to lose. I don’t know what the 14 (Hocevar) did or how all that unfolded.

“To have it end like this is just unfortunate, because we had a rocket.”

Instead of his first crown jewel win, Thorn was left with a DNF and a 22nd-place finish.

Hocevar was chasing his third marquee victory of the year, having previously won the Redbud 400 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and the Winchester 400 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.

He was the first driver since Erik Jones in 2015 to have won the first two legs of the unofficial super late model “Grand Slam” and appeared poised to add the third jewel to his résumé.

That, too, vanished in a flash.

“He just came up in front of me in turn four,” Hocevar said of Thorn. “I was expecting a lane and it never came. I said on TV that I wasn’t lifting … and that sounds bad, like I intentionally did it, but that’s not the case. It’s late in the race, and if I lift, I lose three or four spots there.

“That happened off turn two earlier in the race and I told myself I wouldn’t lift if it happened again. I think he would tell you that he threw this race away as much as I did. It’s racing, just part of it.”

As Thorn was asked to reflect on the ache of losing out on what could have been one of the biggest wins of his career, the California ace and four-time SRL Southwest Tour champion sighed and shook his head.

“You can’t put it into words,” he said of the disappointment. “You just can’t.”