Matteo Berrettini suffered an injury following his exit from the Monte-Carlo Masters and has withdrawn from the BMW Munich Open. The former Wimbledon runner-up claimed one of the best victories of his career by eliminating World No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the second round (2-6, 6-3, 7-5), but then fell short against his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti (6-3, 6-3), who later became a finalist at the tournament.
Berrettini had previously reached the quarterfinals at the Miami Open, where he was defeated by Taylor Fritz in a three-set battle. In his recent appearance, Berrettini debuted with a win over clay-court specialist Mariano Navone, then came from a set down to beat Zverev and reach the round of 16 of the tournament.
The former World No. 6 struggled physically during his match against Musetti. He was even attended to for noticeable pain during a match filled with long rallies. Berrettini appeared with bandages on his right foot and ankle, something that hadn't occurred in his previous match against Zverev.
It was recently announced that Berrettini will not participate in the BMW Munich Open starting Monday, April 14. He will be replaced by one of his recent opponents, Argentinian Mariano Navone.
Despite this, the Italian has moved up in the rankings, now positioned as World No. 33. With just over a month to go until the start of Roland Garros, Berrettini is likely aiming for a seeded spot to avoid early matchups with higher-ranked players in the upcoming Grand Slam. To achieve this, he must secure a spot within the top 32 before the French Open begins in six weeks.
However, Berrettini doesn’t have points to defend in the coming weeks, so it seems likely that he will continue to rise in the rankings before the second Grand Slam of the year. To do so, he needs to get back on the court as soon as possible in an extremely tight part of the rankings, where a single additional victory can make all the difference.
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The journey of Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina in the DC Open doubles came to an end after the unprecedented pairing retired during their semifinal match against Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang. It was a difficult match on paper against the second seeds, which unfortunately didn't even manage to finish the first set. The duo had surprised many when their entry into the doubles draw was announced, and they debuted with an impressive win against Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls, overcoming a set deficit to secure a 2-6, 7-6(7), 11-9 victory in the super tie-break of the third set. Then, in the quarterfinals, they seemed to gel as a team, defeating Giuliana Olmos and Aldila Sutjiadi, two other specialists in the category. Both Rybakina and Raducanu took to the court earlier Friday, both with wins that propelled them to the semifinals of the DC Open singles draw. They nevertheless decided to show up for the doubles match — barely an hour after Rybakina's singles triumph. Townsend (Doubles No. 2) and Zhang (No. 15) entered with a certain favoritism, considering their extensive experience as doubles players and both being Grand Slam champions in the category in the past. They had just defeated the duo of Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste in a tight encounter. Not much happened in the match, which began with the first service game in favor of Rybakina and Raducanu. However, Townsend and Zhang showed their experience, easily holding their service games and securing two consecutive breaks. The match stood at 4-1 in favor of the doubles specialists when Raducanu/Rybakina — with everything against them and realizing they would have to work extremely hard for a victory — decided to retire from the doubles, opting to physically preserve themselves for their singles semifinals matches scheduled for this Saturday. Singles focus for Raducanu and Rybakina The pairing of Rybakina and Raducanu surprised at the beginning of the week, partnering up to gain match practice on hardcourts amidst a demanding swing and after the surface change from the grass-courts at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. However, for both, the main objective was singles, where both delivered this week. Indeed, during the day, former US Open champion Raducanu reached the semifinals of the tournament after convincingly defeating Maria Sakkari in straight sets. There is little doubt that Raducanu is achieving consistency at the top level, with wins this week against strong opponents like Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka, and Sakkari, returning to a tournament semifinal. Since winning the US Open title in 2021, the Brit has never returned to a final, and now she is just one win away from breaking a nearly four-year final drought. She will face Russia's Anna Kalinskaya, who surprised fourth-seed Clara Tauson earlier in the afternoon, in what will undoubtedly be a thrilling match for a spot in the final. Raducanu has also secured a climb of 14 positions in the rankings and is currently positioned at world No. 32 in the live ranking, her best ranking since 2022 — when a good portion of her points were still from her Flushing Meadows triumph. Rybakina, for her part, has also achieved convincing victories this week. After receiving a first-round bye, she defeated young star Victoria Mboko in her debut and then Polish fifth-seed Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals, both victories in straight sets. The third-seed is preparing to face Canadian Leylah Fernandez — who has found inspiration at the DC Open. They have two previous encounters, both in 2024, with one win for each, the last of which was in favor of Fernandez in Cincinnati. Although the Kazakh will not see a ranking movement for now — where she is No. 12 — the possibility of reaching the final would place her in the WTA Race top eight, meaning she would return to a WTA Finals qualification spot, just before the start of the WTA 1000 doubleheader in Canadian and Cincinnati Opens. Rybakina has 14 wins in her last 18 matches and will look to reach the 21st final of her career against Fernandez. Match Statistics Raducanu E / Rybakina E vs. Townsend T / Zhang S
If the New York Yankees are looking to add in the coming days, they may have to part ways with some of the young talent rising through the ranks of their farm system. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Thursday afternoon that catcher Rafael Flores was one Yankees prospect who has been coveted by trade partners. Flores was promoted from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last Saturday. Flores hit .287 with 15 home runs, 23 doubles, 48 runs, 56 RBIs, six stolen bases and an .841 OPS across 87 games in Double-A. Through six Triple-A contests, the 24-year-old catcher is batting .208 with one home runs, three runs, three RBIs and a .720 OPS. MLB Pipeline has Flores ranked as the Yankees' No. 8 prospect, making him the only catcher in the organization's top 25. The Yankees already swung a blockbuster deal with the Colorado Rockies on Friday, acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon, parting ways with pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz in order to complete the trade. The following day, superstar outfielder Aaron Judge hit the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain. Those two moves could change New York's plans for the coming days, including their willingness to move Flores. The future of second-year first baseman Ben Rice, who has spent roughly one-seventh of his time at catcher this season, could also play a part in determining Flores' availability. The trade deadline is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Being the backup quarterback isn't necessarily the most exciting role for anyone, but for a team like the Miami Dolphins, where starter Tua Tagovailoa has suffered four concussions since entering the NFL in 2020, it could be vital. As of now, a clear battle for that spot has formed between rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers and veteran former first-round selection Zach Wilson as they go head-to-head. Of course, training camp is where these kinds of questions can be solved, and so far, it appears that Ewers has done a good job in putting his best foot forward. On Friday, David Furones of the Sun Sentinel gave a very positive update on the young quarterback, stating, "Dolphins rookie QB Quinn Ewers had a strong third practice of training camp. Made several impressive, big-time throws." The update sparked conversations among many fans, both supporting Ewers and a serious showing that there's interest in seeing who comes out on top. "Show ‘em, Quinn," said one comment. "He just does a lot of things (anticipatory throws, timing throws, MOTF accuracy, etc.) that fit this system much better than what Wilson does. I think with refinement and development we could have a backup in Miami that can operate the offense efficiently…finally," said another. "Love to hear it!" a third added. A fourth stated, "I'd be surprised if he's not the backup.." "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Quinn Ewers has the physical tools to stick at the next level. It’s just a matter of shaping the rest," a fifth continued. "That’s QB2 potential QB1 in the future Glad we drafted Ewers," said another. Another big test for both Ewers and Wilson will be during the Dolphins' three preseason games, as the coaching staff will get a much better look at how these two perform during live matchups. Luckily for both, though, being the backup is all they're truly fighting for, as Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports predicts that each will make the final 53-man roster, with cuts needing to be made by Aug. 27.
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
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