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Tallon Griekspoor saved four match points in upsetting top seed Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 in the quarterfinals at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday.
The Dutchman advanced to his eighth career ATP Tour semifinal (3-4 record) in knocking off Russia's Medvedev, the 2023 winner of this event who posted 15 aces on this day. Griekspoor saved 11 of 14 break points while converting 2 of 7.
Griekspoor next faces fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, a 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4 winner over Italy's Matteo Berrettini. Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals against French qualifier Quentin Halys, who also went three sets to hold off Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
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Daniil Medvedev's on-court meltdown leads to U.S. Open exit
Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev crashed out of the 2025 U.S. Open on Sunday night, but not before suffering an on-court meltdown during his first-round loss to Benjamin Bonzi. As the 2021 U.S. Open champion faced match point at 5-4 in the third set, a cameraman decided to bolt from Louis Armstrong Stadium, causing chair umpire Greg Allensworth to wave off Bonzi's first serve, which touched the net. The umpire's decision triggered a furious reaction from Medvedev, who charged at the official and claimed his opponent's missed first serve had nothing to do with the cameraman. "Are you a man? Are you a man? Why are you shaking?" Medvedev yelled at the umpire, via The Tennis Letter. "What’s wrong, huh? Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour." The Russian then yelled into the broadcast camera before riling up the crowd, which responded with loud boos. The astounding scenes led to a five-minute halt in the match, as Bonzi refused to serve until the crowd stopped its jeering and the umpire could calm the situation. Amazingly, the incident helped Medvedev not only save match point but win the third and fourth sets before losing in the decider, as Bonzi prevailed 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round. The loss marked Medvedev's second consecutive loss to Bonzi at a major, following his first-round defeat to the Frenchman at Wimbledon. Medvedev has suffered early exits at all four majors in 2025 — including a first-round loss at the French Open and a second-round loss at the Australian Open. "I'm playing bad and in important moments, even worse," Medvedev said of his horrible 2025, via ATP Tour. "Everything: serve, return, volley, whatever… I just need to play better, and I'm going to try to do it next year." Meanwhile, Bonzi explained how he stayed calm during Medvedev's outburst and the ensuing bedlam. "I never experienced something like that," he said, via The Athletic. "We waited maybe five minutes before the match point. Then it was so difficult to play, so noisy all the time during the points, between the points. It was a very wild atmosphere but I tried to stay calm, to stay in the match, but it was not easy." Bonzi will face American veteran Marcos Giron in the second round. Giron beat Argentinian Mariano Navone in his first-round match on Sunday.
How Browns feel about Deshaun Watson amid unsettled quarterback situation
Deshaun Watson has become somewhat of a forgotten figure regarding the Cleveland Browns' unique quarterback situation that could involve the club having starter Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders on the roster for its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Watson will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season after he suffered a torn Achilles last October and then tore the Achilles again during his recovery. However, it sounds like the Browns haven't yet completely closed the door on Watson returning to the active roster before Week 18 wraps up. "He’s coming along well in his rehab from his re-torn Achilles repair and could be ready to go later in the season," Cabot wrote about Watson. "Whether or not the Browns will activate him remains to be seen, but they’ve been happy with how he’s attacked his rehab and how he’s helped the other QBs, especially Gabriel and Sanders." Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts with the Browns since he received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract from the club in March 2022. He served an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions to open his first campaign with Cleveland. His 2023 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder issue. He then lost six of seven starts last season before he went down with the initial Achilles injury. It was suggested earlier this month that Watson could essentially force the Browns to move him to the 53-man roster if he's cleared to play this coming fall. Such a scenario theoretically would result in Cleveland having to part ways with a different signal-caller. While the previously mentioned Sanders is clearly fourth on Cleveland's current depth chart, Cabot wrote that the Browns like the rookie "a lot and will continue to develop him." Cabot added that "the Browns have always planned to keep four quarterbacks and will only pivot if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse." Pickett presumably would become the odd man out regarding such a potential trade. Still, he first needs to fully recover from the hamstring injury he picked up on July 26 that kept him from playing in any preseason games. Meanwhile, Watson will continue his recovery behind the scenes after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said earlier this year that Cleveland "took a big swing and miss with Deshaun." The Browns reportedly could escape Watson's deal next offseason.
Steelers nearly completed trade with Saints before making roster move
The Pittsburgh Steelers had to begin to determine the final roster for the 2025 season after the team played its final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. This is always a tough time of year for all 32 organizations across the NFL, as difficult roster decisions need to be made. One of those that the Steelers had to make came at punter, as the franchise had to decide between Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman for the starting job. On Monday, Pittsburgh made the move to release Johnston, which meant that Waitman had won the starting punting job in Pittsburgh. This was a bit of a surprise as it felt like most fans believed Johnston would win the job, but the two had a stark difference in what they were being paid. Waitman made significantly less, and the production from the two players was not all that different. Before releasing Johnston, Pittsburgh seemed to shop their punters around the league as the franchise looked to trade one of them. According to Adam Schefter, a deal almost got done with the New Orleans Saints. Fans wanted to see the organization find a way to move its extra specialists for additional draft capital. The Steelers probably felt comfortable starting either Johnston or Waitman at punter, so whichever one could bring in more value in a trade was going to be dealt. A trade didn't materialize, and Johnston was released. Had Pittsburgh and New Orleans come to an agreement on a deal, it is hard to imagine the Steelers would have been able to bring in anything higher than a sixth or seventh round pick for the punter. However, all draft capital is good. Both Waitman and Johnston are good enough to be starters in the NFL, but no team carries two punters. The Steelers were able to save money by releasing Johnston, and Waitman is due roughly $2 million less than the former Steeler. Play certainly factored into the decision to release Johnston, but it seems like it was mainly a business decision as Pittsburgh was able to create some more flexibility against the cap. Waitman filled in for Johnston after the punter suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1, and played well throughout the rest of the year.
Eagles' next free agent signing is staring them in the face (and he's impactful)
The Philadelphia Eagles are always looking for reinforcement in free agency to help with depth on the team. They have a player who is about to become available, and it would make all the sense in the world for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to target. CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported the Green Bay Packers are expected to release linebacker Isaiah Simmons from the team. The Packers just signed Simmons in the offseason after spending the previous two seasons with the New York Giants. Simmons was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. While he has put together some good seasons, he struggled to find his identity on the field, having to play multiple positions. He has racked up 329 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 8.5 sacks, 21 pass deflections, nine forced fumbles, five interceptions, and three fumble recoveries in 84 career games. Eagles would get a massive steal from Simmons who can play nearly every position That identity crisis he was having with other teams would not be a problem in Philadelphia. In fact, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would have a great time moving Simmons around like a chess piece. Simmons would make the most sense as an off-the-edge linebacker or a hybrid linebacker/safety position. He's the same size as Nolan Smith Jr., so that Simmons can come off the edge in pass-rushing situations. The even better part of Simmons' game is that he's able to drop back into coverage and take on those running backs and tight ends. There are questions about whether linebacker Nakobe Dean will be healthy enough to play. The Eagles also did not receive as much production from the bench off the edge, with players like Azeez Ojulari having quieter preseasons than expected. Simmons can be a jack-of-all-trades and play any position that is needed. Additionally, they can get him cheaply as his contract with the Packers was just over $1 million for 2025. Roseman would be crazy not to consider it, as Simmons would be an instant game-changer off the bench. The Eagles could have someone special in Simmons, ready to play any position needed.
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