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Josh Ball

There are times when getting up early to ensure people know what’s been happening in the early hours is a chore, but then you see a result that makes it all worth while.
I won’t spoil the surprise, if it still is, but the size of Australia’s defeat to Argentina is enough to make the heart sing, unless of course you’re Australian, in which case, my condolences.
Coupled with Aryna Sabalenka’s win in New York and England’s victory over Ireland, and there’s been plenty going on while you were sleeping.
Retreat Australia fair
Not much reason for any rejoicing in either land Down Under after Saturday’s Rugby Championship matches, with the Wallabies walloped 67-27 by Argentina, and the All Blacks losing 18-12 to South Africa.

Australia were 20-3 up after 30 minutes, but the home side stormed back to score 38 unanswered points before inflicting a record defeat on their opponents, who had only conceded more than 60 points in a Test once before when losing to South Africa in 1997.
“We played some really good footy in the first half but in the second Argentina got a roll on and we couldn’t stop them,” Harry Wilson, the Wallabies captain, said, in what could be the understatement of the year.
South Africa, meanwhile, secured a fourth win in a row against old foes New Zealand for the first time in 75 years - ending the All Blacks title hopes in the process. Happy days.
Hard hitting on hard courts
Aryna Sabalenka reportedly hits her forehand harder than some men on the ATP Tour, and that helped power her to the US Open crown with a thrilling victory over a gallant Jessica Pegula in a rollercoaster final at Flushing Meadows.
World No 2 Sabalenka triumphed 7-5, 7-5 to add the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories.
The 26-year-old from Belarus clubbed 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to capture both hardcourt majors in the same season.
Pegula went down fighting, however, recovering from 0-3 and break point down to lead 5-3 in the second set before Sabalenka came through.
In seventh heaven

Teenage Chinese swimmer Jiang Yuyan collected her seventh gold of the Paris Paralympics on Saturday, while also setting a world record in the women’s S6 100m backstroke.
The 19-year-old, who lost her right arm and leg in a car accident at the age of four, beat US defending champion Ellie Marks on the final day of the swimming programme.
Her time of 1 one minute, 19.44 seconds, bettered the 1:19.57 Marks set in Tokyo. Marks took silver at La Defense Arena in 1:20.34, with Canada’s Shelby Newkirk 1:22.24.
“[Improving] the world record is a new challenge for me in the future. From now on, my competitor is myself,” said Jiang, one of a trio of Chinese swimmers who won titles in a 30-minute period.
Irish eyes aren’t smiling
If you’re Irish, losing to England is bad enough, but when three of your own are involved it just hurts that bit more.
Former Ireland international Declan Rice and youth international Jack Grealish both scored in England’s 2-0 Nations League win in Dublin, to give Lee Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland, a winning start to life as interim manager.

The home fans greeted Rice and Grealish as you might expect, with a banner reading ‘the snakes are back’ among the kinder of the comments.
Carsley, meanwhile, walked out of the tunnel just before kick-off at the Aviva Stadium and headed towards the Republic of Ireland dugout, before quickly turning back in the opposite direction.
“I think they’ve [Rice and Grealish] both been in football long enough now to understand and respect that it was going to be a little bit hostile at times,” Carsley said.
Mendis is the real star
Yes, Joe Root and Ollie Pope are dominating the headlines during England’s three-Test series against Sri Lanka, but Kamindu Mendis is the real star of the show.
The 25-year-old left-hander has an outrageous Test batting average of over 85, and passed 50 for the seventh time in six matches - a run that includes three hundreds - as he and captain Dhananjaya de Silva rescued their side from the brink of another bad day.
De Silva was 64 not out and Mendis, again down the order at No 7, 54 not out in an undefeated stand of 118 as Sri Lanka recovered from 93 for five before tea, to 211-5 when bad light forced an early close.
Brutal test of golf
You know it’s been a battle when the overnight leader shoots a three-over-par 73 and somehow is still four clear going into the final round.
According to Matt Wallace, who dropped back to 11 under, high winds at the Omega Masters in the Swiss Alps meant the third round wasn’t about “shooting under par” at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
Of the top 10 on the leaderboard, only Edoardo Molinari (69) and Jonas Blixt (68) broke 70. Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho carded a five-over 75 to fall back to 2 over, and in a tie for 48th.


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While you were sleeping

Australia humiliated, Sabalenka’s US Open joy, what happened overnight in world of sport

Aryna Sabalenka kisses the trophy after winning the women’s singles final at the US Open. Photo: AP

Argentina’s No 8 Joaquin Oviedo celebrates with his teammates Mateo Carreras and Marcos Kremer after scoring a try against Australia. Photo: AFP

Gold medallist Jiang Yuyan celebrates winning her seventh gold of the Paralympics. Photo: Reuters

Jack Grealish blocks out the noise after scoring England’s second. Photo: EPA-EFE

Asia Rugby Sevens Series: Hong Kong men storm into semi-finals, women make dramatic escape

Max Denmark was in try-scoring form for Hong Kong on Saturday. Photo: KLC fotos for World Rugby

Grace Hood (third from left) waits to make her Hong Kong debut. Photo: Asia Rugby

With Super Typhoon Yagi in the rear-view mirror, the Hong Kong racing season is ready for lift-off

The 2024-25 Hong Kong racing season gets underway at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan

Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

New jockey Britney Wong with Luke Ferraris at Sha Tin recently.

HKJC

Sport

Hong Kong

Wallabies suffer record defeat to Argentina, China teen Jiang Yuyan wins seventh Paralympics gold, Irish trio take England to victory


Wallabies suffer record defeat to Argentina, China teen Jiang Yuyan wins seventh Paralympics gold, Irish trio take England to victory.
