Francis Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz advance to U.S. Open semifinals; 49ers return another star; NFL predictions

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🎾 Good morning everyone. Especially…

Francis Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz

For the first time since 2009, an American man is in a Grand Slam final. Francis Tiafoe, ranked 20th in the world, and Taylor Fritz, ranked 12th in the world, are friends and doubles partners who both upset opponents in the U.S. Open quarterfinals and will meet in tomorrow’s semifinals.

Fritz defeated fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-7 (2-7), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) for his fourth victory over a top 10 player at a major this year, the most by an American player since Andre Agassi in 1999. I spoke with Isabel Gonzalez before the tournament.This is now more essential reading than ever. Tiafoe advanced by walkover after Grigor Dimitrov withdrew with a foot injury. Tiafoe led 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 4-1 and was close to winning when the match was stopped.

This will be the eighth time Fritz and Tiafoe have met. Fritz has won six of the past seven meetings. Both players have strong serves, and this matchup may hinge on Fritz’s serve. Fritz has won 83% of first-serve points in the tournament, the most of any player, while Tiafoe leads the tournament in second-serve return points won.

In the women’s competition, Emma Navarro placed 13th. Advance to the semi-finals Navarro also won the tournament, defeating 26th seed Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5, winning the final six games of the match to reach her second major semifinal of the year.

You can find all of our US Open coverage here.

😃 Honorable Mention

🏈 And it wasn’t a very good morning…

Teams expect San Francisco 49ers’ offseason to continue to be eventful

A week ago, two of the 49ers’ best players were not scheduled to play, and their opponent was the San Francisco machine. The end was near.

Today, the band is back together and their enemies are in for a big treat. Trent Williams Three-year, $82.66 million extension That included $48 million in signing bonuses and a $25.69 million signing bonus, ending his hold on the 49ers. Agreed to four-year, $120 million contract extension With Brandon Aiyuk, who has continued to fight tenaciously.

Williams is not just a great left tackle. He is a big player like Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey. Returned to practice), Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Why do you think the 49ers had the best offense of all time last year?

Let’s give it to A little more perspectiveLast year, using projected points added per play…

When Aiyuk and Williams were on the field, the 49ers’ offense was the best in the NFL. After all, the 49ers were tops in the entire league in that category. With at least one of them off the field, they were tied with the Seahawks at 10th. With both off the field, they were 29th, just behind the Steelers.

Sorry, opponents. The 49ers are back and ready to dominate again. There are many more contracts to process. Right away.)

😐 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 NFL season preview: power rankings, Super Bowl predictions and more

One more day. The NFL resumes tomorrow. I don’t know whether to cry tears of joy, run a marathon on adrenaline alone, or take a complete break until the Chiefs and Ravens start the game tomorrow night. For now, I’m just going to try to do my job.

You know when a soccer game has started Pete Prisco’s NFL Power Rankings Here are the top five players who made a spectacular comeback:

Chiefs Packers 49ers Bills Bengals

A big reason the Chiefs are ranked so high, besides the fact they have Patrick Mahomes and have won back-to-back Super Bowls, is that they bring back a lot of proven players in addition to the players they acquired in the offseason. They include Josh Edwards. Continuity Ranking.

One team I think Pete ranks too low is the Rams (15th). Sure, they’re missing Aaron Donald, but they still have Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay leading the offense, along with breakout star Puka Nacua and a healthy Cooper Kupp. With this group, the Rams have a chance every game. Outside of Donald, the defense should also be much improved.

John Breach agrees with me. Bold predictions from expertsHe predicts the Rams will win the NFC West.

Now, next The biggest and boldest predictions: Super Bowl winner, playoff contenders and final standings for each teamKey takeaways from the entire panel included:

Only one team was named the Super Bowl champion multiple times, and that was not the Chiefs. Three teams were named division winners in both the AFC East and NFC South. Eight teams were named to make the playoffs unanimously, and 20 teams overall received at least one vote for a playoff spot.

John also Record predictions for each team and dark horse MVP selections Among his predictions.

Learn more:

🏈 College Football Rankings, Power Rankings, Bowl Predictions

Although it’s only been a week (two weeks if you include Week 0), college football is already in a frenzy. AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll That’s exactly what it reflects. But for now, I’m going to go with Brandon Marcelo’s College Football Power Rankingsthe top 5 are…

Georgia, Ohio, Texas, All Miss Notre Dame

This is a big leap for the Fighting Irish, and Brandon Explained the reason:

Marcelo: “Everything Notre Dame hoped for came true in their season opener against Texas A&M. The defense was top-notch and the offense found game-changers at receiver. Riley Leonard also had a great debut, leading the team on the ground when it mattered. The go-ahead touchdown drive was full of big-boy plays in the toughest environment of Week 1.”

Miami was also impressive, as the Hurricanes climbed all the way to No. 4 and earned themselves a final bye in the College Football Playoff. Jerry Palm’s Bowl Projection(And, admittedly, there’s still a long way to go.)

Before we move on to week two, here are a few more reactions from week one.

🏀 21 of the most iconic NBA shots of the 21st century

It’s a quiet time in the NBA right now, with just over a month until preseason begins. It’s the perfect time to 1) do some in-depth research and 2) create some big projects or lists that are sure to generate a ton of buzz. How else are you going to spend this time?

Brad Botkin captures both aspects well. The 21 most iconic shots of the 21st centuryI won’t give away too many spoilers, but I will tell you about one memory that is special to me.

Botkin: “18. LeBron Makes His Magic (2009) — LeBron James had a big game against the Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. It wasn’t enough as Orlando defeated the Cavaliers in six games, but LeBron hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to seal the series and his first career signature shot in Game 2. That shot. That reaction. It’s all etched in the memory of every basketball fan.”

I went to bed before this happened (I was 12 and at a club soccer tournament) and woke up the next morning, ran to the TV in the hotel lobby, and saw dozens of people watching that shot over and over again. When you’re 12 years old, you never forget a moment like this.

At the very least, it will get you immersed in the fun world of YouTube (speaking from experience) and give you something to talk about with your NBA-loving friends. What could be better?

📺 What to watch on Wednesday

🎾 I’m watching the US Open. Here’s how to watch it:
🏀 Sparks at Fever, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚾ Guardians vs. Royals, 7:40 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Yankees vs Rangers, 8:05 p.m. on Prime Video