What we covered here
• A massive sports night: What a treat we had with the US Open’s women semifinals going up against the NFL’s opening game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
• The women’s US Open final is set: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face American Amanda Anisimova in the US Open final on Saturday. Sabalenka defeated American Jessica Pegula in a closely fought semifinal. Anisimova came from a set down to defeat Naomi Osaka in a marathon match.
• The NFL is back! The Eagles began their title defense with a big 24-20 win over their NFC East rival. It was a testy affair from the start when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected from the game for spitting at Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The game was suspended for over an hour due to a weather delay.
• More tennis action on Friday: Join us Friday as we provide live coverage of the men’s semifinals, starting at noon ET!
The US Open women's final is set as Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova will face off in Queens
Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova are meeting once again in a massive match – and this time, it’s for the US Open championship.
Sabalenka and Anisimova squared off earlier this summer in London during the Wimbledon semifinals, with the American coming out on top. The Belarusian will be looking to even the score and win her second straight US Open on Saturday.
Sabalenka got off to a rocky start in her semifinal against American Jessica Pegula, dropping the first set before dominating in the second. But the decisive third set was all about the top seed’s iron will, fighting off repeated break point opportunities from the American to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Every time the American opened the door to get back into the decisive third set, Sabalenka slammed it shut, using her immense power and a laser-like backhand to take the match in the third set.
But it was Sabalenka’s break of Pegula’s serve in the opening game of the third set that proved decisive. The American simply couldn’t handle Sabalenka’s powerful serves and looked off balance most of the night.
Anisimova, meanwhile, set up a rematch with the world No. 1, whom she vanquished in London, by defeating two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka in a marathon, come-from-behind victory on Friday, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3.
It took until two-and-a-half hours for one of the players to seize control of the match and Anisimova did that masterfully. She dropped just a single point in taking a 2-1 set lead and then went up 0-30 in the next game as she tried to break Osaka once more. Osaka fired an ace, but the American still got herself in position for a break point opportunity, taking it quickly when Osaka hit an unforced error into the net.
From there it was a matter of holding serve. Anisimova got stronger as the match went on and was placing shots in hard-to-reach places more and more as the hour grew somewhat obscene.
With thunder rolling outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the clock closer to 1 a.m. ET than midnight, Anisimova held off one last furious rally from Osaka. The Japanese star denied two match points and even earned two break point opportunities before the American rallied and put things away on the third match point.
The final between Sabalenka and Anisimova goes down at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Philadelphia Eagles outlast Dallas Cowboys in NFL season opener that started with spit seen around the world
Thursday’s NFL season opener, which saw the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Dallas Cowboys 24-20, also gave fans a little bit of everything, including touchdowns, scuffles, a weather delay and a spitting scandal.
After the opening kickoff, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. The 24-year-old appeared to spit at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and was ejected before the offense took a snap.
As boos rained down from the Philly crowd, the former first round pick out of Georgia walked off the field, holding his helmet without a single drop of sweat on his face.
“One of the officials observed him spitting on an opponent,” referee Shawn Smith told a pool reporter. “It’s a disqualifiable foul in the game. It’s a non-football act.”
However, NBC cameras later showed Prescott spitting in the direction of Carter before the All-Pro got into the quarterback’s face.
A tale of two halves
The first half was all offense while the second was all defense.
Both teams combined to score 41 points in the first two quarters, with just three combined points in the last two.
All the talk of late has been about who the Cowboys’ owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, has traded away, but not who the team has signed.
Running back Javonte Williams, a former second round pick of the Denver Broncos, signed with Dallas this past offseason and quickly provided a spark for the Cowboys.
The 25-year-old barreled his way in for two 1-yard touchdowns to give the Cowboys much needed points against the high-powered Eagles offense.
However, it was star quarterback Jalen Hurts that kept the game from getting out of reach.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP finished the game throwing for 152 yards, 62 yards on the ground and two touchdowns to lead the Eagles.
As the clock slowly ticked with the Cowboys down four points and needing a touchdown for the win, it was all on Prescott.
Despite throwing his best balls, Cowboys receivers weren’t able to reel them in, leading to the Eagles getting the ball back and running out the clock to secure a tough first victory in their title defense.
Mother nature showed up for opener
The weather in Philadelphia looked threatening ahead of kickoff and finally made itself known with the Eagles leading the Cowboys by four with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The game was suspended around 10:25 p.m. ET due to lightning in the area and the delay lasted over an hour.
The break in the action provided an interesting dilemma for Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs. The broadcast showed the 26-year-old All-Pro looking for food during the delay.
The Dallas defense showed up after the delay, holding the Eagles scoreless after play resumed, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win as the Cowboys offense could not break through Philly’s defense.
While the Eagles are undoubtedly enjoying the victory, a tough test awaits them next week – a Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Cowboys will face another division rival, the New York Giants, at home.
Amanda Anisimova beats Naomi Osaka in epic come-from-behind win to go to her first US Open final
Amanda Anisimova was a Cinderella story at Wimbledon. In Queens, she’s proving that run was no accident.
The American defeated two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka in an epic, come-from-behind victory on Friday, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3.
As the American pushed Osaka to match point, she had the former champ looking stunned. The American got stronger as the match went on and was placing shots in hard-to-reach places more and more as the hour grew somewhat obscene.
With thunder rolling outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the clock closer to 1 a.m. ET than midnight, Anisimova held off one last furious rally from Osaka. The Japanese star denied two match points and even earned two break point opportunities before the American rallied.
On the third match point, Anisimova – with the crowd cheering her on, as sparse as it was at this hour – hit one more stellar forehand and forced Osaka into a final error.
The ball bounced harmlessly out of bounds and sent the American to her first US Open final!
Score: Anisimova wins 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3
Osaka holds serve and holds off Anisimova for now
Naomi Osaka isn’t going down without a fight.
The four-time grand slam champion just eased through that game, making it 5-3.
Next up: Amanda Anisimova, serving for the match.
Anisimova holds serve and she's on the brink
Amanda Anisimova has Naomi Osaka on the ropes for the first time all night, taking a 4-1 lead in this all-important third set.
If she’s able to break Osaka’s serve here, she’ll be serving for the match in the next game.
The American is starting to hit shots that leave Osaka looking to the sky (well, the closed roof) for an explanation. But there’s a reason that Osaka has come away from Queens with the title twice before – she battles through the exasperation and puts Anisimova away to make it 4-2.
Now it’s Osaka’s turn to try and get a crucial break point, one that could provide her a path toward evening this third set up. She starts strong, taking the first point, but the American charges back to take the game and now Anisimova is one game away from the final.
It’s 5-2 in the decisive third set in favor of the American.
Anisimova seizes control of the match and inches closer to her first US Open final
We’re two-and-a-half hours into this one and we’re all waiting for the big moment when one of these players takes control of this match.
Amanda Anisiomova dropped just a single point in taking a 2-1 set lead and then went up 0-30 in the next game as she tried to break Osaka once more. Osaka fired an ace, but the American still got herself in position a break point opportunity.
And she took it quickly. Osaka hit an unforced error into the net and the American takes a 3-1 lead in the set! If she’s able to hold serve, she’ll have a commanding lead in this all-important set.
To the delight of the remaining fans here, she takes a 40-15 lead and has a chance to reach her first US Open final. A spectacular forehand winner down the baseline gives her the win in the game and suddenly it’s 4-1 in the third set in favor of the American.
Jalen Hurts: 'It means everything to come out and start strong'
After a hard-earned 24-20 victory to start their title defense, the reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and 2024 offensive player of the year Saquon Barkley spoke with broadcaster NBC.
“It means everything to come out and start strong,” Hurts said.
“It’s a new team, it’s a new journey, and we got tested tonight. They played a hell of a game. We know how they are when Dak (Prescott) is back and they got their crew all together, so a lot of respect for that team on the other side.
“So we just gotta clean up some things and play better football, but it’s always good to say that and find a way to win.”
Barkley, a 2,000-yard rusher from a year ago, chuckled when he learned that his quarterback had actually out-rushed him in the season opener.
“I love it. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning football games, and what do we say? By land, by air, it don’t matter, and (Hurts) did everything we needed for him to do today,” Barkley said.
Hurts described he and his running back as “Yin and Yang.”
“A complimentary force,” Hurts explained.
“Approach things in a very similar way, same mentality, but may express it differently. And so I think it’s as complimentary as it gets. He’s a hell of a player and he’s had all the success he’s had for a reason.”
The Eagles now turn their attention to a Week 2 Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both players hold serve as third set gets underway
The final set is on here at Arthur Ashe Stadium. So far there’s barely been anything between the two players and there’s no reason to think that’ll change now.
The rain is absolutely pounding down on the roof of this massive stadium in Queens as the clock is well past midnight at this point.
Both sets opened up with a break point – Osaka winning one in the first, Anisimova taking it in the second – and the third set breaks that trend as Anisimova battles back from a 0-30 deficit to take the opening game.
The lower levels of Arthur Ashe are starting to fill up again as the hearty folks from the upper levels who have stuck around this long start filling in the seats closer to the court. Can’t say I blame them for wanting a closer look at this one.
The second game is another battle as each player trades points. Eventually, Osaka takes it on the serve – she fires an ace past Anisimova and then gets a service winner to even things up at 1-1.
Another clutch run from Jalen Hurts sets up victory formation for the Eagles
A three-and-out from the Cowboys’ defense would have given Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense one last chance for a victory, but when the Eagles had to have a first down, the ball once again stayed in Jalen Hurts’ hands.
On a third and three play, Hurts kept the ball himself, juked a Cowboys’ tackler and picked up 4 yards and a first down to clinch a Week 1 victory for Philly.
Victory formation kneel-downs from Hurts ran the clock out and gave the Eagles early bragging rights against their NFC East rivals.
Final score: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Anisimova forces a decisive third set with an emphatic tiebreaker win
Amanda Anisimova isn’t ready to go home just yet.
Anisimova jumps out to a quick 3-0 lead in the second set tiebreaker and Osaka is left staring in frustration at the crowd. She pulled one point back, but it’s 5-1 Anisimova at the first changeover of the tiebreaker.
Osaka makes it 5-2 with an emphatic backhand, pumping herself up as she tries to claw back into the fray and end this match now.
Anisimova has other plans. She takes the tiebreaker with two more points and we are off to a decisive third set in this instant classic!
Score: Anisimova now serving 6-7(4), 7-6(3)
Anisimova forces a second-set tiebreaker against Osaka
Another challenge from Naomi Osaka to Amanda Anisimova, another answer.
Anisimova sends a forehand into the net to give Osaka the 0-15 lead, but the American can watch placidly as Osaka sends a forehand of her own sailing over the baseline to even things up. An ace from the American puts her in the lead and another winner to Osaka’s right has her on the verge of forcing a tiebreaker.
One more big serve and that does it. It’s 6-6 and a tiebreaker will settle the second set.
Cowboys defense stands tall to force another Eagles punt
The Dallas defense forced a third consecutive punt from the Philadelphia offense, to give the Cowboys’ offense another shot at a go-ahead drive.
The Eagles offense, which had scored on every possession prior to the weather delay, hasn’t scored since play resumed late in the third quarter.
A touchdown now would give the Cowboys the lead, but time is running out for Dallas with just under three minutes remain in the game.
Score: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Naomi Osaka on the brink of the final in an epic battle with Anisimova
Absolutely unbelievable what we’re seeing here.
Amanda Anisimova had her back against the wall going into this game and is answering with aplomb. She jumps out to a 15-40 lead and has two opportunities to break Osaka’s serve.
The two-time US Open champ beats back the first opportunity and then watches Anisimova’s return go long to bring the game to deuce. She nails an ace to take the advantage as the clock hits the two-hour mark on this match.
But she can’t put the American away. A backhanded shot hits halfway up the net and it’s back to deuce. A strong forehand from Osaka puts her in the advantage again and this time she puts the American away with a forehand that just skirts the baseline.
Osaka is up 6-5 and is just one game away from a showdown with Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
But if Anisimova holds serve, it’s another tiebreaker on tap.
Eagles turn to "Tush Push" for the first time since owners ruled to keep controversial play
The Eagles converted a third down deep in their own territory using the “Tush Push” play for the first time in the new NFL season. A few plays later, the Eagles turned to the play again to convert another first down.
The league’s rules committee voted to allow the infamous short-yardage play during the offseason after several teams wanted the play banned.
Saquon Barkley also had a big play to convert another first down on the drive. Showing his incredible versatility, Barkley reeled in a one-handed catch then dropped a would-be tackler for a 5-yard gain.
But in the end, the Cowboys defense was able to stifle the Eagles offense and force a second consecutive punt.
Score: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Osaka breaks Anisimova as this match turns into a battle of wills
Amanda Anisimova has a chance to put away the set and instead it’s Naomi Osaka who looks like the one in control. She jumps out to a 40-0 lead with three opportunities to break Anisimova’s serve and even up the set again.
Her first chance goes wanting, but Anisimova double-faults to give the Japanese star the game and it’s 5-5!
Now it’s Osaka serving with a chance to take control and again get close to the final.
Or are we looking at another tiebreaker to settle this one?
Amanda Anisimova fights back and now she's got a chance to force a decisive third set
Amanda Anisimova answered that challenge quickly, blowing away Naomi Osaka to make it 4-4. And that sets up another key game here: Whoever wins is on the verge of taking the set.
For Osaka, that means a spot in the final. For Anisimova, a chance to get it to a decisive third set.
Osaka appears to sense the moment, yelling “Come on!” after winning the first point and a fist pump after winning the second. There’s little reaction after an ace puts her up 40-0 – but perhaps she knew Anisimova wouldn’t go away that easily.
The American takes the next two points and the crowd at Arthur Ashe shouts more encouragement to the New Jersey native. A forehand winner brings her all the way back and brings the game to deuce.
Anisimova again takes Osaka to a break point as the crowd roars – and it gets even louder when Osaka sends a forehand long to give the American the game.
What a back and forth battle here, it’s now Anisimova in control and serving for the set as she leads 5-4!
Just like that, Naomi Osaka retakes the momentum and has one eye on the final
Well, just as soon as Amanda Anisimova took control of this set, she handed it right back to Naomi Osaka.
The American is having trouble getting her serves in and double-faults to give Osaka the 0-30 advantage. She fought back to even the game, but her backhand can’t quite get over the top of the net again and the ball pops up and lands outside the lines, handing Osaka a break point opportunity.
She takes it quickly, as Anisimova sends a shot long and Osaka screams a jubilant “Come on!”
The Japanese star is feeling the momentum now, greeting another Anisimova error with a guttural yell of joy. The American has more than 30 unforced errors in this match – surely that’s what she’ll be thinking about this weekend if she goes out of the tournament tonight.
Anisimova sends one more shot long and Osaka now leads 4-3. The next game could make or break this match for the American as Osaka nears another US Open final.
Play resumes and the Cowboys quickly force a three and out
After over an hour lightning delay, the NFL’s season opener has resumed in Philadelphia.
Once play resumed, the Dallas Cowboys forced a three-and-out, the first stop of the game for the Cowboys defense.
The Cowboys will be hoping that the lengthy stoppage of play will change the momentum of the game.
Score: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
Anisimova takes a 3-2 lead in the second set after breaking Osaka's serve
If this started as a pro-Osaka crowd, Amanda Anisimova is quickly winning them over.
Each winner from the American is greeted with a roar as she holds her serve and evens up the second set, 2-2.
The shouts of “Let’s go Amanda!” are becoming more frequent and the American is meeting them with loud yells of celebration after key points.
She once again pushes Naomi Osaka to the limit in the next game, getting another break point opportunity. As the clock hits the 90-minute mark, Anisimova goes for a backhand winner and hits the top of the net. The ball pops up and lands long, sending the game to deuce.
Anisimova quickly took the advantage for her ninth break point opportunity of this match, and she converts quickly as Osaka sends a forehand long.
It’s now the American in control of this second set as she takes a 3-2 lead!
Players are back on the field with play set to resume in minutes
Players for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are back on the field and warming up at Lincoln Financial Field following a nearly hour-long weather delay due to lightning strikes in the Philadelphia area.
The Eagles lead the game 24-20 with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter.
