Sports - Friday, April 24, 2026

It's early, but we saw two very different teams at Fenway Park this week.

2005 champion hammers Xiao Guodong 13-3 Hawkins leads Williams 10-6; Allen 9-7 up on Wilson Shaun Murphy will savour some home comforts after beating Xiao Guodong with a session to spare and reaching the last eight of the World Snooker Championship. Murphy guaranteed himself a night off on Friday with a 13-3 second-round demolition of Xiao – and then revealed he was heading home before his quarter-final gets under way on Tuesday. “Mathematically it’s possible to win with a session to spare but you don’t think it’s going to happen,” Murphy told the BBC after a fluent potting display that produced four centuries and seven further breaks over 60. “I kept getting those little chances and I’m really pleased how I played. It doesn’t happen often because everybody’s so good. We’re going to ship out of Sheffield for a few days. Go home now. Continue reading...

Former winner Shaun Murphy produces a fine performance to thrash China's Xiao Guodong and become the first player into the World Championship quarter-finals.

After Nottingham Forest's stunning win at Sunderland, is the Premier League relegation battle now a two-horse race?

Late leveller is fresh blow to Madrid’s faint title hopes RB Leipzig’s 3-1 win is marred by online sexism row Héctor Bellerín struck deep into stoppage time to earn Real Betis a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid on Friday, dealing another blow to the visitors’ fading title hopes. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side appeared on course for a narrow win after taking the lead in the 17th minute. Federico Valverde let fly from outside the box and the Betis goalkeeper, Álvaro Valles, could only parry the ball into the path of Vinícius Júnior, who reacted swiftly to guide a neat finish just inside the right post. Continue reading...

Catch up on a busy WNBA offseason at a glance with the most impactful signings and trades in fantasy women's basketball.

Thirty years after their first match at the Crucible, 50-year-olds Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins again go head-to-head on the biggest stage.

England forward has recovered from achilles injury Calafiori also fit as Arteta targets ‘two big competitions’ Mikel Arteta is hoping the return of Bukayo Saka after a month out can provide Arsenal with “a different energy” as they attempt to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title. The England forward has not played since the defeat by City in the Carabao Cup final owing to an achilles injury and Arsenal have won one of five games without him. Arteta said Saka would be in the squad to face Newcastle on Saturday evening, when Arsenal will have an opportunity to go top again. Continue reading...

Leeds Rhinos stay top of Super League as they run in eight tries to steamroller Catalans Dragons at Headingley.

Vítor Pereira had promised ­Nottingham Forest would approach this assignment with a “Champions League mentality” and his players did not disappoint him. A fabulous attacking performance featuring four different scorers (plus an own goal) and a clean sheet not merely succeeded in denting a shell-shocked Sunderland’s European ambitions but also lifted 16th-placed Forest to 39 points. Continue reading...