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Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina set for Australian Open final

Tennis: Australian OpenJan 28, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Iga Swiatek of Poland in action against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

Aryna Sabalenka earned her fourth consecutive appearance in the Australian Open final on Thursday, dispatching Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-2, 6-3.

She will be seeking her third singles title at the Grand Slam and is feeling confident heading in the Saturday match in Melbourne.

“Right now my mentality is like I’m ready to do whatever — [whoever] is going to be in that finals — I’m ready to go out there and fight with what I have and do everything I can,” Sabalenka after the match.

“I think when I have this mentality, I play my best tennis, and I’m there, I’m fighting, I have my opportunities. So that’s my approach to the finals this season.”

That opponent will be No. 5 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, a former Wimbledon champion who battled No. 6 Jessica Pegula in the other semifinal, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7) on the fourth match point.

The final will be a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final in which Sabalenka, of Belarus, rallied to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“I think her shots are heavy, deep, flat balls,” Sabalenka said of Rybakina. “It’s not easy to work with, but yeah, we have a great history. She’s incredible player. We had a lot of great battles, a lot of finals we played. I’m looking forward to battle this power.”

Sabalenka said she gained motivation Thursday from a call that went against her early in the match. With Sabalenka leading 2-1, Svitolina was awarded a point mid-rally after the official declared a grunting sound to be a “hindrance.”

Sabalenka insisted the point be reviewed, but the call was not overturned. After the match, Sabalenka said she simply was “exhaling.”

The call infuriated her to the point that she stepped up her game.

“I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game,” she said.

Sabalenka won 70% of her first-service points to go with eight of 10 points on rallies of at least nine shots.

“I think I was returning good, but then her second shot was unbelievable,” Svitolina said. “She was returning well, quick, and then she had another punch coming, the second shot after her serve. I mean, that’s why she’s World No. 1.”

Rybakina worked her way to her third career Grand Slam final after saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak before ousting Pegula.

The players exchanged six break points in the second set. With Pegula trailing 5-3, she fought off three match points, then broke Rybakina’s serve to tie the set at 5-all. The set closed with two service breaks, necessitating the tiebreaker.

“It was really, really stressful,” Rybakina said. “I had some epic tiebreak here a couple years ago and lost it … a little flashback came. But I’m super happy that in the end it turned my way.”

In the final, Rybakina will face a familiar opponent in Sabalenka. Head-to-head, Sabalenka has an 8-6 lead. In their most recent meeting, Rybakina won 6-3, 7-6 (0) in th 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh title match, earning a record $5.235 million.

–Field Level Media

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Cloud9 earn sweep to reach upper-bracket finals at LCS Lock-in

Syndication: Argus LeaderLincoln student Kaden Bylkeland uses mouse and keyboard to play League of Legends on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls.

Cloud9 barged into the upper-bracket final by sweeping FlyQuest 3-0 in semifinal action on Sunday at the League Championship Series 2026 Lock-In in Los Angeles.

Cloud9 will face Sentinels in the upper-bracket final on Feb. 22 to determine which team advances directly to the grand final on March 1.

FlyQuest fell to the lower-bracket quarterfinals against LYON. Team Liquid faces Disguised in the other quarterfinal. The lower-bracket semifinal is Feb. 27, and the lower-bracket final is Feb. 28.

There are six teams competing in this double-elimination playoff and all matches are best-of-five. The overall winner on March 1 qualifies for the 2026 First Stand Tournament.

Cloud9 won Sunday’s match in 29 minutes, 26 minutes and 26 minutes on blue. Cloud9’s Robert “Blaber” Huang and fellow American Eain “APA” Stearns earned MVP honors for the match. “Blaber” posted a kill-death-assist ratio of 13/4/25, while “APA” was at 9/4/31 and teammate Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen of Denmark was at 18/5/23. For FlyQuest, Song “Quad” Soo-hyung of South Korea recorded a K-D-A of 7/6/6.

2026 Lock-In at Los Angeles prize pool

1. TBD, qualifies for First Stand Tournament

2. TBD, qualifies for America’s Cup

3. TBD, qualifies for America’s Cup

4. TBD

5. TBD

6. TBD

7. Dignitas

8. Shopify Rebellion

–Field Level Media

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Furious comeback earns FURIA second-round win at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026

Syndication: Democrat and ChronicleYMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.

FURIA fought back after dropping the first map by winning an overtime battle en route to downing FUT Esports on Sunday in Round 2 of the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 event in Romania.

Other winners on Sunday in 2-1 matches were Team Falcons, Team Vitality, PARIVISION and Aurora Gaming. MOUZ, Astralis and B8 won in 2-0 sweeps.

The 16-team Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event begins with a Swiss style format with Saturday’s winners playing Sunday’s Round 2 high matches and the losers playing in the low matches. In Round 3 on Monday, the four 2-0 teams pair off, as do the four 0-2 teams, and the eight 1-1 teams make up the mid matches.

Two more rounds follow before the eight-team playoff field is set on Wednesday. All matches are best-of-three. The playoffs, which run Feb. 20-22, are single elimination and best-of-three except for the grand final, which is best-of-five.

The $625,000 prize pool awards $225,000 to the winner and $100,000 to the runner-up.

In Sunday’s Round 2 high matches, FURIA dropped the opening match to FUT Esports, 13-9 on Mirage, then responded with a triple-overtime victory to stay alive, 22-18 on Overpass, followed by a 13-9 win on Anubis to take the match.

MOUZ swept Natus Vincere 2-0, winning 13-9 on Inferno and 13-7 on Mirage.

Team Falcons worked past FaZe Clan, taking Anubis 13-9 before dropping a 13-11 decision on Dust II. The Falcons won on Ancient 13-4 to decide the match.

Team Vitality followed the same pattern, falling to The MongolZ 13-10 on Mirage, then powering to 13-4 victories on Dust II and Nuke.

In Round 2 low matches, Astralis swept 3DMAX with wins on Overpass (13-2) and Nuke (13-11).

PARIVISION topped G2 Esports 2-1, winning 13-8 on Mirage, falling 13-8 on Inferno and triumphing 13-4 on Dust II.

Aurora Gaming fell 13-10 on Nuke to paiN Gaming before surging to wins on Anubis (13-7) and Dust II (13-4).

B8 swept HEROIC by winning on Nuke 13-9 and Ancient 13-4.

Monday’s PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 matches:

Round 3 high matches:

–Vitality vs. MOUZ

–FURIA vs. Team Falcons

Round 3 mid matches:

–Natus Vincere vs. Aurora Gaming

–FaZe Clan vs. PARIVISION

–The MongolZ vs. B8

–Astralis vs. FUT Esports

Round 3 low matches:

–3DMAX vs. HEROIC

–G2 Esports vs. paiN Gaming

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 prize pool

1. $225,000

2. $100,000

3. $68,750

4. $43,750

5-8. $25,000

9-11. $15,625

12-14: $9,375

15-16. $6,250

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 standings (match record and round difference)

1. FURIA, 2-0, +9

2. MOUZ, 2-0, +20

3. Team Vitality, 2-0, +17

4. Team Falcons, 2-0, +20

5. Natus Vincere, 1-1, 0

6. FUT Esports, 1-1, +7

7. FaZe Clan, 1-1, +1

8. The MongolZ, 1-1, +2

9. B8, 1-1, +8

10. PARIVISION, 1-1, -1

11. Aurora Gaming, 1-1, +1

12. Astralis, 1-1, +3

13. G2 Esports, 0-2, -11

14. 3DMAX, 0-2, -22

15. HEROIC, 0-2, -25

16. paiN Gaming, 0-2, -29

–Field Level Media

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Two more improve to 2-0 at CDL Stage 2 major qualifying

ESports: League of Legends World ChampionshipNov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans hold signs for T1 mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (not pictured) during the League of Legends World Championships against DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Thieves and Paris Gentle Mates joined OpTic Texas atop the standings at the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major on Sunday, each team winning to improve to 2-0 in the qualifying round.

Boston Breach and G2 Minnesota were the day’s other winners, both teams getting their first win of the event to improve to 1-1.

The 12 Call of Duty League teams are playing a full qualifying round robin to determine seeding for the second major of the season, to be held March 27-29 in Marston Green, England, as part of the DreamHack Birmingham event.

The top six teams in qualifying head straight into the Stage 2 Major playoffs, while the teams in seventh through 10th place will compete in a play-in round.

The Stage 2 Major champion will receive $150,000 and 100 Call of Duty League points, while the runner-up will get $90,000 and 75 CDL points.

Paris got things started against the Miami Heretics on Sunday, winning 250-224 on Scar Hardpoint before dropping Raid Search and Destroy 6-4. After edging Miami 2-1 on Scar Overload, the Gentle Mates took the match with a 250-172 win on Den Hardpoint.

Daunte “Sib” Gray led the way for Paris, posting 101 kills with 93 deaths for a plus-8 kill-death differential. Only one player for Miami finished with a positive differential. David “RenKoR” Isern of Spain posted a plus-20 differential that was the highest by any player on Sunday.

In the next match, the Riyadh Falcons took the lead against Boston with a 250-204 win on Exposure Hardpoint. But it was all Breach after that, with Boston winning 6-5 on Colossus Search and Destroy, 4-3 on Den Overload and 250-217 on Colossus Hardpoint.

Byron “Nastie” Plumridge of the UK was the match MVP, posting a match-high plus-8 differential in the win. Amer “Pred” Zulbeari of Australia was the only Falcons player with a positive differential — and just barely at plus-1.

The Thieves were never really threatened their matchup of 1-0 teams against Carolina Royal Ravens, with all four players posting positive differential while winning 250-201 on Colossus Hardpoint, 6-4 on Exposure Search and Destroy, and again 6-4 on Den Overload.

Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris was the best of the LA squad, posting a plus-15 differential with 55 kills as each of the Thieves recorded between 53 and 55 kills. Dylan “Nero” Koch was the only Royal Raven to finish in the black in differential at plus-3. The rest of the Carolina team was a cumulative minus-46 differential.

In the final match of the day, Minnesota topped Cloud9 New York in the latter’s first match of the tournament, winning 250-215 on Den Hardpoint, 6-2 on Exposure Search and Destroy, and 3-2 on Scar Overload.

Justice “Estreal” McMillan was the player of the match, posting high totals of 70 kills and a plus-17 differential. Puerto Rico’s Jonathan “Nejra” Pabo’n was the best player on the losing side, posting a plus-3 differential for New York.

Play resumes next week with another three-day slate of 11 matches.

Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major week 2 schedule

Friday

–Vancouver Surge vs. FaZe Vegas

–Riyadh Falcons vs. Cloud9 New York

–Toronto KOI vs. Los Angeles Thieves

Saturday

–Toronto KOI vs. G2 Minnesota

–Los Angeles Thieves vs. Boston Breach

–Paris Gentle Mates vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

–OpTic Texas vs. Miami Heretics

Sunday

–Riyadh Falcons vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

–Vancouver Surge vs. Boston Breach

–OpTic Texas vs. Cloud9 New York

–G2 Minnesota vs. FaZe Vegas

Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major qualifiers standings (match record, map differential)

1. Los Angeles Thieves, 2-0, +5

T2. OpTic Texas, 2-0, +4

T2. Paris Gentle Mates, 2-0, +4

4. G2 Minnesota, 1-1, +2

5. Miami Heretics, 1-1, +1

T6. Carolina Royal Ravens, 1-1, even

T6. FaZe Vegas, 1-1, even

8. Boston Breach, 1-1, -1

9. Vancouver Surge, 0-1, -2

10. Cloud9 New York, 0-1, -3

11. Riyadh Falcons, 0-2, -4

12. Toronto KOI, 0-2, -6

–Field Level Media

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