Sports
Sabalenka falls as Rybakina powers into Cincinnati semi-final

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence came to an abrupt end in Cincinnati as Elena Rybakina produced a powerful performance to reach the semi-final.
The ninth seed Kazakh star dominated from the very start, using her big serve and clean hitting to overwhelm the defending champion and book her place in the last four.
She secured her seventh career win over a top-ranked player and set up a blockbuster clash with Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a showdown of Wimbledon champions.
Rybakina fired 11 aces throughout the match, earning an impressive 81% of points on her first serve, while saving all five break points she faced as she secured her fifth win over Sabalenka in 12 meetings.
“I’m happy with the serve. It was the key,” former world number three Rybakina said.
“We’re both big hitters. Today I served really well. If Aryna serves well, it’s completely different. Hopefully I continue like this.”
Earlier, third seed Swiatek advanced to her first WTA 1000 semi-final in 15 months, beating Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4.
Kalinskaya, who had defeated Swiatek in their only previous meeting, put up a spirited fight by saving four match points, before the six-times Grand Slam winner converted her fifth opportunity on serve to seal the victory.
“I just played my game,” Swiatek said. “For sure, it wasn’t easy. Just happy I was solid and had the intensity to apply pressure.”
Veronika Kudermetova breezed past Varvara Gracheva 6-1 6-2 to reach her first Cincinnati semi-final. The Russian seems to be back to the form that once carried her into the Top 10, earning her first WTA 1000 last-four spot since 2023.
She will next face either second seed Coco Gauff or seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini in the semis.
In the men’s draw, second seed Carlos Alcaraz survived a three-set battle against Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev, claiming a 6-3 4-6 7-5 win to reach the last four.
The Spaniard was far from his best, committing 15 unforced errors and three double faults in the decider, but capitalising on his lone match point, courtesy of a Rublev double fault, to secure his 15th consecutive Masters 1000 win.
“Playing someone like Andrey, when you lose focus on two or three points, it can cost you the set or the match. I just stayed strong mentally and that’s what I’m most proud of,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s just accepting the moment, accepting that I am playing a third set, that it’s going to be a really tough battle, and I love that,” he added after setting up a showdown with either third seed Alex Zverev or American fifth seed Ben Shelton.
Five-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, winner of 37 of his last 39 matches, advanced to his 12th Masters 1000 semi, equalling the mark of Italian top seed Jannik Sinner, who faces Frenchman Terence Atmane in the other last-four clash.
Sports
Fact-check: AI-generated image falsely shows Pakistan captain bowing to Indian cricketer

A photo circulating on Indian social media claims to show Pakistan’s national women’s cricket team captain Fatima Sana kneeling and touching the feet of Indian player Smriti Mandhana during the India vs Pakistan match at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup on October 5.
The image was created using publicly available Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and is not real.
Claim
On October 6, a user on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter, shared an alleged image of Pakistan’s women’s cricket team captain bowing and touching the feet of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana during a match in Sri Lanka.
The accompanying image was captioned: “Pakistan captain Fatima Sana Touch Feet of Smriti Mandhana after her loss vs India in World Cup.”
Similar claims were also shared on Facebook here, here, and here.
Fact
No such incident took place at the cricket match and the image being circulated online has been created using AI tools.
Geo Fact Check used two digital media forensics tools to verify the picture. Both Attestiv and Hive Moderation found the image to be highly likely to have been generated with Artificial Intelligence. Attestiv gave it a Tamper Score of 98, while Hive Moderation ranked it 77.3% likely created by AI.

Geo Fact Check also reviewed the full match of October 5 as well as its commentary. There was no mention of any incident involving Fatima Sana touching Smriti Mandhana’s feet.
Verdict: The image showing Fatima Sana bowing to Smriti Mandhana is AI-generated and does not depict a real event.
Follow us on @GeoFactCheck on X (Twitter) and @geo_factcheck on Instagram. If our readers detect any errors, we encourage them to contact us at [email protected]
Sports
ALCS takeaways: Best moments, Game 3 hero from Blue Jays’ dominant win

The Toronto Blue Jays needed to bounce back — and that they did.
Toronto stormed back Wednesday night in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series with a barrage of home runs that led to a dominant 13-4 victory over the Mariners, cutting Seattle’s series lead to 2-1 after the Blue Jays dropped the first two games at home.
How did Toronto win its first game of the ALCS? We’ve got you covered with the top moments, takeaways and a look at where the series goes from here.
Key links: How Vlad Jr., Jays bet on each other | LCS update | Bracket
Takeaways
Seattle leads series 2-1
It was over when … Even after the Blue Jays’ five-run outburst off George Kirby in the third inning, there was at least hope for a Seattle comeback. Then, George Springer delivered a two-out exclamation point in the fourth inning with a 431-foot home run to center field and followed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivering a second exclamation point in the fifth inning with another blast to center. The Jays’ bats are back. — David Schoenfield
Game 3 star: After surrendering a two-run homer to Julio Rodriguez in the first inning, Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber simplified his pitch mix and leaned into his slider, shutting out the Mariners in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, as Toronto went on to build an insurmountable lead. — Buster Olney
The stat that defined Game 3: The Blue Jays are the third team in MLB history in a single postseason to score 10-plus runs in three games before the World Series, per ESPN Research.
What it means going for the rest of the series: When Rodriguez blistered his 112.2 mph home run in the first inning, it seemed like the Jays were on the verge of being wiped out in this series. But now they are back in the fight, with 41-year-old Max Scherzer lined up to make his 31st postseason appearance to face the Mariners’ Luis Castillo.
Top moments
Toronto gets much-needed Game 3 win behind home run barrage
The local boy – Addison Barger – homers in front of his family and friends! #WANTITALL pic.twitter.com/qiPWbGiquA
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 16, 2025
Seattle goes back-to-back in the 8th for first runs since 1st inning
Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh go back-to-back!
(MLB x @CitizenWatchUS) pic.twitter.com/sOzVyH0Cvo
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2025
It’s raining homers! Alejandro Kirk‘s 3-run mash makes it 12-2
KIRK’S TURN! #WANTITALL pic.twitter.com/wv6UXOcHrU
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 16, 2025
Vlad Jr. adds home run as Jays pile on
VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. WITH A BLAST OF HIS OWN! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/cSLgLywe1V
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2025
Daulton Varsho‘s 2-RBI double caps off 5-run inning for Toronto
Daulton Varsho makes it a 5-run inning for the @BlueJays! pic.twitter.com/lbrDBbr4ei
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2025
Blue Jays answer with their own blast — and now we’re tied
Andrés Giménez ties the game! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/drtdQh8gQ1
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2025
J-Rod hits 2-run home run to give M’s early lead
JULIO RODRÍGUEZ 2-RUN BLAST! #ALCS pic.twitter.com/olXcF7mzh4
— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2025
Josh Naylor rocking a vintage KD jersey ahead of Game 3
Good luck @Mariners…good throwback Josh https://t.co/26FrDN4UNO
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 15, 2025
Sports
Mark Teixeira says ‘unreasonable’ Democrats are holding Americans ‘hostage’ with government shutdown

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The government shutdown is more than two weeks old, and an MLB star turned congressional candidate is pointing the finger at Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Mark Teixeira, who launched his campaign for Texas’ 21st Congressional District in August, said the “craziness we’ve seen on the left” has set “a terrible precedent” as the government shutdown continues.
The former Texas Ranger, Atlanta Brave, and New York Yankee said the Democrats are not doing “their job” and should be willing to negotiate.
“Elections have consequences. The losing side of an election knows that they’re not going to get everything they want every time a bill is passed, or a budget is passed. So you have to accept that maybe you’re not going to get your way,” Teixeira told Will Cain on Wednesday.
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Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira against the Chicago Cubs at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Arizona. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)
“The Democrats are saying, ‘No, we don’t accept that. We’re just going to shut the government down, and we’re going to make Americans, we’re going to make military pay for us complaining that we’re not getting our way.”

Mark Teixeira #25 of the National League looks on during pregame ceremonies prior to the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
BOSTON MAYOR RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S THREATS TO PULL WORLD CUP GAMES OUT OF CITY AMID SAFETY CONCERNS
Cain showed a Reuters/Ipsos poll that indicated 67% of voters blame Republicans for the shutdown, and 63% also blamed Democrats and 63% blamed President Donald Trump. But Teixeira said he does not “trust polls,” adding that there is still “Trump derangement syndrome” among those blaming conservatives.
“As long as there are Democrats and there are people out there that say everything Republicans do is bad, even if it’s reasonable. This is reasonable. Hey listen, you want to negotiate on some things? Alright, give us a few weeks. We’ll negotiate. But don’t shut the government down and hold the American worker, the American military personnel hostage because you haven’t gotten your way up to this point,” Teixeira said.
“I understand that a lot doesn’t get passed when you don’t have big majorities, and we have to work across the aisle every now and then. But we’re not going to negotiate with terrorists. We’re not going to negotiate with a party that says ‘if we don’t get our way, if we don’t change the rules, then I’m going to close the government down.’ That’s not fair to the American people, it’s not fair to all the Republicans that are trying to do this the right way and (saying) ‘Just give us a few more weeks to negotiate.’

Mark Teixeira playing for the Texas Rangers. (Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports)
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“I just believe Democrats are being unreasonable.”
In an X post earlier this month, Teixeira said, “Democrats are destroying our country, and President Trump needs reinforcements who will fight to take our country back.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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