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Djokovic eases into AO third round | The Express Tribune
Novak Djokovic hits a return to Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli. Photo: AFP
MELBOURNE:
Novak Djokovic sent 141st-ranked qualifier Francesco Maestrelli packing in straight sets to ease into the Australian Open third round on Thursday – with a little help from a fig tree.
The Serbian great is on his latest mission to win a record 25th Grand Slam title and dismissed the Italian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Djokovic faces China’s Shang Juncheng or Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands next in Melbourne.
Djokovic is well known for his sometimes unusual preparations, which include hugging a Brazilian fig tree in Melbourne’s botanical gardens.
“That is my oldest friend here in Melbourne,” said the 38-year-old former world number one, who has won 10 Australian titles, more than anyone in history.
“He has been there to heal my wounds and give me company.
“It’s a beautiful connection, nature is such a powerful ally.
“We have a friendship going over 20 years.”
In sunny, but noticeably cooler temperatures than recent days, the fourth seed appeared determined to get the job done as fast as possible.
Playing in the early afternoon on Rod Laver Arena, rather than his usual evening slot, Djokovic raced into a 5-2 lead.
The Italian doggedly held serve despite facing multiple set points, but it was only delaying the inevitable as Djokovic sealed the opening set in 47 minutes.
Djokovic, who has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023, was not quite as devastating as when winning his first-round match by the same scoreline.
But he still had far too much for the outclassed 23-year-old.
Djokovic broke Maestrelli, who was making his Grand Slam debut, to start the second set and cantered into the third round.
Keys draws on champion mindset
Madison Keys said she drew on her experience as defending champion to pull through a danger moment and make the Australian Open third round on Thursday, rattling off five straight games to secure victory.
Keys, who upset Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final, blew hot and cold against fellow American Ashlyn Krueger before getting over the line 6-1, 7-5.
It set up a clash with former semi-finalist Karolina Pliskova after the Czech ended the dreams of Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in straight sets.
“I think in those tough kind of moments like today, getting down in that second set, just kind of reminding yourself that you have been here before, you figured it out,” Keys said.
“I think when you’re able to do that in a place where you have had success, it just feels like it comes a little bit easier.”
Keys admitted after her laboured first-round win that she was a bundle of nerves and “too timid”.
The 29-year-old threw off the shackles in the first set against the 92nd-ranked Krueger, taking it in just 23 minutes on John Cain Arena before having to rally from 2-5 down in the second.
“I started really well and Ash a little slowly,” said Keys, who began her season with quarter-final exits at Brisbane and Adelaide.
“I fully expected her to raise her level and she did. But it just got away from me a little quickly.
“Then once I got that momentum (back), I just tried to sink my teeth into the set and do whatever I could to get back into it.”
After taking more than an hour to win the first set in her opening round, Keys broke on three occasions against Krueger to storm through it this time.
Hitting well and pushing her opponent around the court, the ninth seed looked ominous and held to love in opening her second set account.
But Krueger, consulting a book at the changeovers, upped her intensity and against the odds broke Keys to lead 3-2 after the champion’s serve imploded, double-faulting three times.
Keys was broken again, to love and once more on a double-fault, to slump 5-2 behind.
However, she gathered herself to reel off five straight games and stay in the title hunt.
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Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza’s year couldn’t have been more perfect.
He led his Hoosiers to an unblemished 16-0 season, captured the national championship in historic fashion and won the 2025 Heisman before being selected first in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Raiders.
Now that the path is clear for a new athlete to leave NYC in December holding the Heisman, who will it be?
Here are the way-too-early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 5.
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2026 Heisman Trophy Winner
CJ Carr (Notre Dame): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Arch Manning (Texas): +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Julian Sayin (Ohio State): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Dante Moore (Oregon): +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss): +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Josh Hoover (TCU): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Darian Mensah (Miami, FL): +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Gunner Stockton (Georgia): +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Jayden Maiava (USC): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
John Mateer (Oklahoma): +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Here’s more on a few of the names on the 2026 Heisman oddsboard:
The Favorites: Carr and Manning are tied at +750 to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the 2026 regular season. And the latter is no stranger to Heisman talk. He opened as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman at several books and right before the season kicked off, bettors were hammering Manning’s futures. The excitement over Manning was short-lived once his Longhorns went 4-2 to begin the season. If he is at least named a finalist, he would follow in the footsteps of his uncles and his grandfather, as both Peyton and Eli Manning, and their dad Archie, were Heisman finalists during their college careers.
Arch Manning is an early favorite to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
Ones to Watch: Ohio State teammates Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are two players to watch for next season’s Heisman — especially because they were both in the conversation to win the award most of 2025. Sayin, in fact, was a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the race with eight first-place votes. Smith didn’t make the trip to New York but finished sixth in the tally. FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young projects that both Smith and Sayin — as well as Manning — will be in the running in 2026.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin could make another trip to NYC — but this time as the winner.
Heisman in Troy?: Could Maiava bring the hardware back to SC from NYC? Based on the early odds, he could have at least a slight chance. If the Trojans’ QB wins the most coveted individual award in college football, he’d be the first USC player since Caleb Williams (2022) to do so. Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as his squad ended the year with a 9-4 record.
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Aaron Rodgers never met with Steelers despite rumor-filled weekend as QB’s decision remains up in air
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Aaron Rodgers didn’t make it back to Pittsburgh after all.
After reports surfaced this past Friday that Rodgers was expected to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in preparation for a return to the team he played for last year, many were hopeful the months-long wait was over.
However, during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN this Monday, Adam Schefter said neither the Steelers nor his agent were aware of any such meeting being on the schedule.
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Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers stands during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
But then, there were the reports about where Rodgers is in the world, with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporting that he was in the Steel City, though he wasn’t scheduled to visit with the team. A report from 93.7 The Fan added on, saying he was in town for golf.
Either way, the decision still lingers whether Rodgers will suit up for the Steelers, but the storied franchise gave themselves some insurance if the four-time MVP quarterback decides he wants to potentially play elsewhere.
STEELERS OWNERSHIP HOPES FOR CLARITY ON AARON RODGERS’ FUTURE ‘IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO’
The Steelers used an unrestricted free-agent tender on Rodgers last month, which allows Pittsburgh the right to match any offer Rodgers may get from another team.
Despite doubt from some camps on Rodgers’ potential return, Schefter noted his belief he will be in the Steelers’ depth chart come training camp. The Steelers have their OTAs scheduled to begin next Monday.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Getty Images)
With Rodgers at the helm this past season, the Steelers went 10-7, even earning a playoff berth after Baltimore Ravens rookie Tyler Loop’s now-infamous game-winning field goal did not get through the uprights. The Steelers ended up losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, extending the team’s playoff winless streak to eight straight seasons, including three consecutive campaigns.
Rodgers, who’s slated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he decides to call it quits for his career, threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2025.
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The Steelers also revamped their team for this season, as Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ old head coach with the Green Bay Packers, takes over for Mike Tomlin, whose generational run in Pittsburgh ended after 19 seasons (2007-25). While D.K. Metcalf and Rodgers built chemistry this past season, the Steelers also added veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts, while adding Alabama’s Germie Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after being sacked during the wild-card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
And while Kenneth Gainwell is gone after a solid performance with Pittsburgh, Rico Dowdle comes into the fold to work alongside Jaylen Warren at running back.
Yet, the biggest question in football still remains: will Rodgers be a part of these new-look Steelers in 2026?
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Victor Wembanyama’s first career ejection will not have a suspension included, as the NBA decided not to dock the San Antonio Spurs big man for the elbow he threw on Minnesota Timberwolves’ Naz Reid in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinals series.
Wembanyama will be available for Game 5 of the series, which is set for Tuesday night, per ESPN.
Wembanyama was originally issued an offensive foul after hitting Reid in the face with his elbow while being double-teamed in the corner after securing a rebound. But video review saw the elbow hit Reid square in his jaw and neck, which sent him to the hardwood.
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Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on May 10, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)
Officials announced that Wembanyama’s foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. As a result, it’s an automatic ejection.
The ejection came with just 8:39 left in the second quarter, which marked the earliest an NBA All-Star had been ejected from a playoff game since 1997-98, per ESPN Research.
Wembanyama, an MVP candidate, can’t be replicated on the court for the Spurs, who eventually lost to the Timberwolves, 114-109, to even up the series at two games apiece heading into Game 5.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson used his postgame press conference to defend the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, specifically the level of physicality Wembanyama gets from opponents during games.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid reacts after an injury during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA second-round playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs in Minneapolis on May 10, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
“Just the amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level, you have to protect yourself,” he said, via ESPN. “Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on you. He’s gotten pushed down in transition, running freely. We don’t complain because we’re just going to play. We don’t really give a s—. But at some stage, he should be protected. If not, he’s going to have to protect himself, and unfortunately, stuff like that happens.
“It’s starting to get disgusting in terms of when he tries to fight through things, be professional and mature and deal with some of that stuff. I’m glad he took matters into his own hands. Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid, but he’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not. And I think it’s disgusting.”
Johnson added that there was “zero intent” on Wembanyama’s elbow to Reid’s face, believing that a Game 5 suspension “would be ridiculous.” But it was always the league’s decision in the end.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama walks across the court after committing a flagrant foul that led to his ejection during the first half of Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on May 10, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
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Ultimately, they decided Johnson’s stance was correct, and Wembanyama will be on the court with his teammates in a pivotal Game 5 as the series returns to San Antonio on Tuesday night.
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