Ulster should interpret the selection of Ross Byrne over Johnny Sexton for Saturday's Pro14 final as a straight insult. Gavin Cummiskey explains that while Leinster have form in this regard, and clearly Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster trust Byrne in big games, benching the best strategic 10 in the world for a final can only be used as a motivation by the opposition. Impossible is nothing, but Ulster will need all the heroics they can muster up to topple the title-holders. The two teams will be announced at lunchtime today. Ireland will play three of their four matches in the upcoming, one-off Autumn Nations Cup at the Aviva Stadium, all three of which are expected to be screened by RTÉ and Channel 4, but The Irish Times has learned that their sole away game, against England, is likely to be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime. Gerry Thornley has a breakdown of the unprecedented and hectic schedule that awaits the Irish team.
Victoria Azarenka stunned Serena Williams 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the semi-finals of the US Open overnight, denying the American the chance of winning a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title on home soil this year. Azarenka will play Japan's Naomi Osaka on Saturday in her third final at Flushing Meadows, having lost the previous two to Williams in 2012 and 2013. Williams looked supreme in the first set her but fellow mother fought back superbly, although her 38-year-old opponent was not helped by a jarred ankle early in the deciding set that required heavy strapping. Against all expectations, 29-year-old Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta is staring at an unlikely hat-trick of upsets when he plays Alexander Zverev today for a place in Sunday's men's final, against last year's finalist, Daniil Medvedev, or the triple-Slam runner-up Dominic Thiem.
Graeme McDowell will not be playing in the Irish Open later this month, despite originally being due to play host for the event when it was pencilled into the schedule pre-Covid for Mount Juliet back in May. It's been rescheduled for Galgorm Castle in Co Antrim. "I have never failed to attend this great event in 18 previous years and regret that due to the necessary changes made to the event, travel and scheduling issues, I am choosing to not play this year," said McDowell, who instead will compete at the Corales Punta Cana Championship on the PGA Tour, an event he won in 2019. Shane Lowry opened with a well-crafted four-under-par 68 in the first round of the new PGA Tour season at the Safeway Open in California. With a new armoury of clubs in his bag the Irishman produced some of his old form in the precursor to next week's US Open. Scotland's Russell Knox holds the first round lead after a bogey-free 63.
Meanwhile Patrick Madden has put together a Premier League 2020/21 club-by-club preview ahead of the new season's kick-off this weekend. Marc Hirschi took a first win in what is also his first Tour de France, while Ireland's Sam Bennett still holds the green jersey - he remains 66 points ahead of Peter Sagan. The GAA will be finalising details over the coming two days to facilitate the return of the intercounty game from next week. Friday's meeting of the GAA's management committee will be determining the final version of the 'Return to Play' protocols specific to counties. Central Council will then sign off on them on Saturday.
