A year after Alexander Zverev announced his arrival in the big time by crushing Novak Djokovic to win the Italian Open, the young German held his own but not his crown as Rafael Nadal outlasted him to win his eighth title on the Campo Centrale, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and nine minutes with two rain breaks.

When it was put to him that the rain was not his friend Zverev smiled and nodded. “No, it’s not. But it happens. Nothing you can do about it. He came out way faster, played way more aggressive than I did. It took me a long time to get activated again. I ran out of time. The break took my momentum away.”

Even Vegas’ general manager is flummoxed by the Golden Knights’ improbable run.

Follow along here for the latest updates and highlights from Game 3 of the Western Conference finals between the Warriors and Rockets.

The 19-year-old guard recently won the Euroleague MVP.

Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run, walk-off single Sunday to complete Atlanta’s comeback.

The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final, continuing to exceed expectations — and defy all logic. Social media reacted accordingly.

Warrior by name, warrior by nature but three weeks before the World Cup Peru’s all-time top scorer, Paolo Guerrero, is facing a battle he not only cannot win but arguably should not be fighting at all.

Until last week the 34-year-old thought he was off to Russia for his career swansong. Instead he is off to Switzerland to beg the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, for a reprieve after the court of arbitration for sport extended his ban for testing positive for cocaine from six to 14 months.

• Spaniard roars back after rain delay to claim his eighth title in Rome

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Rafa flashes his language skills, giving some of his interview in Italian. Luckily Twitter is on hand to translate for me. “My first victory here in 2005 was one of the most beautiful victories of my career,” he tells the crowd. “To have this trophy again with me after so many years is really very special.” Amazingle for a man who has been so dominant on clay, this is his first Italian Open title since 2013 (up until then he had won it seven times in nine attempts).

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Zverev is gracious – and accurate – in his post-match comments: “You’re the greatest clay court player of all time and I think everybody saw that today,” he tells Nadal.

Two days before the time trial which could prove a decisive moment in the 101st Giro d’Italia, Simon Yates took his third stage victory of at the Sappada ski resort on Sunday , extending his overall lead over the defending champion Tom Dumoulin beyond the two-minute barrier. It was a massive step towards what could be a first British win in the Giro, while the race favourite Chris Froome flopped badly following his stage victory on Saturday, with the overall win slipping further out of reach.

With two short sharp climbs in the final kilometres and a further ascent to the finish, this stage finish favoured Yates’s punchy, attacking style more than the relentlessly steep slopes of Saturday’s finish on Monte Zoncolan. He made two incisive attacks in rapid succession at the foot of the penultimate ascent, Costalissoio; the first pulled an elite group of half a dozen clear of the remnants of the lead peloton, while the second took him clear for good.

Prop heads for South Africa knowing a troubled reputation follows him but insists he must keep ‘that extra juice I need to play at the top level’

Whenever Eddie Jones is asked about England’s strength in depth he has only to count to three before expressing his concerns. Tighthead prop has always been the position he feels is most problematic and when England board the plane to South Africa at the start of next month, nowhere will the inexperience of the squad be more keenly felt. Indeed, with Dan Cole given the summer off, there are only three combined starts between those who make the trip.

The incumbent is Kyle Sinckler and, despite a turbulent season with Harlequins, he would seem to have his nose in front to start against the Springboks. Harry Williams is in fine form for Exeter but last week Sinckler was in Brighton with England and will on Monday be part of the squad preparing to face the Barbarians on Sunday.