Apr 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) controls the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in the third period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The NHL fined Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov $2,000 for diving/embellishment on Tuesday.
Michkov is lighter in the wallet after his second offense, which occurred in a March 24 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He received a warning following his first infraction, which came in the Flyers’ Dec. 3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Michkov, 21, has recorded 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 76 games this season.
#FIDE #Candidates #Standings #Divya #Vaishali #share #lead #Sindarov #extends #lead #Praggnanandhaa #fourth">FIDE Candidates 2026 Standings: Divya, Vaishali share lead; Sindarov extends lead as Praggnanandhaa fourth after Round 8
India’s Divya Deshmukh and R. Vaishali moved up the standings to share the lead with three other players after the eighth round of the FIDE Women’s Candidates in Cyprus on Sunday.
Meanwhile in the Open section, young Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov continued leading the standings with a two-point lead ahead of Fabiano Caruana and Anish Giri. R. Praggnanandhaa dropped to fourth after a loss to Giri.
Divya beat Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk, while Vaishali drew with Bibisara Assaubayeva to improve their position significantly.
#Deadspin #Rory #McIlroy #Masters #defense #paired #Cameron #Young">Deadspin | Rory McIlroy to begin Masters defense paired with Cameron Young
Apr 7, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off of no. 7 with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy will begin the defense of his first Masters title paired with World No. 3 Cameron Young at 10:31 a.m. on Thursday.
McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Young, who won The Players Championship last month, will be paired with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell for the first two rounds at Augusta National. They comprise the penultimate group in the Thursday’s morning wave.
Howell, a Thomasville, Ga., native who has committed to play for the University of Georgia next year, earned the traditional spot in this grouping as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. The group will tee off at 1:44 p.m. in Friday’s second round.
The 90th edition of the Masters will officially begin at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday with honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson. The first official playing group will then be John Keefer and China’s Haotong Li, one of only two twosomes in the 91-player field.
World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off in the penultimate grouping at 1:44 p.m. along with Gary Woodland and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre.
Two other featured groupings are Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at 10:07 a.m., and Chris Gotterup, Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg at 1:08 p.m.
PAIRINGS | THURSDAY/FRIDAY
–Gary Player (honorary starter), Jack Nicklaus (honorary starter), Tom Watson (honorary starter) | 7:25 a.m.
–John Keefer, Haotong Li (China) | 7:40 a.m., 10:51 a.m.
–Naoyuki Kataoka (Japan), Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz (Mexico) | 7:50 a.m., 11:03 a.m.
–Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Denmark), Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) | 8:02 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
–Sepp Straka (Austria), Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas | 1:32 p.m./10:07 a.m.
–Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre (Scotland), Gary Woodland | 1:44 p.m./10:19 a.m.
–Harris English, Marco Penge (England), Si Woo Kim (Korea) | 1:56 p.m./10:31 a.m.
*Denotes amateur
The broadcast for the Masters will begin for the first time on Amazon Prime Video, which will begin its live coverage with an exclusive two-hour window beginning at 1 p.m. That will lead into the start of ESPN’s coverage at 3 p.m.
In the other games in the women’s section, Vaishali drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva, Lagno defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Zhu Jiner beat Tan Zhongyi.
In the open section, leader Javokhir Sindarov could not complete a double over Andrey Esipenko, as their second-half encounter ended in a draw.
The game began at a brisk pace and remained balanced between moves 11 and 18, with both players simplifying the centre and activating their pieces. The critical moment came on move 17, when Sindarov played Na5 to target the c6 bishop, but the sequence that followed led to further simplification. By move 19, both kings were relatively safe, with no clear pawn breaks or attacking chances, and the game drifted towards a draw.
Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa’s bid to close the gap on Sindarov suffered a setback, as Anish Giri avenged his first-round loss with a win.
The game remained relatively balanced into the middlegame, but Praggnanandhaa never looked entirely comfortable, with Giri gradually building pressure. The decisive moment came with 36.e6, which created a dangerous passed pawn and disrupted Black’s coordination.
Praggnanandhaa attempted counterplay with 38…h5, but it backfired, forcing him into a passive position. Giri then seized the initiative with 41.Rf8+ Kh7, and with the black king exposed in the final phase, Praggnanandhaa was compelled to resign.
Hikaru Nakamura registered his first win of the tournament, defeating Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi drew against Matthias Bluebaum.
In the other games in the women’s section, Vaishali drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva, Lagno defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Zhu Jiner beat Tan Zhongyi.
In the open section, leader Javokhir Sindarov could not complete a double over Andrey Esipenko, as their second-half encounter ended in a draw.
The game began at a brisk pace and remained balanced between moves 11 and 18, with both players simplifying the centre and activating their pieces. The critical moment came on move 17, when Sindarov played Na5 to target the c6 bishop, but the sequence that followed led to further simplification. By move 19, both kings were relatively safe, with no clear pawn breaks or attacking chances, and the game drifted towards a draw.
Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa’s bid to close the gap on Sindarov suffered a setback, as Anish Giri avenged his first-round loss with a win.
The game remained relatively balanced into the middlegame, but Praggnanandhaa never looked entirely comfortable, with Giri gradually building pressure. The decisive moment came with 36.e6, which created a dangerous passed pawn and disrupted Black’s coordination.
Praggnanandhaa attempted counterplay with 38…h5, but it backfired, forcing him into a passive position. Giri then seized the initiative with 41.Rf8+ Kh7, and with the black king exposed in the final phase, Praggnanandhaa was compelled to resign.
Hikaru Nakamura registered his first win of the tournament, defeating Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi drew against Matthias Bluebaum.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
#FIDE #Candidates #Tournament #Sindarov #drops #points #held #draw #Esipenko">FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, Round 8: Sindarov drops points, held to draw by Esipenko
Divya Deshmukh produced one of the standout results of the round, toppling leader Anna Muzychuk to share the lead at the ongoing FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus on Tuesday.
Playing her first Candidates, Divya weathered sustained pressure before turning the game around in the closing stages. The result lifted her to joint-top alongside Muzychuk, R Vaishali, Zhu Jiner and Kateryna Lagno.
For much of the middlegame and early endgame, Muzychuk appeared in control, maintaining pressure and keeping Divya tied down. The position drifted towards equality, with a draw looking the likely outcome as the players entered a queen endgame.
The turning point came in the sequence beginning 76.Qc8+ Kf5 77.Qh8+ Kg6 78.Qg8+ Kh6, when Divya began forcing checks. Instead of repeating moves, she kept the king on the move, gradually exposing it.
On move 80, Muzychuk chose Kh5, stepping further into the open. Divya seized the moment, forcing the king into a narrow corridor before switching from checks to a decisive attack, leaving Muzychuk without a safe continuation.
In the other games in the women’s section, Vaishali drew against Bibisara Assaubayeva, Lagno defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Zhu Jiner beat Tan Zhongyi.
In the open section, leader Javokhir Sindarov could not complete a double over Andrey Esipenko, as their second-half encounter ended in a draw.
The game began at a brisk pace and remained balanced between moves 11 and 18, with both players simplifying the centre and activating their pieces. The critical moment came on move 17, when Sindarov played Na5 to target the c6 bishop, but the sequence that followed led to further simplification. By move 19, both kings were relatively safe, with no clear pawn breaks or attacking chances, and the game drifted towards a draw.
Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa’s bid to close the gap on Sindarov suffered a setback, as Anish Giri avenged his first-round loss with a win.
The game remained relatively balanced into the middlegame, but Praggnanandhaa never looked entirely comfortable, with Giri gradually building pressure. The decisive moment came with 36.e6, which created a dangerous passed pawn and disrupted Black’s coordination.
Praggnanandhaa attempted counterplay with 38…h5, but it backfired, forcing him into a passive position. Giri then seized the initiative with 41.Rf8+ Kh7, and with the black king exposed in the final phase, Praggnanandhaa was compelled to resign.
Hikaru Nakamura registered his first win of the tournament, defeating Fabiano Caruana, while Wei Yi drew against Matthias Bluebaum.
Allar is healthy. He showcased his arm strength at the NFL Combine.
But it’s Allar’s 6-foot-5, 228 pound frame that NFL decision makers could fall in love with.
Allar’s big size, paired with his big arm and above average athleticism drew Josh Allen player comparisons early in his college football career. Even though he never progressed that way as a prospect with the Nittany Lions, an NFL general manager will gamble on his intangibles.
The size and arm strength projects more as a starting quarterback than a project, developmental backup. These are all reasons why Allar should be a Day 2 – not a Day 3 – draft selection.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR
Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Similar to Allar, Tyson dealt with some injury troubles during his career at ASU. As a result, there’s been some speculation that the 6-foot-2 wide receiver could slide to the end of the first round.
But NFL executives understand that premium wide receivers don’t grow on trees. Players like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson don’t come around too often. While Tyson can’t be compared to those two prospects, he could develop, add weight and stay healthier with an NFL training regimen.
Don’t buy that Tyson will be available at the end of the first round. It simply isn’t happening.
Sonny Styles, Ohio State LB
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It’s rare to see an off-ball linebacker like Styles drafted in the top 10. But could Styles sneak his way into the top five?
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, there was some chatter that the New York Giants would have no qualms about selecting Styles at No. 5 overall. The Giants picked up free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on a three-year, $36 million deal in free agency.
But they still have a need at linebacker, and Styles could be a talented player for many years to come.
Allar is healthy. He showcased his arm strength at the NFL Combine.
But it’s Allar’s 6-foot-5, 228 pound frame that NFL decision makers could fall in love with.
Allar’s big size, paired with his big arm and above average athleticism drew Josh Allen player comparisons early in his college football career. Even though he never progressed that way as a prospect with the Nittany Lions, an NFL general manager will gamble on his intangibles.
The size and arm strength projects more as a starting quarterback than a project, developmental backup. These are all reasons why Allar should be a Day 2 – not a Day 3 – draft selection.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR
Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Similar to Allar, Tyson dealt with some injury troubles during his career at ASU. As a result, there’s been some speculation that the 6-foot-2 wide receiver could slide to the end of the first round.
But NFL executives understand that premium wide receivers don’t grow on trees. Players like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson don’t come around too often. While Tyson can’t be compared to those two prospects, he could develop, add weight and stay healthier with an NFL training regimen.
Don’t buy that Tyson will be available at the end of the first round. It simply isn’t happening.
Sonny Styles, Ohio State LB
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It’s rare to see an off-ball linebacker like Styles drafted in the top 10. But could Styles sneak his way into the top five?
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, there was some chatter that the New York Giants would have no qualms about selecting Styles at No. 5 overall. The Giants picked up free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on a three-year, $36 million deal in free agency.
But they still have a need at linebacker, and Styles could be a talented player for many years to come.
#NFL #Draft #Prospects #Selected #Higher #Deadspin.com">Three NFL Draft Prospects Who Will Be Selected Higher Than You Think | Deadspin.com
Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Every year, football fans are stunned when prospects come off of the NFL Draft board sooner than anticipated.
NFL mock drafts will get closer to accuracy as April 23rd’s first round grows nearer.
Yet still, every year, there are still players who will surprise everybody.
Let’s take a look at three NFL Draft prospects who will be selected a lot sooner than you might think.
Drew Allar, Penn State QB
At one point, it felt like Allar was poised to be a first-round pick. But his college career at Penn State never materialized that way, James Franklin was fired, and Allar missed half of his final year with the Nittany Lions after a season-ending broken left ankle.
Allar is healthy. He showcased his arm strength at the NFL Combine.
But it’s Allar’s 6-foot-5, 228 pound frame that NFL decision makers could fall in love with.
Allar’s big size, paired with his big arm and above average athleticism drew Josh Allen player comparisons early in his college football career. Even though he never progressed that way as a prospect with the Nittany Lions, an NFL general manager will gamble on his intangibles.
The size and arm strength projects more as a starting quarterback than a project, developmental backup. These are all reasons why Allar should be a Day 2 – not a Day 3 – draft selection.
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR
Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Similar to Allar, Tyson dealt with some injury troubles during his career at ASU. As a result, there’s been some speculation that the 6-foot-2 wide receiver could slide to the end of the first round.
But NFL executives understand that premium wide receivers don’t grow on trees. Players like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson don’t come around too often. While Tyson can’t be compared to those two prospects, he could develop, add weight and stay healthier with an NFL training regimen.
Don’t buy that Tyson will be available at the end of the first round. It simply isn’t happening.
Sonny Styles, Ohio State LB
Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (LB25) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It’s rare to see an off-ball linebacker like Styles drafted in the top 10. But could Styles sneak his way into the top five?
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, there was some chatter that the New York Giants would have no qualms about selecting Styles at No. 5 overall. The Giants picked up free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on a three-year, $36 million deal in free agency.
But they still have a need at linebacker, and Styles could be a talented player for many years to come.
The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 quarterfinal first-leg clash between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV platform in India. The match will kick off at 12:30am IST (April 8, Wednesday) onwards.
In the UK, fans can watch the game on TNT Sports on TV. It can also be live-streamed on the HBO Max app and website, on a subscriber-only basis.
In the USA, Arsenal vs Sporting can be watched on Paramount+.
The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 quarterfinal first-leg clash between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV platform in India. The match will kick off at 12:30am IST (April 8, Wednesday) onwards.
In the UK, fans can watch the game on TNT Sports on TV. It can also be live-streamed on the HBO Max app and website, on a subscriber-only basis.
In the USA, Arsenal vs Sporting can be watched on Paramount+.
Published on Apr 07, 2026
#Sporting #Lisbon #Arsenal #LIVE #score #Champions #League #quarterfinal #firstleg #updates">Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal LIVE score: Champions League 2025-26 quarterfinal first-leg updates
Welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 quarterfinal first-leg clash between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal on Tuesday.
The UEFA Champions League 2025-26 quarterfinal first-leg clash between Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV platform in India. The match will kick off at 12:30am IST (April 8, Wednesday) onwards.
In the UK, fans can watch the game on TNT Sports on TV. It can also be live-streamed on the HBO Max app and website, on a subscriber-only basis.
In the USA, Arsenal vs Sporting can be watched on Paramount+.
Apr 2, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) controls the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in the third period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images 
