Jack Norris 
Jessica Pegula secured her place in the Charleston final after a three-set victory. This marks her second consecutive Charleston final. Pegula now awaits the winner of the semifinal match between Madison Keys and Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Jason Kendall will return to Pittsburgh for the Pirates’ home opener. He will team up with Brian Giles for a ceremonial first pitch before the Pirates host the Orioles. Kendall said, “It’ll definitely be something special.”
Under FA Cup rules introduced to ease fixture congestion, replays have been abolished from the first round proper onwards. If any quarter-final match is level at the end of 90 minutes, the tie must be settled on the day through 30 minutes of extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout. Video Assistant Referees will be used in all four matches because they are being hosted at Premier League-level stadiums.
West Virginia men’s basketball will take on Creighton in the College Basketball Crown semifinals on Saturday. West Virginia beat Stanford, 82-77 in overtime, while Creighton beat Rutgers, 82-69, in the quarterfinal round on Thursday to advance in the bracket. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott extended his final season when the Bluejays thumped Rutgers.
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres has trademarked his mask celebration. The 27-year-old joins the likes of Cole Palmer and Kylian Mbappe in trademarking a signature move. Gyokeres’ celebration involves interlocking his fingers over his mouth and nose.
Justin Verlander’s return to Comerica Park as a Detroit Tigers player has been delayed. The 43-year-old has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left hip inflammation. Keider Montero has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo and is expected to start in Verlander’s place.
Mikaela Mayer has named Claressa Shields as a potential opponent. Mayer is targeting “big names only” as she looks to secure the biggest fights possible. She also mentioned Chantelle Cameron and Lauren Price as desired opponents.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing the Washington Nationals on Saturday, hoping to keep their hitting success going. In the first game of the series, the Dodgers won 13-6. Tyler Glasnow will look to get the rotation back on track.
Mikel Arteta has insisted that Kepa Arrizabalaga is ready to play in Arsenal’s FA Cup quarterfinal match against Southampton. This decision comes despite Kepa’s error in Arsenal’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Arteta stated that he does not judge players solely on errors.
Joakim Noah is revisiting Cleveland nearly a decade after his viral press conference moment. In a new episode of NOMAD, Noah confronts his past with a new perspective. He explores how basketball is experienced across different cultures, approaching the game as someone eager to learn and connect.