Sports from Friday, September 5th, 2025

Amanda Anisimova rallied from a set down to defeat four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3 on Thursday and reach the US Open final, where she will take on holder Aryna Sabalenka for another shot at a maiden major crown.

Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor is coming out of retirement to represent Samoa, the country of his mother's birth, in a boost to the Pacific Island nation's hopes of qualifying for next year's Twenty20 World Cup.

Lionel Messi signed off in style by scoring twice in his final World Cup qualifier on home soil as Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0 on Thursday, while Paraguay and Colombia also secured berths at the 2026 tournament in North America.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka fought back to keep her US Open title defence rolling on Thursday by beating American Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-3 6-4 in their semi-final.