With the winds blowing harder at this time of the year, the roughs growing taller by the day and the fairways of Manila Southwoods Masters the narrowest the Asian Tour will see, the 108th playing of the Philippine Open promises to be one of the tougher tests of the season that’s about to end. No

Unbeaten Filipino boxer Carl Jammes Martin is setting his sights on a world championship after defeating Mexican David Picasso, while young karting prospect Mariano “Axel” Nocom prepares for a title-deciding race in Italy. Martin, 27, said Tuesday at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that winning the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight crown remains his

Mindanao's biggest hope for a grandmaster title Christian Gian Carlo Arca of Zamboanga City and Ruelle Canino of Cagayan de Oro City were off to a good start  in the 7th Asean Individual Chess Championships being hosted by Governor Henry Oaminal Sr and the province of Misamis Occidental. Both full-pledged International Masters, Arca and Canino are gearing to sustain their winning ways in round 2 of the men and women's open divisions, respectively on Wednesday at the Mildives-like Asenso Misamis Occidental Resort and Adventure Park (AMORAP) in Sinacaban town. Only seeded 24th, the white-wielding 2349-rated Arca shocked the 4th seed International Master Shrivatri Anuj (2450) from India in a wild attacking game, while the 9th seed Canino overwhelmed unrated compatriot Kate Nicole Ordizo on Tuesday's opening round action. So impressive was Arca's handling of the London system which saw him giving up a Bishop in exchange of two unstoppable passed pawns that led to Anuj's eventual resignation. "I think I'm playing now with more composure after my heartbreaking experience here last year. I'm supposed to earn an outright GM title during the 6th Asean but mishandled a winning position in the final round against a Woman FIDE Master from Mongolia," the 18-year-old Canino told the Manila Times. Canino's mentor and Philippine Olympiad teammate Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna, however, suffered an upset loss to another compatriot in the Samarkand Olympiad in Woman International Master Marie Antoinette San Diego. This, as the No.1 seed Indian WIM Bordoloi Pratitee held on with a hard-earned win opposite local foe WFM Jemaicah Yap Mendoza. Second seed WFM Thi Mail Hung Nguyen of Vietnam also prevailed over Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian of the Philippines. In men's open,  Vietnamese IM Quoc Hey Nguyen lived up to his top seed billing by defeating Filipino IM Mark Jay Bacojo, even as GM Dashzegve Sharavdorj of Mongolia and GM Darwin Laylo of the Philippines were slowed down to contrasting draws by  IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia of the Philippines and IM Ganzong Amartuvshin of Mongolia, respectively. GM Duck HOA Nguyen of Vietnam also split the point with IM Miroslav Vlasenko of the Federation, as the country's youngest GM Daniel Cuizon breezed through the opening round versus fellow Filipino Darry Bernardo on board 13. "It's still in the first round but it was unforgettable and very memorable to me," enthused untitled Filipino Edmundo Gatus after halving the point with the youthful Thailander IM Prin Laohawirapap. Laohawirapap (2381), who is mentored by Filipino FM and chess vlogger Daniel Caruso, rose to chess prominence after his upset victory over Indian super GM and world No. 9 Arjun Erigaisi (2759) during the opening round of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand recently.

Check out Alex Eala's schedule and draw at the Hong Kong Tennis Open.

The Asian Cup has been postponed from early 2027 to December next year, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Tuesday following attacks on hosts Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Top-seeded Sorana Cirstea survived a three-hour, 10-minute test from Maria Timofeeva of Uzbekistan, pulling out a 7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-5 victory Tuesday in the first round of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel died on Tuesday at the age of 30, a day after suffering a cardiac arrest following a collision during a match, the Spanish second-tier club said.

DAKAR, Senegal — Angel Polo poured everything she had for a remarkable 9.250-point performance in Taijiquan, but it wasn’t enough for a podium finish in women’s Taijiquan combined of wushu in the 4th YOG at the Dakar Exhibition Center in Diamiando. Polo lost .20 points when she touched the floor as she had difficulty losing her balance in the Taijishan phase in the morning, giving her 9.026 points in her YOG campaign for Team Philippines supported by the Philippine Sports Commission. World champion Ng Zhe Nin of Singapore was superbly consistent and added 9.360 points to her 9.353 to win the gold medal, beating Chinese Taipei’s Chu Yu En to third (9.166-9.333) by .214. Germany’s Zhuo Mia Arelja Xianglin saved her best for last to bag the bronze medal (9.266-9.216-18.482). Uzbekistan’s Uzbekistan’s Gulirano Kholmuminova was fourth (9.120-9.240-18.360) and Canada’s Miranda Wei was sixth (9.093-9.053-18.146). Brunei Darussalam’s Lauren Emily Yu Qing Chua (8.980-9.013-17.933) was sixth and Tunisia’s Zeineb Manai (9.003-8.530-17.533) seventh. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Seeking a quarterfinal spot at the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open, Filipino sensation Alex Eala looks to finally solve the puzzle that is Czech Tereza Valentova on Thursday. The time and court assignment for the second round clash between the 21-year-old Eala and 19-year-old Valentova at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium were not yet available as of writing. World No. 17 and tournament No. 2 seed Eala topped lucky loser and world No. 132 Emerson Jones of Australia, 6-4, 6-3, to begin her campaign last Tuesday. On the same day, world No. 85 Valentova dispatched Japanese and world No. 129 Himenu Sakatusume in their first round clash, 6-3, 7-5. While Eala has a higher ranking and a main Tour title (500 D.C. Open), she has failed to beat Valentova in their two encounters. Eala yielded to Valentova first at the 250 Osaka first round, 1-6, 2-6, in October last year. The Filipino fell to the Czech anew at the 1000 Doha Open first round, 6(6)-7, 1-6, last February.

DASMARINAS, Cavite—San Miguel Beer extended its PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series to a fourth game after holding off Barangay Ginebra, 101-98, and prevented a sweep on Tuesday here. Import George King overcame his struggles while June Mar Fajardo delivered as the Beermen escaped a last-ditch attempt by the Gin Kings to steal a win before

MANILA, Philippines — The FIVB and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) have recognized the new Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) board, led by president Frank Lao. Lao, who was elected with the new board last August, received the official recognition from the FIVB in a letter dated November 2. “Reference is made to the election process

MANILA, Philippines — Nxled mounted a big comeback in the third set and beat Choco Mucho, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, to stay unbeaten in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Tuesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Brooke Van Sickle continued to show her Most Valuable Player numbers with 19 points, 12 digs, and 10

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Emerson Jones – Hong Kong Open Round of 32 MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala staved off a scare from lucky loser Emerson Jones, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the Hong Kong Open round of 16 on Tuesday night. Eala was again buoyed by a big Filipino crowd at Center Court and she raced

CAINTA, Rizal — National player JP Macatula scored a perfect game Tuesday, the first achieved in the ongoing 28th Sletba Open Championships at the Sta. Lucia East Bowling Center here. Macatula made the feat, his 17th career 300-game, on lanes 7 and 8 using a 15-pound 900 Global Tough Reality ball. Macatula, who is representing

DASMARINAS, Cavite—Converge moved closer to securing its first-ever semis berth after defeating Rain or Shine, 105-89, on Tuesday for a 2-1 lead in their PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series here. Juan Gomez de Liano put on the finishing touches with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as the FiberXers defeated the Elasto Painters for

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Emerson Jones – Hong Kong Open Round of 32 MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala plays Australian lucky loser Emerson Jones instead to begin her Hong Kong Open campaign on Tuesday night. Jones was a last-minute replacement for American Alycia Parks, who pulled out due to a shoulder injury. Eala, who climbed to a

MANILA, Philippines — ClearSkiiin took the solo lead in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference after surviving winless but gritty Armed Forces of the Philippines in five sets, 25-12, 25-12, 24-26, 14-25, 15-9, on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. After pulling off a five-set comeback against VNS before the Halloween break, the UV Smashers blew a

Record seven-time Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic became the oldest match winner in the tournament's history on Tuesday, beating Monaco's Valentin Vacherot 6-7(5) 7-5 6-1 in the opening round to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals.

DALLAS — Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 25 points and the Sacramento Kings won for the first time in seven games this NBA season, beating the Dallas Mavericks 115-100 on Monday night. Malik Monk added 24 points and Zach LaVine had 23 for the Kings, the last NBA team this season to win. READ: NBA:

NEW YORK — Landry Shamet scored a season-high 22 points and the New York Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 103-90 on Monday night for their 15th straight victory over their city rival. The Knicks were in danger of losing to the Nets for the first time in nearly four years before outscoring Brooklyn 25-5 to

LOS ANGELES — Although Luka Doncic is in his ninth NBA season as one of the sport’s most dynamic scorers, he has rarely been better than this. Two weeks into the Los Angeles Lakers’ first season following LeBron James’ departure, Doncic is scorching opponents with one brilliant offensive performance after another. Doncic even did it

MANILA, Philippines — Galeries Tower survived Akari in five sets, 25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 15-25, 15-10, to finally capture its first win in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Erika Deloria put an end to the HighRisers’ woes after losing their first four games, dropping 20 points, 28 excellent receptions,

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer held off Barangay Ginebra’s fourth quarter effort to pull off a nerve-wracking 101-98 win and keep its semifinal hopes alive in their PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup quarterfinals tussle on Tuesday at the City of Dasmariñas Arena. George King led the Beermen with 21 points and 12 rebounds , while June Mar Fajardo had 18 and 13 boards as SMB cut Ginebra’s series lead to 2-1. Game 4 of the best-of-five quarterfinal series is set on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum. Ginebra had  a chance to put the series to bed but combo guard RJ Abarrientos’s four-point attempt failef to connect, allowing SMB to escape with the win . Abarrientos led Ginebra with 21 points, import Jordan Murphy had 17 and 17 rebounds. Isaac Go also had 17 markers for the Gin Kings while Scottie Thompson chipped in 14,  along with seven rebounds and eight assists

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer held off Barangay Ginebra’s fourth quarter effort to pull off a nerve-wracking 101-98 win and keep its semifinal hopes alive in their PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup quarterfinals tussle on Tuesday at the City of Dasmariñas Arena. George King led the Beermen with 21 points and 12 rebounds , while June Mar Fajardo had 18 and 13 boards as SMB cut Ginebra’s series lead to 2-1. Game 4 of the best-of-five quarterfinal series is set on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum. Ginebra had  a chance to put the series to bed but combo guard RJ Abarrientos’s four-point attempt failef to connect, allowing SMB to escape with the win . Abarrientos led Ginebra with 21 points, import Jordan Murphy had 17 and 17 rebounds. Isaac Go also had 17 markers for the Gin Kings while Scottie Thompson chipped in 14,  along with seven rebounds and eight assists

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) aims for its sixth straight win as it battles Adamson University (ADU) in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball second round at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday. The Fighting Maroons face the Soaring Falcons, looking for a repeat win against the latter at 5 p.m. in the last of a double-header. Still seeking its first win of the season, University of the East (UE) takes on Far Eastern University (FEU) in the first game at 2:30 p.m. UP topped Adamson in the first round, 69-67, on Oct. 14 for a second straight victory. The Fighting Maroons won three more and stretched their winning run to five games after decimating the Red Warriors, 101-70, on Oct. 25. Rising to a 7-2 win-loss card, UP intends not only to extend its winning ways but also solidify its hold of the top spot and create more separation from closest pursuer National University which carries a 7-3 slate. Despite coming off its biggest win of the season in terms of winning margin, the Maroons are far from satisfied. “Coaches are never content,” said UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon. “That’s the reality of it. It’s an imperfect game. We committed turnovers. There were lapses from a scheme standpoint defensively and even offensively from a league standpoint. It’s part of our process as a team. I think what’s important is that everybody’s committed to it. “I think, especially in the last week, that reflected more as coach Gold (Goldwin Monteverde) emphasized. With this game against UE, you can see that we became consistent for four quarters. We started strong.” The Fighting Maroons seek to bolster their Final Four bid as the semifinal picture starts to take shape. Running in third place are the defending champs De La Salle University Green Archers (6-4) and fourth are the FEU Tamaraws (5-4). The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles (5-4) sit at the fifth spot ahead of the Soaring Falcons (4-5), who aim to snap a two-game skid and rebound from their 66-73 loss to the Tamaraws on Oct. 28. The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (4-6) are in seventh place, while the Red Warriors (0-9) are eighth and last.

GILAS Pilipinas star Kevin Quiambao posted his season-best 28 points in Goyang Sono’s 96-103 defeat to Suwon KT at the Korean Basketball League on Sunday. Quiambao shot 10-of-18 from the field including 6-of-11 from the three-point area. The former De La Salle ace added nine rebounds and five assists, but it went for naught, as the Skygunners suffered their third straight loss and dropped to 4-7 for eighth place in the 10-team league. Quiambao’s fellow Filipino import Migs Oczon fired 20 points on top of six rebounds and three assists to help lead Suwon past Goyang. The former College of Saint Benilde guard proved efficient in the field, too, as she shot 7-of-14, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Winning their second straight game, the Sonic Boom improved to 5-6 for fifth place. Quiambao and the Skygunners look to snap their skid as they face the Busan KCC Egis on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Oczon and the Sonic Boom take on the Daegu KOGAS Pegasus on Nov. 7.  NIEL VICTOR MASOY

GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone hopes young big man Kai Sotto will be healthy and ready to go by the time the national team reconvenes on Nov. 20 as the Philippine squad prepares for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. The Philippine men’s squad will be battling Syria on Nov. 27, followed by many-time Asian cage champion Iran on Nov. 30 in a pair of away games in Seremban, Malaysia. The 7-foot-3 Sotto has been out of commission for the last seven games with his Japan B.League squad Altiri Chiba due to a knee issue. Chiba has struggled in the absence of the shot-blocking Filipino big man, who averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4.5 assists through the team’s first four games before missing the club’s succeeding games. “Barring any setbacks with his sore knee, he is expected to join us,” Cone told The Manila Times, referring to the 24-year-old Sotto. “We expect all the players to be available by Nov 20.  We hope to be in KL (Kuala Lumpur) by the 21st.” Sotto serves as a vital piece for the Philippines, which galvanized its FIBA World Cup bid in Doha following back-to-back wins over Jordan and Iran in the 2027 Asian Qualifiers in Manila during the fourth window. Sotto averaged monster numbers of 15.5 points, 15 rebounds and over three assists in the Manila window, as he provided the energy and hustle for Gilas, which played without injured naturalized player Justin Brownlee. Filipino forward Carl Tamayo though will be out for the November window after reinjuring his ankle. The 6-8 former UP Fighting Maroon played for Gilas in its 82-81 overtime thriller of a win, before missing the game against Iran. With two more windows left, the Philippines aims to sweep its last four games in the November 2026 and February 2027 windows. The Philippines will enter the November window with an even 4-4 record, just a game behind Iran and Jordan in Group E standings, which share similar 5-3 slates, behind Australia’s immaculate 8-0 record and New Zealand’s 6-2 card. The top three teams will earn outright FIBA World Cup slots, while the best fourth-placed squad between Group E and F will also secure a spot in the tournament in Doha.

CAITLIN Simmers and Gabriel Medina claimed the women’s and men’s titles, respectively, in the first-ever World Surf League Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 on Tuesday in Siargao. Simmers, the American world No. 6, defeated Australia’s Isabella Nichols, 12.00-10.77, in the women’s final to become the first women’s champion of the Philippine leg. Simmers secured her place in the championship round after beating world No. 2 Carissa Moore in the semifinals. Moore’s campaign came to an end after she received an Interference Penalty 2, which wiped out the wave where the violation occurred and her second scoring wave. Nichols reached the final after defeating fellow Australian Tyler Wright in the other semifinal but fell short against Simmers in the title match. The prestigious competition is presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), with the support of Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga and Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga. In the men’s final, Brazilian world No. 4 Gabriel Medina defeated Australian Jack Robinson to claim the inaugural men’s crown, finishing with 16.93 points against Robinson’s 14.50. Medina built his winning score with a 9.43 on his opening wave and a 7.50 on his second. Robinson, ranked No. 12 in the world, posted an 8.23 and a 6.27 but settled for second place. Before reaching the final, Medina eliminated world No. 1 Yago Dora in the semifinals, while Robinson secured his finals berth by defeating fellow Australian Ethan Ewing. Medina and Simmers will each receive $80,000 for winning the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, while runners-up Jack Robinson and Isabella Nichols will take home $40,000 apiece. Yago Dora, Ethan Ewing, Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright, who finished third in their respective divisions, will each pocket $20,000. Meanwhile, Filipino bets John Mark “Marama” Tokong and Jayuard Alciso will each receive $14,000, while Noah Arkfeld will take home $13,000. Young Filipina surfer Mara Lopez, meanwhile, will receive $13,500. Also supporting the event are the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Department of Tourism, Department of Public Works and Highways, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, and NEA/Siarelco. Fans can watch the competition through the One Sports YouTube channel and Cignal Play. TMT

LOS ANGELES, California — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 43 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder halted their two-game losing streak with a battling 117-112 road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). Oklahoma City had been rocked after suffering a slew of injuries followed by back-to-back 20-point defeats heading into Monday’s showdown with last season’s Eastern Conference finalists. But a sublime performance from two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander carried the Thunder to a morale-boosting win at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena. Gilgeous-Alexander’s points haul came from 14-of-35 shooting from the field with four three-pointers and eight assists. Oklahoma City, missing three starters in Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, were also boosted by 20 points from Ajay Mitchell and 12 from Kenrich Williams. Cleveland’s points were spread through the lineup with seven players reaching double figures, including Donovan Mitchell and Meleek Thomas with 17 points apiece. “You never know what the future has in store for you, and all you can do is play the cards you’re dealt, that’s what we try to do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder’s response to their injury crisis. “Whatever the game needs, we try to play to the best of our ability and come out with a W (win). And tonight we did that.” Oklahoma City’s victory, which lifts the Thunder to 4-2, launched a packed slate of Monday fixtures across the NBA as the league prepares to take a rest day on Tuesday due to the US midterm elections. The league’s last unbeaten record fell as the Memphis Grizzlies were upset 135-134 at home by the New Orleans Pelicans. Ty Jerome sparked a thrilling late fightback for Memphis with 15 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, but the Grizzlies rally fell just short. The Philadelphia 76ers improved to 7-1 to stay on top of the Eastern Conference with a 126-107 defeat of the Chicago Bulls. Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 25 to guide the Sixers to a fourth consecutive win. V.J. Edgecombe scored 21 points, and LeBron James and Joel Embiid added 15 points each. James stole the show in an incident during the third quarter, taking a sip of a courtside fan’s cup of wine after landing in the seats. “I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was all right,” James joked. The Houston Rockets improved to 7-1 with a 109-93 wire-to-wire defeat of the Boston Celtics. Alperen Sengun led the Houston scoring with 26 points, with Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson each adding 14 points. The San Antonio Spurs moved to 5-2 with a 119-97 victory over the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champion New York Knicks improved to 3-4 with a 103-90 defeat of the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden. Landry Shamet led the Knicks scoring with 22 points off the bench while Jalen Brunson added 19 points, including four three-pointers. Cade Cunningham’s 33-point display helped the Detroit Pistons move to 6-1 with a 124-91 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets. The Washington Wizards pulled clear of the Orlando Magic, 103-94, on the road. The Atlanta Hawks are at 4-4 after a 108-104 defeat of the Indiana Pacers.

PARIS — Tennis star Novak Djokovic said on Monday he hoped Serbia’s student movement would mark a “fresh start for the country” after its election victory over longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic. On Oct. 25, after nearly two years of anti-government protests, the student-backed list achieved a historic victory in snap elections called by Vucic. The poll results ended 14 years in power for Vucic’s right-wing populist party. The win for the student-led movement was the culmination of long-running protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in the city of Novi Sad that killed 16 people. Djokovic had publicly supported student protests on several occasions. “I’m not going to discuss or comment on the past. You know, past is past. Hopefully this is a fresh start for the country,” Djokovic, 39, said at a press conference at the Paris Masters. Djokovic had long avoided political comment but repeatedly voiced support for the student movement over the past two years. Those interventions saw him fall out of favor with the Serbian authorities and become a target of pro-government tabloids. “I am patriotic, but I have always represented my people and not the government. There is a big difference in that,” said Djokovic. “I’m happy with these changes, and hopefully, you know, things will be great and prosperous for our country in the future.” The 24-time Grand Slam champion moved from Serbia to Greece last year.