Good evening!

It’s not often that someone comes along and seems like they can do it all.

You may know Bruce Dickinson as the lead singer of Iron Maiden (or you may have just seen someone wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt and never given it a second thought).

Apart from being the frontman of one of the world’s most popular rock bands, Dickinson is also a talented fencer.

Over the weekend, the 66-year-old competed in a masters tournament in France and lost to Olympic gold medallist (Moscow 1980) Pascal Jolyot. He eventually finished 13th out of 30.

According to CNN, Dickinson said of Jolyot: “He is not bad.”

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

30,000km
The distance Australian woman Lucy Barnard is attempting to walk, taking her from the southern tip of South America to the top of North America. Barnard is part-way through her journey, with about 10,000km to go, and has been recognised as 2024 Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society. Barnard, who started in 2017, has already become the first woman to walk the length of South America.

Quote of the day

“We are being the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United. I know that you want headlines, but I’m saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go, your headlines.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim following the club’s 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday. Last season, the club finished 8th, marking its worst-ever finish in the Premier League. With 16 match-days remaining in the season, Man United are currently in 13th.

Random fact of the day

Tonight’s Australian Open quarter-final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will see men’s tennis’ oldest-ever number one take on the sport’s youngest-ever number one. Djokovic is the oldest to have held the spot, at 37 years and 16 days in May 2024, while Alcaraz became the youngest ever at 19 years, 4 months and 6 days in September 2022.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏎️ Lewis Hamilton has had his first official day at Ferrari. He said on Instagram: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days… I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.” After 12 seasons at Mercedes, the seven-time world champion will start alongside Charles Leclerc with Ferrari when the 2025 F1 season begins in March.

🏊 Swimming Australia and the Nine Network have announced a ten-year broadcast deal. The agreement will see Australian swimming events broadcast on Channel Nine until 2034. This includes the Australian Swimming Trials, Short Course Championships, Age Championships and Open Championships.

🚴‍♂️ The men’s cycling Tour Down Under began in South Australia today, with Australian Sam Welsford winning the opening stage of the six-day race. The 29-year-old won the 150km stage from Prospect to Gumeracha, beating his rivals in a sprint finish. Tomorrow’s stage will cover 129km and start and finish in the South Australian town of Tanunda. 

🏈 In college football’s National Championship Playoff, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23. Ohio State led 31-7 in the third quarter and held off a spirited second-half comeback from Notre Dame. Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins starred for his team with three touchdowns. The win marks the Buckeyes’ first national title since the 2014/15 season, and their ninth overall. 

I’ve got 1 minute

AO Update: De Minaur secures quarter-final spot, Gauff upset by Badosa

Alex de Minaur is set for a quarter-final showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner after beating American Alex Michelsen in straight sets last night.

De Minaur is the first Australian to make a men’s singles quarter-final since Nick Kyrgios in 2015. The 25-year-old will play Sinner, who has won all nine of their previous encounters, tomorrow.

Women’s quarter-finals

The women’s singles quarter-finals kicked off today with Spain’s Paula Badosa (11) upsetting American crowd favourite Coco Gauff (3) to reach her first grand slam semi-final. Badosa beat Gauff in straight sets (7-5, 6-4). Tonight, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will take on 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at 7:00pm.

The other two quarter-finals will be played tomorrow. American Madison Keys (18) will play against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina (21), and Polish five-time grand slam champion Iga Świątek (2), chasing her first Australian Open title, will play American Emma Navarro (8).

Men’s quarter-finals

The men’s round of quarter-finals also began today, with the first played between American Tommy Paul (12) and Germany’s Alexander Zverev (2).

Tonight will see the most hotly anticipated match of the men’s draw so far, as 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic plays Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the last match on Rod Laver.

Tomorrow, as well as the matchup between de Minaur and Sinner, American Ben Shelton (21) will play the only unseeded player remaining, Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.

Help us grow!

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Aussie women secure Ashes with dominant win in first T20

Australia’s women’s cricket team have retained the Ashes after beating England by 57 runs in the first T20 match of the series last night. The two sides still have two more T20 matches and a Test match to play to round out the multi-format series.

What happened

Questions surrounded the strength of the Australian team with star players Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner both out due to injury. Australia went to bat first and set a solid total of 198. Beth Mooney led the Australian charge with the bat, scoring 75 runs from 5 balls. England’s run chase started poorly, with Australia’s bowling attack taking two wickets within the opening first two overs of the innings. Eventually, England was bowled out for 141 runs with four overs remaining. Australian leg-spinner Georgia Wareham took three wickets

How does the multi-format series work?

The multi-format Ashes series consists of three One-Day Internationals, three Twenty20s, and a single Test match. Each of the ODIs and T20s is worth two points while the Test match is worth four. Having won three ODIs and one T20 so far, Australia has taken an unassailable 8-0 lead in the series. England still has the opportunity to draw the series if it wins all three remaining matches, but as the current holders of the Ashes Australia has guaranteed it will retain the coveted trophy. The next T20 will be played in Canberra on Thursday.

What they said

Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath said: "Very happy. We've had a lot happen over the last 24 hours but we showed our depth. The girls that came in were outstanding, and a few players were in different roles. Just very happy. We just see it as [an] opportunity. There's so much depth in this side. We're so hungry to improve every game and we found a way tonight.”

Big Bash Finals begin tonight

The finals of the men’s cricket Big Bash league begin tonight with the top two teams from the regular season, the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers, facing off in the Qualifier Final in Hobart. The winner of the Qualifier will advance straight to the Final, and the loser will play the winner of tomorrow’s Knockout Final between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars.

A message from Deakin University

Ever wondered what it takes to excel at a Grand Slam?

With the Australian Open in full swing, we’re seeing athletes showcase incredible skill, strategy, and athleticism. But behind the scenes, it’s the science of performance that truly makes the difference.

At Deakin University, Sport Science students gain insights into the many varying factors that influence performance. Explore how athletes manage energy, prevent injuries, and perform under extreme conditions - like playing tennis for 2+ hours under the sweltering Australian sun.

Whether you're interested in injury prevention, performance enhancement, or rehabilitation, Deakin offers the knowledge and flexibility to tailor your studies to your passions.

Looking back…

Looking forward…(All times are AEDT)

TDA asks