Dortmund Snaps Winless Streak in Bundesliga as Union Berlin Stops Losing

Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
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Dortmund Snaps Winless Streak in Bundesliga as Union Berlin Stops Losing

Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)

English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored one goal and set up another Saturday as Borussia Dortmund fought back to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 and snap a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund, which drew with Eintracht Frankfurt and then lost to lost Bayern Munich and Stuttgart, was seemingly on its way to a third straight defeat with Gladbach leading 2-0 after 28 minutes.

But Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back two minutes later, Bynoe-Gittens set up Niclas Füllkrug to equalize two minutes after that, and Füllkrug returned the favor for Bynoe-Gittens to score just before the break.

It was his first league goal of the season on his fourth appearance.

The 19-year-old Bynoe-Gittens was only playing as Dortmund made two late changes with forwards Karim Adeyemi and Sébastien Haller dropping out through illness.

Donyell Malen sealed the win on a counterattack in injury time.

UNION RELIEF

Kevin Volland scored for Union Berlin to salvage a 1-1 draw against Augsburg – ending the team’s nine-game losing run in the league in what was its first match since a coaching change.

There were tributes to former coach Urs Fischer and assistant Markus Hoffmann before the game. Successors Marco Grote and Marie-Louise Eta – the first female assistant coach in the 60-year history of the Bundesliga – endured a frustrating match before Volland scored in the 88th minute.

The former Germany forward fired inside the right post after Robin Knoche – who had a penalty saved – headed on a free kick from Josip Juranović.

But it was an uncertain start from Union, harassed by the visitors’ constant pressing. Kevin Behrens went closest for the home team.

Then Robin Gosens was penalized for a challenge on Augsburg’s Arne Engels, though it seemed both were going for the ball. Referee Florian Badstübner stuck to his decision after a VAR check and Ermedin Demirović converted the penalty to a chorus of whistles in the 40th.

Union had the chance to equalize from another penalty awarded after a VAR check, but Augsburg ’keeper Finn Dahmen saved Knoche’s spot kick.

Volland's late goal – his first for Union – came as a relief.

“It’s an important step in the right direction,” Grote said.

LEVERKUSEN KEEPS WINNING

Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top with a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen. Leverkusen leads by two points from 11-time defending champion Bayern Munich after 12 rounds.

Leverkusen had a slice of fortune when Bremen’s Olivier Deman scored an own-goal while attempting a clearance in the ninth, and Jeremie Frimpong grabbed the visitors’ second goal before the break. Álex Grimaldo sealed the win in the 76th.

Leverkusen has won every Bundesliga game this season apart from its 2-2 draw with Bayern in Munich in the fourth round.

REFEREE INJURED

Stuttgart beat Frankfurt 2-1 away in the late game thanks to two goals from Deniz Undav – in the first minute and just before the break.

Referee Felix Brych matched Wolfgang Stark's record for Bundesliga games as he took charge of his 344th, but he was unable to finish it because of a knee injury and had to be replaced at the break.

Many of Frankfurt's ultra fans left their places before kickoff to protest what they say was heavy-handed treatment by police.

Also, Wolfsburg beat Leipzig 2-1 and Freiburg drew with Darmstadt 1-1.



Top-Ranked Sinner and Women’s No. 2 Sabalenka Win Titles in Cincinnati 

 Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Frances Tiafoe of the United States during the men's final of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Frances Tiafoe of the United States during the men's final of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Top-Ranked Sinner and Women’s No. 2 Sabalenka Win Titles in Cincinnati 

 Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Frances Tiafoe of the United States during the men's final of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Rookwood Cup after defeating Frances Tiafoe of the United States during the men's final of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and women’s No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka earned straight-set victories in the finals of the Cincinnati Open on Monday, the first titles at the tournament for both players.

Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 for her first title since the Australian Open in January.

Sinner, who turned 23 on Friday, beat American Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (4), 6-2 to become the youngest Cincinnati champion since 21-year-old Andy Murray won in 2008.

“I’m very happy to be in the position where I am,” Sinner said. “I’m just trying to keep going this way mentally. It’s important to recover to be ready for New York. That’s the most important thing.”

The US Open begins on Aug. 26 in New York.

Sinner and Tiafoe were both playing in their first Cincinnati finals with their previous best results being the third round.

Tiafoe forced a tiebreak in the first set, but three straight errors led to a 7-6 defeat.

Sinner had a 5-1 lead in the second before Tiafoe saved three match points to make it 5-2 before Sinner was able to serve out for the win.

Tiafoe had a less conventional path to the final. He won the first set in the quarterfinals on Saturday before Hubert Hurkacz retired with a calf injury then saved two match points to defeat Holger Rune in three sets in the semis.

An American man hasn’t won the title in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick in 2006.

Sabalenka moved up a spot to No. 2 in the rankings before the match, then didn’t lose a set en route to her 15th WTA title. She had never gotten past the semifinals at Cincinnati, losing three times in that round.

The 26-year-old Sabalenka can now be considered a favorite at the US Open. The Belarusian missed Wimbledon with a shoulder injury, then returned to the tour at Washington two weeks ago.

“I would say that I’m really playing great tennis,” Sabalenka said. “Probably not the best tennis I can play but I’m definitely getting there. Hopefully at the US Open I can reach even higher levels.”

Against Pegula, Sabalenka took 17 minutes to build a 4-1 lead in the first set. Pegula, who double-faulted five times, broke serve for the first time to tie the second set at 5-all, but Sabalenka won the next two games to finish off the 1-hour, 14-minute match.

“She was playing at a high level and never really came down,” Pegula said. “When she’s serving really well, it’s tough, especially on these fast courts.”

The sixth-ranked Pegula had a challenging road to the final. After defending her title at Toronto, the American played two matches on Friday because of weather-related postponements and had three matches go three sets. Her time on the court exceeded Sabalenka’s by more than two hours entering the final.

“I’m proving to myself that I can play a lot of matches and overcome a lot of challenges,” Pegula said. “I’m looking forward to not doing anything for a few days.”

Sabalenka joined top-ranked Iga Swiatek as the only players with 10 or more WTA titles since 2020. She beat Swiatek in the Cincinnati semis.