The US Open women's singles final ended in a stunning upset, with Rybakina defeating top seed Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, ending her 99-week reign as world No. 1 in one fell swoop and claiming her first US Open title along with her third career Grand Slam trophy. Meanwhile, over at the Nagoya Asian Games men's basketball tournament, Chinese Taipei's three-point barrage left Qatar stunned, we'll tell you in a moment who was the key player behind their trip to the quarterfinals. Things aren't calm in the CPBL either, with both the CTBC Brothers and the TSG Hawks each turning in their best performance of the season.

Top Sports Stories This Episode

1. Asian Games Men's Basketball: Chinese Taipei's Three-Point Barrage Crushes Qatar, Advances to Quarterfinals

• What happened: In the Nagoya Asian Games men's basketball group stage, Chinese Taipei crushed Qatar 91-69, advancing to the quarterfinals as the group's runner-up. Lin Ting-Chien scored 21 points with 4 assists, and the team hit 11 of 23 three-point attempts in the first half alone, nearly a 50% clip, finishing the game with 17 made three-pointers overall.
• Why it matters: That kind of three-point firepower left Qatar with no way to fight back. Chinese Taipei's group-stage record now stands at 2 wins and 1 loss, with their only defeat coming by just 3 points to Iran, a loss they can still hold their heads up about.
• Source: Liberty Times Sports

2. U18 Asian Youth Baseball: Taiwan-Japan Showdown Sells Out, Two Aces Duel It Out on the Radar Gun

• What happened: On the night of September 12, the Taipei Dome hosted the Taiwan-Japan showdown at the U18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship, with Chinese Taipei falling to Japan by a single run. Taiwan's starter Liu Jen went 4.2 innings, allowing 2 runs, with his fastball hitting 151.3 km/h. Japan's starter Oda Shoki threw 6 innings, allowing 1 run to earn the win, topping out at 156.1 km/h.
• Why it matters: The two aces went head-to-head in a pure velocity duel, packed with tension, and the game drew a crowd of 7,010, the highest single-game attendance of the tournament so far, proof that tickets for this Taiwan-Japan clash were truly hard to come by.
• Source: Liberty Times Sports

3. CPBL: Cheng Hao-Chun Sets Career High, Shuts Down the Monkeys

• What happened: On September 12, the CTBC Brothers shut out the Rakuten Monkeys 6-0. Cheng Hao-Chun pitched a career-high 8 innings, allowing just 4 hits with 4 strikeouts and no runs. It was his first start back with the first team since being sent down to the minors for adjustment on August 5, marking his first quality start since May 30. Yueh Cheng-Hua homered in the top of the 4th, his 6th of the season.
• Why it matters: Going from a demotion to the minors to suddenly delivering a career-high, scoreless 8-inning outing, that turnaround alone makes for the perfect comeback story, and it brings back memories of the Brothers' homegrown ace glory days.
• Source: Liberty Times Sports

4. CPBL: TSG Hawks Snap 7-Game Losing Streak

• What happened: On September 11, the TSG Hawks defeated the Fubon Guardians 4-1, snapping a franchise 7-game losing streak and avoiding a new team record for consecutive losses. Import pitcher Cannan went 6 innings, allowing 1 run, to earn his 7th win of the season, while Chang Cheng-En picked up his first save of the year.
• Why it matters: In the bottom of the 2nd, Chen Shih-Chia, Nagata Sota, and Wang Po-Hsuan strung together three straight hits to pull ahead, the key sequence that turned the team's slump around one at-bat at a time.
• Source: Liberty Times Sports

5. MLB: Lee Hao-Yu Breaks Out of Slump with 3 Extra-Base Hits in One Game

• What happened: Tigers' Taiwanese star Lee Hao-Yu went off against the Rockies with 3 extra-base hits and 3 RBIs in a single game, snapping a 4-game hitless slump in one go. Unfortunately, the Tigers ultimately fell 3-4. On the season, he's now hitting .262 with 72 hits in 275 at-bats, including 15 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 home runs.
• Why it matters: This breakout came right on the heels of a 4-game rut, making the timing especially dramatic. Liberty Times Sports also pointed out that his challenge now isn't whether he can hold his own in the majors, it's whether his -12 defensive runs saved can support him claiming the starting second base job in 2027.
• Taiwan angle: In recent days, Taiwanese fans have been watching more than just his batting stats, they're focused on whether he can shake off his defensive concerns and lock down the Tigers' starting second base job in 2027, with every fielding play now under a magnifying glass.
• Source: Liberty Times Sports

6. WTA: Rybakina Ends Sabalenka's 99-Week Reign as World No. 1

• What happened: In the US Open women's singles final, Rybakina defeated top seed Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. She dropped the second set after Sabalenka fought back to even the match, but closed it out steadily in the third to claim her first US Open title and third career Grand Slam.
• Why it matters: This win also ended Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world No. 1. Rybakina will officially rise to the top ranking next Monday, meaning a single match effectively crowned a new queen of the sport.
• Source: WTA Tour official website

Closing Thoughts

The most memorable moment of this episode has to be Rybakina's three-set comeback that toppled Sabalenka's 99-week reign as world No. 1, along with the sheer momentum of Chinese Taipei men's basketball's three-point onslaught against Qatar. Up next, the Nagoya Asian Games men's basketball team heads into the quarterfinals, the U18 Asian Youth Championship still has games left to play, and the CPBL race is far from decided, so let's keep following it all together in the next episode.