Hijikata stuns Djokovic, Bullets survive Perth fightback as Renegades steal extraordinary WBBL victory

On Wednesday, Rinky Hijikata produced one of the biggest upsets of his career to eliminate Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters. Closer to home, the Brisbane Bullets survived a remarkable Perth Wildcats comeback in the NBL, Melbourne Victory suffered another damaging continental defeat and the Melbourne Renegades claimed a bizarre last-ball victory in the WBBL. The AFLW also officially launched its finals campaign, with league officials discussing possible changes to the competition's rules and scheduling.

Tennis — Hijikata produces career-defining Djokovic upset

Australian tennis has enjoyed a major breakthrough at the Paris Masters, with Rinky Hijikata defeating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round. The 25-year-old Sydney product produced an outstanding performance against the Serbian superstar, recovering from a one-sided opening set before taking control of the contest. Hijikata finished with 37 winners, including 29 forehand winners, and consistently attacked Djokovic's serve and second ball. Having struggled to compete with the veteran in the opening set, the Australian became increasingly aggressive and forced Djokovic onto the defensive.

The result represents one of the biggest victories of Hijikata's career and eliminates Djokovic from the tournament. It also ended the Serbian's hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin, where he would have needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Paris. Hijikata will now face Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round.

There was considerably less encouraging news for Australia's leading player, Alex de Minaur, who was eliminated by Etcheverry 7-6(2), 6-3. The defeat ends de Minaur's hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals for a third consecutive year, barring a late withdrawal from one of the qualified players. The Australian struggled to find his usual consistency and was unable to capitalise on opportunities in the opening set before Etcheverry took control.

It was a frustrating conclusion to de Minaur's tournament, particularly after his impressive run to the Vienna final last week.

NBL — Bullets survive extraordinary Wildcats comeback

The Brisbane Bullets have recorded an important 109-104 victory over the Perth Wildcats at Nissan Arena, holding on after nearly surrendering a 27-point advantage. Playing their first game back at Nissan Arena since returning to the venue, Brisbane produced an extraordinary opening half, scoring 63 points to establish a commanding 20-point half-time lead. Brazilian guard Raul Neto was instrumental in the opening stages, contributing 10 points and eight assists before failing to return after half-time. The Bullets extended their advantage to 27 points early in the third quarter, but Perth gradually worked its way back into the contest.

The Wildcats outscored Brisbane 41-16 across an 11-minute stretch, reducing the deficit to just two points with approximately six minutes remaining. Kristian Doolittle was central to the comeback, finishing with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Anthony Dell'Orso added 20 points, while Elijah Pepper contributed 19. However, Brisbane found enough composure to close out the contest. New Zealand guard Taine Murray delivered two enormous three-pointers during the final minutes, while Lat Mayen added another crucial long-range basket. Captain Mitch Norton also converted important free throws to ensure the Bullets escaped with the victory.

Tyrell Harrison led Brisbane with 16 points, while Murray and Mayen both finished with 14. The result lifts Brisbane to 6-5 for the season, while Perth drops to 5-5 after suffering its third consecutive defeat. The Wildcats will be particularly disappointed after doing the hard work to erase such a substantial deficit, only to fall short in the closing minutes.

Football — Victory collapse against Persib leaves Asian campaign in danger

Melbourne Victory's difficult AFC Champions League Two campaign has suffered another setback, with the Australian club losing 2-1 to Persib Bandung at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Victory appeared on course for an important result after taking the lead in the 71st minute. Brendan Hamill's pressure forced an error from the Persib defence, resulting in an own goal from Julio Cesar.

However, the visitors responded with two late strikes to completely turn the contest around. Substitute Luka Menalo equalised in the 85th minute before Balsa Sekulic scored a dramatic winner in the 90th minute. The defeat is particularly damaging because Persib have now secured qualification for the knockout stages with four victories from four group matches.

Victory remain on four points, while FC Seoul occupy second position on seven points following their 3-0 victory over The Cong-Viettel. With only two group matches remaining, Melbourne face a difficult task to reach the round of 16. The result also extends Victory's disappointing run of form across competitions, with the club struggling to find consistency both domestically and in Asia.

Cricket — Renegades snatch WBBL victory through bizarre final-ball decision

The Melbourne Renegades have secured their first victory of the WBBL season after defeating the Hobart Hurricanes by four wickets in extraordinary circumstances at Bellerive Oval. The match appeared destined for a Super Over after the teams finished their respective 20 overs level at 154 runs. Hobart had posted 7-154, with captain Nicola Carey producing an excellent innings of 62 from 43 deliveries in her 150th WBBL appearance.

Chinelle Henry also provided a late contribution with 36 from 18 balls, while Renegades captain Sophie Molineux was outstanding with the ball, taking 4-22. The Renegades initially looked comfortable during their chase, with West Indian opener Hayley Matthews scoring 59 from 44 deliveries. However, the visitors suffered a collapse in the closing overs, losing five wickets for 37 runs and leaving themselves needing five runs from the final three deliveries. A fielding restriction penalty against Hobart meant the Hurricanes could only have two fielders outside the circle for those deliveries, adding further drama.

Deandra Dottin found the boundary from the penultimate ball to level the scores. The final delivery appeared to produce a dot ball, with Hobart wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee collecting the ball and seemingly completing a stumping attempt. Both teams initially prepared for a Super Over, but the third umpire intervened after replays showed Lee had taken the ball in front of the stumps while standing up to the wicket. The delivery was declared a no-ball, awarding Melbourne the additional run required for victory.

It was a particularly cruel conclusion for Hobart, who had fought hard to defend their total and appeared to have forced another opportunity to win the match. Molineux's performance also brought her WBBL career tally to 101 wickets, making her just the second Renegades player to pass the 100-wicket milestone. The result gives Melbourne its first win of the campaign, while Hobart remain winless after three matches.

AFLW — Finals officially launched as Gaelic football rule change considered

The AFL has officially launched the 2026 AFLW Finals Series, with eight clubs preparing to compete for the premiership throughout November. The launch took place in Richmond on Wednesday, featuring the unveiling of a 162-square-metre mural by Melbourne artist Rory Lynch-Wells celebrating the competition's leading players. Three-time Adelaide premiership captain Chelsea Randall was also announced as the 2026 AFLW Premiership Cup Ambassador. This year's finals series will feature North Melbourne attempting to become the first club to win three consecutive AFLW premierships.

The Kangaroos will be joined by Carlton, Geelong, Melbourne, Hawthorn, Sydney, the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast in the eight-team finals competition. The AFL also confirmed that the competition attracted 321,410 spectators during the home-and-away season, establishing a new attendance record.

AFLW considers introducing Gaelic football's solo

One of the more interesting developments from Wednesday's launch concerned a potential change to the AFLW playing rules. AFLW executive general manager Laura Kane revealed that the league is considering allowing players to perform the Gaelic football solo: a technique in which a player kicks the ball to themselves while running. The technique has attracted attention following Geelong's Irish recruit Rachel Kearns performing the manoeuvre during a recent match.

Under current AFLW rules, players must bounce the ball when running more than 15 metres, meaning the action would ordinarily result in a free kick. Kane indicated that the AFLW was open to examining the possibility, although she stressed that no change would apply during the upcoming finals series. The proposal reflects the growing influence of Irish players in the competition and the AFL's increasingly close relationship with Gaelic football authorities. Kane also indicated that discussions were progressing towards additional Australia-Ireland representative matches, with the remaining questions concerning timing and format rather than whether the fixtures would take place.