After beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the French Open semifinals on Friday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner must find a way past defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Sinner has not dropped a set en route to his first final at Roland-Garros, but Alcaraz has won their last four meetings and leads him 7-4 overall. Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title and Alcaraz his fifth.

“We try to push ourself in the best possible way,” Sinner said. “And the stage, it doesn’t get any bigger now.”

Djokovic is the men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner’s relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti, who retired with a leg injury.

NHL

Former Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer was fired as the Dallas Stars coach after three seasons with the team, getting to the Western Conference final each time but never advancing past that for a shot at the Stanley Cup.

The move came a week since the Stars ended their season in a 6-3 loss at home to Edmonton in Game 5 of the West final.

DeBoer made the curious and much-discussed decision to bench Jake Oettinger after his star goalie gave up two goals on two shots in the first 7:09.

DeBoer is 662-447-152 overall in 17 seasons with Dallas, New Jersey, Florida, Vegas and San Jose.

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

A federal judge in Oakland signed off on arguably the biggest change in the history of college sports, clearing the way for schools to begin paying their athletes millions of dollars as soon as next month as the multibillion-dollar industry shreds the last vestiges of the amateur model that defined it for more than a century.

U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken approved the final proposal that had been hung up on roster limits. The sweeping terms of the so-called House settlement include approval for each school to share up to $20.5 million with athletes over the next year and $2.7 billion that will be paid over the next decade to former players barred from that revenue for years.

GOLF

Masters champion Rory McIlroy tumbled out of the RBC Canadian Open in Caledon, Ontario with his worst round in nearly a year, with Cameron Champ taking a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the final event before the U.S. Open.

McIlroy shot an 8-under 78, making a mess of the fifth hole with a quadruple-bogey 8 in his highest score since also shooting 78 last year in the first round of the British Open.

Elizabeth Szokol birdied the first five holes and shot an 8-under 62 to share the first-round lead with Ilhee Lee in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady has signed another $1 million-plus NIL deal, according to multiple reports.

Canady signed a similar deal with Texas Tech last year after she had led Stanford to the World Series semifinals two straight years. It has paid off — she leads the nation in wins (34) and ERA (0.97).

HORSE RACING

Horse racing is getting a Kentucky Derby rematch in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course today to close out the Triple Crown.

Derby winner Sovereignty and runner-up Journalism, who won the Preakness two weeks later, headline the field of eight in the Belmont.