HOCKEY

Aliaksei Protas scored an unassisted, short-handed goal in the first period and Washington edged the Boston Bruins, 2-0, in the final preseason game for both teams on Saturday.

For Washington, Charlie Lindgren made 15 saves for the shutout and Trevor van Riemsdyk added a third-period goal. The Capitals open the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 12, at home against New Jersey,

Boston had a patchwork lineup with a number of starters sitting out. Goalie Brandon Bussi finished with 30 saves for the Bruins, who open the regular season on Tuesday in Sunrise, Florida, against the Stanley Cup champion Panthers.

• Newcomer Paul Cotter proved his value, scoring again in Prague as the New Jersey Devils beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Saturday for a sweep of their regular-season-opening series in the Czech capital.

Cotter, among New Jersey’s new additions, also scored in a 4-1 win Friday and added an assist. The games were part of the NHL global series. Two more international games will be played in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2 when defending Stanley Cup champion Florida faces the Dallas Stars.

TENNIS

CHINA OPEN: Coco Gauff rallied from a set down for the third consecutive match as she beat Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the final of the China Open.

The sixth-ranked Gauff will play Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in Sunday’s final as the 20-year-old American bids for her second WTA-1000 level title. Muchova defeated Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

SHANGHAI MASTERS: Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner showed no signs of fatigue from their China Open final earlier this week to advance with comfortable straight-set victories in their opening matches.

The second-ranked Alcaraz, who beat the Italian in Beijing on Wednesday for his fourth title of the year, recorded his 10th consecutive win with a 6-2, 6-2 result against 19-year-old Shang Juncheng of China.

Sinner had a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 outing against Taro Daniel of Japan for his 250th career win. The Italian, who won the U.S. Open last month for his second major of the year, fired 12 aces and 38 winners.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: Tyrrell Hatton birdied his last two holes and tied the Old Course record at St. Andrews with an 11-under 61, giving him a one-shot lead over Nicolas Colsaerts going into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship on Saturday at St. Andrews, Scotland.

Hatton already is a two-time winner of this European tour event that pairs professionals and amateurs from the celebrity and business world over three courses.

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Arne Slot earned a Liverpool record of nine wins from his first 10 games in charge after the club stayed on the top of the English Premier League on Saturday.

Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute goal at Selhurst Park held up to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and ensure Slot would be looking down on rival managers Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Mikel Arteta of Arsenal heading into the international break.

Four-time defending champion City is second after beating Fulham 3-2 and third-placed Arsenal won against Southampton 3-1. Both trail Liverpool by a point. Leicester won for the first time since being promoted back to the top flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0. Also, West Ham beat Ipswich 4-1 at London Stadium.

• Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson will miss “a few weeks” after he was injured and substituted in Saturday’s English Premier League match against Crystal Palace.

Alisson appeared to hurt his hamstring when clearing the ball in the second half at Selhurst Park and had to leave the field in the 79th minute.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe will miss the start of the regular season because of a small labral tear in his left shoulder.

The Trail Blazers said Saturday that Sharpe will miss from four to six weeks. It is Portland’s second injury after the opening week of training camp. Robert Williams III is out two weeks with a hamstring strain.