Even without Neymar, French leader PSG routs Amiens 5-0

Neymar was not missed as runaway French league leader Paris Saint-Germain crushed Amiens 5-0 on Saturday for a 10th straight league win.

Neymar was given a few days off by coach Thomas Tuchel after playing for Brazil in the international break. PSG faces Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday and is then away to bitter rival Marseille on Sunday.

Except for Neymar, PSG's lineup was near full-strength and the defending champion easily extended the best start to the league. PSG is averaging nearly four goals per game but should have scored even more. Some sloppy finishing will not have impressed Tuchel, who is trying to instill more intensity into the side.

PSG's Angel Di Maria, centre, Amiens' Prince-Desir Gouanop, right, and Amiens' Emil Krafth challenge for the ball during the French League One soccer match between Paris-Saint-Germain and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

Winger Angel Di Maria set up the first two goals with superb delivery from corners, taken from the right and curled with his left foot. Brazil defender Marquinhos headed home in the 12th minute and midfielder Adrien Rabiot likewise with a near-identical glancing header shortly before halftime.

It should have been 3-0 moments later, but striker Edinson Cavani somehow shot wide when he had an open goal. PSG's all-time leading scorer then headed Di Maria's superb cross wide early in the second half.

Germany winger Julian Draxler started and finished a move, finding left back Juan Bernat with a pass and heading home Bernat's deflected cross in the 81st.

PSG's Angel Di Maria, left, and Amiens' Prince-Desir Gouanop challenge for the ball during the French League One soccer match between Paris-Saint-Germain and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

One minute later, France World Cup star Kylian Mbappe collected a quick pass from Moussa Diaby and curled a shot through the legs of a defender into the bottom corner for his ninth league goal. Diaby showed quick feet to dribble past three defenders and slot home the fifth.

In late matches, France great Thierry Henry made his coaching debut as 18th-place Monaco traveled to play Strasbourg.

Marseille, Montpellier, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux play on Sunday and all have a chance to overtake Lyon in third place.

PSG's Marquinhos celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris-Saint-Germain and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

Marseille travels to play Nice; Saint-Etienne faces Rennes, and Montpellier hosts Bordeaux.

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PSG's Kylian Mbappe controls the ball during the French League One soccer match between Paris-Saint-Germain and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

PSG's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris-Saint-Germain and Amiens at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)

SYDNEY (AP) — Belinda Bencic won her eighth match of the week and combined with Jakub Paul in the deciding mixed doubles to defeat Belgium's Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 Saturday to qualify Switzerland for the United Cup final.

Bencic has won all four of her singles matches and four in mixed doubles this week in the team event. Paul, who won just six tour-level doubles matches last year, hit several down-the-line winners at crucial moments to lead Switzerland into Sunday's final against either the defending champion United States or Poland, who played their semifinal later Saturday.

“He’s so brave it’s unbelievable,” Bencic said of Paul. “I tell him to go (for it) and he actually goes. It’s crazy."

Earlier, Bencic extended her undefeated season-opening singles streak when she beat Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to put Switzerland ahead 1-0. But Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of this season, was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 by Bergs to send the match to a mixed doubles decider at Ken Rosewall Arena.

The turning point in the Wawrinka-Bergs match came in the eighth game of the third set when Bergs broke Wawrinka’s serve to go up 5-3, then held serve to win the match.

Tournament organizers started play 30 minutes earlier than scheduled with searing temperatures of up to 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in the forecast for Sydney.

Bencic had won all six sets in her first three matches at the United Cup. She was two games away from another two-set win before Mertens pushed the match the distance.

Then Mertens came from 3-1 down in the third set, saved a pair of break points that would have given Bencic a 4-1 lead, and was two points away from the set win with Bencic serving at 30-30, down 6-5.

But Bencic won the last nine points of the match following a decision to change her racket to a freshly-strung one, taking the match in 2 hours, 37 minutes.

“It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders — I was so stressed; I really wanted to do well, and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down,” Bencic said.

On the racket change, she said: “My brain turned off and let my instincts take over. I think it was just a feeling."

Later Saturday in the other semifinal, No. 2-ranked Iga Świątek of Poland was scheduled to face No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States and Hubert Hurkacz played American Taylor Fritz. A mixed doubles match would be played if the teams were level after the singles.

In the Poland-Australia quarterfinal on Friday, it took a mixed doubles decider to separate the teams.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Belinda Bencic, left, and Jakub Paul of Switzerland celebrate winning a point against Alise Mertens and Zizou Bergs of Belgium during their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Zizou Bergs of Belgium hits a backhand to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Zizou Bergs of Belgium, right, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland shake hands after Bergs won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic, second right, and Jakub Paul, right, of Switzerland shake hands with Alise Mertens, left, and Zizou Bergs of Belgium after Switzerland won their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Alise Mertens of Belgium looks up after a rally against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, left and Alise Mertens of Belgium meet at the net after Bencic won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland celebrates her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, second left, celebrates with teammates after her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)