Connect with us

Latest News

Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne final

Published

on

Jannik Sinner is the youngest player to win the Australian Open men's title since Novak Djokovic in 2008 (BBC)

Jannik Sinner landed the Grand Slam title he has long promised with an extraordinary fightback to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

Italy’s Sinner, 22, trailed by two sets before recovering to win 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in his first major final.

Fourth seed Sinner initially could not cope with the Russian’s pace but imposed himself as the contest wore on.

It was another bitter experience for Medvedev, who also blew a two-set lead against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 final.

A first-time champion in Melbourne was guaranteed after Sinner knocked out 10-time winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.  Sinner ensured his name goes on the trophy – fulfilling the talent that many had predicted would lead to a Grand Slam triumph – after an epic match lasting almost four hours.

“It feels great. I just have to process it, I guess, how it feels the first time,” Sinner told Australia’s Channel Nine.  “It has been a hell of a journey even if I’m still only 22.”

Third seed Medvedev, 27, has lost five of his six major finals, including ones against Djokovic in 2021 and Nadal in 2022 at Melbourne Park.

Sinner clinched victory with a forehand winner down the line, falling to his back on the baseline in celebration.

Medvedev trudged around the net to offer his congratulations before Sinner thumped his heart on his way to celebrate with his team.

Looking disconsolate as he tried to process the loss while sitting on his chair, Medvedev managed to give a thumbs-up to the crowd when they applauded his efforts.  “It hurts to lose in the final but probably being in the final is better than losing before,” said Medvedev, who set a record for the most time spent on court at a Grand Slam tournament with 24 hours and 17 minutes.  “I always want to win and I guess I have to try harder next time.”

Jannik Sinner clenches his fist at the 2024 Australian OpenSinner won the first Australian Open men’s final since 2005 which did not feature Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic (BBC)

Sinner was brought to the forefront of conversation when discussing Grand Slam champions in 2024 following a stunning end to last season.

A ceiling-breaking ATP 1000 title in Toronto, significant wins over the very best players and inspiring Italy to Davis Cup victory all increased the belief he would go on to greater things this season.  Sinner has managed to do exactly that in the first major tournament of the year.

Throughout this fortnight Sinner has shown an added confidence that this could be his time and did not drop a set until facing Djokovic. By taking out Djokovic, the Italian answered the question which had long been posed: why could the younger generation not topple the Serb in Melbourne?

Once he managed that, Sinner’s next challenge was backing up a memorable victory with another against Medvedev.

Sinner had insisted he knew the job was not finished by beating Djokovic. He demonstrated his mental fortitude by refusing to accept he was beaten – even in such a perilous position – and continued to trust in his powerful groundstrokes.

With Medvedev’s stamina fading, Sinner picked up the pace and accuracy of his returns, cracking 28 winners in the final two sets.

“The match was going so fast in the first two sets,” said Sinner, who was backed by a large Italian contingent on Rod Laver Arena.  “I had zero chance to play at this level but I was looking for just the small chances. I managed to break him and then win one set at a time, one game at a time.”

Daniil Medvedev reacts in Australian Open final

Medvedev is the first player to lose two Grand Slam finals after winning the opening two sets (BBC)

So many players with the experience of a Grand Slam final have talked about how different the occasion can be, particularly if it is the first time, and potentially overwhelming.

Medvedev, whose sole major triumph came at the 2021 US Open, hoped his greater experience in these situations would tell against Sinner.

While Sinner did not appear to be hampered by nerves, Medvedev simply suffocated him with an attacking approach in the opening two sets which proved to be a smart strategy.  Ultimately, the change in his fortunes boiled down to endurance – and perhaps some mental scars from the defeat by Nadal on the same stage.

Medvedev had spent almost six hours more on court over the Melbourne fortnight than his younger opponent.

Three times he had to outlast his opponents in five-set matches and twice fought back from two sets down, including a remarkable semi-final against German sixth seed Alexander Zverev.

Before the final, Medvedev spoke about Sinner having the physical advantage and knew he would have to make a fast start to maximise his chances.

However, he was unable to maintain the ferocity and depth of his groundstrokes, looking increasingly weary as Sinner fought back.  “I got a little tired physically. But I was trying to be proud of myself and I am,” said Medvedev.  “I was fighting, I was running. I thought ‘if tomorrow I don’t feel my legs it doesn’t matter, I’m going to try everything I can until the last point’ and I did it.

Another five-setter on Sunday meant Medvedev surpassed the previous record for time spent on court at a single Grand Slam tournament, which had been the 23 hours and 39 minutes Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz spent on his way to his 2022 US Open title.

After losing to Nadal, Medvedev started his post-match news conference with a sombre monologue where he said he had “stopped dreaming”.

This time, he struck a more upbeat tone and even managed to joke about his time on court.  “At least I got a record in something. I’m in the history books,” he said.

(BBC Sports)



Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

‘Bloody policies’: MSF recovers 11 bodies from Mediterranean off Libya

Published

on

By

[File pic] More than 20,000 deaths and disappearances have been registered in the central Mediterranean since 2014 [Aljazeera]

The aid group Doctors Without Borders has reported recovering 11 bodies and rescuing dozens of people off the coast of Libya as it criticised the migration policies of the North African country and European countries.

In a statement on Friday, the group, known by its French initials MSF, said its Geo Barents rescue vessel managed to recover the bodies following a search operation lasting more than nine hours after being alerted by German nongovernmental organisation Sea-Watch, which also rescues refugees and migrants.

“As we cannot determine the reason behind this tragedy, we know that people will continue to take dangerous routes in a desperate attempt to reach safety, and Europe must find safe and legal pathways for them,” MSF said in a post on X. “This catastrophe must end!”

Sea-Watch said it is unclear whether the bodies were victims of a previously unknown shipwreck, adding that they tried to contact Libya’s coastguard to go and retrieve the dead, but received no reply.

“The so-called Libyan coastguard – financed by the EU – ignored our call demanding that the bodies be recovered,” the group said.

Thousands of people trying to head from Africa to Europe use Libya as a departing point, with the Italian island of Lampedusa the nearest European destination as they undertake the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to escape war, poverty and persecution.

Italy, which wants to put a stop to the migration stream, has said Libya and neighbouring Tunisia must do more to stop people from going to sea.  It has also clamped down on the operation of the rescue ships, arguing that they encourage people to head to Europe, a charge that is denied by the charities.

Emphasising its policy on the rescue ships, Italy said on Friday that it forced the MSF rescue vessel to take the 165 people that it had saved from boats in the Mediterranean operation to the northern port of Genoa.  The port was more than 650 nautical miles (1,200km) from their position and much farther than the more convenient ports in nearby Sicily, significantly delaying assistance to the rescued.

The route in the central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migrant crossing in the world, with the United Nations registering more than 20,000 deaths and disappearances in the area since 2014.

More than 3,000 refugees and migrants went missing in 2023 while attempting to use the route, according to the International Organization for Migration.

According to Italy’s interior ministry, the number of arrivals in the country has dropped in 2024 to fewer than 21,800 people since the beginning of the year, compared with close to 53,300 in the same period last year.

[Aljazeera]

 

Continue Reading

Latest News

Mustafizur, Rishad, Hridoy dazzle in Bangladesh’s tight two-wicket win over Sri Lanka

Published

on

By

Mahmudullah's unbeaten 16 proved crucial as Bangladesh lost late wickets [ICC]

Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.

However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.

But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.

Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11,  Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman  3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets

[Cricinfo]

Continue Reading

Latest News

Rashid, Farooqi and Gurbaz the stars as Afghanistan crush New Zealand

Published

on

By

Fazalhaq Farooqi ended with 4 for 17 [Cricinfo]

Afghanistan boosted their Super Eight chances with yet another dominating win, this time thumping New Zealand by 84 runs in Providence. Having beaten Uganda by 125 runs in their opening match, they are now at the top of Group C with a net run rate of 5.225.

After being sent in, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave Afghanistan a start of 103 in 14.3 overs. It came off the back of the 154 the pair added against Uganda, thus making them the first opening pair to register two successive century stands in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Afghanistan’s was an innings of two halves. They scored 55 for no loss in the first ten overs and 104 for 6 in the last ten, with Gurbaz contributing 80 off 56 balls. New Zealand, who had decided not to play any warm-up games, looked every bit rusty as their fielders dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities.

With the pitch assisting both seamers and spinners, chasing 160 was not going to be easy. But few would have expected New Zealand to collapse in the manner they did.

Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up three wickets in the powerplay and Rashid Khan three just after it. Eventually, both ended with identical figures of 4 for 17 as New Zealand were bowled out for 75 in the 15.2 overs. Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry were the only New Zealand batters to reach the double digits.

Trent Boult found some swing in the opening over but Gurbaz and Ibrahim showed their intent by picking up three fours off Henry from the other end. Both batters had luck on their side, too. Gurbaz got a second life when he skipped down the track to Santner and missed the ball, which went on to brush the leg stump but the bails did not budge. In the following over, Finn Allen dropped Ibrahim off Henry at the deep-square-leg boundary.

That was not all. Gurbaz got another reprieve after being involved in a miscommunication with Ibrahim. Having taken off for a single, Gurbaz had to retrace his steps and would have been run out had Conway not fumbled the throw.

Two balls later, New Zealand finally seemed to have found success when Santner pinged Ibrahim’s pads and umpire Kumar Dharmasena ruled it lbw. But the batter got the decision overturned on review as the ball was heading down the leg side. Immediately after that, Ibrahim hit Santner for an inside-out four as Afghanistan ended the powerplay on 44 for no loss.

New Zealand went against the prevailing wisdom of not bowling an offspinner when two right-hand batters at the crease, and Michael Bracewell repaid that faith by conceding only six off his first two overs.

Lockie Ferguson was even more frugal, going for five in his first two. He could have had Ibrahim off a slower full toss but a leaping Kane Williamson failed to pull off a one-handed stunner at mid-off. That meant while Afghanistan remained unscathed, they had only 55 on the board after ten overs.

Afghanistan had not hit a single six in the first ten overs, but there were five in the next three, including three in one Bracewell over as Gurbaz and Bracewell stepped on the accelerator. The pair took the side past 100 in the 14th over. New Zealand finally broke through when Ibrahim bottom-edged a short ball from Henry onto his stumps, after having been hit on the grille on the previous delivery.

Promoted to No. 3, Azmatullah Omarzai played his part with 22 off 13, which included two sixes in three balls off Henry. Mohammad Nabi fell for a first-ball duck but Gurbaz kept finding the boundary at regular intervals. However, a three-wicket, three-run final over by Boult kept Afghanistan to 159.

Farooqi gave Afghanistan a dream start with the ball. With the very first delivery of the innings, he uprooted Finn Allen’s leg stump as the ball moved in late. In the seamer’s next over, Conway pushed at one that seemed to come slower off the surface and was caught at extra cover.

The decision to give Farooqi a third over in the powerplay brought further rewards. This time, bowling around the wicket to Daryl Mitchell, he got a length delivery to just straighten and take the outside edge. Gurbaz took a regulation catch to complete the dismissal and leave New Zealand 28 for 3.

It could have been worse for New Zealand. In between, Naveen-ul-Haq had rapped Kane Williamson’s front pad after the batter had moved across to play a delivery. Afghanistan sent it upstairs for an lbw review but the umpire’s call saved the New Zealand captain.

Afghanistan did not have to wait too long for Williamson’s wicket. Rashid brought himself on after the powerplay and struck straightaway as Williamson guided one to first slip. But Rashid was just warming up. In his next over, he dismissed Mark Chapman and Bracewell off successive deliveries to leave New Zealand on 43 for 6. Chapman went for a pull and got bowled; Bracewell was late to bring his bat down and was lbw.

Phillips was New Zealand’s last hope. He did hit a couple of boundaries but was soon caught at long-on when he tried to take on Nabi. That ended any hopes of revival New Zealand might have had.

Brief scores:
Afghanistan 159 for 6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 80, Ibrahim Zadran 44, Azmatullah Omarzai 22; Trent Boult 2-22, Matt Henry 2-37, Lockie Fergusoan 1-28) beat  New Zealand 75 in 15.2 overs (Glenn Phillips 18;  Rashid Khan  4 for 17, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 17, Mohammad Nabi 2-16) by 84 runs

[Cricinfo]

Continue Reading

Trending