Djokovic cruises into Geneva Open semifinals

Djokovic cruises into Geneva Open semifinals
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor during their ATP 250 Geneva Open tennis tournament single quarter final match, in Geneva on May 23, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 24 May 2024
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Djokovic cruises into Geneva Open semifinals

Djokovic cruises into Geneva Open semifinals
  • Djokovic saw off a first set challenge from Tallon Griekspoor to win 7-5, 6-1 in 77 minutes at the Parc des Eaux-Vives
  • Djokovic will face Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in Friday’s semifinals

GENEVA: Novak Djokovic on Thursday booked his spot in the Geneva Open tennis tournament semifinals, putting the world No. 1 within two matches of his first trophy of 2024, days before his French Open title defense begins.

Djokovic saw off a first set challenge from Tallon Griekspoor to win 7-5, 6-1 in 77 minutes at the Parc des Eaux-Vives.

Griekspoor, the world No. 27, was the sixth seed at the 28-man Geneva tournament, which serves as a warm-up before next week’s second Grand Slam of the season in Paris.

The Dutchman had three set points against Djokovic in the first set.

“It was a great win. I thought the first set could have gone his way easily because I think he was a better player for most of the first set,” Djokovic said afterwards.

“We could have been having a completely different direction of the match if he converted those set points.

“I was lucky to find some really good serves, and from that moment onwards I really, really played some good, solid tennis.”

It was a bridge too far for Griekspoor, who earlier Thursday finished off his second-round match with Denis Shapovalov, beating the Canadian 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

The match had been called off for the night in the second set on Wednesday due to rain.

Djokovic, who turned 37 on Wednesday, took a wild card to play in Geneva in a bid to rescue an alarming dip in form ahead of Roland-Garros next week.

Djokovic will face Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in Friday’s semifinals.

The pair have only met once before, with Djokovic winning their contest in Dubai last year.

Machac, the world No. 44, will be appearing in his first semifinal on the ATP tour.

He saw off 19-year-old Alex Michelsen of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in their quarter-final on the Geneva clay.

Friday’s second semifinal will see Norwegian second seed Casper Ruud face Italy’s in-form Flavio Cobolli.

Ruud, the world number seven, was the runner-up in the last two French Open finals, including a defeat to Djokovic last year.

Ruud, at home on the Geneva clay having won the title in 2021 and 2022, beat Argentinian fifth seed Sebastian Baez in a roller-coaster match, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a two-hour quarterfinal on Thursday.

“It was a tough match against Sebastian. He’s a great player, a great fighter and it was always going to be difficult against him,” Ruud said.

“It was a very close match in the end, back and forth, back and forth. But I’m very happy to be through, back in the semifinals here in Geneva, it’s a great feeling.”

Italian Cobolli, on a career-high ranking of 56, saw off Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 6-4 in the last eight, having knocked out US fourth seed Ben Shelton in the second round.


AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
Updated 4 sec ago
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AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid each win to near automatic qualifying spots in Champions League
Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack
Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout

ROME: AC Milan followed up their win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another.
Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men.
Milan moved up to 10th place in the new single-league format and within sight of the automatic qualifying spots. Bratislava have lost all five of their matches.
Milan won 3-1 at Madrid in their previous match.
Alvaraz and Griezmann lead Atletico to 6-0 rout
Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvaraz scored twice, and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 to move up to ninth.
Alvaraz scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvaraz finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself.
Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico.
Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended their winning streak across all competitions to six matches.
Sparta remained in the elimination places with four points.
The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated.

Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale
Updated 26 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale

Saudi Arabia overcome Thailand hurdle to set up thrilling qualification finale
  • Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes
  • Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin

Saudi Arabia registered their third win in a row in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier as they beat Thailand by five wickets in Qatar on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia chased a target of 134 runs in 18.4 overs to end Thailand’s qualification hopes. The Kingdom had a rough start to the tournament with consecutive losses in the first two matches. With this win, Saudi Arabia now have a chance to finish in the top two and qualify for the regional finals.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia invited Thailand to bat first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Thailand was restricted to 133-7 in 20 overs after exceptional bowling from the player of the match, Zain Ul Abidin.

The left-arm spinner gave away just 19 runs in his four-over spell with the wickets of Nitish Salekar and Udsak Saranonnakkun, both in the sixth over of the innings. His double wicket meant Thailand slumped to 46-3 in the powerplay.

Opener Akshyakumar Yadav fought a lone battle at the top of the batting order, scoring 60 runs. He hit seven fours and a six in his 51-ball innings. He received little support from skipper Austin Lazarus toward the end. Lazarus hit five fours and a six in his 25-ball 35.

Ul Abidin was supported by two wickets from Abdul Wahid and one each from Ishtiaq Ahmad and Waji Ul Hassan.

In reply, Saudi Arabia lost Wahid in the second over after he was caught behind for just six runs. A centurion in the previous match, Faisal Khan continued his hitting prowess with five fours and a six in his 34-run innings. Siddharth Sankar kept the runs flowing with a run-a-ball 37, which included three boundaries.

Saudi Arabia lost wickets at regular intervals, but Manan Ali and Ul Abidin saw them home. Both were unbeaten on identical 13 runs off 10 balls each. Nopphon Senamontree and Sarawit Maliwan took two wickets each while Salekar grabbed a wicket for Thailand.

The other match on the day saw Qatar concede a 29-run defeat against UAE, which means the Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar match could be a winner-takes-all match on the final day. The UAE, on the other hand, have booked their place in the regional finals with five wins out of five. They have an unassailable 10-point lead at the top and will face Bahrain on the final day.

Bahrain themselves are on six points and will need to beat the UAE to have any chance of qualification. The final round of fixtures will be played on Thursday with qualification hopefuls Qatar and Saudi Arabia facing each other. Qatar has eight points and Saudi Arabia has six, meaning a UAE win and their win in the final match will be enough as Saudi Arabia already has a superior run rate to Qatar.

Opener Khan was ecstatic with the result and was focused on the next match. “We got the result today and we are happy. Now our focus is on the next match. Like today, the match against Qatar is a final for us and inshallah, we will qualify for the next round,” he said.

The top two teams from this tournament will join the final round of regional qualifiers. Malaysia and Kuwait have already booked their spot from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing the East Asia-Pacific region. Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea will also compete in the regional finals as they have qualified for the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup held in the US and West Indies. The regional qualifier will be played in Malaysia in August 2025.


TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador

TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador
Updated 26 November 2024
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TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador

TATA IPL mega auction is a significant milestone, says Indian ambassador
  • Saudi government, SACF and people of Jeddah deserve much praise for their warm hospitality and support, says envoy
  • Event is a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah — SACF

RIYADH: The Indian Premier League mega auction held at Jeddah’s Abadi Al-Johar Arena highlights the enduring friendship between India and Saudi Arabia, the Indian ambassador has said.

Suhel Ajaz Khan hailed the event, from Nov. 24-25, as a significant milestone in the growing influence of cricket across the region.

“Cricket, as we all know, is more than just a sport,” he told Arab News. “It is a powerful connector, bringing people together across borders, cultures and languages. Today, the IPL has become a global spectacle — a platform where talent, ambition and passion for the game converge. But beyond the game itself, it is events like these that reflect the deepening relationship between India and Saudi Arabia, two nations whose partnership continues to strengthen on every front, from economic cooperation to cultural exchange.”

The envoy praised the Kingdom, Cricket Saudi and Jeddahwis for their tremendous support.

“The Saudi government and the people of Jeddah deserve a lot of praise and applause for their warm hospitality and support in hosting this remarkable event,” he said. “A lot of credit is also due to the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, who made this event possible.

“It was also heartening to see how the Saudi community, with its growing enthusiasm for cricket, had wholeheartedly embraced this event.”

The SACF described the TATA IPL mega auction as “a historic sporting achievement in Jeddah.”

“Over the past two days Jeddah has witnessed an unprecedented sporting event by hosting the IPL mega auction at Abadi Al Johar Arena, as part of the Jeddah Calendar, becoming the first international cricket event to be held in the Kingdom,” it said in a statement.

The auction was attended by officials and sports fans. A total of 1,574 players went under the hammer, with 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas players competing for a place in the world’s premier T20 league. Total spending amounted to around $76.7 million, said the SACF.

The mega auction concluded on Monday evening in the presence of Saudi Deputy Minister of Sport Bader bin Abdulrahman Al-Kadi, SACF Chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, and Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and chairman-elect of the International Cricket Council Jay Shah. Also present were international figures in the world of cricket, while a drone show lit up the Jeddah sky with slogans symbolizing the partnership between the Kingdom and India.


Ayub century helps Pakistan crush Zimbabwe, level series

Ayub century helps Pakistan crush Zimbabwe, level series
Updated 26 November 2024
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Ayub century helps Pakistan crush Zimbabwe, level series

Ayub century helps Pakistan crush Zimbabwe, level series
  • Ayub struck unbeaten 113 as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level one-day international series with one match to come
  • Zimbabwe were all out for 145 at Queens Sports Club as they sought a second victory over the tourists

ZIMBABWE: Saim Ayub struck an unbeaten 113 as Pakistan crushed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in Bulawayo on Tuesday to level a one-day international series with one match to come.

Zimbabwe were all out for 145 at Queens Sports Club as they sought a second victory over the tourists in three days having won by 80 runs in a rain-shortened tour opener.

Pakistan then atoned for a poor batting show on Sunday with Ayub and fellow opener Abdullah Shafique (32 not out) unstoppable as they reached their target in 18.2 overs.

Ayub struck 17 runs and three sixes off 62 balls in a 75-minute stand while Shafique claimed four fours in the southern city.

Ayub reached his century off 53 balls — the second fastest in an ODI international by a Pakistani after Shahid Afridi.

Zimbabwe, seeking a first ODI series win over Pakistan, utilized five bowlers, but none made an impression with Brandon Mavuta, who conceded 47 runs in four overs, particularly expensive.

After winning the toss, Zimbabwe were quickly in trouble with openers Joylord Gumbie (five) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (four) back in the pavilion with less than four overs bowled.

Only Dion Myers, who struck six fours in his 33, and veteran Sean Williams, who posted 31 before being trapped leg before by Ayub, impressed for the home team.

Pakistan-born all-rounder Sikandar Raza, often the batting savior for Zimbabwe, made just 17 before becoming one of three victims of Salman Ali Agha.

Abrar Ahmed took four wickets and Ali Agha three for Pakistan, who arrived in southern Africa after a 3-0 ODI series loss in Australia.

The Zimbabwe ODI series decider is set for Thursday, followed by three Twenty20 internationals from Sunday, also in Bulawayo. Pakistan then visit South Africa for an all-format tour.


Zimbabwe win toss and elect to bat in 2nd ODI against Pakistan

Zimbabwe win toss and elect to bat in 2nd ODI against Pakistan
Updated 26 November 2024
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Zimbabwe win toss and elect to bat in 2nd ODI against Pakistan

Zimbabwe win toss and elect to bat in 2nd ODI against Pakistan
  • Pakistan suffered 80-run humiliating loss to Zimbabwe in first ODI on Sunday 
  • Tayyab Tahir and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed debut for Pakistan in second ODI 

BULAWAYO: Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat in the second one-day international against Pakistan on Tuesday.
Pakistan made two changes after Zimbabwe recorded a stunning 80-run win on DLS method in the rain-affected first match to lead the three-game series 1-0 on Monday.
Middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed were awarded ODI debuts in place of Haseebullah Khan and fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain.
Haseebullah got dropped after making 0 in his debut ODI while Hasnain made way for Abrar with the wicket expecting to slow bowlers.
Zimbabwe didn’t tinker with its winning combination after Pakistan struggled against both pace and spin in the first game.
Pakistan have rested its frontline white-ball players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Babar Azam as they tested bench strength ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy.
Bulawayo will host the third and final ODI on Thursday and will also host both teams in the three-match T20 series.