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Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are meeting to decide the Wimbledon championship just five weeks after they played each other in an epic French Open final. (REUTERS)

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Updated 13 July 2025

July 13, 2025 07:00

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are meeting to decide the Wimbledon championship just five weeks after they played each other in an epic French Open final
Alcaraz won in five sets spread over 5 hours, 29 minutes in Paris, coming back from a two-set deficit and saving three match points along the way

Updated 13 July 2025

July 13, 2025 07:00

LONDON: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are meeting to decide the Wimbledon championship just five weeks after they played each other in an epic French Open final.

Sunday’s matchup at Center Court between the No. 1-ranked Sinner and No. 2 Alcaraz marks the first time the same two men faced off in the title matches on the clay at Roland-Garros and the grass at the All England Club in the same year since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did it in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, defeated Sinner, a 22-year-old from Italy, in five sets spread over 5 hours, 29 minutes in Paris on June 8, coming back from a two-set deficit and saving three match points along the way.

That made Alcaraz 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, including victories in 2023 and 2024 at Wimbledon.

He also carries a career-best 24-match winning streak into Sunday and has beaten Sinner five times in a row.

Sinner owns three major trophies and will be playing in his fourth consecutive Slam final — but first at the All England Club.

He won the US Open last September and the Australian Open this January.

Sinner has been wearing tape and an arm sleeve to protect his right elbow since falling in the opening game of his fourth-round win on Monday. After eliminating 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, Sinner said he doesn’t think his elbow will be an issue on Sunday.

Play is scheduled to begin Sunday at 4 p.m. local time, which is 11 a.m. ET.

Sinner was listed Saturday as the slight money-line favorite at -110 by BetMGM Sportsbook, with Alcaraz at -105.

Topics: tennis Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz

Thunder roll over Pelicans to remain NBA’s lone unbeaten team

Updated 03 November 2025

AFP

November 03, 2025 08:36

Thunder roll over Pelicans to remain NBA’s lone unbeaten team

The defending champion Thunder matched the 7-0 start of their 2024-25 campaign
Spurs, who were off to a 5-0 start for the first time in franchise history, fell 130-118 to the Suns in Phoenix

Updated 03 November 2025

AFP

November 03, 2025 08:36

LOS ANGELES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder thumped New Orleans 137-106 and emerged from Sunday as the NBA’s only remaining unbeaten team after losses for San Antonio and Chicago.

The defending champion Thunder matched the 7-0 start of their 2024-25 campaign.

But the Spurs, who were off to a 5-0 start for the first time in franchise history, fell 130-118 to the Suns in Phoenix, where the hosts held San Antonio’s French star Victor Wembanyama to a dismal nine points.

The New York Knicks handed the Bulls their first defeat of the season 128-116 at Madison Square Garden.

Oklahoma City dominated the winless Pelicans despite three key absences.

Guard Luguentz Dort was sidelined by illness, forward Chet Holmgren missed a third straight game with a lower back injury and All-Star Jalen Williams has yet to make his season debut after off-season wrist surgery.

The Thunder connected on 56 percent of their shots, including 20-of-48 from three-point range, keeping their offense popping with 33 assists.

Aaron Wiggins added 15 points while Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe added 13 each for Oklahoma City, who had eight players score in double figures.

While coach Mark Daigneault was pleased to see the shots falling, he said the dominant performance was a reward for the Thunder’s persistence in an early season stretch that hasn’t been as easy as their record makes it look.

“I thought the team showed a great maturity because we weren’t making a ton of shots early in the season but we just continued to improve the things that generate good shots,” he said.

“To me, it was more about the persistence that we’ve shown through a rough shooting stretch more so than how we played tonight in a vacuum.”

San Antonio were riding high in the first month of the season thanks to the dominance of Wembanyama. The 21-year-old phenomenon went into Sunday’s game averaging more than 30 points and almost 15 rebounds per game since returning this season after treatment for a blood clot that brought his last season to a premature close in February.

But he endured a frustrating night in the face of suffocating Suns defense, going without a basket until nearly the final minute of the first half.

Wembanyama added nine rebounds, two assists, a steal, four blocked shots and six of the Spurs’ 14 turnovers and didn’t get to the free throw line once.

Team defense

“Just playing team defense,” Suns forward Ryan Dunn said of the defensive effort on Wembanyama. “He’s a one of a kind player (we) made it tough on him, gave him different looks.”

Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 26 points but the Suns, led by 28 points and 13 assists from Devin Booker, took control with a 31-point first quarter and didn’t trail after the opening minutes.

San Antonio trailed by as many as 31 in the third quarter and were down 24 going into the fourth.

The Spurs showed signs of life with a 12-0 scoring run early in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 14 on a three-pointer by Wembanyama with 6:24 remaining, but the Suns pulled away again.

In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, OG Anunoby added 21 and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 20 points and 15 rebounds as the Knicks avenged a lopsided Friday loss to the Bulls.

Aussie guard Josh Giddey delivered a triple-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for Chicago, which had opened the season 5-0 for the first time since a 12-0 start in 1996 — when they went on to capture the fifth of six titles with Michael Jordan on board.

Topics: basketball NBA Oklahoma City Thunder new orleans pelicans

Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Updated 03 November 2025

Reuters

November 03, 2025 04:41

Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Updated 03 November 2025

Reuters

November 03, 2025 04:41

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will play an exhibition match in South Korea in January, organizers said on Monday, as the top two men’s players in the world ramp up their preparations for the Australian Open.

The pair, who have won nine of the last 10 major titles, will play in the Hyundai Card Super Match at Incheon’s Inspire Arena on January 10, eight days before the year’s first Grand Slam begins at Melbourne Park.

The exhibition has previously featured some of the biggest names in men’s tennis including Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Pete Sampras, as well as women’s greats Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams.

Organizers have yet to release information on the prize money on offer for the one-off match.

Sinner and Alcaraz met in three of the four Grand Slam finals this season and faced each other in the title decider at last month’s Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament in Riyadh.

Sinner prevailed in that contest to secure a reported $6 million in prize money.

The Italian also lifted his first Paris Masters title on Sunday to reclaim the world number one ranking from Spaniard Alcaraz, who lost early in the tournament.

Alcaraz had taken top spot after beating Sinner in the US Open final in September to improve his career head-to-head record against his rival to 10-5 in official matches.

The pair also met in an epic French Open final in June when Alcaraz prevailed in five sets, before Sinner gained revenge in the Wimbledon title clash a month later.

Topics: Australian Open Sinner Alcaraz

Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second

$Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second$

Updated 03 November 2025

November 03, 2025 07:14

Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second

$Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second$

Obiri pulled away from her countrymate Sharon Lokedi in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily by 16 seconds to best the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003
Kipruto, who was running the New York race for the first time, finished in 2:08.40. That finish topped the 2005 race that was decided by a second
Albert Korir, who won in 2021, was third, giving Kenya a sweep of the top three spots in both the men’s and women’s races

Updated 03 November 2025

November 03, 2025 07:14

NEW YORK: The New York City Marathon made history on Sunday with a course record set in the women’s competition and the closest race ever on the men’s side, which was decided by a fraction of a second.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya broke the women’s record while compatriot Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by edging Alexander Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second.

Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, finished in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds. She was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until Obiri pulled away from her countrymate in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily by 16 seconds to best the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.

“It feels so great. ... I am so happy to run the course record,” Obiri said. “With 1K to go I felt like I was so strong. I have something left in my tank.”

Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best on a beautiful day for running, with temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit when the race started.

Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the chase pack in the men’s race heading into Mile 24. Kipruto seemed to have put the race away, pulling away from Mutiso in the last 200 meters. But Mutiso, who also is from Kenya, wasn’t done, surging in the last 50 meters before falling just short. Kipruto, who was running the New York race for the first time, finished in 2:08.40. That finish topped the 2005 race that was decided by a second.

“I was aware that Mutiso was behind,” said Kipruto, who also has won the Boston, Chicago and Tokyo marathons. “It was so close and I knew because I know Mutiso is a strong guy.”

Albert Korir, who won in 2021, was third, giving Kenya a sweep of the top three spots in both the men’s and women’s races. Joel Reichow was the top American, coming in sixth.

Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 next week, wrapped up a historic run as one of the most accomplished marathoners in the sport. Kipchoge, who has won 11 major world marathons, finished 17th in his first time running NYC.

On the women’s side, the trio of former champions separated themselves heading into the Bronx at Mile 20. American Fiona O’Keeffe and Dutch runner Sifan Hassan had made it a pack of five once the group entered Manhattan a few miles earlier but couldn’t hang on for the final 6 miles.

This was the first time that the previous three women’s winners had been in the same race since 2018. The trio didn’t disappoint, putting forth stellar efforts. It was the second straight year that Kenyans took the top three spots.

O’Keeffe finished fourth, breaking the American course record as she finished in 2:22.49.

“Really exciting. I can’t take too much credit for the time, that was all on the women ahead of me,” O’Keeffe said. “Grateful to be back in the marathon. Feels like coming home.”

Fellow American Annie Frisbie finished fifth as four of the top nine finishers were from the US. Hassan, who won the Sydney Marathon two months ago, was sixth.

Chelsea Clinton was also one of the finishers, completing the course in just under 3:45. She was greeted at the finish line by her parents — former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The 26.2-mile course took runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Manhattan’s Central Park. This is the 49th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park. The first race had only 55 finishers while a record 55,642 people finished last year, the largest in the history of the sport until the London Marathon broke it earlier this year.

Wheelchair success

Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni both won the wheelchair races in dominant fashion. Hug, known as the Silver Bullet, has now won this marathon seven times. He finished 3:52 ahead of second-place finisher David Weir. Scaroni defended her title and was victorious for the third time in four years. She crossed the finish line 5:43 ahead of second-place finisher Tatyana McFadden, who has won the race five times.

Topics: NYC marathon

Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

Updated 02 November 2025

November 02, 2025 23:14

Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

Barcelona is five points behind league leader Madrid

Updated 02 November 2025

November 02, 2025 23:14

MADRID: Lamine Yamal scored early as Barcelona rebounded from its clasico defeat by beating Elche 3-1 at home to regain second place in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford also scored for Barcelona, a week after it lost 2-1 at Real Madrid in the first clasico of the season.

Barcelona is five points behind league leader Madrid, which routed Valencia 4-0 at home on Saturday. Barcelona entered the match in third place, one point behind Villarreal, which defeated Rayo Vallecano 4-0 on Saturday.

Yamal, criticized by some after a lackluster performance against Madrid, put the hosts ahead with a shot from inside the area in the ninth minute after Alejandro Balde’s assist. Torres added to the lead three minutes later after a pass by Fermín López.

Elche hit back with a goal by Rafa Mir in a 42nd-minute breakaway, but Rashford added to Barcelona’s lead with a left-footed shot from a difficult angle in the 61st for his sixth goal of the season at his new club.

Rashford had a 52nd-minute goal disallowed for offside in the buildup, and Mir nearly equalized for the visitors in the 55th with a curling shot that brushed the crossbar with Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten. Mir also struck the woodwork with his team down 3-1 in the 68th after a neat save by Szczesny.

Elche, sitting in ninth place, is winless in four consecutive league matches, with three losses.

Barcelona, which had lost three of its previous five matches in all competitions, is still playing at Montjuic stadium while waiting for the proper permits to reopen the renovated Camp Nou.

The loss to Madrid halted a four-game winning streak against its rival.

Playmaker Dani Olmo and striker Robert Lewandowski made their returns from injury for Barcelona, entering the match as second-half substitutes. They hadn’t played for the club since early October.

Other results

Eighth-placed Alaves scored first-half goals to beat Espanyol 2-1 at home and end a two-match winless run. Lucas Boyé, who scored one of the goals, was sent off with a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time. Fifth-placed Espanyol was coming off three straight wins across all tournaments.

Celta Vigo won its fourth match in a row in all competitions by beating 10-man Levante 2-1 on the road thanks to Miguel Romána’s stoppage-time goal. Óscar Mingueza had put the visitors ahead in the 40th and Kevin Arriaga equalized for Levante in the 66th.

Celta moved to 12th place.

Levante — winless in three league matches and coming off elimination in the Copa del Rey — was 17th, just outside the relegation zone.

Topics: football

Erling Haaland double powers Man City to win after Donnarumma mistake, West Ham sink Newcastle

Updated 02 November 2025

November 02, 2025 19:28

Erling Haaland double powers Man City to win after Donnarumma mistake, West Ham sink Newcastle

Bournemouth had equalized after Donnarumma attempted to punch clear an inswinging corner
West Ham’s fans had been waiting eight months for a home win in the Premier League

Updated 02 November 2025

November 02, 2025 19:28

LONDON: Erling Haaland’s latest double covered over a bad mistake from Gianluigi Donnarumma in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth that lifted the team into second place in the Premier League on Sunday.

Haaland moved onto 13 goals for the campaign — more than twice any other player — by running clear from passes by the impressive Rayan Cherki to finish one-on-one chances in the 17th and 33rd minutes. Haaland pulled out a robot celebration after the first goal.

Between those goals, Bournemouth equalized after Donnarumma attempted to punch clear an inswinging corner, only to misjudge it and pat the ball down in front of him. US midfielder Tyler Adams swept home the loose ball and Donnarumma was booked for complaining too stridently that he had been fouled.

That mistake will only be a footnote in the latest Haaland show, with the Norway striker making it 26 goals in 16 games for club and country this season. He has scored two goals in each of his last four home appearances in the Premier League.

“I try to help the team to win, that’s my goal,” Haaland said. “By scoring or helping by winning duels, doesn’t matter, as long as we win.”

Locally born left back Nico O’Reilly drove home the third goal in the 60th minute for City, which replaced Bournemouth in second to become the nearest challenger to Arsenal.

Arsenal, seeking a first league title since 2004, beat Burnley 2-0 on Saturday and now holds a six-point lead after 10 games.

Guardiola defends Donnarumma

While Donnarumma has impressed with his shot-stopping since joining from Paris Saint-Germain, a weakness in the Italy international’s game might be his punching from crosses.

In September, Donnarumma punched the ball into his own net when playing for Italy against Israel but that goal was ruled out after it was deemed an opposition player was fouling him.

On Sunday, Bournemouth captain David Brooks initially had a hold of Donnarumma’s left arm but let go before the goalkeeper attempted his punch.

City manager Pep Guardiola said it was “unbelievable” that the goal was allowed to stand.

“There are sometimes things that are difficult to understand why it was not disallowed,” he said.

Long wait over

West Ham’s fans had been waiting eight months for a home win in the Premier League.

They finally got it after their embattled team rallied to beat Newcastle 3-1 for just a second victory this season.

Jacob Murphy’s fourth-minute opener for Newcastle, which came seconds after Jarrod Bowen struck the post at the other end, failed to spark what proved to be a sluggish performance by the visitors.

Instead, West Ham grew more into the game and after Lucas Paqueta equalized in the 35th minute with a long-range shot that crept inside the near post, Newcastle defender Sven Botman stretched to block a cross but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net in first-half stoppage time.

Substitute Tomas Soucek added a third for West Ham in second-half stoppage time.

West Ham’s last home win was against Leicester on Feb. 27.

The team stayed in the relegation zone but climbed above Nottingham Forest into third-to-last place. Forest was the only team West Ham had previously beaten this season.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo had collected just one point from his first four games in charge after replacing Graham Potter.

Topics: football soccer England Premier league Manchester city Erling Haaland

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Thunder roll over Pelicans to remain NBA’s lone unbeaten team

Thunder roll over Pelicans to remain NBA’s lone unbeaten team

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29 points and Thunder beat Pacers 103-91 for NBA title

Thunder rally to beat Pacers, level NBA Finals at 2-2

Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

Sabalenka, Pegula start strong as Gauff falters in WTA Finals opener in Riyadh

Sikhism founder’s 556th birth anniversary celebrations begin in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib

Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second

Obiri sets women’s NYC Marathon course record, Kipruto wins men’s race by a fraction of a second

Saudi king, crown prince congratulate Cameroon’s president on re-election

Sikhism founder’s 556th birth anniversary celebrations begin in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib

Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

Mbappé and Bellingham score in tense clasico as Madrid wins 2-1 to end losing run against Barcelona

La Liga plan to hold Villarreal v Barcelona match in Miami off

Erling Haaland double powers Man City to win after Donnarumma mistake, West Ham sink Newcastle

Erling Haaland double powers Man City to win after Donnarumma mistake, West Ham sink Newcastle

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West Ham appoint Espirito Santo as manager after sacking Potter

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Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in a rematch of their epic French Open final

Thunder roll over Pelicans to remain NBA’s lone unbeaten team

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Sinner, Alcaraz set for South Korea exhibition ahead of Australian Open

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Yamal and Rashford score as Barcelona rebounds from clasico loss

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