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Roger Federer into Australian Open final
Rtv sports desk
26 Jan 2018, 00:00
Roger Federer made it through to a record seventh Australian Open final when South Korean Hyeon Chung retired in the second set of their semi-final.
The Swiss led 6-1, 5-2 when 21-year-old Chung was forced to call it quits, three games after being treated for a blister on his left foot.
Defending champion Federer, 36, goes on to face Croatian sixth seed Marin Cilic in Sunday's final.
The world number two is seeking a sixth Australian and 20th Grand Slam title.
Federer was on course to take a two-set lead after just 62 minutes when the second semi-final came to an abrupt halt.
Chung's management later said the problem had developed during the tournament, and they had tried to ease the pain with injections as it was much worse than a regular blister.
‘I thought the first set was normal,’ said Federer. ‘I couldn't tell what was going on with my opponent.’
‘In the second set I felt he was getting slower. He's had a problem with the blister. It hurts - a lot. At some point it's too much and you make things worse.’
‘Clearly I'm happy to be in the final - but not like this. He's had such a wonderful tournament,’ said Federer.
Chung had spent around 12 hours on court heading into the semi-final, including a grueling win over Novak Djokovic in round four, and the physical effort finally took its toll.
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Shakib returns for 2nd Test against Sri Lanka
Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has made a comeback to the longer version format after a gap of one year as Bangladesh announced the squad for the second and final Test against Sri Lanka, which gets underway in Chattogram on March 30.
Shakib has been out of the national team since the match against Sri Lanka in World Cup in India last year where he smashed 82 and took two wickets for a match winning performance but he fractured his left index finger, which ruled him out of the side's last match against Australia in the showcase event.
Shakib's eye problem also emerged in the World Cup event and he was forced to miss Bangladesh series against New Zealand at home and away.
He was then left out of the T20 and ODI squad and also the squad of the first Test of Bangladesh for Sri Lanka series as his eye was not deemed okay. However, according to the team management, he is now okay with his eye and played some Dhaka Premier League matches without any trouble.
The star all-rounder last played a Test in April 2023 when Bangladesh met Ireland in Mirpur. Batter Towhid Hridoy, who was drafted in the 15-member squad for the first Test, misses out due to the inclusion of Shakib.
Also out is pacer Mushfik Hasan who has picked up an injury on his left ankle which will require rehab. His replacement is fellow right-arm paceman Hasan Mahmud who has played 39 matches for Bangladesh in white ball cricket but is yet to feature in a Test. Mahmud has taken 49 wickets from 16 first-class outings.
Sri Lanka lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Sylhet by 328 runs. The Test series is part of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Bangladesh squad for 2nd Test: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Liton Das, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud.
Brazil's football in crisis: No longer 'the beautiful game'
Experts have long been warning that a sell-off of Brazilian talent is seriously damaging domestic football. Restoring "the beautiful game" will be difficult, if not impossible.
Brazilian football has seen better days. The country's Olympic team failed to qualify for Paris 2024, while Brazil's full men's national team, the "Selecao," are languishing in sixth place in the South American World Cup qualifying standings. Utterly unacceptable for a team who have won a record five World Cups.
On Saturday, Dorival Junior became the fifth man in the past two years to take his place in the Selecao's coaching zone — for their friendly against England at Wembley. It seems as if the record-breaking world champions have lost their footballing identity.
Former Brazilian stiker Grafite, who led Wolfsburg to their sole Bundesliga title in 2009, told DW the "jogo bonito" — the "beautiful game" for which former Brazilian stars such as the late Pele were admired — is no longer recognizable. "This type of Brazilian football no longer exists today," said Grafite, who, as an expert for Globo TV, is a keen observer of the development of football in his homeland.
Several hundred transfers abroad annually
It's not as though Grafite was the first to raise the alarm. After the 2014 World Cup when the Selecao were humbled 7-1 by the eventual world champions Germany in the semifinals, Mario Zagallo, a World Cup winner as both a player and coach, warned of a sell-out of home-grown talent. Zagallo warned that Brazilian football was in peril of losing its identity as a result.
It's been around 20 years since a change in European law effectively made it easier for non-EU citizens to ply their trade in Europe. This sparked a wave of transactions that continues to this day. Brazil now loses hundreds of footballers to the rest of the world every year.
"This affects the development of the identity of Brazilian soccer," historian David 'Dere' Gomes told DW. Gomes has been researching the history of football in Rio de Janeiro for years. The most talented players, those capable of deciding a game in the Brazilian way, are being deprived of the time needed to sufficiently develop their talent in their own country, Gomes said. The Brazilian way is, among other things, the spectacular dribbling that can lift fans out of their seats. It's a big part of the country's footballing identity.
Top transfers not the only problem
The focus is usually only on the top transfers of exceptional talents such as Vinicius Junior in 2018 or Endrick to Real Madrid last summer. However, the Brazilian league is constantly losing substance and quality, not just at the top of the talent pool. Many transfers go largely unnoticed.
One could compare this to the exploitation of raw materials. The only difference is that it is not copper, oil or lithium that the rich industrialized countries are buying up, but footballing talent.
"It's normal for Brazilian players to adapt to the style of European soccer, but Brazil hasn't kept pace," Grafite said. Footballers who play in Brazil have a different rhythm and speed than those who play in Europe, the now 44-year-old added.
The game simply has a different dynamic overseas. These two identities then clash within the national team at a Copa America or a World Cup and lead to coordination problems.
"This was quite evident at the last World Cup," Grafite noted.
In Qatar, at the end of 2022, Brazil were eliminated by Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Premier League success at the expense of others
The Premier League is currently considered the measure of all things in club football worldwide.
"But how can the Premier League be the biggest league in the world if England has neither the best players nor a tradition of winning the World Cup?" asked historian Gomes rhetorically.
"It only works by importing players," he answered. "Talent from Latin America and Africa. And Brazil is one of the biggest treasure troves for this talent. Imagine how strong a Brazilian football league would be if it had players who earn their money in England, like Douglas Luiz, Lucas Paqueta, Joao Gomes, Bruno Guimaraes, Richarlison — or in other European leagues, like Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo."
Dere Gomes is well aware that with billions of euros changing hands every year, reversing this trend would be a very tall task indeed.
"Building a strong league in Brazil would require good club management coupled with financial fair play," he said. "You'd also need to find a way of reducing the clubs' dependence on large revenues."
And, he said, politics would also have an important role to play.
Riyan Parag blitz steers Rajasthan Royals to victory over Delhi Capitals
Riyan Parag top scored in the match with an unbeaten 84, while Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets each for the Royals.
Riyan Parag’s onslaught with the bat powered Rajasthan Royals to a 12-run win over Delhi Capitals in their second match of the Indian Premier League 2024 season at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday.
Riyan Parag top-scored in the match with an unbeaten 84 off just 45 balls, while Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up two wickets each for the Royals to restrict the Capitals.
Put in to bat first, Rajasthan Royals overcame a slow start to put 185/5 on board. Riyan Parag, promoted to bat at number four this season, notched his highest score ever in the IPL to hold the innings together.
Ravichandran Ashwin provided the initial impetus to the Royals’ innings, after the team was reduced to 31/2 after six overs. He scored three sixes to score a 19-ball 29 and added 54 off 37 balls for the fourth wicket with Riyan Parag to bring the Royals back on track.
But it was Player of the Match Riyan Parag who took Rajasthan Royals to an excellent total. His innings was studded with seven boundaries and six maximums. Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer came up with cameos with the bat to provide the late burst to the Royals’ innings.
Parag first put on 52 off 23 with Jurel to take the Royals’ past 100 in the 15th over. Hetmyer then joined Parag to add an unbeaten 43 off just 16 balls for the sixth wicket to set Delhi Capitals a target of 186 runs.
Axar Patel was the most effective among the Capitals’ bowlers with a spell of 1/21 off four overs. Khaleel Ahmed also picked a wicket conceding just 24 runs in his four overs.
In reply, Delhi Capitals raced off the blocks quickly scoring 59 in the powerplay in spite of Nandre Burger’s double-strike in the fourth over of the innings. Just when it looked like the Capitals would run away with the match, Sandeep Sharma pulled off an excellent catch to send David Warner back off Avesh Khan’s bowling.
Yuzvendra Chahal first accounted for Rishabh Pant to bring up his 50th wicket for the Royals in the IPL, before sending back Abhishek Porel in his next over to reduce the Capitals to 122/5. Rajasthan Royals picked wickets at regular intervals to keep the Capitals’ chase in check.
Avesh Khan bowled a brilliant final over to subdue Tristian Stubbs’ late heroics and ensured that the Royals continued their winning run at home this season. Avesh complemented Burger and Chahal well, who picked up 2/29 and 2/19 respectively. David Warner top-scored for the Capitals with 49 off 34 balls.
With this win, the Royals have four points, and are currently placed second in the IPL 2024 points table.
Source: Rajasthan Royals
This is MS Dhoni’s last season: Ravi Shastri
Former India head coach, Ravi Shastri has weighed in his opinion on Chennai Super Kings' decision to pass the captaincy baton before the start of the Indian Premier League 2024. Shastri believed that this move depended on MS Dhoni's fitness and the team's demands for him to play in the current season of the cash-rich tournament.
On Sunday, CSK are playing their third group stage game against Delhi Capitals in Match 13 at Vizag's Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium. The defending champions have been unbeaten so far in the ongoing tournament and will aim to continue their winning streak against the winless DC team. Shastri also stated that Dhoni would allow the opening batter to captain and intervene only when necessary.
“This is MS Dhoni’s last season, okay, very clear. You know, it depends on how his body copes with everything, whether he plays the whole season or doesn’t, only time will tell. But what he has done is that he said, I don’t want to give the job to Ruturaj halfway through the tournament,” Shastri said as quoted by News18.
“Be in the hot seat from the outside, I'm (Dhoni is) watching from the back, and if he (Ruturaj) needs some help I’m there to help him out, but I think as compared to the year when Jadeja was captain, MS will take more and more of the backseat and probably contribute just in a little way between the drinks break or something like that,” he added.
Source: Crictracker
Mominul Haque hits new milesto
Bangladesh's top order failed completely with in the Test series against Sri Lanka. However, batsman Mominul Haque fought alone with the bat.
However, he affirmed his place among Bangladesh's cricketing elite, becoming only the fourth Bangladeshi player to surpass the remarkable milestone of 4000 runs in Test cricket.
Before the second and final Test against Sri Lanka at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Mominul had scored 3975 runs in 112 innings of 60 matches. He was 25 runs away from 4,000 runs.
Mominul scored 33 runs in the first innings of the Test thus he named 4,000 clubs in his Test career.
Three people arrested for threatening Di María
Three people were arrested in Argentina for threatening Argentine footballer Ángel Di María and his family, Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich said.
One of the suspects, who was under investigation for drug trafficking when he was arrested, confessed that he and two accomplices had made the threats against Di María’s family.
On Monday, Di María’s family home in Rosario, northeastern Argentina, was shot at by a car driving by and had a written message left there warning the World Cup winner against returning to his hometown team.
The attack happened after Di María, currently under contract with Portuguese club Benfica until June, said he would like to finish his professional career at Rosario Central, where he started his career.
Following the death threats, Di María said he followed the incident closely, telling a sports broadcaster: “I have my family and what was happening affects me.”
On Instagram Stories, the soccer star posted a picture of the Rosario flag with the caption: “We ask for peace.”
Rosario Central condemned the attack on March 25, saying in a statement: “We cannot let [someone] frighten footballers or attack them or their relatives.”
Source: CNN
Tigers drop to 7th position in WTC standings after defeat to SL
Bangladesh dropped to equal seventh on the updated World Test Championship (WTC) standings after being swept in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
They started the series, sitting at fourth position and the chance came to their way to bolster it further but they failed to do so. The Tigers lost the first Test by 328 runs before tasting yet another thumping 192-run defeat in the second and final Test.
Bangladesh currently have 12 points with a 25 percentage point from one win in four matches. They have drawn one and lost two in the current Test Championship cycle.
South Africa shared the seventh position with Bangladesh with an equal number of wins, draws and defeats.
The Tigers' next series is against Pakistan later this year when they travel for two Test matches.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka have boosted their chances of reaching next year's ICC World Test Championship final after sweeping the series against Bangladesh.
The victory sees Sri Lanka overtake Pakistan and move up to fourth place on the updated World Test Championship standings with a 50 percent points percentage, with India (first), Australia (second) and New Zealand (third) the only teams ahead of them.
Source: BSS
