ROME: Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 after a stunning comeback.
German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum.
Top seed Nadal raced away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot.
The 31-year-old also showed why he will once again be the runaway favourite when Roland Garros begins in a week where he'll be bidding for an 11th French Open title.
Zverev, 21, came to the court riding a 13-match win streak which included last weekend's trophy in Madrid.
However, by the end of Sunday's rain-hit final, his record against the Spaniard stood at five defeats in five meetings.
Nadal was 3-1 down at the first rain break but cut the gap on the resumption.
After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, Nadal came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point.
"The rain break was so important, I didn't think it would help me but it did. I was able to come back out with clear ideas, I'm very happy," said Nadal.
"To win Rome eight times is amazing, it's hard to describe. To have the chance to win here again is so great.
"As for Roland Garros, I'm going to enjoy this victory and think about Paris in a few days.
"For Alexander it's amazing to have won that many matches in a row," Nadal said after winning in just over two hours.
"Today this trophy is with me for a short time, but I'm sure you will get it again."
He added: "This was a very difficult match played at one of the best events of the world.
"To win again after my first (Rome title) in 2005 is amazing, the 2005 final was one of the best memories of my career."
Nadal remains the best clay-courter of the Open Era with an astonishing 408-36 record
He will next seek an 11th French Open crown to match the 11 he owns from Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
"You are an amazing champion and you proved that today," Zverev told the Spaniard at the trophy presentation.
"You are the greatest clay player of all time, we all saw that. I'm disappointed that my streak is over, but I did lose to Rafa, so maybe it's OK.
"I was so close but I lost it at the end."
With the sun shining, Nadal made light work of what looked like a disastrous start to the match as he dropped serve in the opening game.
But the king of clay quickly mounted a fightback, breaking world number three Zverev to love and going on to deny the German a winning service game in the entire set.
Nadal closed out the opener in 32 minutes on an overhead smash to leave his challenger scratching for answers after losing six straight games.
Zverev finally held serve to start the second set and answered Nadal by breaking the top seed twice to reach 5-0 as the first dark clouds of the week gathered over the Foro Italico and the conditions slowed.
Nadal temporarily stopped the rot as he won his fist game of the set but Zverev levelled the match at a set each a game later.
That set the stage for the rollercoaster third set decider.
Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback
Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback
- The Spanish master won the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday
- German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum
Derrick White scores 38, Celtics top Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 East playoff series lead
MIAMI: The good news for the Miami Heat is that the Boston Celtics might not be back in South Florida for a few months.
And that’s also the bad news for the Heat.
Boston now has full control of this Eastern Conference series, with Derrick White scoring a career-high 38 points on Monday night and leading the top-seeded Celtics past the eighth-seeded Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their opening-round NBA playoff series.
“I made a couple shots early,” said White, who was 15 of 26 from the field and 8 of 15 from 3-point range. “That always helps. Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge.”
The Celtics won at Miami for the sixth straight time and improved to 14-3 in their last 17 games on the Heat’s home floor. But it was a costly win, with Kristaps Porzingis going down in the first half with what the team said was a right calf injury.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he had not gotten a postgame update on Porzingis’ condition.
“I didn’t see what happened,” Mazzulla said.
Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who got 17 points from Jaylen Brown and 11 from Jrue Holiday.
“We had to keep fighting,” Tatum said, “and play desperate in a way.”
Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd — including Lionel Messi — but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck). The Heat managed only 84 points in Game 3 and struggled again on offense in Game 4.
Tyler Herro scored 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for the eighth-seeded Heat. Miami lost rookie starter Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the second half with leg tightness; he will be evaluated Tuesday.
“Offensively, we struggled again,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had some decent looks early on, weren’t able to knock those down, and Derrick White was very good tonight — obviously. ... He was just very efficient, very good.”
The Celtics can advance to the second round on Wednesday when they host Game 5. The Boston-Miami winner will meet the Cleveland-Orlando winner in the East semifinals; that Cavaliers-Magic series won’t end until at least Friday.
But the Celtics now have an injury concern, with Porzingis lifting his jersey over his face in exasperation after getting hurt late in the first half.
And with 5:04 left, the drama ramped up again when Tatum tried to shoot a 3-pointer after a foul was called. Adebayo defended the dead-ball play, and Tatum rolled his left ankle after Adebayo stepped into his landing area. Referees called a flagrant-1 on Adebayo, and a technical on Al Horford.
Tatum remained in the game.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Mazzulla said.
The good news for Boston: History says this series is just about over.
This is the 29th time a Boston team has taken a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series. The Celtics won all 28 of the previous series, including seven times in the NBA Finals and a first-round series against Miami in 2010 — the last games the Heat played before luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Florida and forming a superteam around Dwyane Wade.
Miami just couldn’t keep up in this one. White had 16 points in the first quarter, when the Celtics built a 34-24 lead. And no matter what the Heat did on defense, the offense couldn’t make up any gaps.
Consider: The Celtics had 34 points after 12 minutes, and it took the Heat almost 23 minutes — nearly the entire first half — to hit the 34-point mark. Miami had only 59 points through three quarters, matching a season low set in Game 1 of this series at Boston.
“I know in my heart we have a game that’s there,” Spoelstra said. “It’s just a matter of the ball going in a few more times, and all of a sudden it ignites.”
PFL rookie Biaggio Ali Walsh talks about ‘memorable’ Umrah experience in Makkah
- The fighter, grandson of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, says he feels great about performing Umrah and ‘it’s definitely something I want to be able to do again, with my family’
- Ali Walsh recorded a unanimous-decision victory over Emmanuel Palacio in his professional debut at the Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator: Champs event in Riyadh on Feb. 24
LONDON: Mixed martial arts fighter Biaggo Ali Walsh has revealed he recently performed Umrah at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
Following an impressive amateur career, the 25-year-old, grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, made his professional debut on Feb. 24 when he recorded an impressive unanimous-decision victory over Emmanuel Palacio at the Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator: Champs event in Riyadh.
A practicing Muslim, Ali Walsh said he has recently “got more in touch with his faith” and had looked forward to performing Umrah and going on a “sacred” journey when his career brought him to Saudi Arabia.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said when asked if he had felt excited about going to Makkah to perform Umrah. “It’s one of the five pillars of my faith.
“I was feeling a ton of excitement and was nervous as well; I heard the energy is incomparable and it definitely lived up to that.”
Ali Walsh said the pilgrimage had a profound and lasting effect on him: “The entire trip itself was very memorable. What an experience.”
He added that as he strives to further strengthen his faith, he hopes to perform Umrah again, this time with his loved ones.
“I feel great; it’s definitely something I want to be able to do again, with my family,” he said.
As he looks to build on his 1-0 professional record, Ali Walsh is in training for his next, yet-to-be announced test in the PFL SmartCage.
Salt, Chakravarthy help Kolkata hammer Delhi in heatwave-hit IPL
- Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, led Kolkata’s disciplined bowling to restrict Delhi to 153-9
- Iin-form Salt, an England wicketkeeper-batsman, led the chase with an opening stand of 79 with Sunil Narine
KOLKATA: Phil Salt’s attacking 68 and bowling figures of 3-16 by Varun Chakravarthy helped Kolkata Knight Riders hammer Delhi Capitals by seven wickets at a hot and humid Eden Gardens in the IPL on Monday.
Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, led Kolkata’s disciplined bowling to restrict Delhi to 153-9 as players, who remained drenched in sweat, and fans braved the intense heat in the colonial-era capital.
Players from all the 10 IPL teams are keen to impress their national selectors with just one day left for countries to name their teams for the T20 World Cup in June.
The in-form Salt, an England wicketkeeper-batsman, led the chase with an opening stand of 79 with Sunil Narine and the two-time champions reached their target with 3.3 overs to spare.
“It is high-risk but it is also about putting the odds in your favor and not taking the risks you don’t want to,” Salt said of his attacking game.
“You just have to keep backing yourself and keep taking the right options.”
The mercury in the afternoon soared above 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) for the third time this month, forcing the normally bustling streets to stay empty at noon.
But the sports-mad city witnessed a near-packed house at the 66,000 capacity stadium for the evening game and their home team did not disappoint with their sixth win in nine matches to move closer to booking a play-off spot.
Most of India’s eastern states and southern peninsula have remained under government heatwave alerts since last week, with relief not expected for several more days.
Delhi elected to bat first but lost regular wickets including Prithvi Shaw for 13 and fellow opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, out for 12 off let-arm quick Mitchell Starc.
Skipper Rishabh Pant attempted to resist the slide in his unconvincing knock of 27 before he was dismissed by man of the Chakravarthy.
Chakravarthy rattled the middle and lower-order to make Delhi slip to 111-8 before number nine Kuldeep Yadav claimed an unbeaten 35.
“I think that (batting first) was a good option but as a batting unit, we did not bat well enough. 150 was definitely below par,” said Pant.
“That is part and parcel of cricket. We have a long break ahead, where we can learn from our mistakes.”
Salt, who moved into the top five batsmen this IPL season with 392 runs, put the chase on track along with fellow opener Narine as the two clobbered 23 runs off the first over from Lizaad Williams.
He reached his fourth half-century of the season in 26 balls with a six off Khaleel Ahmed but fell to spinner Axar Patel after his 33-ball knock laced with seven fours and five sixes.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, who made 33, and Venkatesh Iyer, who hit the winning six in his 23, steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 57.
The match was a complete contrast to the previous game at the venue when Punjab Kings chased down an IPL record of 262 on another hot day.
Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan added to basketball’s FIBA 3x3 World Tour
- 13th edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour — the top competition on the 3x3 pro circuit — will take place in 18 cities around the world
- 3x3 will be part of the NEOM Beach Games, a major international sports event in the heart of the city
The International Basketball Federation has announced Almaty (Kazakhstan) and NEOM (Saudi Arabia) as the latest additions to the 3x3 World Tour.
The 13th edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour — the top competition on the 3x3 pro circuit — will take place in 18 cities around the world.
Almaty will host the first-ever visit of the World Tour to Kazakhstan, while NEOM, in hosting the event for the first time, will build upon its established track record of holding a Super Quest in 2022 then a Challenger in 2023.
3x3 will be part of the NEOM Beach Games, a major international sports event in the heart of the city.
Updated 2024 season:
Utsunomiya Opener (April 27-28)
Marseille Masters (May 31-June 1)
Ulaanbaatar Masters (June 8-9)
Chengdu Masters (June 22-23)
Edmonton Masters (July 6-7)
Almaty Masters (July 13-14)
Lausanne Masters (Aug. 16-17)
Debrecen Masters (Aug. 31-Sept. 1)
Shanghai Masters (Sept. 21-22)
Wuxi Masters (Oct. 6-7)
Amsterdam Masters (Oct. 12-13)
Macau Masters (Oct. 19-20)
Abu Dhabi Masters (Oct. 26-27)
Manama Masters (Nov. 1-2)
NEOM Masters (Nov. 7-9)
Shenzhen Masters (Nov. 16-17)
Hong Kong Masters (Nov. 23-24)
World Tour Final (December)
The location and dates of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final will be announced at a later stage.
China to host 2025 Saudi Super Cup, attracting global football stars
- Despite strong bids from Doha and Abu Dhabi, the Chinese proposal emerged as the frontrunner
- Qualification for the upcoming Super Cup has been secured by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr
Riyadh: In a significant move for Saudi football, China is set to host the Saudi Super Cup 2025 tournament from Aug. 14 -17, according to the sports daily Arriyadiyah, a sister publication of Arab News.
Reports suggest that the decision to award China the hosting rights came after intense competition, particularly from Emirati and Qatari contenders. Despite strong bids from Doha and Abu Dhabi, the Chinese proposal emerged as the frontrunner. Additionally, Saudi officials are keen to relocate the tournament away from the Gulf region, aiming to engage a broader global audience and promote Saudi football.
One of the driving factors behind China’s successful bid is the presence of renowned international football stars in Saudi teams, contributing to their widespread popularity. Leading figures like Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr, Neymar Jr. representing Al-Hilal, Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and Firmino, captain of Al-Ahli, add considerable allure to the competition.
The previous edition, held in Abu Dhabi, saw Al-Hilal clinch victory over their rivals Al-Nassr with a 2-1 scoreline.
Qualification for the upcoming Super Cup has been secured by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, based on their performance in the Saudi Pro League, known as the Roshn Saudi League. However, the participants from the King’s Cup, as well as its runner-up, are yet to be determined.
In recent Roshn League action, the Yellow Team, Al-Nassr, secured their place in the Super Cup by defeating hosts Al-Khaleej with a solitary goal. This victory propelled them to 71 points, firmly securing their second-place standing, a position out of reach for Al-Ahli, currently in third with 52 points and six matches remaining. Even with a perfect score, Al-Ahli would fall short of overtaking Al-Nassr, who, despite potential losses in their remaining fixtures, maintain a comfortable lead.
The Blue Team, Al-Hilal, who still need seven points to conclude their league campaign, have also booked their spot in the Super Cup. The tournament’s semifinals will feature clashes between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, as well as Al-Nassr against Al-Khaleej.
Both Al-Khaleej and Al-Ittihad will vie for a spot in the final, eyeing the opportunity to secure one of the two coveted slots in the Super Cup.
In the event that both teams fail to progress and the finalists emerge from the capital’s rivalry — Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr — Super Cup regulations dictate that the available slots will be awarded to the third and fourth-placed teams in the Roshn League standings.
Should only one of the capital’s teams advance to the cup final, they will automatically claim their Super Cup berth, either as champions or runners-up, with the remaining slot going to the third-placed team in the league.
