MUNICH: Europe’s “Golden Shoe” winner Robert Lewandowski sent out a warning to defenses around Europe on Tuesday when he likened himself to a ‘good wine’ that was still improving.
The Bayern Munich striker also offered warm praise and thanks to his wife Anna when he received the award as top scorer in European football last season.
Lewandowski netted 41 times in 29 games for Bayern in the 2020-21 season, breaking the great Gerd Mueller’s record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season, set in 1971-72.
His tally represents the highest in Europe since Cristiano Ronaldo bagged 48 goals for Real Madrid in 2014-15.
The 33-year-old forward insisted, though, that there were still plenty more goals and titles yet to come.
“I’m still here, and I will be here for a long time!” said Lewandowski.
“Age is just a number, I feel very good, my form indicators have never been so good.
“I know that with my body I can still play for years at the highest level. I am like good wine and I hope to become even better.”
This season, Lewandowski has already scored seven goals in five days as champions Bayern top the early Bundesliga table.
“It’s not over yet, we are still hungry for titles,” said Lewandowski who hopes to help Bayern to a second Champions League title to add to the one he won with them in 2020.
“I don’t need to go and prove myself in another league,” said the striker who was linked with Real Madrid a few years ago.
“With the Champions League, I can measure myself against the best. I am 100 percent focused on Bayern and I don’t think about anything else.”
At the ceremony held at Bayern’s Allianz Arena, the Poland striker was effusive in his praise for his wife who is also his personal “motivation coach.”
“I have to thank my wife, she is a great support for me and a motivation when things are not going so well,” he said.
A former Polish international karateka, Anna Lewandowska is also a nutritionist and oversees her husband’s diet.
“I am very proud of him,” she said. “He is extraordinary as a person, as an athlete, as a partner, as a friend and as a husband.”
Lewandowski is only the second Bundesliga player to win the award after Mueller, who won in 1970 and 1972.
Lionel Messi has won the award a record six times while Ronaldo has taken it four times but they only scored 30 and 29 goals respectively in 2020-21.
Golden Shoe winner Lewandowski hopes to become ‘even better’
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Golden Shoe winner Lewandowski hopes to become ‘even better’
- Lewandowski netted 41 times in 29 games for Bayern in the 2020-21 season
Big names eliminated as seeds advance at Dubai Tennis Championships
- Amanda Anisimova (2), Belinda Bencic (9), Clara Tauson (12), Emma Navarro (14) and Iva Jovic (16) all progress to round of 32
- Katerina Siniakova falls in straight sets to Spain’s Paula Badosa, who sets up clash with 2-time Dubai winner and seventh seed Elina Svitolina
DUBAI: Two former finalists and several seeded contenders advanced into the round of 32 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but a number of Grand Slam winners and big-name favorites were sent packing by some of the WTA’s rising young stars on Monday.
Amanda Anisimova, the world No. 6 and this week’s second seed was handed a late bye after the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova withdrew injured.
The penultimate center court match proved the last as Spain’s Paula Badosa, a Dubai resident, dismantled Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 7-5 to set up a round two clash against the tournament’s 2017 and 2018 champion, seventh seed Elina Svitolina.
“Katerina’s a very tricky opponent, she’s won a lot of matches and I was expecting a tough battle,” said Badosa.
“I’m really pleased with my performance today. I tried to stay in there as she increased her level, it was very intense.
“I was trying to go for my shots, be aggressive, just trying to stay in the points as long as possible and wait for opportunities. I really look forward to playing here, I’m like a local now.”
Earlier on center court, last year’s defeated finalist, Clara Tauson, the 12th seed, got her new campaign off to a positive start, beating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets.
The two exchanged powerful groundstrokes and intelligent net play in the first set, but it was Denmark’s Tauson who claimed the tiebreaker. With American Kenin seeming to tire, world No. 15 Tauson won 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Another defeated Dubai finalist, Anna Kalinskaya, beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to progress. Kalinskaya, who reached the final in 2024, lost the opening set 2-6, but won the next two sets 6-1, 6-4.
World No. 13 and ninth seed Belinda Bencic conquered Spanish debutant Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on center court. After losing the first set 2-6, Bencic, who won the title here in 2019, won the next two sets 6-1, 6-2.
Bencic said: “I am just glad I was able to calm my head down a little bit and try and play a very simple game to improve throughout the match. I think I just settled into the match.”
Bencic, 28, who will face Sara Bejlek, 20, for the first time in the next round, added: “I will try to figure out all of the information I have, but during the match I’ll just have to adjust and figure it out as we go.”
Earlier, world No. 20 and 16th seed Iva Jovic beat Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. The American, 18, is a rising star, and will now face world No. 21 Diana Shnaider who overcame Australia’s Maya Joint.
Meanwhile, crowd favorite Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian with Filipino ancestry, lost in straight sets to Indonesian wildcard Janice Tjen 7-6 (5), 6-4.
“It was a great battle out there,” said Tjen, 23, who also beat Fernandez in straight sets at the Australian Open. “I think the first set could have gone the other way, it was just a matter of my execution in the big moments.
“We know each other pretty well at this point, we’ve had a couple of practices together as well, but thanks to my coach I managed to prepare a little better.
“I’m pretty aggressive and always trying to control the point, that sometimes doesn’t work as well as I want it to, but today I was able to do that, stay aggressive, and I’m happy.”
On court two, British star Emma Raducanu’s much-anticipated return to Dubai stadium ended in defeat to Antonia Ruzic, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6. The Croatian had replaced Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the morning after the Italian withdrew due to a right thigh injury.
On Tuesday, Australian Open champion and No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina faces Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell on center court. The match comes after world No. 4 and third seed Coco Gauff playing Kalinskaya.
Filipino star Alexandra Eala completes day three’s center court bill. The world No. 40 plays sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the evening’s final match.
