LONDON: Novak Djokovic recovered from a shaky start to beat Cameron Norrie in four sets at Wimbledon on Friday and reach a record 32nd Grand Slam final, where he will play Nick Kyrgios.
The Serbian top seed was broken three times in the first set but turned the tables dramatically on his British opponent to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the Center Court sunshine to reach his eighth final at the All England Club.
The six-time Wimbledon champion’s new mark of 32 finals at the majors is a record for men’s tennis.
It puts him one ahead of Roger Federer and two clear of Rafael Nadal, who pulled out of the tournament injured on Thursday.
“He was the better player in the first set,” said Djokovic.
“Semis of a Slam, I played them a lot, but there is always pressure, from yourself and from the outside.”
Djokovic and Norrie both dropped serve at the first time of asking, with the crowd offering vocal backing to the ninth seed.
But while Norrie quickly found his rhythm, Djokovic — apart from a stunning “tweener” lob — was strangely off-key, losing his serve twice more in the set, which Norrie sealed with an ace.
The Serb landed just 55 percent of his first serves and made 12 unforced errors against his left-handed opponent in the opening set.
Djokovic looked more composed at the start of the second set, finding more rhythm on his serve and cutting out the errors.
A single break for the 35-year-old in the eighth game changed the complexion of the match, putting him 5-3 up.
That was part of a run of eight games out of nine for the 35-year-old, who took the second set and then rocketed into a 5-1 lead in the third, giving Norrie a mountain to climb.
Djokovic again broke early in the fourth set and did not concede a single break point as he cantered to victory.
Djokovic is now on a 27-match winning streak at Wimbledon as he seeks to draw level with Pete Sampras on seven titles at the All England Club — just one behind Federer’s men’s record.
If he wins the title he would reach 21 Grand Slam titles, moving past Federer and just one behind Nadal in the race to be crowned the greatest of all time.
Djokovic already knows he will be playing 40th-ranked Kyrgios after Nadal quit the tournament ahead of his semifinal against the Australian because of an abdominal injury.
Kyrgios, 27, will be playing in his first Grand Slam final but has a 2-0 winning record against Djokovic.
“The job is not finished,” said Djokovic, chasing his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title.
“One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of fireworks emotionally from both sides.
“He is playing freely, has a big game and a lot of power in his shots. I’ve never won a set off him — hopefully it can be different this time. He doesn’t have much to lose.”
Djokovic into eighth Wimbledon final and clash with Kyrgios
https://arab.news/jmr6t
Djokovic into eighth Wimbledon final and clash with Kyrgios
- The Serbian top seed was broken three times in the first set but turned the tables dramatically on his British opponent
- "Semis of a Slam, I played them a lot, but there is always pressure, from yourself and from the outside," said Djokovic
Mitchell Starc shows class as Kolkata Knight Riders notch IPL win in Mumbai
Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata.
This was Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season.
Mumbai slumped to ninth position in the 10-team competition after their eighth loss in 11 games.
Kolkata are placed second and well poised to make it to the play-offs.
"Obviously we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets," said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya.
"There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say."
Mumbai were off to a shaky start, with Starc flattening the leg-stump of Ishan Kishan (13) and Varun Chakravarthy sending back Naman Dhir (11).
The home team got another big jolt when Rohit Sharma, who came in as an impact sub, miscued a shot to be caught off Sunil Narine for 11.
Pandya's poor run of form continued as he was out for one, much to the disappointment of the strong home crowd.
Yadav hit his third half-century of the season and Tim David chipped in with 24 but Kolkata did well to rein in the five-time champions.
Earlier, Kolkata lost five quick wickets including that of the prolific Phil Salt (five) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) after being put in to bat.
Tottering at 57-5, Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact sub Manish Pandey (42) steadied Kolkata with an 83-run stand and ensured a respectable total on the board.
Iyer, who hit a century at the same ground last season, hit three sixes and six fours in his fighting 52-ball knock.
"It's an extremely good feeling, because we haven't won at Wankhede for 12 years," said Kolkata's Varun Chakravarthy.
"This is a very special win because we were down and out in the first innings. The way Venkatesh and Manish pulled it back was great."
Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each and troubling the batsmen with their line and length on a lively wicket.
Saudi table tennis players ‘happy’ to compete against world’s best
- Fast-rising stars speak ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event
- Competition will feature a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s table tennis stars of the future, Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi and Ali Alkhadrawi, have voiced their appreciation after being given a platform to showcase their talent and compete against the best in the world.
The two spoke on Friday at a press conference ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event.
Hassan Hayyan, a board member of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, and head of the competitions and referees committee, attended the conference along with Bu Shulaybi and Alkhadrawi.
Bu Shulaybi said: “It’s a great feeling that a major table tennis event is happening in Saudi Arabia. I have been to many tournaments around the world, but this one really has impressed me — the level of organization is unbelievable, and thanks must go to everyone who has worked hard to make it happen.
“With 20 of the greatest players in the world all involved, going head-to-head with them is an opportunity to compete with the best, learn from them, and ultimately improve.”
Alkhadrawi said: “It’s a dream for any Saudi player to play this tournament. We were very happy to be chosen for this opportunity and to compete against very high-level players.”
“We have received great support,” he said. “We’re very lucky to have the Saudi Table Tennis Federation supporting us.”
He had inspirational words of encouragement for the Kingdom’s emerging talent.
“My message to the next generation of professional Saudi players is that the possibilities are endless. So long as they are disciplined, dedicated, and listen to their coaches, the opportunity and potential are there to reach new heights and make it far in this sport.”
Hayyan said: “Hosting such a major international table tennis event is a testament to the unwavering support we’ve received from the Kingdom’s leadership.”
He said that Saudi Smash “represents the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia’s sports evolution, and we’re sure it will be remembered for many years to come.”
Following three days of qualifying matches from Wednesday to Friday, the main competitions get underway on Saturday, with eight days of world-class table tennis action in store for spectators.
The event consists of a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles.
A series of thrilling showdowns are locked in across each competition after Thursday’s draw, with some of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-rising table tennis stars in action.
World Endurance Championship camel race starts Saturday at AlUla
- Event has a prize pool of more than SR2 million
- 20 male and 15 female jockeys from the first stage will qualify for the final
ALULA: The Saudi Camel Federation and the Royal Commission of AlUla Governorate are co-organizing the first edition of the World Endurance Championship camel race on Saturday at AlUla Camel Track.
The event has a prize pool of more than SR2 million ($533,000), and the results for the men and women riders will be calculated separately, according to a media statement on Friday.
The championship event includes a 16 km race split into two stages of 8 km each, with a 30-minute break in between.
Twenty male and 15 female jockeys from the first stage qualify for the final. The results will be calculated according to the best timings in the two stages.
The winners in each of the categories will be awarded SR500,000 while the remainder of the prize pool will be distributed between 10 riders in the men’s category and 10 in the women’s category.
All federations are permitted to participate with 10 male and five female riders.
Riders whose countries are not members of the International Camel Racing Federation will be allowed to participate under the ICRF’s flag with a maximum of three participants and the option to borrow camels.
According to the ICRF, participating camels must be over 18 years old and registered by and type.
In September, the General Assembly of the ICRF, chaired by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, approved the launch of the first edition of this championship.
Man City’s Foden wins football writers’ award
- Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football’s oldest individual award
- The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri
LONDON: Manchester City’s Phil Foden was Friday named Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers’ Association, with the club’s Khadija Shaw scooping the women’s award.
England attacking midfielder Foden joins a roll call of famous names including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Kenny Dalglish.
Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football’s oldest individual award, following Ruben Dias in 2021 and Erling Haaland last year.
The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri, who came third in a ballot of the FWA’s near 900-strong membership.
Foden has scored 24 goals this season as Pep Guardiola’s City chase a Premier League and FA Cup double.
“Being named the Football Writers’ Association footballer of the year is a huge honor,” said Foden. “I’m very, very happy to receive this award but I could not have done it without the help of my teammates.”
Guardiola praised his player but said he could get even better.
“The impact in the final third is really good, the work ethic,” he said. “Every year, due to the amount of games he’s playing, the minutes he’s playing, he’s more mature and he understands the game but he has to continue. He’s still young.”
“Depends on him, simple as that,” Guardiola added. “I promise you, it depends on him. Mentality, want more, do it again, do it again, be better in this department, I will live 24 hours for my game and for my profession. It depends on him, like all the players.”
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who has scored 21 goals in the Women’s Super League, pipped Chelsea’s Lauren James, with the two taking a combined 80 percent of the vote.
Jamaica international Shaw will miss City’s final two games of the Women’s Super League season with a foot injury but is almost certain to finish as the top-scorer in the WSL as Gareth Taylor’s side close in on the title.
“I am very proud and privileged to have received this award and to be recognized in this way is a special honor,” said Shaw, 27.
“I want to also thank all of my teammates. They provide me with the chances to score goals and I could not have won this award without them.”
Real Madrid’s Courtois to return after nine-month injury layoff
- Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury
- “Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti
MADRID: Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will play his first match for the Spanish club after a nine-month injury layoff against Cadiz this weekend, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Friday.
Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury and suffered a further setback in March which required another knee operation.
“Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti.
“He’s looking forward to playing. We’re delighted to see him return.”
La Liga leaders Real Madrid have their first chance to be crowned champions this weekend, although they need a helping hand from this season’s shock title challengers Girona.
Madrid host Cadiz on Saturday and if they win and Girona take any points off defending champions Barcelona immediately afterwards, Los Blancos will earn a record-extending 36th Spanish title.
Courtois has been back in team training for several weeks, and was part of the Madrid group to travel to Germany this week to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal first leg 2-2 draw.
Asked about a possible start for Courtois in the Champions League final if they reach it, Ancelotti replied: “The final we have in mind is Wednesday against Bayern, in which (Andriy) Lunin will play, and then we will see.”
In 2022, Courtois was the prime architect of Real’s Champions League triumph, proving himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
