SPORTS
Schwartzman Stuns Nadal in Italian Open Quarter-finals, Djokovic Survives Koepfer
Defending champion, Rafa Nadal crashed out of the Italian Open with a stunning 6-2 7-5 defeat by Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
The nine-times Rome champion, who had won all nine previous meetings against Schwartzman, struggled with his serve throughout the match.
He made a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors that proved to be his undoing.
The Italian Open was the Spaniard’s first tournament in over seven months and while he cruised through the previous two rounds, his rustiness showed from the outset against the 15th-ranked Schwartzman.
Nadal committed 30 unforced errors to Schwartzman’s 17 and had his serve broken five times.
“Losing that many serves, you can’t expect to win a match,” Nadal said. “So that’s something that I have to fix. I know how to do it.”
Nadal will now travel to Paris, where he will look to clinch a record-extending 13th French Open title.
Schwartzman will face Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals after the Canadian defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 3-6 6-2 for his 100th tour-level match win.
Earlier in the day, Novak Djokovic overcame a mid-match wobble against Dominik Koepfer before securing a 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over the unseeded German and a semi-final spot.
The top-ranked Serb had sailed through the previous two rounds, his first matches since being defaulted at the U.S. Open for hitting a line judge with a ball.
But he faced a potentially tricky test when Koepfer levelled the contest at one set apiece.
However, Djokovic regained his focus to close out the victory and stay on course for his 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown.
He takes on Casper Ruud for a place in the final after the Norwegian battled past fourth seed and local hope Matteo Berrettini 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) in their last-eight clash.
“Clay is definitely Casper’s preferred surface. This is where he feels most comfortable. It’s semi-finals and it’s anybody’s game,” said Djokovic, who will be targeting his 30th victory from 31 matches this year.
“I’ll do some homework and be ready for that one.”
In the women’s draw, 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep advanced to the semi-finals when her opponent Yulia Putintseva retired due to a lower back injury while trailing 6-2 2-0.
The top-seeded Romanian will now meet Spain’s ninth seed Garbine Muguruza, who survived an early scare against Victoria Azarenka to beat the U.S. Open runner-up 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Halep said: “Every time I played well against her (Muguruza), I was as much as possible aggressive.
“If I play my best game, and if I feel great physically on court, I have a big chance to win the match. But every time is different, because she’s playing so hard. You don’t really know what to expect. It’s tough.”
Two-times champion and fourth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who skipped the U.S. Open to prepare for the claycourt swing, was stunned by Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-0.
Number 12 seed Vondrousova will face compatriot Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals after the defending champion survived a mid-match scare to beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-3 3-6 6-0.(Reuters/NAN)
The Super Eagles camp in Cairo has grown to 22 players with the arrival of Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu, ahead of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) international friendly match against Egypt.
News reports that Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman and defenders Semi Ajayi and Bright Osayi-Samuel reported to camp earlier on Monday at the Renaissance Hotel, joining a steadily increasing squad.
Goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defender Igoh Ogbu and midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi were also among the latest arrivals to bolster the team.
They linked up with early arrivals Francis Uzoho, Stanley Nwabali, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who had checked in on Sunday.
Super Eagles Media Officer Promise Efoghe said that 20 players participated in the team’s first training session held on Monday evening.
“Training went smoothly and the players showed good energy and commitment, which is encouraging at this stage of preparations,” Efoghe said.
Efoghe said that Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika and Alebiosu arrived shortly after training, raising the number of players in camp to 22, with six more expected.
He said as part of preparations, the Super Eagles would play a friendly against the Pharaohs of Egypt on Tuesday at the Cairo International Stadium.
“The friendly will help the technical crew assess team shape and readiness ahead of the AFCON challenge,” Efoghe said.
Nigeria, three-time champions, and seven-time winners Egypt will clash at 8 p.m. Egypt time (7 p.m. Nigeria time) in the build-up to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
Efoghe confirmed that the team will depart Cairo for Féz on Thursday aboard a chartered flight to continue final preparations.
Nigeria’s quest for a fourth continental title, following victories in 1980, 1994 and 2013, begins on Dec. 23 against Tanzania, under the theme “NAIJA 4 THE WIN.”
The Eagles will also face Tunisia on Dec. 27 and Uganda on Dec. 30 in Group C, with all matches scheduled for the Complexe Sportif de Féz.
Egypt, the only nation to win AFCON three consecutive times, will battle South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B, with matches holding in Agadir.
As anticipation builds for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, set to kick off on December 21 in Morocco, the Confederation of African Football has released a list of items prohibited across all tournament stadiums.
According to the guidelines cited on CAF’s website on Monday, the rules are aimed at ensuring fan safety throughout the competition.
Fans attending AFCON 2025 matches in Morocco will be subjected to security screening.
They are advised not to bring prohibited items into stadiums to ensure safety, order and a smooth match-day experience.
Below is the list of items fans are advised to leave at home before entering AFCON stadiums:
Alcoholic beverages, Illegal substances and drugs, Weapons and sharp objects, Fireworks and pyrotechnics, Glass bottles or containers, Flammable materials, Racist, violent or discriminatory banners, Unauthorised political, religious or commercial signs, Drones and animals, Large umbrellas and oversized hats, Professional cameras and recording equipment, Musical instruments and loud horns, Radio-emitting devices (except mobile phones) and Heavy or large bags.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has disclosed that the team are still a work in progress following his expensive overhaul of the squad since last season.
The Spanish tactician made this known after the Citizens thrashed Crystal Palace 3-0 in Sunday’s Premier League game.
In a chat with the club’s website, Guardiola stated that the team are in a better position than last season.
“Many things we have to improve.
Madrid gave me a lot of things, that still we are not ready, not in mentality but in how to approach certain games. They are young some of the players. But 3-0 here is a big statement for us.“When you win in the past, you believe the past was perfect, always brilliant, always the red carpet.
When we won with 100 points, all the things we achieved, we had a lot of games like today. The resilience was part of that.“There are moments that you struggle. Madrid was not the perfect game, but it was a step. We fought unbelievably to achieve that.
“We are in a better position than last season. We are close in the competitions we are in.”
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