Florida’s highways and city streets are a constant flow of movement—delivery trucks rushing to meet deadlines, company cars zipping between meetings, and rideshare drivers weaving through traffic. However, things get complicated quickly when one of these vehicles is involved in an accident. Unlike a standard […]
Karen Khachanov routed Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the quarterfinals in Melbourne Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after a dominant victory against Japanese rival Yoshihito Nishioka on Sunday. Khachanov hammered Nishioka 6-0 6-0 7-6 (7-4) in a […]
Karen Khachanov routed Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the quarterfinals in Melbourne
Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after a dominant victory against Japanese rival Yoshihito Nishioka on Sunday.
Khachanov hammered Nishioka 6-0 6-0 7-6 (7-4) in a one-sided match at John Cain Arena in Melbourne. Remarkably, the Russian won the first 14 games of the match before Nishioka put up some belated resistance to take the third set to a tiebreak.
The second set was particularly brutal for number 30 seed Nishioka as the big-hitting Khachanov, who is seeded 18th, conceded just two points to his opponent – a rare feat dubbed a ‘bronze set’ in tennis jargon.
Khachanov is now into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time in his career. The performance also means he has reached the last-eight stage at each of the four Grand Slams in his career, becoming the 50th male player in the Open Era to do so.
“[The] first two sets I didn’t know what was going on, but it’s never easy when you are going with the score too easy. You feel it,” Khachanov, 26, said after his resounding win.
“At one point Yoshi tried to turn it around, he pumped the crowd and it’s normal. I tried to stay focused all the match from the beginning until the end.
“But it’s not easy to win with this score, three sets, so the third set it was a really tough one and I’m playing well, so I’m really happy to go through.”
Khachanov had too much power for his Japanese rival.
Number 29 seed Korda, who is the son of former Australian Open winner Petr Korda, continued his fine form in Melbourne by dispatching Polish tenth seed Hubert Hurkacz in a five-set tussle in their fourth-round match on Sunday – sealing the match on a 10-point tiebreak.
For Korda, 22, it will be a first ever appearance in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, while Khachanov boasts experience of reaching the semifinals of the US Open last season and claimed an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo in 2021.
Elsewhere in the men’s singles draw, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev will be aiming to join Khachanov in the last eight when he takes on Danish ninth seed Holger Rune in their fourth-round match on Monday.
There was an upset in the women’s draw on Sunday when Russian-born number 22 seed Elena Rybakina dumped out Polish top seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets in their fourth-round match. Rybakina, who has represented Kazakhstan since 2018 and won the Wimbledon title last year, will play Latvian 17th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinal on Tuesday.
Ekaterina Alexandrova’s defeat means no female Russian representatives remain in the singles in Melbourne Russia is without a representative in the women’s singles at the Australian Open after 19th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova suffered a shock third-round defeat to Polish rival Magda Linette on Saturday. Alexandrova […]
Ekaterina Alexandrova’s defeat means no female Russian representatives remain in the singles in Melbourne
Russia is without a representative in the women’s singles at the Australian Open after 19th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova suffered a shock third-round defeat to Polish rival Magda Linette on Saturday.
Alexandrova lost the contest in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena, 6-3 6-4, capping a disappointing tournament for Russia’s women’s stars. None have made it into the second week of action at Melbourne Park despite Russia starting with 14 women in the main singles draw – including four of the top 20 seeds.
The highest-ranked Russian female contender, Daria Kasatkina, crashed out in the opening round as the number eight seed was beaten by compatriot Varvara Gracheva. The unseeded Gracheva progressed to the third round before her hopes were ended by Czech rival Karolina Pliskova.
Elsewhere, there were first-round losses for Anna Kalinskaya, Kamilla Rakhimova, Polina Kudermetova, Anna Blinkova, Evgeniya Rodina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Oksana Selekhmeteva, and Liudmila Samsonova – the latter of whom was seeded 18th.
Russian teenager Diana Shnaider bowed out in the second round following a battle with Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari, while Russian ninth seed Veronika Kudermetova exited at the same stage in a shock defeat to American qualifier Katie Volynets.
Alexandrova was unable to overcome her unseeded opponent.
The disappointing performances this year mean that Russia’s wait continues for a first female Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova at the French Open in 2014. Sharapova was also the last Russian females singles champion in Melbourne, winning the title in 2008.
Russia does, however, still have representatives in the women’s doubles event this year in Melbourne. Pavlyuchenkova is into the third round alongside Russian-born partner Elena Rybakina, who has represented Kazakhstan since 2018. Rybakina remains in the singles draw and will meet world number one Iga Swiatek in their fourth-round match on Sunday.
Russia’s Kalinskaya is also still in doubles contention alongside American partner Caroline Dolehide and the pair will play in the third round.
In the men’s draw, Russia has two representatives in the last 16 of the singles event. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev will take on Danish ninth seed Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday, while Russian 18th seed Karen Khachanov plays Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka at the same stage of the tournament on Sunday.
Mexican team Pumas have parted ways with Dani Alves after he was detained by police in Barcelona Dani Alves has had his contract with Mexican Liga MX team Pumas terminated after the Brazilian star was charged with sexual assault in Spain. Alves appeared in a […]
Mexican team Pumas have parted ways with Dani Alves after he was detained by police in Barcelona
Dani Alves has had his contract with Mexican Liga MX team Pumas terminated after the Brazilian star was charged with sexual assault in Spain. Alves appeared in a Barcelona court on Friday following claims he assaulted a woman in a nightclub at the end of December.
“Club Universidad [Pumas] makes the decision to terminate the contract with Dani Alves with just cause,” said club president Leopoldo Silva, as reported by ESPN.
“This is an institution that promotes respect and the correct, dignified and professional behavior of its male and female players both on and off the field because they are role models in Mexico and throughout the world. We cannot permit any conduct that would damage our philosophy.”
Alves, 39, is being held without bail in Spain – a country where he spent a large part of his glittering career at Barcelona. The defender is said to have presented himself to police on Friday to answer the case against him before being taken to the Ciutat de la Justicia.
Police have not given details of the case, although a 23-year-old woman is said to have alleged that Alves groped and raped her at Barcelona nightclub ‘Sutton’ on December 30. The footballer vehemently denies the allegations against him.
Alves is recognized as among the most decorated footballers of all time, amassing more than 40 titles at senior level. That included a golden spell at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, when he helped the Catalans to three Champions League crowns and six La Liga titles.
At international level, Alves has earned 126 caps for Brazil and last featured for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Serb again struggled with a hamstring complaint but got the job done against Grigor Dimitrov Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record-extending tenth Australian Open title continues after he defeated Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in their third-round match in Melbourne on Saturday. Despite a lingering hamstring […]
The Serb again struggled with a hamstring complaint but got the job done against Grigor Dimitrov
Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a record-extending tenth Australian Open title continues after he defeated Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in their third-round match in Melbourne on Saturday.
Despite a lingering hamstring injury which has hindered him throughout the tournament, Djokovic earned a 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 6-4 victory at Rod Laver Arena to set up a fourth-round match against Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday.
Djokovic, seeded fourth this year in Melbourne, was forced to take a medical timeout after a grueling first set against Dimitrov in which he saved three set points before prevailing in the tiebreak. Djokovic, whose upper left leg was heavily strapped, required treatment again in the third set but by that stage was well in control against the number 27 seed.
“It was an incredible battle. Three sets, over three hours. Let’s rest up and prepare for the next one,” Djokovic said in his post-match interview. When asked how he continues to produce relentless energy levels on court, Djokovic made light of his age, telling interviewer Jelena Dokic that “35 is the new 25.”
Remarkably, the Serb is now unbeaten in his last 24 matches at the Australian Open – a tournament he has won a record nine times. The last time Djokovic was defeated on Australian soil was back in 2018, when he lost in the fourth round in Melbourne against South Korea’s Chung Hyeon.
Djokovic has returned to the tournament this year after his infamous deportation from Australia in a row over his Covid vaccine status on the eve of the event in 2022. The Serb has been warmly welcomed by the crowds at Melbourne Park as he chases a 22nd Grand Slam title, which would draw him level with Rafael Nadal in the all-time list.
Nadal, 36, has already exited this year’s Australian Open after his injury-affected loss to America’s Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev – a finalist in the past two years in Melbourne – also endured an early departure after a shock loss to US rival Sebastian Korda on Friday.
The highest-seeded player remaining in the men’s draw is third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who plays his fourth-round match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner on Sunday. Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev is also still in contention, and faces Danish number nine seed Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday. Karen Khachanov, the 18th seed from Russia, plays his fourth-round match with Japanese rival Yoshihito Nishioka on Sunday.
But should Djokovic manage to defy his lingering injury struggles, he will surely be fancied as the favorite for the title considering his incredible track record in the opening Grand Slam of the season.
A meeting is reportedly scheduled for later this month as officials attempt to find a way back to competition for Russian teams Russian football officials and their counterparts at European governing body UEFA will hold talks next week to discuss the potential easing of the […]
A meeting is reportedly scheduled for later this month as officials attempt to find a way back to competition for Russian teams
Russian football officials and their counterparts at European governing body UEFA will hold talks next week to discuss the potential easing of the sanctions on Russian teams, TASS has reported.
Russian teams are currently banned from all UEFA and FIFA competitions because of the conflict in Ukraine. At the end of December, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said it would establish a working group alongside UEFA in a bid to find a possible pathway back to international tournaments.
“A meeting of representatives from the RFU and UEFA is scheduled at the UEFA office on January 24, at which potential opportunities for the return of Russian clubs and teams to international matches will be discussed,” said an RFU source on Friday, as quoted by the TASS news agency. “From the RFU, (general secretary) Maxim Mitrofanov and Aleksandr Alaev (president of the Russian Premier League) will participate in the meeting.”
It was also reported on Friday that RFU president Aleksandr Dyukov is set to take part in the UEFA Executive Committee’s first meeting of 2023, which is scheduled for January 25 at the organization’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Dyukov is due to attend in person, according to the RFU’s press service.
Russian officials are seeking a reversal of the UEFA and FIFA bans on their teams which were initially imposed at the end of February as a response to the start of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The sanctions meant the Russian men’s national team was deprived of the chance to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and Russia has already been removed from the qualifying process for the 2024 UEFA European Championships. At club level, Russian teams are banned from competitions such as the prestigious UEFA Champions League for at least the 2022/23 season.
The RFU has appealed the UEFA and FIFA bans with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, but thus far without success. Russian officials have not ruled out pursuing their case with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
After being sidelined from UEFA competitions, it was suggested that Russia could leave the European organization and bid to join its Asian counterpart, the AFC. The reasoning is that Russian teams would potentially find a faster route back to competition in a more welcoming environment, particularly ahead of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the end, the RFU opted to establish its working group alongside UEFA in effort to resolve the current restrictions. Russian officials are targeting the start of April for a decision on the matter.
The Twitter owner commented after Ivan Provorov declined to take part in an NHL ‘Pride’ campaign Elon Musk has responded to the scandal surrounding Russian hockey player Ivan Provorov, who has been criticized for choosing not to appear in a rainbow-themed jersey for the NHL’s […]
The Twitter owner commented after Ivan Provorov declined to take part in an NHL ‘Pride’ campaign
Elon Musk has responded to the scandal surrounding Russian hockey player Ivan Provorov, who has been criticized for choosing not to appear in a rainbow-themed jersey for the NHL’s ‘Pride Night’ campaign earlier this week. Musk appeared to back Provorov after he faced calls to be expelled from the US.
“The pendulum has swung a bit too far,” tweeted Musk on Friday, replying to a clip in which NHL analyst EJ Hradek suggested that if Provorov doesn’t support liberal US values, he should return to Russia to take part in the military campaign in Ukraine.
“The gay movement, in about 7 years, went from ‘equal rights’ to ‘go f***ing die in a trench war if you don’t wear a pride shirt!’” read the original post from Twitter user Maxwell Meyer to which Musk replied, and which shared the clip of Hradek criticizing Provorov.
Musk commented on the criticism aimed at Provorov.
The row began on Tuesday night when Provorov opted not to join his Philadelphia Flyers teammates for their warmup on the ice before the game against the Anaheim Ducks, during which the players wore special rainbow jerseys.
Provorov, who is Russian Orthodox, later explained that he “respects everybody’s choices” but decided not to take part because he wanted to “stay true to myself and my religion.”
The player, 26, has been defended by Flyers coach John Tortorella, who argued on Thursday that Provorov has “done nothing wrong.” Speaking to journalists, Tortorella said: “Just because you don’t agree with his decision, it doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.”
“[Provorov] didn’t actively seek out and try to make a stand against it [Pride Night]. He just felt he didn’t want to [take part]… He’s not beating a drum, he didn’t say a word, he just wanted to go about his business,” added the coach.
Juventus have been docked 15 points while numerous former club officials have been banned Juventus have been handed a 15-point deduction by the Italian football authorities following an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities. The Turin club has already said it will appeal the punishment. […]
Juventus have been docked 15 points while numerous former club officials have been banned
Juventus have been handed a 15-point deduction by the Italian football authorities following an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities. The Turin club has already said it will appeal the punishment.
In immediate terms, the points deduction means Juventus have plunged from third to tenth place in the Serie A table. They are now 25 points behind league leaders Napoli – who beat them 5-1 earlier this month – and are 12 points adrift of the European qualification spots.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) announced its decision on Friday, and the sanction is even harsher than the nine-point deduction that prosecutors had been seeking in the case. It was announced that former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli – who resigned along with other members of the board in November – has been banned from holding a position in Italian football for two years.
Juventus’ former vice-president Pavel Nedved has been hit with an eight-month ban, while ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici – who now works at English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur – has been banned for 30 months. The London club is trying to ascertain if the sanctions will influence Paratici’s position, with the FIGC reportedly requesting that the punishment be applied across all UEFA and FIFA jurisdiction.
Juventus and former club officials have denied any wrongdoing and have already announced their intention to appeal the decision at the country’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).
Winners of the Italian title a record 36 times, Juventus have faced claims that they fixed their balance sheets by falsely inflating the value of players and misrepresenting losses.
They were initially cleared alongside 10 other clubs in April 2022, but the case was reopened in December after the federal prosecutor appealed against that ruling.
New evidence into Juve’s financing is said to have come to light from a separate investigation by prosecutors in Turin, leading to the case being revived.
After winning the title for nine straight seasons between 2012 and 2020, Juve saw their dominance in Italian football end at the hands of Inter Milan in 2021 and AC Milan in 2022. The Turin club posted a record loss of €240 million ($260 million) for last season, further indicating their downfall.
Elsewhere, Juventus have found themselves at odds with UEFA over plans for the ill-fated European Super League, which collapsed shortly after being announced in April 2021. Along with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, Juventus have continued to maintain that the project can come to fruition, despite widespread opposition from UEFA and with nine of the 12 founding teams all pulling out.
Juventus were famously embroiled in the ‘Calciopoli’ refereeing scandal 17 years ago – one of Italy’s biggest ever sporting controversies. On that occasion, they ended up being demoted to Serie B and losing two Serie A titles.
Andrey Rublev is into the fourth round after victory over Britain’s Dan Evans Russia’s Andrey Rublev swept into the second week of the Australian Open with a big-hitting performance to defeat Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round meeting on Saturday. Fifth seed Rublev outclassed Evans […]
Andrey Rublev is into the fourth round after victory over Britain’s Dan Evans
Russia’s Andrey Rublev swept into the second week of the Australian Open with a big-hitting performance to defeat Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round meeting on Saturday.
Fifth seed Rublev outclassed Evans in straight sets, winning 6-4 6-2 6-3 at Margaret Court Arena. Highlighting Rublev’s dominance, he racked up 60 winners during the contest compared to 20 from the British number 25 seed. The Russian broke his rival’s serve four times, staving off four break points on his own serve.
Rublev, who overtook Daniil Medvedev as Russia’s highest ranked player ahead of the tournament in Melbourne, will next play Danish ninth seed Holger Rune in the fourth round. Rune overcame an injury scare to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert in their third-round match on Saturday.
Rublev, 25, is bidding to reach a seventh quarterfinal at a Grand Slam, and what would be his second in three years in Melbourne. However, he has yet to reach the semifinals of a major and will be aiming to finally break that hoodoo this year.
Crucially, Rublev is finding form after a disappointing start to 2023 which saw him exit two warm-up tournaments in Adelaide in the opening round.
“At the beginning of the season I lost a bit of confidence with those losses, but now I am playing good tennis,” Rublev said after seeing off Evans. “After the first set I was feeling really confident and I knew I could play better, faster and that he was not comfortable with that, so I tried to play even more aggressive.”
Elsewhere in the men’s draw in Melbourne, Russia has representation in the form of Karen Khachanov, who takes on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the fourth round on Sunday. Two-time Australian Open finalist Medvedev saw his hopes ended at the tournament this year when he suffered a shock third-round exit to America’s Sebastian Korda in straight sets on Friday.
Three Russian players were among the 12 selections unveiled by the league following a vote A trio of Russian players have been added to the lineup for the NHL’s 2023 All-Star Game following a fan vote, it was revealed on Thursday. There are set to […]
Three Russian players were among the 12 selections unveiled by the league following a vote
A trio of Russian players have been added to the lineup for the NHL’s 2023 All-Star Game following a fan vote, it was revealed on Thursday. There are set to be nine Russians in total on the rosters for the four-team showpiece.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin have both been voted onto the team for the Metro Division, the NHL announced. In the Atlantic Division, Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been chosen by fans following a vote which closed earlier this week.
In total, 12 players were added to the rosters for the four NHL divisions, completing the 44-man list for the league’s annual showpiece, which this year will take place at FLA LIVE Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on February 3-4. An All-Star Skills Show will be held on the first day, followed by the All-Star Game itself.
Earlier this month, six Russian NHL stars were named among the 32 players – one from each of the league’s teams – who were initially selected by the league’s Department of Hockey Operations as 2023 All-Star participants.
Washington Capitals leader Alexander Ovechkin was named on the Metropolitan Division roster, along with right winger Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes. New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin – winner of the Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s best goalie last season – is also in the Metropolitan Division ranks.
In the Atlantic Division, Russia’s Nikita Kucherov will represent the Tampa Bay Lightning – and will now be joined by compatriot and teammate Vasilevskiy following the fan vote.
For the Central Division, left wing Kirill Kaprizov of Minnesota Wild was earlier selected by the NHL panel. Russia’s Vladimir Tarasenko was also included on the initial Central Division roster, but the St. Louis Blues winger faces a race to recover in time from a hand injury.
The All-Star Game will be played in a 3-on-3 format, in a tournament featuring 11-player teams from each of the league’s four divisions. There will be nine skaters and two goalies in each of the four teams.
Daniil Medvedev has crashed out in in the third round in Melbourne Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev has seen his Australian Open title hopes ended for this year after the Russian suffered a shock defeat to American rival Sebastian Korda in Melbourne on Friday. The misfiring […]
Daniil Medvedev has crashed out in in the third round in Melbourne
Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev has seen his Australian Open title hopes ended for this year after the Russian suffered a shock defeat to American rival Sebastian Korda in Melbourne on Friday.
The misfiring Medvedev was beaten in three sets, 6-7 (7-9) 3-6 6-7 (4-7), in just under three hours at Rod Laver Arena as the seventh seed was outplayed by his 22-year-old opponent.
For Korda, who is the son of Czech former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, the performance was another sign of his burgeoning talent following a run to the final of the Adelaide International earlier this month.
Seeded 29th in Melbourne, Korda will next face Polish tenth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round, in what appears to be an increasingly open section of the men’s draw following the exit of an injury-hit Rafael Nadal on Wednesday.
Medvedev, meanwhile, will rue an early departure from a tournament at which he has gone all the way to the final in the past two editions – losing a five-set epic to Nadal last year and being beaten more comprehensively by Novak Djokovic in 2021.
Medvedev spent a total of 16 weeks as world number one in 2022, but is set to drop outside the ATP top 10 following his disappointing performance in Melbourne.
Despite topping the ratings last year, the 26-year-old Russian has endured mixed fortunes in recent months and has struggled to fully recapture the form that saw him win a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in September 2021.
There was, however, success for Russia in the men’s draw earlier on Friday in Melbourne when number 18 seed Karen Khachanov defeated American 16th seed Frances Tiafoe in four sets, 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (11-9), to set up a last-16 match against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev also remains in contention, and plays Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round contest on Saturday.
