#5-aSideFootball

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Coronavirus: USA Swimming Calls For 2020 Tokyo Olympics To Be Postponed

USA Swimming made the letter public after the US Olympic chiefs said in a conference call on Friday that more time was needed to determine the fate of the Tokyo Games.USOPC chairwoman Susanne Lyons said the American governing body agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that there was no need to make an immediate decision.USA Swimming said Hinchey's letter was the result of a conference call consultation with 85 national team athletes who expressed their concerns to the federation.USA Swimming said social distancing protocols and the stay-at-home orders issued in some parts of the United States in a bid to combat the spread of the deadly virus had already proved too disruptive to training."As this global pandemic has grown, we have watched our athletes' worlds be turned upside down and watched them struggle to find ways to continue to prepare and train -- many for the biggest competitive opportunity of their lives," Hinchey wrote."The right and responsible thing to do is to prioritize everyone's health and safety and appropriately recognize the toll this global pandemic is taking on athletic preparations."It has transcended borders and wreaked havoc on entire populations, including those of our respected competitors. Everyone has experienced unimaginable disruptions, mere months before the Olympic Games, which calls into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all."Our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness should be among the highest priorities."The United States, long an Olympic swimming powerhouse, won 33 medals in the Rio Olympic pool in 2016.Their ultra-competitive Olympic trials are scheduled for June 21-28 in Omaha, Nebraska.But some of the sport's biggest stars -- including freestyle great Katie Ledecky -- have seen their preparations disrupted as pools and other training facilities have been shuttered.The USOPC responded Friday to Hinchey's letter in a joint statement from Hirshland and Lyons."The USOPC has complete and total empathy for the athlete community as they manage the terrible stress and anxiety caused by the current lack of certitude regarding the Tokyo Games," the statement said."We understand that the athletes have concerns about training, qualification and anti-doping controls, and that they want transparency, communication and clarity to the full extent possible. The USOPC has made it clear that all athletes should put their health and wellness, and the health and wellness of the greater community, above all else at this unprecedented moment."At the same time, and as it relates to the Games, we have also heard from athletes that they want the Olympic and Paralympic community to be very intentional about the path forward – and to ensure that we aren't prematurely taking away any athletes' opportunity to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games until we have better clarity."'Higher calling'Bob Bowman, the coach who guided swimming great Michael Phelps to 28 Olympic medals -- 23 of them gold -- said postponing the Games was the best option."It's not only best from a performance statement for the athletes, but also for what these athletes are going through right now in terms of their mental health," Bowman told USA Today."My concern is as they are trying to find places to train and work out, it goes against what we're supposed to be doing to not get the coronavirus."It's forcing them to try to do things that are contrary to our national goal right now. I think there's a higher calling than just your athletic goals. It forces people to kind of work around those and that's not good." Read the full article

[justwosothings]

It’s so cute how Sam probably asked Alicia for Kristie to play some 5 asidefootball and is supportive and Kristie really does all of this for Love like I think they are both really smitten and supportive of eachother

Very cute ☺️

Yeah they do both seems pretty smitten alright, I’m happy for them!

[bigyack-com]

Coronavirus: Australian Cricketers Stick With Handshakes Despite Threat

Australia's cricketers will continue to shake hands, coach Justin Langer said Monday, despite England enforcing a strict fist-bump only policy to prevent spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of three Australians, with the global outbreak forcing a host of sporting fixtures around the world to be cancelled or played behind closed doors. Australia's three-game one-day series against New Zealand begins Friday and Langer said there were no plans to change how the team interacts in the dressing room or on the field. "No, we'll keep shaking hands... there's plenty of hand sanitiser in the Australian kits," he told cricket.com.au Monday following the team's 3-0 series loss in South Africa."I'm sure we'll just keep shaking hands and move on from that," he added.England captain Joe Root last week said his players would be talking sensible precautions on their tour of Sri Lanka."We are not shaking hands with each other, using instead the well-established fist bump, and we are washing hands regularly and wiping down surfaces using the anti-bacterial wipes and gels we've been given in our immunity packs," he said.Langer admitted that some players were exhausted heading into the series against New Zealand having featured in all three formats almost continuously since last year's World Cup, including the likes of leading batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner."The truth is we've got some weary boys at the moment, particularly our senior players," he said."They play so much cricket and you think about what they've done... since we started the World Cup (in England last year)."They're mentally tough guys but it's a real challenge for us."The first one-dayer begins in Sydney on Friday with the second two days later, before the series wraps up in Hobart on March 20. Read the full article

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Seventeen-Year-Old Power-Lifter Struggling To Get Support

Class 12th student Aditi Bairagi has already won many laurels at the state and national level. © NDTV Seventeen-year-old power-lifter Aditi Bairagi is aggressively pumping iron to actualize her dream of making the country proud at the Asian Equipped Powerlifting Championship in Indonesia in May 2020, but lack of financial support to remit the necessary Rs 1.30 lakh for meeting the cost of participation has dashed her hopes.  A resident of Satyam Shivam Colony in Chhindwara was selected by the national power-lifting body to represent India in the 69 kg (sub junior) category at the Asian Equipped Powerlifting Championship slated in Indonesia from May 6-10. Class 12th student Aditi has already won many laurels at the state and national level she said, "I'm working hard to see the national tricolour fly high in Indonesia in May. I fervently hope our CM wont disappoint me by timely helping me." Her grandfather Narayan Das Bairagi said "We somehow managed to arrange half the sum (Rs 65,000) by the February 20 deadline for confirming the participation. But we are unable to arrange the remaining half of the cost of participation due to extreme financial difficulties. We've met all concerned authorities for help, including the Chief Minister and Chhindwara district collector for help, but have failed to get any support till date.   Read the full article

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Ranji Trophy: Sarfaraz Khan Falls Short Of Double-Century But Mumbai In Control

Sarfaraz Khan's 177 took Mumbai to 427 runs on day 2 of their Group B match against Madhya Pradesh here on Thursday. Sarfaraz, whose last five innings include a double ton and a triple ton, shared a 275-run stand with Aakarshit Gomel, who scored 122. Captain Aditya Tare then anchored the tail to take Mumbai to 427 before the bowlers reduced Madhya Pradesh to 200/7. Delhi scored 623 against Rajasthan, thanks to tons from Kunwar Bidhuri and Kshitiz Sharma and their 196-run stand for the seventh wicket. Rajasthan ended the second day at 115/4.Bengal managed to dismiss Punjab for 151 after ending their first innings at 138. They then reached 199/9 at the end of the second day, thus building a lead of 186 runs.Baroda also reduced Karnataka's advantage, after it totalled a paltry 80 in the first innings. Karnataka were dismissed for 233, with Soyeb Sopariya taking five wickets and Baroda building a lead of 60 runs with five wickets in hand at the end of the day.Jaydev Unadkat took six wickets but Narayan Jagadeesan's 183 took Tamil Nadu to 424.Saurashtra are 107/3 at the end of the day.Jammu and Kashmir took a lead of 49 runs after dismissing Haryana for 291 while Himachal Pradesh fought back with Rishi Dhawan's fifer to dismiss Uttar Pradesh for 119. HP lead by 283 runs at the end of the day.Gujarat continue to dominate Andhra Pradesh, taking a lead of 177 runs while Vidarbha trail Hyderabad by 30 runs with six wickets to spare.Among the Plate group matches, Goa managed to beat Mizoram in a match that lasted just under two days. Goa raced to 490/4 on Day 1 before dismissing Mizoram twice on Day 2 and recorded a victory by an innings and 211 runs.Manipur face an uphill battle in trying to avoid an innings defeat as they trail Chandigarh by 576 runs in their second innings. They were dismissed for just 63 in the first.Pondicherry have taken a lead of 341 runs against Nagaland with three wickets in hand. Read the full article

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On road to Tokyo, Li has a point to prove this year - other sports

Michelle Li is well on her way to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Her preparations will include not just those punishing hours on court, but also intense brainstorming sessions off it—to arrange over $150,000 she would need to fund herself along with a travelling coach and phsyio for the crucial year. Despite the challenges, Li, a world No 10, backs herself to win Canada’s first Olympic medal in badminton.Li’s parents moved to Canada from Hong Kong when she was young. Once she decided to take up badminton, she had to fund the costs herself—just like any professional in a global sport. The only difference is that badminton still doesn’t have enough money for a player like Li to sustain her career.The Asian players manage with the backing of their governments and national federations, and the sponsorships they get because of the popularity of the sport in the region help them earn a living.It’s well known that Asia drives badminton’s economy but outside it, if a player doesn’t have sound financial backing, it’s a struggle. The Badminton World Federation has restructured the international circuit with enhanced prize money, but it is still not enough for even a top-10 player like Li to make a living.���No way that I will ever make as much money as someone like say a PV Sindhu or someone from Asia. We can have the same results but that’s it. It’s because of my passion that I keep going and somehow I make it work. It’s for this reason that Canadians are discouraged to take professional badminton because they don’t make money,” Li says.“I have to manage everything on my own—flight tickets, hotels, salary of coach and physio and their travel. One year of expense is over $150,000 for three people right now. I guess it’s like tennis players. It’s just that they make a 100 times more than what we do. For me everything is out of my pocket, prize money. There is any lot more worry and stress that comes with it.”The 28-year-old has Yonex to take care of her equipment and apparel, besides some incentives, but it’s never enough. Going deeper into the draw means more prize money to fuel her dream. In fact, she has never been able to plan her schedule for more than two months.“I plan a month or two ahead but it really depends on my results because a lot of my income comes from my prize money, so if I do well then I can bounce out. I am always looking for sponsors, trying out different things,” she says.But for the first time in her career she is ready for a gamble. In the wake of Olympics, she has decided to plan her schedule in advance. The previous year, she touched a career-high ranking of No 8 in November after winning Macau Open, and making it to semi-finals in China Open, Korea Open, and Japan Open, where she defeated Tai Tzu Ying.The presence of coach and physio at her court side for major part of the year worked for her. “If I want to play and compete against top players, I have to maintain the level and intensity in each match.“I need to recover well after every match. I can play one match really well but then if I can’t recover, or if in the middle of the game there is no one behind me to help I am at a disadvantage from the very beginning. All top players have a coach and physio.”It’s a huge investment but she is willing to bite the bullet. “It’s a hit or miss, but at the same time I know I will be starting at the same level.”“I am still working on the budget, obviously playing in the Premier Badminton League helps.”PBL should ease her financial burden a bit; she was bought by North Eastern Warriors for ~ 20 lakh this season.Li is at the peak of her career. In 2014 she became Canada’s first ever women’s singles gold medallist in Commonwealth Games—she defeated PV Sindhu in the semi-finals—but her career never took off. She was injured in the lead up to the Rio Olympics and had two surgeries—hip and knee. She was out of the circuit for one full year in 2017.“It was tough. I was struggling to figure out if I even wanted to continue” she says.“I wanted to try again because I felt like I hadn’t reached the level I wanted to. I thought I could do better. That sort of feeling motivated me to keep going.”The return to circuit was perilous. She hired a coach for the first time but kept losing in the first rounds. It became difficult to keep going for next six months.“That was the first year I had hired my sparring partner as coach. I remember I didn’t get to go home for six months because I needed to save money to pay for an extra person,” she says.So, Li decided to base herself in Asia (Taiwan), train and play in tournaments. “The first three months were okay but then from the third, it became really hard. I was away from home. I didn’t enjoy it and it was a big factor in terms of how I performed.”Back to Canada she did some soul searching. “The mindset is very important. I have realised when I don’t really play to win or lose, it helps a lot. I perform the best when I am more free and relaxed.”Her financial worries still clouds mind but she has learnt to deal with it better. “When I am on court I try to forget and then after I come off it, I am like, ‘ok I have to think about it again.”Li has the support of the family, but only just. “Sometime they don’t really understand, but they kind of let me do my own things and I think that is their way of supporting me. Read the full article

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Bushfire Bash: Sachin Tendulkar 'Comes Out Of Retirement' To Face Ellyse Perry In Charity Match. Watch Video

Sachin Tendulkar 'came out of retirement' to bat an over for a charity match to aid Australian bushfire relief at the Junction Oval, Melbourne on Sunday. The former India batsman faced Australia woman fast bowler Ellyse Perry in the special over, his first appearance on the cricket field in "five and a half years". Sachin Tendulkar hit a boundary off the first ball, thanks to a misfield by a woman fire-fighter, who had come to field for Ellyse Perry for the special cause. Watch videos of Sachin Tendulkar's batting after "five and a half years": Sachin is off the mark with a boundary!https://t.co/HgP8Vhnk9s #BigAppeal pic.twitter.com/4ZJNQoQ1iQ — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 9, 2020 Amazing to see @sachin_rt coming out of retirement to face an over from @EllysePerry. All for a good cause! Get involved| https://t.co/3iqqzeM4BO #BigAppeal pic.twitter.com/t9jrYjxvEK — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 9, 2020 On Saturday, Tendulkar revealed in a tweet that he has a shoulder injury but promised that he will come out to bat "against the advice of his doctor". "Sounds great Ellyse. I would love to go out there and bat an over (much against the advice of my doctor due to my shoulder injury). Hope we can generate enough money for this cause, and to get me out there in the middle," Tendulkar tweeted in reply to Perry's challenge on social media. Sounds great Ellyse. I would love to go out there & bat an over (much against the advice of my doctor due to my shoulder injury). Hope we can generate enough money for this cause, & to get me out there in the middle. You can get involved & donate now on https://t.co/IObcYarxKr https://t.co/gl3IVirCBY — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 8, 2020 In a video tweeted by Australian women's cricket team, Perry can be heard saying: "Hey Sachin, it's awesome to have you out here in Australia supporting the Bushfire match." "I know you're coaching one of the teams but a few of us were sitting around last night chatting and we thought it would be absolutely amazing to see you potentially come out of retirement for one over in the innings break out here at Junction Oval," she added. The match will raise money for victims of the blazes which began in September and have left at least 33 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. "We'd love to have a bowl to you and obviously fetch a few balls from over the boundary that you've hit. We thought it would be an awesome way to raise a bit more money for the Bushfire Appeal, which I know you're already doing so much for," Perry said. "If you're at all up for it, we'd love to have you out here -- I know there'd be some girls very keen to field some balls that you hit. So let us know, and thanks again for everything," she added. In the 10-over-a-side match, former Australia batsman Ricky Ponting and West Indies legend Brian Lara impressed with strokeful 26 and 30 runs respectively. The Ponting XI scored 104/5 in their allotted 10 overs against Adam Gilchrist-led Gilchrist XI. Read the full article

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FIH Pro League: India Stun World Champions Belgium 2-1

Ramandeep Singh scored the decisive goal in the 47th minute via a penalty corner to give world number four India a victory in front of a frenzied crowd at the same venue where the home side beat the Dutch twice. With this sensational victory, India consolidated their ranking from No. 5 to No.4 for the first time since the world ranking system was introduced in 2003. The two sides meet again on Sunday at the same venue. After getting off to a rollicking start in their maiden FIH Hockey Pro League with a 5-2 and 3-1 shoot-out (3-3 in regulation time) win against the Netherlands, India did well to halt Belgium's winning streak in the ongoing FIH Pro League. Coming into this match with identical 4-2 wins against Australia and 6-2 and 3-1 triumph against New Zealand, Belgium struggled to convert their chances against India. Despite dominating with ball possession, making as many as 38 circle entries, taking 24 shots on goal and 12 penalty corners, the Belgian unit could not muster much success inside the circle. The Belgians were denied thanks to stand-out performance by Indian goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Krishan Pathak who lived up to the billing hooter-to-hooter, backing India's defence by knocking off pretty much every opportunity created by the visiting team strikers. Pathak, who was named Player of the Match, said, "We started well and worked very hard. We are very proud of our defence of our penalty corners." Belgium skipper Thomas Briels rued his team's missed chances. "It was a tough match and playing India at home is never easy. We could not convert our chances. There have been many times when PCs have saved us but today the Indian goalkeepers were outstanding and hopefully we can seek revenge tomorrow," he said. The Indians were quick to get off the blocks with debutant Raj Kumar Pal setting up a fantastic goal within 90 seconds of play as he passed from the left flank to Dilpreet Singh on top of the circle. Young forward Dilpreet, making his comeback in the Indian squad after over a year, took a powerful shot on goal which found a perfect deflection from Mandeep Singh who was positioned in front of Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch. It was Pathak who ensured Belgium did not bounce back. He was kept busy all of 15 minutes in the first quarter with Belgium creating plenty of opportunities which included as many as five penalty corners. Belgium's wait to convert a goal ended only in the third quarter when they made a good variation of a penalty corner, opening up the angle to trick India's rushers and made enough space for Gauthier Boccard to put the ball past Pathak to level scores in the 33rd minute. With scores reading 1-1, it was a tense final quarter but India pushed back Belgium by scoring another goal. It was Ramandeep, who after injecting the ball during a penalty corner battery, picked up a rebound off Belgium's first rusher to score the goal. Though Belgium created penalty corners in the dying minutes of the match, India held their nerves and experienced goalkeeper Sreejesh ensured India sealed the game to stay at second position in the points table. Belgium are still on top with 11 points from five games. The victory was also India's 50th win against Belgium. Read the full article

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Caroline Wozniacki Gets Special Message From Liverpool Legend Steven Gerrard. Watch

Caroline Wozniacki, who ended her tennis career after her defeat in the Australian Open, received a very special retirement message from Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. The former world No.1 tweeted the video and wrote: "As a Life long @LFC supporter, I can't tell you how much pride this video gives me!!! Thank you so much #stevengerrard !!! And as always, go reds!!!! #YNWA". In the video, the former Liverpool captain congratulates Wozniacki for her "incredible career" and says that he's really enjoyed watching her."Hello Caroline, I hope you're well and good. I hope you're enjoying retiring and getting some rest," Gerrard began the video. "I just want to say congratulations for an incredible career.""You gave us so many highs over the years. I've really enjoyed watching you," added Gerrard, who is currently managing Scottish Premiership club Rangers."Major congratulations to you and I wish you all the best for the future. Good luck," he finished off.Watch Gerrard's message for Wozniacki here: As a Life long @LFC supporter, I can't tell you how much pride this video gives me!!! Thank you so much #stevengerrard !!! And as always, go reds!!!! #YNWA pic.twitter.com/IhF1M016Xt — Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) February 4, 2020Caroline Wozniacki's glittering tennis career ended in tears at the Australian Open when she was beaten by lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. The Danish former world number one had announced in December that the Australian Open would be her final tournament.The 29-year-old brought the curtain down on a career that saw her win 30 WTA titles, with her sole Grand Slam triumph coming in 2018 at Melbourne Park.She finished 2010 and 2011 as world number one, and ascended to the top ranking again in 2018, the same year she finally won her maiden Grand Slam.(With inputs from AFP) Read the full article

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Prajnesh Gunneswaran looks to move past injuries in Olympic year - tennis

Prajnesh Gunneswaran had a great start to the year 2019. He qualified for the Australian Open in January and followed up with a qualification at the Indian Wells in March, where he defeated the likes of Benoit Paire in the 2nd round and world no. 18 at the time, Nikoloz Basilashvil in the third round. He later qualified for the Miami Open in the same month. Gunneswaran managed to qualify for all the four Grand Slams in the same year, and rose to his career best ATP Rankings of 75.Speaking in an exclusive telephonic chat with Hindustan Times on the sidelines of Tata Open, Gunneswaran said: “2019 was a pretty good year. I did a lot of firsts. I attained my career best rankings. But the year did not end well as I would have liked.”Injuries hampered Gunneswaran’s momentum in the latter half of 2019. In November, the Indian tennis player lost his father S. G. Prabhakaran, just three weeks before he was supposed to get married. “I had some bad results towards the second half of the year. I suffered some injuries. Some unfortunate personal things at the end of the year also affected my performance,” the 30-year-old said.The Chennai tennis star suffered a shoulder injury in the summer, which was followed by wrist injuries towards the end of the year. Addressing the same, Gunneswaran said: “Well, I was injured throughout the summer. I had shoulder issues for a few months. And then wrist injury at the end of the year... so it obviously affected me. I couldn’t do as well as I would have liked,” he said.In the highly billed US Open first round clash against the rising star Daniil Medvedev, Prajnesh also twisted his ankle and bowed out after losing in straight sets. Speaking on the same, he said: “That’s just unfortunate (fall against Medvedev). It happens sometimes, you trip, you fall. You try to do something, and you just switch on in one match, one week, or two weeks. It wasn’t an injury as such. But it was unfortunate that it happened in that match.”Prajnesh, though, admitted that he had little idea how to challenge Medvedev even if he was not injured, since the Russian was in supreme form. “But Medvedev was on fire at the time. I am not sure what could I have done. But it could have been nice for me to see how far can I go playing at that level.”Before entering the Australian Open tournament this year, Prajnesh was still not fully fit. “No, I was not fully fit going into the Australian Open this year. I had tendonitis in my wrist which affected my forehand and I was also having trouble on my serves,” he said. He crashed out of the tournament after a first round defeat at the hands of Japanese wildcard entrant Tatsuma Ito. In case he would have won the match, an encounter against Novak Djokovic was on the cards in the second round. “I was not focused on the potential Djokovic clash. I was focused on my first round opponent to be honest.”Now, with the start of the new year, Prajnesh is hopeful he will find his rhythm back. “I am almost okay. My wrist troubles are almost sorted and shoulder is doing better as well. I am hoping to perform better in the Tata Open tournament in Pune,” he said. “I still have my tennis, I still believe I have the game to go further than I did last year. So I look forward to try to make that happen.” 2020 is an Olympic year, and Prajnesh, who is currently placed at 123 in ATP Rankings, has a tough road ahead for him in case he is looking to qualify for Tokyo. Speaking on Olympics aspirations, the tennis player said: “It really depends on the next couple of months, whether I will eye Tokyo Olympics. It is of course, a target. But I have to see how the next few tournaments go to make up my mind on it,” he said. Read the full article

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Premier League: Mohamed Salah scores twice as Liverpool power 22 points clear - football

Liverpool surged 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a dominant second-half display as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a 4-0 rout of Southampton on Saturday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson also scored and the runaway leaders have collected an astonishing 100 league points from the last 102 available to them. A 24th victory in 25 league matches this season and ninth clean sheet in 10 games underlined how Jurgen Klopp’s side have turned the title race into a procession.Southampton’s spirited performance at Anfield was undone, in controversial fashion, two minutes into the second half after Danny Ings appealed that he had been tripped by Fabinho on his way into the home area. Liverpool broke immediately upfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain spearheading a counter-attack which ended in an exchange of passes with Roberto Firmino, and a brilliant finish into the bottom corner of the Southampton goal.The visitors appealed furiously that they should have been awarded the earlier penalty only to be met with an unfavourable decision from VAR. That proved to be a moot point eventually with Henderson and Salah adding goals in quick succession after the hour.Henderson doubled the lead from a move started when he closed down a clearance from keeper Alex McCarthy and Trent Alexander-Arnold returned it upfield. Firmino chased the pass down and laid the ball off for Henderson to drive in an unstoppable finish.Twelve minutes later Henderson himself set up the third, with a magnificent pass which just eluded Jan Bednarek and allowed Salah to chase through and lift the ball over the keeper. Firmino and substitute Takumi Minamino wasted glorious chances to add to the score before Salah did just that in the final minute to give Liverpool their 20th successive home league win.- Rampant Reds -It came from more strong play by Firmino, who held off defender Jack Stephens before squaring for his Egyptian team-mate to score with an untidy, deflected shot.Yet, despite the impressive weight of statistical form that Liverpool brought into the game, Southampton were themselves looking for a fifth consecutive league away win and could have been on course for it by the interval.The first period ended with the Saints actually out-performing the leaders and, with better finishing, they would have been in control.Instead, Liverpool could point to their best, and only real, chance of the first half and bemoan the fact they were denied what looked a strong penalty appeal on the half hour.Virgil van Dijk missed a good opportunity with only McCarthy to beat, back-heeling at the keeper who then did well to block Firmino’s follow-up effort.Liverpool retained possession and Jordan Henderson crossed into the six-yard area where Firmino appeared to be brought down on the goalline by Shane Long.Despite the vocal appeals from Liverpool players and crowd alike, VAR chose not to overrule referee Kevin Friend, a reprieve that Southampton looked in the mood to take advantage of before the half expired.They were helped by a series of uncharacteristic Liverpool errors, both forced and unforced, which gifted the visitors a series of chances.An Ings shot was well blocked by Joe Gomez, after Firmino gave the ball straight to him, a Gomez error allowed Long a strike which Alisson parried while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ings, again, had promising openings.It was all part of an enthralling, if goalless, first half, with Moussa Djenepo’s shot having been tipped over earlier by Alisson and McCarthy doing likewise at the other end to deny Oxlade-Chamberlain.But Liverpool’s strong start to the second half altered the dynamic of the game and moved the Reds another step closer to their first English title since 1990.str/smg/jc Read the full article

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Australian Open 2019: Medvedev cruises to set up Wawrinka last-16 clash - tennis

World number four Daniil Medvedev eased past Alexei Popyrin in straight sets Saturday to set up a last-16 clash with former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka. The tall Russian had few problems dispatching the unseeded Australian 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena as he steps up his quest for a maiden Grand Slam crown. “I knew it was not going to be easy and happy to win in straight sets,” said Medvedev, insisting he had no expectations in Melbourne.“(But) of course every time no matter what tournament I’m super disappointed (if I lose).“Hopefully I can win seven matches here, but very tough.”He now plays experienced 2014 champion Wawrinka after the Swiss got an easy ride through his clash against John Isner, with the American retiring injured while losing 6-4, 6-1. Wawrinka, a former world number three who has never returned to his best since knee surgery in 2017, said he was happy to be in the second week of a Slam once again.“I think I was playing well again today,” he said. “I was really happy the way I was moving, the way I was playing. “That’s very positive. It’s great to be back in the second week, that’s for sure. Feeling way better.”Popyrin conceded an early break and was never allowed into the match by a man seeded behind only the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. After Medvedev rattled through the first set, Popyrin went off for treatment for a leg problem midway through the second.When he returned the Russian was ruthless, wrapping up the set then completing a routine victory, using his strength and big serve to good effect. Read the full article

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic the man to beat, again, at Melbourne Park - tennis

Gary Lineker’s celebrated quote that soccer is a simple game that “the Germans always win” might well be adapted to tennis and the inescapable dominance of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. For a tournament that has been thrown into some doubt by bushfire smoke in the leadup, a record-extending eighth Grand Slam title for the defending champion Serbian would hardly be a breath of fresh air for many fans at Melbourne Park.Some might prefer the romance of a Roger Federer triumph in the twilight of his career or for one of the younger generation finally to break through and end the stranglehold of the ‘Big Three’, who have divided the last 12 Grand Slam titles between them. Djokovic is unlikely to care a jot for those sentiments, and if the bookmakers are to be believed, is set to crush them ruthlessly.The 32-year-old may never feel the affections of the crowd savoured by Federer and Spaniard Rafa Nadal but his record of 16 Grand Slam titles is proof that tennis is no popularity contest.That was never more clear than in last year’s final when he routed Nadal 6-3 6-2 6-3 with a devastating display that left the Mallorcan and the Rod Laver Arena terraces stunned.For Djokovic, Melbourne Park is more than just a tennis centre parked on the banks of a murky river.Over the years, it has become something of a temple for the Serb who has spoken of feeling touched by the “divine” when in full flight on the blue hardcourts.Across the river are Melbourne’s Botanical Gardens, where Djokovic climbs a favourite fig tree and communes with nature in peace.Djokovic has generally kept his buildups quiet before easing into his work at the Australian Open but he has been front and centre in the new season, leading Serbia to victory over Spain in the inaugural ATP Cup final on Sunday.His inspired 6-2 7-6(4) win over world number one Nadal was a snapshot of the pair’s recent rivalry as he coolly produced all the answers when tested by the all-action Spaniard.If the tournament progresses according to seedings, the pair will again face off in the final.Nadal, the reigning French and U.S. Open champion, would have his work cut out plotting the downfall of a rival he has not beaten on a hardcourt for nearly seven years.The 33-year-old claimed his sole Australian Open trophy in 2009, back in the days when he wore pirate shorts and had long hair.Yet arriving in rude physical health, he may have his best chance of a second.That would see him match Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles and fire up the debate about who is “greatest” of all time.Yet even at 38, six-times champion Federer may have a say on that.The world number three Swiss has not lost to Nadal on a hard court since the semi-finals of the 2014 Australian Open and would surprise few if he extended the streak in Melbourne.Federer may find more challenging obstacles earlier in the draw from hungry, young talents unburdened by the psychological weight of years of ‘Big Three’ beat-downs.Among them, fiery Russian Daniil Medvedev will be keen to take the next step after pushing Nadal to the wall in the U.S. Open final.Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the season-ending ATP Finals, will be another to watch at Melbourne Park where the city’s big Greek community will be right behind him. The 21-year-old set the tournament alight with a run to last year’s semi-finals which included a brilliant fourth-round upset of his idol Federer. Read the full article

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‘Hazardous’ bushfire smoke hits Australian Open build-up - tennis

Toxic smoke from raging bushfires hit the Australian Open build up Tuesday as a qualifier retired with breathing difficulties and Eugenie Bouchard needed medical attention, while other players struggled in soaring pollution. Air quality in Melbourne, habitually ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, was among the worst on the planet and described as “hazardous” by city authorities. Qualifying for the first Grand Slam of the year started late due to the conditions and Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic did not cope well, bringing an early end to her match against Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele after a coughing fit.“I was really scared that I would collapse. That’s why I went onto the floor because I couldn’t walk anymore,” she later told reporters, with searing heat not helping. “It’s not healthy for us,” she added.”I was surprised, I thought we would not be playing today but we don’t have much choice.”Former Australian Open semi-finalist Bouchard also had problems and needed a medical time-out after reportedly complaining of a sore chest. She recovered to win the third set and the match.Elsewhere in Melbourne, Maria Sharapova took to the court as scheduled against Germany’s Laura Siegemund at the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament. Both players agreed to call an early halt to the high-intensity contest at 7-6 (7/4), 5-5 in the German’s favour after more than two hours, with the Russian star saying she could feel “a bit of a cough coming out through the end of the second set”.The deterioration in conditions followed months of deadly bushfires that have engulfed huge swathes of the Australian countryside, leaving at least 27 people dead and more than 2,000 homes destroyed.- ‘Stay indoors’ -Melbourne’s city government urged residents to “stay indoors, keep windows and doors shut, and keep pets inside” on Twitter. Tennis officials have said there is little chance of the Australian Open being delayed, but that air quality is being monitored and umpires can halt matches to protect players’ health. Practice on outside courts was suspended but big-name players including world number one Rafael Nadal were not affected, with their hit-outs going ahead on Rod Laver Arena with the roof closed.Australia’s weather bureau said there was widespread smoke across central and eastern Victoria state, including Melbourne, which was expected to clear by Wednesday afternoon. World number five Elina Svitolina tweeted: “Why do we need to wait for something bad to happen to do an action,” alongside a chart describing air quality in the city as “very unhealthy”.Mandy Minella, the world number 140 from Luxembourg, said she was “shocked” that qualifying was allowed to take place. “What about the health of all the people that have to work out there, especially the ballkids?” she tweeted.America’s Noah Rubin complained on Twitter that players weren’t being kept up to date and that the “lack of information on how to proceed is scary”.- ‘Everyone was sent an email’ -Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley rejected the criticism and said that “everyone was sent an email”. “It’s unfortunate he missed that announcement for a variety of reasons,” he said, adding that all decisions were made on expert advice. Tiley said last week it was unlikely that the Grand Slam would be delayed, regardless of the conditions, after world number two Novak Djokovic suggested the option should be on the table.He noted that Melbourne Park has three roofed stadiums and eight other indoor courts, while meteorological and air-quality experts will be on site to monitor conditions. Any smoke hazards will be treated in a similar way to extreme heat and rain, with umpires able to stop play if it is considered too dangerous to continue.Several sports events have fallen victim to thick smoke since the fires first ignited, including last month’s SOLAS Big Boat Challenge in Sydney and a Big Bash cricket match in Canberra.But dozens of other fixtures have gone ahead. Leading tennis players and other sports stars have been quick to respond to the crisis, pledging money to relief efforts. Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Nadal are set to headline a fundraising exhibition at Melbourne Park on Wednesday. Read the full article

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Barcelona sack Valverde and appoint Quique Setien as successor - football

Spanish champions Barcelona have sacked their coach Ernesto Valverde and appointed Quique Setien as his replacement, the club announced on Monday. The decision to remove Valverde was confirmed following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours at Camp Nou on Monday afternoon.Barca are top of La Liga but have won only one of their last five matches. Valverde is the first coach the club has sacked mid-season since Louis van Gaal in 2003.“FC Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde have reached an agreement to terminate the contract that united both parties,” read a club statement released on Monday night.Setien will be presented in a press conference at Camp Nou at 2.30pm local time (1330 GMT) on Tuesday.“Barcelona and Quique Setien have reached an agreement for the latter to become first team coach until 30 June 2022,” the club said. “Setien is one of the most experienced coaches in Spanish football,” it added. “Throughout his career he has been a proponent of possession based, attacking football that has been attractive to the fans.”His first game in charge will be at home to Granada on Sunday. Barcelona play Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and Real Madrid in the league at the start of March. Setien has made no secret of his admiration for the stylistic traditions of Barcelona, with the 61-year-old also renowned for favouring an exciting, offensive mode of football. A former player of Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander, he was circled as a potential Barca coach during a particularly successful period in charge of Real Betis. Setien led Betis to a sixth-place finish in 2018 and qualification for the Europa League but, despite overseeing a thrilling 4-3 victory at Camp Nou early the following season, results tailed off. Betis finished 10th and the club and coach parted ways in the summer. Previously, he also helped Las Palmas avoid relegation from La Liga in 2016. A footballing purist, Setien and Barcelona would seem a good fit, particularly if the players feel released from some of Valverde’s more pragmatic tendencies. But critics of Setien would argue style often takes precedence over substance and it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure of matching aesthetics with results at one of the world’s most demanding clubs. He will also have to do without Luis Suarez, who will be missing for the next four months after having surgery on his right knee. - European failures haunt Valverde -Doubts had surrounded Valverde for several months and were underpinned by two disastrous exits from the Champions League. Barcelona’s shocking collapse against Roma in 2018 was followed by a similar capitulation against Liverpool last year. Familiar fragility had been evident this season and a 3-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday, in which Barcelona conceded two late goals, prompted the board to act. Valverde arrived two hours early for his last training session with the squad at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Monday morning before meeting with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Bartomeu then drove to Camp Nou, where he held a board meeting with several club officials including chief executive Oscar Grau, technical secretary Javier Bordas, vice president Jordi Cardoner and sporting director Eric Abidal. Grau and Abidal had returned to Barcelona on Sunday after spending the weekend in Qatar, where they had offered the job to Xavi, only for the club’s iconic former midfielder to indicate he was not ready to come immediately. In Valverde’s two seasons, his team won two La Liga titles, as well as the Copa del Rey in 2018, and another league success remained very much in sight this term, despite Madrid’s impressive form in recent weeks. But Barca’s performances have been unconvincing and there were lingering concerns about Valverde’s more functional tactics, which appear to have informed the switch to Setien. When Valverde arrived in 2017, Barcelona were wounded, hurting after the shock departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and humiliated, as consecutive defeats by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup hinted at trouble for the season ahead. Instead, he steadied the ship and galvanised the team. They lost one league game en route to winning the title and the year after, they were champions again, finishing 11 points ahead of Atletico and 19 clear of Real. Increasingly, though, Valverde’s achievements faded from view and his failures began to overshadow them. On Monday, Barcelona decided his time was up. Read the full article

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Man City fans given five-year bans over Sterling racist abuse - football

Two Manchester City supporters have received five-year bans from football matches and lifetime suspensions from the Premier League champions’ stadium after being found guilty of racist abuse.Ian Baldry, 58, made a racist comment towards City and England winger Raheem Sterling as he celebrated scoring a goal in a Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in December 2018.The defendant from Yorkshire pleaded guilty in September to causing racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.On Friday, he was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court and also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay 170 pound court costs.In a witness statement against the defendant another supporter present at the match told police “it was disgusting in this day and age that this was going on.“I was shocked and offended and felt sick to my stomach when I heard it.” Baldry’s friend, James McConnell, from Manchester, was heard making racist remarks about two match stewards at the same game.Witnesses described McConnell as being drunk and abusive throughout the first half and regularly using foul language to insult the players on the pitch, said Greater Manchester Police.The 57-year-old went on to make a comment about the race of a Bournemouth player, reportedly defender Tyrone Mings.A fellow fan confronted McConnell about his behaviour and later reported him to stewards.McConnell was also spotted shouting similar comments at a City player who took a corner at a home game against Newcastle two months earlier, said police.He was also sentenced in Manchester after pleading guilty.Racism continues to scar football, with England’s Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria twice stopped due to racism in the stands earlier this season, while Gareth Southgate’s team encountered the same issue in another match in Montenegro.Last season, a banana was thrown at Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by a Tottenham fan, while Sterling was subjected to alleged racist abuse in a match at Chelsea.Numerous football fixtures in Italy have also been marred by racism. Read the full article