Sports
Super Sinner Destroys Medvedev To Reach Miami Final
Italy’s Jannik Sinner destroyed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 in just 69 minutes on Friday to reach the final of the ATP Miami Open.
World number three Sinner will face either Germany’s Alexander Zverev or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday’s final and will be a clear favorite after his display of power and skill in the semi-finals.
The Italian had lost to Medvedev in the Miami final last year but beat him in the Australian Open final in January.
The outcome was never in doubt this time as Sinner utterly dominated from the outset.
Sinner broke Medvedev’s first service game to go 2-0 up in the opening set, pinning the Russian in the corner at the end of a long rally before blasting a winner past him.
While the 22-year-old looked fresh and fired up, blasting with power from the baseline while inventive when he came to the net, Medvedev was struggling to just hold his serve and the Italian broke again in the fourth game, taking advantage of his fourth break point.
A rattled-looking Medvedev finally held in the sixth game but Sinner served out to love to complete a first-set rout in just 33 minutes.
It was the same story in the second set, Sinner breaking to love from the start. The Russian looked dejected after he went wide on a break point to fall to 4-1 down, one of a series of unusually poorly executed shots from the 28-year-old.
Sinner met little resistance on his way to serving out for the match and acknowledged that his emphatic win was helped by the out of sorts nature of his opponent’s play.
“I felt great on court today. Usually the more you go on in a tournament, the more comfortable you feel and I’m very happy about today’s performance,” he said.
“I think Daniel didn’t feel this well today. He made a lot of mistakes which he usually doesn’t make, so I just took the chance. I was expecting a really tough match.”
Sinner has won five straight matches against Medvedev after having lost their first six encounters — the last of which was in the Miami final last year.
Sinner, who enjoyed a run of 19 wins before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final at Indian Wells, said he is now a very different proposition than when he missed out in the Miami final.
“I’m a different player, a different person,” he said.
“Sometimes, I think back and I remember the night before the final. I couldn’t sleep, I was sweating during the night and now I handle the situation much, much better.
“I’m just excited and happy to come back and hopefully I can play some good tennis on Sunday.”
AFP
Manchester City beat Arsenal in their major Premier League title race clash at the Etihad thanks to Erling Haaland’s winner.
Pep Guardiola’s side defeated their rivals 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to move to within three points of the league leaders.
Rayan Cherki opened the scoring in the first half, before Kai Havertz pounced on a Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error to equalise.
And then during a tense second half, Haaland managed to find the all-important winner to sink the Gunners in Manchester.
Man City now know they can move to the top of the Premier League table with a win over Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.
Erling Haaland’s goal is the difference and Man City now have the chance to move to the top of the Premier League.
They’ll be celebrating tonight – but not too hard, ahead of their meeting with Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.
As for Arsenal, it’s a nightmare evening for them.
The Gunners had the quadruple in their sights a few weeks ago, but now, after losing four of their last six, hopes are doomed.
There will be no Carabao Cup, no FA Cup, and now potentially no Premier League following their dismal run.C CB.
Real Sociedad edged Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties to win the Copa del Rey for a fourth time in the club’s history after a 2-2 draw in a gripping final on Saturday in Seville.
After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.
Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman levelling for Atletico.
Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.
La Real’s season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December, and he resuscitated their campaign.
At La Cartuja stadium it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.
Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.
Simeone’s side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.
Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.
Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.
Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian’s recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.
Musso clumsily clattered Guedes fists first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.
Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.
After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.
Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.
Alvarez forces extra time
Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.
Eventually the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.
The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.
With La Real caving Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.
Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.
At the other end Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.
Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico’s first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.
However Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad’s fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.
Atletico’s last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in the Champions League where they face Arsenal in the semi-finals.
AFP
Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge to put a huge 10-point gap between Michael Carrick’s Red Devils in third and Liam Rosenior’s hapless Blues in sixth
United take three vital points at Stamford Bridge to further strengthen their ambitions of European football next season.
Matheus Cunha scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time to maintain interim manager Michael Carrick’s impressive tenure since taking charge in January.
For the Blues, who saw a goal ruled out and twice hit the woodwork, they remain in sixth but failed to make a dent in the four-point gap between them and fifth-placed Liverpool.
The result means Liam Rosenior’s side are on a run of four successive top-flight defeats for the first time since the 1990s – doing so without scoring a single goal.
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