Sports

Ruud Ends Djokovic Jinx In Monte Carlo To Set Up Tsitsipas Title Clash

Published

1 year ago

April 14, 2024

Casper Ruud finally defeated Novak Djokovic at the sixth attempt on Saturday, setting up a Monte Carlo Masters title showdown with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Norwegian eighth seed Ruud, who had been swept off the court by the world number one in a demoralising French Open final loss last year, came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in his semi-final when Djokovic double-faulted after saving two match points.

An inspired Tsitsipas handed world number two Jannik Sinner just his second loss of the season as the two-time champion Greek booked his place in Sunday’s final, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

“I’m super-happy, this is a day I will remember for a really long time,” said Ruud who had never taken a set off Djokovic in their five previous meetings.

“I’ve never beaten Novak and I’ve never beaten a world number one. I’m still in a little bit of shock.”

Ruud and Djokovic traded breaks in the final set, with the Norwegian getting the final word when Djokovic blinked first after just over two and a quarter hours.

“I was up and he came back, the top guys are good under pressure,” Ruud said. “I was just hoping the match would not slip away.

“In the last game I was hoping something or someone up above was listening… I was so happy to see that last ball sail along.”

On Sunday’s final, Ruud added: “Stef will be tough in the final but I will give it my all.”

Djokovic was competing in his first semi-final in Monte Carlo since he lifted his second title in 2015. He was hoping to reach a 59th Masters final.

“Congratulations to Casper. He played really good, especially in the beginning of the first and third set,” said the 36-year-old top seed.

“Of course I’m disappointed now, to lose a match like this… it was a close one.”

‘Great Day’
Tsitsipas’s victory ended the nine-match winning streak of Australian Open champion Sinner who also has titles in Rotterdam and Miami to his name this season.

“Today was a great day, I’m hoping for a good recovery and a fresh mind,” said Tsitsipas. “I hope to come out extra strong tomorrow.”

Sinner began the final set, during which he was twice treated for a right knee injury, with a break of serve.

But he lost it in the eighth game after saving four break points which allowed Tsitsipas to level at 4-4.

The Greek then finished it off by playing what he called “tennis at the highest level that I’ve been able to play recently”.

Tsitsipas, ranked 12th, won the title in Monte Carlo in 2021 and 2022 and declared he is returning to top form after falling out of the top 10.

“It will help my confidence to have a win like this,” he said. “I’m aiming for the top level again.”

Tsitsipas secured the opening set with a break in the third game, but the Italian put up a fight to level in the second.

Sinner broke on the way to a 3-0 lead and fought to save five break points in a 13-minute marathon final game before squaring the match on his second set point.

Sinner said a poor third-set line call caused him to cramp up and lose focus.

Instead of a double-fault being called, which would have given the Italian a double break, the point played on, with Tsitsipas holding serve for 2-3.

After two more games, Sinner called for the trainer.

“It’s hard to accept it,” the Italian second seed said of the call. “I was playing really well at that time.”

“Everyone can make a mistake. Afterwards, I had cramps, most likely because of what happened, because it also affects your nerves.”

Sports

Just in: Chelsea maintains top 4 position after thrashing Everton 1-0

Published

22 hours ago

April 26, 2025

ADMIN

Chelsea on Saturday maintained its top four position in the Premier league after thrashing Everton 1-0 at home.

A lone goal was put behind Everton’s goal keeper at the 27th minute of the second half by M.Jackson of Chelsea, his first goal in the Premiership.

Details….

Sports

Weightlifting Heroes Lift Nigeria’s Spirits with Record-Breaking Gold Medals

Published

1 day ago

April 26, 2025

Admin

Team Nigeria has wrapped up its participation at the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Moka, Mauritius, with a stunning haul of 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its status as a continental powerhouse in the sport.

Nigeria’s final day of competition saw Sarah Ovayioza deliver a show-stopping performance in the women’s 76kg weight class, lifting a combined total of 237kg in the snatch, clean, and jerk. Her flawless execution earned the nation three more gold medals and drew roaring applause from the crowd as she closed out Nigeria’s campaign in style.

Earlier in the tournament, Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele dazzled in the women’s 64kg category, completing a clean sweep of the three gold medals in her weight class.

Following suit, Onome Omolola Didih was the star of the 55kg division with another triple-gold performance, dominating her weight class from start to finish (three gold medals).

Two-time African Games gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal , continued her golden streak in the 59kg category. Her lifts of 95kg (snatch) and 118kg (clean and jerk) for a total of 213kg secured yet another hat-trick of gold medals for Team Nigeria.

In the men’s events, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong powered through the 73kg category with a 147kg snatch to win gold, while narrowly missing out on a gold rush with two silvers in the clean and jerk.

Without minding what day of the week it was, Tuesday Emmanuel contributed to the medal count in the 67kg category, bagging two silver medals and a bronze after a combined lift of 276kg (130kg snatch, 146kg clean & jerk).

Although the championship continues until April 28, Nigeria’s contingent has concluded its events, proudly leaving the stage with one of the most impressive medal tallies recorded in recent history. The team’s performance yet again showcases Nigeria’s continued dominance and rising momentum in international weightlifting.

Sports

Teams that have qualified for the 2025-2026 Champions League

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2025

Austin Ojomah

Today we dive into some of the clubs that have already qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage based on the current standings in some of the top European leagues and teams that have mathematically secured a top finish as of today, April 22, 2025:

Liverpool: They have mathematically secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing their Champions League spot due to England’s strong UEFA coefficient ranking.

Arsenal: They are highly likely to qualify, holding a significant point advantage over sixth place.

Bayer Leverkusen: They have secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich: They have also secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Barcelona: They are currently in a position to qualify through their league standing.

Real Madrid: They are also in a strong position to qualify through their league standing.

Paris Saint-Germain: They are in a qualifying position in Ligue 1.

Now, those are the usual suspects. There are several other teams that have qualified as league champions in their respective countries, though their entry point, i.e., group stage or qualifying rounds, depends on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. Some are familiar; others, not so familiar. They are:

Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)

Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Malmö FF (Sweden)

Kairat (Kazakhstan)

KuPS (Finland)

Shelbourne (Ireland)

RFS (Latvia)

Víkingur (Faroe Islands)

Breiðablik (Iceland)

Linfield (Northern Ireland)

The New Saints (Wales)

Virtus (San Marino)

Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Galatasaray (Türkiye)

Ajax (Netherlands)

Sporting CP (Portugal)

Genk (Belgium)

As the current season winds down, the number of qualified teams will increase. Follow the league standings in the major European leagues and the results of the current Champions League and Europa League to stay updated.