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Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz to Win Olympic Tennis Gold

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia, 34, has finished a career milestone that long eluded him as he bagged his very first-ever gold medal in tennis at the Olympics.

On Sunday, Djokovic of Serbia defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz to finish among the sport’s legends as the fifth player ever to finish a career Golden Slam.

Djokovic, 37, won a thrilling final at Roland Garros on Sunday 7-6 [7/3], 7-6 [7/2]. It took him to 24 Grand Slam titles and he became the oldest singles champion since tennis’s return to the Olympic program in 1988.

The victory puts him in the distinguished company of Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams as the only players to have won all four Grand Slams and an Olympic singles gold.

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Alcaraz was looking for his shot at Olympic gold after an excellent summer that had seen him win both the French Open and Wimbledon; this tenacious display from Djokovic denied him.

He did celebrate quite emotionally, however. He held high the Serbian flag and shared a moment with his family in the player’s box.

We almost played three hours, the final shot was the only moment when I was sure I could win the match,” Djokovic said after a battle that must have tired him to the core, particularly as he had lost to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final recently.

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A clearly emotional Alcaraz could barely conceal disappointment in a post-match interview. “Three hours, a big battle with tough moments,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s very painful to lose.

In terms of both endurance and skill, both players did very well: neither gave up serve, with Djokovic saving a few break points to cruise through both tiebreaks and seal the win after two hours and 50 minutes of high-quality tennis.

In the other Olympic tennis news, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti won the bronze medal after defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime to take his country’s first men’s tennis medal for a century.

Then there was the women’s doubles, where the Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider could win gold but would not be registered as such in the official medals table like all Russian success as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.

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Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain won the bronze in the women’s doubles, finishing off a fairy-tale tournament run after defeating Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

Djokovic’s historic win adds another illustrious chapter to his career and makes him one of the all-time greats in tennis.

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Haaland signs 10-year contract with Manchester City

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By Francesca Hangeior.

 

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has signed a new 10-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2034, the club announced on Friday.

The 24-year-old Norwegian, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, has been a pivotal figure in the club’s recent successes.

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His initial contract was set to expire in 2027, but the new deal reflects the club’s confidence in Haaland’s importance to their future.

“Erling Haaland has signed a new 10-year Manchester City contract, keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2034,” the statement said.

Reflecting on the new contract, Haaland expressed his delight at extending his stay.

“I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club.

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“Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters, and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody,” he said.

Haaland thanked his teammates, manager Pep Guardiola, and the City staff, stating, “They have made this such a special place to be, and now I am City no matter what. I want to keep developing, keep working to get better, and help us achieve more success going forward.”

Since his arrival, Haaland’s impact has been nothing short of extraordinary. In his debut 2022/23 season, he scored 52 goals across all competitions, the highest-ever tally by a Premier League player in a single season, breaking the previous league record of 36 goals.

His goals were instrumental in City’s historic treble-winning campaign, which included the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles.

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In addition to collective success, Haaland garnered numerous individual accolades in his debut season, including the PFA Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year awards.

Despite an injury that sidelined him for nearly two months during the 2023/24 season, Haaland continued his prolific form, scoring 38 goals in 45 appearances, including 27 in the Premier League, securing a second consecutive Golden Boot.

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SAD: Footballer slumps, dies during match in Osun

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By Francesca Hangeior.

 

Osun State Police Command has confirmed the death of Adeyemi Adewale, a football player for the Ilesa West Local Government Area team, who slumped during a match in Osogbo, the state capital.

Adewale, 29, was participating in the Adeleke Memorial Cup Final match at the Ataoja School of Science on Thursday when he collapsed on the field.

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Efforts to save him proved futile as he was rushed to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead upon arrival.

Spokesperson for the Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death have commenced.

“Today, (Thursday) while the Adeleke Memorial Cup Final match was going on at Ataoja School of Science, one Adeyemi Adewale ‘M’ 29yrs, a player of Ilesa West Football team, slumped on the pitch.

“He was rushed to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, where he was later confirmed dead by a doctor,” the statement said.

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The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the teaching hospital’s morgue.

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Remarkable Comeback As Amad Diallo 12 Minute Hat-trick Seals Victory For Manchester United Vs Southampton

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Three late goals from Amad Diallo dragged a below-par Manchester United to a 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday.

Amad Diallo proved the saviour for Manchester United once again as they came from behind to sneak a late win against basement club Southampton.

United will have fancied their chances of getting back to winning ways against bottom of the table Southampton, but the hosts were second best from the off, deservedly falling behind to a Manuel Ugarte own goal just before halftime.

Staring down the barrel of another home defeat, United upped the ante after the break, getting back on level terms through Diallo eight minutes from time, before the Ivorian completed the turnaround in the 90th minute.

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Amad Diallo is the hero for the hosts, his hat-trick getting them out of a huge hole against a Southampton team who deserved more than they got from the game.

An absorbing and entertaining game ends in a home victory.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have Amad Diallo to thank for saving their blushes.

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