AFTER Rafa Nadal won a thrilling four-set encounter with Nick Kyrgios, the Spaniard repeated his lament that he had got a tough draw at the All England Club, ahead of his third-round clash against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday (6).
Although Nadal is ranked second in the world, his absence from numerous grasscourt tournaments ultimately gave him the third seeding at Wimbledon, prompting him to complain before the tournament got underway.
"It's true that I have been (handed) a tough draw, a tough opponent for a second round," Nadal said after his victory over Kyrgios. "You want to face less in a second round like this, especially here.
"Now I have another tough opponent in Tsonga. Every match is tough, my draw is (a) tough one."
While Nadal had to dig deep against Kyrgios, Tsonga has yet to drop a set.
The 34-year-old said he had been shown a lack of respect after his first-round opponent Bernard Tomic was fined for playing below standards in a match that lasted only 58 minutes -- the shortest Wimbledon men's match for 15 years.
"In the third set he played and it was tight," Tsonga said. "And I played well to win this set. So I don't know."
Tsonga's frustration at his victory being questioned stems from his own struggles to claw his way back up the rankings after falling out of the top 100.
He played only 12 matches in 2018, missing three Grand Slams with a knee injury, which led to his singles ranking plummeting from 15 to 262.
A title win in Montpellier in February helped him to recover some measure of consistency and move up to 72nd, 70 places below Nadal.
Tsonga has an uncanny ability to get results against top players and he has beaten the Spaniard four times in his career, winning their last meeting in 2015.
The pair will have to wait for their Centre Court match-up though, after women's top seed Ash Barty plays British wildcard Harriet Dart.
Roger Federer is also in action on Centre Court later on Saturday when he takes on Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
American Serena Williams plays Germany's Julia Goerges on Court One while Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova takes on Poland's Magda Linette on Court Two.
DILPREET SINGH scored twice as India defeated defending champions South Korea 4-1 to win the men’s Asia Cup hockey title on Sunday. The win also secured India’s place in next year’s FIH World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
This was India’s fourth Asia Cup title, after previous victories in 2003 (Kuala Lumpur), 2007 (Chennai) and 2017 (Dhaka). With four wins, India are now the second-most successful team in the tournament, behind Korea’s five titles.
The World Cup will be played from August 14 to 30, 2025.
For India, Dilpreet scored in the 28th and 45th minutes, Sukhjeet Singh struck in the opening minute, and Amit Rohidas converted a penalty corner in the 50th minute. Korea’s only goal came from Dain Son in the 51st minute.
India made a quick start, scoring inside the first 30 seconds when captain Harmanpreet Singh’s play from the left set up Sukhjeet, who finished with a reverse hit. Dilpreet came close in the eighth minute but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Jaehan Kim. Soon after, Jugraj Singh’s penalty stroke was also denied by Kim.
India doubled the lead just before half-time when Harmanpreet sent a long aerial ball to Sanjay, who passed it to Dilpreet inside the circle. Dilpreet converted to make it 2-0 at the break.
Korea earned back-to-back penalty corners in the 40th minute but failed to score. India added their third just before the end of the third quarter as Raj Kumar Pal set up Dilpreet, who deflected the ball in.
Rohidas made it 4-0 from a penalty corner in the 50th minute, before Korea pulled one back a minute later through Son. Korea had another chance in the 56th minute with their fourth penalty corner but could not break through.
Malaysia finish third
Malaysia, ranked 12th in the world, beat China 3-0 in the third-place playoff. Malaysia dominated the game, creating several chances against world No. 22 China.
Tournament top-scorer Akhimullah Anuar (36th, 50th minutes) netted twice, taking his tally to 12 goals. Norsyafiq Sumantri and Syed Cholan (58th) also scored. China’s only goal came from Jiesheng Gao in the 54th minute.
Japan take fifth place
Japan, ranked 18th, defeated Bangladesh 6-1 to finish fifth.
Ryosuke Shinohara (15th, 38th, 56th minutes) scored a hat-trick, while Koji Yamasaki (9th), Ken Nagayoshi (36th) and Seren Tanaka (50th) added one goal each. Amirul Islam scored Bangladesh’s lone goal in the 55th minute.
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India's Hardik Pandya celebrates with teammates after he took a wicket during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 group match against Pakistan on June 9, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
India and Pakistan to meet for the first time since May’s conflict
Asia Cup begins Tuesday in the UAE as preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup
Harbhajan Singh opposes the fixture, citing tensions between the nations
India are defending champions and lead Pakistan 10-3 in T20 internationals
INDIA and Pakistan will meet for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May when they face each other in the Asia Cup starting Tuesday.
The Twenty20 tournament, played in the United Arab Emirates, will also act as preparation for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year. The competition opens in Abu Dhabi with Afghanistan against Hong Kong.
India and Pakistan are in the same group and will play in Dubai on September 14. They could meet as many as three times before the tournament ends on September 28.
Former Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram urged players and supporters to “remain disciplined and not cross the line” ahead of the contest.
The two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2012 and now meet only in tournaments at neutral venues.
Tensions remain high after the four-day conflict in May, the most intense since 1999, which left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone and artillery exchanges before a ceasefire was declared.
Relations were also strained when India’s team of retired players, led by Yuvraj Singh, pulled out of matches against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends held in England earlier this year. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, part of that team, said he opposed the Asia Cup match.
“Blood and sweat cannot co-exist,” Harbhajan told The Times of India. “It cannot be the case that there’s fighting on the border, tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. Until these big issues are resolved, cricket is a very small matter.”
India and Pakistan last played in Dubai in February during the 50-over Champions Trophy. India won by six wickets and went on to claim the title. India are also the defending Asia Cup champions.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have a 10-3 record against Pakistan in T20 internationals. Pakistan will be without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been dropped from the format due to poor form.
India won the 2023 Asia Cup, played in the 50-over format, by beating Sri Lanka in Colombo.
The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — qualified automatically for the tournament. They are joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE, who progressed from the ACC Premier Cup.
Group A features India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman. Group B has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round and the final in Dubai.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Rehaan Edavalath. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
WORCESTERSHIRE batter Rehaan Edavalath has signed a new two-year contract, committing his future to New Road until the end of the 2027 season.
The 21-year-old, a product of the club’s academy, has steadily progressed through the county’s youth pathway to the senior side.
He made his first-class debut against Derbyshire in 2023, although that remains his only red-ball appearance so far. Edavalath has been more involved in white-ball cricket, featuring seven times in Worcestershire’s One-Day Cup campaign last summer.
While he has not played senior cricket this season, Edavalath has captained the second XI with distinction. He struck 110 not out against Leicestershire at Leicester and added half-centuries against Lancashire at Southport and Northamptonshire, showing consistent form across formats.
Speaking after signing his new deal, Edavalath said committing to Worcestershire was a proud moment in his career. “It’s always special playing for Worcestershire. I want to push on and keep developing, so to know I am here for the long term is incredibly special,” he said. “I want to keep learning, keep improving, and contribute to the team whenever I’m called upon.”
Head coach Alan Richardson praised both Edavalath’s performances and his leadership qualities. “Rehaan is a player we’ve been lucky enough to see progress through the ranks, who has excelled in the second XI in recent times and to captain them at such a young age is testament to his progress,” Richardson said.
“He’s shown a great deal of maturity and shown his skill in all formats, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop. After such a bright start to his senior career and showing a lot of positive characteristics, there are some exciting times ahead of him.”
Edavalath’s commitment is seen as another positive step for Worcestershire, who continue to bring academy graduates into the senior squad. His new contract means he will remain at New Road for at least the next two seasons as he looks to build on his early promise.
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The pair of Yuki Bhambri and New Zealand's Michael Venus lost 7-6 (2) 6-7 (5) 4-6 to sixth seeds Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury of UK. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA's Yuki Bhambri ended his campaign at the US Open men’s doubles with a semifinal finish, partnering Michael Venus. It was Bhambri’s best performance at a Grand Slam tournament.
The pair lost 7-6 (2) 6-7 (5) 4-6 to sixth seeds Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury of Great Britain.
Bhambri, 33, became the fourth Indian man in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam doubles semifinal, following Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna.
The Indian-New Zealand team had a strong run at Flushing Meadows, defeating several higher-seeded pairs on their way to the last four. Their wins included fourth seeds Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz of Germany, and 11th seeds Rajeev Ram and Nikola Mektic.
"This has been a special week for me. To be playing at this level and in the semifinal of a Slam is a big moment," Bhambri said after the match. His run comes during a good phase for Indian tennis, with Rohan Bopanna also producing consistent results on the doubles circuit.
For Bhambri, who has faced multiple injuries in his career, the result marks an important step in his progress in doubles.
The semifinal finish will give Bhambri a boost in rankings and confidence for the rest of the season.
INDIA batting great Rahul Dravid has stepped down as head coach of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals after just one season with them, the franchise said on Saturday (30).
Dravid, 52, was offered a "broader position" after a structural review of the team set-up but the former Indian captain declined the offer, the franchise said in a statement.
"Head coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026," it said.
Dravid had returned to the team as head coach ahead of this year's T20 tournament, but Rajasthan failed to make the playoffs and ended a dismal ninth in the 10-team table.
"Rahul has been central to the Royals' journey over many years," the inaugural IPL champions said.
"His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise."
Dravid first joined Rajasthan as a player in 2011 and captained them for two seasons in 2012 and 2013.
The announcement comes amid rumours that captain Sanju Samson also wants to leave the franchise. Should Samson also depart, it would leave the Royals in a challenging position just months before the mini-auction.
He served as a team director in 2014 and as mentor a year later. Dravid scored 13,288 runs in 164 Test matches in a glittering career before hanging his boots in 2012.