London: Tiger Woods has played down expectations he will break his 10-year Major duck with victory at the US Masters on Sunday.
The big beast has confounded all expectations by not only turning up at Augusta, but also appearing as one of the favorites.
Last year Woods underwent a fourth surgery on his back and was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence when he was discovered asleep at the wheel of his car — he was found to have five prescription drugs in his system and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
After his police mugshot was seen around the world, it was feared Woods would never be a force again.
Just four months into his comeback, however, the American has recorded consecutive top-five finishes and is viewed as a firm favorite to claim a fifth Green Jacket, a feat Woods sought to play down.
“I don’t think there is one clear-cut favorite,” the 42-year-old said.
“I think there are so many guys playing well at the same time. That’s what is making this year’s Masters so exciting. There are guys from the early 20s to Phil at 47 who have all played well.
“We know we’re going to have to play well in order to win, and it’s going to be quite a challenge. It’s going to be fun.”
One of the biggest surprises about Woods’ comeback has been his swing speed. Just months after the back-fusion operation, he is swinging the club quicker than most of his rivals. With that has come a return of the old swagger that thrilled fans and scared opponents, an aura not seen since his last Major victory back in 2008.
“For some reason, I don’t have any pain,” he said. “Yes, I’m much tighter and I have to work on strength in different ways, but I’m hitting speeds I hit in my prime.
“The reason I said I’m a walking miracle is because I don’t know anyone who has had a lower back fusion that can swing the club as fast as I can. Some of the guys have said: ‘I need to fuse my back so I can hit it harder.”
While Woods was keen dampen expectations he might win, his rivals were less so. One favorite who is not ruling out a Woods renaissance at Augusta is Rory McIlroy, who said: “He has a great chance. Look at how he has played the ast few weeks. He has had four wins here. Any time Woods is healthy and in this sort of form, he is dangerous at any tournament. But given his history here, I think even more so.”
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Dustin Johnson is confident he can get over his missed Masters last year. The American was hot favorite to win 12 months ago, but a back injury sustained in a fall the day before the first round stopped him making the first tee.
“I am going to take it really easy. (The accident) was kind of a freak thing and it happened, there is nothing I can do about it except I’m here this year,” he said. “Hopefully, I can tee it up on Thursday, and I will definitely be looking forward to that.”
‘Walking miracle’ Tiger Woods talks down his Masters hopes as Augusta hype grows
‘Walking miracle’ Tiger Woods talks down his Masters hopes as Augusta hype grows
- Tiger Woods can break a 10-year Major drought with Masters victory
- Woods has undergone four back surgeries since DUI arrest
Soccer fan dies after fall during Nations League final between Spain and Portugal
- Fall happened during the first period of extra time at the Munich stadium when fans were becoming more animated, says UEFA official
MUNICH: A soccer fan died during the Nations League final between Spain and Portugal on Sunday after falling from an overhead level onto a media area below.
A UEFA official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give details, confirmed a person sustained fatal injuries from a fall.
The incident occurred during the first period of extra time at the Munich stadium, when tension was high between rival players, and fans were becoming more animated. Medical personnel, stewards and police cordoned off the area.
Portugal went on to win the game on penalties.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente addressed the incident at the start of his postgame news conference.
“Before we begin with the questions, I would like to express my condolences because a fan died in the stands today,” de la Fuente said. “My condolences to the family.”
Cristiano Ronaldo sheds tears of joy after Portugal’s Nations League triumph
- The Portugal star shed tears after helping his team win the Nations League on Sunday
MUNICH: Another trophy for Cristiano Ronaldo. More records, more adulation.
The Portugal star shed tears after helping his team win the Nations League on Sunday.
Ronaldo scored to help Portugal draw level with Spain 2-2 in the final, then watched as his teammates won the penalty shootout 5-3.
“I have many titles with my clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal,” Ronaldo said. “These are tears. It’s mission accomplished and so much joy.”
The 40-year-old Ronaldo had been the first to run out onto the field for the pre-game warmup, sparking a huge roar from the Portugal supporters, including many wearing jerseys emblazoned with his name.
His appearance prompted many supporters to pull out their cell phones to record the superstar while they could still see him in action. Ronaldo conceded Saturday that he won’t be able to play forever.
That was three days after he helped Portugal to its first win over Germany for 25 years, scoring the winner for a 2-1 victory in the Nations League semifinals.
On Sunday he was driving the team again, though it was initially a frustrating game as his chances were limited by Spain’s hard-working defenders.
Nuno Mendes fired Portugal level after Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring for Spain. Then Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain ahead 2-1 at the break.
But Ronaldo was in the right place at the right time to fire home the equalizer from Mendes’ deflected cross in the 61st, setting off joyous scenes among his faithful fans. It was Ronaldo’s 138th goal for Portugal. Nobody has ever scored more for their country.
Ronaldo kept trying in what was his record-extending 221st appearance for the country, but eventually had to go off exhausted in the 88th to standing ovations from fans and a hug from coach Roberto Martínez.
Ronaldo said he was carrying an injury into the game.
“I had already felt it during the warmup, I had been feeling it for some time, but for the national team, if I had to break my leg, I would have broken it,” Ronaldo said. “It’s for a trophy, I had to play and I gave it my all.”
Ronaldo’s future is uncertain as his contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr only runs to the end of June. He posted “this chapter is over” on social media after the club’s last Saudi Pro League game of the season.
On Saturday he said he had all but decided not to go to the Club World Cup despite “quite a few” offers from participating clubs to play there.
Whatever club Ronaldo plays for, he will keep striving for Portugal.
“I have lived in many countries, I have played for many clubs, but when it’s about Portugal, it is always a special feeling,” he said.
Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League
- Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal’s third major title, along with Euro 2016
MUNICH, Germany: Ruben Neves scored the decisive spot kick after Alvaro Morata missed as Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Munich on Sunday to claim their second Nations League title.
Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores.
Martin Zubimendi took advantage of some sleepy Portugal defense to put Spain in front after 21 minutes.
The brilliant Nuno Mendes levelled things up five minutes later.
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final and the 2023 Nations League final, put La Roja back in front just before the break.
Cristiano Ronaldo, quiet as he had been before scoring the winner against Germany in the semis, equalized with 61 minutes gone, adjusting quickly after a Mendes cross was deflected into the air, muscling past Marc Cucurella and volleying the dropping ball home.
Ronaldo was subbed off before full-time with cramp. Even though Portugal had the better of extra time, the match went to penalties.
Both sides converted their first three spot kicks. Mendes buried Portugal’s fourth, before Morata stepped up and shot straight at Diogo Costa.
Neves nervelessly converted in front of the red and green of the Portugal fans. The victory was just Portugal’s second competitive win over Iberian rival Spain in their long history.
Portugal’s only other win over Spain in a competitive fixture was a 1-0 victory which booted the Spaniards out of Euro 2004, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo on the left wing.
Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal’s third major title, along with Euro 2016.
While Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal’s fluid movement troubled the Portugese defense early in the match, La Roja’s opener was scrappy.
Yamal chipped from outside the box and the Portugal defense froze, botching a clearance which fell to Zubimendi, who leathered the ball into the net.
The goal was just rewards for Spain’s early dominance, but Portugal hit back almost immediately.
Mendes, put through by Pedro Neto, drilled a low shot across the goal and in.
Just before halftime, Spain picked Portugal’s pocket in their own half before advancing. Pedri linked with Oyarzabal, who threaded the ball past Diogo Costa.
Oyarzabal’s goal meant he has scored in three international finals — against England at Euro 2024, which Spain won, and the 2023 and 2025 Nations Leagues, which Spain lost.
Ronaldo had done little other than encourage the heavily Portuguese crowd until that point but would pick his moment to strike.
With 61 minutes gone, Mendes shed a defender and whipped in a cross. The ball took a deflection and Ronaldo outmuscled Cucurella before lashing a volley home.
The goal was Ronaldo’s fourth in 10 matches against Spain. The previous three all coming in a wild 3-3 draw at the 2018 World Cup.
Limping in the dying stages of regulation time, Ronaldo fell to the turf with three minutes left and signalled to the bench that his night was over.
Spain may have been confident when the match went to extra time, having won on penalties in 2023, but Portugal were faultless, Neves stepping up and converting to send his teammates, including a hobbled Ronaldo, streaming onto the pitch.
Alcaraz saves three match points to beat Sinner to French Open title in final for the ages
- Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday.
Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes.
The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors.
Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.
Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.
Sinner fell agonizingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year’s US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.
He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final — and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.
Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday’s final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own.
He couldn’t take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold.
Alcaraz’s persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back.
The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set.
Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve.
But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival’s momentum.
With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break.
The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide.
A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy.
It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1.
Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.
That ended Sinner’s run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams.
Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 as the finish line neared.
But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve.
Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.
A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly there was another twist.
Alcaraz this time faltered with the title within his grasp as Sinner broke at 3-5 to spark a three-game burst that left the Spaniard needing to hold serve to prolong the final.
He kept his nerve to set up a 10-point tie-break, which Alcaraz ran away with as the outrageous shotmaking continued until the very end when he took his first championship point with a sizzling forehand down the line.
England complete series win over West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197
England complete series win over West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197
- Former captain Jos Buttler led the way with 47 and current skipper Harry Brook made 34
BRISTOL: England completed a series win over the West Indies with a game to spare after chasing down a target of 197 in the second T20 international in Bristol on Sunday.
Former captain Jos Buttler led the way with 47 and current skipper Harry Brook made 34 as the hosts reached 112-2 inside 13 overs.
But the duo were dismissed in consecutive overs, with England still needing 85 more runs to win. But that was the cue for two of the newer team members to lay down a marker.
Jacob Bethell’s rapid 26 off 10 balls, including three sixes, and Tom Banton’s 30 not out helped complete a four-wicket win with nine balls remaining as England went 2-0 up ahead of Tuesday’s series finale in Southampton.
West Indies were struggling at 121-4 off 16 overs before adding 75 runs in the final four overs of their innings.
Luke Wood gave England the ideal start when his swinging yorker had Evin Lewis lbw with the first ball of the match, but West Indies captain Shai Hope (49) and Johnson Charles (47) repaired some of the early damage in a stand of 90.
Rovman Powell added late impetus with 34 off 15 balls and former captain Jason Holder struck 29 off nine.
Adil Rashid bowled the penultimate over as England again only selected two seamers, but the veteran leg-spinner conceded 31 runs and finished with figures of 1-59 — his most-expensive T20 return.
Separately, Beau Webster is hoping to make an already memorable 2025 extra special by featuring for Australia in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s.
Webster only won the first of his three Test caps in January and was in the side when Australia played their most recent red-ball international, against Sri Lanka in February.
The 31-year-old all-rounder would relish the opportunity to play for the World Test champions on the hallowed turf at Lord’s.
“It’s pretty special. I’ve been here a couple of times to watch a few games throughout the years, but to be out in the middle, yeah, extra special,” he told reporters at Lord’s on Sunday.
“If I get the nod, I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”
