Roger Federer wins in Dubai to claim 100th career title

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Roger Federer became the second male tennis player to win 100 career titles with his win in Dubai on Saturday. (Reuters)
Updated 02 March 2019
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Roger Federer wins in Dubai to claim 100th career title

DUBAI: Add a century of career titles to Roger Federer's staggering list of achievements in tennis.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion became the second male tennis player to win 100 tour-level tournament titles in the professional era when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.
Jimmy Connors is the other male player to reach the milestone, and the American ended his career on 109 titles.
By beating a player nearly half his age in just 69 minutes, the 37-year-old Federer continued his record of winning at least one title every season since his first in 2001 in Milan — when he was 19.
Eight of his victories have come in Dubai.
"It's an absolute dream come true right now," Federer said on the court.
As well as his record haul of Grand Slam titles, which includes a record eight wins at Wimbledon, Federer has won a record six ATP Finals titles and topped the rankings for a record 310 weeks — including 237 straight.
In a battle of the generations, Federer partially avenged his loss to the 20-year-old Tsitsipas, a rising star from Greece, in the last 16 of the Australian Open in January.
Federer broke serve in the first game and took the first set on his fourth set point.
The second set was more even, but Tsitsipas made the first big mistake in dumping an easy shot into the net to loose serve for 5-4. Federer held serve to love to join Connors in the century club.


Shubman Gill, the ‘Prince’ who is now India’s new cricket king

Updated 7 sec ago
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Shubman Gill, the ‘Prince’ who is now India’s new cricket king

  • The 25-year-old’s second century of the match took his overall tally for the game to 430 runs

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom: India captain Shubman Gill continued to give fresh meaning to the phrase “leading from the front” with a stunning innings of 161 in the ongoing second Test against England at Edgbaston on Saturday.
The 25-year-old’s second century of the match took his overall tally for the game to 430 runs, a figure bettered by India great Sachin Tendulkar, Test cricket’s all-time leading run-scorer, just three times in a series, let alone a match, during his celebrated career.
Following his commanding 269 in the first innings, Gill also became the first batsman in 148 years of Test history to make score of 250 and 150 in the same match.
All that came after Gill’s 147 in his first Test as captain, India’s five-wicket loss in last week’s series opener at Headingley.
But beyond the statistics, it is the way Gill has played that has impressed seasoned observers.
In the first innings at Edgbaston, he batted in near flawless-fashion for eight-and-a-half hours, with his offside driving standing comparison with cricket’s most elegant batsmen.
But in the second innings, with quick runs required to set up a declaration, Gill made 161 off just 162 balls, including 13 fours and eight sixes.
India are now well-placed given England, with seven wickets standing, still need a mammoth 536 more runs on Sunday’s final day to achieve what would be a Test record fourth-innings victory chase of 608.
“Gill is outrageous,” England fast-bowling great Stuart Broad, well used to working out world-class batsmen during a career that yielded 604 Test wickets, told Sky Sports after Saturday’s close.
“As a bowler, I’d be looking for technical things so I could expose him, but he’s not shown any obvious signs of dismissal and he’s played stylishly. He’s played with huge responsibility, under big pressure.
“It’s breathtaking... He deserves all the applause he will get.”
Gill was drafted into India’s under-19 side as for their victorious 2018 World Cup campaign, shortly after scoring a century for Punjab in just his second first-class Ranji Trophy match.
He made his one-day international debut in 2019, but it was in his first Test series, in Australia in 2020/21, that he came to the fore, notably with a fluent 91 in India’s thrilling series-clinching win at the Gabba.
His first Test hundred came a year later, in Chattogram. A month later, aged 23, he became the youngest to make an ODI double-century, smashing 208 off 149 balls against New Zealand.
Born in Fazilka, near the border with Pakistan, before moving to Mohali aged eight to be nearer better cricket facilities, the nickname ‘Prince’ has clung to Gill to the extent of sometimes appearing on his bat-stickers.
An opener and then a number three, Gill now occupies the number four position held by childhood hero Virat Kohli, with his 269 surpassing Kohli’s unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019 as the highest score by an India Test captain.
As a boy, Gill wanted to know what Kohli’s scores and achievements were when he was his age.
And when Kohli first saw Gill in the nets in New Zealand in 2019/20, he said he didn’t even have 10 percent of the talent when he was Gill’s age.
Yet last year, when England went 1-0 up in Hyderabad, a second-innings duck saw Gill’s Test average fall below 30 for the first time.
But then India coach Rahul Dravid, himself an outstanding batsman, resisted the temptation to drop Gill, who then made a second-innings century in a 106-run win in Visakhapatnam and another, in Dharamshala, during a series India won 4-1.
Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma as India captain after the latter announced his retirement from Test cricket in May, with ‘King’ Kohli calling time on his Test career just a few days later.
A few months ago,when asked about potential leaders, Rohit said “the boys aren’t ready yet.”
But Gill, who started this series with a modest Test average of under 36, looks as if he might be now.


Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet shatters women’s 5,000m world record

Updated 23 min 58 sec ago
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Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet shatters women’s 5,000m world record

  • Chebet, 25, had already broken the 10,000m world record at Hayward Field in May of 2024

EUGENE, United States: Kenya’s double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet crushed the women’s 5,000m world record on Saturday, powering to victory in 13min 58.06sec at the Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene Oregon.
Chebet, Olympic gold medallist at 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last year, delivered a devastating finish to become the first woman to break the 14-minute barrier in the event, beating the previous world record of 14:00.21 set by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay on the same Hayward Field track in September 2023.
Chebet, 25, had already broken the 10,000m world record at Hayward Field in May of 2024, when she became the first woman to run under 29 minutes (28:54.14).
Compatriot Agnes Jebet Ngetich was second in 14:01.29 — the third-fastest time ever — and Tsegay was third in 14:04.41.
Chebet was under world-record pace for much of the way. She, Tsegay and Ngetich had broken away from the rest of the field when the pace faded slightly a few laps from the finish.
But Chebet mustered a final flourish — delivering an incredible last lap to pull away mercilessly for the triumph and the world record.
“I’m so happy,” Chebet said, adding that she had been inspired by her own strong performance in Rome last month and compatriot Faith Kipyegon’s unsuccessful bid to become the first woman to break four minutes for the mile.
“After running in Rome, I said I have to prepare for a record because in Rome I was just running to win a race, but after running 14:03, I said that I’m capable of running a world record.
“When I was coming here to Eugene, I was coming to prepare to run a world record, and I said I have to try. I said ‘If Faith is trying, why not me?’
“And today, I’m so happy because I’ve achieved being the first woman to run under 14. I’m so happy for myself.”


Djokovic thumps Kecmanovic for Wimbledon ton and spot in last 16

Updated 05 July 2025
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Djokovic thumps Kecmanovic for Wimbledon ton and spot in last 16

The sixth seed’s stellar display ensured that he became only the third player to claim 100 match wins
“I’m very grateful, obviously, privileged to be in the position that I am,” Djokovic said

LONDON: Seven-times Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic roared his way to a rare century at the grasscourt Grand Slam on Saturday when he outclassed Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-0 6-4 and reached the fourth round in his quest for a record 25th major.

The sixth seed’s stellar display ensured that he became only the third player to claim 100 match wins on the All England Club lawns after nine-times champion Martina Navratilova and eight-times winner Roger Federer.

“It’s very historic. It sounds very nice. I’m very grateful, obviously, privileged to be in the position that I am,” the 38-year-old Djokovic said.

“I’ve said it many times. Tennis made me who I am, has given me incredible things in life that I can experience. I try not to take anything for granted, particularly at this age, still going strong, still trying to compete with the young players.

“Wimbledon is a favorite and a dream tournament for not just myself, but probably the majority of players. Growing up, most of the kids dream of playing here and winning here.

“I’ve been blessed to do it multiple times. Any history that I make in my favorite tournament, I’m blessed.”

Djokovic started and finished the opening set with aces and grabbed the decisive break during the see-sawing eighth game. At one point he had the Center Court crowd standing in ovation when he produced a spectacular diving winner at the net.

His 49th-ranked Davis Cup teammate cracked on serve in the opening game of the second set and allowed Djokovic to quickly reel off the games and double his advantage in what suddenly became a lopsided contest.

Kecmanovic raised his fist to applause when he stemmed the flow at the start of the third set but a double fault gifted his opponent the break in the third game and Djokovic overcame a slight wobble at the end to prevail.

“I have enjoyed myself very much except maybe the last couple of games,” added Djokovic, who will take on Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur for a place in the quarter-finals.

“A bit of tension in the end, I was 5-1 up and 15-30 and then 5-4, 15-30. Things got a bit complicated... It’s never easy playing a friend and compatriot. Miomir is a super nice guy, someone that I have known for many years.

“We’ve faced each other on different surfaces, different courts. But more than rivals and competitors, we’re friends and teammates. I wish him all the very best.”

Paris Saint-Germain shut down Bayern Munich, reach CWC semis

Updated 05 July 2025
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Paris Saint-Germain shut down Bayern Munich, reach CWC semis

  • PSG played the closing minutes with just nine players after a pair of red cards
  • Bayern exits the tournament after being held scoreless for the first time

ATLANTA: Desire Doué scored in the 78th minute, Ousmane Dembele added a second in stoppage time and Paris Saint-Germain sealed their place in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Bayern Munich on Saturday in Atlanta.

Pairs Saint-Germain played the closing minutes with just nine players after a pair of red cards and still added a goal to seal the victory.

Referee Anthony Taylor dismissed Willian Pacho in the 82nd minute for his dangerous challenge on Bayern’s Thomas Muller, and sent off Lucas Hernandez in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for an elbow in the direction of Raphael Guerreiro.

But Doue and Dembele’s first goals of the tournament were enough to seal a meeting in East Rutherford, N.J., on Wednesday with the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

Gianluigi Donnarumma made five saves to keep PSG’s fourth clean sheet of the tournament.

Bayern exits the tournament after being held scoreless for the first time, on a day when they lost Josip Stanisic and Jamal Musiala to first-half injuries.

It was still 11-on-11 when Doue took Joao Neves’ pass, created some space near the edge of the penalty area, then unleashed a left-footed strike that found the bottom right corner as Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer slipped while trying to change direction.

Dembele doubled the advantage on a stunning foray forward despite the numerical disadvantage and some brilliant setup work by Achraf Hakimi, who beat three defenders off the dribble.

Hakimi then fed Dembele in stride for a first-time low finish that left Neuer little chance.

Bayern thought they had a chance to pull a late goal back when Taylor whistled for a penalty even later in stoppage time, only to reverse his decision following a video review.

Musiala departed on a stretcher at halftime after suffering a gruesome ankle injury following a tangle for the ball with Donnarumma that did not show any signs of ill intent.

Even Donnaruma was distraught after seeing the extent of Musiala’s injury, which came in the final seconds of the first half.

Twelve minutes earlier, Stanisic exited with an apparent hamstring injury.

Donnaruma made a pair of exceptional first-half saves.

In the 27th minute, he sprung to his right to parry Michael Olize’s goal-bound effort from just beyond the corner of the 6-yard box. In the 41st, he sprawled the opposite direction to keep Aleksandar Pavlovic’s effort — an intended early cross that was inches in front of Musiala near the penalty spot — from bounding inside the right post.

Neuer was also called into action during the first half, thwarting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s effort from close range at the near post with an outstretched arm in the 32nd minute.

Four minutes into the second half, he dove left to deny Bradley Barcola on the break.


Philipsen wins nervy Tour de France opener as Evenepoel loses time

Updated 05 July 2025
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Philipsen wins nervy Tour de France opener as Evenepoel loses time

  • Philipsen took the yellow jersey in a frantic sprint finish at the northern city of Lille
  • Race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the lead pack on a day marred by a series of falls

LILLE, France: There were mixed fortunes for the thousands of Belgian fans who poured over the border for the opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday as Jasper Philipsen won, but star rider Remco Evenepoel lost valuable time.

Philipsen took the yellow jersey in a frantic sprint finish at the northern city of Lille, while double Olympic champion Evenepoel was trapped in a second group and lost 39 seconds.

Race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the lead pack on a day marred by a series of falls.

Even defending champion Pogacar appeared flustered at the finish line.

“It was as frantic as we had expected, but when the split came fortunately I was near the front,” said the 26-year-old Slovenian.

“I’m just happy day one is done. Nine days to go before the first rest day.”

Africa’s sole rider Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages in 2024, was second on the day as Philipsen got ahead of him with 100m to go.

“It’s a day I will never forget. This is why I have been getting up early and training hard each day,” said Philipsen after notching up a 10th career stage win on the Tour.

His Alpecin team, marshalled by Mathieu van der Poel, formed an old-school sprint train that the winner hailed.

“What an experience! Those final kilometers, to be part of that,” beamed Philipsen.

Around 40 riders in the first group contested the sprint where one of the day’s many falls happened.

Primoz Roglic of Red Bull and Team UAE’s Joao Almeida were also caught in the surprise split in blustery winds.

Fans packed the route in one of France’s more modest regions passing First World War memorials, red-brick houses and slagheaps from long-closed coal mines along the Belgian border.

Under overcast skies with the temperature a manageable 22C, the peloton cut a fast pace despite the windy conditions, but no rain fell until the riders had passed the finish line.

Racing toward an intermediate sprint over cobbles, escapee Benjamin Thomas slid sideways and took out his sole rival Matteo Vercher in one spectacular fall and the pair were still bickering when the peloton shot past them.

Former time-trial world champion Filippo Ganna was one rider who will take no further part after a clumsy fall on a corner.

The Italian would have been a contender on the lengthy stage 5 individual time-trial, as well as key in the Ineos team’s campaign to get veteran Geraint Thomas into the top 10 on his 14th and final Tour de France.

Philipsen, in yellow, will lead the peloton out for Sunday’s second stage, a hilly 209km route to the beaches of Boulogne-sur-mer.