PARIS: Injury blighted Rafael Nadal again as he pulled out of his Paris Masters semifinal on Saturday, meaning top-ranked Novak Djokovic will go for his fifth title at the indoor tournament against Denis Shapovalov.
Fans hopeful of seeing a 55th career matchup between Nadal and Djokovic in Sunday’s final were disappointed to learn, moments before the second semifinal was scheduled to begin, that Nadal withdrew because of an abdominal injury. The same injury forced Nadal out just before the start of last year’s tournament at Bercy Arena and ended his season.
“I went through this in the past, so that’s why the recommendation of the doctors (was) to not play,” Nadal said. “I have to take that decision.”
The second-ranked Spaniard said he felt the injury flare up in the morning as he practiced a few hours before facing the 20-year-old Canadian. A scan revealed a small strain. Nadal returned to practice and still felt pain serving. He decided it wasn’t worth risking a bigger injury.
Last year, Nadal missed the season-ending ATP Finals in London because of the abdominal injury, but hopes he can recover in time for this year’s finals starting on Nov. 10.
“I hope to be ready for London, that’s the biggest goal now,” he said. “I will do all what’s possible to recover for it.”
Earlier, Djokovic reached his sixth Paris Masters final beating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (5), 6-4.
He is aiming for a 77th career title, a 34th in Masters events. He has a 3-0 record against Shapovalov, who is playing in only his second career final and his first at a Masters.
“Well, of course it’s not the way I want to reach my first finals,” Shapovalov said, referring to Nadal’s injury. “But nonetheless it’s a great opportunity for me ... I’m not one to cut down risk, so I’m going to go for it.”
In a tight opening set where neither faced a break point, Dimitrov cracked in the tiebreaker faced with the defensive resilience of Djokovic.
With Dimitrov up 5-4 and controlling the exchanges, a 32-stroke rally ended when he advanced to the net and tried an extravagant forehand volley to the left. He could have played an easier shot with a controlled backhand to the vacant right side of the court.
The ball landed out and Djokovic punched the air, roaring in relief.
Then, on set point, a 35-stroke rally ended when Dimitrov chopped a backhand long.
“He was probably the better player in the tiebreak. I managed to get returns into play and just make him play an extra shot,” Djokovic said. “We both really understood the importance of clinching the first set so we could feel a bit more relaxed in the second and start swinging through.”
Djokovic broke Dimitrov in the fifth game of the second set when the unseeded Bulgarian swatted a forehand long.
Serving for the match, Djokovic held to love.
Djokovic won his first title here 10 years ago and three straight from 2013-15. He lost his only final last year to Karen Khachanov.
He is bidding to finish the year as No. 1 for the sixth time, which would move him one ahead of Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, and into a tie with all-time leader Pete Sampras.
Nadal is looking to seal the year-end top ranking for the fifth time.
His injury last year ensured Djokovic ended as No. 1.
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Injury blights Nadal at Paris Masters; Djokovic into final
Injury blights Nadal at Paris Masters; Djokovic into final
Salah signs new contract to stay at Liverpool
- “I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract to extend his eight-year stay at Anfield, the Premier League club said on Friday.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” Salah said in a statement.
“It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.
“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
Rybakina leads Kazakhstan to a 2-1 win over Australia in BJK Cup
- Czech Republic beat Brazil 2-1 in Ostrava in Group B, while the Netherlands cruised past Germany 3-0 in The Hague in Group F
- Poland, without French Open champion Iga Swiatek after the world No. 2 opted out of the tournament to focus on her training ahead of the clay season, beat Switzerland 3-0 in Radom
BRISBANE: Elena Rybakina showcased her prowess to beat Kimberly Birrell 6-3 7-6(4) as Kazakhstan secured a 2-1 win over Australia in their Billie Jean King Cup Group D qualifier in Brisbane on Thursday.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, went down an early break but cranked up her powerful forehand and drew level after six games before claiming the opening set with an ace.
Birrell raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but squandered a set point and Rybakina clawed her way back with some ferocious shot-making to clinch victory in the tiebreak.
“It was such a difficult match,” said Rybakina, who secured her eighth victory in 10 singles matches since her debut in the competition in 2021.
“I’m super happy to bring the win for the team ... it’s always nice to be back in Australia.”
Earlier at the Pat Rafter Arena, Yulia Putintseva gave Kazakhstan an early lead with a 6-2 6-1 win over debutant Maya Joint.
However, Australia’s Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez claimed the third match of the night with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva in the doubles.
Czech Republic beat Brazil 2-1 in Ostrava in Group B, while the Netherlands cruised past Germany 3-0 in The Hague in Group F.
Poland, without French Open champion Iga Swiatek after the world No. 2 opted to skip their Group E ties to focus on her training ahead of the clay season, beat Switzerland 3-0 in Radom.
Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins were among a trio of players to withdraw from the US team, which plays Denmark on Saturday in Group C, for the three-day qualifiers.
Teams have been divided into six round-robin groups of three in the qualifiers this year with the winners joining hosts China and 2024 champions Italy at the Finals in Shenzhen toward the end of the season.
Alcaraz eases into Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Draper out
- Alexei Popyrin saved match points as he beat 2024 runner-up Casper Ruud and eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur dismantled ninth seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets
- Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has won the tournament in three of the last four years, brushed aside Nuno Borges
MONTE CARLO, Principality of Monaco: Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals for the first time on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Daniel Altmaier.
British fifth seed Jack Draper was knocked out by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian duel against a limping Matteo Berrettini.
Elsewhere, Alexei Popyrin saved match points as he beat 2024 runner-up Casper Ruud and eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur dismantled ninth seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has won the tournament in three of the last four years, brushed aside Nuno Borges. Grigor Dimitrov ended the day by overcoming Alejandro Tabilo.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz brushed aside 84th-ranked German Altmaier 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with rising French star Arthur Fils on Friday.
“His (Fils’) level is really high right now,” said Alcaraz. “I saw a little bit from his match today, and he’s playing great.”
Alcaraz took some time to find his rhythm as Altmaier broke back to level at 3-3 in the first set, but it was one-way traffic from then on.
The second seed reeled off three straight games to take the first set before racing through the second in just over half an hour.
“At the beginning of the match, we played really long and tough rallies, really close games,” added Alcaraz.
The 21-year-old, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, is the favorite to lift the title this weekend after early exits for top seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.
Fils eased into his third successive Masters quarterfinal with a 6-2, 6-3 thrashing of 2023 champion Andrey Rublev.
The 20-year-old Fils is aiming to reach the semis of a Masters event for the first time, after losing in the last eight at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open this year.
“If it’s him, it’s going to be the first time I’m going to play him,” Fils said of meeting Alcaraz.
“It’s going to be a good experience. He’s a big champion. He won four Grand Slams already. I didn’t win a single one.”
Draper lost in three sets to Spaniard Davidovich Fokina.
Draper, who won the Indian Wells title last month, slipped to a 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 loss as he failed to reach a first Masters quarterfinal on clay.
Davidovich Fokina edged a hard-fought opening set which featured three breaks of serve.
Draper let three break points slip away in the ninth game, with Davidovich Fokina taking his second set point.
In the second set Draper saved a match point and then leveled the contest in a tiebreak.
In a topsy-turvy third set, though, both broke twice inside the first six games.
Davidovich Fokina delivered the decisive blow in the 10th game to secure his first win over a top-10 opponent on clay since 2023.
Davidovich Fokina will take on Australian Popyrin in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Popyrin, the world No. 27, beat Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, after saving two match points at 3-5 in the third set.
Musetti, seeded 13, beat Davis Cup team-mate Berrettini 6-3, 6-3 and then talked of “the difficulty of playing a friend, a mate, a teammate.”
“This is a special court for me and also for Matteo. We share a lot of moments here in Monte Carlo where we live,” Musetti said. “Definitely one of the toughest challenges for me.”
Musetti will face sixth-seeded Tsitsipas who beat Borges 6-1, 6-1.
World No. 10 De Minaur crushed former US Open winner Medvedev 6-2, 6-2.
“I’m finding my feet on clay,” said De Minaur. “It’s taken me a while in my career. I can be dangerous on this surface.”
The Australian will play Dimitrov, after the 15th-seeded Bulgarian overcame Chilean Tabilo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Rose grabs three-shot Masters clubhouse lead over Scheffler
- Justin Rose had the world’s best golfer breathing down his neck
- World number one Scottie Scheffler’s round included a huge birdie putt from 62 feet at the par-three fourth
AUGUSTA, Georgia: England’s Justin Rose used a red-hot putter to build a four-shot Masters clubhouse lead over defending champion Scottie Scheffler in the opening round on Thursday at Augusta National where Grand Slam-seeking Rory McIlroy ran into trouble late.
Rose, twice a runner-up at the year’s first major, needed just 22 putts en route to a seven-under-par 65 that equaled his best start to a Masters and left him in control.
Rose had the world’s best golfer breathing down his neck, though, as twice champion Scheffler bids to become the fourth golfer to retain his Masters crown.
The 44-year-old Rose, who went out with the late starters, wasted no time making a move as he kicked off his round with three consecutive birdies and added another three in succession around the turn before back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16.
The only blemish on the card for Rose, who with a win here would become the oldest first-time Masters champion since a 41-year-old Mark O’Meara won in 1998, came at the 18th where he made bogey after his tee shot missed the fairway.
World number one Scheffler’s round included a huge birdie putt from 62 feet at the par-three fourth and a pair of up-and-down par saves after chipping out of greenside bunkers at both the seventh and 17th holes.
“Anytime you can keep a card clean out here it’s a really good thing... I struggled for what felt like two pars today,” said Scheffler.
“I had to make two really good up-and-downs. But, other than that, the golf course was in front of me most of the day, kept the ball in play, did a lot of really good things out there.”
World number two McIlroy, who seems to be hampered by one poor round each week at the Masters, was three shots back of Rose before a double-bogey at the reachable par-five 15th.
The Northern Irishman was cruising along with a clean card until the 15th where his approach shot sailed over the green and he then watched helplessly as his chip rolled off the slick putting surface and into the pond.
McIlroy, who came into the Masters with two PGA Tour titles before April for the first time in his career and as a popular pick to win a first Green Jacket, still had three holes to play in his opening round.
Former champion and fan favorite Fred Couples, making his 40th Masters start, carded a one-under 71 that was highlighted by an eagle from 191 yards at the par-four 14th.
Among the other notables who went out late, LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau was two under through 14, Xander Schauffele was one over through 16 and 2023 champion Jon Rahm was three over after 14 holes.
“Today I’m happy as a clam,” said Couples.
Concacaf Gold Cup draw lands Saudi Arabia in group with hosts USA
- The Saudis have been invited as official guests
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will play the US in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, after organizers held the official draw on Thursday.
The Green Falcons landed in Group D with Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and hosts USA, in a draw held in Miami.
The cup will be the 18th edition of the biennial international men’s competition for national teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean region
The Saudis have been invited as official guests.
Tournament will be played between June 14 and July 6, and features group and knockout stages before the final at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Gold Cup is being co-hosted by the US and Canada. Along with Mexico, they will also be staging next year’s FIFA World Cup.
