Category: Sports

Former world tennis champion Boris Becker recently clarified his comments on Novak Djokovic’s injury. Djokovic had to quit his match against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the Australian Open after losing the first set. Earlier in the tournament, he hurt his thigh during a tough quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz but won that match after taking a medical break and getting his thigh heavily wrapped.

Many tennis experts, including John McEnroe and Andy Roddick, were skeptical about Djokovic’s injury. They questioned whether it was real. Boris Becker, who used to coach Djokovic, also spoke about this before the semifinals. He warned Zverev to be careful and not let Djokovic’s injury affect his game.

In his semifinal match, Djokovic lost the first set in a close tie-breaker and then decided to retire from the match. The next day, Djokovic responded to his critics by sharing a picture of his medical report on social media, saying, “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there.”

Becker later explained that his earlier comments were misinterpreted due to a bad translation from German to English. He emphasized that he never doubted Djokovic’s injury, adding, “Schatzi is family for me since 2013! It’s all about the click-bait these days and not about facts!”

For the first time in six years, the top two seeds are facing each other in the Australian Open men’s singles final. The last time this happened was in 2019 with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

This year, Jannik Sinner, the defending champion from the top half of the draw, was expected to reach the final again. But from the bottom half, fans thought either Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic would make it. Djokovic won against Alcaraz, but he got injured during that match and had to drop out in the semifinals while losing the first set, which allowed Alexander Zverev to step into the final.

Despite being a bit of a surprise, Zverev is in great form. He’s won 16 out of his last 17 matches since November’s Paris Masters and has been a strong title contender at tournaments, including his last final appearance at Roland Garros in 2024. Importantly, he was the last player to defeat Sinner before Sinner became unbeatable on hard courts.

Since Sinner lost to Zverev in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open, he has won 20 straight matches in hardcourt tournaments, including last year’s titles at both the Australian Open and the US Open.

Head-to-Head: Sinner vs. Zverev:
Zverev leads their match history 4-2, but Sinner won their last encounter in the Cincinnati Masters semifinal. In major tournaments, Sinner has only claimed one victory against Zverev.

What’s at Stake?
Zverev aims to be the first German man or woman to win a Grand Slam title in this century. The last to win one was Steffi Graf in 1999. For Sinner, winning would make him the 11th man to successfully defend his Australian Open title, following legends like Djokovic and Federer.

How Will They Match Up?
The final will feature intense baseline play, with Zverev’s serves and Sinner’s returns in focus. Sinner has had better serving stats in Melbourne, winning 81% of points on his first serve compared to Zverev’s 78%. Sinner’s strong return game means he needs to attack Zverev’s second serve, which has been weaker in past matches.

Zverev must play more aggressively and take more risks, especially at the net, instead of waiting for opportunities. Meanwhile, Sinner will want to keep rallies shorter to avoid fatigue, as he has faced cramps during the tournament.

Who Will Win?
With Sinner’s winning streak in mind, it’s hard not to favor him.

Madison Keys from the United States made history by beating Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus in the final of the Australian Open. Keys won the match with scores of 6-3, 2-6, and 7-5, taking home her very first Grand Slam title at the age of 29.

This victory was impressive because Keys also defeated the world’s No. 2 player, Iga Swiatek, in the semifinals. In that match, she even saved a match point! With these wins, she became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to beat the top two players in the tournament.

Keys, who was seeded 19th and ranked 14th in the world, was playing in her second big final after losing at the 2017 U.S. Open. By winning this time, she stopped Sabalenka from winning her third Australian Open title in a row. The last player to do that was Martina Hingis, who won from 1997 to 1999.

On Saturday, three Indian cricketers were recognized in the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year for 2024: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, and Deepti Sharma. This team features players from various countries, but the Indians shined the most. Besides them, the team also includes two players from South Africa and one each from Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, Australia, Ireland, and Pakistan.

Smriti Mandhana had an impressive year, starting with a great score of 54 against Australia and ending with three half-centuries against the West Indies at home. She scored a total of 763 runs in 23 matches, making her the second-best in ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings. She hit eight half-centuries and had a high score of 77, with an average of 42.38 and a strike rate of 126.53.

Richa Ghosh excited fans with her powerful batting last year. She began the year with a stunning 64 not out off just 29 balls against the UAE, accumulating 365 runs in 21 games at an average of 33.18 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of 156.65.

Deepti Sharma played a crucial role for India as an all-rounder. She took 30 wickets this year with an average of 17.80 and an impressive economy rate of 6.01. Her best performances included taking 3 wickets for just 13 runs against Nepal and 3 wickets for 20 runs against Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup.

The ICC team is led by South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who had fantastic performances, including a memorable not out score of 58 against Australia. Marizanne Kapp, also from South Africa, scored a great 75 against Australia and picked up 11 wickets with her bowling.

Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu deserves recognition for her two centuries, including 119 not out in the Women’s Asia Cup final against India. The team also includes Hayley Matthews from West Indies, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Australia’s Melie Kerr, who took 29 wickets and was named Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup. Rounding out the team is Ireland’s Orla Prendergast and Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal.

ICC Women’s T20I Team of 2024:
– Laura Wolvaardt (c), Marizanne Kapp (both SA)
– Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma (all India)
– Chamari Athapaththu (SL)
– Hayley Matthews (WI)
– Nat Sciver-Brunt (Eng)
– Melie Kerr (Aus)
– Orla Prendergast (Ire)
– Sadia Iqbal (Pak)

The countdown is on for the World Padel League’s first event in India! It’s happening at the Nesco Center in Mumbai from February 5 to February 8. This thrilling tournament will feature four teams: Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers, SG Pipers Cheetahs, Game Changers Lions, and Vernost Jaguars. Each team will have eight amazing players, including five men and three women from various countries.

The tournament will kick off with an exciting match. The Vernost Jaguars, with star players Alejandro Arroyo and Alejandra Salazar, will take on the Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers, led by Marta Ortega. The second match of the opening day will see SG Pipers Cheetahs, featuring Claudia Fernandez, battle against Game Changers Lions, with Jon Sanz and Veronica Virseda.

On February 6, the Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers will face off against the SG Pipers Cheetahs. After that, the Vernost Jaguars will meet the Game Changers Lions. The league will wrap up on February 7 with Game Changers Lions facing Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers first, then the SG Pipers Cheetahs taking on the Vernost Jaguars. The top two teams from all the matches will compete in the finals on February 8.

Each team will play against every other team in a round-robin format over three days. Each match will have four sets: two men’s doubles, one women’s doubles, and one mixed doubles.

Teams and Their Players:

– Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers
– Men: Carlos Daniel Gutierrez (World No. 19), Javier Barahona (World No. 29), and more.
– Women: Marta Ortega (World No. 7), Sofia Araujo (World No. 8), and more.

– SG Pipers Cheetahs
– Men: Francisco Guerrero (World No. 21), Juanlu Esbri (World No. 25), and more.
– Women: Claudia Fernandez (World No. 3), Beatriz Gonzalez (World No. 6), and more.

– Game Changers Lions
– Men: Jon Sanz (World No. 9), Jairo Bautista (World No. 22), and more.
– Women: Veronica Virseda (World No. 12), Aranzazu Osoro (World No. 18), and more.

– Vernost Jaguars
– Men: Alejandro Arroyo (World No. 18), Lucas Campagnolo (World No. 26), and more.
– Women: Alejandra Salazar (World No. 15), Tamara Icardo (World No. 17), and more.

Come join the excitement as the world’s best padel players compete in India!

Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, showed great determination in his match against Ben Shelton on Friday. He won with scores of 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2, and is back in the final of the Australian Open, hoping to win his third Grand Slam title.

Sinner, who is the top-ranked player and just 23 years old, faced a tough challenge in the first set. He was behind and almost lost it when Shelton served at 6-5. However, Sinner stayed calm, broke Shelton’s serve, and then won the tiebreaker easily. He also started the second set with a break of serve.

“This first set was very tough, but it was really important,” Sinner said. He managed to extend his winning streak to 20 matches going back to last season.

In the last two sets, Sinner did have some issues with cramps in his legs, but he kept playing. A trainer helped him by massaging his legs during breaks. Sinner is now the youngest man to reach back-to-back finals at the Australian Open since Jim Courier did it in 1992-93. Interestingly, Courier interviewed Sinner after the match!

Sinner already won his first major title at the Australian Open last year and followed it up with another win at the U.S. Open in September. He is still waiting for a decision about a doping issue that is being reviewed, with a hearing coming up in April.

Next, Sinner will compete against No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the final. Zverev reached his third major final after Djokovic had to retire due to injury. “Anything can happen,” Sinner said about Zverev. “He’s an amazing player, and I know it will be a tense match.”