Day six of the Clear Premium Water presents Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7 marked the business end of the tournament at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium, culminating in a high-stakes grand finale, where GS Delhi Aces emerged victorious to clinch their maiden title. In the grand finale, GS Delhi Aces and Yash Mumbai Eagles battled it out for the Tennis Premier League Season 7 title. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where Sofia Costoulas took on Riya Bhatia. Costoulas once again produced a commanding performance, cruising an emphatic 18–7 win to maintain her unbeaten record in singles. The momentum continued in the Mixed Doubles, as Sofia Costoulas partnered Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan against Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha. The Delhi Aces duo controlled the contest from the outset, combining sharp returning with confident net play to secure a 16–9 victory and extend their advantage in the final. The Men’s Singles saw 30-year-old Billy Harris take on Damir Dzumhur. World No. 57 Dzumhur produced a strong performance and claimed a 16–9 win. However, despite the result, GS Delhi Aces continued to maintain a healthy 11-point lead. The Men’s Doubles brought the finale to a close, with Billy Harris and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan taking on Niki Poonacha and Damir Dzumhur. The GS Delhi Aces pair delivered a composed and controlled performance, securing an 8–4 win to seal a dominant 51–36 overall victory. In their debut campaign, GS Delhi Aces emerged victorious in the Tennis Premier League Season 7, clinching their maiden title after a commanding performance in the grand finale. Earlier in the day, two high-intensity semi-finals set the stage for the final. In the first semi-final, GS Delhi Aces locked horns with Rajasthan Rangers. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where 20-year-old Sofia Costoulas delivered a dream start for the Aces with a commanding 19–6 win over Ekaterina Kazionova, the biggest margin of victory recorded in a tie this season. Costoulas then partnered Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in the Mixed Doubles, but the Rangers duo of Kazionova and Dhakshineswar Suresh responded strongly to edge a tight 13–12 win. The Men’s Singles proved decisive as Billy Harris produced a dominant performance against world No. 26 Luciano Darderi, registering a 17–8 win to put GS Delhi Aces firmly in control. Billy Harris then teamed up with Jeevan in the Men’s Doubles, where the Delhi Aces pair secured a 3–1 win over Dhakshineswar Suresh and Darderi to close out the tie. GS Delhi Aces completed a commanding 51–28 overall victory to book their place in the final of Tennis Premier League Season 7. The second semi-final saw SG Pipers Bengaluru take on Yash Mumbai Eagles. The tie opened with the Women’s Singles, where Shrivalli Bhamidipaty faced Riya Bhatia. Bhatia produced a strong comeback to edge out Bhamidipaty 13–12. In the Mixed Doubles, Bhamidipaty paired with Rohan Bopanna against Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha. The SG Pipers duo held their nerve to secure a 13–12 win, keeping the semi-final finely balanced. The Men’s Singles proved decisive as Ramkumar Ramanathan went up against world No. 57 Damir Dzumhur, who edged out Ramanathan 14–11 with a composed display. In the Men’s Doubles, Ramanathan and Bopanna faced Niki Poonacha and Damir Dzumhur, with the SG Pipers pair winning a tight 13–12 match. Despite the late push, Yash Mumbai Eagles finished ahead on aggregate, sealing a narrow 51–49 overall victory to book their place in the final of Tennis Premier League Season 7. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
15 December,2025 10:27 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOn the momentous occasion of the 55th anniversary of his long and illustrious training career, trainer MK Jadhav received the greatest gift: Kavya, trained by him and ridden by David Allan, won the Indian 1000 Guineas at the Mahalaxmi race track on Sunday, beating the piping-hot on-money favourite Fynbos (P Trevor up) by half a length. This was the third success for the trainer in the coveted Classic. He had earlier won it with Destined Queen (1974) and Thumbelina (1992). "It's like a dream come true," a tearful Jadhav said after the race, virtually choking on the last words in a touching display of emotion. Owner Prasant Nagar, who happens to be the son of Jadhav's sister, reminded all that his grandfather Major KP Jadhav had started the family tradition of winning an Indian Classic when he led in the winner of the second Indian Derby, run in 1944, with Deepak. "This is just the extension--the same tradition is being kept alive here," he said, smilingly. "I was introduced to the owners yesterday morning," said jockey David Allan, who has been retained by the trainer for this Mumbai season, "I was told we have a good horse, and I am happy that she (Kavya) proved it by winning the big race today." David Allan turned out to be the star professional of Sunday afternoon at Mahalaxmi as he also rode Evaldo to victory for trainer Aman Hussain in the RJ Kolah Trophy, and finished a close second to the Pesi Shroff-trained winner Jade (Vivek G up) in the MN Nazir Trophy.
15 December,2025 10:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviIndia clinched its maiden squash World Cup title by producing a commanding 3-0 victory over top-seeded Hong Kong in front of the vociferous home fans at Chennai’s Express Avenue Mall on Sunday. Veteran Joshna Chinappa, ranked 79th in the world, kick-started the final with a 7-3, 2-7, 7-5, 7-1 win over World No. 37, Ka Yi Lee. Abhay Singh, World No. 29, then swatted aside Asian Champion and World No. 42 Alex Lau 7-1, 7-4, 7-4 in straight sets. Youngster Anahat Singh ranked 28th in the world, then sealed it off with an emphatic 7-2, 7-2, 7-5 victory in just 16 minutes over 31st-ranked Tomato Ho, who also an Asian Champion. India’s previous best performance at squash’s showpiece event came in 2023, when they won the bronze medal. This was the fifth edition of the tournament. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
15 December,2025 09:53 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesNavi Mumbai’s Kharghar Valley Golf Course will play host to an international-level golf tournament, CIDCO Open 2025, from December 16 to 19, 2025, bringing together some of the finest golfing talent from India and abroad. The four-day tournament is being jointly organised by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as the presenting partner. The competition will be played in the stroke-play format, featuring four rounds of 18 holes each. After the completion of two rounds, the top 50 players and ties will make the cut and advance to the final rounds. The course is set at par 72, promising a high-quality and competitive contest. A total of 126 professional golfers will participate in the tournament, including players from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Czech Republic, Italy, the United States and Uganda. The strong international presence is expected to elevate the standard of play and attract attention from golf enthusiasts across the country. Leading Indian golfers such as Yuvraj Sandhu, Arjun Prasad, Manu Gandas, Angad Cheema, Khalin Joshi and Om Prakash Chouhan will be seen competing for top honours. The international field includes notable names like N. Thangaraja (Sri Lanka), Jamal Hossain (Bangladesh), Subash Tamang (Nepal), Stepan Danek (Czech Republic), Michele Ortolani and Federico Zucchetti (Italy), among others. The tournament carries a prize purse of Rs 1 crore, which will be distributed among the top-performing players. Organisers believe that hosting such a high-profile event will not only strengthen Navi Mumbai’s position on India’s sporting map but also provide valuable exposure and competitive experience to young and emerging Indian golfers. Vijay Singhal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, CIDCO said, “CIDCO Open 2025 is an important step towards promoting golf in India and providing Indian players, especially young and emerging talent, an opportunity to compete alongside international professionals. Hosting such tournaments at Kharghar also reinforces Navi Mumbai’s growing stature as a destination for world-class sporting events". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 December,2025 04:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Amarjeet SinghNewly crowned Formula One champion Lando Norris’s model girlfriend Magui Corceiro has opened up about her relationship with the McLaren driver for the first time, revealing they’re ‘very happy’ together. McLaren’s British driver Norris, 26, became the F1 champion last weekend when he finished third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to beat teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull Racing’s four-time champion Max Verstappen in the title race. Norris and Corceiro were wearing matching black outfits as they posed for many pictures at the FIA awards in Uzbekistan on Friday night. Corceiro, a Portuguese actress, influencer and model, was also present in the stands in Abu Dhabi, witnessing her boyfriend’s success. The couple, who were first spotted together in 2023 in Norris’s car, shared a passionate kiss in front of the cameras after the race. In an interview with TV Guia as reported by The Daily Mail, Corceiro has given an insight into her blossoming romance with Norris. “There’s no rule for going public,” she said. “I thought it [the kiss in Abu Dhabi] made sense. I’m very happy, he’s very happy, and that’s what matters.”
14 December,2025 08:56 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentPurely in terms of results, things did not go according to plan for paddler Diya Chitale and her mixed-doubles partner Manush Shah at the WTT Finals in Hong Kong — they lost all three of their group-stage matches. However, Diya insists the tournament provided important takeaways to elevate their game to the next level as they begin their preparation for a medal hunt at the 2026 Asian Games (in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from Sep 19-Oct 4). “It was a great learning experience for us to play against the top-ranked teams [only the top-eight ranked pairs qualified for the event]. The level of table tennis was very high and the crowd was crazy. So, it was a great exposure for us too,” Santacruz-based Chitale, who became the first Indian alongside Manush to feature in the precious season-ending event, told mid-day from Hong Kong. The draw was rather unkind to the ninth-ranked Indian duo. They were in Group 1 alongside the Chinese World No. 1 pairing of Lin Shidong-Kuai Man, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold-winning Chinese duo of Wang Chuqin-Sun Yingsha (ranked No. 3), and Hong Kong’s No. 5 pair of Wong Chun Ting-Doo Hoi Kem. Tough group to start with Despite the strong competition and a tough start — they lost their opening game 3-0 to Chuqin-Yingsha — Chitale and Shah gave a good account of themselves, especially in the second fixture against Ting-Kem, where they rallied to draw level after losing the first two sets, but then succumbed in the decider. They also went on to win one set against Shidong-Man in their last match. Reflecting on her learnings from the tournament, Chitale, 22, identified a few areas of improvement for the Indian duo. “To get to the next level, we need to improve our skills, particularly in our defensive game. When you’re playing against top players, you don’t get many chances to attack, so you have to rely on your defence. The tables we played on here were on the slower side. We are generally better on quicker ones; it suits our playing style. So adapting to slower tables is also something we’ll have to work on,” explained Chitale, who trains at Khar Gymkhana. Next major target The next big target on their agenda is the Asian Games, where Diya and Manush intend to compete for a medal. “We have achieved what we set out to do this year [reach the WTT Finals]. For next year, the Asian Games is our main goal. We are definitely going to push for a medal. Winning a medal for India at the highest level will be an honour,” Chitale signed off. Chitale-Shah’s 2025 WTT season WINS: 1 (WTT Contender Tunis) Runner-up: 1(WTT Star Contender Brazil) SEMI-FINALS: 2(WTT Star Contender Chennai, WTT Star Contender Muscat) QUARTER-FINALS: 6 (WTT Star Contender Doha, WTT Contender Muscat, Singapore Smash, US Smash, WTT Contender Buenos Aires, Europe Smash)
14 December,2025 08:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoSeason three of the Global Chess League (FCL) was launched in Mumbai at a grand ceremony at the Royal Opera House on Saturday. The first of 34 GCL matches will be played on Sunday, with the Grand Finale on December 23. The tournament features six teams comprising of top class players such as Viswanathan Anand, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Wesley So, to name a few.
14 December,2025 08:47 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFor Olympics 100m gold medallist and multiple-time world champion American sprinter Noah Lyles, 2026 season and beyond will be about having an ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality. “I’m starting 2026 with an all or nothing mentality. It’s going to demand something from my body, that’s not produced before,” Lyles, a brand ambassador for the Pune Marathon said on Saturday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 08:44 AM IST | Pune | PTIIt's a pity Fynbos is deprived of the chance to match strides with the best southern fillies (Ravishing Beauty and Indian Brocade), because the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) wanted to play it safe with the Glanders scare. One positive sample from Bengaluru for the disease stamps the move as wise. Nevertheless, Fynbos is expected to assert her supremacy in the 1000 Guineas (Gr 1), the feature event of Sunday’s, six-race card. Kings Gambit and Kavya will likely vie for second place. RecommendationsBest bet: Fynbos (4-4)Upsets: Christophany (3-5) & Red Mist (6-12) Today’s poolsSuper jackpot pool: 1,2,3,4,5,6 Jackpot pool: 2,3,4,5,6Treble pool: 3,4,5Tanala pool: All races. Selections: First race at 2.30 pm RJ Kolah Trophy (Class I; 2000m)Evaldo 1, Shubankar 2 MN Nazir Trophy(Class III; 1600m)Treat 1, Eagle Day 2 Mahalakshmi Sprint Million (For 3y&o; 1200m)Constable 1, Miss American Pie 2, Jade 3 Indian 1000 Guineas - Gr 1 (For 3y, Fillies; 1600m)Fynbos 1, Kings Gambit 2, Kavya 3 Jehangir P Dubash Trophy (Class III; 1000m)Elusive Art 1, Bee Magical 2, Foxy 3 Korea Racing Authority Trophy (For 4y&o, Class IV; 1400m)Star Impact 1, Finch 2, Red Merlot 3
14 December,2025 08:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Prakash GosaviArne Slot said he would speak to out-of-favour star forward Mohamed Salah before deciding on his availability for Saturday’s English Premier League (EPL) clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. The Egypt international accused Liverpool of throwing him ‘under the bus’ after he was left on the bench for last week’s 3-3 draw at Leeds — the third match in a row that he did not start. Salah also said he had no relationship with the Dutch manager. As a result, Slot left him out of the squad that beat Inter Milan 1-0 in a mid-week UEFA Champions League clash. However, on Friday, Slot extended an olive branch to the 33-year-old, saying he would like him to stay at the club. “I think the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here [in the media room]. I have no reasons for not wanting him to stay, and that is a little bit of an answer to your question. This club has won a lot of games with him,” said the Reds coach, amid rumors linking Salah to a move to Saudi Arabia in January. Liverpool are currently 10th in the EPL table, but are unbeaten in their last four games, which makes Slot confident ahead of Saturday’s encounter against a tricky opponent. “We have shown we have been a team in the last four games that is difficult to beat and create chances against. The team has worked really hard, put a lot of effort in, been a bit unlucky in the results, but showed great resilience,” said Slot. Brighton and Hove Albion are currently ranked eighth in the EPL table, two spots above Liverpool. Fabian Hurzeler’s punchy outfit can also take confidence from the fact they beat Liverpool 3-2 last season. 301No of EPL games played by Salah since joining Liverpool in 2017; only Jordan Pickford has played more in this period 188No of EPL goals scored by Mohamed Salah since 2017; the most in the league during this period This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 December,2025 10:37 AM IST | Liverpool | AgenciesFormula One star Fernando Alonso, 44, is reportedly expecting his first child with Spanish partner and TV presenter Melissa Jimenez. According to British tabloid The Sun, the two-time world champion has been in a relationship with Jimenez since 2023 after they met in the paddock while she was working as a presenter for DAZN. The child is expected to be born in March 2026. Interestingly, Jimenez, 38, was previously married to former Barcelona defender Marc Bartra, with whom she has two daughters and one son — Gaia (10 years), Abril (seven years), and Max (six years). Off the track, Alonso is quite popular with the ladies, as his previous relationships can attest to. He was married to Spanish singer Raquel del Rosario from 2006 to 2011, and then dated Russian model Dasha Kapustina (2012-2014). He was also briefly engaged to Spanish TV presenter Lara Alvarez from 2015 to 2016, before dating Italian model Linda Morselli from 2016 to 2021. His previous relationship was with German F1 TV presenter Andrea Schlager for a short time in 2023. Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, and has raced in 428 races — the most in F1 history. The Aston Martin driver finished the previous season 10th in the drivers’s championship with 56 points. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 December,2025 10:34 AM IST | New York | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
