After fighting many pitched battles with him for nearly a decade, former World No.1 Novak Djokovic has appointed his one-time rival Andy Murray as his coach for the 2025 season's first Grand Slam in Australia. The 37-year-old Djokovic of Serbia took to social media on Saturday to announce that longtime friend and rival Andy Murray will be his new coach starting from the next Australian Open in Melbourne. Murray retired from professional tennis earlier this year at the Paris Olympics. Born one week apart in May 1987, both climbed to the top of the ATP Rankings and battled on the world’s biggest stages. Djokovic and Murray clashed in 36 ATP head-to-head showdowns, with the former winning 25 of them. They met in 19 finals, including the championship match at seven majors and the 2016 ATP Finals. They most recently played in the 2017 Doha final. Announcing their partnership in a video message on his social media channel, Djokovic said, "We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, and history-makers. I thought our story might be over. It turns out it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard the coach, Andy Murray." Also Read: 'Was worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties': Federer’s tribute to Nadal hits all the right notes “I’m excited to have one of my greatest rivals in my team, on the same side of the net, this time as my coach," Djokovic said per his official website. I’m looking forward to starting the season together with Andy and having him by my side in Melbourne, where we’ve shared many extraordinary moments throughout our careers," Djokovic said. Murray too was excited about the partnership. “I’ll be joining Novak’s team during the preparation period, helping him get in the best possible shape for the Australian Open," Murray said. "I’m very excited about it and I am looking forward to being on the same side of the net for a change. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to assist him in achieving his goals for the coming year." In 2024 Djokovic recorded a 37-9 match record according to Infosys ATP Stats. In January he will attempt to win an 11th Australian Open title to reach 100 career titles. Djokovic is the most successful tennis player in the Open Era, having won a record 24 Grand Slam titles, while the 37-year-old Murray won three Grand Slam titles, including the Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016. Both of them along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were part of tennis's Fab Four for many years. (With agency inputs)
24 November,2024 11:53 AM IST | London | IANSDream Seller, trained by PS Chouhan, who outpaced and outclassed nearly the same set of rivals when winning the Delhi Race Trophy three weeks ago at Pune, obviously gets the first nomination to win the opening day's feature event, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy. However, jockey R Ajinkya astride the four-year-old son of Phoenix Tower will have to keep an eye on Magileto who is certain to get a vigorous ride from jockey Suraj Narredu. First race at 2 pm.Selections: Fedora Plate (For 4y&o, Class V; 1400m)Sorrento Secret 1, Marlboro Man2, Prince Igor 3. KJK Irani Plate (Class II; 1600m)Christofle 1, Fast Pace 2, Dream Alliance 3. Dr SR Captain Salver (Class III; 1400m)Dash 1, Jade 2, Fontana 3. PB Avasia Plate (Class IV; 1600m)Amadeo 1, Odysseus 2, Endurance 3. Welcome Trophy (Class IV; 1200m)Vincero 1, Divine Star 2, The General 3. Also Read: 'Maha Laxmi' on offer at Mahalaxmi Royal Calcutta Turf Club Trophy (Class I; 1200m)Dream Seller 1, Magileto 2, Snowfall 3. MD Petit Plate (For 4y&o, Class V; 1000m)Khaleesi 1, Mirae 2, Mi Arion 3. RecommendationsBest bet: NoneUpsets: Anoushka (1-7), Eloquent (5-2) & Fidato (7-1) Today's poolsSuper jackpot pool: 2,3,4,5,6,7Jackpot pool: 3,4,5,6,7Treble pool: 4,5,6Tanala pool: 2,3,4,5,6,7
24 November,2024 08:08 AM IST | Pune | Prakash GosaviThe last man to face and beat Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, converted his 10th match point Friday to finally close out a 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier and help the Netherlands reach its first Davis Cup final by sweeping Germany. Tallon Griekspoor, who is ranked 40th, sealed the 2-0 win for the Dutch in the best-of-three-match semi-final by hitting 25 aces and coming back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. When it ended, appropriately, on an ace, Griekspoor shut his eyes, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide. Also Read: 'Was worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties': Federer’s tribute to Nadal hits all the right notes “We have been talking about this for two, three years,” Griekspoor said. “We believed in ourselves so much. We always felt like this was possible. To do it now feels unbelievable.” 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
24 November,2024 08:07 AM IST | Malaga (Spain) | AP | PTIA woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros (USD 257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Also Read: Jake Paul believes he is title-ready, but Mike Tyson might be done in the ring at 58 Nikita Hand said the December 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. 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
24 November,2024 08:06 AM IST | London | AP | PTIThe Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the semi-finals of the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament, losing in three games to Korea’s Jin Yong and Seo Seung Jae on Saturday. Also Read: Star shuttlers Sat-Chi eye ‘great things’ at Paris Oly Competing in their first event since the Paris Olympics, the former World No. 1 Indian pair, who had reached the finals in the last edition, couldn’t maintain the pressure in a 74-minute encounter, going down 18-21, 21-14, 16-21 to the unseeded Korean duo. 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
24 November,2024 08:04 AM IST | Shenzhen (China) | PTIAsian Games bronze medallist Gulveer Singh on Saturday bettered his own national record in 10,000m race while winning gold in the 2024 Hachioji Long Distance meet in Japan. Also Read: From the sole and the soul: Mumbai's running community mourns loss of Mufaddal Hararwala The 26-year-old Singh clocked 27 minute 14.88 seconds to win the race at Hachioji, near Tokyo. His earlier national record in the event was 27:41.81s which he had clocked on March 16 at The TEN event in San Juan, USA. He had won a bronze medal in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 28:17.21s. 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
24 November,2024 08:04 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIGeorge Russell of Mercedes took pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Friday while title-chasing Max Verstappen was fifth as the Dutchman closes in on a fourth successive world championship. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was second ahead of Pierre Gasly of Alpine with Red Bull’s Verstappen finishing one spot ahead of title rival Lando Norris of McLaren who was sixth. Verstappen leads Norris by 62 points with three races remaining and needs simply to finish ahead of him to become only the sixth man to win four world titles. Norris has to beat Verstappen by three points to keep his slim hopes alive. 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
24 November,2024 08:02 AM IST | Las Vegas | AFPIt does not matter if Ding Liren is struggling for form or is at his best, D Gukesh knows he needs to be the “best version of himself “ in every game against the Chinese during the World Chess Championship clash, starting Monday. While Gukesh has been in fine touch, Liren has struggled in the lead-up to the prestigious event. “For me, it’s pretty clear who I’m going to face. I’m going to face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade,” said Gukesh, who will play with whites in the opening game, said at the pre-tournament press conference. “My job is also pretty clear —just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don’t think it really matters. “If I do the right things, I’m confident I have all the chances in the world,” he added. This year’s tournament marks the first time in 138 years that two Asian players will pitted against each other in the World Chess Championship, that is offering a prize fund of USD 2.5 million. “It’s an honour and privilege to play for India in any event, especially something as significant as the World Championship. Representing my country and carrying the hopes of Indians is something I take very seriously,” Gukesh said. Acknowledging the nerves ahead of the big event, the 18-year-old from Chennai said, “I won’t say I’m super calm. I know this is a big event, and I’m super excited. But I also know I can handle any nerves. As long as I’m confident in my skills, I don’t have anything to worry about. “Since the moment I qualified for the match, it has been the main thing on my mind. Me and my team, we prepared in the best way possible. My trainer is here with me and all my other team members. I think we all did a great job. I’m super happy with my preparation. Now it’s all about doing the right things and using that preparation,” Gukesh added. 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
24 November,2024 08:01 AM IST | Singapore | PTIWorld Athletics President Sebastian Coe said on Friday the new Ultimate Championship team event officially unveiled by the sport’s governing body would be a “game changer” for track and field. The inaugural event will be held in Budapest on September 11-13, 2026, and will be staged every two years to fulfil World Athletics’ ambition of having a global championship every year. The federation said the event would provide “a spectacular conclusion to the summer athletics season, in the years where there is no World Athletics Championships.” Also Read: Hamilton surprised by pace as Mercedes top both practice sessions The event boasts a “record-setting” prize pot of $10 million (9.6 million euros). World Athletics said it was “the largest ever offered in track and field” — with champions set to receive $150,000. Each session will last three hours and athletes will represent both themselves and their national teams, wearing national kit. Coe, who held a press conference in the Hungarian capital, said: “This new global event will be a game changer for our sport and for our athletes. We want to bring our fans athletics like they have never seen it before — with the best of the best athletes in our sport competing head-to-head in a passion-fuelled, high octane, festival of sport, with sound, light and innovation.” World Athletics said the event would be “an accelerator for innovation” in the sport. The announcement comes after four-time Olympic sprint champion Michael Johnson unveiled details of his four-meet Grand Slam Track series, which makes its debut next year with meetings in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Johnson’s series is widely seen as a challenge to the established Diamond League circuit of meets as the sport of athletics seeks to grab more limelight from other sports outside of the Olympics and world championships. 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
23 November,2024 08:16 AM IST | Budapest | AFPLewis Hamilton, whose 11 year tenure with Mercedes comes to an end after three races in the 2024 season of Formula 1, was left pleasantly surprised with his car’s performance as the seven-time world champion finished both practice sessions at the top of the timesheet at the Las Vegas Street Circuit on Friday. Also Read: Satwik-Chirag enter semi-finals, Lakshya loses “Difficult to know exactly where we are or why we are where we are but really enjoying driving the track and I think we’ll see whether the car is the same tomorrow. But it was nice to get like consecutive sectors,” Hamilton was quoted by Formula1.com 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
23 November,2024 08:14 AM IST | Nevada | IANSIndian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a solid show to outwit second seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark to progress to the semi-finals of the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament here on Friday. Also Read: Sinner shines as Italy beat Argentina; face Oz in semis Playing their first tournament since the Paris Olympics, Satwik and Chirag, who had reached the final in the last edition, registered a 21-16, 21-19 win over the World No 2 pair in 47 minutes. In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen suffered a 18-21, 15-21 loss in 53 minutes against third seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the quarter-finals to bow out of the competition. 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
23 November,2024 08:12 AM IST | Shenzhen | PTIADVERTISEMENT
