The Australian Open winners Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden of Australia have been placed in the same group that includes top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in the doubles section of the ATP Finals. As per the doubles draw revealed on Thursday, they will joined in the Bob Bryan Group by Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori and Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. Teams in each group will play in a round-robin format before the top two make it to the semifinals. The Indo-Australian pair is seeded sixth in this event. Second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will be the top contenders from the Mike Bryan Group with Wesley Koolhof/Nikola Mektic, Max Purcell/Jordan Thompson, and Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten the other teams in contention for the semifinal spots from this group. Arevalo and Pavic, Bolelli and Vavassori, Purcell and Thompson, Heliovaara and Patten, and Krawietz and Puetz are all making their team debuts at the ATP Finals while Koolhof and Mektic claimed the ATP Finals doubles title in 2020. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson are the reigning US Open men's doubles winner, having won the title by beating Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the final. This year, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic won the French Open doubles title while Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten claimed the title at Wimbledon. Going by their performance this season, these four teams are expected to reach the knockout stage. Men's doubles draw: Bob Bryan Group: Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic (1), Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori (4), Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden (6), Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz (8) Mike Bryan Group: Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (2), Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic (3), Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson (5), Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten (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
09 November,2024 07:31 AM IST | Turin | IANSPankaj Advani edged closer to his 28th world title, securing a spot in the final of the IBSF World Billiards Championship (150-up format) with a 4-2 win over fellow Indian Sourav Kothari in Doha on Friday. The match, an all-Indian affair, showcased high-quality billiards as Advani, the 27-time world champion, made a strong start to clinch the opening frame in the semifinal. Kothari responded by taking the second frame to level the score. Also Read: Asian Billiards Championship: Sitwala wins battle of best friends with Advani in Riyadh However, Advani shifted into top gear and showcased his unmatched precision and tactical brilliance to claim the next two frames and establish a 3-1 lead. Kothari mounted a spirited fightback in the fifth frame, narrowing the deficit to 3-2. But Advani, determined to seal the contest, left no room for a comeback as he delivered a superlative performance in the sixth frame to close the match 4-2. Advani will now face England’s Robert Hall in the final of championship being played in the 150-up format. Hall, a seasoned competitor, earned his berth in the final by overcoming multiple world champion Peter Gilchrist of Singapore 4-1. PTI APA DDV 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
08 November,2024 09:30 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIOne of the in-form teams in PKL Season 11 has been the U Mumba, and among the best performers in the team so far has been the young Ajit Chouhan. He put in a brilliant performance for his team in what was a very closely contested win against Patna Pirates, at the GMCB Indoor Stadium, in Gachibowli, in Hyderabad. Chouhan scored 19 points, which helped U Mumba register their fourth win of the season. Reflecting on the same, coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, said, “Whenever your team wins, you will be happy for sure, and the game against Patna Pirates was a very close one as well. Ajit is one of the best young talents in our team, and I am very happy that he is performing well. He is slowly getting better with every game, and I hope he can become a big star in the future.” The coach further added, “We have worked hard in training and improved certain skills, and Ajit used that in the game, and then he understood, that a little change has helped him improve a lot, and the result of that can be a big difference.” Ajit has stood out with his raiding, and picked up some crucial game-changing points for the U Mumba side. So far, in 7 games in PKL Season 11, Ajit has scored 39 points, and played with a sense of freedom. Speaking about the way he has prepared behind the scenes with the coach and the leadership group of the team, Ajit said, “The coach has always helped me, and helped fix the mistakes in my game. And my captain Sunil Kumar has continuously encouraged me to play with freedom saying that if I play like that, I will be able to score more points.” Also Read: Mumba eye U-turn in PKL fortunes! For U Mumba, the Hyderabad leg of PKL Season 11 is complete, and they will be keen to build on the momentum and good form when they arrive in Noida, and take on the UP Yoddhas in their next game. Elaborating on the way the U Mumba side have made progressed so far this season, coach Gholamreza Mazandarani said, “The process of progress is a long one and we, as a team, are in the middle of the journey. And I feel the young players in the team are doing well, and in the future, they will do really well. Slowly, they are also learning more about the game at the highest level and the more the players learn, the better they will get we go along.” Preview for matches on November 8 The first game of the day will see the Jaipur Pink Panthers will take on the Patna Pirates, in what promises to be a titanic clash. The likes of Arjun Deshwal, Neeraj Narwal and Surjeet Singh will be keen to help the Jaipur Pink Panthers end their campaign in Hyderabad on a high. Meanwhile, in the other corner, the Patna Pirates have the young duo of Devank and Ayan calling the shots, scoring some big points, and they too will eye a winning end to their time in Hyderabad this season. The second contest on the day will feature the Dabang Delhi K.C. side take on the Tamil Thalaivas. For the Dabang Delhi K.C., the game is a crucial one as they are looking to end a losing streak, while the Tamil Thalaivas have been in good form, with the talismanic Sachin leading the way. 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
08 November,2024 05:09 PM IST | Hyderabad | AgenciesStar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will travel to Potchefstroom, South Africa later this month for an off-season training stint to start early preparation for next year's competitions. The 26-year-old double Olympic medallist, who last competed in Brussels in the Diamond League Final in September, will spend 31 days in the South African city. Chopra's training stint will be funded by the Sports Ministry. "(He) will start his training early and will be in Potchefstroom for a period of 31 days," the ministry said in a statement on Friday. "Neeraj's training session will be funded by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and the expenditure will cover his and his Physiotherapist's lodging, boarding and training cost for the period of his stay in South Africa." In the past, Chopra has trained in Potchefstroom many times, including ahead of Tokyo and Paris Olympics. He also took part in a competition there in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. He had finished on top with a throw of 87.86m at the ACNW League Meeting 1 at McArthur Stadium. Also Read: All you need to know about inguinal hernia that Neeraj Chopra is reportedly suffering from Chopra battled an adductor muscle niggle throughout the year and it also affected his performance at both the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League Final, where he competed with a fractured left hand. He had earlier spoken about consulting doctors at the end of the season to decide whether to go for a surgery to fix the problem. But talking to PTI on September 27, he had played down injury concerns and also stated that he will look to improve his technique. "It was an injury-plagued year but injury is fine now, I will be 100 per cent fit for the new season," he had said. Chopra, who added a silver medal at the Paris Olympics to his gold won in Tokyo Games three years back, recently parted ways with his German coach Klaus Bartonietz, ending a hugely successful five-year partnership. Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair had told PTI that a new coach for Chopra is likely be appointed before the end of the year. Chopra's main aim next year will be to defend the World Championships gold in Tokyo besides also working hard to hit the 90m mark. He had won gold in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary with a throw of 88.17m. He has a personal best of 89.94m, just 6cm short of the 90m mark. In the Paris Olympics, his silver-winning throw was 89.45m and he was bested by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who broke the Games record with a 92.97m effort. (With agency inputs)
08 November,2024 03:56 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndia’s Arjun Erigaisi leapfrogged to second place in the world chess rankings thanks to his victory over Alexey Sarana in the Chennai Grand Masters on Thursday.He is jointly leading the Masters category alongside Amin Tabatabaei after three rounds. Starting with the black pieces, Arjun reacted to Sarana’s Queen’s Pawn Opening as he engaged him in the Indian Game before swiftly going for an East Indian Defense. Also Read: Sinner, Alcaraz placed in different groups Both players knocked off their kings early in the tie while remaining locked in an intense battle before Arjun earned the upper hand, converting it into his competition’s second win. As a result, the 21-year-old has reclaimed his 2,800 ELO rating, going past Fabiano Caruana to take the second place in the world rankings. Also in Round 3 of the Masters category, Amin Tabatabaei caused a big upset as he beat French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with his unique tactical precision. In the meantime, Levon Aronian came up with a dominant victory over Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran, asserting his presence in the event. 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
08 November,2024 07:45 AM IST | Chennai | PTIJannik Sinner avoided his key rival Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Finals group draw on Thursday, as the Italian aims for his first title at the season-ending event on home soil. World No. 1 Sinner was drawn in the Ilie Nastase Group with Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur at the tournament in Turin, which starts on Sunday. Also Read: India shuttler George storms into quarter finals Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, ranked three in the world, was drawn in the John Newcombe with Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev. The top two players in each group will qualify for the semi-finals. Sinner, who lost last year’s final to Novak Djokovic, tops the rankings. 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
08 November,2024 07:43 AM IST | Rome | AFPIndia’s Kiran George dished out yet another gritty performance to upset third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei and progressed to the men’s singles quarter-finals of the Korea Masters badminton tournament on Thursday. The 24-year-old Indian overcame his Chinese Taipei opponent, ranked 31 in the world, 21-17, 19-21, 21-17. Also Read: Mbappe left out of France squad 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
08 November,2024 07:41 AM IST | Iksan City (Korea) | PTIIndia’s Kiran George produced a gritty performance to eke out a three-game win and advanced to the second round of the Korea Masters here on Wednesday. Also Read: Sandeep Patil says India have to forget NZ loss in order to win in Australia The 24-year-old overcame a sluggish start to defeat Vietnam’s Kuan Lin Kuo 15-21, 21-12, 21-15 in a 57-minute opening round clash of BWF Super 300 tournament. The lone Indian shuttler competing in the tournament, World No. 44 George will take on third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in the second round. Lin Kuo raced to an 11-4 lead and eventually took the first game with ease. 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
08 November,2024 12:40 AM IST | Iksan City (Korea) | PTIHailing from Kolhapur, swimmer Virdhawal Khade has represented India in several editions of the Asian and South Asian Games. Having participated in the Beijing Olympics 2008 for the men's 50, 100 and 200-meter freestyle swimming, Virdhawal Khade fell short of sealing the semi-final berth but set an Indian national record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming event. Later, the Kolhapur-born swimmer successfully clinched a bronze medal in the 50-meter butterfly event in the 2010 Asian Games which were hosted in China. By claiming a bronze medal, Virdhawal Khade scripted history by becoming the first Indian athlete after Sachin Nag to win a medal in the Asian Games in 24 years. Following his achievement, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award by the Indian government in 2011. Also Read: Nikhat Zareen hails India's bid to host 2036 Olympics, calls for SAI centres in each state Another historic moment in Virdhawal Khade's swimming career was during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Participating in the 4 X 100 m freestyle relay swimming event, the Indian made the cut to the finals. He finished the event at the sixth position and additionally in the same year, he was also part of the finals for the 50m butterfly event. A remarkable achievement of Khade is that he is the youngest ever Indian swimmer to qualify for an Olympics. Back then he was aged 16 when he made his debut on the biggest sporting event in the world. With a bronze medal in the 2010 Guangzhou Olympics, Virdhawal Khade also won five gold medals in the 2006 South Asian Games, two golds in the 2010 edition, a silver (50 m freestyle) and a gold (50 m butterfly) in the 2016 Guwahati South Asian Games. Additionally, the swimmer also has one gold and three silver medals in the 2019 Kathmandu South Asian Games. Recently, Virdhawal Khade has been accused of misconduct by an 18-year-old girl who he had coached for two years. According to sources, the swimmer forwarded some obscene photographs to the girl. Following the allegations, the Greater Mumbai Amateur Aquatic Association (GMAAA) has taken disciplinary action against Khade, whose appointment as a co-opted member of its managing committee has been suspended. Khade has also received a ban from participating in any meeting held by the GMAA until next year.
07 November,2024 09:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Sujay ShivalkarAfter India's bid to host the Olympics 2036, two-time world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen said that the bid would motivate sportsperson but we need to establish Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres in every state to nurture sports development which is important for staging the mega event in the country. The ambition to host the world's largest sporting event has been backed by strong Indian government support. Previously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown his intent to bring the Olympics to India in 2036. "India hosting the 2036 Olympics will be a huge motivation for athletes. If we want to host major events like the Olympics, I believe every state should have SAI centres. Currently, there are only regional centres. If I need to train, then I have to go to places like Rohtak, Guwahati, Aurangabad, or wherever these centres are located," Nikhat Zareen told IANS. "If I have to struggle so much just to get training, imagine the challenges for young kids preparing with 2036 in mind. I might retire by 2036 (she joked), but for them, it will be difficult. Convincing their parents to send them so far away for training will be very challenging. If every state has an SAI centre with good coaches, it will benefit everyone, and we’ll be able to focus on athletes from the grassroots level," she said. Nikhat, a Deputy Suprindent of Police (DSP) with Telangana Police, further suggested that every state should have multi-facility stadiums to help the young athletes train in better infrastructure. "Along with this, each state's capital should have a good stadium and a policy in place to support young athletes who aren't financially stable. By sponsoring their equipment from the grassroots level, providing quality coaches, and giving them access to facilities, we can give them a solid push, helping them reach the senior level and potentially make the nation proud," she added. Also Read: Sourav Ganguly convincing factor in Wriddhiman Saha's decision to delay retirement Nikaht Zareen's hopes of clinching a medal on her Olympic debut in Paris ended early as she lost against Wu Yu of China by unanimous decision in the Round of 16 of the women’s 50kg boxing event. Reflecting on her Paris Olympics campaign, Nikhat Zareen said, "There was no pressure at all because I had previously won many competitions where no one expected me to win. Paris was my first Olympics, and I was unseeded. In my weight category, I had only two major competitors, the Turkish boxer (Busenaz Cakiroglu), and the Chinese." "I had defeated the Turkish boxer before, but I had no prior experience against the Chinese boxer, so I was clueless. I had only observed her playing but hadn’t sparred with her. Unfortunately, in Paris, I had to face the Chinese boxer in the second round itself, leading to an early exit from the competition," she further said. "More than the loss, what saddened me was seeing the medals go to boxers I had previously defeated. It was really heartbreaking that I missed out on a medal in the Olympics despite being a two-time world champion," Nikhat added. Speaking about how she overcame her loss at the Olympics, the boxer from Telangana said "It wasn't easy", as everyone "becomes coach when you lose" and starts giving their expert advice. "When you win, everyone comes to congratulate you. I noticed that after Paris, only a few people reached out. It stings to see people celebrate your wins, but when you truly need support, they are missing. I’ve come to realise, though, that this is just part of life. "More than anyone else’s expectations, it was my own that weighed on me, and it hurt that I couldn’t meet them. In the past, I’ve faced challenges, overcome them, and made strong comebacks. This time, I’ll return mentally, physically, and emotionally stronger. I’m not pressuring myself; I’m taking it slow," said the 28-year-old boxer. Currently, training at Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, Nikhat Zareen concluded by saying, "I don’t have a personal coach right now, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself. I’ll take my time and make a steady comeback." (With IANS Inputs)
07 November,2024 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCoco Gauff posted a rare victory over Iga Swiatek to punch her ticket to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Tuesday, ensuring Aryna Sabalenka will finish the year as the World No. 1. Swiatek, the defending champion, was in a direct battle with Sabalenka for the top spot this week but needed a win over Gauff to keep her chances alive of leapfrogging her Belarusian rival. Gauff, 20, entered the contest having lost 11 of her 12 previous meetings with Swiatek, with the American’s sole victory coming in Cincinnati last year. But she turned the tables on Swiatek on Tuesday, defeating the second seed 6-3, 6-4 to make it two straight-sets wins from two round-robin matches in Riyadh this week. Also Read: Sauber signs Brazilian driver Bortoleto for 2025 “It feels great. I knew going into the match that despite our head-to-head I had a lot of confidence going in,” said Gauff, who hit 11 double faults during the one-hour 48-minute showdown. With the exception of the opening game of the match, Gauff had break point opportunities in every Swiatek service game in the first set. The American third seed made her move in game seven, breaking for 4-3, and she closed out the set with a second break of serve, taking the lead in 49 minutes. Swiatek needed six break points in a marathon third game of the second set to finally take down the Gauff serve but she couldn’t consolidate her advantage. They traded breaks again, as Gauff’s double-fault tally went up to double digits and Swiatek racked up the errors. It was Gauff who eventually steadied the ship, and wrapped up the victory on Swiatek’s 47th unforced error of the match. Swiatek admits her two-month break between the US Open and the WTA Finals and the fact she is playing her first tournament with her new coach Wim Fissette have made things “a bit more tricky and different than usual. “But I’ll force myself to work even better in the next match,” the Pole 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
07 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | Riyadh | AFPADVERTISEMENT
