Author: AFP

Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 and book his spot in the second round of the French Open on Sunday.

The 24-time major champion Djokovic is seeking to win a fourth Roland Garros crown, which would send him beyond Margaret Court as the player with the most Grand Slam titles in the history of the sport.

“His service is practically impossible to see… Only once or twice in my career (have I seen a serve like it),” Djokovic said on-court of his big-serving opponent.

It was a first victory on the red dirt of the season for the 39-year-old after he skipped the vast majority of the clay-court swing due to a shoulder issue.

Djokovic showed his rustiness by blinking first in the opening set as Mpetshi Perricard got the Parisian crowd on their feet with a break of serve in the 11th game, before holding comfortably to get his nose in front.

Djokovic managed to engineer his first two break points of the match in the sixth game of the second frame but failed to convert as the 22-year-old roared back to ensure the set stayed level at 3-3.

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But the Serb, one of tennis’ all-time great returners, was starting to get the measure of the 2.01-metre Mpetshi Perricard’s bullet serve and eventually got the break he so desperately craved in the 12th game of the second set to level the match.

When Mpetshi Perricard sent a wide stretched forehand after chasing down a Djokovic drop shot, it was the first break point converted by the former world number one out of 10 across the set.

With his eye now firmly in, Djokovic wasted no time in getting ahead in the third frame as he broke the former world number 29 in the second game to race into a 3-0 lead.

The unrelenting Djokovic then won three of the next four games to claim a rapid-fire third set. The pair exchanged breaks right at the start of the fourth set before the match settled back into its earlier ebb and flow.

Djokovic struck again to get 4-3 ahead, this time serving out to book his spot in the round of 64, where he will face another Frenchman, Valentin Royer.

READ: Villarreal crush Atletico Madrid to claim third in La Liga

Villarreal claimed third place in La Liga with an emphatic 5-1 win over Atletico Madrid, who finished fourth, in the final match of the Spanish season.

It was Marcelino Garcia Toral’s last in charge of the Yellow Submarine, and he guided them to a comfortable victory against an uninterested Atletico side. Finishing third is Villarreal’s highest placement in La Liga for 13 years.

Villarreal captain Dani Parejo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 29th minute in what was also his final match for the club.

It sparked a burst of several goals before half-time, with Ayoze Perez firing home three minutes later.

Georges Mikautadze tucked away the third after Perez found him after holding the ball up on a break, with Clement Lenglet lead-footed and unable to stop the Georgian forward.

Marc Pubill pulled one back with a header from Antoine Griezmann’s corner, on the French forward’s final Atletico appearance before his switch to MLS side Orlando City.

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It proved a brief respite for Atletico, as Pape Gueye smashed into the top corner from outside the area for Villarreal’s fourth before the break.

Perez smashed home for Villarreal early in the second half as the Yellow Submarine kept the goals flowing.

Notably, it was Atletico coach Diego Simeone’s 800th match at the helm since he took over in 2011, but not one he will remember fondly.

Atletico, who lost in the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-finals, end the season empty-handed.

“This can’t happen to us, we have to repair it next season, we can’t let in that many goals,” said Atletico skipper Koke. “We’ve got a bitter taste left in the mouth… (cup disappointments) and a disaster in La Liga, we have to be higher up.”

READ: Emotional Salah proud to put Liverpool ‘back where it belongs’

An emotional Mohamed Salah said, “We put the club back where it belongs” after playing his final game for Liverpool on Sunday.

A 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on the last day of the Premier League season marked the end of the Egyptian forward’s nine-year spell at Anfield.

Salah, 33, bid farewell alongside Scotland defender Andy Robertson, who also joined Liverpool in 2017.

Salah scored 257 goals for Liverpool, behind only Ian Rush (346) and Roger Hunt (285) in the club’s list of leading goalscorers.

He has also won multiple trophies at the club, including the Champions League and two Premier League titles.

“I think I cried more than in my whole life,” Salah told Sky Sports after the Brentford match. “I’m not really an emotional guy.

“We lived our youth here, sharing everything from the beginning to the end,” said Salah of the time he shared with Robertson at Anfield. “We put this club back where it belongs.”

Robertson, too, made no attempt to hide his feelings, saying he felt “emotionally drained” after playing his final game for Liverpool.

“In years to come, we know we are both welcome back to this football club. This is a big chapter in our book, but it’s not the end.

“First and foremost, we have to switch off and focus on the World Cup. I know this is our family and we’ll be welcomed back.”

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Salah’s departure was announced in March after he told reporters in December his relationship with Liverpool manager Arne Slot had broken down.

And in a social media post following last week’s defeat at Aston Villa, Salah said he wanted to see a return to “heavy metal football”, referring to the approach under former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

But he still started the match against Brentford, with the names of both Salah and Robertson met with a deafening roar when introduced by the stadium announcer.

Banners in the crowd celebrated both players, one saying “Thank you, legends”. Another said: “We Have Gone From Great To Glory. Salah Is Our King”.

“Brilliant as expected,” said Slot of the reception for Salah and Robertson. “Our fans always find a way of doing something special in beautiful moments and in special moments.”

Salah was the Premier League’s top scorer last season, with 29 goals, as Liverpool won the title, but his form dipped dramatically this term, and he managed just seven goals in the league.

The draw with Brentford, allied to Bournemouth’s defeat by Manchester United, ensured Liverpool secured fifth position in the Premier League, guaranteeing the six-time European champions a place in next season’s Champions League.

“It’s tricky to leave Liverpool,” said Salah, adding, “It’s life. I look back and wonder if I would have wanted more than I achieved. Not really.

“We won it all. We see the love from the fans, and this is the most important thing for me.

“I will be far away from here. I will be emotional every time. I hope the team stays in the position, fighting for everything.”

READ: Arsenal lift Premier League trophy after beating Crystal Palace

Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy after celebrating their first game as champions with a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side clinched their first English title for 22 years on Tuesday when second-placed Manchester City drew at Bournemouth.

In action for the first time since the celebrations of their long-awaited triumph, the Gunners took the lead through Gabriel Jesus late in the first half at Selhurst Park.

Noni Madueke scored Arsenal’s second goal after the interval to ensure the champions ended the league campaign with 26 wins from 38 games.

Since losing at City on April 19 in a game that appeared to have tilted the balance of power in their rivals’ favour, Arsenal have reeled off five successive league victories to finish seven points above Pep Guardiola’s team.

Once the match was over, the main event could take place as Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard got his hands on the trophy after medals were presented to Arteta and his squad.

Red confetti and fireworks exploded into the air as he hoisted the silverware, while Arsenal’s stars sprayed champagne in front of thousands of Gunners fans in the Arthur Wait Stand.

Arteta was tossed into the air by his players, while Arsenal’s United States-based owner, Stan Kroenke and his son Josh, had carried the trophy onto the pitch for the presentation ceremony.

Those ecstatic supporters kept the party going, singing songs of praise for the champions, waving inflatable replicas of the trophy and joining the players in a rendition of the club anthem ‘North London forever’.

Raising the trophy away from the Emirates Stadium couldn’t detract from the glorious moment for Arteta and his players, who will display the silverware to many more of their adoring fans at a parade in north London on May 31.

Now Arteta’s men will turn their attention to their bid to win the Champions League for the first time in the final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on May 30.

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Winning the title was good enough, but bringing home the Champions League as well would make this Arsenal’s greatest season.

Arteta made a host of changes ahead of the final in Budapest, leaving Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes, Eberechi Eze, David Raya and Viktor Gyokeres on the bench.

Arsenal forward Max Dowman became the youngest ever player to start a Premier League match at 16 years and 144 days, surpassing the previous record set by Jose Baxter, aged 16 years and 198 days old, in 2008.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner also rested several of his key players before Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.

Arsenal were given a guard of honour by Palace’s players when they emerged onto the pitch before responding to Arteta’s demand that they play with “new standards” befitting their status as champions.

On a blazing hot afternoon in south London, Jesus hit the post in the fifth minute and shot straight at Palace keeper Dean Henderson from a good position soon afterwards.

Jesus broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute, converting the trickiest of his three chances.

Gabriel Martinelli slipped a deft pass towards Jesus, and the striker drilled a low drive past Henderson at his near post.

Madueke bagged Arsenal’s second goal in the 48th minute, and fittingly, it came from a corner.

Arsenal’s set-piece prowess has been the calling card of their campaign, and once again, they crafted a perfect dead-ball goal as Kai Havertz headed back to Madueke, who volleyed home from just inside the area.

Jean-Philippe Mateta reduced the deficit with an 89th-minute header, but Arsenal’s celebrations were all that mattered.

READ: Former pacer sees Ali Raza as a threat to batters

Bayern Munich powerbroker Uli Hoeness called Harry Kane the “best transfer we’ve ever made” after the England captain’s hat-trick handed them a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart to win the German Cup final in Berlin on Saturday.

The hat-trick brought Kane’s goal tally to a stunning 61 in all competitions this season, while ending a six-year drought in the competition for the Bavarian giants.

Victory sealed a 14th league and cup double for Bayern and 21st cup success.

Hoeness is a former Bayern striker and long-time president who helped grow them into a European behemoth.

“Harry Kane is the best transfer we’ve ever made,” Hoeness told German TV, while confirming that the England captain would be at the club next season, despite reported interest from Barcelona.

“Bayern are a buying club not a selling club,” he added. “And Barcelona have no money anyway.”

Kane was beeming after Hoeness’s praise.

“To hear those kinds of words, at a club like this, we know how many great players have played here, it’s special,” he said.

“Going into this final, I felt like it was my responsibility as much as anyone to get us over the line.

“I know I’m going to get chances and I did again today. To score a hat-trick in a final is such a special feeling. It’s just memories I’ll remember forever.”

The England captain’s first strike was set up by Michael Olise from the right, who now boasts an incredible 30 assists in all competitions this season.

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Left winger Luis Diaz helped create the second and Kane added a penalty in stoppage time to complete a second-half hat-trick.

The double once again highlighted Bayern’s insatiable dominance of German football.

No other German club has achieved the double more than once.

This was the third time that Stuttgart were forced to watch on as Bayern celebrated this season.

Bayern beat Stuttgart in the season-opening Super Cup and also secured the Bundesliga title with a big win over the Swabians in Munich in April.

“We played an outstanding season and we can be proud of ourselves. There are worse things than losing to Bayern,” Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav said to Sky.

Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth told reporters: “In the end, it was Harry Kane three times — so business as usual.”

Coming into Saturday’s match, Bayern had already beaten their opponents three times this season with a combined goal tally of 11-3.

Yet Stuttgart edged the first half, frequently troubling Bayern on the counter.

Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstaedt and Chris Fuehrich, both left out of Germany’s World Cup squad, were particularly impressive going forwards.

Kane’s only chance of the opening half came in the 21st minute when he headed a cross well over the bar.

Early in the second-half, Bayern made Stuttgart pay for their failure to convert their first-half chances when Olise set up Kane’s opener.

The France winger tore down the right and delivered a low-flying cross perfectly to Kane, who leapt forward and headed in from close range, making sure he had scored in each of Bayern’s six games in the competition this season.

Moments later, Bayern scuffed a golden chance to go two up when Konrad Laimer blasted a rebound well over the bar with Stuttgart’s Alexander Nuebel on the ground and the goal unguarded.

With 10 minutes remaining, Kane made sure of things, collecting a Diaz pass on the spin and blasting a low shot into the bottom corner.

Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller handled in the box in stoppage time, bringing Kane to the spot. The striker converted nervelessly to complete an incredible season at the club.

READ: Oleksandr Usyk retains title after controversial win over Rico Verhoeven

Heavyweight boxing king Oleksandr Usyk retained his titles with a dramatic and controversial stoppage victory over kick-boxer Rico Verhoeven with a second left of the 11th round in Egypt on Saturday.

In the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Verhoeven had rocked the Ukrainian champion and seemed to be leading before he was dropped and eventually stopped.

Despite having fought the likes of former champions Tyson Fury, Antony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, Usyk was perhaps given his toughest ever heavyweight fight by a man who had only boxed once before, in 2014.

Verhoeven is a legend of kick-boxing but no one expected him to cause the great Usyk so many problems in a boxing bout.

But until the controversial stoppage, he had proved to be more than a tricky competitor and gave Usyk a huge scare.

His jerky style, bulldozing aggression and powerful right hand had troubled a sluggish-looking Usyk for most of the fight.

But as an exhausted Verhoeven started to labour in the 11th round, Usyk unleashed a stunning uppercut to drop the Dutchman.

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There were only seconds left of the round to survive after Verhoeven climbed off the canvas, but Usyk went straight in for the finish, unleashing a flurry of punches before the referee called off the bout with Verhoeven stumbling, but still on his feet.

With so little time left in the round, it seemed a hugely controversial call from the referee.

Despite Verhoeven soaking up heavy punishment, he was likely still leading the fight.

He had started well, landing a couple of vicious right hands in the opening round.

Usyk struggled to find his range, and although he had a good fourth round, rocking Verhoeven with an uppercut, he seemed to be losing most of the early rounds.

As the rounds ticked down, everyone waited for Usyk to assert his superiority, but that did not come until the end of the 11th.

A plush right hand sent Verhoeven down and through the ropes.

Once he was up, Usyk unleashed a barrage but the Dutchman looked like he would be saved by the bell, until the referee intervened.

READ: Virat Kohli refuses handshake with Travis Head after IPL 2026 game

Iran are moving their World Cup training base to Mexico after football’s world governing body FIFA approved a request to transfer it from Tucson, Arizona, the head of Iran’s football federation said on Saturday.

The Iranian team will now be based in Tijuana on the border of Mexico and the United States during the tournament, federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video carried by the Fars news agency.

“Fortunately, thanks to the meetings we had with FIFA officials… our request to change countries from the United States to Mexico, due to problems encountered in obtaining visas, was accepted by FIFA,” Taj said.

“We will therefore be based in Tijuana, near the Pacific Ocean. It is a city that lies between Mexico and the US, but it is located in Mexico. We have actually completed the team building there.”

Taj said that the move would help to avoid complications related to visas and that the squad could use Iran Air flights to travel directly to Mexico.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup has been in question for months because it is being co-hosted by the United States, which along with Israel began bombing Iran on February 28, sparking a wider war in the Middle East.

Iran have been drawn in Group G and will play their first two matches in Los Angeles.

They open their campaign against New Zealand on June 15 and will then face Belgium on June 21 before rounding off their group games against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Taj said that Tijuana was closer to the cities where Iran will play than the camp in Arizona would have been.

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“The distance for us in the two games that we have in LA will be a 55-minute flight. Which is a lot less compared to Tucson,” the federation president said.

The Iran team is currently preparing in Antalya, southern Turkey, and some of the squad went to the US embassy in Ankara on Thursday to submit visa applications for the World Cup.

The Iranian football federation’s vice-president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi said on Tuesday that the federation was unsure if US visas would be granted to all of the team and accompanying officials.

“We’re not certain yet that all the players and staff will receive US visas,” he said, but added that Iran was “very confident” in FIFA’s protocols.

Sarah Hanna, the head of the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson where the Iran team were to have been based, told AFP on Saturday that she could not confirm the move to Mexico and referred all questions to World Cup organisers.

At a FIFA congress in Vancouver last month, president Gianni Infantino said that Iran would play their World Cup games in the US as scheduled.

“Let me start at the outset by confirming straight away, for those who maybe want to say something else or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said then.

“And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America. The reason for that is simple, because we have to unite. We have to bring people together.”

The World Cup, hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, kicks off on June 11.

READ: Lens beat Nice to win French Cup for first time

Lens won the French Cup for the first time in their history with a 3-1 victory over Nice in the final at the Stade de France on Friday.

Florian Thauvin, a member of the France squad that won the World Cup in 2018, scored one goal and set up another for Odsonne Edouard as Lens found themselves 2-0 ahead late in the first half.

Teenager Djibril Coulibaly pulled one back for Nice with his first senior goal just before the interval, and they hit the woodwork twice in the second half.

But Lens made sure of the win through substitute Abdallah Sima, who poked home in the 78th minute to spark joyous celebrations.

The triumph caps a superb campaign for the club from northern France, who, under new coach Pierre Sage, finished second in Ligue 1 to a dominant Paris Saint-Germain and qualified for next season’s Champions League as a result.

Lens had never previously won the French Cup despite reaching the final three times, most recently in 1998 — that year they won the league title for the only time in their history.

The vast majority of the near-capacity crowd inside the 80,000-seat Stade de France were supporting Lens, with many disillusioned Nice fans not attending.

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Defeat for Nice adds to their misery in a difficult season, which is not yet over. They finished third-bottom in Ligue 1 and must therefore win a two-legged play-off next week against second-tier Saint-Etienne to secure their top-flight status.

The 33-year-old Thauvin narrowly missed out on a place in the France squad for the upcoming World Cup, but he seemed determined to put that disappointment behind him as the ex-Newcastle United forward fired in a fine opener in 25 minutes.

He then set up the second with a corner that was headed home by former Celtic striker Edouard; both players ended the season with 14 goals.

Coulibaly headed Nice back into the game, but Antoine Mendy’s effort, which hit the bar shortly after the break, proved a turning point.

Instead of drawing level, Nice ended up falling further behind when Senegalese forward Sima got on the end of a header back towards his own goal by veteran Brazilian defender Dante, and stabbed it in.

Lens are the fifth different winners of the French Cup in the last eight editions, with Rennes, Nantes and Toulouse also lifting the trophy in that time, as well as PSG.

The club were due to continue the celebrations long into the night, travelling back to their Stade Bollaert to greet supporters gathered there before an open-top bus tour scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

READ: David Alaba to leave Real Madrid at end of season

Austrian defender David Alaba is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires, Los Blancos confirmed on Friday.

The 33-year-old has been in the Spanish capital for five years after joining from Bayern Munich, but serious injury problems have stopped him from playing consistently.

“Real Madrid C. F. and David Alaba have agreed to bring his time as a player of our club to an end at the conclusion of the current season,” said Los Blancos in a statement.

Notably, Alaba has represented the club in 131 matches over 5 seasons, during which he has won 11 titles: 2 European Cups, 2 Club World Cups, 2 European Super Cups, 2 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, and 2 Spanish Super Cups.

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“Real Madrid wishes to express its gratitude and all its affection to a player who has been part of a team that has marked one of the most successful periods in our history,” the club added.

Alaba, like right-back Dani Carvajal and departing coach Alvaro Arbeloa, can say goodbye to the club’s supporters on Saturday in Madrid’s final league match of the season, at home against Athletic Bilbao.

The centre-back, who has not yet announced his next destination, will captain Austria at the World Cup this summer.

READ: Australian climber sets fastest Everest sea-to-summit record

A powerhouse batting display, headlined by three frenetic half-centuries, set up Sunrisers Hyderabad comprehensive 55-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 on Friday, though it wasn’t enough to secure them a top-two finish as both teams completed their league engagements on 18 points apiece.

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen extended their consistent run on a terrific batting surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, muscling the home side to 255-4 after Pat Cummins chose to bat.

Defending champions Bengaluru needed to score at least 166 to ensure that they finished ahead of Hyderabad on net run rate even in the event of defeat, and they got the job done with clinical efficiency, finishing on 200-4.

Despite the defeat, Bengaluru (0.783) ended up table-toppers, ahead of Gujarat Titans (0.695), who also amassed 18 points, with Hyderabad occupying the third spot.

Bengaluru seemed determined to have a go at the massive target through their new opening combination of Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli, who added 60 in just 27 deliveries.

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After both fell in the space of 14 runs, Devdutt Padikkal kept up the momentum but when the left-hander was caught in the deep off the excellent Eshan Malinga, Bengaluru retrained their focus on achieving their primary objective of 166.

Where Hyderabad’s bowlers used pace off the ball to great effect, Bengaluru had been punished earlier in the evening for being unidimensional, Travis Head and Abhishek setting the tone through their 45-run first-wicket stand.

Hyderabad, the 2016 champions, made sure wickets didn’t fall in clusters, stringing together successive subsequent alliances of 52, a blazing 113 off just 48 balls for the third wicket between Kishan and Klaasen, and 45 respectively to put on an exhibition for their home supporters in the last game of the season at this venue.

Abhishek’s first fifty in six innings was the base from which Kishan and Klaasen cut loose.

Diminutive left-hander Kishan packed quite a punch while Klaasen, who was on five off nine deliveries at one stage, rediscovered his boundary-hitting touch with three sixes and a four off a Josh Hazlewood over that went for 27.

While Kishan brought up his fourth consecutive half-century against Bengaluru before being dismissed off the last ball of the innings, Klaasen’s sixth score of more than 50 took him past the 600-run mark for the season on a run-soaked night of high-class entertainment.

READ: Pakistan to face England in Test before Ashes 2027: report