Category: Top News

Jannik Sinner continued his quest to become the first man in history to win five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row with a smooth 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller at the Madrid Open on Sunday.

The world number one extended his winning streak to 19 matches, a run that began early March in Indian Wells, and he has also captured 24 consecutive victories at the Masters 1000 level, dating back to the Paris Masters last October.

Searching for a maiden title at this level on clay, Sinner advanced to the round of 16 at the Caja Magica with a 77-minute performance against the 169th-ranked Moller.

The Italian broke Moller four times and dropped serve just once late in the opening set to book a last-16 meeting with Cameron Norrie or Thiago Agustin Tirante.

“I tried to stay calm, trying to serve well in the important moments,” Sinner told Tennis TV on court after the win.

“I think today that was the key. And not a lot of rhythm, so I tried to stay quite compact and let’s see what’s coming in the next round.”

Another Italian enjoyed a successful Sunday in the form of Lorenzo Musetti, who overcame Dutch 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5.

The sixth-seeded Musetti will face Czech 11th seed Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff became the latest victim of the stomach virus that has been sweeping through the draw in Madrid but the ailing American still found a way to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and reach the round of 16.

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Several players have been struggling with illness in the Spanish capital this week, including Iga Swiatek, who was forced to retire from her match against Ann Li on Saturday, and Marin Cilic, who had to withdraw ahead of his second-round meeting with Joao Fonseca on Friday.

Liudmila Samsonova also pulled out of the tournament on Sunday citing illness ahead of her third-round match with Linda Noskova.

Gauff vomited in a bin on the court during her clash with Cirstea, and asked for a medical timeout during the latter stages of the match before she completed the win in two hours and 21 minutes.

“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly (how I got through that),” said Gauff, who will face Noskova in the last 16.

“I was just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another. I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So, I’m just going to try to push through for tomorrow.”

A runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in the Spanish capital 12 months ago, Gauff has 3,300 points to defend on clay from Madrid through to her Roland Garros title defence in early June.

“I pulled out in Indian Wells. I’m not someone who likes to pull out, so I didn’t want to pull out again today. So, I’m glad that I was able to get through it,” added the two-time Grand Slam champion.

“I did start to feel better, not feeling like I had to throw up. They gave me some pills, so that definitely helped.

“But I was really tired.”

Fellow American Jessica Pegula was unable to join Gauff in the next round as the fifth seed suffered a 6-1, 6-4 upset at the hands of Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Both players entered the contest riding six-match winning streaks, with Kostyuk clinching a title on red clay in Rouen last week and Pegula successfully defending her Charleston title on green clay earlier this month.

READ: Sabastian Sawe creates new world record in London Marathon

Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan has revealed that he is consulting a player to address his form issues after a disappointing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 campaign.

The wicket-keeper batter addressed the media in the post-match press conference after Pindiz concluded their last fixture against Hyderabad Kingsmen.

Rizwan admitted that he has struggled for form and stressed that hard work is the only way to bounce back.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

“My form has not been good, but I do not believe in form. I believe more in hard work, and perhaps there has been some shortcoming in my effort,” he told reporters.

“I am the kind of person who, if my hard work and standards are not where they should be, I remain honest with myself and with Pakistan as well,” he added.

The 33-year-old called for more professionalism and awareness within the team, adding that he is working on his flaws through discussions with a fellow player.

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“Professionalism should come into our players, and awareness needs to improve. As far as I am concerned, I will do everything I can to overcome my shortcomings,” Rizwan continued.

“I am in touch with one player and keep speaking with him. When things become better, I will let you know which player it was,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Rawalpindiz dismal PSL 11 campaign ended with an 108-run thrashing at the hands of the Hyderabad Kingsmen. The win propelled Kingsmen into the playoffs.

Kingsmen piled up a massive 244 in their 20 overs before bundling them out for 136 in 17.1 overs, marking their ninth loss in 10 matches.

Mohammad Rizwan also endured a poor run, managing only 204 runs from 10 matches at a meager average of 20.40 without a single half-century.

READ: Hyderabad Kingsmen knock Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 with big win

KARACHI: Islamabad United have won the toss and decided to bowl first against Multan Sultans in the last league stage fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Head to Head

The two teams have met 19 times in the PSL, with United winning 10 games, whereas Sultans have managed nine victories.

Playing XIs

Islamabad United XI: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (capt), Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain, Salman Irshad

Multan Sultans XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Steve Smith, Ashton Turner (capt), Shan Masood, Josh Philippe (wk), Arafat Nawaz, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Peter Siddle, Muhammad Waseem Jnr, Muhammad Ismail, Faisal Akram

READ: Hyderabad Kingsmen knock Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 with big win

Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour mark for the first time in history on Sunday in winning the London Marathon as Tigst Assefa smashed her own women’s-only world record.

Kenya’s defending champion Sawe was locked in a tight battle with Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha in the closing stages but surged clear to cross the line in 1hr 59min 30sec.

Kejelcha, running his first-ever marathon, also dipped under two hours, with a time of 1:59:41, with Uganda’s Jacob Kiplomo third (2:00:28).

All three finished under the previous men’s world record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago in 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum.

“We started the race well and at the end of the race, I was feeling strong,” said Sawe.

“Finally reaching the finishing line, I saw the time, and I was so excited to see I had run a world record today.

“I was very prepared because coming to London for the second time was so important to me, and that’s why I prepared well for it.”

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 in October 2019, becoming the first person in recorded history to do a sub-two-hour marathon.

But the time was not ratified as a world record because he ran with specialised shoes, standard competition rules for pacing and fluids were not followed, and it was not an open event.

Sawe, wearing Adidas’s new Pro Evo 3 supershoe, which weighs less than 100 grams, suggested before Sunday’s race that a course record or even a world record was in his sights.

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He led a group of six as they passed the half-way point in a time of 1:00:29.

Sawe and Kejelcha pulled clear of the rest of the pack and stayed together until the final stages before the Kenyan kicked for home.

In the women’s race, reigning Olympic and world silver medallist Assefa was locked in a three-way tussle with Kenyan pair Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, but surged away in the closing stages to cross the line in a time of 2:15:41.

That time beat by nine seconds the Ethiopian’s previous best, set on the same course last year.

“I’m so happy to win again,” said Assefa. “To repeat my victory from last year means even more. The happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me.

“It was one of my plans really coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race. So to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction.”

Obiri, a two-time former world 5,000m champion who won marathon bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came in second in a personal best of 2:15:53.

She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Jepkosgei.

The world record set in a mixed race where female athletes benefit from male pacemakers was by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, who clocked 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024.

More than 59,000 people were expected to complete the 26.2-mile (42.2-km) course in the 46th London Marathon in warm spring weather.

Last year’s race set a new world record for the number of finishers, with a total of 56,640 entrants completing the distance.

Marathon organisers said last month they are exploring holding the event over two days next year, allowing up to 100,000 runners.

The 2025 race raised a record £87.3 million ($118 million) for charity, setting a new world record for the biggest annual one-day fundraising event.

READ: Liverpool close on Champions League spot with win over Crystal Palace

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen scripted a magical victory to qualify for the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11  with a big win over Rawalpindiz at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Set a daunting 245, Rawalpindiz were bowled out for 136 in 17.1 overs, ending a miserable campaign in which they managed only 1 victory out of 10 matches.

For Kingsmen to qualify, they simply had to restrict Pindiz to 158 or less, and they did in style by posting an imposing total, followed by a sensational bowling performance.

Shahzaib Khan went early in the piece as he was caught at mid off for only one. After the opening wicket, Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khawaja stabilized the innings with a 43-run partnership. The stand culminated with Rizwan’s dismissal, caught at deep square leg for 26, marking an end to his horror run in the tournament.

The partnership was the only silver lining for Pindiz in another otherwise shambolic batting display.

Kingsmen struck quickly to remove the next batter, Kamran Ghulam — gone without scoring. Consequently, Pindiz were reduced to 56-3 in 5.4 overs.

After quick wickets, Sam Billings tried to counterattack and stitched a brief 38-run partnership with Khawaja. He made 23 off 12 before a lower-order collapse slumped them to 136 all-out.

Khawaja remained unbeaten on 66 from 43 balls, hitting nine fours.

For Hyderabad Kingsmen, it was an all-round bowling performance, spearheaded by Hunain Shah, who picked up four wickets.

Earlier, A fiery batting display from Hyderabad Kingsmen powered them to a massive total against Rawalpindiz in the 39th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Put into bat first, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted a massive total of 244-6 in their 20 overs.

After losing captain Marnus Labuschagne for five in the second over, Maaz Sadaqat took control of the innings, adding a 54-run stand with Usman Khan.

Sadaqat remained the core aggressor, capitalising on the fielding restrictions. As a result, Kingsmen finished their powerplay with two down for 64.

Sadaqat departed after hitting five fours and a six in his 28 off 11 balls.

Usman persisted with his aggressive batting, scoring his fifth PSL half-century and consistently hitting boundaries to dominate the bowlers.

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Saim Ayub briefly partnered with him but was dismissed for 12 off six balls, which included a four and a six, thanks to Asif Afridi.

Subsequently, Usman and Kusal Perera combined to push the innings past the 100-run mark before Saad Masood took two wickets in one over, shifting the game’s momentum. Usman was dismissed for an explosive 54 off 26 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes, while Irfan Niazi was out for a duck on the first ball, leaving the Kingsmen at 119-5 after 9.2 overs.

The highlight of the innings was a cracking 108-run stand between Kusal Perera and Glenn Maxwell. The duo stabilized the innings, maintaining the scoring rate and propelling the team over 200 by the 17th over.

Maxwell, in particular, launched an aggressive attack, reaching his first PSL fifty and helping the duo surpass 100 runs together.

Their 108-run partnership was broken in the final over when Maxwell was run out by Sam Billings after a brilliant 70 off 37 balls, including eight fours and three sixes.

Perera scored his fourth PSL fifty and finished unbeaten on 50 off 30 balls, with five fours and a six, while Hassan Khan added a quick 16, culminating in a strong total of 244-6.

For Rawalpindiz, Saad Masood remained impressive with two wickets in four overs.

READ: Fakhar, Raza keep Lahore Qalandars alive with win over Peshawar Zalmi

West Ham scored a late winner on Saturday to stay two points clear of Tottenham in the battle to avoid Premier League relegation on a day of breathless drama.

Spurs looked set to escape the bottom three with just minutes remaining after their late goal against Wolves and Everton’s equaliser at the London Stadium.

But West Ham substitute Callum Wilson scored a winner in the 92nd minute to restore West Ham’s two-point cushion, with just four games to go.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham travelled to already-relegated Wolves without a Premier League win since December but were blunt in attack, mustering just two shots on target in the entire game.

Short of inspiration and confidence, it appeared they were heading for a damaging goalless draw before Joao Palhinha’s 82nd-minute goal secured a 1-0 win.

Travelling Spurs fans celebrated wildly when they learned that Everton had levelled in the 88th minute, cancelling out Tomas Soucek’s headed opener.

At that stage Spurs were out of the bottom three.

But West Ham were not finished, with Wilson adding a remarkable postscript to lift them back above Tottenham.

“The atmosphere was electric,” Wilson told the BBC. “I think the fans and the players have really come together in this period and it has stood us in good stead.

“We’re the ones in the driving seat at the moment and if we take care of our own results it should stand us in good stead come the end of the season.”

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Wolves and Burnley are already down but the race to avoid the final relegation spot has effectively become a two-horse race between Tottenham and West Ham, who have 36 points.

Nottingham Forest, three points ahead, hammered Sunderland 5-0 on Friday to pull well clear of the drop zone.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1, getting the better of their opponents for the first time in four meetings this season to climb into fourth place above Aston Villa, who earlier lost 1-0 at Fulham.

Liverpool lost the season-opening Community Shield against Palace on penalties before defeats in the Premier League and League Cup.

Alexander Isak, who has recently returned to action after fracturing his fibula, scored his first goal for Liverpool since December.

Andy Robertson doubled Liverpool’s lead after a slick counter-attacking move.

Daniel Munoz halved the deficit in the second half but Florian Wirtz scored a last-gasp third to restore the home side’s two-goal cushion.

Mohamed Salah limped off in the second half at Anfield holding his hamstring with less than a month of his glittering career with the Reds remaining.

Arne Slot’s men are now near-certainties to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would be some consolation after a miserable title defence.

They are level on 58 points with Villa and Manchester United — with all three teams eight points clear of Brighton.

“Our objectives this season have changed due to our form but the Champions League is so important to this football club and we’ve made a big step,” Robertson told Sky Sports.

In the early kick-off on Saturday, Fulham beat Aston Villa to keep their hopes of qualification for Europe alive.

Ryan Sessegnon scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time after Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins had gone close for Villa.

Arsenal aim to retake top spot from Manchester City when they host Newcastle in the evening kick-off.

The Gunners have seen their nine-point lead vanish in the past two weeks and they are now behind Pep Guardiola’s men on goals scored, with both sides level on goal difference.

READ: Liverpool close on Champions League spot with win over Crystal Palace

Liverpool moved ever closer to securing Champions League football next season with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, but will be hoping Mohamed Salah has not played his final game for the club.

Salah limped off in the second half at Anfield, holding his hamstring, with less than a month of his glittering career with the Reds remaining.

“It’s too early to say but we all know Mo and how hard it is for him to leave the pitch,” said Liverpool boss Arne Slot. “We have to wait and see how bad it is.”

Two goals in five minutes just before half-time tightened the grip of Slot’s men on a top-five finish.

British transfer record signing Alexander Isak scored his first goal since returning from a leg break as he smartly controlled Alexis Mac Allister’s wayward effort on goal and swivelled on the ball to volley it past Dean Henderson.

Andy Robertson then marked one of his final appearances at Anfield with a fine finish at the end of a lethal Liverpool counter-attack after third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman had denied Palace an equaliser.

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Salah went to ground just before the hour mark, holding the back of his left leg, and was given a standing ovation as he made way for Jeremie Frimpong.

Daniel Munoz reduced the Eagles’ arrears in controversial fashion as Liverpool wanted the game stopped with Woodman down injured.

“It was a lot more nervy because of the goal. I don’t think we deserved to concede it in that fashion,” added Slot.

“Is there a game we play where there isn’t a talking point about the referee?”

But Florian Wirtz secured the three points deep into stoppage time with just his fifth Premier League goal since a £100 million ($135 million) move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Victory moves Liverpool up to fourth and opens up an eight-point lead on sixth-placed Brighton with just four games of the season remaining.

READ: Rizwanullah lauds Warner’s leadership after impressive bowling display

LAHORE: Karachi Kings teenage pacer Rizwanullah credited skipper David Warner for guidance after playing a pivotal role with the ball against Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

The 17-year-old bowled 3.4 overs in extreme weather conditions and took two key wickets — Saud Shakeel and Hassan Nawaz. His bowling performance played a crucial role in limiting Quetta Gladiators from scoring 200 runs at the end of their innings.

In reply, Karachi Kings chased down the 196-run target in 18.3 overs, thanks to David Warner’s and Reeza Hendricks sublime batting.

Warner was adjudged player of the match for scoring an unbeaten 89* off 48 balls with the aid of 10 fours and four maximums.

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Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, Rizwanullah said he is enjoying his time in Lahore.

“I am enjoying the matches in Lahore,” he told reporters.

He also lauded skipper David Warner’s impact, noting that he guides him consistently both during matches and in the nets.

“Our captain, David Warner, guides me during the matches and in the nets,” the tall pacer said.

“The kind of pitch it was, 200 runs would have been easily chased. Both batters [David Warner] and [Reeza Hendricks] won the match with brilliant innings.”

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Rizwanullah thanked the coaches for giving him the oppurtunity to play at the big stage despite not having enough experience.

“I am grateful to my coaches, whose guidance has led me to this point, and after that, I am very much thankful to Karachi coaches Masroor bhai [Mohammad Masroor] because I haven’t had any other cricket except the National T20 Cup. It is very difficult to bring a player from club level to a Karachi team, which is a matter of pride,” he concluded.

READ: David Warner lauds ‘execution’ after emphatic win over Gladiators

LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner lauded a dominant nine-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

The Kings chased down a 196-run target inside 18 overs, losing only one wicket in the process. Warner and Reeza Hendricks starred with the bat, both scoring 89* and 87* runs respectively.

The win kept the 2020 champions alive in the tournament while Quetta Gladiators were eliminated.

In the post-match presentation, Warner highlighted early wickets in the Quetta Gladiators innings and acknowledged Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw for their half-centuries.

“We set the tone by taking early wickets at the start of the powerplay, but it just got away from us a little bit. Those two batted well and put on a good partnership,” he told the presenter.

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The skipper emphasized execution and the importance of a crucial partnership that sealed victory.

“But to bring it back to 196, I felt, was a very chaseable total. It was about going out there, trying to execute, and building a good partnership,” he added.

He remained optimistic about the chances of qualifying for the playoffs, noting that a commanding win

“I think you’ve just got to go out there and play the basics. I thought with the new ball on that wicket, one could have your name on it. We had a little bit of luck; a good start for me and Jason. But to play it out that way and win comprehensively was great, and now we have to wait with anticipation,” Warner concluded.

READ: WATCH: Ben Stokes’ first appearance after life-threatening injury

LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars have won the toss and have decided to bowl first against table toppers Peshawar Zalmi in the do-or-die encounter of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Head to Head

The two teams have faced each other 22 times in PSL history. Zalmi slightly lead the head-to-head record with 12 wins, while Qalandars have 9 wins. One match ended without a result.

Playing XIs

Lahore Qalandars Mohammad Naeem, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Charith Asalanka, Haseebullah (wk), Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Daniel Sams, Shaheen Afridi, Ubaid Shah, Haris Rauf

Peshawar Zalmi Babar Azam, James Vince, Kusal Mendis (wk0, Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Basit Ali, Ali Raza.

READ: WATCH: Ben Stokes’ first appearance after life-threatening injury