Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was left disappointed after her gallant fight ended in a narrow loss to Paris bronze medallist Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the women’s singles quarterfinal at the India Open Super 750 here on Friday. Sindhu, a former champion, fought back strongly after a one-sided opening game loss but faltered in the decider, going down 9-21, 21-19, 17-21 in a gripping 62-minute contest. “It is sad definitely that I lost in the third set after fighting so hard but I think the game is such. I have to obviously come back stronger but at that point I would say anybody would have got that point or lost that point,” Sindhu told reporters. “There were long rallies. I have to be more consistent and keep the shuttle in the court. But sometimes it happens. In the second and third set, I was not leaving the drops or half smashes or the cut drops. And I was prepared for it. But first game I wasn’t comfortable, there were easy mistakes.” Also Read: ‘Believed till the end’, Amad Diallo Tunjung dominated early using her delectable drops to good use to race to an 11-4 lead at the break. With Sindhu struggling with her strokes, it was all over too soon. The Indonesian grabbed a 6-2 lead after the change of sides, but Sindhu fought back, levelling at 9-9 with Tunjung erring repeatedly. A wide shot from Tunjung gave Sindhu a one-point advantage at the break. Sindhu’s attacking play, featuring powerful smashes, helped her reach 14-10, but Tunjung fought back, tying the score at 14-14. A pumped-up Sindhu then regained her composure, clinching two game points before Tunjung hit into the net, allowing Sindhu to take the first game 21-19. 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
18 January,2025 11:20 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIIndian ace Rohan Bopanna and his Chinese partner Shuai Zhang advanced to the second round of the Australian Open mixed doubles with a commanding 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ivan Dodig and Kristina Mladenovic here on Friday. Aiming to recover from an early exit in the men’s doubles, the former World No. 1 Indian showed his mettle alongside Zhang, delivering a clinical performance to close out the match in one hour and 12 minutes. Also Read: ‘Believed till the end’, Amad Diallo The Indo-Chinese pair started strong, racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set. Though Croatian Dodig and Frenchwoman Mladenovic broke Zhang’s serve to narrow the gap to 3-2, Bopanna held firm under pressure, serving out the set at 6-4. The second set began with both pairs exchanging breaks in a tight contest. At 3-4 down, the Indo-Chinese duo capitalised on Dodig and Mladenovic’s errors, including two costly double faults, to break serve and level the score. They held their nerve to win the next two games, with Zhang and Bopanna complementing each other with steady serve and sharp forehand display. 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
18 January,2025 11:18 AM IST | Melbourne | PTITwo-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka said “it sucks” after retiring on Friday with a stomach muscle injury during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic here. Osaka needed treatment at 6-5 in a first set which she went on to lose on a tiebreak to her Swiss opponent, before shaking hands and leaving the court. The former No. 1 had a disrupted build-up to the first Grand Slam of the year, retiring from the final in Auckland, again with an abdominal injury. “I mean, it was a little hectic trying to manage it because obviously my draw was quite tough,” Osaka told reporters. Also Read: Breathless, yet brilliant! “But we were also doing everything we could. I was going to therapy every day and stuff like that into the night. So the days have been very long for me.” Osaka led 5-2 in the first set against Bencic before becoming hampered on her serve and in her movement, allowing the Tokyo Olympic champion to draw level and take it to a tie break, which she won 7-3. Osaka could not continue and left John Cain Arena smiling and waving to fans, but feeling disappointed. “If I could have served, then I could have potentially won and I could have maybe gone far in the tournament,” she said. “I was in the final in Auckland, too, and it sucks. I also think I could have maybe won that tournament, my first tournament win back. “I just hope that I can figure it out and figure out how to get healthy in time.” 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
18 January,2025 11:09 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPA fired-up Novak Djokovic powered into the last 16 of the Australian Open on Friday in an ominous reminder of why he is a 10-time Melbourne champion, but he needed a medical break and used an inhaler. The 37-year-old dropped a set in each of his opening two matches in Melbourne, but was on a mission against dangerous Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac. Dispelling doubts that he still has what it takes in his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown, the Serb blew the 24-year-old off Rod Laver Arena 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in 2hrs 22mins. The win propelled him into the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the 66th time, just three behind all-time leader Roger Federer and well clear of third-placed Rafael Nadal (54). “I think I played really well, honestly. Very happy with my game,” said the seventh seed. “I was slightly surprised to be honest with the result, to beat him in straight sets. He was a break up in the second, I struggled physically there, but somehow managed to turn things around. Also Read: World No. 1 Sabalenka battles hard to enter second week ‘Very pleased with my game’ “Overall, in the third I felt fresh and moved well and very pleased with my game. With new coach Andy Murray again courtside offering encouragement, Djokovic started with a steely look in his eye. It went with serve until he sniffed an opening in game four, coming to the net to earn two break points, converting on the second to move 3-1 clear. It sparked a flurry from the veteran, who kept the pressure on to claim the next three games and the set. The Serb used an inhaler before resuming play, when he broke again for 3-2, then kept his focus to move two sets ahead, giving a fist pump and exalting loudly to the crowd. “I was trying to catch my breath,” he explained. “I’m not 19 anymore. More like 19 times two, almost.” Alcaraz through Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set before muscling his way into the last 16 and edge closer to becoming the youngest man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. The 21-year-old third seed was a class above Nuno Borges with the Portuguese World No. 33 dumped out of the tournament 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2. Easy win for Zverev In another match, second seed Alexander Zverev accelerated his march with a straight-sets takedown of Briton Jacob Fearnley in the third round. The 27-year-old German beat his 92nd-ranked opponent 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in 2hrs 2mins. 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
18 January,2025 11:06 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPDefending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to battle hard to beat Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 on Friday and reach the second week of the Australian Open after suffering another bout of the serving jitters. Also Read: Manu, Gukesh, Harman, Praveen get Khel Ratna The World No. 1 remained on track to win her third consecutive Melbourne Park title, but only after a rollercoaster scrap that lasted more than two hours on Rod Laver Arena. “That was a great battle,” said Sabalenka. “She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today. “I’m just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win,” she 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
18 January,2025 11:01 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPWorld Chess champion Gukesh D and Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists — Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) received the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from President Droupadi Murmu in a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday. Gukesh became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, while Manu became the first Indian athlete to win twin medals in a single Olympics. Also Read: ‘Get a good start, save energy for finish’ 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
18 January,2025 10:59 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSBritish Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah had some invaluable words of advice for the 60,000 runners taking part in the 20th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday. Speaking at a press conference at the Mumbai Marathon press centre, Farah, the international ambassador of the annual event, said, “First point is to get off to a good start. Second, get to the halfway and reserve your energy. It’ll allow you to go faster in the last part. If you overcook it in the first half, it is really hard to recover.” Also Read: Believed till the end’, Amad Diallo Farah, a winner of four gold medals at the Olympics and six World Championship titles, also shared some insight into his own running routine that could help runners improve their performance at the marathon. “I always tell myself to break down the miles. Just get through this mile, and then the next one, and then the one after that. Even in some of the London Marathons, I was struggling from the get-go, but I wasn’t thinking that I’ve got 42 kms to go. I was thinking about just getting through each mile,” explained Farah. The British champion also revealed that his proudest achievement was at his home Olympic Games in London (2012), where he completed the Olympic double (gold in the 10,000m and 5,000m events). The special feat came after Farah suffered heartbreak at the previous Olympics in Beijing (2008), where he failed to make the cut for the final, leading him to question his ability. “I asked myself if I was good enough,” said Farah, going on to advise marathoners to “enjoy the journey, keep things simple and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”
18 January,2025 10:55 AM IST | Mumbai | A Sports ReporterWith the Paris Games medals losing their sheen barely months after being awarded to athletes, India's shooting star Manu Bhaker says there is "no bigger souvenir" for a sportsperson than an Olympic medal and it's quality should be top-notch. The shiny top layer of the two bronze medals, won by Bhaker in women's 10m air pistol and 10m mixed team with Sarabjot Singh, peeled off exposing the core. She along with several athletes around the world have highlighted the issue of damaged medals and called for their replacement. At the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday, as she basked in the glory of winning the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the 22-year-old ace shooter confirmed that the top layer of her medals had indeed peeled off, which seemed to have left her quite upset. "Soon after we got the medals, within 2-3 days the upper layer started coming off. I can say this after seeing my medal whose top coating has come off. I feel that the Olympic medals are something to be cherished for life because a very big memory is associated with with that medal," said Bhaker during a media interaction after receiving the Khel Ratna. "I think there is no bigger souvenir than that in an athlete's career. The quality should be really top notch and if the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is replacing it, then it's a very good decision because a lot of athletes in India and other countries have complained and many of them are very upset as well," she added. Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris (the French state mint) and engraved in an identical way to the originals, the IOC said earlier this week. Bhaker took a break from competitions following her Paris success, skipping the year-end World Cup Finals and the national championships but with the 2028 Los Angeles Games in mind she has been training in earnest for the past couple of months. "Yes, I've started my training; it's been two-and-a-half months. I'm sure I'll have my fair share of ups and downs (in the run-up to the 2028 Olympics)... that's how life goes. I'm mentally prepared for that," she said. The ace shooter would be targeting the numerous World Cups this year and the World Championships and Asian Games in 2026. She said the Khel Ratna would definitely motivate her to change the colour of her medal in Los Angeles. "Definitely the Khel Ratna is one of the most prestigious awards in the country and it's an honour for me. I am really grateful to all the people who supported me in this journey. "Looking forward, this is going to motivate me further. I will try my best to work even harder and perform even better. Changing the colour of the medal, that is the goal. I'll have to really work very hard," said Bhaker, who is looking to "update" her 25m pistol with the latest version of Pardini. Every year, the award ceremony comes with its share of controversies. While several Paris Games medal-winning para athletes were unhappy with their names being ignored for the Khel Ratna, Bhaker's name too was missing from the initial list of nominees. Bhaker said the award selection panel would have followed due processes but sometimes errors can happen. "The selection committee too would be taking a decision after putting in a lot of thought. Somewhere, some little bhool chook reh jaati hai (errors and omissions can happen). "I'm sure they would be working to rectify that. I hope in future too they will take even better decisions," said Bhaker, who added that she will continue to work with legendary shooter-turned-coach Jaspal Rana for the LA Games. Bhaker added that her focus would be divided equally between 10m air pistol and 25m sports pistol in the run-up to the next Games. "Yes, I have always shot both the events and both are my favourites. You can't differentiate between your kids, can you? I really love both the events, I'll be working on both of them," she added. (With agency inputs)
17 January,2025 06:45 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentSumo is facing a potential chasm at the top of the ancient sport for the first time in over 30 years after the only yokozuna, Terunofuji, announced his retirement on Friday. The Mongolian-born 33-year-old has been the only top-ranked sumo for more than three years, and only 73 wrestlers have reached his level in the history of the centuries-old sport. But Terunofuji has struggled with injuries and withdrew from the ongoing New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on Thursday after forfeiting his bout. He told reporters Friday that he was retiring to train young wrestlers after "a tough 14 years" in the ring. "I've given everything but at this tournament I wasn't able to perform as I'd like and you shouldn't enter the ring if your mind and body are at half-strength," he said. "I feel that my body isn't up to sumo so I have decided to retire." Terunofuji, who has won 10 tournaments in his career, is sumo's only active yokozuna. Mongolian Hoshoryu has a chance to gain promotion to the exalted rank if he impresses at the New Year tournament. He had four wins and one loss after the opening five days. If he fails, sumo will have no yokozuna for the first time since March 1993, when Hawaiian-born Akebono made his debut at the rank. "When I first became a yokozuna, I didn't think I would be able to continue wrestling for very long," said Terunofuji, who was promoted to the top rank in July 2021. "But the fans and other people supported me and encouraged me and that feeling alone kept me going." Terunofuji has been sumo's lone yokozuna since the September 2021 retirement of Hakuho, who had a record 45 tournament victories. There are no set criteria for promotion from the second rank of ozeki, and cases are considered by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council. Only one of the seven most recent yokozuna was born in Japan. Of the others, five were born in Mongolia, including Terunofuji, and one in the United States. Terunofuji completed just two of six tournaments last year as he dealt with injuries and other health problems including diabetes. He has missed all or part of 13 of 21 tournaments since being promoted to yokozuna. Terunofuji, who was born Gantulgyn Gan-Erdene in Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar, said he was looking forward to his new career as a stablemaster. "I want to develop wrestlers who don't tell lies, who don't yield," he said. "Those are the kind of wrestlers who become strong." (With AFP inputs)
17 January,2025 05:50 PM IST | Tokyo | mid-day online correspondentTwo-time Olympic bronze medallist Manu Bhaker was one among the athletes who received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. Speaking about the award, Manu Bhaker said, "It is an honour to receive the Khel Ratna. This will inspire me to work harder in the future and win more medals for the country." Taking to X: #WATCH | Delhi: On being conferred with the Khel Ratna award, Indian shooter Manu Bhaker says, "It is an honour to receive the Khel Ratna. This will inspire me to work harder in the future and win more medals for the country." pic.twitter.com/2oCYc8aUeT — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2025 I am deeply honored to have received the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award from the honourable president of India @rashtrapatibhvn . This recognition inspires me to work even harder and strive for more victories to make my country proud. I extend my heartfelt… pic.twitter.com/dpPPiVbjaF — Manu Bhaker🇮🇳 (@realmanubhaker) January 17, 2025 Manu Bhaker finished third to secure a bronze medal in the final of the Women's Air Pistol event at the Paris Olympics, last year. Manu Bhaker became the first Indian woman and the fifth overall to achieve an Olympic medal in shooting, during the Paris Olympic, last year. The 22-year-old completed her performance with 22 shots, accumulating a score of 221.7. She narrowly missed surpassing second-place Yeji Kim by just 0.1 points in the penultimate series. Also Read: Yuvraj Singh backs Rohit Sharma despite two consecutive Test series loses Later, alongside Sarabjot Singh, Manu Bhaker earned India another bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event by defeating South Korea. The Indian pair defeated the Koreans 16-10 to earn the country its second medal at the quadrennial showpiece, and in the process made Bhaker the first Indian post-independence to bag two medals in a single edition of the Games. Thirty-two athletes are being honoured with the Arjuna Award out of which an unprecedented 17 are para-athletes. The athletes selected for the Arjuna award include the Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning group of wrestler Aman Sehrawat, shooters Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh and the men's hockey team players Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Sanjay and Abhishek. The para-athletes outnumbered the able-bodied ones in the list of Arjuna winners this time due to the magnificent Paris Paralympics performance in which they returned with 29 medals, including seven gold and nine silver. The annual honours are decided by a points system in which the maximum emphasis is on performances delivered at the Olympics and the World Championships.
17 January,2025 04:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIga Swiatek tends not to waste time in the first week of Grand Slams. When the five-time Grand Slam champion dispatched Rebecca Sramkova 6-0 6-2 in a clean hour at the Australian Open on Thursday, Swiatek was living a habit of advancing quickly through the early rounds. She's the only player to reach the third round or better at every Grand Slam in this decade. Swiatek has won almost 12 per cent of her sets in Grand Slams by 6-0, which puts her in exclusive company. When No. 49-ranked Sramkova ended a seven-game losing run by holding serve, she raised her arm to acknowledge the applause from the Rod Laver Arena crowd. It was one of the few chances she had to celebrate. "It was good to play in such an efficient way and just finish it quick," Swiatek said. "Also, you know, just feel the court and how it is in RLA." Second-seeded Swiatek next faces 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who recovered from an early break in the second set to hold off Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5. Three-time runner-up and No. 5 Daniil Medvedev was ousted when 19-year-old American qualifier Learner Tien hung tough to prevail 6-3 7-6(4) 6-7 (8) 1-6 7-6(10-7) after nearly five hours. Tien had a match point in the third-set tiebreaker and didn't earn another for two hours, until nearly 3 a.m. Friday local time. Defending champion and No. 1 Jannik Sinner was in a contest for a set and a half, then blew away Australian wild card and No. 173 Tristan Schoolkate 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3. Taylor Fritz hasn't wasted any time advancing to the third round, dropping just eight games across two rounds and spending just over three hours on court. The 2024 US Open runner-up and No. 4 seed beat Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 to move into a third-round match against 38-year-old Gael Monfils, who last week became the oldest player to win an ATP title. Also advancing on the men's side were local hope Alex de Minaur, seeded 8th, No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti, No. 19 Karen Khachanov and No. 21 Ben Shelton, who beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4. However, No. 17 Frances Tiafoe lost to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 6-1 in the fifth, and No. 18 Hubert Hurkacz also crashed out. Raducanu has struggled with injuries since her breakthrough major in 2021, when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title. Also Read: D Gukesh receives Major Dhyna Chand Khel Ratna award from President Droupadi Murmu, WATCH She didn't play a warmup tournament ahead of this year's Australian Open because of a muscle strain and needed time during her match against Anisimova to get treatment on her back from a trainer. After advancing beyond the second round for the first time at Melbourne Park, the No. 61-ranked Raducanu was confident she'd recover in time for her next challenge against Swiatek. "It'll be a very good match for me, another opportunity to test my game," she said. "Going into it, I have nothing to lose. I'm just going to swing." Swiatek is moving on from the doping infringement which led to her one-month ban last year. And she's not showing any signs of it being a distraction. She did everything at pace in the second round, including quick claps of her racket to acknowledge the crowd after her win. Swiatek didn't face a break point against Sramkova and converted five of the six she had. She finished off points with winners off both sides, and also hit some clean volleys on her ventures to the net. She's feeling slightly less pressure this year, too, after losing the No. 1 ranking to two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka. "Yeah, there was a lot of pressure starting the year as No. 1, but I think overall last year I didn't think about it this much anyway," she said. "Also, I realised last year that I don't have 100 per cent influence on what happens with my ranking sometimes. So now I just focus on tennis." Emma Navarro, a US Open semifinalist last year and seeded in the top eight for the first time at a major, was in trouble after two service breaks early in the third set before she reeled off four straight games to beat Wang Xiyu 6-3 3-6 6-4. She hopped from the baseline toward the net, and made a big, swirling swing of her arm to underline another tough, three-set victory. "It was really tough the whole time ... super tough there at the end," Navarro said. "Found some good tennis there in the last games." She'll next play Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, who struggled with asthma but held off Camila Osorio 7-5 6-3. Sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and runner-up in Australia two years ago, registered her 50th win in a Grand Slam main draw singles match when she beat American qualifier Iva Jovic 6-0, 6-3. No. 9 Daria Kasatkina also advanced 6-2 6-0 over Wang Yafan and faces No. 24 Yulia Putintseva in the third round. 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
17 January,2025 01:18 PM IST | Melbourne | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
