Nadal, Djokovic beaten at ATP, setting stage for Medvedev, Thiem final - Newstrends
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Nadal, Djokovic beaten at ATP, setting stage for Medvedev, Thiem final

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3 years ago

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Daniil Medvedev sent Rafael Nadal packing after a gruelling slugfest at the ATP Finals in London on Saturday to set up a title match against Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Dominic Thiem.

The Spanish world number two, who has never won the elite event in his illustrious career, faltered when serving for the match in the second set and was beaten 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Earlier, US Open champion Thiem recovered from 4-0 down in the third-set tie-break against Djokovic to win 7-5, 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/5).

Russian giant Medvedev — who has won nine matches in a row — put Nadal’s serve under intense pressure in the early stages of their evening match at the empty O2 Arena.

But he was unable to make his chances count and a drop in his level allowed the Spaniard to break to love to lead 5-3 before he served out for the set.

Medvedev immediately found his focus at the start of the second set, winning his first service game to love before Nadal, a two-time finalist at the event, double-faulted to give the Russian a 2-0 lead.

Just when it seemed as though Medvedev was cruising, Nadal, 34, broke back twice to take total control and stepped up to serve for the match.

But in another astonishing twist, the 20-time Grand Slam champion played a sloppy game, allowing the Russian back into the match, and Medvedev won the eventual tie-break.

The deciding set hinged on the seventh game — the Russian produced an overhead winner on his third break point, breaking again to beat Nadal for the first time.

The Spaniard entered the match on a 71-match winning streak after taking the opening set, but 24-year-old snapped that run with a gritty mental and physical performance over two hours and 36 minutes.

“I felt really strange until 5-4 for him in the second set, when he was serving for the match,” said the fourth seed, who lost all three of his matches on his debut at the season-ending tournament last year.

Djokovic agony

Thiem’s victory against Djokovic ended the world number one’s hopes of equalling Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the eight-man event.

The 2019 runner-up faced an uphill battle psychologically after squandering four match points in the second-set tie-break.

But he was quickly back in the groove and rallied from a desperate situation in the final-set tie-break, winning six successive points to earn two match points, taking the second of those.

“It was for sure a mental battle,” said Thiem. “I got so tight in the second-set tie-break, first of all because to play these legends is always going to be something special.”

The Austrian is only the second player in 2020 to win a tie-break against Djokovic, who entered the third-set decider with a 15-1 tie-break record this season.

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EPL: Salah scores 200th Liverpool goal as Reds go top

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8 hours ago

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December 9, 2023

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EPL: Salah scores 200th Liverpool goal as Reds go top

Mohamed Salah scored his 200th Liverpool goal as Jurgen Klopp’s side produced a late comeback against 10-man Crystal Palace to move top of the Premier League and increase the pressure on former boss Roy Hodgson.

Salah became only the fifth player to reach that landmark for the club, joining Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell, when he ignited the fightback with a 76th-minute equaliser.

It was Harvey Elliott who delivered the decisive moment inside the first of 10 minutes of added time, producing a stunning strike from the edge of the penalty area to lift Liverpool above Arsenal.

Salah’s goal arrived just 98 seconds after Jordan Ayew was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and the visitors had failed to land a shot on target prior to that moment.

Palace, booed off by their supporters following a disappointing home loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday, were on course to deliver a surprise blow to the Red’s title aspirations following Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty.

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The game had continued for more than one minute after Jarell Quansah caught Mateta when attempting to clear a cross before the video assistant referee intervened – but referee Andy Madley did not take long to award Palace a spot-kick after being sent to the pitchside monitor.

Palace had seen a penalty decision in their favour overturned during the first half when Madley took three minutes to review a challenge by Will Hughes on Endo in the lead-up to Virgil van Dijk’s foul on Odsonne Edouard inside the box.

Liverpool, though dominant, struggled throughout to break the hosts down and the returning Alisson came to his side’s rescue in stunning fashion in the first half when he pushed Jefferson Lerma’s first-time shot on to the post.

The visitors again had the Brazilian to thank for another excellent stop to prevent Joachim Andersen providing a dramatic twist with a header from a free-kick in the 100th minute.

Having eventually ended Palace’s spirited resistance, victory took the Reds one point above last season’s runners-up Arsenal, who travel to third-placed Aston Villa later on Saturday (17:30 GMT).

EPL: Salah scores 200th Liverpool goal as Reds go top

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Liverpool move top of Premier League

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8 hours ago

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December 9, 2023

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Liverpool move top of Premier League

Liverpool have moved top of the Premier League after defeating 10-man Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday in a game they came back from a goal down to win.

Palace were in control of the match after they had gone ahead when Jordan Ayew was sent off, bringing Liverpool back to the game.

After a goalless first half, Palace scored in the 57th minute from the penalty spot.

Jean-Philippe Mateta ran up to the ball, stopped and waited for Alisson to commit before slotting the penalty into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0.

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Ayew was sent off in the 75th minute for a foul on Liverpool’s player. He got his second yellow card and was off the pitch.

A minute after that, Liverpool equalised. Curtis Jones played the ball to Mohamed Salah, whose deflected shot from inside the box went past the helpless Sam Johnstone.

The visitors made it 2-1 a minute into added time. Salah teed up Harvey Elliott on the edge of the box and he fired the ball into the right side of the goal.

Luiz Diaz appeared to have scored the third goal for Liverpool when he put the ball in the net. The goal was ruled out for offside.

Liverpool move top of Premier League

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I almost followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia — Messi

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18 hours ago

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December 9, 2023

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Messi, Ronaldo

I almost followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia — Messi

Lionel Messi, now with Inter Miami, disclosed that he seriously contemplated joining the Saudi Professional League, closely following the footsteps of his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. This consideration arose when it became evident that his time at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was coming to an end.

The 36-year-old football icon, a sought-after talent last summer, had interest from Barcelona, Inter Miami, and Al-Hilal. Ultimately, Messi opted for a move to the USA, but he recently admitted that he gave serious thought to the tempting offer from the Gulf nation.

Messi, who was named TIME magazine’s Athlete of the Year, shared in an interview that his initial preference was to return to Barcelona after departing PSG. However, given the financial challenges faced by the club, a feasible deal couldn’t materialize at that time.

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Reflecting on his decision-making process, Messi revealed, “I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi League, where I know the country. They have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league in the near future. As the country’s tourism ambassador, it was a destination that attracted me.”

Despite the allure of the mega-money offer from Saudi Arabia, Messi ultimately chose Inter Miami’s deal. He acknowledged that while his first choice was to return to Barcelona, circumstances prevented it, leading him to explore alternative options.

The football star’s revelation sheds light on the complexities and considerations that influence decisions in the highly competitive world of football transfers.

I almost followed Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia — Messi

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