Events

US Open: Medvedev salutes ‘great’ Djokovic after winning 24th Grand Slam title

Published

3 weeks ago

September 11, 2023

SMI

Daniil Medvedev lavished praise on Novak Djokovic after the Serbian star defeated the Russian at the US Open on Sunday for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown.

Medvedev, who joined the exclusive club of players to have beaten Djokovic in a Grand Slam final with his victory at the US Open in 2021, was unable to repeat the feat on Sunday.

Speaking after Djokovic completed a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory to capture his fourth US Open crown, Medvedev revealed how the Serbian great had treated him earlier in his career.

“When we first played I was probably 500th in the world. And he was super kind to me,” Medvedev said.
“Nothing special, but he treated me like a normal person. And he still does. Nothing changed: 24, 30, 12 Grand Slams? Nothing changes.

“And I think that’s something great about a person you can say.”

Medvedev said that beating Djokovic at the US Open final was the greatest achievement of his career to date.

“From one side I can say, and really I find this amazing, that I beat Novak in a Grand Slam final, which probably at this moment is the pinnacle of my career,” he said.

“At the same time, maybe if he and Rafa (Nadal) didn’t exist … I played five finals against them and I only managed to win one. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. But you know, [Djokovic] pushes me to be better.”

Medvedev meanwhile was left ruing his inability to level Sunday’s final at one set apiece after holding a set point in a gripping, 104-minute second set.

Instead, Djokovic saved the set point and forced a tie-break which he would go on to win to take a stranglehold on the match.

“Should have won it,” Medvedev said of the second set. “Should have won it, but sometimes tennis is not that easy.

“Second set was the best set I played and I didn’t win it. So that’s why it’s kind of normal that the match went that way.

“Because first and third he was kind of better and not much to say. If I’d won the second, it maybe could have been a different game.

“If I wanted to win the match, I had to win that set.”

Medvedev had produced a scintillating display to upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

But he acknowledged that trying to replicate that quality of performance 48 hours later had been a bridge too far.

“It’s not easy to repeat, because against Carlos I played one of best matches of my life,” Medvedev said.

“I mean, against Novak here two years ago it’s kind of in the same category. It’s not that easy to repeat it day in, day out.”

Events

International Friendlies: Omeruo, Iwobi, Osayi-Samuel, Moffi back to Super Eagles

Published

13 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Head Coach Jose Santos Peseiro has recalled defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Bright Osayi-Samuel, as well as midfielder Alex Iwobi and forward Terem Moffi to the Super Eagles’ squad for this month’s international friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal. The quartet were absent from the team that demolished Sao Tome and Principe in last month’s 2023 AFCON qualifier in Uyo.

Midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, of Hatayaspor FC of Turkey gets his first-ever invitation, while Peseiro has decided to retain the trio of Francis Uzoho, Adebayo Adeleye and Olorunleke Ojo in goal. Yet-to-be-capped defender Jordan Torunnarigha is also called.

Wilfred Ndidi, who captained the team against Sao Tome and Principe, as well as Raphael Onyedika and forwards Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, Taiwo Awoniyi and Kelechi Iheanacho have also been invited.

The Super Eagles take on the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia in the city of Portimão, Portugal on Friday, 13th October 2023, starting at 5pm before a clash with the Mambas of Mozambique in the same city three days later.

The players are all expected to arrive in Faro, Portugal on Tuesday, 10th October.

Both encounters have been arranged as tune-up games for the Eagles ahead of the commencement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, in which the three-time African champions host Lesotho’s Crocodiles in Uyo on 17th November before travelling away to play Zimbabwe four days later.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Jordan Torunarigha (KAA Gent, Belgium); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff FC, Wales); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayaspor FC, Turkey)

Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Events

D’Tigers Storm China On Playing Tour

Published

18 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Nigeria Senior Men Basketball team, D’Tigers this morning, left the country for China on a playing tour of games which began this weekend and will end on October 20th.

The team which failed in its quest to pick a slot for the 2024 Paris Pre-Olympic Qualifiers held in Lagos, will take part in games across different cities in China.

Led by Coaches Abdulrahman Mohammed, Baba Jubril and Usman Yakubu, the players on the roster include, Afuwape Michael Okiki, Victor Ezeh, Timothy Kwaor, Ibe Agu, Michael Daramola and Chinedu Chimbou.

Others are, Wisdom Anyaoha, Nnoruka Francis Junior, Chris Obekpa, Kingsley Onyekachi and Garba Chingka.

A source within the Nigeria Basketball Federation disclosed that the playing tour is one of the several developmental programmes of the NBBF board led by its President Engr. Musa Kida.

Adding that it is always a priority of the NBBF to continually develop the local game, while also increasing the pool of basketball talents in the country.

Events

Liverpool say VAR error ‘undermined sporting integrity’

Published

19 hours ago

October 2, 2023

SMI

Liverpool have said the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) error that resulted in a goal by Luis Diaz being incorrectly disallowed in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham “undermined sporting integrity.”

Nine-man Liverpool lost after Joel Matip scored an own goal in stoppage time but they should have taken the lead in the first half through Diaz whose goal was ruled out for offside.

VAR failed to overturn the incorrect decision to disallow the goal leading the English referees’ body PGMOL to issue a statement blaming “significant human error” in the Premier League game.

“It is clear that the rules of the game were not applied correctly, which undermined sporting integrity,” Liverpool said in a statement on Sunday.

“It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not given to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.”

The PGMOL said disallowing the Diaz goal was a “clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention.”

PGMOL added that it will conduct a full review into the circumstances which led to the error.