Category: 6. Sports

In his first competitive outing after a six-week hiatus, there were times when an increasingly frustrated Novak Djokovic looked dead on his feet. However, in the most important moments of his turbulent first round match against American teenager Learner Tien, Djokovic worked through his physical discomfort and then held his nerve in the decisive moments to win 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2 and reach the second round of the US Open.

Even at 38 years old, Djokovic has been the third best player at the grand slam tournaments this year, reaching the semi-final of all three prior events. However, his ageing body has struggled to handle the physicality required to succeed in the best of five sets format. After his straight sets loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, Djokovic cast doubt on his ability to remain fresh and healthy deep in the grand slam tournaments at his age.

Djokovic opted not to compete between Wimbledon and the US Open in order to prioritise his family and the challenge here was surviving a talented young opponent in Tien, a 19 year-old American, who has made his mark on the tour this year with a number of big wins, including a victory over Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open. “I wish I had Learner Tien’s age, but that’s not possible,” said Djokovic. “Actually he’s [half] my age, that’s incredible.”

After blazing through the opening set, Djokovic began to struggle as Tien grew into the match, dragging the Serb into extended, physical exchanges that exposed his deficient match fitness. The American increasingly controlled the baseline with his wicked lefty forehand. Djokovic looked exhausted at points during the second set and as his unforced error count accordingly piled up, he repeatedly shouted his frustrations towards his player box. Still, Djokovic served well at the key points, saving a set point at 4-5 with an ace, and he continually looked for opportunities to shorten points by approaching the net.

“I started great,” said Djokovic. “Just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good. Then some long games to start the second set, and then I start to feel really… I don’t know why. I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second set physically.”

Towards the end of the second set, Djokovic’s physical struggles worsened, with the Serb repeatedly stretching out his left leg, his upper body and bending over. Tien tried to exploit the Serb’s difficulties by dragging him into lengthy rallies, causing Djokovic to bail out some points with last ditch drop shots. At one point in the second set tie-break, Djokovic conceded a second time violation warning as he tried to catch his breath after a lengthy exchange.

No matter, Djokovic emerged from the second set tie-break with a two-set lead before rolling to victory. “Good thing, two days off now,” Djokovic said. “But yeah, it’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points. It is what it is.”

Djokovic will next face the American qualifier Zachary Svajda, who reached the second round with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win over Zsombor Piros. “In the important moments I just put one ball more in the court than he did,” Djokovic said. “I think it was also good to experience that, in a sense, kind of break the ice officially in the tournament. Looking forward to the next challenge.”

Elsewhere, the in-form sixth seed Ben Shelton opened his tournament with a solid showing, outplaying Ignacio Buse of Peru 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the second round. Taylor Fritz, the fourth seed, also moved on without significant issues, beating Emilio Nava, an American wildcard, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.

In the women’s draw, the top seed Aryna Sabalenka began her title defence with a confident performance as she defeated Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1 to advance. Alexandra Eala, meanwhile, became the first Filipino player to win a grand slam main draw match as she recovered from 1-5 down in the final set to topple the 14th seed Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 (11).

MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Yago Santos is no stranger to stepping up and representing Brazil on a world stage. It seemed right for him to lead his country to victory on Sunday night as Brazil came from behind to defeat Bahamas 84-66 at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua.

The 17 points scored by Yago Santos are his highest in an AmeriCup game along with this match being his eighth game played. It was also the second win for Brazil over the Bahamas in two AmeriCup matchups.

Turning point

Bahamas got to work early, scoring 23 first-quarter points thanks to strong showings once again from Franco Miller, Samuel Hunter, and Isaiah Mobley, leading Brazil by as many as 14 points in the first quarter.

However, a 7-0 run from Brazil to close out the first half gave them a one-point lead coming out of the quarter, and from there they went on to shoot 48 percent from the field. The team dished out 23 assists as the offense found its chemistry going on runs as big as 13-0 against the Bahamas.

TCL player of the game

Santos led Brazil with 17 points including five triples, shooting 71.4 percent from the three-point line. On top of that, he grabbed four rebounds and tallied two assists.

Alexey Borges was also a standout for Brazil with 14 points on 75 percent shooting, recording eight assists and grabbing four rebounds, all defensive, in the win.

Five different players scored in double digits for Brazil, with Guilherme Deodato, Reynan Santos, and Ruan Miranda all recording at least 11 points.

For the Bahamas, Miller was once again in control of the offense as he scored 19 points, also recording five assists, three steals, and two rebounds.

Stats don’t lie

Bench points once again made the difference as Brazil’s bench was able to score more than half of its points, rallying 49, while Bahamas’ bench scored just 13. The paint was pretty evenly matched, with Brazil scoring 28 points to Bahamas’ 24. Both teams used their size to their advantage down low.

Brazil also won the battle on the defensive glass, as the team outrebounded their opponent 38-27 defensively, while Bahamas got the edge on offense 11-8. This led to 11 second-chance points for the Bahamas.

Bottom line

The Brazilians’ size and speed are hard to keep up with, but their bench depth, which saw five different players score in double digits, made it difficult for a Bahamas team that only had nine players in the rotation.

Facing its toughest challenge yet, Brazil will play the United States on Tuesday, while the Bahamas will look for its first win against Uruguay.

They said

“I’m happy with my performance and with the team’s performance, especially in the second half. As the coach said, once we improved on defense, we were able to impose our rhythm and build a good lead,” Alexey Borges said. “Bahamas is also a great team; they had an excellent first quarter. But we stayed patient until we found our rhythm, managed to pull ahead on the scoreboard, and got the win.”

FIBA

MUMBAI: Batsman Cheteshwar Pujara announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket on Sunday, bringing to an end an international sporting career that spanned over a decade.

Pujara has played in 103 Tests and five ODIs in his international career, last featuring for India in the World Test Championship 2023 final against Australia.

The batter made his Test debut for India in 2010 and throughout his playing journey racked up 7,195 Test runs at an average of 43.60.

On Sunday, the 37-year-old said he was hanging up his boots, noting that “all good things must come to an end”.

“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field — it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant,” Pujara said in a social media post.

“But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude, I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. “As a little boy from the small town of Rajkot, along with my parents, I set out to aim for the stars; and dreamt to be a part of the Indian cricket team,” the cricketer continued.

“Little did I know then that this game would give me so much — invaluable opportunities, experiences, purpose, love, and above all a chance to represent my state and this great nation.”

Pujara, a rare five-day specialist in the age of T20 and white-ball performers, has in the past attributed his staying power to discipline.

“I have certain routines, fitness, little bit of meditation, yoga and pranayama [a breathing technique] because it is necessary to shut the outside noise, even if it is positive,” he told reporters in 2023.

“We play nine Tests on an average, and when you go back home, unless you have domestic cricket, you are not in touch with the game. Keep challenging yourself, keep training, looking forward.”

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025

LUANDA (Angola) – Angola defeated Mali 70-43 in the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Final to become the most successful nation in Africa with a record twelve titles.

The Angolans finished their campaign as the only undefeated team. They finished with a perfect 6-0 record.

This was Angola’s first African title since the 2013 tournament in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Mali finished second in the AfroBasket for the first time in their history with a 4-3 record.

For the third night in a row, all 12,700 seats at the Kilamba Arena in the capital city of Luanda sold out to watch Angola play.

Early in the day, Senegal defeated Cameroon 98-72, securing their third consecutive Third-Place finish.

Childe Dundao of Angola was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament and was selected for the 2025 All-Tournament Team, as was his teammate Bruno Fernando and the duo from Mali, Mahamane Coulibaly and Aliou Diarra, as well as Brancou Badio from Senegal.

Other awards included Fair Play (Madagascar), Leading Rebounder (Diarra), Leading Three-Point Shooter (Badio), and Leading Scorer (Badio).

Final Standing of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket

1. Angola (6-0)
2. Mali (4-3)
3. Senegal (5-2)
4. Cameroon (4-3)
5. Nigeria (3-1)
6. Egypt (3-1)
7. Côte d’Ivoire (3-1)
8. Cape Verde (3-2)
9. Guinea (2-2)
10. South Sudan (1-3)
11. Congo DR (1-3)
12. Tunisia (1-3)
13. Rwanda (0-3)
14. Madagascar (0-3)
15. Uganda (0-3)
16. Libya (0-3)

FIBA

MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – The Dominican Republic earned its second win at the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 in a hard-fought contest. After trailing for 35 minutes, the team managed to take a step forward and send the game into overtime (75-75), ultimately defeating Argentina 84-83.

With the victory, the Caribbean team remained unbeaten and took sole possession of first place in Group C.

The Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua, Nicaragua, was the stage for another chapter of this modern rivalry between the Dominicans and Argentinians, where the Caribbean side once again made a statement – just as they did during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, when they beat Argentina twice and eliminated them from the tournament.

Turning point

Although the game was close, Argentina led on the scoreboard for 35 minutes. A three-pointer by Ángel Núñez gave the Dominican Republic its first lead with 4:45 remaining, and from then until the end of regulation, there were four lead changes. Núñez himself tied the game at 75 from the free-throw line to force overtime, where the Dominicans prevailed thanks to a clutch jumper from David Jones-Garcia with 17 seconds left, followed by two successful defensive stops against Argentina’s three-point attempts.

TCL player of the game

Andrés Feliz had a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists. He stood out as the most impactful and efficient performer in a matchup where calling it a “total team win” would be far from cliché.

The Real Madrid guard, who also grabbed seven rebounds, was backed by Jones-Garcia with 20 points, Núñez with 11 of his 14 coming in the fourth quarter. Also, a major defensive effort from Joel Soriano, who registered six blocks in key moments, marking the third-best shot-blocking performance in an AmeriCup game since 2003 (behind Peter John Ramos’ 8 and José Ortíz’s 7, both for Puerto Rico).

Stats don’t lie

Statistically, both teams were evenly matched. The Dominican Republic held slight advantages in rebounding (49-44), points in the paint (48-42), two-point field goal porcentaje (56 percent on 44 attempts), and totaled 11 blocked shots.

Bottom line

The 11 blocks recorded by the Dominican Republic set a new single-game record for a team at the AmeriCup. The previous mark belonged to Venezuela, with 10 (achieved twice).

Andrés Feliz also became the Dominican Republic’s single-game assist leader at the AmeriCup with his 11 dimes.

They said

Dominican Republic head coach Néstor “Che” García praised the defensive adjustments his team made as the game progressed, which were key to turning the score around.

“Argentina was much better than us at the start, but we managed to adjust defensively and slow down their rhythm because they were scoring too easily. Toward the end, we were able to tie it and then take the lead in what was a very balanced game,” said García.

FIBA

MILAN — Canada forward Jonathan David scored in his Serie A debut to set Juventus on the way to a 2-0 win over Parma in their season opener on Sunday.

David joined Juventus in July on a free transfer after his five-year contract at Lille expired.

Juventus ended the match with 10 men after Andrea Cambiaso was sent off seven minutes from time but substitute Dusan Vlahovic doubled the Bianconeri’s lead moments later.

“It’s everything I hoped for,” said David, who was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Vlahovic in the 80th minute. “It was the first game of the season and the fans brought an amazing atmosphere and you could feel them pushing us forward.

“I’m happy to score in my first game but the most important thing is the three points.”

The 25-year-old David scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists in 49 matches across all competitions for Lille last season.

David is also Canada’s all-time leading scorer with 36 goals in 67 appearances.

“The target is to help the team as much as I can,” David said. “If it’s by scoring goals, by getting assists, running back, defending, I will do everything.”

Juventus struggled in the first half but was dominant after the break and broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when David got in front of his marker to prod home Kenan Yildiz’s cross.

Yildiz also set up Juve’s second as a rapid counterattack saw Vlahovic send him down the right and then race from the center circle into the box to tap home the return pass.

That came shortly after Cambiaso earned himself a needless red card. He had gone up together with Mathias Løvik for a high ball and then reacted by shoving the Parma player and appearing to strike him in the face with his arm.

In other matches from Serie A’s opening week, Pisa, which finished second in Serie B last season, surprisingly took the lead in Bergamo in the 26th minute.

Idrissa Touré’s cross from the right went through to Samuele Angori, who put it back into the area toward Henrik Meister, but Atalanta defender Isak Hien bundled it over the line instead.

Atalanta was playing its first match of the post-Gian Piero Gasperini era after the coach left for Roma following nine years in charge and was replaced by Ivan Jurić.

Jurić’s halftime talk paid off as Atalanta was a team transformed after the interval. Gianluca Scamacca leveled five minutes into the second half, gathering a pass from Mario Pasalic and cutting inside his defender before firing into the far bottom corner.

It was Scamacca’s first goal in more than 450 days and he almost doubled his tally in the 58th but headed off the crossbar.

Historic VAR announcement Nico Paz set up one goal and scored a stunning second as Como kicked off its Serie A season with a 2-0 win over Lazio.

Cesc Fabregas’ team broke the deadlock less than two minutes into the second half when Nico Paz gathered the ball inside his own half and feinted past a Lazio player before threading an impressive through ball for Tasos Douvikas to run onto and fire past Ivan Provedel.

Nico Paz got on the scoresheet himself in the 73rd minute with a free kick into the top left corner.

Lazio had thought it had equalized 10 minutes earlier but Taty Castellanos’ strike was ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside.

In a first for Italian soccer, referee Gianluca Manganiello announced the decision live to the stadium. The explanation of VAR decisions in real time has been introduced from this season in Serie A.

Elsewhere, Sebastiano Luperto scored deep in stoppage time to snatch a 1-1 draw for Cagliari at home to Fiorentina.