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Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“I don’t think I am still at my top level” : Novak Djokovic gives honest verdict after storming into Monte Carlo quarterfinals

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“I don’t think I am still at my top level” : Novak Djokovic gives honest verdict after storming into Monte Carlo quarterfinals Novak Djokovic stormed into the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, following his straight sets victory over Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday. The Serbian avenged his defeat from last year, when he lost to the Italian at the Monte Carlo Masters. Novak Djokovic stated that he still feels that he is yet to reach his top level. The Serbian has not had the best start to his season, losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the third round of the Indian Wells Masters. Lorenzo Musetti got off to a great start against the top seed in the last 16 clash in Monte Carlo, however, Novak Djokovic quickly turned things around to win the first set. The veteran stated that things can change quite rapidly on clay courts, and a break of serve is really not a big advantage as compared to other courts. The Serbian believes that his opponent lost his focus midway through the first set, which helped him turn the tide in his favor. “It was a little exchange with the crowd at 4-3, 40/0 for him in the first set and ever since then I gained momentum. He lost focus a little bit. He was the better player for those first seven games, played some great tennis. Played really good shots and made me run. But this is clay and obviously things can turn around very quickly and a break of serve is not as a big advantage on this surface compared to the other surfaces,” said Djokovic, when asked about how he turned things around in the first set. Novak Djokovic to face Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals Novak Djokovic will face Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Australian defeated the top seed at the United Cup earlier this year, as their head to head is even at 1-1. The 25-year-old has been quite a consistent performer on the tour this season, winning the Mexican Open, and reaching the finals of the Rotterdam Open a couple of months ago. As stated by Novak Djokovic, the Serbian is yet to reach his top level. He is expected to gain more confidence, and get much more lethal as the tournament progresses. “I don’t think I am still at my top level but it was a great test today against a great player, a very talented player. I lost to him last year here, similar circumstances. I was a set and 4-2 up and I must say it was in the back of my mind when I was serving at 4-2, 40/15 and lost my serve today. I thought, ‘Oh no, hopefully this is not similar scenario like last year’. I am really glad to overcome the challenge and look forward to the next one,” Novak Djokovic on his defeat to Musetti last year. Novak Djokovic should prove too much of a challenge for Alex de Minaur, who is not among the best players on clay courts. However, expect the Australian to make a strong case for himself, as Novak Djokovic would need to be at his best to secure a safe passage into the semifinals. Also Read: Novak Djokovic hopes to play Rafael Nadal one last time at the French Open: “It would be great to have another great encounter”

Jasprit Bumrah
Cricket, IPL

“Blessed to have Bumrah in my side” : Hardik Pandya heaps praise on MI pacer after five-wicket haul against RCB

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“Blessed to have Bumrah in my side” : Hardik Pandya heaps praise on MI pacer after five-wicket haul against RCB Jasprit Bumrah was all over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday, as the Indian pacer managed to deliver the best figures of IPL 2024 so far. He picked up 5 wickets in his four over spell, conceding just 21 runs. His wickets included the likes of an in-form Virat Kohli, and Faf du Plessis who looked pretty much set out in the middle. Hardik Pandya was all praise for the 30-year-old pacer after Mumbai Indians registered their second consecutive victory. MI chased down a total of 197 runs in just the 16th over, as the likes of Ishan Kumar and Suryakumar Yadav took the opposition bowling to the cleaners. Hardik Pandya stated that it was a blessing to have someone like Jasprit Bumrah in his side, given the impact he can create during different stages of the innings. “Blessed to have Bumrah in my side. He does it over and over again. Any time I ask him to bowl, he comes and does what he does. He practices a lot. Before doing anything in the game, he makes sure he practices in the nets. The amount of experience and confidence he has is tremendous,” said Hardik in his post match speech. “I’ve never seen batters hit there” : Hardik Pandya on Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav was back among the runs, as the Indian batter scored 52 runs off just 19 deliveries. This is a positive sign for the five-time champions, who have all their batters in form now. Hardik Pandya also managed to join the party, as he scored 21 runs off just 6 deliveries, hitting three sixes. “Always good to have Surya in your team with the areas he hits. I’ve been opposition captain as well against him, it’s tough to put field for him. Some place he hits, I’ve never seen batters hit there. (I’ll do) Whatever the situation requires – last game I had to take some time, and this game’s scenario was different. I’ve always been a fan of whatever the situation demands,” said Pandya. After registering three defeats at the start of their campaign, Mumbai Indians are well back on track. They have registered two consecutive wins against Delhi and Bengaluru in the last week at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai will conclude their run of home fixtures on Sunday, when they welcome Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. This fixture is the biggest rivalry in IPL cricket, given that it pits the two most successful franchises against each other. Also Read: “I don’t think they should boo Hardik Pandya,” Sourav Ganguly says it is not Hardik’s fault that he was appointed as MI skipper

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Tennis

Novak Djokovic hopes to play Rafael Nadal one last time at the French Open: “It would be great to have another great encounter”

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Novak Djokovic hopes to play Rafael Nadal one last time at the French Open: “It would be great to have another great encounter” Novak Djokovic returns to the tour once again this week at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Serbian is the top seed for the first of three Masters tournaments on clay courts. The 24-time Grand Slam champion last featured in action at the Indian Wells Masters, where he was defeated by Luca Nardi in three sets in the third round. Rafael Nadal announced last week that he would not be competing at the Monte Carlo Masters, as there are question marks as to whether he would ever play professional tennis again. In his pre-tournament interview, Novak Djokovic stated that it would be a shame if Rafael Nadal retires without playing at least one tournament. The Serbian hopes to play at least one more match with Rafael Nadal, and most preferably at Roland Garros. The two players have shared some epic encounters over the last decade and a half. “As a tennis fan I want him to play at least one more tournament before he retires. We all know what he’s done on clay in his career, particularly Roland Garros. That’s his goal, we all know that, he’s been saying it. For the sake of all tennis and Roland Garros in particular, we hope that he can play there. It would be great to have another great encounter,” said Djokovic to Eurosport in an interview. “He’s been always like an older brother to me” : Novak Djokovic on Nenad Zimonjic Novak Djokovic split with his long term coach Goran Ivanisevic last month. The Serbian is now working with Nenad Zimonjic, who was ranked number one in Doubles during his playing days. Novak Djokovic spoke about the influence the veteran has had on his life and career over the years. “We have known each other really well for more than 20 years. He’s been always like an older brother to me. A mentor, a friend, who always tried to help me as a person and as a player. When I stopped with Goran, I was starting my clay-court preparation in Belgrade and he was there. He came to the court, and we really enjoyed our collaboration, and I asked him to come here for a few weeks,” said Djokovic. “We are trying to make the most of it. He’s been giving me really useful advice to find the proper position when I’m approaching the net, and it’s something I’m not best at because I don’t play as many doubles matches,” he added. As for Novak Djokovic, he has not had an ideal start to his 2024 season. He has competed in just tournaments so far, losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the Australian Open. The 36-year-old will hope to return to his best at the Monte Carlo Masters this week, as he takes on the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who have dominated the tour over the past couple of months. Also Read: Jannik Sinner’s coach believes the domination of Big Three- Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will ‘never’ be seen again

Max Verstappen
Formula 1

Max Verstappen joins ‘elite club’ involving Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel after Japanese GP victory

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Max Verstappen joins ‘elite club’ involving Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel after Japanese GP victory Max Verstappen has joined an Elite Club following his comfortable victory at the Suzuka Circuit on Sunday. The Dutchman claimed his third win of the season, as Red Bull also completed their third 1-2 finish of the season, with Sergio Perez bringing his car home to a P2 finish. Following his early retirement at the Australian GP, Max Verstappen stamped his authority over the weekend. The three-time F1 champion bagged the pole position, and claimed his third victory of the season. The Red Bull driver now becomes only the fourth driver in F1 history to have led as many as 3,000 laps. Max Verstappen has established his dominance on the grid over the past couple of years, as he has led most of the races from start to finish. Only Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher have managed to lead more than 3,000 laps in F1. Max Verstappen claims third victory of the season at the Japanese GP Max Verstappen is off to a terrific start in the Championship, claiming 76 points from 4 races. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was delighted after a magnificent weekend for the team, after their one-off outing in Australia. Christian Horner heaped praise on both the drivers for their race management. He applauded Sergio Perez for securing his first front row start in almost a year, and coming through the field in Sunday’s main race. The Chinese GP will take place a couple of weeks from now, as the race returns to the calendar after almost half a decade. “It was a great team performance today; fastest lap, one-two finish, fastest pit stop and first and second in the championship. is a great achievement that we are very proud of, especially in Japan, where our motorcycle partner Honda has its home base. Max managed to control the race beautifully. He was away from the start and really took good care of the tires. Checo has it did very well here too. His qualifying yesterday was good, better than he has done in his career, and then his race was fantastic. He came through the field, was very strong and kept his pace. A brilliant race from the whole team .That’s great to see,” said Horner.

Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Football

“I forgot already” – Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s title collapse last season

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“I forgot already” – Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s title collapse last season Arsenal have continued their unbeaten run in the Premier League since the start of the year, as they claimed a comfortable victory over Brighton on Saturday. The visitors handed Brighton their first loss on home soil since August last year, as they claimed a 3-0 victory. Mikel Arteta’s team moves to the top of the Premier League table once again, as Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United on Sunday. This means that the three title contenders are separated by just one point, with just seven matches to go. Mikel Arteta was asked about Arsenal’s title collapse last season, and if it is still fresh in his memory. The Gunners led the Premier League for majority of the last season, however, dropped some vital points towards the end of the season which helped Manchester City complete a hattrick of league titles. Mikel Arteta urges his side to continue with their stellar displays Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has urged his side to continue with their stellar displays. Since the start of the year, the league leaders have collected 31 points from a possible 33 in the Premier League. This includes a victory over Liverpool at home, and a 0-0 stalemate at the Etihad Stadium last week. “I forgot already,” Arteta when asked about the title collapse last season. “I don’t know [if there is a difference in his side’s mentality this season]. I think we’re in a really good moment. We have the squad healthy with a really good energy and a lot of confidence individually and collectively. We have to just keep doing what we’re doing.” Arsenal have a big game coming up over the weekend, as they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. The Gunners will be hosting a struggling Bayern side, who are on the verge of losing their Bundesliga title for the first time in over a decade. It is two home games back to back for Arsenal, as they will also host Aston Villa over the coming weekend. Also Read: “He’s the best coach in the world by a mile,” Mikel Arteta lavishes praise on Pep Guardiola ahead of crunch title clash

Hardik Pandya IPL
Cricket, IPL

“I don’t think they should boo Hardik Pandya,” Sourav Ganguly says it is not Hardik’s fault that he was appointed as MI skipper

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“I don’t think they should boo Hardik Pandya,” Sourav Ganguly says it is not Hardik’s fault that he was appointed as MI skipper Hardik Pandya has been facing the heat from fans during the ongoing edition of the IPL. The Mumbai Indians skipper made his way back to his former franchise, after spending two seasons with Gujarat Titans. The Indian all-rounder replaced Rohit Sharma as the skipper of the franchise, which has not been well-received by the fans. To make matters worse, Mumbai Indians remain the only side in the tournament yet to register their first points on the board. They have faced three consecutive defeats now, as they face Delhi Capitals at home on Sunday. Delhi’s Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly has come out in support of the Indian all-rounder amidst the ringing boos around the stadium. He believes it is not correct for the fans to boo the MI skipper, and it was the decision of the management to appoint him as the skipper. “Fans shouldn’t boo Hardik Pandya, it’s not correct. The franchise has appointed him captain. That’s what happens in sports, whether you captain India or you captain your franchise, you are appointed as captain,” Ganguly said in the pre-match press conference. “It’s not Hardik’s fault that he has been appointed as captain” : Sourav Ganguly Sourav Ganguly also heaped praise on Rohit Sharma, and stated that the Indian skipper is a different class. He mentioned that the MI opener is a great asset to the Indian cricket team through his consistent performances over the years. However, he believes that it is not Hardik Pandya’s fault that he was appointed the skipper of the joint most successful franchise in IPL. “Rohit Sharma is a different class. His performance for this franchise, his performance for India, has been on a different level, as captain and as a player. It’s not Hardik’s fault that he has been appointed as captain,” he added. Delhi Capitals come into this encounter on the back of a heavy defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders a couple of days ago. Meanwhile, MI’s top order collapsed against Rajasthan Royals in their first home game of the season, as they registered their third consecutive defeat. Suryakumar Yadav is expected to be back in the playing eleven for Mumbai Indians, which is a massive boost for Hardik Pandya and co. Also Read: “I do not think the booing will hold out for too long,” Trent Boult backs Hardik Pandya after three consecutive defeats

Faf du Plessis
Cricket, IPL

“We found the wicket tricky in the first innings,” Faf du Plessis believes 190 was a good score to defend

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“We found the wicket tricky in the first innings,” Faf du Plessis believes 190 was a good score to defend Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced their third consecutive defeat, as they were outplayed by Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. After being put into bat first, RCB managed to score 183 runs, with Virat Kohli scoring a brilliant unbeaten knock of 113 runs. However, after recording a first wicket partnership of 125 runs, a total of 200 runs looked well on the cards. However, the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green failed to capitalize in the back end of the innings. This meant that the visitors ended with a modest total of 183 runs. Rajasthan Royals made the chase looked comfortable, as they recorded their fourth consecutive victory. Jos Buttler’s unbeaten century steered the hosts towards victory, as he stitched a 148-run partnership with Sanju Samson. RCB skipper Faf du Plessis stated that the wicket was tricky to bat on in the first innings. He believes that the wicket got slightly better towards the second innings, as he praised Rajasthan Royals for the decision to field first. “I think we found the wicket tricky in the first innings. I thought 190 was a good score, think we could have added 10-15 runs max. Their spinners bowled well (in the middle overs), good decision by them to bowl first. With the dew batting got easier. Virat was playing well at the back end, with someone like Green coming in, you want to maximise those last overs. We tried to squeeze as hard as we can, but it was tricky to hit against the spinners. It was easier to hit the seamers. The pitch definitely got better, you could feel it, the ball was skidding along nicely,” said Du Plessis in his post-match speech. Faf du Plessis not worried about ‘dropped catches’ Royal Challengers Bengaluru were well below average on the field today. There were a couple of dropped chances, and the intensity on the field was just lacking. Faf du Plessis stated that he was not too concerned about the missed chances, however, he wants his players to show more energy on the field. “Fielding was average, it’s something we have spoken about, we’ll work and try to improve. Not worried about catches, it’s about showing intensity on the field,” said the RCB skipper. Faf du Plessis also explained his decision to not bowl Glenn Maxwell. The South African stated that their plan was to unleash the Australian all-rounder against Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the southpaw was dismissed in the first over itself, hence he did not feel the need to throw the ball to Glenn Maxwell. “Not bowling Maxwell was because all right-handers were batting, so went to the left-handed spinner initially. With two right-handers at the crease, went to the left arm spinner and later got the leg spinner (Himanshu Sharma) into the attack. There was no point of being defensive, we needed wickets,” Du Plessis added. Also Read: “I do not think the booing will hold out for too long,” Trent Boult backs Hardik Pandya after three consecutive defeats

Jannik Sinner
Tennis

Jannik Sinner’s coach believes the domination of Big Three- Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will ‘never’ be seen again

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Jannik Sinner’s coach believes the domination of Big Three- Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will ‘never’ be seen again Jannik Sinner is enjoying a dream start to his 2024 campaign, as he recently claimed the 2024 Miami Open title. The Italian humbled Grigor Dimitrov in the finals in straight sets, as he blasted his way to the title, dropping just one set all week. The 2024 Australian Open champion has just faced one defeat so far in this season, and has won three of the four tournaments he has competed in. The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holder Rune are often likened to the Big Three players- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Over the past season or two, we have seen the Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz rivalry really taking shape. However, Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill believes that no player from the current generation should be compared to the Big Three- as their dominance was just surreal, and he does not expect it to repeat again. “Well, I don’t think anybody should be comparing this generation yet with Novak, Federer, Nadal. What they were able to achieve for so many years is remarkable. I don’t think we will ever see that domination again no matter what,” Cahill said. “They need time to establish themselves” : Darren Cahill on Sinner, Alcaraz and Rune Darren Cahill believes that the trio of Jannik Sinner, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner need time to establish themselves on the tour. Moreover, he feels that they need to win consistently to be compared to the Big Three. In the past year, we witnessed Carlos Alcaraz get the better of Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set final at Wimbledon. Jannik Sinner outplayed the Serbian at the 2024 Australian Open earlier this year. There are already signs of the two players taking over the center stage, however, Darren Cahill urges caution to not get carried away. “I wouldn’t start comparing what Carlos or Jannik or Holger are doing just yet to the generation prior, because I think that’s unfair. They need time to establish themselves. The level is right up there, but they need to win a lot more before you start comparing them to those boys,” he said. Also Read: “The main goal is Roland Garros,” Jannik Sinner determined to put clay court struggles to bed this season

Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1

“Was I robbed? Obviously,” Lewis Hamilton shares his opinion on the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP

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“Was I robbed? Obviously,” Lewis Hamilton shares his opinion on the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen delivered a title fight for the ages in the 2021 season, when the championship was decided in the final lap of the Abu Dhabi GP. In what was turning out to be a comfortable victory over Lewis Hamilton, turned into a first F1 title for Max Verstappen after a controversial FIA call. Lewis Hamilton has not often spoken about the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP publicly, as he came ever so close to his record eight F1 title. Recently, in an interview with GQ, Lewis Hamilton stated that he was obviously robbed of the title. Just a couple of laps before the final lap, Nicholas Latifi had to retire his car after suffering a crash. Former FIA Director, Michael Masi made a controversial decision allowing all the lapped cars to un-lap themselves. This decision unleased Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton with a fresh set of tyres, and one lap remaining. The result was inevitable, as the Dutchman got the better of the race leader towards the first turn. “Was I robbed? Obviously,” Hamilton said. “But I think what was really beautiful in that moment, which I take away from it, was my dad was with me. And we’d gone through this huge roller coaster of life together, ups and downs,” he added. Lewis Hamilton describes the defining moment of his life after Abu Dhabi GP debacle Lewis Hamilton stated that his decision to go to the podium, and shake hands with Max Verstappen has to be one of the defining moments of his life. Fans across the world heaped praise on the Briton for his act of sportsmanship despite being a victim of a controversial call. “And the day that it hurt the most, he was there, and the way he raised me was to always stand up, keep your head high. And I obviously went to congratulate Max, and not realizing the impact that that would have, but also I was really conscious of, like, there’s a mini-me watching,” said Hamilton. “This is the defining moment of my life. And I think it really was. I felt it. I didn’t know how it was going to be perceived. I hadn’t visualised it. But I was definitely conscious of: These next 50 meters that I walk is where I fall to the ground and die—or I rise up.” Things have not come gone to plan for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton since that season. The seven-time F1 champion has failed to win a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP. The Briton did manage to finish third in the Drivers Championship last year, however, he was no where close to the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Lewis Hamilton announced his decision to join Ferrari at the end of the current F1 season, which left F1 fans surprised. The veteran would leave Mercedes after an 11-season stint, which saw him claim six titles. Also Read: Guenther Steiner makes huge Max Verstappen statement : “If Max goes somewhere I guess he’d go to Mercedes”

Hardik Pandya IPL
Cricket, IPL

“I do not think the booing will hold out for too long,” Trent Boult backs Hardik Pandya after three consecutive defeats

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“I do not think the booing will hold out for too long,” Trent Boult backs Hardik Pandya after three consecutive defeats Mumbai Indians succumbed to their third consecutive defeat in the Indian Premier League, as they remain the only franchise to register their first points on the board. The five-time champions were defeated by Rajasthan Royals, who maintained their 100% start to the season, winning their first three games. MI captain Hardik Pandya was not well received by his home fans at Wankhede, as there were several boos heard around the stadium. Rajasthan Royals pacer Trent Boult came out in support of his former MI teammate, and stated that the booing will not hold out for too long. Trent Boult came back to haunt his former franchise, dismissing the likes of Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir and Dewald Brevis all for golden ducks. The Kiwi pacer who won the player of the match award stated that Hardik Pandya is among his favorite Indian cricketers. “It is something you cannot control, as professional sportspeople it is what you are exposed to in a way. You have to block out the white noise and focus on the job, (but) it is easier said than done. There are a lot of passionate fans in this country, and speaking of Hardik specifically, he is one of my favorite Indian cricketers and I do not think the booing will hold out for too long. I am sure, he is one of those guys who can put it aside and focus on the job,” said Boult. Hardik Pandya encourages Mumbai Indians to be a lot more disciplined and couraegous Mumbai Indians were all out of sorts inside the powerplay overs, as they lost four wickets on the back of some brilliant bowling by Trent Boult and Nandre Burger. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma somewhat steadied the ship, however, the MI skipper was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal which shifted the momentum back in favor of Rajasthan Royals. Hardik Pandya encouraged Mumbai Indians to be a little more courageous, and disciplined. He still believes that the current set of players are pretty good enough to get the job done on a given day. Mumbai Indians will next face Delhi Capitals at home on Sunday afternoon, as they look to get off the mark. “Yes, a tough night, we didn’t start the way we wanted to start. I wanted to counter, we were in a decent position to get us around 150-160, but my wicket allowed them to get back more into the game, I needed to do a lot more. It’s okay, we didn’t expect such a surface, but you can’t always have it as a batter, it’s nice at times for the bowlers to have a say. It’s all about doing the right things, (correct) results happen at times, at some other times it doesn’t. As a group, we believe we can do a lot better, but we need to be a bit more disciplined and show a lot more courage,” said Hardik in his post-match interview. Also Read: “CSK please get MS Dhoni up the order,” Brett Lee and Shane Watson make appeal to Ruturaj Gaikwad

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