Australian Open 2016: Novak Djokovic bids to extend hot streak in Melbourne

January 17, 2016

Melbourne, Jan 17: Novak Djokovic will look to extend his sensational run of form at the Australian Open on Monday as expectations soar about what he could achieve this year.

NovakAll eyes are on the Serbian world number one and his bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam after he fell just short during his brilliant 2015 season.

The 28-year-old is yet to drop a set this year and his performance in the Qatar Open final was described as "perfect" by his flummoxed opponent, Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic could even pick up the first ever men's 'Golden Slam' if he manages to unite the four major titles and be crowned Olympic champion at Rio de Janeiro in August.

He opens his Grand Slam season against South Korea's Chung Hyeon on Monday and is already having to play down his chances of what could be a historic year.

"It's only the beginning of the season. It's too early to talk about what I can or can't do later in the season. I'm here to focus on Australian Open," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"If I am able to do the same or better, like 2015, I'm not sure," he added. "Honestly, as I said, it's just the beginning. I try to take one tournament at a time."

Roger Federer is also in action on day one, against Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, with Djokovic's other main challengers Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka starting on Tuesday.

Djokovic, who has five Australian Open titles, has only lost once in the last five years at Melbourne Park, when he was stopped by Wawrinka in the 2014 quarter-finals.

One wildcard for the Serb could be Melbourne's intense heat, with temperatures forecast at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Djokovic retired with "heat illness" during his 2009 Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Roddick, but he has steeled himself physically and outlasted Nadal in the 2012 final which ran for nearly six hours. More (AFP) FK

"Sometimes it's very difficult to handle (the conditions) if it goes over 40 degrees," Djokovic said.

"Again, you're not the only one on the court. There's an opponent across the net. He is, of course, handling it as tough as you are handling it. You got to keep that in your mind and try to be tough.

"Whatever is coming our way tomorrow, I'll try to be ready for it."

Murray also has an enviable record at Melbourne Park, reaching four finals in the past six years -- although he is yet to lift the trophy.

His title bid could be distracted by the imminent birth of his first child, which he is desperate to attend even if it means missing the final.

"For me, my child is more important to me, and my wife is more important to me, than a tennis match," said the British second seed.

Federer, as the third seed, could face Djokovic in the semi-finals as the 17-time Grand Slam champion looks to win his first major title since Wimbledon 2012.

The Swiss has won four Australian Opens, but lost to Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon and US Open finals. At 34, he is running out of time to add to his record haul of majors.

A second Australian Open title for Nadal appears a stretch after his slump in 2015, but Wawrinka, champion in 2014, should be a contender after he beat Djokovic in last year's French Open final.

"It's a new year. Hopefully I can do something good this year," said the Swiss.

Outside the top five, Japan's world number seven Kei Nishikori will be looking to get past the quarters for the first time in Melbourne.

Home interest will focus on the farewell of former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, who is playing his final tournament, and the talented but wayward duo of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios.

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Agencies
February 4,2020

Potchefstroom, Feb 4: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena guided India to a comfortable ten wickets win over Pakistan in the ICC U19 World Cup semifinal at Senwes Park on Tuesday and progressed to the final of the tournament.

Chasing 173, Indian openers Jaiswal and Saxena played cautiously and stitched an unbeaten partnership of 176 runs.

The duo built the highest opening partnership of the tournament's history. Jaiswal, the left-handed batsman, scored his maiden century of the tournament as he amassed unbeaten 105 runs studded with eight fours and four sixes.

Saxena scored 59* off 99 balls including six fours. India chased down the total in 35.2 overs. This is the first time in the history of the U19 World Cup that a team won a knockout match by ten wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Opener Haider Ali and skipper Rohail Nazir's half-centuries guided the side to a respectable total of 172. Ali played a knock of 56 runs while Nazir accumulated 62 runs including six boundaries.

Pakistan did not have a good start as they lost Mohammad Hurair (4) in the second over. Fahad Munir, came to bat at number three, failed to score a single run and was departed by Ravi Bishnoi on a duck in ninth over.

Apart from Ali and Nazir, Mohammad Haris was the only batsman to score runs in double digits. He played an innings of 21 runs off 15 balls. Indian bowlers showed a spirited performance as they bowled out arch-rival in 43.1 overs.

Pacers Karthik Tyagi and Sushant Mishra bagged two and three wickets respectively. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi clinched two scalps and conceded 46 runs in his ten overs.

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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Madrid, Feb 23: Lionel Messi scored four goals and Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in the La Liga as Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Levante last night, a week before the Clasico.

Madrid's nightmare afternoon was made worse by another injury to Eden Hazard, who was forced off in the second half of their 1-0 defeat in Valencia and is now doubtful to face Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"It doesn't look good," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane afterwards.

Messi, meanwhile, ridiculed talk of a goal drought by scoring four against Eibar after four games without one, while emergency signing Martin Braithwaite made two assists off the bench, teeing up Messi and then Arthur Melo in injury-time.

Their 5-0 rout, coupled with Madrid's defeat, means Barca move back to the summit of La Liga, two points ahead of Zidane's side ahead of next Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It amounts to a considerable shift in momentum, with Barcelona away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Madrid host City a day later and the plan had been for Hazard to regain form and fitness in what was only his second start since returning from three months out with a broken right foot.

But the Belgian sat in the dug-out with an ice pack around the same foot after going off and Zidane suggested it was a repeat injury after the match. "It can be weak where you've had an injury," he said.

For Madrid, playing catch-up again next weekend will be a particularly heavy psychological blow, especially given the series of off-field problems engulfing Barcelona in recent weeks.

Yet on the pitch, Messi showed no sign of distraction as the 32-year-old completed the second fastest of his now 36 league hat-tricks, after less than 40 minutes at Camp Nou.

"There's nothing left to do but stand up and applaud," Eibar wrote on Twitter afterwards.

"I won't wash my kit after hugging Messi," said Braithwaite.

Braithwaite's arrival from Leganes drew criticism after Barcelona capitalised on a curious La Liga rule that allows clubs to sign outside of the transfer window if they have lost a player to serious injury.

Brilliant Messi

Messi quickly got to work, scoring a brilliant first goal in the 14th minute after collecting the ball centrally, around 30 yards out. He had three Eibar defenders in front of him but found a way through, nutmegging Anaitz Arbilla before chipping delicately into the corner.

The second came in the 37th minute as Sergio Busquets found Arturo Vidal, who feathered a flick into Messi's path. Messi surged forward, past his stumbling opponents, and fired in.

His third, three minutes later, was the simplest of the trio and arrived only after he tried to play in Antoine Griezmann. His generosity was rewarded as a sloppy Griezmann touch meant the ball cannoned back to Messi, who apologetically poked in.

Coach Quique Setien was able to take Griezmann off with 18 minutes left and introduce Braithwaite for his debut. Braithwaite's first contribution was a skewed cross but things improved immeasurably from there, as two passes across goal gave Messi his fourth and Arthur his first.

Madrid were never in control of a chaotic contest against Levante but might have taken the lead if Hazard had done better with a long ball over the top from Marcelo, which he failed to control and then scuffed into the hands of Aitor Fernandez.

He limped off and Madrid lost their way, finally punished with 11 minutes left by a straight ball through to Morales. Luka Modric, exposed on the right side of Madrid's defence, was unable to recover and Morales caught Courtois by surprise by firing early past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

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