Alcaraz battles through in first match since Australian Open
Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz battled through against local hero Botic van de Zandschulp at the Rotterdam Open on Tuesday, his first match since quarter-final heartbreak at the Australian Open.
The top seed had to dig deep to overcome the wildcard ranked 81 places below him, eventually coming through the first-round clash 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-1 in nearly three hours.
"It was a really difficult match. I had to get through some really difficult moments," Alcaraz said.
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Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Alcaraz eases past Medjedovic in Cincinnati before rain forces suspension
Carlos Alcaraz beat Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Cincinnati Open last 16 on Tuesday, battling the sweltering Ohio heat to notch a tour-leading 50th victory of the season before the evening session was suspended due to rain. The Spanish second seed also secured his 13th consecutive win at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, converting three of seven break points in a deliberate, slow-paced contest. Treated for neck pain after the first set, Serbia's Medjedovic ramped up in the second to shorten rallies, out-hitting Alcaraz 25-16 on winners but committing 38 unforced errors to the Spaniard's 18. "I know he's a really powerful player," Alcaraz said. "His shots are incredibly hard to return. He has a big serve also. I know he doesn't like to run too much from side to side, so my plan was to make him run as much as I could." Monte Carlo and Rome champion Alcaraz next faces Italian Luca Nardi as he continues his bid for an eighth Masters 1000 title. Earlier, Andrey Rublev rallied from a set down to edge Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 in a fierce 3-1/2-hour battle. The Russian ninth seed will play against Argentine Franciso Comesana, who claimed a stunning 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 win over American Reilly Opelka. In the women's draw, second seed Coco Gauff advanced after Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska withdrew from their third-round clash due to illness. The American will face Lucia Bronzetti, who beat 23rd seed Jelena Ostapenko 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. It marked the second third-round walkover, following fellow Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk's withdrawal before her match against Polish third seed Iga Swiatek. The Wimbledon champion will take on Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the round of 16. In the evening session, men's third seed Alexander Zverev and women's fourth seed Jessica Pegula were forced off the court mid-match due to rain and the threat of lightning. The suspension was particularly frustrating for Zverev, who had a 6-4, 5-4 lead in his match against American Brandon Nakashima and was about to serve for the win. Pegula rallied to take the second set 6-3 in her meeting with Magda Linette, leaving their match all square after the Pole won the first 7-6 (5). Canadian Open winner Ben Shelton's match with Roberto Bautista Agut and Dane Clara Tauson's match with Veronika Kudermetova were both moved to Wednesday. Tuesday's rain-enforced suspension was the latest in a string of interruptions at the Cincinnati Open this week. On Monday, Jannik Sinner's win over Gabriel Diallo was delayed by a fire alarm before the players continued through the noise. There was also a one-hour delay due to a power outage.
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Real Madrid 'firmly rejects' U.S.-hosted match and warns of 'a turning point in the world of football'
FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, left, celebrates with his teammate Gerard Martin after scoring a goal during a friendly soccer match between FC Barcelona and Daegu FC at the Daegu Stadium in Daegu, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (Kim Hyun-tea/Yonhap via AP) soccer By TALES AZZONI Real Madrid said it "firmly rejects" having a regular-season Spanish league game played in the United States and warned of 'a turning point in the world of football.' Villarreal, in contrast, is promising free travel and tickets for season-ticket holders if its match against Barcelona in Miami is approved in what would be a first for the league. The 17th-round match in La Liga would be played at the Hard Rock Stadium. Madrid said Tuesday it has taken action to keep the Dec. 20 match from happening, claiming it would hurt the 'integrity of the competition' and the 'legitimacy of the results.' 'The measure, which was taken without prior information or consultation of the clubs participating in the competition, infringes the essential principle of territorial reciprocity, which applies in two-legged league competitions (one match at home and the other at the home of the opposing team), upsetting the competitive balance and giving an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs,' Madrid said. The club said the match would set 'an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on non-sporting interests, clearly affecting sporting integrity and risking the adulteration of the competition.' 'If this proposal were to be carried out, its consequences would be so serious that it would be a turning point in the world of football,' Madrid said. The club said it has asked FIFA, UEFA and Spain's top sports body to not authorize the game in the U.S. The Spanish soccer federation on Monday approved a request for the match to be played in Miami. UEFA and FIFA now have to approve the request before it can be made official. 'Any modification of this nature must, in any case, have the express and unanimous agreement of all the clubs participating in the competition, as well as strictly respecting the national and international rules governing the organization of official competitions,' Madrid said. Madrid and Spanish league president Javier Tebas have often been at odds on various issues. The club said UEFA should deny the request to play the game abroad based on the 'criterion established in 2018 that prevents official matches in domestic competitions from being played outside national territory, except in duly justified exceptional circumstances, which are not present here.' Madrid said it asked the country's high sports council 'not to grant the necessary administrative authorization without such unanimous consent.' 'Real Madrid reaffirms its commitment to respect the national and international rules that guarantee the fairness and proper functioning of official competitions, and will defend its compliance with them before all competent bodies,' the club said. Villarreal earlier Tuesday said its season ticket-holders can travel for free and receive free tickets for the match. It said those who don't want to go, or can't go, will get a 20% discount on their season tickets. 'We would be the first (Spanish) team to play a league match abroad,' Villarreal president Fernando Roig told a news conference. "It would greatly help us expand our brand in a key market like the United States.' Staging a match abroad has long been part of the league's goal to promote soccer and its brand in other countries. It first tried to stage a match in the U.S. in 2018, with a game between Barcelona and Girona, but the idea was dismissed after criticism from players, fans and clubs. Subsequent attempts to play there also failed. The league had offered compensation packages for Girona fans in 2018. It wasn't clear whether it would be Villarreal or the league paying for the travel and tickets for the club's fans this time. The attempts to play in the U.S. are part of the league's long-term partnership with sports and entertainment group Relevent Sports, which is part of Stephen Ross' portfolio of companies including Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Dolphins, the Formula One's Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament. Earlier this year, it was announced that New York-based Relevent Sports has exclusive negotiating rights over the global commercial rights to the UEFA men's club competitions for the period 2027-2033. FIFA moved last year toward ending decades of soccer tradition by ordering a review of its policy that blocks domestic league games being played in other countries. Some fan groups in Spain and the country's players association on Monday expressed their disapproval of the plan to move the match thousands of kilometers away. It has become routine, though, for U.S. pro sports leagues to stage games in Europe, Asia and South America that help build their brands and fan bases. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
Alcaraz and Gauff advance after tough sets in Cincinnati
Carlos Alcaraz had to fight his way out of a second-set slump on Sunday to escape with a 6-1, 2-5, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since a runner-up finish to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, raced through the first set but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. But he regained his intensity — and cut down his errors in the third. Alcaraz fired his seventh ace to set up a match point and advanced to the third round seconds later as his opponent fired wide. Alcaraz, seeded second, claimed his 12th consecutive match at the Masters 1000 level after titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. "It was a relief to get this win," Alcaraz said after committing 44 unforced errors. "It was a rollercoaster of good feelings and bad feelings. "I was happy to get the win in the end. I know that I have chances to do better. "I will use the day off tomorrow to get my confidence back. It was a little tricky, I need to play smart tennis." Alcaraz, runner-up in Cincy in 2023, next faces Serb Hamad Medjedovic, a 6-4, 7-6 (3) winner over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. American Ben Shelton, coming off his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto, eased through his opener 6-3, 3-1 as opponent Camilo Ugo Carabelli was unable to continue because of a right knee problem. The Argentine, who beat Kei Nishikori in the first round, pulled up short after the first point of the third game of the second set, gripping his knee. With a tournament supervisor translating from Spanish, the South American then took a medical time out. Once back, he only lasted three more points. Shelton had less than an hour on court, something of a favor after a draining Toronto tournament which only ended on Thursday. "It's not easy to play a couple of days after winning any title," he said. "I feel for Camilo. I hope he has a quick recovery. "I wanted to compete and be a warrior this week — see what I could do," said Shelton, adding when asked about tape on his right thigh that he has "a few muscle things. "The legs take a lot of the force," he said. Sixth seed Alex de Minaur, the Washington champion and a Toronto quarterfinalist last week, was bounced by American Reilly Opelka 7-6 (6), 6-4, who crushed 14 aces and saved all seven break points he faced. Australian Adam Walton upset slumping former No. 1 and 2019 Cincy champion Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (0), 6-4, 6-1 for the first top-50 win of his career. Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut dismissed Briton Cam Norrie 6-4, 6-3 while number nine seed Andrey Rublev beat American Learner Tien 7-6 (4), 6-3. Gauff fights through In women's action, second-seeded French Open champion Coco Gauff battled through a tough first set to beat China's Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-2. Gauff, who lifted the trophy in Cincinnati in 2023 and went on to claim her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open that year, grinded through a first set marred by five service breaks. But the seed steadied in the second set to run out the winner in 71 minutes on a first match point. "It was a rough start," Gauff said. "But it was about just trusting myself and the work we've done in practice. "I was able to let it all go in the second set." Third seed Jessica Pegula, runner-up last year to Aryna Sabalenka, defeated Kimberly Birrell 6-4, 6-3. Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, finalist last season at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, needed her last-chance match point to cement a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) win over Greek Maria Sakkari. The Italian winner blew her first five match points and advanced to the third round when Sakkari delivered a double-fault. Paolini also needed five chances to win the opening set.
