Meshref's injury derails Jaguars as Challengers prove too hot to handle
The toss was done, and the line-ups were announced.
But during the warm-ups, Dina Meshref – PBG Pune Jaguars' ace paddler of the Ultimate Table Tennis' sixth season – pulled out after having hurt her back during its last outing.
Such was the blow for Jaguars that they never recovered from it and lost to defending champion Dempo Goa Challengers 5-10.
Goa Challengers started strongly and took a 7-2 lead in the first three ties itself. Had Anirban Ghosh – the surprise package of the season – not stunned veteran Tiago Apolonia and Reeth Rishya not taken a game off Zeng Jian, the Jaguars would have faced a mauling.
The 10-5 scoreline in favour of the Goa outfit eventually kept both teams in the hunt for the semifinals.
As per the UTT rules, Jaguars had to pick a replacement from the choice of two overseas players. It went with South Korea's Zion Lee.
But with the sudden call-up, Zion wilted under the big-match pressure as Krittwika Sinha Roy stunned the Korean 2-1.
Minutes earlier, Harmeet Desai – Krittwika's husband – had edged past Spaniard southpaw Alvaro Robles in the match of the day.
Harmeet and Robles – familiar foes at UTT and on the world tour – enthralled the audience with superb strokeplay. It was Harmeet's control with the backhand and powerful forehand winners that eventually set the tone for the Challengers. As expected, Harmeet and Zeng made a clean sweep against Anirban Ghosh and Zion – teaming up for the first time – in the mixed doubles to widen the margin.
The results: Dempo Goa Challengers bt PBG Pune Jaguars 10-5 (Harmeet Desai bt Alvaro Robles 11-10, 11-9, 10-11; Krittwika Sinha Roy bt Zion Lee 11-5, 5-11, 11-6; Zeng Jian & Harmeet bt Zion & Anirban Ghosh 11-9, 11-5, 11-9; Tiago Apolonia lost to Anirban Ghosh 9-11, 11-8, 7-11; Zeng Jian bt Reeth Rishya 10-11, 11-7, 11-4).
Dabang Delhi TTC bt Kolkata ThunderBlades 8-7 (Quek Izaac lost to Ankur Bhattacharjee 6-11, 11-6, 10-11; Maria Xiao lost to Adriana Diaz 7-11, 5-11, 11-10; Maria Xiao & G. Sathiyan bt Adriana Diaz & Ankur Bhattacharjee 11-7, 11-7, 9-11; Sathiyan lost to Quadri Aruna 11-7, 9-11, 6-11; Diya Chitale bt Ananya Chande 11-4, 11-6, 11-7).
Saturday's fixtures: Jaipur Patriots vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers (5 p.m.); U Mumba TT vs Stanley's Chennai Lions (7.30 p.m.).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
French Open 2025: Plotting the contours of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry - Men's tennis' new main-event
In the autumn of 2022, when 20-time Major winner Roger Federer announced his retirement, the world of tennis slipped into a state of near-eternal lament. There was the disappointment of not being able to watch one of the greatest players live anymore, but it was also about the end of the famed 40-match Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry which had defined the sport. Nadal, by then, had started hobbling again because of multiple injury setbacks and, in a curious twist of fate, did not go on to add to his then record 22 Majors. The other member of the 'Big Three', Novak Djokovic, was — and still is — around, prancing his way to the biggest titles, but the sport had seemingly lost the emotional hook that fans had hung on to for a good part of the previous two decades. Changing equation The Grand Slam tournaments — the crown jewels — where the 'Big Three' had long established fiefdoms, appeared ripe for new wannabe monarchs to battle it out. Men's tennis was expected to be chaotic, capricious and full of surprises, a far cry for those who had grown accustomed to having at least two members — if not all three — of the 'Big Three' routinely at the business end of big-ticket events. That none of this has come to pass thus far is primarily because of how seamlessly Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have filled the space and established a firm duopoly. Blessed with great court-presence and fast-developing aura, they are now the top-two players in the world, and the match-up is 11 contests young, with Alcaraz leading 7-4. The Spaniard, all of 22, and the Italian, 23, have accounted for seven of the 10 last Slams, including a clean sweep of the most recent five. There is indeed a churn one rung below, at the ATP Masters 1000 level, where 11 different victors have emerged in the last 16 tournaments. But the much anticipated — and feared — turmoil at the top has proved a chimera. History suggests that rivalries thrive when there is a dint of differentiation — right versus left; attack versus defence; net-lover versus baseline-hugger; serve bot versus return machine. But in this era of homogenisation of courts, where clay and grass are closer than ever, a one-size-fits-all style is bringing increased levels of success, and sports science and improved nutrition techniques are universally accessible, such stark contrasts seldom exist. Yet, the Alcaraz-Sinner duel works, primarily because of the sheer competitiveness the two bring to the table, the tactical excellence and subtle differences in playing styles. Of the two, Alcaraz is the more flamboyant, trick-shot-loving showman who treats the court as his own theatre of dreams. After winning his first Major on the hard courts at the US Open in 2022, he has gone on to master clay and grass and their abundant unpredictabilities, even completing the arduous French Open-Wimbledon double in 2024. Sinner, in contrast, presents a staid and emotionless persona on court, and his repeatable technique is more suited for truer surfaces, as seen from the fact that he has won the last three Slams to be held on synthetic courts. Such has been his dominance that starting from the Toronto Masters in 2023, Sinner has won 13 of 20 hard-court events he has entered (including two Davis Cups) and finished runner-up in two others. When 'opposites' collide In the recent 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, former World No. 1s Andre Agassi and Roddick laid this out beautifully, with Agassi calling Alcaraz 'still so raw' and Roddick likening Sinner to an 'algorithm' and 'a piece of software that went: input output input output'. 'It is amazing how little his speed diminishes on clay and grass,' Agassi said of Alcaraz. 'Most people who are fast go to grass and their speed comes down 5% just because you have to be careful in the corners. But his doesn't. I think he should maximise [his potential], and we should enjoy watching him before he maximises, because there is so much fun for the fan. 'Sinner is the exact opposite,' the eight-time Grand Slam titlist went on. '[He's] constantly maximising and never hits a ball he doesn't need to. When he does let one rip, it makes you wonder … what that gear would really look like, because he's taking 85% cuts all the time.' It is then no surprise that when these two collide, it makes for mesmerising action. Alcaraz may have the head-to-head advantage, with four consecutive wins leading into the 2025 French Open, including the Rome final last month in Sinner's first tournament back after serving a doping suspension. But at no point has the match-up suffered from one-sidedness. It helps that both have started peaking nearly at the same time — seven of their most recent matches have been semifinals or finals. Unlike the Federer-Nadal equation, or the more recent Swiatek-Gauff face-off, their initial combats were far from lop-sided. Where Nadal won six of their first seven meetings and Swiatek 11 of 12, Alcaraz and Sinner were locked at 4-4 until Roland-Garros 2024. The two are also not limited by the dynamics of the surface, thus broadening the scope of their rivalry and presenting a larger canvas to work their magic. Legends of the past such as John McEnroe and Pete Sampras were iffy on clay, and Ivan Lendl struggled on grass. Alcaraz and Sinner may have their preferences, but are consummate all-courters. They have mostly met on hard courts, fleetingly on clay and once on grass. But each has beaten the other on acrylic and dirt, with Sinner edging the lone match on grass at Wimbledon 2022, before either had won a Slam. At the 2022 US Open, Alcaraz's first Major, Sinner even had a match-point in their pulsating five-set quarterfinal, which established him as a near-equal. However, since the start of 2024, wherein Sinner has been the best in the world, conjuring an astonishing win-loss record of 85-7 (until Rome 2025), Alcaraz has beaten him four times. 'The thing with Sinner is he strikes the ball so hard and also without making too many mistakes,' former World No. 1 Mats Wilander told 'Tennis365' recently. 'That is too much for a lot of people, but not Alcaraz. When Sinner has a forehand and time to hit it, other players have to guess left or right. Carlos doesn't have that problem as he is super fast.' Thrust, parry, counter All of which suggests that the two have areas to unlock and space to grow. Alcaraz did that most recently in the Rome final by pinning Sinner deep in his backhand corner and forcing the Italian to generate his own pace. The triumphant Spaniard later called it 'tactically, my best match'. Sinner's response will likely help write the next glorious chapter. 'I wake up in the morning trying to understand the ways to beat him [Alcaraz],' Sinner had said in October 2024 after the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia. 'These rivalries, these kinds of players, they always push us to our 100%. Hopefully this rivalry will last as long as possible.'
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
French Open: Sinner denies Djokovic 25th Grand Slam win with semi-final victory, faces Alcaraz for title
World number one Sinner held off a record-chasing Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his maiden Roland Garros final, where he faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. read more World No 1 Jannik Sinner shakes Novak Djokovic's hand after defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the semi-finals of the French Open on Friday, 6 June. AP Jannik Sinner battled past Novak Djokovic in a gripping French Open semi-final on Friday to book a first Grand Slam final meeting with reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard saw off Lorenzo Musetti. World number one Sinner held off a record-chasing Djokovic with an impressive 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) win on Court Philippe Chatrier to reach his maiden Roland Garros final. 'He is the best player in the history of our sport, playing against him here is amazing,' said the 23-year-old Sinner. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Of course I try to not think about this but before coming on court you feel the tension.' Djokovic showed his trademark fighting qualities in a dramatic contest that lasted three hours and 16 minutes, but three missed set points late in the third set ultimately put paid to his hopes of a comeback. The 38-year-old will next attempt to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon next month. 'Obviously Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament,' said the world number six. 'I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready. I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that.' Alcaraz earlier booked his place in Sunday's final when opponent Musetti retired with a leg injury in the fourth set of their last-four tie. Sinner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, will be hoping to gain revenge on Alcaraz after losing to the Spaniard in five sets in the semi-finals last year. Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner, including in the Italian Open final in May when Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban. 'Sunday is going to be very difficult, I know my head-to-head lately doesn't look great against Carlos but let's see what I can do,' added Sinner. Djokovic's exit ensures that a sixth successive major title will be lifted by either Sinner or world number two Alcaraz, in what appears increasingly likely to be a permanent changing of the guard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know,' said Djokovic. 'I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career. You know, I'm going to keep on keeping on.' Sunday will see the first Grand Slam final to be played between two men born in the 2000s. Neither Sinner or Alcaraz have ever lost a major final. It is also the first Grand Slam tournament in which the top two seeds will contest both the men's and women's finals since the 2013 US Open, with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff set to face off for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday. Djokovic had his chances, but Sinner consistently proved too strong in the key moments, including when breaking immediately after failing to serve out the second set. The Italian hit 44 winners in total over the gruelling three sets, showing excellent resilience to stave off three set points in the 10th game of the third. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Musetti retires injured Earlier, world number two Alcaraz was leading 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof when Italian Musetti called it quits due to a thigh injury. 'It's never great to go through or win a match when it's like this,' said the 22-year-old. 'He's done an incredible clay season. I wish him all the best, a quick recovery and that he'll be back soon.' Alcaraz will aim to win his fifth Grand Slam title in two days' time. 'It's been three intense weeks and now I have one step to make,' he said. 'I'll give everything on Sunday, I've been playing great tennis this tournament.' Musetti saved break points in the first and seventh games before grabbing a one-set lead with a break in the 10th game. The Spaniard raced through a second-set breaker, though, taking his third set point when Musetti fired an attempted passing shot into the net. Musetti could not deal with the power coming from the other side of the net in the third set and briefly received treatment on his left thigh. Alcaraz went on to romp through the set, in which eighth seed Musetti mustered only five points, in just 22 minutes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Musetti surrendered another break early in the fourth set as Alcaraz thumped a forehand return into the corner, and the 23-year-old immediately headed to the net to shake his opponent's hand.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
French Open 2025: Lorenzo Musetti limps off, Carlos Alcaraz in final
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, and Italy's Lorenzo Musetti greet each other. (AP Photo) The Times of India at Roland Garros: For an hour and 40 minutes, Lorenzo Musetti forced the extra ball on the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who was stretched, running and sliding, playing one more ball every time under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard, whose adventurous brand of tennis has made him a crowd favourite everywhere he plays, was locked out of the 49-minute opening set by the world No. 7, whose elegant, single-handed backhand is a 'wow' factor on a whole different level. Each time the explosive Alcaraz broke in the second set, the Italian bounced right back, until he couldn't. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The 23-year-old limped out of the men's singles semifinals of the French Open on Friday. The 22-year-old Spaniard, seeded second, led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 when the Italian pulled up short after two hours and 25 minutes of play, struggling with pain on his left leg. Musetti, who won a total of five points in the 23-minute third set, four of them on serve, was clearly struggling. At 0-5 in the third set, he called for the physio, and when he pulled off his headband after the second game of the fourth set, it was curtains. Musetti, who will undergo tests on Saturday, said, 'Really sad and disappointed at how it ended. At the beginning of the third set, when I was serving, I started to lose a little bit of strength on the left leg (behind), and it was getting worse and worse, so I decided to stop. 'In the beginning of the fourth set, I couldn't go for rallies, I could not move like I was doing earlier in the match,' he said. 'There was too much risk to go forward and to be able to show something even for the crowd.' Musetti enjoyed a brilliant run on clay this year, reaching the semi-finals of all Masters 1000 events on clay and Roland Garros in the same season. 'We both started really well, I had to play my best level of the tournament to stay there with him,' Musetti said. 'I felt I stepped forward on my level today, felt closer to his level. I maintained the high level that we showed for twohours. So really happy about that, it's a step forward, because the last two matches (against Alcaraz) were a little bit oneway. I felt that today I had my chances to even go two sets up, but of course Carlos, he's playing really well. He deserves to go to the final.' Virat Kohli's love for 'dhaba' food, priority for family & more | RCB bus driver shares stories Musetti, who won more points in the first set 33 to 28, slipped behind in the second 39 to 44. The Spaniard had 32 unforced errors and 34 winners, 20 from the forehand side. 'It's never great getting through or winning a match like this,' said Alcaraz. 'Lorenzo is a great player. He has had an incredible clay season. I always wish him all the best, a quick recovery, and hopefully we are going to enjoy his tennis pretty soon. 'The first two sets were really tough,' said Alcaraz. 'I had chances to break his serve, I couldn't make the most of them. When I won the second set, there was a little bit of relief, and then in the third set I knew what I had to do at the beginning: just push him to the limit and try to be aggressive, not let him dominate the game more. I was calmer.'
