Rugby-Springboks set Wembley date with Japan on November 1
Coach Eddie Jones' Japan famously beat South Africa 34-32 in what was dubbed the 'Miracle of Brighton', though the Springboks exacted revenge by knocking the Asian side out of their own World Cup on their way to lifting the trophy in 2019.
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The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Aging Djokovic out to turn back time in push for U.S. Open glory
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 19, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action with Serbia's Olga Danilovic during their round of 16 mixed doubles match against Russia's Mirra Andreeva and Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Mike Segar (Reuters) -After semi-final runs at all three Grand Slams this season, 38-year-old Novak Djokovic arrives at the U.S. Open chasing history while confronting the limits of an aging body. The Serbian great remains in pursuit of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but comes to Flushing Meadows without a single competitive singles match since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Skipping hard-court tune-ups in Toronto and Cincinnati, Djokovic has placed all his chips on New York in what many see as his last realistic shot at Grand Slam glory. After his straight-sets Wimbledon loss to Sinner, he admitted reality is "hitting him like never before" and that closing the gap to today's best gets harder each season. "It's just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now," said Djokovic, whose only titles over the past 18 months have been Olympic gold in Paris and an ATP 250 in Geneva in May. "These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I'm going into the match with a tank half empty. It's just not possible to win a match like that. It's one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it." Djokovic is not only chasing a 25th major but also seeking to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion. Two years removed from his last major triumph at the 2023 U.S. Open, the seventh seed knows time is running out on his era. What makes this quest all the more compelling is the opposition, with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz emerging as the standard-bearers of a new generation. Between them, they have claimed every major since Djokovic's last triumph at Flushing Meadows, with the Serb striving to keep his place among the game's dominant forces. Whether it proves a breakthrough or a last dance for Djokovic, the spotlight remains on him, with history waiting to be claimed, if his body allows it. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Shelton ready for New York spotlight at U.S. Open
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 19, 2025 Ben Shelton of the U.S. reacts during the round of 16 mixed doubles match with Taylor Townsend of the U.S. against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. and Denmark's Holger Rune REUTERS/Kylie Cooper NEW YORK (Reuters) -Ben Shelton returns to Flushing Meadows with newfound confidence after claiming his biggest title and a career-high ranking two years after his charmed run to the U.S. Open semi-final. Shelton outlasted Russian Karen Khachanov 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) in a tough fight to secure his first 1000-level trophy in Toronto and hopes that the win will kick start a new level of consistency in his game. "It's certainly going to push me to work harder," he said. "I feel like I have a good grasp now on the things that really work for me against guys who are playing some of the best tennis in the world, and the things that I need to continue to work on." Eager to show this was no fluke, Shelton battled his way to a respectable quarter-final exit at Cincinnati, snapping a streak in which the last three Canadian Open champions had crashed out in their Cincinnati openers. "I'm hungry. I'm in a good rhythm," Shelton said after reaching the final eight at the U.S. Open tune-up tournament, where he would ultimately run out of gas against Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-2. He arrived in New York ranked sixth in the world, a remarkable climb for the 22-year-old who had started the season outside the top 20 and who only two years ago was enjoying his moment of breakout stardom at his domestic major. Shelton put the tennis world on notice when he muscled his way into the U.S. semi-finals at the age of 20, becoming the youngest American man to reach the penultimate round in Flushing Meadows since Michael Chang in 1992. He subdued the competition with his extraordinary athleticism, sending over the fastest serve of the tournament at 149 miles per hour before crashing out to the eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Shelton, who picked up his maiden ATP title a month later, has built finesse to match his power in the two years since and will hope to recreate the magic of his charmed 2023 run when he returns to New York. "The more opportunities that you have, the more times you put yourself in the position to be playing against the best players in the world, you're only going to get better," he told reporters in Toronto. "My tennis IQ and my tennis mind is something that is getting better, and something that needs to continue to get better." The U.S. Open main draw begins on Sunday. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Who are the other men's contenders to look out for at the US Open?
Aug 16, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Alexander Zverev (GER) awaits the serve from Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/File Photo (Reuters) -The following are some of the other contenders for the men's singles title at the U.S. Open, which begins on Sunday: ALEXANDER ZVEREV (GERMANY) Ranking: 3 Alexander Zverev showed flashes of his best to reach the Australian Open final at the start of the year, but suffered a shock defeat to Arthur Rinderknech in the opening round of Wimbledon, after which he told reporters he felt "empty" and was considering therapy. He has since enjoyed a promising run in the North American hardcourt swing and will be desperate to finally end his Grand Slam duck with victory at the U.S. Open. The German reached the semi-finals of both ATP 1000 tournaments held this month, losing in three sets to Karen Khachanov in Toronto and then battling dizziness in his defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati. TAYLOR FRITZ (UNITED STATES) Ranking: 4 Fritz is looking to go one better than last year after falling to Jannik Sinner in the final but the American has struggled under pressure on a few occasions over the past few weeks. He was beaten in the quarter-finals in Washington by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, lost to compatriot Ben Shelton in the Toronto semi-finals and then suffered a shock defeat by qualifier Terence Atmane in Cincinnati. The 27-year-old must fully exploit his devastating serve if he hopes to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick in 2003. JACK DRAPER (BRITAIN) Ranking: 5 When Jack Draper suffered a semi-final defeat by eventual champion Sinner in New York last year, he was ranked 25th in the world. The Briton has since gone from strength to strength on the tour and claimed the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells, while also reaching the final in Madrid, during a strong 2025 campaign. However, the past few months have not been easy on the 23-year-old. Faced with the immense burden of shouldering home hopes at Wimbledon, he lost in second round to Marin Cilic and has not played a singles match since due to an arm injury, likely leaving him slightly undercooked for the year's final Grand Slam. ALEX DE MINAUR (AUSTRALIA) Ranking: 8 Alex de Minaur has not had the most consistent season and has twice been bumped out of the top 10, but the Australian put in a heroic display in last month's Washington Open final, saving three match points to claim his first title of the year. He has a tour-leading 24 wins on hard courts this year and should get through the early rounds at Flushing Meadows easily enough. He has never gone past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam though, and has a woeful 0-6 record against fellow top-10 players this year. FRANCES TIAFOE (UNITED STATES) Ranking: 17 Little has gone right for Frances Tiafoe in the past few months. The American was knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon before failing to string together more than a couple of wins in both DC and Toronto. He suffered another setback in his preparations for the U.S. Open during his fourth-round match against Holger Rune in Cincinnati when he was forced to retire due to a lower back injury. Tiafoe has a knack for turning up his game in New York, however, having reached the semis twice in the last three years. (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
