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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Major change to Champions League to be introduced from next season following Arsenal heartbreak against PSG
The change could reward a select group of teams CHAMP CHANGE Major change to Champions League to be introduced from next season following Arsenal heartbreak against PSG UEFA are set to make a major change to the Champions League following Arsenal's heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain. The debut year of the new-look tournament unearthed a big problem some fans believed was unfair. 1 Arsenal had to twice play a second leg away from home Credit: Alamy The top eight teams in the league phase automatically qualified for the Round of 16, with the next eight teams entering a play-off. But that was the only advantage the top eight teams received - which will now change. From next season the teams that finish in the top eight will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their knock-out ties at home. That was a privilege not granted to Arsenal and Barcelona in the semi-finals last year - both teams finished in the top eight but lost to teams who finished below them in the league phase. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL EUR JOKING Fans rip 'best team in Europe' Arsenal as they sit behind Man U in Uefa rankings From next season, the teams who place highest in the league phase are guaranteed to play at home in the second leg. The same change is expected to apply to both the Europa League and the Conference League. Uefa agreed the change in a meeting ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday. However the modification must be ratified by the Executive Committee, which does not meet until September. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS A virtual meeting will have to take place to confirm the rule change before the league phase draw on August 28. This season Arsenal played at home in the second leg of their Round of 16 win over PSV Eindhoven, before travelling to Real Madrid and PSG for the seconds legs of their quarter-final and semi-final ties.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Major change to Champions League to be introduced from next season following Arsenal heartbreak against PSG
UEFA are set to make a major change to the Champions League following Arsenal's heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain. The debut year of the new-look tournament unearthed a big problem some fans believed was unfair. Advertisement 1 Arsenal had to twice play a second leg away from home Credit: Alamy The top eight teams in the league phase automatically qualified for the Round of 16, with the next eight teams entering a play-off. But that was the only advantage the top eight teams received - which will now change. From next season the teams that finish in the top eight will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their knock-out ties at home. That was a privilege not granted to Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL From next season, the teams who place highest in the league phase are guaranteed to play at home in the second leg. The same change is expected to apply to both the Europa League and the Conference League. Uefa agreed the change in a meeting ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday. However the modification must be ratified by the Executive Committee, which does not meet until September. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS A virtual meeting will have to take place to confirm the rule change before the league phase draw on August 28. This season Arsenal played at home in the second leg of their Round of 16 win over Thierry Henry hits out at Mikel Arteta as trophyless Arsenal are shown up by 'the Man Utd that everyone laughs at'
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
French Open: Coco Gauff advances to fourth round, Madison Keys makes comeback win
Coco Gauff and Madison Keys continued their strong campaigns at Roland-Garros on Saturday, notching very different but equally significant victories to advance to the French Open's fourth the No. 2 seed, booked her place in Week 2 with a straight-sets win over Marie Bouzkova, 6-1, 7-6. The 21-year-old American came out blazing on Court Philippe-Chatrier, dominating the early exchanges and storming to a 3-0 lead within ten minutes. She wrapped up the first set with commanding ease, showcasing her powerful groundstrokes and Open 2025 Day 7 Live Updates The second set, however, tested her mettle. Bouzkova pushed back with renewed intensity, breaking Gauff's serve multiple times and coming within two points of forcing a third set. But Gauff held her nerve, stepped up when it mattered, and took control in the tiebreak to close out the match. It marked her fifth consecutive appearance in the Round of 16 at Roland-Garros, where she was runner-up in 2022. She next faces 20th seed Ekaterina Court Suzanne Lenglen, Madison Keys delivered one of the tournament's most dramatic comebacks. The seventh seed battled from a set down and saved three match points to defeat fellow American Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a thrilling all-American a 2020 French Open finalist, looked on course for the win after building a 3-0 lead in the deciding set. But Keys, digging deep into her reserves of power and composure, reeled off the last three games to seal the win in front of a roaring Paris crowd. It's her first trip to the fourth round here since 2022 and her 10th straight Grand Slam match will face American Hailey Baptiste next as she continues her hunt for a first French Open title.
Boston Globe
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Youth reigns supreme as Wellesley sophomore Kimmy Tai impressively wins individual girls' tennis title
In a dominant display on Monday afternoon at Babson College, fourth-seeded Tai rolled past fifth-seeded Zhang, 6-3, 6-3, to claim the girls' state title. Tai emerged from a field of 68 entrants from private, public, and prep schools across the state. The event was run by the United States Tennis Association for the second consecutive year. 'Once I had a pretty decent lead, I knew what I should do, what my strategy was,' Tai said. 'I just had to keep grinding it out, keep moving, and then attack the ball when I could.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Natick's Grace Zhang was stretched to the limit in her state final loss to Wellesley's Kimmy Tai. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Advertisement In the semifinal round earlier on Monday, Tai defeated top-seeded Maya Muhunthan, a senior from Acton-Boxborough, 6-3, 6-4. Zhang topped No. 14 Sophia Lirio, a freshman from Notre Dame (Hingham), 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. The final was a rematch from last year's Round of 16, when Zhang eliminated Tai, 6-3, 6-2. But Tai's year-over-year improvement was evident Monday, especially in her ability to finish points with crisp winners on both her forehand and backhand. 'There's a huge jump from last year to this year in terms of her game,' said Wellesley coach Rob Miller. 'It's much more aggressive, and she's always been mentally tough … a lot of the players she beat were good players, it wasn't like she just cruised to the finals. So I'm just really proud of her.' Advertisement Wellesley's Kimmy Tai was strong on both the forehand and backhand in Monday's singles final. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Tai is 6-0 at first singles and 13-0 at second singles this season for Wellesley, playing behind fellow sophomore Bella Gopen — last year's individual tournament runner-up, who opted not to compete in this year's event. Due to her close proximity to Babson, Tai even drove home to refresh herself between the semifinal and championship match, which took place roughly two hours apart. Tai's teammates from Wellesley were also on hand, providing the only teammate cheering section of any competitor on Monday. 'I really enjoyed their support,' Tai said. 'And their songs were so cute, and their cheers every time I hit a good shot — the support really helped.' For Tai, the three-day run also was validation of her stamina — she had never previously played six matches in three days — and provided further confidence headed into the MIAA state tournament, where Wellesley will look to repeat as Division 1 state champions. 'Even if I'm down or I'm having to play really hard, long points, if I push through I know I can do it,' Tai said. Sophomore Sienna Solorza (left) and freshman Emily Zhu from Newton South were dominant in winning the girls' doubles final Monday. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Young Newton South pair takes doubles crown Though Newton South freshman Emily Zhu and sophomore Sienna Solorza have played second doubles for the Lions this season, they entered the weekend confident they were among the top squads in the 17-pair field. And though the young duo was pushed by some of the state's top veteran duos, they ultimately passed every test. In the girls' doubles championship on Monday, Zhu and Solorza surged to a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, victory over top-seeded seniors Lindsey Grosberg and Nina Gill of Lincoln-Sudbury. Advertisement 'I thought we could probably get to the finals,' said Zhu, 'but we got it done here.' Zhu and Solorza have notched an unbeaten record at second doubles, but needed to work past other teams' top doubles pairings throughout the weekend — namely Boston Latin's Gisele Ngo and Maya Nguyen (6-2, 7-5) in a tough semifinal. The pivotal stretch in the championship match came late in the opening set, when Zhu and Solorza trailed 5-4 and needed a service break to stay in the set. The pairing went on to win two games in a row, and then prevailed in a tight tiebreaker to seize control of the match. 'We had to forget about the score,' Solorza said. 'We get a little tense sometimes and [commit] some unforced errors, but we just needed to talk to each other between every point. We're really good at communicating. And I think we worked really well together.' Matty Wasserman can be reached at
Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Middlesex's Lachlan McCaghren completes rally to win Individual Boys' Tennis crown
After clawing his way back from the brink, McCaghren seized control and never let go. In a roller coaster match at Babson College, second-seeded McCaghren rallied to defeat top-seeded Vargas, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, to claim the state title. Advertisement The victory capped off three days of statewide, single-elimination competition, which brought together 68 singles players from public, private, and prep schools, and was organized for the second year by the United States Tennis Association. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'That first set, he was killing me,' McCaghren said. 'But I believed I could hang with him. Mentally, I knew I could do it.' Duxbury senior Tim Vargas was in control for most of the boys' singles final Monday at Babson, but he was left frustrated in the end against Middlesex's Lachlan McCaghren. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff The individual title had been a goal for McCaghren since last year, when he lost a heartbreaking three-set Round of 16 match to Milton senior John Dickens, who went on to reach the semifinals. But McCaghren leveled up his game over the past year, growing both in physical stature and confidence. He went 14-2 at first singles for Middlesex this season, and entered the tournament feeling prepared for a deep run. Advertisement Earlier on Monday, McCaghren claimed a semifinal victory (6-3, 6-3) over Cambridge sophomore Alonso Berry, and Vargas defeated Lexington freshman Joshua Chen, 6-2, 6-4, in the other semifinal. But despite the smooth semifinal, McCaghren stumbled early in the final. Vargas used his steady backhand to move McCaghren around the court and set up forehand winners, which he executed with pace. But once McCaghren wrestled back momentum late in the second set, he dominated the rest of the match. In the third set, McCaghren wore Vargas down with a sharp first serve and consistent baseline play, breaking at 1-1 and 3-1 to put the final nail in his triumph. 'I definitely wanted some revenge from last year,' McCaghren said. 'Being the Massachusetts state tournament [winner], it's a lot of fun and a big deal. I've always wanted to win this one.' Brookline senior twins Ravin (left) and Kiran Bhatia show off the hardware after winning the USTA Massachusetts doubles title at Babson. Matty Wasserman Brookline twins storm to doubles title With no USTA tournament experience prior to this weekend, Brookline seniors Kiran and Ravin Bhatia knew five matches in three days would test their mental and physical stamina. But the senior twins never let up, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Concord-Carlisle seniors TJ Fahey and Dan Lynch in the doubles final. 'Coming here, these three days, it really gave us a lot of confidence in the way that we were playing,' said Ravin Bhatia. 'I'd say we really rediscovered our level. And I just couldn't be happier right now.' The Bhatia twins were 11-0 at first doubles during the regular season, and hold a 53-2 together over the past three seasons. They had previous topped Fahey and Lynch on April 29 in a straight-set win during Brookline's 4-1 team victory. Advertisement Still, both brothers knew the level of consistency required to get through the entire tournament would be heightened — and the pair persisted without ever dropping a set. With the MIAA postseason now on the horizon and Brookline entering as the No. 3 seed in Division 1, the twins are hopeful that their triumph on Monday can serve as additional momentum. 'No match was a cake walk. Every match was a challenge. And so we had to adjust. We had to adapt. And I think that really helps us coming into the postseason,' Ravin Bhatia said. Matty Wasserman can be reached at
