Latest news with #TeamEurope
News18
2 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Alexander Zverev Registers 500th Win, Advances In National Bank Open After Thrilling Match
Last Updated: Zverev won his 500th match by defeating Matteo Arnaldi in the National Bank Open. The 28-year-old German is slated to face Francisco Cerundolo in his upcoming fixture. Top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany triumphed over Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2, on Thursday night in the third round of the National Bank Open, marking his 500th match victory. The 28-year-old Zverev, a champion in 2017, is the first ATP Tour player born in 1990 or later to achieve 500 wins. He secured his 24th tour title on clay in Munich this April. 'I think I started playing better from the baseline. The longer the match went on, I started to find my rhythm a bit," Zverev remarked. 'It was actually my backhand that was feeling a bit off in the beginning, which is strange. Doesn't happen very often. But after I found that shot, I was comfortable and I was happy about the level." Ranked third globally, Zverev ended up as the top seed with top-ranked Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz skipping the hard-court event that continues for another week. No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic are also absent. Zverev progressed to face No. 14 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, who defeated his fellow countryman Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4. Earlier, Alex Michelsen of the United States upset third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Michelsen will compete against fellow American Learner Tien, who overcame American Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 6-3. Fifth-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark advanced in a night match, defeating Alexandre Muller of France 6-2, 6-4. Rune will play the winner of the late match between 10th-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia and Alexei Popyrin of Australia. Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway beat Nuno Borges of Portugal 7-5, 6-4, setting up a match with 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia. Khachanov triumphed over Emilio Nava of the United States, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1. Who is Alexander Zverev? Alexander Zverev (born 20 April 1997) is a German professional tennis player currently ranked world No. 3, with a career-high of No. 2. He has claimed 24 ATP singles titles—including six Masters 1000 trophies—and two doubles titles. Zverev has reached three Grand Slam finals, finishing runner-up at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open, and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and French Open on multiple occasions. As a teenager, he won the 2014 Australian Open junior title and became one of the youngest ATP Challenger champions. He broke into the ATP top 20 at age 20 and won his first ATP title in 2016, upsetting Roger Federer en route. A two-time ATP Finals champion (2018, 2021), he also earned Olympic gold in men's singles at Tokyo 2020. Zverev has been a pivotal contributor to Germany's Davis Cup and United Cup teams, and played key clinching matches for Team Europe at the Laver Cup. With AP Inputs view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 08:41 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
South Wales Argus
18 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Montgomerie warns Bradley over difficulty of Ryder Cup playing captain
The 39-year-old was parachuted in after Tiger Woods turned the American captaincy down last year but is arguably in the form of his life just two months before the biennial dust-up in New York. Bradley won the BMW Championship last August and then the Travellers Championship a month ago, beating European star Tommy Fleetwood on the last hole, and is currently seventh in the world rankings. He is also 10th in the USA's Ryder Cup standings, a two-year rolling points race that sees the top six automatically qualify. The two captains then pick their final six players in the teams of 12, potentially leaving Bradley in an awkward position of deciding whether to choose himself. The 2011 PGA Championship winner has been in two Ryder Cup teams before but lost on both occasions, including in 2012 when Europe came from behind to win in what was dubbed the 'miracle of Medinah'. There has not been a playing captain since Arnold Palmer skippered USA in 1963 and Montgomerie, who captained Europe to victory in 2010 at Celtic Manor, has warned there will be extra pressure on Bradley's shoulders should he choose to play. 'It's a very difficult one, I can't speak for him. He could do [be a playing captain], it's possible, but it's a very difficult ask,' said Montgomerie, speaking at the launch of Ernie Els' new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura. 'There's the media attention and then he could be playing in the morning and have to put his team in [whilst] on the 15th or 16th hole, and he's concentrating on his own game. So, it'll be difficult.' Team Europe will cross the Atlantic led again by former world number one Luke Donald. The Englishman successfully guided his team to glory in Rome two years ago, downing Zach Johnson's USA side 16.5-11.5. The win maintains Europe's winning record on home soil that stretches back to 1993, while they have lost their last three trips to America. Montgomerie, who played in eight Ryder Cups, winning on five occasions including twice on US soil in 1995 and 2004, did point out that having such an effective player missing out might sway the thinking of both Bradley and the team as a whole. He continued: 'It's a very, very interesting dilemma that America have. 'They want their best 12 players, as do Europe. And if Keegan Bradley and the rest of the team feel that he's in the top 12 then obviously he should be playing. 'It'd be terrible if America lost by, say, half a point, and Keegan Bradley wasn't playing. 'They would then say, 'if only he was playing,' right? So, yes, they have a bit of a dilemma. But I can't say if it's right or wrong, it's up to the American team to do what they think is best.' Montgomerie played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside four-time major winner Els and 2001 Open Champion David Duval. The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022. It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal. The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026. Els said: 'Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.' Montgomerie added: 'The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It's not just a course for the present; it's a course for the future as well.' PGA TOUR Champions announces the Portugal Invitational to be held at The Els Club Vilamoura on course designed by Ernie Els. PGA TOUR Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo de Algarve will deliver a five-year partnership and will debut the week of July 27, 2026, and will feature a field of 78 players. For more information visit
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jordan Spieth chasing FedEx Cup success, Ryder Cup pick at Wyndham Championship
If confidence is knowing your best golf is still to come, Jordan Spieth is talking a good game. He's bullish that his game is ready to click and that his wrist injury, which required off-season surgery, isn't holding him back anymore. 'My wrist has not been an issue and I've structurally been doing things the right way. I feel like I've been putting good rolls on the ball and just waiting to kind of pop off on a good putting week,' Spieth said on Wednesday ahead of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. 'So I don't feel like I have to do anything different, I just need to keep my head down and if it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, it's coming soon. ' Spieth always knew that this season was going to be a tricky one that would require patience, given that he missed the first month of the season after undergoing wrist surgery last fall. It didn't help that he had to withdraw for the first time in his career at the Travelers Championship with a neck and back injury and then sat out for a couple of weeks in preparation for the birth of his third child, son Sully. Jordan Spieth showed up rusty at British He admitted he showed up to the British Open earlier this month with a rusty game. He's recorded just two top-five finishes and seven top-20s in 17 starts this season. But his swing is trending in the right direction. He ranks No. 16 in Strokes Gained: Total, an indication that his game may be on the verge of returning the 32-year-old Spieth to the form that made him a three-time major winner and 14-time winner on Tour. 'Now I just have to execute when it matters,' Spieth said. He enters this week's Wyndham Championship held at Sedgefield Country Club at No. 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, which means he's safe for the first leg of the playoffs in Memphis but is on the bubble for the BMW Championship, where the top 50 advance for the second leg of the playoffs. That's an important benchmark for Spieth as making the top 50 guarantees entry into all eight signature events next season. Spieth was on the outside looking in this year. 'I didn't like asking for exemptions this year at all. I was fortunate to receive a lot of them, but you just never know,' he said. 'And when you miss out on elevated events, the way it's structured, they've got the best players in the world at all of them and you don't want to miss any of them.' Can Jordan Spieth still make the Ryder Cup team? Spieth would like this to be the start of a four-week run of good play all the way to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, site of the final leg of the playoffs, and still contends that if he can do so he can merit a selection by U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley for his 12-man squad trying to regain the Cup from Team Europe in late September at Bethpage Black. 'I've got to win. I've got to work my way in,' he said after the British Open. 'I think if I can make it to the Tour Championship, that means that I've played well in the playoffs, in big events, and it may come down to if Keegan picks himself or not and opens up a spot. It may come down to how other guys are playing that are on the bubble.' Spieth, who has played on the last five U.S. Ryder Cup teams dating to 2014, compared his chances of making the team to Justin Thomas earning a captain's pick based more on his track record and veteran experience in 2023 than his current form. 'He was outside the Playoffs altogether, where I think maybe if you go off recency bias, I would have been playing better this last half of this year, coming into the end of this year. So that gives me hope, but also remember who was on the receiving end of when Justin got picked. So that doesn't necessarily mean – they're going off the stats guys and they're going to pick the best 12 guys. Do I think I'm that right this second? No. But do I think I can be that by three weeks' time? Yeah.' Regardless, Spieth is confident that he's on the verge of ending his winless drought, which dates to the 2022 RBC Heritage. 'Next year's going to be a really good year for me, I can feel it. It's all coming along. I'll be healthy, and just structurally putting, the mechanics are all getting really, really close,' he said. 'One good offseason should get me nailed down to where I could be as good as I've been. That's my goal.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Laver Cup 2025: Casper Ruud returns, becomes fourth member of Team Europe
World No. 13 Casper Ruud will be back to participate in his fifth Laver Cup with Team Europe in September. Ruud will be a part of the eighth edition of the tournament, which will take place in San Francisco Sept. 19-21 at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. "I love representing Europe, and doing my best for the whole continent, not just my country," Ruud said in a statement. "The team aspect is unique — getting to play alongside guys who are usually my rivals and to support each other is something we don't experience often. "I'm excited to visit San Francisco for the first time. I'm a big Golden State Warriors fan, so playing in Chase Center will be something special." MORE: Complete guide to Laver Cup 2025 Team Europe now has four commitments for their six slots. Ruud joins World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and World No. 9 Holger Rune on captain Yannick Noah's squad in the team competition against Team World. Andre Agassi is the captain of Team World and also has four commitments. Americans Taylor Fritz (World No. 4), Ben Shelton (World No. 7) and Tommy Paul (World No. 15) will participate on home soil, along with 18-year-old Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca (World No. 49). The final two slots for each team, plus potential alternates, will be announced prior to the U.S. Open. Team Europe leads the series 5-2. MORE: Projecting the final Laver Cup rosters Ruud won the Madrid Open in April, defeating Jack Draper in the final, but has struggled in the majors this year. He lost in the second round of the Australian Open and the French Open, and missed Wimbledon with a knee injury. He is playing in the National Bank Open in Toronto this week and is scheduled to play the Cincinnati Open before the U.S. Open. The Norwegian reached the final of the French Open in 2022 and 2023 and the final of the U.S. Open in 2022. Ruud is 3-1 in singles in his previous four Laver Cup appearances, beating Americans Reilly Opelka, Jack Sock and Tommy Paul while losing to Francisco Cerundolo. He is also 1-1 in doubles play. MORE: Laver Cup history and all-time results
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Ryder Cup countdown: Tension builds as teams take shape and key decisions loom
Let's take a look at some crucial timelines approaching faster than many of us realise, as the countdown is accelerating. In just 58 days, the 45th Ryder Cup will kick off at the iconic Bethpage Black in New York on 26th September 2025. The anticipation is mounting as players and fans alike await the final team line-ups and the dramatic battles that will unfold on the course. With so much still to be decided, now is a perfect time to highlight some key dates and developments that may have flown under the radar as excitement builds for this prestigious biennial contest. It is only 25 days before Team Europe Captain Luke Donald reveals his six automatic qualifiers, and just 18 days before Team USA's Keegan Bradley announces his seven automatic picks — a week earlier than Donald. The crucial Captain's Picks will follow shortly after, with Donald's selections due in the week commencing 1st September, and Bradley's the week of 25th Captain's Agreement Updated A notable recent change involves the Ryder Cup Captain's Agreement, a set of longstanding rules defining what captains, players, and officials can and cannot do during the event. The latest amendment, agreed by both captains, clarifies that only the Captain can give advice, not Vice-Captains—unless there is a Playing Captain actively competing. In that case, the Playing Captain may delegate advice-giving to a nominated Vice-Captain. This tweak has sparked further discussion around Bradley's role as a potential Playing Captain for Team USA, a debate that is expected to continue until the official teams are confirmed. Captain Donald has announced his fourth of five Vice-Captains, adding Francesco Molinari to Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, and Jose Maria Olazabal—all veterans of the 2023 event in Rome. The fifth Vice-Captain will be revealed soon. On the U.S. side, the Vice-Captain roster is complete with Jim Furyk, Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, and Gary Woodland. 2031 Ryder Cup heads to Spain In other news, the 2031 Ryder Cup venue has been confirmed as Camiral Golf & Wellness Resort in Girona, Costa Brava, Spain. This will mark Spain's second time hosting the event, following the legendary 1997 competition at Valderrama, which Europe won under Seve Ballesteros. Currently, the European automatic qualifiers for 2025 include Ryder Cup veterans Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka. LIV Golf's Jon Rahm, currently 21st in the rankings, is also expected to make the team. Potential Captain's Picks include Rasmus Hojgaard, Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Wallace. Other players who could feature in the mix are Matt Fitzpatrick, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Donald likely favouring experienced Ryder Cup players over rookies. Only time will tell who makes the final cut—but with the key dates rapidly approaching, the answers are just around the corner. The countdown is truly on, and the excitement is palpable.
