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World Open snooker 2024: Trump praises fans in China after beating Ding in final

Ben Miller
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World Open snooker 2024: Trump praises fans in China after beating Ding in final

Judd Trump said the size of the crowds at the first World Open snooker tournament to be held in China since 2019 were a “surprise” after defending his title by beating Ding Junhui 10-4 in the final.

The world number two led 7-2 at the end of the first session in Yushan with breaks of 88, 79 and 78 – a gap the 34-year-old said he was keen to establish in front of fans predominantly backing the most successful Chinese player ever.

A 130, 106 and 85 helped him to his fifth title of what he called a “dream season” and a 28th ranking title overall.

Read our other sports news stories here:
Murray on 995 tour matches
Osaka having ‘so much fun’
Cancelo calls Man City ‘ungrateful’

“I managed to just dig in this afternoon and get a good lead,” Trump told World Snooker Tour.

“I then probably played the best I have in the tournament and managed to get over the line quite comfortably.

“Whenever you’ve got a lead like that, you’re more relaxed and play like you’re at practice. I knew how important it was to get off to a good lead because you could feel the support behind him. Sometimes you have to use it to your advantage and to motivate yourself.

“The crowds have been massive, which is a bit of a surprise, coming back here. The fans here are so young, especially compared to the UK. That’s promising for snooker.”

World Open snooker final: Trump on China

First held in 1982, the tournament was held in China for the first time in 2012 but missed four years because of the Covid pandemic.

Trump also elaborated on remarks he had made about his work on mindset, explaining his philosophy of “not punishing yourself”.

“You see it a lot with players punishing themselves when they miss easy balls,” he observed.

“As I’ve got older, I’ve realised I’m not trying to miss. You go back to your chair, forget about it, look on the bright side and wait for the next chance.

“If you can mentally be in the right space when your chance comes, it’s a hell of a big advantage. It took about 25 years to master and I’m not there yet. “

Andy Murray Miami Open results: Briton ‘feels’ effects of nearing 1,000 ATP Tour tennis matches

Ben Miller
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Andy Murray Miami Open results: Briton ‘feels’ effects of nearing 1,000 ATP Tour tennis matches

Andy Murray said the demands of reaching 995 matches on the ATP Tour have taken their toll after recording an impressive win over world number 30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry to reach the third round of the Miami Open.

Former world number one Murray lost five of his first seven matches of 2024 but has doubled his victories tally for the year in Florida, where he won all seven points in a first-set tie-break and took the second 6-3 against Etcheverry.

“My body feels that,” Murray told the Tennis Channel upon being informed that he is five contests away from 1,000 on the tour.

“I’ve been on the tour a long time. My first matches on the tour were just as I turned 18. I’m 37 in May.

Read our other sports news stories here:
Osaka having ‘so much fun’
Cancelo calls Man City ‘ungrateful’
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“It’s been a long but amazing career. I’ve been unbelievably lucky to play at the highest level for such a long time.

“I had a tough loss against Tomas at the Australian Open, when I was quite flat. I wanted to come out and make sure that, even if I lost, I went out with the right energy on the court, getting involved with the crowd and creating a great atmosphere.

“I played some good tennis at the end. It was tough out there and I did well to get through.”

Andy Murray next match: Machac awaits

Murray hinted at the start of the year that this could be his last on the tour and faced criticism for the performances which immediately followed.

Now ranked 62nd, his next match will be against 23-year-old Czech player Tomas Machac, who is two places above him and beat world number six Andrey Rublev.

“Hopefully, I can reach 1,000 matches with wins,” said Murray. “I don’t want my last five or six matches to get there to be losses. It would be nice to get some wins along the way.

The Scot was clearly pleased to see top seed Carlos Alcaraz progress with a win over fellow Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in which the world number two lost only three games.

“Watching Alcaraz play tennis makes me smile,” Murray posted on X, formerly Twitter. Alcaraz replied with prayer and heart emojis, adding: “Andy – thanks man.”

Naomi Osaka having ‘so much fun’ at Miami Open ahead of next match against ‘work buddy’ Garcia

Ben Miller
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Naomi Osaka having ‘so much fun’ at Miami Open ahead of next match against ‘work buddy’ Garcia

Four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka said her win over 15th seed Elina Svitolina to reach the last 32 of the Miami Open was “one of” her best performances of the year after bridging a 212-place ranking gap to beat the Ukrainian.

Japanese wildcard Osaka ended the first set with a double break before edging the second for a 6-2, 7-6 victory, later telling her millions of Instagram followers that she had “so much fun”.

“I knew she’s a great player and I had no choice but to play really well if I wanted a chance to win,” Osaka reflected to reporters.

“I definitely do think it was one of my best matches, if not the best [of 2024). But I also want myself to play better and better every match.”

Read our other sports news stories here:
Cancelo calls Man City ‘ungrateful’
Verstappen reacts to Australian Grand Prix retirement
England: Kane to miss Belgium friendly, Man City defender Walker to be assessed

Osaka returned from maternity leave at the start of the year, losing to her third-round opponent in Miami, Caroline Garcia, in the first round of the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old produced some sublime shots against world number 17 Svitolina in a match delayed until Saturday by rain and played on a relatively small court.

Osaka v Garcia next

Garcia and Osaka met again in Doha, where the former world number one gained revenge with a 7-5, 6-4 win.

“We’re friends at this point,” said Osaka, joking about the frequency with which the pair face each other. “We’re just work buddies.

“We see each other all the time. It’s funny. I just want to be seeded so that I can stop playing her. She’s an amazing player, I know this.

“Every match we play is really difficult. It’s going to be interesting playing on these hard courts, because I really like them.”

Elsewhere in Florida, top-10 players Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Zheng Qinwen and Jelena Ostapenko all went out of the tournament on Saturday, but top-ranked Iga Swiatek went through.

In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz won 6-2, 6-1 against compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena to join the likes of Jannik Sinner and Andy Murray in progressing.

Cancelo calls Man City ‘ungrateful’ as Barcelona loanee discusses Guardiola

Ben Miller
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Cancelo calls Man City ‘ungrateful’ as Barcelona loanee discusses Guardiola

Joao Cancelo has called Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola the world’s best coach but questioned the club’s “ungrateful” treatment of him and said he has been the subject of “lies”.

Right-back Cancelo won the Premier League three times with City before being abruptly loaned to Bayern Munich in 2023 and joining Barcelona on a season-long loan in August.

“I think Manchester City were a bit ungrateful with me,” Cancelo said in an interview with Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, via Calcio Mercato translation.

“I was a very important player in the years I was there. I never failed in my commitment to the club, with the fans. I have always given everything.

Read our other sports news stories here:
Verstappen reacts to Australian Grand Prix retirement
England: Kane to miss Belgium friendly, Man City defender Walker to be assessed
England 0-1 Brazil: Endrick hits dream winner as Selecao triumph at Wembley

“I remember a time when I was robbed and attacked and the next day I was playing at the Emirates against Arsenal.

“These are things you never forget: I left my wife and daughter alone at home, terrified. People don’t understand – they will only remember because Mr Guardiola has much more strength than me when he says something, and I prefer to keep it to myself.”

Cancelo: Bruno Fernandes ‘irritating’

Cancelo’s departure from City is thought to have been the result of a disagreement with Guardiola over a lack of playing time, and the 29-year-old said “lies have been told” over his conduct.

“I have never been a bad team-mate… you can ask [Nathan] Ake or Rico [Lewis],” he said. “I prefer to know that I’m telling the truth. I feel satisfied with what I’ve done. I’m a transparent person; I never lie.”

 

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Cancelo named Guardiola when he was asked who the best coach in football is and said Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is the player who irritates him the most.

His remarks about his fellow Portugal international are almost certainly playful in the context of the close relationship the pair have appeared to develop during their careers.

Barca president Joan Laporta suggested this week that he does not foresee any issues with signing Cancelo on a permanent basis.

The former Benfica, Valencia and Juventus player has been almost ever-present for the Uefa Champions League quarter-finalists.

Max Verstappen: ‘S*** happens’, says F1 world champion after Australian Grand Prix

Ben Miller
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Max Verstappen: ‘S*** happens’, says F1 world champion after Australian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen says his rear right brake catching fire left him with no choice but to retire from a Formula One race for the first time since 2022 as his F1 domination came to a halt at the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Verstappen was overtaken on the second lap in Melbourne by race winner Carlos Sainz, of Ferrari, before saying he had “lost the rear” of his car a lap later, describing it as “loose”.

The reigning champion pitted a lap later with his brakes on fire, setting Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc up with a chance they took to claim a Ferrari one-two.

Read our other sports news stories here:
England: Kane to miss Belgium friendly, Man City defender Walker to be assessed
England 0-1 Brazil: Endrick hits dream winner as Selecao triumph at Wembley
Lewis Hamilton ‘not great’ after taking 11th in Australian Grand Prix qualifying

“I started to feel some trouble on the rear, where I felt some really weird instabilities,” Verstappen told Red Bull.

“I saw that the right rear brake caught fire and that was race over. From the start, it kept increasing in temperature until it caught fire. It’s not ideal, when the brakes should be off, that the right rear brake is on.

“S*** happens, right? There’s not much I can do about it. It’s just important that we understand why it happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

F1 results 2024: Verstappen still leads

Verstappen’s last retirement also came in Australia. He is now four points ahead of Leclerc, having won the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is a point behind Leclerc after finishing fifth in Australia behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who took third, and Oscar Piastri.

The race ended under a virtual safety car after Mercedes’ George Russell suffered a crash on the final lap.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who Russell was chasing, was called to the stewards alongside Russell, receiving a 20-second penalty and three points on his licence.

Stewards deemed Alonso’s driving “at very least ‘potentially dangerous’, given the very high speed nature of that point of the track”.

Russell was unhurt, but his plight compounded a miserable weekend for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton retiring 16 laps in.

England: Kane to miss Belgium friendly, Man City defender Walker to be assessed

Harry Carr
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England: Kane to miss Belgium friendly, Man City defender Walker to be assessed

England captain Harry Kane will miss Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium due to an ankle issue, while Kyle Walker must be assessed after suffering an apparent hamstring injury in Saturday’s defeat to Brazil.

Kane sat out Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Brazil at Wembley Stadium after sustaining an ankle injury on his last club outing, colliding with the post during Bayern Munich’s 5-2 Bundesliga win over Darmstadt last week.

The striker still linked up with his international team-mates earlier this week, yet Gareth Southgate admitted he was “extremely” unlikely to face Belgium in England’s second game of this international break.

Read our other sports news stories here:
England 0-1 Brazil: Endrick hits dream winner as Selecao triumph at Wembley
Lewis Hamilton ‘not great’ after taking 11th in Australian Grand Prix qualifying
Aryna Sabalenka ‘a very strong woman’, says Badosa after Miami Open result

The Three Lions boss confirmed Kane will miss out in Saturday’s post-match press conference. Asked about Kane’s condition, Southgate said: “He’ll go back to Germany. He won’t be fit for Tuesday.”

Meanwhile, England suffered another injury scare on Saturday as Walker – who wore the captain’s armband in Kane’s absence – was substituted during the first half.

Walker was replaced by Ezri Konsa and appeared to be holding his left hamstring after racing back to clear Vinicius Junior’s shot off the line with just 12 minutes played.

Asked for an update on Walker’s condition during his post-match interview with Channel 4, Southgate said: “We don’t know yet. He’s feeling something.

“He’s not a player that has been injured very often so he’s not quite certain what it is. We just have to assess it over the next couple of days.”

England 0-1 Brazil: Endrick hits dream winner as Selecao triumph at Wembley

Harry Carr
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England 0-1 Brazil: Endrick hits dream winner as Selecao triumph at Wembley

Future Real Madrid forward Endrick scored his first senior international goal to fire Brazil to a 1-0 friendly win over a much-changed England team at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

With Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka among those to miss out through injury, Anthony Gordon, Ezri Konsa and Kobbie Mainoo made their senior England debuts, the latter duo doing so off the bench as Gareth Southgate took the opportunity to experiment ahead of Euro 2024.

Though the Three Lions had their opportunities, most notably through Gordon, Brazil looked the more threatening side throughout with Vinicius Junior missing a glorious chance and Lucas Paqueta hitting the post.

Read our other sports news stories here:
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Aryna Sabalenka ‘a very strong woman’, says Badosa after Miami Open result
Mason Greenwood: Juventus ‘evaluating move’ for Man Utd forward

Their winner came with 10 minutes left as Endrick made a dream impact off the bench, the 17-year-old tapping into an empty net after Jordon Pickford denied Vinicius.

The result ended England’s 20-match unbeaten run at Wembley, and Southgate now has just one further friendly to test his players before naming his Euros squad – against Belgium on Tuesday.

Brazil should have gone ahead after 12 minutes as Paqueta sent Vinicius through on goal, but he made poor contact with his finish and Kyle Walker prevented it from crossing the line, though the right-back was substituted after suffering an apparent hamstring injury in that incident.

England’s first clear-cut chance fell to stand-in striker Ollie Watkins, but the Aston Villa man couldn’t keep his shot down under fierce pressure from Fabricio Bruno.

Paqueta side-footed against the left-hand post with Pickford rooted to the spot shortly after the half-hour mark, then the West Ham midfielder was incredibly fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for tripping Jude Bellingham as half-time approached.

Gordon forced Bento into action twice either side of the interval, seeing a bending effort pushed away then volleying against the Brazil shot-stopper following Declan Rice’s deep free-kick.

Paqueta got away with yet another foul before curling a first-time effort just wide of the top-left corner as Brazil fired off another warning shot shortly after the hour mark.

England looked increasingly disjointed as Southgate made a string of second-half changes, and they were punished with 80 minutes gone.

Andreas Pereira’s throughball released Vinicius, and though Pickford smothered his attempt, Palmeiras star Endrick bundled the rebound home, becoming Brazil’s youngest goalscorer since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994 and sparking wild celebrations among the visiting fans.

The teenager could have added a second to cap a lightning break in stoppage time, only to be denied by Pickford, but it didn’t matter as Brazil kept England at arm’s length in the closing stages.

Mason Greenwood: Juventus ‘evaluating move’ for Man United forward after loan transfer to Getafe

Ben Miller
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Mason Greenwood: Juventus ‘evaluating move’ for Man United forward after loan transfer to Getafe

Juventus have reportedly been monitoring Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood during his loan spell at Getafe while evaluating a move for the forward, who is out of contract in 2025.

Former England international Greenwood has scored eight goals in 27 matches for the Spanish club since signing on deadline day in September, United having decided against keeping him following an internal investigation into his conduct which was triggered by the collapse of a legal case against him.

Italy forward Federico Chiesa is out of contract in 2025 with Juve, who are keen on Greenwood because of the dribbling, width, technique and creativity he can offer them, according to Gazzetta.

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and deputy Giovanni Manna are also said to see the 22-year-old’s youth and contractual situation, which would reduce any fee involved in a potential move, as enticing.

Read our other sports news stories here:
Australian Grand Prix qualifying results
Stones wants Southgate to stay with England
Southgate addresses Man United rumours

Greenwood is expected to return to United at the end of the Liga season but not stay at Old Trafford, although Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose Ineos group has taken over football operations at the club, has suggested the situation could be reviewed without giving a view on how it should progress.

Academy product Greenwood scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for United between his debut in 2019 and his last appearance for the club during the 2021/22 season.

Man United transfer news: Greenwood exit?

United will see a transfer this summer as “the last chance to gain something from the player’s departure”, the report speculated.

Only one team in the top seven of Italy’s Serie A has scored fewer goals than Juve, although their defensive record is only bettered by runaway leaders Inter.

The most successful team in the history of the Italian game are 17 points behind Inter but in a strong position to qualify for next season’s Uefa Champions League, standing five points above fourth-placed Bologna and three behind Milan.

Liga president Javier Tebas has praised Greenwood’s impact in Spain and said he wants him to stay in the division but midtable Getafe would be unlikely to present a more attractive proposition than Juventus.

Gazzetta added that Juve are interested in 30-year-old attacker Felipe Anderson, whose contract with Lazio is about to end.

Juventus and Lazio will meet in a two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final in April.

Man City transfer news: Haaland move played down by Barcelona but Cancelo could sign permanently

Ben Miller
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0
Man City transfer news: Haaland move played down by Barcelona but Cancelo could sign permanently

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has played down reports that the reigning Spanish champions want to sign Manchester City top scorer Erling Haaland but said he expects Joao Cancelo to make his loan move permanent from the Premier League club.

Reports in February claimed that Haaland’s representatives had met Barca officials in Spain to discuss a move for last season’s leading marksman in the English top flight.

“You are confusing the media player with the one who fits well into the team,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo.

“Prioritising the team, there will be one or two team additions. Players of the calibre of Lamine [Yamal], [Robert] Lewandowski, Joao Felix, Ferran [Torres] and Raphinha, who are very strong and always contribute to the team.

“I do not see it necessary to make an investment that could distort what we are building, which is a balanced team.”

Read our other sports news stories here:
Australian Grand Prix qualifying results
Hamilton ‘not great’ after finishing 11th
Stones wants Southgate to stay with England

Laporta voiced his belief in 19-year-old Brazil newcomer Vitor Roque supporting Lewandowski, saying the forward is “in a process of adaptation” but “has the gift of scoring”.

Numerous accounts have said Haaland has a release clause in his contract that will be activated this summer, with The Sun citing reports in Spain as naming a figure of £171.6 million.

The Norway talisman joined City for £51m in 2022 and swiftly established himself as the most prolific striker in Europe, scoring a remarkable 52 times in all competitions in 2022/23.

The 23-year-old is not on course to match that total this season but remains top of the Premier League scoring charts with 18 goals and is targeting successive league, FA Cup and Uefa Champions League triumphs.

Cancelo transfer: City ‘will not object’

Barcelona’s interest in Cancelo and fellow loanee Joao Felix appears far clearer, having borrowed the both until the end of 2023/24.

“I hope that Atletico Madrid don’t have any objection to Joao Felix continuing with us,” said Laporta, according to Football Espana.

“I don’t think [City] will either [over Cancelo]. [Agent] Jorge Mendes is working on the issue, and he knows our intention.”

Lewis Hamilton: Ex-F1 champion ‘not great’ after taking 11th in Australian Grand Prix qualifying

Ben Miller
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0
Lewis Hamilton: Ex-F1 champion ‘not great’ after taking 11th in Australian Grand Prix qualifying

Lewis Hamilton said he was feeling “flat” and “not great” after an 11th-placed finish in Australian Grand Prix qualifying which has ensured his lowest grid position of the 2024 Formula One season so far.

Seven-time champion Hamilton followed up being fourth-fastest in the final practice session by failing to make the top 10 for the first time in his campaign, later acknowledging that he has been “less consistent” than Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who will start from seventh.

“He is doing a better job with the car,” said Hamilton. “Three qualifyings in a row he has out-qualified me. He just seems to get on a lot better than I do. I’m just trying to keep my head above water and continue to realise it could be way worse.”

Read our other sports news stories here:
Australian Grand Prix qualifying results
Stones wants Southgate to stay with England
Southgate addresses Man United rumours

Mercedes had been targeting progress after two seasons of technical struggles but have experienced multiple problems including the downforce of the car and its capacity at high-speed corners.

“I don’t know if it’s the wind picking up – it picked up quite a bit, same as yesterday – and then the car is just so much more on a knife edge,” said Hamilton.

“It’s just a flat feeling. It’s not great. It’s been a similar feeling for three years in a row. Then there are these spikes of ‘it could be good’, like this morning. Then it disappears.

“If we can find a way of [keeping] that goodness in the car, making it more consistent and holding onto that, maybe we can be more competitive. There’s lots of work we need to do but everyone’s working as hard as they can.”

Mercedes F1 results: ‘Difficult car’

While Hamilton has previously qualified in ninth and eighth this season, Russell’s second successive seventh place came after he started third in Bahrain.

Hamilton finished ninth in Saudi Arabia and seventh in Bahrain, more than 50 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen in the first race of the season and more than 47 seconds short of the championship’s dominant driver in the second.

“We know where we need to improve the car and that is in the high-speed corners,” said Russell. “Unfortunately, there are a decent number of those here in Melbourne, so this circuit is definitely not playing to our strengths.

“I do think we’ll be in a better place tomorrow, though, when everyone has the fuel in their car.”

Team principal Toto Wolff did not swerve the issue. “We have a car that is difficult and small changes can cause it to be outside of the working window,” he said.

“There is no simple solution as it is about the complex interaction between all the constituent elements of the car. It is frustrating that we are still saying this but we will continue to keep working on it.”

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