French Open organisers have their "fingers crossed" that Rafael Nadal will be able to play this year's event, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said on Thursday. Nadal, the record 14-time Roland Garros champion, said on Wednesday he would only play the clay-court Grand Slam this year if he felt "capable enough to compete". The 37-year-old Spaniard did not play last year after the Australian Open due to a hip injury and has hinted strongly he will retire after this season. But Mauresmo is hopeful Nadal will be able to play the French Open, which starts on May 26. "We're keeping our fingers crossed for him, but also for us because we want to welcome him here to Roland Garros," Mauresmo told a press conference. "He is at home (here) and he knows it. Knowing whether there will be a tribute (to Nadal) or not, this year, next year, is very dependent on him and the decisions he takes. We're waiting to see and we will follow his wishes." Also Read: Nadal will only play French Open if he can 'compete well' This year, the French Open will have two covered courts for the first time, with Court Suzanne Lenglen to join Court Philippe Chatrier in having a retractable roof. "The roof will allow us in the event of bad weather to have a little more flexibility in our programming throughout the fortnight," said Mauresmo, who ruled out extra night session matches being played on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The scheduling of night sessions has often been criticised in the past for too often featuring men's matches instead of women's ties. "As we have done from the start, the match-up will decide, the match of the day," said Mauresmo. "If we have a great women's match, we will schedule it. If there are more (great) men's matches, there will be more men's matches. We don't have a quota to fill." (With AFP inputs)
25 April,2024 06:24 PM IST | Paris | mid-day online correspondentIndia squash star Saurav Ghosal, 37, who announced his retirement from the professional circuit on Monday, revealed his preferred career choice had he not been an athlete. Ghosal, who remains the only man from India to reach the World's Top 10, achieving the career-high ranking in April 2019, is a self-proclaimed foodie. When we asked him what he would have loved to be if not an athlete, he told www.mid-day.com: “I think if I didn’t play squash, I would have played some sport. But I would have absolutely loved to be a food critic because I am a foodie. I like to go to restaurants. That’s [food, restaurants] the first thing I look up to when I go play a tournament in any city across the globe.” Any favourites in Mumbai? “I was in Mumbai recently and went to Bombay Canteen, Bastian and Americano and all three were brilliant. Bombay has some top, top restaurants.” Meanwhile, with the workload of playing the pro circuit off his shoulders, Kolkata-based Ghosal wants to spend more time with his family. “I would get to stay in India for two-three months cumulatively. I think being here and spending time with my family is what I missed out on. That’s the priority now. From the past seven-eight years, I made sure we go on a holiday at least once a year, especially during the summers. But this year, we got to do a bit more than one [trip]. Diya [wife] and I pick a new destination each year, but the one constant which we both can travel to anytime has to be London. It has a good vibe, amazing food, some nice bakeries [which I love], art, museums and the West End [in terms of plays],” said Ghosal, who loves everything at home to be neat and clean. Ghosal teamed up with Dipika Pallikal Karthik to win gold for India in the mixed event at the 2022 WSF World Doubles Squash Championships. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Dipika and Ghosal won silver in the mixed doubles in Gold Coast, Australia and four years later, a bronze in Birmingham. When asked about a quality he admires of his mixed doubles partner Dipika and her sister Diya, who happens to be his wife, Ghosal remarked: “I think they are both very different to begin with. But Dipika is the one who is very, very good at going after what she wants. She is mentally very strong in doing that. That shows on-court as well. Playing with her is an absolute pleasure and my wife, on the other hand, is someone who is unbelievable in taking care of people and is a giver. She is magnanimous and is ready to sacrifice things for people. I would be happy to have a little bit of that myself and do that the best I can for others.”
25 April,2024 11:43 AM IST | Mumbai | SUNDARII IYERIndia cueist Sourav Kothari believes his silver medal-winning feat at the World Matchplay Billiards championship held at Carlow, Ireland, is “unbelievable” considering he landed in the country without his luggage and cue stick. “When I landed in Ireland on April 14, I was shocked to learn that my luggage and cue were not loaded onto the flight. It was a stressful situation and worse still, it was a Sunday, so I was unable to buy anything as most shops were shut. The temperature there was a chilly two degrees and I had a difficult night with my match scheduled the next morning. That night was tough. Thankfully, the organisers rescheduled my 10am match to the next evening and the airline fortunately managed to get my stuff to me by the next morning,” Kolkata-based Kothari, 39, told mid-day on Wednesday. Also Read: CCI Billiards Classic: 305 break for Advani India No. 2 Kothari eventually went down 2-8 to Englishman David Causier 2-8 in the best-of-15-frame summit clash. He had a dream run before that though. In the semi-final, he beat India No. 1 Dhruv Sitwala 7-3 and in the quarter-final, he shocked World No. 1 and reigning world champion Peter Gilchrist 6-4. “Winning gold would have been the ultimate prize, but this silver, in the given circumstances leading up to my first match, is unbelievable. Defeating stalwarts, especially Gilchrist, en route the final was an enriching experience. Throughout the tournament I managed to keep my emotions in check, but in the final, I was a bit patchy against Causier,” Kothari signed off.
25 April,2024 07:01 AM IST | Mumbai | SUNDARII IYERIndian golfers Aditi Ashok (46) and Diksha Dagar (138) are set to participate in the Paris Olympics, whereas Shubhankar Sharma (197) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (232) also have a strong chance of making it to the Games. While it will be a third appearance for Aditi, which is also the most for an Indian, Diksha will be competing for the second time. For Sharma and Bhullar, it would be their maiden appearance. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:11 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIFormer Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Narsingh Pancham Yadav was elected chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India’s Athletes’ Commission here on Wednesday, completing a process that was mandated by the sport’s world governing body. A total of eight candidates were in fray for the seven positions and after polling, conducted on ballot paper, seven members got elected. They then chose Narsingh as chairman of the commission. Ahead of the 2016 Olympics, the Games-bound Narsingh had grabbed headlines when two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who missed the qualification event due to an injury, requested for a trial bout against him. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 April,2024 06:07 AM IST | Varanasi | PTIThe United Pickleball Association and Global Sports have inked a deal to bring the (Professional Pickleball Association) PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball to India. The organisations will launch key initiatives to promote the rapidly-growing sport to a young market. Top PPA Tour players will hold a marquee exhibition at the PPA Tour India Monsoon Pickleball Championships in Mumbai in August. In addition, 20 PPA Tour players will compete in the pro division of the event itself. February 2025 will see an official PPA Tour stop in India—the Indian Open 2025—worth 1,500 PPA ranking points. Pro players from all over the world will participate at this debut PPA Tour event in Asia. PPA Tour India will officially launch, offering PPA Tour ranking points to players at events around the country to expand the global reach of professional pickleball and provide an opportunity for players to rise in the rankings.
25 April,2024 06:05 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentRafael Nadal said on Wednesday he will only play at the upcoming French Open if he feels "capable enough to compete well". The 14-time Roland Garros champion conceded that if the action in Paris were to kick off today, he would not be able to participate but vowed to keep fighting for the chance to play at his most successful tournament one last time. "I don't know what's going to happen in the next three weeks. I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris, and if I can play, I play, if I can't, I can't," the former world number one told reporters at the Madrid Open on Wednesday. "I will not play in Paris if I am the way I am now. If Paris were today, I wouldn't take to the court. That's the reality. I will only play in Paris if I feel capable enough to compete well." Nadal returned to tennis in Brisbane in January after spending almost an entire year on the sidelines nursing a psoas injury. But his comeback was short-lived as he sustained a muscle problem in Australia and has competed in just five matches so far this season. Also Read: Nadal’s comeback ends in second round defeat The Spaniard kicked off his clay campaign in Barcelona last week, where he lost in the second round and is set to face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in his Madrid opener on Thursday. "I don't think I'm ready to play at my 100 percent but I'm prepared to go out and play tomorrow. It's important for me to play one last time here in Madrid, for me it means a lot," said the 37-year-old Nadal. As he attempts to resume his 'Last Dance' in Madrid and say goodbye to one of his favourite tournaments on court, rather than on the sidelines, the 22-time major champion admits his farewell tour hasn't been as enjoyable as he would have hoped. "A few weeks ago, I didn't know if I will be able to play again on the professional tour, so today I am playing," he added. "It's not perfect, of course not perfect, but at least I am playing and I can enjoy again, especially in the few tournaments that are so emotional for me. I'm able to enjoy the fact that I can say probably good-bye on court." Nadal says he's hitting the ball well when he is able to be on court but "it's about more body limitations. I went through a lot of things last year and a half, two years". "So body feelings are not enough good to feel myself playing with freedom enough in terms of body issues. That's not allowing me to compete the way that I would like to compete." (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 07:25 PM IST | Madrid | mid-day online correspondentThe 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is eyeing a significant achievement, the last big career milestone he has yet to achieve in his already legendary tennis career, an Olympic gold medal. Djokovic was named the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for his outstanding exploits last year, which included titles at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. He also won the Western & Southern Open, the Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals, and finished 2023 as the World No. 1. The Serbian will head into the upcoming Paris 2024 with an aim of adding the gold medal to his illustrious trophy cabinet. "I hope I can play my best tennis at the Olympics," Djokovic told reporters after being awarded the Sportsman of the Year honour for the fifth time at the Laureus Awards as quoted by Olympics.com. World No. 1 stated that he sees the French Open, Wimbledon, the Paris 2024 Olympic and the US Open as "the most important block of tournaments" in 2024, with a special emphasis on his fifth Olympics appearance. "At the end of the day, who knows if I will get another chance to play at the Olympic Games, they only come every four years. I said recently that I really wanted to play at least until the L.A. Olympic Games [in 2028], but you never know, at this stage. What can happen or how far I can go," he added. Also Read: Novak Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open The 36-year-old won a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008, however, the Serbian was not successful in finishing on the podium in three more Olympic appearances. "I will try to use this chance as best as possible," Djokovic added. He plans to play the Rome Masters before Roland-Garros, which begins on May 25. "If I didn't think [a gold medal] was possible, I probably wouldn't be playing the Olympic Games. You have to believe that everything is possible in life," Djokovic added about his pending fifth Olympic appearance. "The Olympics Games are the oldest and most prestigious sporting event in the history of sport. It's a huge honour to represent Serbia at the Olympic Games. I hope I can be healthy and fit," the World No.1 said. (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 05:12 PM IST | Madrid | mid-day online correspondentThe Indian men's and women's compound archery teams assured the country of a podium finish by nailing down final berths in the season-opening Hyundai Archery World Cup on Wednesday. The fourth-seeded men's team comprising the experienced Abhishek Verma, newcomer Prathamesh Bhalchandra Fuge and reigning U-21 world champion Priyansh defeated the Philippines and Denmark before displaying ominous form to upset top qualifiers South Korea to book a title showdown against the Netherlands on Saturday. The Indian women, who are the reigning world champions and seeded No.1 here, set up a title clash with Italy, defeating Turkey and Estonia to confirm their status as the leading side in the category. The trio of reigning U-18 and senior champion Aditi Swami, Asian Games gold-medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Parneet Kaur dropped just 10 points through the two matches to confirm their superiority. Also Read: From birth to rebirth, how World No. 2 Deepika is mastering the juggling act of motherhood The Indian men's team created a major upset defeating Korea by just two points at 235-233. Tied at even after two ends, the Indians grabbed a point after the third and finished with a 59 to secure the final spot. "Our coordination was good today and we read the wind well," said Abhishek after the nerve-wracking semifinal contest against the Koreans. The semifinals are always tight matches. We were prepared to shoot well and happy to make it to gold," he added. An elated Priyansh said after the match against Korea that he was thrilled to be competing against the strong opponents, who he had so far seen only on social media. "We played alongside players that we used to watch on YouTube," said Priyansh, who trains with Abhishek in Delhi. "We could have shot even better," he added. The Indian women's team defeated Estonia 235-230 and Aditi attributed the performance to the process the side has been following for long. "We maintained our shooting process and it worked well," said Aditi. "I hope we can repeat the success of the Archery World Cup in Paris last year where both the Indian men and women won the team gold medals." The squad here is without their charismatic Italian coach Sergio Pagni, who is currently in the national camp back home. India's opponents in the final, Italy, overcame Kazakhstan in a semifinal shoot-off after the scores were tied at 227 points. The 10th seeded Dutch men also won a tie-break -- against France -- to book their ticket to the final. Mike Schloesser, Sil Pater and Stef Willems shot three perfect X-ring 10s, compared to their opponents' standard 10s, to survive the match. Kazakhstan's women and the Korean men's team secured bronze medals at the end of the session. (With agency inputs)
24 April,2024 04:38 PM IST | Shanghai | mid-day online correspondentFormula One fans could be treated to the sight of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton roaring around the steamy streets of Bangkok, with Thailand keen to host a race. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin hosted F1 boss Stefano Domenicali on Monday to pitch the government’s vision of bringing a Grand Prix to the sprawling, traffic-clogged Thai capital. No timeframe or detailed plans have been announced, but Thai officials told local media they envisage the race being run on a street circuit, possibly around the city’s historic centre. “Thailand has the capacity to host Formula One in Bangkok,” Srettha posted on X, after meeting Domenicali. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 06:40 AM IST | Bangkok | AFPCWG mixed doubles champion Sreeja Akula on Tuesday became the top-ranked Indian woman table tennis player after rising to career-high rank of 38 in latest ITTF Chart, replacing Manika Batra. Sreeja climbed a spot while Manika, who had been India’s No. 1 TT player for a while now, slipped two places to 39 in the latest update. Yashaswini Ghorpade and Archana Kamath held on to their 99th and 100th spot in the rankings. Sharath continues to be the top-ranked male player, occupying the 37 spot in the rankings, while G Sathiyan and Manav Thakar have interchanged places to be 60th and 61st respectively. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 April,2024 06:38 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
