Sports
UEFA Champions League draw: Real Madrid face Chelsea in quarter-finals
By Sudesh Baniya
Real Madrid will play Chelsea in the quarter finals of this season’s Champions League, with the Spaniards looking for their 15th title.
The draw took place Friday at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyom, Switzerland.
In the other quarter finals, Manchester City will face Bayern Munich; Inter Milan will face Portugal’s Benfica; and Napoli will play AC Milan in an all-Italy derby.
Real Madrid will have to overcome 2020 champions Chelsea in order to progress further in their title defence. The tie is a repeat of last year’s quarter finals — where Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 5-4 on aggregate to progress in the last four.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland-inspired Manchester City will be facing the challenges of Bayern Munich for the first time in European knockout stages, while the sides have previously met in only the group stages.
At least one Italian club will be in the last four, as the draw has pitted Napoli and AC Milan. Three Italian sides qualified for the last eight in this edition, a big difference to the last tournament where no Italian clubs progressed to the quarter finals.
On the road to Istanbul, Inter Milan, the third Italian side on the mix, will face Benfica after the Lison-based side secured a convicing wins the the last 16 round of matches against Club Brugge.
The first leg of fixtures will be played in 12 and 13 April, with the return leg scheduled for the 18 and 19 of the same month.
Manchester United to face Sevilla in the Europa League
Manchester United will face six-time champions Sevilla in the quarter-final of the Europa League.
The draw puts Juventus against Sporting Club as another Italian side, AS Roma, will face Feyenoord in a repeat fixture of last year’s UEFA Conference League finals.
Debutants Union Saint-Giulliese will face Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, who will look to secure a place in the last four in the Euroopa League for the first time ever.
Sports
US Open, Novak Djokovic suffers but advances: ‘I will find my way’
In the third round, the Serb will face Popyrin
Djokovic è in the third round of the US Open. Everything is as expected, although the Serbian’s physical condition worries. The world number 2 è won, in the second round of the US Open, over compatriot Dere. After winning, with difficulty, the first two sets (6-4, 6-4 the partials), Djokovic took the victory at 2-0 in his favor in the third set, thanks to the withdrawal of Dere due to hip problems.
Despite the satisfaction of victory, Djokovic has much to reflect on. The physical condition does not seem to be at the top. During the match, he even had to seek the medical staff’s intervention. His knee continues to give him some problems.
However, Djokovic looks ahead with enormous confidence in his own means: “I did not serve well in the first two matches, I am still trying to find my rhythm on serve. Overall, I have to feel satisfied with the victory and happy that I was able, in the crucial moments, to play better than him. The matches will get tougher and tougher from here on. I know, but I am fine. I will find my way, as I have done so many times in my career”, his words at the end of the match.
In the next round, Djokovic will face Popyrin, winner of the Montreal Masters 1000: “È improved a lot. He won his first Masters in Canada. We always knew he has a great serve and a great forehand, but I think his backhand and his movements have improved a lot, he defends better and he doesn’t make the mistakes he used to make and he wants to win. I know what lies ahead, but I will study itò to the best of my ability”, the Serbian’s closing remark.
Sports
Anna Kalinskaya also smiles as a couple
Anna Kalinskaya also smiles as a couple
Good start for Anna Kalinskaya also in the women’s doubles tournament at the US Open 2024. The Russian tennis player, paired with Britain’s Katie Boulter, bent the Chinese duo of Xinyu Wang and Saisai Zheng. The girlfriend of Jannik Sinner, who appeared relaxed and laid back, along with the Briton è managed to come back winning the challenge in three sets (2-6, 7-5, 6-2).
In the second round Boulter and Kalinskaya will face the pair consisting of Dutch Schuurs and Brazilian Stefani. Meanwhile, the Russian will take the court again on Thursday in the singles match against Anna Bondar of Hungary: the goal is to overcome the second-round singles tab at the US Open.
In total, Anna Kalinskaya has earned $3.8 million in her career, the result of 291 singles wins and more than 130 in doubles. Currently coached by Patricia Tarabini, the Russian achieved her best result in a Slam in this year’s Australian Open, when she reached the quarterfinals.
Anna Kalinskaya debuted on the circuit in 2015: she has not yet won singles titles on the WTA circuit but has reached 3 finals, two in 2024 (Berlin and Dubai) and one in 2023 (Tampico).
Sports
US Open, Matteo Berrettini’s adventure is already over
The Blue struggles only in the second set
Berrettini’s adventure at the US Open è already ended. Fatal for the blue the match with Fritz, the number 12 seed in the men's draw. The American played a near-perfect match, taking home the victory in three sets: 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 the match’s partials.
Fritz dominated the match, especially with his serve, which è proved decisive on more than one occasion. After a struggling first set, Berrettini approached the second partial well, reaching the tie-break where Fritz did nothing wrong: 7-1 and 2-0 in the set count. At that point, Berrettini è collapsed, winning only one game in the third and final set.
A defeat that hurt, especially because Berrettini, in the last period, had shown to be in good physical condition. Against Taylor, in fact, è remained in the match for only one set. Too little for someone like Berrettini. To be fair, Fritz played at a very high level, never giving the Italian a chance to come back.
In 2023, Berrettini left New York after a bad ankle injury suffered in his match with Rinderkneck. This year, at least he was able to fight on the court. The hope è that this defeat will be useful to continue to grow and soon regain the best possible condition to aim for big goals as in the past.
-
Sports6 days ago
Bari still knocked out and last, Modena gets unblocked
-
Sports7 days ago
Fiorentina bungles: 3-3 mockery and qualification in the balance
-
Sports6 days ago
Max Verstappen worried, Lewis Hamilton laughs it off
-
Health & Society6 days ago
Religious fundamentalism as psychosis
-
Health & Society4 days ago
The intoxicated society
-
Sports7 days ago
Fiorentina, Palladino: “Inexplicable departure.”
-
Politics5 days ago
Elias Castillo: A Stalwart of Latin American Legislative Leadership
-
Sports5 days ago
Inter on autopilot, everything easy with Lecce