Sports
Ian Evatt: Bolton Wanderers sack manager after poor run of results
Having challenged for automatic promotion from the third tier last term, Bolton were beaten to the final spot by Derby County on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
They eventually beat Barnsley across two legs in the play-off semi-final to reach the final at Wembley, but they were uncharacteristically off the pace as Oxford dominated them over 90 minutes and won 2-0.
Evatt blamed fear on their defeat, which prevented them from returning to the Championship for the first time since 2019.
Bolton carried on that form into this season, with Tuesday’s defeat at the hands of Charlton their 10th in the league in 2024-25, a result which left them ninth and three points off the play-off places after 24 games.
It has been a tough campaign for Evatt, who claimed in September he had the backing of the club’s board after a wayward start to the campaign, while his son also experienced abuse from fans.
Having blamed his side’s inconsistent form on psychology, his side then registered 10 victories from 17 games in all competitions to claw their way into the play-off places, but Evatt was critical of fan judgement on his side’s performances.
That criticism came after Brittan pledged her support despite the fact they were well off the pace of League One’s automatic promotion chasers following a dispiriting defeat by near neighbours Wigan Athletic, who themselves had been struggling.
Sports
Jannik Sinner provides health update after Alex De Minaur victory amid concerns over wellbeing
World number one Jannik Sinner brushed aside concerns about his health with a commanding straight-sets victory over home favourite Alex De Minaur in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The defending champion showed no lingering effects from his previous round’s medical issues, dispatching the Australian 6-3 6-2 6-1 in just one hour and 48 minutes.
The 23-year-old Italian’s performance marked a remarkable turnaround from his troubled match against Holger Rune two days earlier.
In his previous match, Sinner had required a lengthy medical timeout against Rune, appearing visibly shaken and admitting to feeling unwell.
Jannik Sinner suffered a health scare in his last match against Holger Rune
Reuters
The Italian explained his quick recovery: “(Tuesday) was a very easy day, I played just half an hour, 40 minutes.
“I feel like the illness has gone away now. I was feeling much, much better this morning,
“I feel like, especially when you’re young, you recover very fast.”
“I have a very experienced team with me, which I’m very grateful and happy (for),” he added, noting he knew immediately he was ready for the quarter-final.
For De Minaur, it was a familiar outcome against his Italian rival, having lost all nine previous encounters and winning just one set in their head-to-head meetings.
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Jannik Sinner was in flying form against Alex De Minaur
Reuters
Sinner’s dominance was evident across all aspects of the match, with his weight of shot proving too much for De Minaur to handle.
“I feel like today I was feeling everything,” Sinner said after the match. “When you have days like this and you break early in each set, it makes it a bit easier.”
The Italian remained focused throughout, acknowledging that such matches “can change very fast if I go down with the level a little bit.”
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Jannik Sinner is the favourite to win the Australian Open
Reuters
Sinner will now face American Ben Shelton in Friday’s semi-final showdown.
Shelton, 22, secured his spot in the last four with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 4-6 7-6 (4) victory over unseeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego in just under four hours.
The 21st-seeded American, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2023, benefited from a quarter of the draw that opened up following early exits of several top-10 seeds.
“I feel relieved right now,” Shelton said after his win. “Shout out to Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis.”
Earlier this week, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic refused to do his usual on-court interview after his fourth-round win against Jiri Lehecka following what he described as “insulting and offensive” comments by Channel Nine’s Tony Jones.
Jones shouted “Novak, he’s over-rated, Novak’s a has-been, Novak kick him out” towards Djokovic fans while live on air at the Australian Open on Friday.
The Australian broadcaster has since apologised for his remarks but Shelton says that incident was not a one-off.
“I’ve been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” he said.
“I don’t think that [Djokovic being mocked] was just a single event. I’ve noticed it with different people, not just myself.”
Shelton also referred to an “embarrassing and disrespectful” on-court interview with 19-year-old American Learner Tien after his shock second-round victory against fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
The on-court interviewer told Tien “19-year-olds aren’t meant to be that good” before asking him if he had heard of his third-round opponent Corentin Moutet.
“I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments,” added Shelton.
“I feel like there’s just been a lot of negativity. I think that’s something that needs to change.”
BBC Sport has contacted Tennis Australia, which organises the Australian Open, for comment.
Sami Khedira makes his selection of the best five midfielders ever to play the game.
Former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has completed a loan move to Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC from Galatasaray until January 2026, with an option to extend until June 2026.
The 32-year-old winger will occupy a Designated Player spot at the North Carolina-based franchise, allowing him to be signed outside the club’s salary cap.
Zaha has already trained with his new teammates as he prepares for his first stint in American football.
The Ivory Coast international joins Charlotte after a disappointing spell at Lyon, where he made just six appearances this season.
Wilfried Zaha has left Galatasaray on loan to join Charlotte FC in the MLS
Only one of those matches was as a starter, with Zaha limited to 112 minutes of action during his brief time in Ligue 1.
His sole contribution came in the form of an assist during a Europa League victory over Olympiacos.
Charlotte FC’s General Manager Zoran Krneta expressed his delight at securing the former Premier League star’s signature.
“Wilfried is a world class talent who has proven himself at the highest level of the sport as an elite goal scorer and chance creator,” said Krneta.
“His performances in the Premier League and on the international level speak for themselves and we are confident that Wilfried can make an immediate impact in Major League Soccer.”
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Prior to his Charlotte move, Zaha had joined Galatasaray on a three-year deal in the summer of 2023 after his Crystal Palace contract expired.
His time in Turkey proved successful, with 10 goals and five assists in 42 appearances as Galatasaray clinched the Super Lig title.
The move to Turkey came after Palace had offered him a new four-year contract worth £200,000 per week, but the forward opted for a fresh challenge abroad.
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WIlfried Zaha will link up with former Aston Villa and Leicester boss Dean Smith
At Charlotte, Zaha will work under former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, joining a squad that includes ex-Premier League players Ashley Westwood and Tim Ream.
The MLS side finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last season in what proved to be a promising campaign.
Their playoff journey came to an end in November, suffering elimination on penalties to Orlando City.
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Sports
Australian Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa to put friendship aside in semi-final showdown
Seeing a friendly face is supposed to be a good thing.
Yet when Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa take to the court for their Australian Open semi-final on Thursday, it may only add to the pressure.
The pair are close friends with Sabalenka going so far as to call Badosa her “soulmate” in Stuttgart last year.
“I love Paula very much,” the 26-year-old Belarusian said.
“She is an incredible person. It is very important to have friends on the circuit, so when you find someone who you feel is your soulmate, it is the best thing that can happen to you.”
Their friendship has grown over the past few years with the pair practising together and wearing matching outfits during the 2024 US Open, as well as posting about each other on social media.
“We realised that we had very similar personalities and we get along very well, and that we’re both very, very competitive,” Badosa told the Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast, external in March.
“It’s very nice for me having a friend on tour because it’s very tough to find.”
But with a place in the final at stake, that friendship will have to be put on hold in Melbourne.
This is not the first meeting between the two – they have played eight times before, with Sabalenka winning the past six – but it is comfortably the most high-profile.
World number one Sabalenka is bidding to win a third straight Australian Open title, while it is 27-year-old Badosa’s first time in the last four of a Grand Slam.
The Spaniard shocked sixth seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals as her remarkable recovery from a back injury, that she feared would force her to retire only a year ago, continues.
“It’s tough to play your best friend,” Sabalenka said after beating Badosa in Stuttgart.
However, difficult as it may be, once they walk out on Rod Laver Arena, all sentiment will be put to one side.
“We know how to separate things,” Badosa added.
“We decided a long time ago that off the court we are friends, while on the court she really wants to win, I really want to win,” said Sabalenka, who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals.
“So on the court we are competitors and there is no place for friendship.”
Manchester City have signed Brazil forward Kerolin from North Carolina Courage for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old, who has 45 caps, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract.
She is City’s third signing of the January transfer window after Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama.
The National Women’s Soccer League Most Valuable Player in 2023, Kerolin won a silver medal with Brazil at last year’s Olympics in Paris.
“I’m so excited to be here,” she said. “There were a lot of reasons why I chose City and one of those was to play in the Champions League.
“I think the players [in the Women’s Super League] are really technical and the team is compact. I want to be better, to learn different things and to come here to be challenged.”
City women’s director of football Therese Sjogran said: “Kerolin comes to Manchester City with a wealth of experience under her belt at just 25 [and] with a real desire and hunger to take her game to the next level.
“Kerolin is creative, quick and will add even more firepower to our forward line. We have a shared ambition to be the best not only in England but also in Europe.”
City are fourth in the table, nine points behind leaders Chelsea.
They face Manchester United for the second time in four days in Wednesday’s WSL Cup quarter-final.
American tennis star Ben Shelton has launched a scathing criticism of Australian Open broadcasters following his quarter-final victory at Melbourne Park.
Shelton, who defeated Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) at Rod Laver Arena, used his post-match press conference to address what he described as ‘shocking’ treatment of players.
“I’ve been a little bit shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” Shelton said in an unprompted statement.
The American highlighted specific instances of disrespectful commentary, including remarks about Gaël Monfils potentially being his father and questions about crowd support.
American tennis star Ben Shelton has launched a scathing criticism of Australian Open broadcasters following his quarter-final victory at Melbourne Park
REUTERS
He particularly criticised the treatment of fellow American Learner Tien during a post-match interview with John Fitzgerald.
The incident occurred after Tien’s upset victory over Daniil Medvedev, where Fitzgerald told the 19-year-old that players his age “are not meant to be that good.”
Fitzgerald also made an uncomfortable comment about knowing where Tien lived in Newport Beach.
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Interesting end to Ben Shelton’s press conference.
Unprompted, he took a moment to tear into the quality of local broadcasting and specifically on-court interviewing at #AusOpen. pic.twitter.com/ig76VrKq2C
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 22, 2025
Shelton’s criticism follows a recent controversy involving Novak Djokovic, who refused to participate in an on-court interview after his fourth-round victory over Jiří Lehečka.
Djokovic’s boycott was directed at Nine presenter Tony Jones, who had mocked Serbian fans, and the former world No 1 himself, during a live broadcast.
Jones has since apologised for the incident, and Djokovic resumed on-court interviews with Jim Courier following his quarter-final win against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday.
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The controversy adds to a history of awkward interviews at the Australian Open, including a notable incident in 2015 when reporter Ian Cohen asked Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard to twirl to show off her outfit.
More recently, defending champion Jannik Sinner faced an uncomfortable exchange with John McEnroe, who questioned him about junior matches despite Sinner being known for not participating in junior tournaments.
Shelton will have his next opportunity to face the media when he meets Sinner in Friday’s semi-final.
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He emphasised that broadcasters should play a more constructive role in tennis coverage.
“I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments,” he said.
Ben Shelton will face Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Friday
REUTERS
The American star expressed concern about the overall tone of media interactions.
“I feel like there’s just been a lot of negativity. I think that’s something that needs to change,” Shelton concluded.
Wilfried Zaha has joined Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC on loan until January 2026, with an option to extend until June 2026.
The former Crystal Palace forward is currently on loan with Lyon having joined from Galatasaray last summer.
He has made just six appearances for the French side this season, five of them as a substitute.
Zaha, 32, will fill a Designated Player spot at Charlotte – a rule which allows an MLS franchise to sign up to three players that would be considered outside a club’s salary cap.
Zoran Krneta, general manager of the North Carolina-based franchise, described Zaha as a “world class talent” and an “elite goalscorer”.
He added: “Wilfried’s performances in the Premier League and on the international level speak for themselves and we are confident he can make an immediate impact in Major League Soccer.”
Zaha made 458 appearances for Palace, the third-most in the club’s history, and scored 90 goals.
He joined Manchester United in 2013 but returned to Selhurst Park a year later, initially on loan.
The Ivory Coast international moved to Galatasaray on a three-year deal after his contract with the Eagles expired in the summer of 2023.
In his one season with the Turkish side, Zaha scored 10 goals and claimed five assists in 42 games as Galatasaray were crowned Super Lig champions.
Sports
Ruben Amorim explains controversial ‘worst in history’ comments ahead of Man Utd and Rangers clash
Ruben Amorim has insisted he was referring more to himself than his Manchester United players when he said his side were ‘arguably the worst’ Red Devils team in history following their 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
The fallen giants were shambolic as the visitors claimed all three points courtesy of goals from Yankuba Minteh, Kaoura Mitoma and Georginio Rutter.
After the game, Amorim raised eyebrows with a brutal admission.
He said: “We are being the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.
Ruben Amorim has insisted he was referring more to himself than his Manchester United players when he said his side were ‘arguably the worst’ Red Devils team in history following their 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday
PA
“I know that you want headlines, but I’m saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go, your headlines.”
United are next in action against Rangers on Thursday.
And Amorim, speaking at his pre-match press conference, has now provided an explanation for his comments by insisting he was referring to himself, rather than his players.
“First of all, I want to talk about that. I was talking more about myself than for my players. It’s more for me, talking more about me than the players,” he said.
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“You have to look at a coach that loses eight games in the first twelve.”
“If you look around when I speak, every time you push about the players not being good enough, I take the spotlight away from my players. I understand I gave you that headline but I get frustrated sometimes.
“Sometimes it’s really hard to hide the frustration in some moments.
“They’ve trained well and they’re ready for the next game.”
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Amorim was then asked if why he was taking responsiblity, rather than the players.
He responded by saying: “I’m not taking responsibility away from the players, what I’m saying is the message you guys show was that I’m putting on the players.
“In this moment, we are performing really bad and our results are really bad in the moment.
“It’s everything together, the players, the staff, and I’m the biggest responsible for the results.
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Ruben Amorim ripped into his Man Utd players after their 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday
PA
“What I’m saying is that we have to improve in the details. We are too anxious, too anxious with the ball, too nervous.
“And then if you have a little inexperience in this game, when you fall in this context, it’s really hard to come up, especially if you’re a massive club.
“It is what it is. Was it the right time to say it? Probably not.
“I’m saying I’m really direct. At the moment we are playing really bad and the results are really bad in the moment.
Ruben Amorim will be hoping to guide Man Utd to victory over Rangers on Thursday night
PA
“Everything is bad, the players, the staff. I’m just saying I’m the most responsible, because I’m the coach and I have that responsibility.”
United last faced off against Rangers back in 2010.
Their first Champions League match that year ended goalless at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils then winning 1-0 at Ibrox courtesy of a late penalty from Wayne Rooney.
They also pointed to changes to scheduling caused by coronavirus as well as exceptionally wet weather as factors which contributed to their pitch problems.
Williams believes the current issues may be partly down to the fact that the surface is simply “getting older”.
“The artificial stuff that is woven into the pitch has a lifespan,” he said.
“Once you kick that stuff out, no matter how much sunshine or ultraviolet light or watering you give it, artificial grass doesn’t grow back.”
Williams says the problems do not help a Swansea side who are renowned for playing a possession game, which requires a quality surface.
“It makes it tougher, the way we want to play, in particular,” he added.
Ospreys are to end their stay at the Swansea.com Stadium, which is owned by the Swans, before the 2025-26 season, with the region in the process of making St Helen’s their new home.
There is a particularly busy week on the horizon for the stadium in the spring, with Swansea playing home games against Derby County on Saturday, 5 April and Plymouth Argyle four days later, while Ospreys host Scarlets in the European Challenge Cup on Sunday, 6 April (17:30 GMT).
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