Sports
What’s going on with tennis icon at Australian Open? Mystery grows ahead of Zverev clash
For the second time in as many days, Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from practice at the Australian Open. Having needed painkillers to get past Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday, injury fears are rising.
Some, however, aren’t convinced. They believe this is merely a tactic, a ruse, a way for the 37-year-old to up the stakes as he prepares for his semi-final showdown with Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Djokovic was written off by many at the start of the tournament. Having failed to win a single Grand Slam in 2024, his doubters have started to label him a faded force.
When he lost the first set against Alcaraz, who pummelled him at Wimbledon last year, Djokovic was widely expected to crumble. Here he was, going up against a man 16 years his junior, who also happens to the poster boy the next generation.
Novak Djokovic: Australian Open fans are waiting to see if the tennis star is able to face Alexander Zverev
REUTERS
What happened next, however, was nothing short of extraordinary.
Djokovic, fuelled by anger following his row with an Australian broadcaster, summoned the magic of old to power his way to victory.
It was quite something, seeing the veteran produce a masterclass at the age of 37. Those who have been quick to dismiss his prospects of Grand Slam glory this winter are now, surely, eating their words.
The victory took a toll on Djokovic, however. He was forced to use painkillers to get by and retiring crossed his mind, something he later admitted.
He said after the win: “Well since I’m still in the tournament, I don’t want to reveal too much obviously.
“But yeah, the medication started to kick in and that helped, no doubt. I had to take another dose. This sounds awful! Me taking another dose. But I had to.
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“I didn’t know, to be honest, if I lost the second set I didn’t know if I would continue playing.”
Djokovic is a force to be reckoned with, a figure that has scaled heights far higher than any other tennis player (yes, that involves Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal) over the past 15 years or so.
The prospect of him pulling out of his clash with Zverev seems unfeasible. And yet, mystery is mounting out in Australia and there are now legitimate concerns that his tournament might be done.
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Novak Djokovic needed painkillers to get past Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open
REUTERS
The former world No 1 is 37. He is not a youngster, somebody who can afford to sacrifice the short-term for the long term. For Djokovic, it is all about the now.
If injured, and if he chooses to play on, then it would risk making things worse. That’s something, due to his age, that he simply can’t afford.
Djokovic skipped practice on Wednesday and didn’t take to the courts in Melbourne today, either. As a result, it legitimately looks like he may not be able to face Zverev in what would be one of the most-exciting matches of the entire competition.
Novak Djokovic is due to face Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open on Friday
REUTERS
Or it’s all just a game. Djokovic is a smart man and leaving Zverev waiting until the last minute could given him an advantage over the German. What, after all, must he be thinking?
It’s hard to tell what the truth is at the current moment in time.
What ultimately happens, and whether he plays or not, remains to be seen.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) says its deputy leader Veron Mosengo-Omba will not face legal action after an investigation by the Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office into payments made to bank accounts in the country.
Mosengo-Omba, who hails from DR Congo but also holds Swiss nationality, had denied any wrongdoing and met with the prosecutor’s office in the canton of Fribourg in November to answer questions.
When the preliminary investigation was announced in October, he said on social media, external that the payments related to “remuneration and bonus” he had received from Caf since becoming general secretary and that they were made in “full transparency” and “full compliance with Caf statutes”.
Having previously worked for football’s world governing body Fifa, Mosengo-Omba was appointed general secretary in March 2021 following the election of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as Caf’s president.
The pair have often talked about their ambition to improve the organisation’s reputation when it comes to integrity and governance, with Mosengo-Omba previously telling BBC Sport Africa that the organisation was “toxic” before their arrival.
Responding to the news that Mosengo-Omba faces no action in Switzerland, Caf said, external it was “pleased that there continues to be adherence and compliance within Caf and the Caf secretariat, with the culture and commitment to ethics, transparency and governance that was introduced since the presidency of Dr Patrice Motsepe”.
The Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office in Fribourg has been contacted for comment.
Sports
Madison Keys makes ‘blacked out’ admission after beating Iga Swiatek to reach Australian Open final
Madison Keys has admitted she feels as though she ‘blacked out’ during her Australian Open win over Iga Swiatek on Thursday.
The American is through to the second Grand Slam final of her career after a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) victory at the Rod Laver Arena.
Keys was delighted after her triumph, with the 29-year-old set to face Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
And she’s now revealed that she felt like she ‘blacked out’ at one point in the match due to the intense nature of the clash.
Madison Keys has admitted she feels as though she ‘blacked out’ during her Australian Open win over Iga Swiatek on Thursday
REUTERS
“I’m still trying to catch up to everything that is happening, I’m in the finals,” she said.
“That match was such high level and she [Iga Swiatek] played so well and I just felt like I was fighting to stay in it.
“I then ran with the second [set] and the third was just a battle and to be able to be standing here and be in the finals is absolutely amazing and I’m so excited that I get to be here on Saturday.
“I feel like even though I lost the first set I was playing some better tennis at the end of it and that I had a little bit of momentum going into the second set.
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“To be able to run with that second set and really just be able to settle was really nice.
“In the third set it was so up and down and there were so many big points and break point chances that neither one of us got.
“I feel I blacked out at one point and I was just there running around so just to be able to stay in it and stay fighting, and then a ten-point tie-breaker for an extra dramatic finish.”
Keys will have to be at her brilliant best in order to topple Sabalenka.
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The world No 1 beat Paula Badosa, her close friend, to reach the final of the competition.
And Keys has admitted she’s looking forward to facing Sabalenka, despite her rival’s obvious quality.
“I think at the end we were both battling some nerves and really just pushing each other and it came who can get this final point and who can kind of just be a little bit better than the other one, and I’m happy it was me,” she continued.
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Madison Keys was too strong for Iga Swiatek in their Australian Open clash on Thursday
REUTERS
“There will definitely be some big hitting [against Sabalenka] and definitely not a lot of long points.
“But she’s obviously going for her third Australia Open and I’m excited to get to play her.
“I’m really excited for the challenge and I don’t know, Saturday is very far ahead in my brain right now.”
Madison Keys will meet Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open on Sunday
REUTERS
Should Sabalenka go all the way this winter, she’ll emulate Martina Hingis by winning three Australian Open titles in a row.
Keys and her final opponent have met five times over the years, with Sabalenka winning four of those clashes.
The 29-year-old’s sole Grand Slam final appearance came back in 2017 when she lost to Sloane Stephens.
While Djokovic has not practised at Melbourne Park since beating Alcaraz, there have been plenty of chances over the fortnight to see how the team dynamic works.
During a warm-up hit with Britain’s Jacob Fearnley before the quarter-final, Murray watched every movement intently from behind the baseline.
When the session wrapped up, Djokovic embraced Murray before the pair – to the delight of the several hundred watching – had a quick knock on court.
A couple of gentle rallies ended when Djokovic, rather brutally given Murray’s fitness issues, brought out a drop-shot which the Scot dutifully chased down.
Then it was back to collecting Djokovic’s racquets and taking them to the stringer.
“When I saw Andy walking through the corridors with all Novak’s racquets, taking them to the stringer, you could see he is taking this job very seriously,” Australian former world number four Sam Stosur told Channel Nine.
Djokovic’s pre-tournament practice sessions against Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Arthur Fils offered more insight.
Standing close behind Djokovic and sometimes in the doubles alley, Murray constantly offered feedback, shouted praise after winners and made notes.
He also compared observations with Boris Bosnjakovic, who ran Djokovic’s training centre in Belgrade before becoming part of the team last May after long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic left.
“It’s about making small changes to things and trying to help him and improve with the whole team,” Murray said.
Celtic are eyeing a move for former winger Jota – as French club Rennes close in on a deal for Kyogo Furuhashi. (Scottish Sun), external
Rennes have decided to bring forward their pursuit of Japan striker Kyogo and have sealed a £10m deal with Celtic for the 30-year-old. (Le Parisien – in French), external
The Scottish FA is trying to convince Chicago Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady, one of the rising stars in Major League Soccer, to switch his international allegiance to Scotland. (Scottish Sun), external
Officers from Police Scotland were given special permission to monitor Glasgow’s CCTV before the Rangers v Celtic game earlier this month in order to avoid a repeat of the street violence seen late last year. (The Herald), external
James Tavernier believes Amad Diallo’s modest loan stint at Rangers helped propel the winger to be a superstar at Manchester United. (Daily Record), external
Scotland winger Ben Doak will not be moving clubs this month after Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick revealed a clause in his contract will see him stay at Riverside Stadium until the end of the season. (The Scotsman), external
Manchester City are reportedly furious over Kyle Walker’s departure AC Milan, with the defender completing his move to Italy on Thursday.
The 34-year-old defender has pushed for a move away from the Etihad following a significant dip in form this term.
Walker, who has won six Premier League titles during his time at City, has opted to leave in order to experience playing abroad in the twilight years of his career.
And former Blackburn and Manchester United scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, has revealed City are far from happy with their skipper for jumping ship at such a difficult time.
Manchester City are reportedly furious over Kyle Walker’s departure AC Milan, with the defender completing his move to Italy on Thursday
PA
Pep Guardiola’s side have won just five of their last 19 matches.
And they struggled in the Champions League on Wednesday night, crashing to a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain that leaves them sweating on their future involvement in the competition.
“He made it known to City that he wants out this month,” he said.
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Kyle Walker is leaving Man City for AC Milan because he wants to play abroad in the twilight years of his career
PA
“From what I hear, they’re not too pleased that their captain has bailed out during what is one of the club’s darker period in recent times.”
The well-connected scout suggested that Walker’s decision has caused significant discord within the club.
Brown criticised Walker’s failure to fulfil his responsibilities as team captain during the difficult period.
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“Many would take the view that you want your captain to be the one who sets the standards,” Brown explained.
The former scout also emphasised that a captain’s duty is to elevate the team’s performance during challenging times.
“It’s his role to show the rest of the players what he’s about and help them raise their game to get back to where they feel they should be,” he added.
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“But as soon as things have got tough, he’s jumping ship and forcing a move away.
“So I expect they’ll be fuming, and there’s a feeling that the sooner he goes, the better.”
Walker had previously been linked with a move to Inter Milan.
Kyle Walker has won every major trophy during his time at Man City
PA
But he’s chosen AC instead, with the veteran hoping to win trophies during his time in Italy.
The deal is set to be officially confirmed soon. Walker could make his debut when Milan lock horns with Parma on Sunday (11.30am).
They currently sit eighth in the Serie A table, having won just eight of their 20 league matches this term.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be held in Shenzhen, China for the next three years.
China, reigning champions Italy and six qualifiers will contest the week-long Finals in 2025, with a date yet to be confirmed.
Three venues in Shenzhen are being considered – including the 12,000 capacity Shenzhen Bay Sports Arena, which staged the WTA Finals in 2019.
Prague, Glasgow, Seville and Malaga were chosen as hosts for the first four editions, but organisers say a global event of this nature cannot stay in Europe for too long.
“The announcement demonstrates our commitment to bringing the passion and excitement of nation v nation team tennis to markets around the world,” Billie Jean King said.
The tournament, formerly called the Fed Cup, sees 18 teams split into six groups of three in qualifying, with the group winners progressing to the Finals.
The draw for April’s qualifying competition will take place later on Thursday.
Great Britain are one of the seeded nations but have not been selected to host one of the groups and already know they will be heading to either Japan or the Netherlands in April.
Phil Goodlad, Mark Critchley and Jamie Murphy look ahead to Rangers v Manchester United.
Scottish tennis player Jacob Fearnley found himself in a remarkable position at the Australian Open, warming up with Novak Djokovic before the Serbian’s quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz.
The 23-year-old, who had impressed during his run to the third round of the tournament, was one of the few singles players remaining in Melbourne as he prepared for Great Britain’s upcoming Davis Cup tie in Japan.
The opportunity arose unexpectedly when Djokovic’s team sought a hitting partner for the 10-time champion.
“I was about to leave and one of his coaches came up to me and asked in the locker room, ‘Would you want to hit with Novak?’ Obviously I was like, ‘Yeah, sure!’”, Fearnley recalled.
Novak Djokovic is still going strong at the Australian Open as he bids to win a record 25th Grand Slam title
REUTERS
The young Scot described the experience as “really cool”, noting that Andy Murray was also present on the court.
“It was a bit surreal”, Fearnley said of the practice session with the Serbian champion.
Fearnley acknowledged feeling the weight of responsibility in preparing Djokovic for such a crucial match.
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Novak Djokovic invited Jacob Fearnley to hit balls with him in what the British tennis star described as a ‘surreal’ moment
REUTERS
“I was a bit nervous, he was playing a really big match so I wanted to make it as good of a warm up as possible”, he explained.
The Scot’s efforts proved worthwhile, as he took satisfaction in Djokovic’s subsequent victory.
“I was pleased when he won, when he started hitting the ball really nice I was like ‘Yeah, that was a nice warm-up!’”, Fearnley said.
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Having faced Alexander Zverev and practiced with Djokovic, Fearnley offered unique insight into their upcoming semi-final clash.
“They’re both extremely solid, both move extremely well. I think there’ll be a lot of long rallies”, he observed.
“Zverev has been serving amazing and obviously Djokovic is the best returner we’ve ever seen. It’s going to be extremely close.”
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Djokovic’s fitness has emerged as a key concern following his quarter-final victory over Alcaraz, where he suffered a suspected hamstring injury.
The Serbian champion was notably absent from Melbourne Park on Wednesday, and his scheduled Thursday practice session was unexpectedly cancelled.
Djokovic has likely taken two full days of rest to manage his injury as he bids to win a record 25th Grand Slam this winter.
Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open on Friday
REUTERS
The 10-time Australian Open champion is scheduled to practice before his clash with Zverev tomorrow.
The day’s second semi-final will feature world No1 Jannik Sinner against American Ben Shelton.
Sports
FPL tips and team of gameweek 23: Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz should haul v Ipswich
Antonin Kinsky, Spurs, keeper, £4.5m – home to Leicester
Spurs aren’t a defence you’d usually back but Leicester have scored just twice in their past seven games.
Kinsky has impressed so far since signing for Spurs from Slavia Prague and the Czech keeper made four saves at Everton last week.
With a bit of luck you could get a clean sheet and bonus-type performance.
Lucas Digne, Aston Villa, £4.6m – home to West Ham
Only Trent Alexander-Arnold (13) has created more big chances this season than Digne.
The Frenchman is also top three for total crosses and the jury is out on West Ham’s attack under Graham Potter.
Fulham gifted them two goals when the Hammers won 3-2 a couple of weeks ago and they failed to break down Palace last week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, £7.3m – home to Ipswich
Two double-digit scores in his past four games, home to a struggling side and with a double gameweek coming up.
Alexander-Arnold is about to become essential so put him in your team (if you can afford the whopping price tag!).
Pervis Estupinan, Brighton, £5m – home to Everton
I’m not buying the idea that Everton will suddenly start scoring loads under David Moyes, despite putting three past Spurs last week.
Brighton will control possession and that gives their full-backs chance to get plenty of attacking touches.
Estupinan’s underlying data is nothing special but it does tell us that he is Brighton’s most likely defender to get a return.
Roy Keane would be a brilliant addition to Ruben Amorim’s coaching staff at Manchester United.
That’s according to former Red Devils star Gary Pallister, who believes the Irishman’s experience and no-nonsense approach would benefit the falling giants.
Keane was a key player for United during his playing days, with the 53-year-old seven Premier League titles.
He also won four FA Cups, while he helped the Red Devils win the Champions League in 1999 – even if he missed the clash through suspension.
Roy Keane won seven Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his glittering spell at Man Utd
PA
Fast-forward to 2025 and United are a shadow of the team that dominated domestic football during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge.
They currently sit 13th in the Premier League table and will go into today’s Europa League clash with Rangers hoping to bounce back after a torrid 3-1 defeat to Brighton last time out.
And former United star Pallister believes Keane would be a good addition to Amorim’s coaching staff as the 39-year-old looks to turn things around.
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Speaking to Punters Lounge, who offer the latest horse racing betting, he said: “If Roy Keane was to return to Manchester United on the coaching staff then he would certainly shake things up.
“Ruben Amorim has often talked about the successful history of the club but it is tough to bring former players back.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy did well before going to Leicester, Bryan Robson might have had a chance to go back there when he was coaching. You also look at names like Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs.
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“A lot has changed at Manchester United since these players left the club including new ownership and potentially a new stadium soon, but Keane would definitely shake things up in that dressing room.”
With each passing match, United seem to go backwards.
They have failed to win, or even seriously compete, for the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement nearly 12 years ago.
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Roy Keane has been recommended for a job back at Man Utd amid their struggles under Ruben Amorim
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And Pallister admits it’s hard to put a timeline on when United will be back for competing for the biggest trophies on offer.
“It’s difficult to put a timeline on it,” he said when asked when United will next secure glory. “Who’d have thought in 1990 when we nearly went into the relegation zone that we’d win the FA Cup that year and we’d win in Europe the following year? You didn’t really see that.
“The green shoots probably at the end of 1990. The FA Cup win was huge in sending United forward and having that confidence within the team to go on and win trophies.
Ruben Amorim is currently preparing his Man Utd players for tonight’s clash with Rangers
PA
“So that took us four years, seven years I think it was for Alex to get to the promised land of winning the Premier League title.
“I like the way Ruben comes across. He’s steadfast, he’s not moving, he’s a believer in his system. I think he speaks well.
“He’s not going to suffer fools, if you don’t want to be there, I don’t think you’re going to be there. If you don’t show the right attitude, you’re not going to be there. He’s setting the ground rules at the moment and hopefully most of the players will go along with him in that.”
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