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Rib damage threatens crushed Swiatek’s Miami Open protection

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INDIAN WELLS: Iga Swiatek’s Indian Wells title protection floor to a halt in a straight units semi-final loss to Elena Rybakina on Friday, the world primary later revealing she is battling a rib damage.

“For certain, Elena performed nice tennis at this time, and I really feel like towards her I’ve to play higher,” Swiatek stated after falling 6-2, 6-2 to the Wimbledon champion — who additionally shocked her within the Australian Open fourth spherical.

“Actually, I really feel prefer it’s extra me and sort of my errors,” she stated. “I’m additionally not feeling 100% bodily. I’ve a bit of discomfort in my rib, and we’re going to seek the advice of with medical staff.”

Swiatek stated she nonetheless deliberate to defend her title on the Miami Open that begins subsequent week.

“For now I’m getting ready to play, however we’ll see what (the) subsequent days are going to inform us,” she stated. “I don’t know but.”

Swiatek was disillusioned that she was unable to implement the techniques her coach had devised after analyzing her loss to Rybakina in Melbourne.

“We had been excited about the Australian Open extra like we needed to sort of be taught a lesson from that match,” she stated. “We had been analyzing … so I needed simply to sort of use his suggestions and enhance my recreation. However I wasn’t ready to do this at this time.”

She stated she hadn’t had a lot expertise of taking part in by way of damage, the one instance she recalled coming on the 2019 French Open.

“It’s a brand new state of affairs for me, for certain,” the 21-year-old stated. “For certain now it’s a very completely different degree. So I really feel like happening (for) matches you need to be 100% match.

“I’ve been taking part in, so there was some fatigue on a regular basis,” she stated. “I might say it’s sort of fixed, however I’m fairly certain that tomorrow or the day after will assist in restoration.”

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Bullish Robinson predicts snug Ashes win for England

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LONDON: England’s resurgent check crew can win the Ashes “comfortably” on residence soil this yr and make up for his or her 4-0 drubbing in Australia within the final collection, quick bowler Ollie Robinson stated.

Coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have led England to 10 wins in 12 checks since taking up early final yr on the again of an aggressive fashion of play dubbed “Bazball”.

With England having fun with such a powerful run of type, Robinson noticed no cause why they need to not really feel assured about profitable the Ashes for the primary time since 2015 when the collection begins on June 16 at Edgbaston.

“The best way we’re taking part in cricket in the meanwhile, we really feel like we are able to actually stick one on them and win the collection comfortably,” he instructed British media on Wednesday. “There’s undoubtedly a want there nonetheless, a starvation to place it proper.

“I felt after I obtained again from that journey I didn’t depart all of it on the market and I’d let myself down and the facet down just a little bit,” stated Robinson.

“There’s numerous hungry boys this summer season desirous to beat the Aussies once more … It’s one of many greatest collection we play, so why not discuss it up?”

England’s radical rebrand has yielded outcomes each at residence and overseas as they blanked New Zealand 3-0, beat South Africa 2-1 and accomplished a 3-0 sweep in Pakistan. They misplaced their final check by one run in opposition to New Zealand in Wellington in February.

“We’ve been dominating groups in all circumstances for 12 months now,” Robinson stated. “In England we dominated, in Pakistan we dominated, and in New Zealand, we performed a lot of the cricket for 9 days and misplaced on the final day.

“With Baz and Stokesy main the facet, from one to 11, we’ve enormous confidence and it places us in an amazing place for the summer season.”

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Germany fail first true post-World Cup check with Euro in sight

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COLOGNE: Germany coach Hansi Flick has admitted his group have “a whole lot of work to do” to be prepared for a tilt on the Euro 2024 title, simply over a 12 months earlier than internet hosting the match.

The four-time world and three-time European champions on Tuesday slumped to a 3-2 dwelling defeat in a pleasant towards a Belgium group who have been dumped out of final 12 months’s World Cup within the group stage.

Germany additionally exited the match in Qatar on the first hurdle, for the second straight World Cup, to proceed a disastrous four-year spell by their excessive requirements.

“We’ve got numerous work to do. We all know that,” the supervisor stated after Germany’s first loss to Belgium since 1954.

A dominant 2-0 win over Peru on Saturday in Germany’s first match since their World Cup debacle had raised hopes of a revival.

However towards Belgium, Germany confirmed they have been nonetheless effectively off matching Europe’s elite.

“If I used to be to say that we’re tremendous comfortable, then that may not be true. It’s clear that every little thing isn’t at 100%,” Flick stated.

Germany reached not less than the semi-finals at six consecutive main tournaments between 2006 and 2016 however have didn’t even make the quarters since, having additionally been knocked out within the final 16 by England at Euro 2020.

Typically put down to only dangerous luck and poor ending, the poor run of kind is trying increasingly vital.

After the same stoop which noticed Germany knocked out within the group stage at Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, a younger group restored confidence by reaching the World Cup final 4 on dwelling soil in 2006.

However Flick is aware of an early exit subsequent 12 months as hosts would characterize all-time low for Europe’s most embellished nationwide group.

‘The worst I’ve seen’

Not identified for mincing his phrases, Ballon d’Or winner turned TV pundit Lothar Matthaeus laid into the facet’s timid opening towards Belgium, which noticed the guests rating twice within the first 10 minutes.

“That was the worst that I’ve seen in my lengthy, lengthy life,” stated the 1990 World Cup winner.

“They let the Belgians stand and play,” he added.

Flick intervened after simply half-hour, bringing on Emre Can, who had began the earlier match towards Peru, and Germany appeared a unique facet afterwards.

“The supervisor reacted after which issues received higher,” stated striker Niclas Fuellkrug, who scored his sixth objective in six Germany caps from the spot.

Captain Joshua Kimmich stated that “from the thirtieth minute it was undoubtedly higher”, including “the second half was extra like how we imagined it”.

Flick referred to as Can “the aggressive chief we would have liked” and credited the previous Liverpool participant for “waking up the group”.

“A gap 25 minutes like that mustn’t ever be repeated.”

‘We nonetheless have time’

With Germany already certified for the European Championship as the house nation, Flick had promised to experiment with group picks within the two friendlies and stood down a number of first-team regulars together with Thomas Mueller, Leroy Sane, Niklas Suele and Antonio Ruediger.

The loss nevertheless couldn’t be chalked as much as blooding inexperienced children, with solely 4 of the 17 who took the pitch on Tuesday aged below 27.

Flick’s subsequent check will are available June, when Germany tackle Ukraine at dwelling and Robert Lewandowski’s Poland away.

“Our objective is to develop additional,” Flick stated. “Video games like this are good for our growth. We’ve got to take the constructive issues with us and work on the opposite issues.”

The loss to Belgium, who’ve spent a lot of the previous few years because the world’s quantity one-ranked nation, is a far cry from the lows of a 6-0 thrashing by Spain in November 2020 and the house defeat towards North Macedonia in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

However captain Kimmich is aware of lots has to alter within the subsequent 15 months, saying: “Right this moment we seen that we’re not but on the high worldwide degree.

“Luckily, we nonetheless have a bit little bit of time.”

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Messi scores one centesimal Argentina purpose in Curacao romp

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SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO: Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his one centesimal worldwide purpose for the reigning world champions as they romped to a 7-0 pleasant win over outclassed Curacao.

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi opened the scoring towards the Caribbean island minnows on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.

It got here 17 years after he opened his Argentina account in a 3-2 defeat to Croatia in March 2006.

The 35-year-old quickly added one other simply after the half-hour mark to make it 3-0, after which accomplished his hat-trick on 37 minutes with the fifth as Argentina toyed with their overmatched opponents.

It was his seventh hat-trick for the nationwide crew.

“You can not describe Messi in phrases,” stated fellow goalscorer Nicolas Gonzalez.

“He’s the very best on the planet and he exhibits it match after match, day after day. Each time he touches the ball, he makes you smile.”

Messi got here into the sport not simply as his nation’s all-time file goalscorer, however with extra objectives than the subsequent two prime marksmen — Gabriel Batistuta on 56 and Sergio Aguero with 41 — put collectively.

This was Argentina’s second match since successful the World Cup in dramatic type towards France in Qatar in December — triumphing 4-2 on penalties after an exciting 3-3 draw — and it was all the time going to be about Messi reaching 100 objectives.

Now with 102, he stays third within the all-time listing, behind nice rival Cristiano Ronaldo (122) of Portugal and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).

‘Straight to the museum’

Messi had come up quick on Thursday final week when he notched his 99th purpose for the Albiceleste as Argentina toiled of their homecoming celebration match towards Panama.

The Central People had held out till the 78th minute earlier than 21-year-old MLS sensation Thiago Almada broke their resistance.

Messi then scored direct from a free-kick a minute from time — his 800th purpose in skilled soccer — in entrance of 83,000 delirious followers in Buenos Aires.

Curacao, ranked 86th by world governing physique FIFA, might solely maintain out for 20 minutes earlier than Messi took a move from Giovanni Lo Ceslo, lower inside his marker onto his weaker proper foot and fired a low shot into the underside nook.

The referee was then seen on stay tv throwing the ball to somebody on the facet of the pitch as DirecTV commentators speculated that it was heading “straight to the museum.”

Three minutes later Gonzalez outjumped goalkeeper Eloy Room to move house from 4 yards.

Gonzalez turned supplier as Messi scored the primary of three objectives in 4 minutes, this time together with his left foot.

He then laid off the ball for Enzo Fernandez to make it 4 with a shot from a distance earlier than Lo Celso launched Messi behind the protection to notch his treble.

Argentina took their foot off the gasoline within the second half, with solely a generously-awarded Angel Di Maria penalty and a close-range end from Gonzalo Montiel including to the rating.

However the 42,000 followers current remained in a celebration temper all through, ready for his or her heroes to elevate the World Cup trophy in entrance of them.

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