Alcaraz survives scare to reach Queen's quarter-finals

The Sun13 hours ago

CARLOS Alcaraz survived a huge scare against fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar as the world number two moved into the Queen's Club quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 victory on Thursday.
Alcaraz was forced to dig deep in a bruising second-round battle that lasted three hours and 26 minutes on the hottest day of the year in London.
Gulping down pickle juice in between games to prevent cramp, Alcaraz had to battle back from 4-2 down in the final set before finally advancing.
'It was a really tough battle. He's a great competitor and he showed how difficult it is to beat him,' Alcaraz said.
'I'm proud of the level I showed today. It's my second match on grass this year. There were moments I struggled a lot mentally and physically.'
Top-seeded Alcaraz was tested by Australian world number 86 Adam Walton on Tuesday. his first action since his dramatic French Open triumph against Jannik Sinner.
On Thursday, the 22-year-old, preparing to launch his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title later in June, was given an even sterner examination by world number 59 Munar.
It was not quite the incredible escape act Alcaraz staged when he saved three match points and fought back from two sets down to beat Sinner in the Roland Garros final on June 8.
But Alcaraz had to summon the spirit of that triumph to hold off the gritty Munar.
He made 53 unforced errors, but produced 49 winners to haul himself over the line.
'I just kept fighting'
'I still don't know how I'm standing here. But I'm really happy I've given myself another chance in the quarter-final,' said Alcaraz, whose current 15-match winning streak is the longest of his career.
'I just kept fighting. I guess I didn't give up. Honestly I was out mentally, but I stayed there and tried to play the points.'
The exhausted Alcaraz celebrated by writing 'were we on clay?' on a TV camera lens before leaving the court.
Alcaraz will play France's Arthur Rinderknech, a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) winner over Reilly Opelka, on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.
The five-time Grand Slam champion broke for the first time in the third game of the first set thanks to three successive Munar double faults.
That was all the advantage Alcaraz needed as he closed out the set with a dazzling drop-shot that left Munar floundering.
He found it harder to impose his will in the second set.
Unusually sloppy with his ground-strokes and serve, Alcaraz squandered two match points in the tie-break and paid the price when Munar blasted a forehand winner to take the set.
Alcaraz looked to have steadied himself with a break in the second game of the deciding set, but Munar hit back with a break of his own in the next game.
Munar kept the pressure on and had victory in his grasp after breaking for a 3-2 lead.
Alcaraz once again proved indefatigable as he broke at 4-4 and closed out his nerve-jangling victory with a perfectly weighted lob.
In the other action on Thursday, Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final with 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet.
British world number 60 Fearnley has a perfect record of 17 wins from 17 matches against French opponents.
The 23-year-old will face Jiri Lehecka in the last eight after the Czech world number 30's 6-4, 6-2 victory against Canada's Gabriel Diallo.

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Malaysia U-15 to Join 2025 Emerging Tournaments in Australia

The Sun

7 hours ago

The Sun

Malaysia U-15 to Join 2025 Emerging Tournaments in Australia

KUALA LUMPUR: The national Under-15 (U-15) team has been selected to participate in the 2025 Emerging Matildas and Emerging Socceroos Championships in Australia this July. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in a statement today, said this is the first time a national team has been invited to play in these rebranded youth tournaments. 'Following an official Expression of Interest process open to several member associations of the Asian Football Confederation, Malaysia confirmed its intention to participate in both tournaments — a historic step that strengthens the framework of football development in Australia and enhances international cooperation in the region. 'The Malaysian team will compete against top Australian youth players in the Under-15 category for both tournaments,' FAM said. According to FAM, the match schedule and player list for the tournaments will be announced soon. FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub, in the same statement, said the governing body is honoured to be part of this important initiative with Football Australia. The Emerging Matildas Championship will take place from July 6 to 11 at the Home of the Matildas in Bundoora, Melbourne, while the Emerging Socceroos Championship will be held from July 15 to 20 at Valentine Sports Park in Glenwood, Sydney.

National U-15 squad to play in two invitational tournaments in Australia in July

The Sun

8 hours ago

The Sun

National U-15 squad to play in two invitational tournaments in Australia in July

French Open winner Gauff falls to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu at first hurdle on Berlin grass

Malay Mail

10 hours ago

Malay Mail

French Open winner Gauff falls to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu at first hurdle on Berlin grass

BERLIN, June 20 — Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin yesterday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first-round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second-round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals in 2024, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. 'After I won the first set, I told myself, 'OK, let's take a minute and enjoy this. I'm playing the French Open champion and I won the first set',' Wang said afterwards. 'No matter how the second and third go, I was like, 'Let's enjoy it for once second.' Wang had lost her only previous match against Gauff in straight sets on the Berlin grass in 2022. 'It was a tough match, but I'm happy I hung in there on the tough moments,' said Wang. The 49th-ranked Chinese player trailed 3-1 in the second set before reeling off five straight games. She will play Spain's Paula Badosa, the 10th seed, in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Sabalenka completed her match, suspended on Wednesday after the first set, The Belarusian had to work hard on the resumption as the 112th-ranked Swiss Masarova took her to a tiebreak. The win takes Sabalenka into the quarter-finals as she looks to build up her grass court form ahead of Wimbledon. The 27-year-old has won 20 titles but none on grass. She will face 11th-ranked Kazakh Elena Rybakina, who beat Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). Sabalenka is bidding to reach the last four in Berlin for the first time in her career. In the first match of the day, 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, ranked down at 164, needed two hours 20 minutes to overcome Russian 12th seed Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3. In the last eight she will face the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the woman she beat in the Wimbledon final two years ago. — AFP