MILAN: Atalanta’s bid for a first Serie A title continued on Saturday with a club-record 10th straight league win, 1-0 at Cagliari, which was followed by closest challengers Napoli staying on their heels with a 3-1 win at Udinese.
Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia, the Italy international forward stroking home the winner from Raoul Bellanova’s cut-back in the 66th minute.
Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history and stay two points clear at the top of the league.
However, Gasperini was not happy with his players’ performances as, after impressing in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid, they struggled against Cagliari who are 15th and only two points above the relegation zone.
Atalanta, who also struck the post through Ademola Lookman almost straight after Zaniolo’s winner, only came away with all three points thanks to a brilliant performance between the sticks from Marco Carnesecchi.
Goalkeeper Carnesecchi pulled off three sensational stops in the six minutes before the break and saved the win in stoppage time by keeping out Leonardo Pavoletti’s header.
“A good chunk of this team, not everyone, needs to grow up a bit and get the same mentality as the core group of the squad,” said Gasperini. whose decision to make three substitutions at half-time was a sign of his dissatisfaction.
“We’re up there, but winning 10 matches in a row doesn’t really mean anything.”
Zaniolo’s strike was his third of the season and a further sign of new life after a difficult last few years.
The 25-year-old was once the rising star of Italian football after coming to prominence at Roma, where two serious knee injuries in 2020 stymied his development as a creative playmaker.
He won the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma in 2022 under Jose Mourinho, but fell out with the Portuguese coach and last year was packed off to Galatasaray, from where he was loaned to Atalanta in July.
Gasperini later criticized Zaniolo for being booked while celebrating his goal, calling “intolerable” him whipping his shirt as it fired up the home crowd.
Zaniolo did the same thing when netting against Roma earlier this month, enraging his former supporters with his behavior.
“We cannot afford that every time he scores a goal he fires up the crows and turns our advantage into a disadvantage,” Gasperini told reporters.
“Cagliari were stunned and we managed to create a situation where the crowd fired them up again... it’s already the second time that he’s done it.”
Napoli, missing injured star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, came back from a goal down to secure the three points at the Bluenergy Stadium where they sealed a historic third league crown last year.
Trailing at the break after Florian Thauvin netted on the rebound from his own saved 22nd-minute penalty, Napoli roared back in the second half to delight their large and loud traveling support.
Romelu Lukaku levelled five minutes after half-time, bursting through to collect Scott McTominay’s pass, holding off Lautaro Giannetti and firing in his sixth Napoli goal.
The unfortunate Giannetti inadvertently put Napoli ahead in the 76th minute when he shinned in David Neres’ miscued shot and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sealed the points by coolly finishing off a fine team move.
“I said after we lost to Lazio (last weekend) that we’re on the right track,” said Conte to DAZN.
“The team needs to keep playing this kind of football, dictate the game, keep the ball and press when we don’t have it.”
Napoli are four points ahead of Lazio and third-placed Inter, who face off in Rome on Monday night, and Fiorentina with the Viola at Bologna on Saturday.
Juventus are 10 points behind Atalanta ahead of their home clash with bottom club Venezia, Sunday’s late fixture.
Record-breakers Atalanta maintain Serie A lead as Napoli lurk
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Record-breakers Atalanta maintain Serie A lead as Napoli lurk
- Nicolo Zaniolo made sure Atalanta stayed top of Serie A this weekend with the goal which decided a hard-fought encounter in Sardinia
- Atalanta, guided by veteran coach Gian Piero Gasperini, have emerged as genuine Scudetto challengers for the first time in their history
Blind tennis champion Naqi Rizvi lobbies for sport’s awareness and Paralympic inclusion
- Invented in Japan by Takei Miyoshi in 1984, blind tennis is played around the world
- Rizvi, who is married and works in finance, originally represented his native Pakistan
LONDON: Naqi Rizvi loves the “absolute freedom” he feels on the tennis court. Winning titles is fun, too.
The 34-year-old blind tennis champion is on a mission to not only raise awareness but also elevate the sport into the Paralympics.
“That would be the dream, and I’d love to be the first Paralympic champion if I can,” Rizvi said.
The London resident, fully blind from the age of 7 because of congenital glaucoma, only took up the sport a decade ago and is now the No. 1-ranked men’s player in the world for his category.
Also an avid runner, Rizvi has completed two marathons and although jogging with a guide is great, tennis offers more.
“On a tennis court, I have absolute freedom because I know where the boundaries are, no one needs to tell me which way to turn, I don’t need to have a cane or anything of this sort,” he told The Associated Press during a practice session at the National Tennis Center in southwest London.
“It’s just the absolute sense of freedom to know that I can run comfortably, make my own decisions, and then be able to play points or rallies. It’s just incredible.”
HOW IT WORKS
The rules are basically the same as mainstream tennis just with smaller dimensions and slightly lower net. Tactile lines are taped onto the court so players like Rizvi can feel the boundaries. Depending on the level of visual impairment, you are allowed up to three bounces of the ball. The foam ball contains a bell so players can audibly track it.
“What I find interesting about blind tennis is it’s incredibly technical,” said Rizvi, who also possesses a big serve.
The problem-solving aspect of the sport is something Rizvi enjoys — no surprise given that he studied engineering at University College London.
“You really need to anticipate after you’ve heard the first bounce where the second and third will be,” he said. “You obviously can’t see how your opponent has hit the ball, so it’s a lot of anticipation and a lot of practice and getting used to different trajectories that the ball can take.
RAISING AWARENESS
Rizvi didn’t even know that tennis was an option until he visited Metro Blind Sport in London a decade ago. He was hooked right away.
“I can almost assure you that if you did a survey of blind and partially sighted people,” he said, “the majority of them wouldn’t have any idea because it’s not televised, it’s not in any other mainstream events, so how are people supposed to find out?”
The Lawn Tennis Association supports a visually impaired program that includes practice sessions at the governing body’s National Tennis Center. That’s where Jack Draper, the world No. 5 player, tried out the different levels. The LTA also runs tournaments each year and sends “Team GB” to an international competition.
Rizvi noted that there’s not much financial backing in the sport. There’s no prize money at tournaments and players often fund their own travel.
“Unless you obviously have the visibility and the money behind it, it’s really hard,” he said. “Governing bodies need to take a more active role and try and give parity to all forms of disability tennis not just the ones that have made it big like wheelchair tennis, for example.”
PARALYMPICS AND GRAND SLAM EVENTS
Rizvi, who is married and works in finance, originally represented his native Pakistan but for the past year has been part of England’s program since gaining British citizenship. He discussed his childhood — his father is Pakistani and his mother is Indian — in a TEDx Talk he gave as a student at UCL.
Invented in Japan by Takei Miyoshi in 1984, blind tennis is played around the world. Last year’s world championships in Italy were the largest to date with 117 players from 20 countries, the International Blind Tennis Association said.
Rizvi has won several national titles, a European championship, the world championship in 2023 — as well as gold that year at the ISBA World Games. He is also the two-time defending champion of the Play Your Way to Wimbledon tournament.
The International Paralympic Committee handbook spells out that the sport or discipline must be “widely and regularly practiced” in at least 32 countries and three continents.
“I really want it to be in the Paralympics,” Rizvi said, “but I also want this to be a mainstream sport which can be part of the ATP Tour, part of Grand Slam tournaments, just like wheelchair tennis has made such amazing leaps forward. I’d love for blind tennis to be there as well because it’s definitely got the potential.
“It’s got the countries, the continents, the people, the passion behind it.”
Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory
- Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals
- No team has lost the first two games at home and come back to win a series in the conference finals
NEW YORK: Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers in 2000 in their only shot at the title.
Game 3 is Sunday in Indiana, though the Pacers might prefer to keep it right where it is. They have won six straight road games since falling at Milwaukee in Game 3 of the first round.
Siakam finished 15 for 23 from the field on a night nobody else on the high-scoring Pacers had more than five baskets.
“Special game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “In the first half he was the guy that got us going and got us through some difficult stretches.”
Jalen Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who need a quick turnaround or their first appearance in the conference finals in 25 years will be a brief one. They defended much better after their crushing collapse in a 138-135 overtime loss in Game 1, but couldn’t find enough scoring to come back after a bad start to the fourth quarter.
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks, but Towns played just 28 minutes as coach Tom Thibodeau went longer with backup Mitchell Robinson, a much better defender who grabbed nine rebounds.
No team has lost the first two games at home and come back to win a series in the conference finals.
“Going into the fourth quarter it’s a tie ballgame. We’ve just got to make better plays, more winning plays,” Thibodeau said.
It was tied at 81 after three, before the Pacers opened the fourth with a 13-4 run to move ahead 94-85 on Siakam’s 3-pointer with 9:17 remaining. They would quickly push the margin back to around there every time the Knicks got any momentum, and it was 110-100 after another basket by Siakam with 2:45 to play.
The Knicks scored nine straight to make it 110-109 on Josh Hart’s basket with 14 seconds to go. Aaron Nesmith made two free throws for the Pacers, Brunson was well off on a 3-point attempt and Turner finished it out with two free throws.
The 50th playoff meeting between the rivals — the Pacers lead 28-22, all since 1993 — more closely resembled their defensive battles of the 1990s than the shootout of two nights earlier. The Knicks led that one by 14 with 2:45 to play before the Pacers caught them on Haliburton’s jumper as time expired and won it in OT.
This time, Indiana raced to a 19-9 lead, but the Knicks quickly caught them when Robinson and Deuce McBride entered and the game remained within a single-digit margin nearly the entire rest of the night.
Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final
- Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title
- Alessia Russo: They (Barca) are a really good football team, but we are here to win
LISBON: Arsenal will bid to defy the odds against Barcelona in Saturday’s women’s Champions League final in Lisbon, aiming to secure their second title with courage and underrated defiance.
Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title.
“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team, so we are humble, but we are here to win,” she told reporters on Friday.
“We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that the momentum of the game will shift. It’s important that we deal with every moment really well. We need courage and discipline, and we need to be switched on. If we do all those things well, we can perform well. We believe in our ability tomorrow.”
Arsenal forward Alessia Russo echoed Slegers’ sentiments.
“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team,” she said. “They are a really good football team, but we are here to win. We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that, if we handle all situations well and stay focused, we can perform well.
“Belief is something we have spoken about a lot as a team this season. We have found lots of different ways to win. It’s been a season full of highs and lows, but we’ve learnt a lot,” the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker added.
Veteran midfielder Kim Little, who played in the 2007 final victory against Sweden’s Umea, looked back in time when asked about Arsenal’s first meeting with Barca in Europe’s top club competition during the 2012–13 season, when the London team won 7–0 on aggregate.
“It’s incredible for me to still be at the club. We came out on top,” Little said. “After 2007 and everything the club has achieved since then, leading the team on this occasion is so special.”
McTominay and Lukaku goals lead Napoli to Serie A title and Conte’s ‘most unexpected’ trophy
- Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter
ROME: The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli its second Serie A title in three years on Friday.
Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari.
Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams.
“Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.”
Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won at Juventus and one at Inter Milan — not to mention a Premier League title at Chelsea — Conte said it was “the most unexpected, the most difficult, and the most stimulating in terms of the challenge.”
Conte also noted how he had to try and convince players to stay when he arrived last June.
Napoli needed only to do the same or better than defending champion Inter in the final round of matches, so Inter’s 2-0 win at 10-man Como wasn’t enough for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter.
The southern squad’s fourth Serie A title overall capped an impressive turnaround after the Partenopei finished 10th during a dismal title defense last season.
“The one two years ago was one we were for months, whereas this week we had so much anxiety, we couldn’t wait to get on the field and win this in front of our fans,” said winger Matteo Politano, who provided the cross for McTominay’s goal.
Diego Maradona led Napoli to its first two titles in 1987 and 1990. The 2023 team led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia clinched with five rounds to spare.
Inter was heading toward the title until McTominay went airborne to redirect a pass from Politano in the 42nd minute for his 12th goal this season after transferring from Manchester United.
“For me to come and experience this, it’s a dream,” McTominay said.
Lukaku, who was signed from Chelsea in August, controlled a long vertical pass and dribbled by two defenders before scoring in the 51st. It was his 14th goal along with his league-leading 10 assists.
Conte watched the match from the tribune after getting sent off last weekend. But he went down to the pitch at the final whistle and embraced Lukaku, with whom he also won Serie A at Inter in 2021.
McTominay dropped to the pitch in tears when the match finished. Minutes later he was honored as Serie A player of the season.
Napoli players held up signs that read “Again” featuring a “4” for the team’s fourth title.
Napoli fans began cheering and singing hours before kickoff at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and erupted in celebration at the final whistle — including at jumbo screens that were set up in several of the city’s central piazzas.
Cagliari was already sure of avoiding relegation but goalkeeper Alen Sherri was inspired at the start, denying Napoli on multiple occasions early on.
While Napoli won by 16 points two years ago under Luciano Spalletti, this season was a duel with Inter virtually all season. It was also unexpected after Napoli went through three coaches last season – Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona.
But Conte constructed the best defense in Serie A, and brought in Lukaku and McTominay to play alongside holdovers from the 2023 team like captain Di Lorenzo, goalkeeper Alex Meret and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
Di Lorenzo matched Maradona by captaining Napoli to two titles.
It also helped that Napoli did not play in Europe this season — keeping the team fresher for Serie A.
Inter rested its starters
Defender Stefan de Vrij scored 20 minutes in for Inter, redirecting a corner kick with a bouncing header.
Como was reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off at the end of the first half for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. It was Reina’s final game before retiring.
Joaquín Correa added another for Inter after the break in almost the same moment that Lukaku scored for Napoli.
Inter, which is also preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in eight days, rested most of its usual starters, including top strikers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.
Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid share lead after going low at Charles Schwab
- Griffin set the early pace by zipping around the course with eight birdies and one bogey
Ben Griffin and Germany’s Matti Schmid share the 36-hole lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge after they each posted 7-under-par rounds of 63 on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Griffin and Schmid stand at 11-under 129 through two rounds at Colonial Country Club. They take a two-shot lead into the weekend over John Pak (68), who was the first-round leader.
Chris Gotterup had a bogey-free 65 to move to fourth place at 8 under, and Akshay Bhatia (66) is tied for fifth at 7 under with Japan’s Ryo Hizatsune (67).
Griffin set the early pace by zipping around the course with eight birdies and one bogey, capped by a near-eagle at his final hole, the par-4 ninth. Griffin’s approach shot bounced right over the hole and spun back to 18 inches for his final birdie.
Schmid climbed to 11 under later in the day as he turned in a bogey-free card with seven birdies. Schmid has never won on the PGA Tour, while Griffin’s only win came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event last month with Andrew Novak.
Rickie Fowler is in the mix after shooting a 64 Friday. Fowler started on the back nine and birdied six holes for a 29 before cooling off on the front.
He’s tied at 6 under with Doug Ghim (65), Brice Garnett (67), J.J. Spaun (68), Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (66) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (67).
Scottie Scheffler (71) is down the leaderboard at 1 under par, and Jordan Spieth (71) made the cut on the number at even par after birdieing his penultimate hole.
Notable names who did not make the weekend included Mackenzie Hughes of Canada (1 over), Aaron Rai of England (1 over), defending champion Davis Riley (2 over), Daniel Berger (2 over) and PGA teaching professional Michael Block (3 over).
