That Sri Lanka have been in perpetual reform is a fact. That they can rival the top-ranked T20I team with a second-string side - irrational. That they will beat Pakistan with a second-string side, do so for the first time since 2013 and render Lahore's crowd mute in agony - unbelievable.

Bowling Pakistan out for 101 in 17.4 overs, beating them by 64 runs and picking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series: it was that kind of night for Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Having won the ODIs two-nil, this T20I on Saturday was supposed to be an easy prospect for Pakistan. They had the momentum, had the numbers skewed in their favour - six consecutive wins over Sri Lanka in this format - and even won the toss, opting to chase knowing that it would be difficult bowling with dew-laden wet ball later. But try telling Sri Lanka that. Their bowlers had Pakistan reeling at 22/3 inside the powerplay, in what should have been a simple run-chase. It just wasn't Pakistan's day, their defeat coming not only after they had the better of conditions but also in a game their 19-year-old quick Mohammad Hasnain picked up a hat-trick.

In hindsight, 166 didn't look like a tall run-chase during the innings break. If at all, it smelt of a win for Pakistan, who had done well in the last 10 overs to offset Danushka Gunathilaka's belligerent 57 off 38 balls at the top. Thanks to him, Sri Lanka were in fact 64/0 after the end of the powerplay. Pakistan's tryst with Shadab Khan's spin (1-0-14-0) and Hasnain's pace (1-0-12-0) had fallen flat by then, much like the promise of Faheem Ashraf, who recorded figures of 2-0-16-0 in the powerplay, conceded two consecutive sixes to Dasun Shanaka later in the game, and then returned to score just eight runs with the bat.

It took Mohammad Amir's tight spells and Hasnain's hat-trick (also ft. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka and Shehan Jayasuriya) to get Pakistan back into the game. Sri Lanka could just score 15/2 in the last three overs, meaning they didn't quite have the 180-plus total they needed to bowl with the wet ball. Pakistan were in the game.

But the wicket of Babar Azam, who was brilliant caught by debutant Minod Bhanuka off Nuwan Pradeep, in the second over opened the match. Umar Akmal's return lasted one ball, and Ahmed Shehzad's for eight. It meant that Pakistan were 30/3 in the powerplay, having been undone by pace on a pretty placid pitch. That set the tone for the spinners, in particular Lakshan Sandakan who bowled his four overs for 24 runs.

With their top three back, Pakistan did put on a rearguard through a 44-run stand between Iftikhar Ahmed and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the fourth wicket. But that partnership, spread over seven overs and doing nothing to improve the required run rate, did Pakistan more harm than good. Sarfaraz scored 24 runs at a strike-rate of 80. Iftikhar scored 25 off 24, when over 10 runs per over were needed.

Starting from Iftikhar's run out, the hosts lost their last seven wickets for 33 runs across 37 balls. Pradeep and Isuru Udana finished with three-wicket hauls while Wanindu Hasaranga picked two.

It wasn't quite a return to Lahore that Pakistan would have liked. They were outplayed by a young team and will now need to re-look their selection. Was leaving out Fakhar Zaman for Ahmed Shehzad worth it? Is Faheem Ashraf still an automatic selection? Has Sarfaraz Ahmed cracked the T20 code of batting? Lots to ponder for the hosts before the sides meet for the second T20I on Monday.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 165/5 in 20 overs (Danushka Gunathilaka 57; Mohammad Hasnain 3-37) beat Pakistan 101 in 17.4 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 25; Isuru Udana 3-11, Nuwan Pradeep 3-21) by 64 runs.

Mohammed Shami has earned the moniker 'second-innings Shami' with good reason. His average drops 12 runs to 22, and he picks a wicket every 42 balls as compared to 60 in first innings. So there could be little surprise that it was he, who led India's victory charge on the fifth day, picking up his fifth five-wicket haul. Complementing him well was Ravindra Jadeja who went on a roll picking three wickets in an over, adding to his one wicket from Day 3.

All of that added up to South Africa being left a trifle embarrassed after their stellar batting show in the first innings. They were saved a few blushes by a tail that wagged, with Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy adding 91 for the ninth wicket. But all that did was delay the inevitable result of India going 1-0 up in the three-match series.

South Africa had started the day aiming for a blockathon with 9 wickets remaining. That quickly reduced to 8 as Theunis de Bruyn played an ill-fated cut and was bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin, making him the joint-quickest to 350 Test wickets.

Thereafter, it was Shami who used the indentations on the pitch to great effect and targeting the stumps relentlessly. Temba Bavuma was floored by a shooter, Faf du Plessis was left with a wry smile after losing his off stump to one jagging in low. Quinton de Kock too found one moving in and going under his bat to hit the stumps. As South Africa slipped to 60/5, Shami had single-handedly snuffed out any possibility of a miracle halfway into the first session.

Adding to the carnage was Ravindra Jadeja with a three-wicket over, which included a sharp return catch to nip Aiden Markram's counter-attack in the bud. The opener had lofted Jadeja for a couple of boundaries in the previous over but found Jadeja's outstretched left hand ending his stay. With ripping turners past the defense, Jadeja proceeded to get Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj LBW in almost identical fashion off successive deliveries, and with DRS siding with him.

The innings went beyond the first session thanks to Piedt and Muthusamy who stuck to their methods, albeit with a lot of good fortune. Even as chances went between fielders, both batsmen managed to get boundaries against the spinners with the ball softening, and added to India's frustration post the break.

When Kohli turned to Shami once again, he delivered first ball, getting Piedt to drag on after a sprightly 56. Shami added Rabada to his scalps a little later to finish with his fourth five-fer in second innings, reinforcing his moniker.

Brief Scores: India 502/7 decl. (Mayank Agarwal 215, Rohit Sharma 176) and 323/4 decl (Rohit Sharma 127, Cheteshwar Pujara 81) beat South Africa 431 (Dean Elgar 160, Quinton de Kock 111, Faf du Plessis 55; R Ashwin 7-145) and 191 (Dane Piedt 56, Senuran Muthusamy 49*; Mohammed Shami 5-35, Ravindra Jadeja 4-87) by 203 runs

Mohammed Shami has earned the moniker 'second-innings Shami' with good reason. His average drops 12 runs to 22, and he picks a wicket every 42 balls as compared to 60 in first innings. So there could be little surprise that it was he, who led India's victory charge on the fifth day, hitting the stumps thrice in a deadly accurate spell. Complementing him well was Ravindra Jadeja who went on a roll picking three wickets in an over.

All of that added up to South Africa being left a trifle embarrassed after their stellar batting show in the first innings. They'd started the day, aiming for a blockathon with 9 wickets remaining. That quickly reduced to 8 as Theunis de Bruyn played an ill-fated cut and was bowled against Ravichandran Ashwin, making him the joint-quickest to 350 Test wickets

Australia Women registered an emphatic 157-run win against Sri Lanka Women on Saturday (October 5) in Brisbane. After setting a target of 282 for the visitors, a collective effort by the Australian bowlers helped them wipe up Sri Lanka for a paltry score of 124. With this victory, they also inflicted the fourth straight loss on Sri Lanka in the past one week, including the T20Is.

Following the match, Jess Jonassen spoke about the highlights of the match and the performances which helped them take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series. Having elected to bat first on a good surface, Haynes gave them a decent start., while captain Meg Lanning's aggressive knock of 73(66) laid the platform for the hosts. Regarding Lanning's innings, Jonassen said, "I think Meg (Lanning) set the tone at the halfway mark. We had a job to do with the ball, we just had to hit the right areas and use our variations."

 

Real Madrid and Wolfsburg are coming from vastly differing backgrounds ahead of their first meeting in Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg in Germany.

Ten-time winner Madrid is on a six-game winning run, the latest a morale-boosting come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Barcelona in Saturday’s “clasico” while reduced to 10 men that ended its old rival’s Spanish record unbeaten streak at 39 games across all competitions.

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Wolfsburg slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, its third Bundesliga game without a win, leaving the side seven points off the last Champions League qualification place after a lackluster domestic season.

Not only recent history is against the Volkswagen-backed club. Wolfsburg, in the knockout stages for the first time, is playing its first-ever European Cup quarterfinal. Madrid will be in its 33rd.

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Despite its recent good form, Madrid’s best chance to salvage an otherwise disappointing season remains in the Champions League. Zinedine Zidane’s side is still third in the Spanish league, seven points behind Barcelona, which also has a better head-to-head record.

Some things to know ahead of Wednesday’s game in Wolfsburg:

WOLFSBURG WILTING

Despite progressing in Europe’s premier competition in only the club’s second Champions League appearance, Wolfsburg has disappointed in the German league after finishing runner-up last season, when it also claimed the German Cup.

Ten losses and eight draws in 28 Bundesliga games suggest Wolfsburg is far from formidable and that the team was perhaps over-reliant on Kevin De Bruyne, sold in the summer to Manchester City. The Belgian playmaker had chipped in 13 goals and set up 27 more in 52 Bundesliga games for the side.

“The bottom line is that we’re not playing like a Champions League team in the Bundesliga,” said sporting director Klaus Allofs, who expects his side to make amends Wednesday. “It’s the mark of a top team that it can set a marker in quality no matter what the competition. I want that we show against Real Madrid that we can compete at this level. If Real are a number too big, we have to accept it. But we have to go to our limits; I expect it. And then a lot is possible in football,” Allofs said.

Niko Gießelmann gave the home side an early lead in the 16th minute, but video replays showed the ball out of play by the sideline in the lead up to goal.

Fortuna Dusseldorf lived up to its name after having a disputed goal allowed by VAR in a 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Niko Gießelmann gave the home side an early lead in the 16th minute, but video replays showed the ball out of play by the sideline in the lead up to the goal.

Philippe Coutinho scored his first Bundesliga goal and Robert Lewandowski kept his scoring run going in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 win over 10-man Cologne on Saturday.

Lewandowski grabbed the first two goals to take his league-leading tally to nine in five games.The visitors played the last half-hour with 10 men after Kingsley Ehizibue was sent off for bringing down Coutinho just as the Brazilian was about to score in the 59th

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their heaviest home defeat in Europe as Serge Gnabry struck four goals for Bayern Munich in a 7-2 romp to seize control of Champions League Group B on Tuesday.

Master marksman Robert Lewandowski also scored twice as Bayern responded to going behind early on in devastating fashion, running riot on a rain-lashed night in north London.

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When Son Heung-min gave last season’s finalists Tottenham a deserved 12th-minute lead, their magnificent stadium was rocking. But the fragility that has undermined their season so far returned as they capitulated in alarming fashion.

Club Bruges forward Emmanuel Bonaventure was ecstatic after scoring twice in his side’s surprise 2-2 draw at Real Madrid in the Champions League but now faces a painful double session in a tattoo parlour after coming good on a pre-match pledge.

The Nigerian striker was caught on camera looking awestruck as he walked around the Santiago Bernabeu before Tuesday’s clash and said if he was able to score at Real’s temple he would honour the occasion by getting himself inked up.

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‘Santiago Bernabeu, this is a dream. A lot of people didn’t even think they would come here to play. If I score then I will get a tattoo on my skin,” he said in a video posted on the club’s Youtube channel.

As a pioneer of counter-pressing football, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he knows exactly what to expect from Salzburg in their Champions League clash on Wednesday.

Austria’s Salzburg, managed by Jesse Marsch, plays a similar brand of football to Klopp’s Liverpool, employing a high press to win the ball back early and transitioning from defence to attack at speed while opponents are still out of position.

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Klopp is credited with popularising the so-called ‘gegenpress’ in Germany when he was in charge of Mainz 05 and perfected the tactic at Borussia Dortmund before his arrival in England.

It was a day of goalkeeping mistakes in the English Premier League. Liverpool and Manchester City, seemingly set for another duel for the title, benefited from two of them in hard-fought away wins on Saturday.

Liverpool eked out a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United but only after home goalkeeper Dean Henderson let a volley from the edge of the area by Georginio Wijnaldum slip through his arms and legs in the 70th minute. That’s seven straight wins to open the campaign for Liverpool, and 16 in a row in the league stretching back to March. Two more and the Reds will equal the record set by City in 2017.

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City, meanwhile, was drawing 1-1 against Everton and dipping below its usual high level when Riyad Mahrez took aim with a free kick in the 72nd minute. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford should have had it covered but the ball crept inside the far post before Raheem Sterling wrapped up a 3-1 win with a late goal.

Leaders Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season as first-half goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino secured a 2-1 win at Chelsea on Sunday that left them five points clear at the summit.

It was a sixth straight league win from the start of the campaign for Juergen Klopp’s European champions and extended their club-record streak to 15 in total.

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Chelsea, who put up a spirited fightback in the second half, pulled a goal back with a superb effort from N’Golo Kante but a second defeat of the season left them 10 points adrift in 11th.

PRO KABADDI LEAGUE 2019

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SPORTS

Frank Lampard thrilled to see Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori named in England squad

Tammy Abraham will have to compete with Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Callum Wilson for a spot up front when England play Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

By Reuters |Published: October 4, 2019 8:15:13 pm

 

 

 

Frank Lampard shakes hands with Tammy Abraham. (Source: Reuters)

Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori’s call ups to the England national team for this months’ Euro 2020 qualifiers are a “natural progression” after their performances for Chelsea this season, manager Frank Lampard said on Friday.

With Chelsea operating under a FIFA-enforced transfer ban, Lampard has had to turn to academy players, with Abraham leading the way with seven Premier League goals in seven appearances.

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Abraham will have to compete with Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Callum Wilson for a spot up front when England play Czech Republic and Bulgaria, but Lampard expects the 22-year-old to shine on the international stage too.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino dismissed speculation about his future at the club on Friday and said he hoped to spend many more years in North London.

Spurs were hammered 7-2 at home by Bayern Munich in Tuesday’s Champions League clash but Pochettino said the defeat would force him and his players to work harder and recover “their best feeling,” hopefully in Saturday’s Premier League game at Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Despite reaching the Champions League final in June and finishing fourth in the Premier League, Tottenham have lost 16 matches in 2019 and their form at the start of the new campaign has been inconsistent.

Dean Elgar cools off during a break on day three of the first Test match between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Friday. (PTI)

One man who wasn’t surprised when Dean Elgar smashed a six to bring up his most positive, aggressive hundred of his career in these conditions was his long-time coach Louis Klopper. Klopper was at his school in South Africa, following the match online and trying to get an occasional glimpse on television. He laughed when asked if Elgar’s refreshing approach on the verge of the milestone took him by surprise. Elgar’s wonderful 160 and Quinton de Kock’s stroke-filled 111 propelled South Africa’s heart-warming fight that has perked up the series, which looked dire after the visiting team’s top order perished on Thursday evening.

“You thought you would see the 2015 version, eh?” Klopper is still laughing, referring to Elgar’s horror series the last time he was in India. In that fateful series, Elgar had made just 137 in 7 innings at an average of 19.5.

Avinash Sable set a new national record in the 300m steeplechase heats in the World Championship earlier this week. On Friday, he set another new national record in the final. This is the 4th time he has broken the NR in the last year. (File Photo)

Avinash Sable ran a race of his own to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games next year in the 3000-metre steeplechase event in the final of the Athletics World Championship in Doha on Friday. He also set a new national record with his time of 8.21.37. This is the fourth time he has set a new national record in the 3000m steeplechase event over the course of the last year, a record which had remained undisturbed since 1981.

Sable’s time of 8.21.37 was good enough to get him a 13th place finish in the Worlds final on Friday. Sable had said before the final that his aim would be to reach the Olympic cut-off – which has been set at 8.22.00 – and that attempting a medal place in the final would be too steep an aim.Sable, an Indian Army havildar, who has served in Siachen and Rajasthan previously, has had a dramatic improvement in his times since June last year. In June 2018, at the Inter-State Championships in Guwahati, he recorded a timing of 8:49.25. This year, he has brought it down to 8:28.94 (at the Fed Cup in March), 8:25.33 (in the heats of the Worlds) and 8:21.37 (in the Worlds final) in successive races.

Kapil Dev, the former India captain, stepped down from the position of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) chief after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Ethics officer DK Jain issued Conflict of Interest notices to him and other two panel members, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy. On Sunday, former India women's team captain Shantha Rangaswamy had resigned from the three-member ad-hoc committee. "It was a pleasure to be part of the Ad-Hoc CAC to specifically select the Head Coach for the Men's Cricket Team. I hereby tender my resignation from the same with immediate effect," The Indian Express quoted Kapil Dev writing in an e-mail to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.

On Saturday, the BCCI Ethics Officer had sent a notice to CAC, asking the former cricketers who picked the current India coach, to respond by October 10 to the Conflict of Interest allegations levelled against them.

Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjiv Gupta had filed the complaint against the trio who picked Ravi Shastri as head coach in August.

Kapil Dev, the former India captain, stepped down from the position of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) chief after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Ethics officer DK Jain issued Conflict of Interest notices to him and other two panel members, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy. On Sunday, former India women's team captain Shantha Rangaswamy had resigned from the three-member ad-hoc committee. "It was a pleasure to be part of the Ad-Hoc CAC to specifically select the Head Coach for the Men's Cricket Team. I hereby tender my resignation from the same with immediate effect," The Indian Express quoted Kapil Dev writing in an e-mail to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.

On Saturday, the BCCI Ethics Officer had sent a notice to CAC, asking the former cricketers who picked the current India coach, to respond by October 10 to the Conflict of Interest allegations levelled against them.

Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjiv Gupta had filed the complaint against the trio who picked Ravi Shastri as head coach in August.

Teenager Bianca Andreescu said Saturday’s US Open final triumph felt all the more rewarding after a 2018 qualifying defeat left her feeling particularly low and languishing outside the world’s top 200.

This time last year a despondent Andreescu was sat at home nursing an injury and coming to terms with a second successive failed attempt at making the main draw in New York.

“It’s definitely a process of life. You’re never going to have ups all the time. So I think in those moments, you just have to deal with it the best that you can, which is to just keep fighting for your dreams and just stay as persistent and persevere as much as you can,” Andreescu said.

“I know in those moments you feel like you can’t. But if you believe that there are good times ahead, then those tough moments are definitely worth it. I think it builds you as a character. I think everyone should go through it because it just makes you stronger.”

Twelve months on and the 19-year-old was hoisting aloft the US Open trophy as Canada’s first Grand Slam singles champion, and the youngest major winner since Svetlana Kuznetsova here in 2004.

She stalled Serena Williams’s bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 7-5 win, withstanding a rousing second-set recovery from the American to become the seventh first-time major champion in the past 11 events.

“This wasn’t the only time I visualized playing in the finals actually against Serena Williams. It’s so crazy, man,” said an emotional Andreescu, briefly pausing to collect her thoughts.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment for the longest time. Like I said after I won the Orange Bowl (in 2015), a couple months after, I really believed that I could be at this stage.

“Since then, honestly I’ve been visualizing it almost every single day. For it to become a reality is just so crazy. I guess these visualizations really, really work.”

Andreescu will break into the top five Monday after her remarkable breakthrough run at Flushing Meadows, where she scooped a winner’s check for an eye-watering $3.85 million, taking her 2019 earnings to over $6 million. She started the year with career winnings of just $215,888.

Andreescu, just the second Canadian woman to play in a Grand Slam final after 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard, reiterated her commitment to serving as an inspiration for aspiring athletes back home.

“I’ve said this many, many times before. I’m going to say it again. It’s been a goal of mine to inspire many people, especially Canadian athletes,” Andreescu said, born in Toronto to Romanian parents.

“I think that this win will hopefully do that, not only this win but just what I’ve accomplished this past year because so many Canadian athletes have paved the way for me when I was young. Hopefully I can be that person to them.”

Andreescu credited Carling Bassett, who had been the last Canadian woman to reach the US Open semi-finals in 1984, and basketball great Steve Nash, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, as motivating her as a young athlete.

Afp, New York

Serena Williams is wondering when she will start playing like a 23-time Grand Slam champion again in a major final, calling her poor showing in Saturday’s US Open final loss “inexcusable.”

Williams fell to 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 7-5 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on the same court where she won her first Grand Slam title 20 years ago, nine months before Andreescu was born.

“I love Bianca. I think she’s a great girl. But I think this was the worst match I’ve played all tournament. It’s hard to know that you could do better,” Williams said.

“Bianca obviously played well. I think her returns make me play better and put pressure on my serve. At the same time it’s inexcusable for me to play at that level.”

Williams had 33 unforced errors. She hit nine aces but misfired eight double faults and hit only 44 percent of her first serves. She dropped 30 of 43 points on her second serve.

“I believe I could have played better. I believe I could have done more. I believe I could have just been more Serena today,” Williams said. “I honestly don’t think Serena showed up. I have to kind of figure out how to get her to show up in Grand Slam finals.”

Williams, who remains one Slam title shy of matching Margaret Court’s all-time record, has lost the past two Wimbledon and US Open finals since returning after having a baby two years ago. And she’s struggling to find answers for bad performances in the biggest matches.

“All of it honestly, truly is super frustrating,” Williams said. “I’m so close, so close, so close, yet so far away.

“I don’t know what to say. I guess I got to keep going if I want to be a professional tennis player. And I just got to just keep fighting through it.”

Williams also downplayed the pursuit of Court’s record.

“I’m not chasing a record. I’m just trying to win Grand Slams,” she said. “It’s definitely frustrating, but for the most part I just am still here. I’m still doing what I can do.”

Williams figures time will heal the pain, but it won’t be any time soon. “In 20 years, I definitely will be like, ‘Wow, that wasn’t so bad,’” she said. “It’s very hard right now in the moment to take this and say, ‘You did OK,’ because I don’t believe I did.”

 

Rafa Nadal survived a heroic Daniil Medvedev fightback to claim an epic 7-5 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-4 win and a fourth U.S. Open title on Sunday, moving within one Grand Slam crown of matching Roger Federer's record of 20.

A routine end to the Flushing Meadows fortnight looked on the cards when Nadal, already two sets up, broke for a 3-2 lead over the tall Russian in the third with the 19th Grand Slam title apparently in the bag.

From that point, however, the match was transformed into a near five-hour thriller as Medvedev staged a comeback that left the Spaniard shaken and Arthur Ashe Stadium buzzing.

"An amazing final – seemed that I had the match more or less, it has been one of the most emotional nights in my tennis career," Nadal said.

"This victory means a lot especially because of the way the match became so difficult, so tough. These type of matches in the final of a Grand Slam make them special."

The 33-year-old lefthander became second oldest U.S. Open champion in the professional era behind Australian Ken Rosewall, who was 35 when he lifted the title in 1970.

Not once since 1949 had a player come back from two sets down to win the U.S. Open final but Medvedev, cheered loudly by a crowd that booed him mercilessly earlier in the week, came close on the back of some brilliant tennis.

"I was being myself," said the 23-year-old. "I was fighting for every point. I think they appreciated it.

"I know I have to leave my heart out there for them. I think they saw it and they appreciate it."

On the ropes with Medvedev looking to deliver the knockout blow, Nadal showed once again why he is the game's greatest fighter and he lifted himself off the canvas to scrap his way to the title.

The quality of tennis in the final three sets was breathtaking at times, the long rallies swinging back and forth with neither player prepared to give up a single point without stretching every sinew.

After watching Medvedev erase his lead with a rasping backhand service return to win the fourth set, a rattled Nadal finally regrouped in the fifth and secured an early break to get in front 3-2.

The killer instinct Nadal has honed over nearly two decades at the top of the game then surfaced as he held serve and added yet another break to take control at 5-2.

The drama was not over yet.

 

NO MISTAKE

Medvedev hit back one more time with a break of his own and a hold of serve to cut the advantage to 5-4 and the prospect of the Russian winning a major title with his first career five-set victory was briefly back on.

In the end, Nadal needed three championship points to finally see off his opponent after making no mistake with his second attempt to serve for the title.

The Spaniard let out a mighty roar when the Russian's final return sailed long before falling on his back to soak up the cheers of an appreciative crowd.

Already the King of Clay, Nadal has been a master of the Flushing Meadows hardcourts for the last two weeks, dropping just one set on way to the final.

His victory saw him join an elite club with Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Federer as winners of four or more U.S. Open men's singles titles in the open era.

While the women have served up four different Grand Slam winners this season, the old guard of Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic continue to rule the men's game with the "Big Three" having combined to win the last 12 majors.

Medvedev arrived at his first Grand Slam final as the hottest player in men's tennis, riding the momentum from reaching four consecutive finals, but it was not quite enough to carry him to a maiden major title.

The Russian, who had spent a good part of the tournament playing the part of the U.S. Open villain for his on court antics, was welcomed to the court by a smattering of jeers.

By the end of the evening, however, he had earned the respect and admiration of the crowd for a gutsy performance that established him as a genuine threat to the stranglehold Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have on the Grand Slams.

"I can say that I'm sure all of us, we're fighting our best to try to make this transition," he said.

"It's really tough because these guys, they are playing good tennis. It's really tough to beat them, even to get a set from them, even every game to win is tough."

Delivering one of his most dramatic major final performances, Rafael Nadal captured his 19th career Grand Slam title Sunday by winning his fourth US Open, outlasting Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4.

“Has been one of the most emotional nights in my tennis career,” Nadal said.

A video tribute in the wake of his gritty triumph moved Nadal to tears.

KEY POINTS

♦ Nadal moved one shy of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record 20 Grand Slam triumphs.

♦ The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander became the second-oldest New York champion in the Open era after Ken Rosewall in 1970 at age 35.

♦ Nadal is the first man to claim five major titles after turning 30.

♦ At four hours and 50 minutes, the match finished four minutes short of equalling the longest final in US Open history.

♦ Serving for the match, Nadal was broken when umpire Ali Nili issued Nadal a time violation for his first serve and the Spaniard sent his second long.

“The way that the match became very dramatic at the end, that makes this day unforgettable,” Nadal said.

“Watching all the success, all the moments that came to my mind, I tried to hold the emotion, but some moments was impossible.”

It took a supreme effort from the Spanish maestro, who nearly became the first player to drop the final after leading by two sets since Ted Schroeder in 1949 before winning a near five-hour thriller.

“This victory means a lot,” Nadal said. “And the way it happened. It was hard to control the nerves. The nerves were so high after having the match almost under control.”

World number two Nadal took the top prize of $3.85 million at Arthur Ashe Stadium and added to his US Open trophy haul from 2010, 2013 and 2017.

Nadal, who rose to 22-12 in five-set matches, only lost once at a Slam when up two sets, to Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the 2015 US Open third round.

“I more or less had the match under control,” Nadal said. “The way he was able to fight, to change the rhythm of the match, was incredible.”It was the second Slam title of the year for Nadal after taking his 12th French Open crown in June. 

In addition to reaching the brink of Federer’s mark, Nadal moved one shy of the Open era record five US Open titles won by Federer, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras.

“A 19th Grand Slam title is something unbelievable, outrageous,” Medvedev said.

Medvedev, who will rise to a career-best fourth in the rankings, was a champion at Cincinnati and runner-up at Montreal, Washington and the Open.

“His summer was one of the best summers I ever saw,” Nadal said. “People saw why he is already number four in the world.”

On a knife’s edge at 5-5 in the third set, Medvedev reeled off eight of the last nine points to force a fourth, breaking Nadal in the 12th game with a backhand winner

Australia's Ash Barty has reclaimed the number one spot in the WTA rankings less than a month after losing it while U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu moved up to a career-high fifth after her maiden Grand Slam win in New York.

Andreescu beat Serena Williams 6-3 7-5 in Saturday's final to maintain a 13-match unbeaten run, where she also won the Canadian Open, to break into the top 10 for the first time in her career.

"I don't want to take anything for granted. These are the moments you live for and I'm just beyond blessed," Andreescu, who moved up 10 places, told Reuters.

After taking the first set and leading 5-1 in the second, Andreescu was broken twice by 23-times Grand Slam winner Williams before eventually breaking back and winning the contest to become the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era.

"It definitely wasn't easy in the final against Serena Williams," the 19-year-old added. "I think I'm most proud of how I'm able to get into my zone and I was able to block out the crowd too because they were really, really loud.

"If I didn't do that, I'm sure Serena would have won that second set so I'm really glad with how I handled everything."

French Open champion Barty exited the tournament in the last 16 but regained the number one spot after last year's champion Naomi Osaka was also knocked out at the same stage.

The Japanese, who also beat Williams in last year's final, slipped to fourth in the rankings with Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina leapfrogging her to move up to second and third respectively.

Wimbledon champion Simona Halep fell two places down to sixth while Williams fell one spot to ninth despite her run to the final.

In the ATP rankings, there was no change in the top three with Novak Djokovic leading men's champion Rafa Nadal, who won his 19th Grand Slam on Sunday, and Roger Federer but this year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev moved up to a career-high fourth.

Medvedev has had a stellar record since a third-round exit at Wimbledon, reaching the finals of his last four tournaments, winning the Cincinnati Masters last month. 

Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal speak with each other during their doubles match against Team World's Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock. Photo: Reuters

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Roger Federer maintained his 100% Laver Cup record against Nick Kyrgios on Saturday with a thrilling 6-7(5) 7-5 10-7 win over the Australian but Team World hit back in the doubles match later on to stay in contention for the title.

Playing in front of 17,000 fans in Geneva, home favourite Federer beat Kyrgios for the third time in as many editions before Rafa Nadal extended Europe's lead by beating Milos Raonic 6-3 7-6(1) in the night session.

"It was really close that first set so it was tough to lose," 20-times Grand Slam winner Federer said.

"The crowd could feel it, I could feel it. I needed to get some energy going but you can't do that if you don't play any good shots and Nick was playing very well.

"I was just trying to stay focused. If you can turn the momentum, the crowd gets back into it and I need some earplugs next time, it was just phenomenal."

However, Nadal and doubles partner Stefanos Tsitsipas were beaten 6-4 3-6 10-6 by Kyrgios and Jack Sock in the final match of the day as Team World narrowed Europe's lead to 7-5.

The first team to reach 13 points will be crowned champions, with each win worth three points on Sunday.

John Isner scored a 6-7(2) 6-4 10-1 win over German Alexander Zverev in the opening match of day two to help Team World draw level with Team Europe at three points apiece.

With two points up for grabs for victories on the second day of the tournament in Geneva, Zverev looked on course to extend Europe's 3-1 lead from Friday after edging a tight first set in the tiebreak.

However, the towering Isner battled back in the second set and broke to go ahead 5-4 with a lunging volley, then dragged the contest into a decider which he dominated.

"I wasn't making any inroads on his serve at all and he was the better player for 85% of that match," American Isner said.

"Of course, I got a little lucky at 4-4 but once I got up 5-4, I had a lot of momentum, and I think I showed that in the tiebreaker."