Sports
Dimitrov battles past Zverev to book Miami final with Sinner – ARN News Centre
Published
5 months agoon
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Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-7(4) 6-4 in a thrilling contest on Friday to reach the Miami Open final, where he will face world number three Jannik Sinner.
Dimitrov, the 11th seed, utilised his forehand to devastating effect throughout the match, making just three unforced errors to take the first set.
Fourth seed Zverev regained some control in a tight second set, serving with accuracy to deny Dimitrov any opportunities to break before clinching the tie-break to level the match.
Dimitrov took his tally of winners up to 44 in the decider as he defended a breakpoint and then took the lead at 4-3 before confidently settling the match on serve for his first win over Zverev since 2014.
“It was like a dogfight on both ends; we really went after each other,” said Dimitrov, whose victory will see him return to the top 10 for the first time since 2018.
“He upped his game in the second set. In the third set, he also had a chance, but I served well.”
In Sunday’s final, Dimitrov will face Sinner, who powered past defending Miami Open champion Daniil Medvedev 6-1 6-2 to reach the final for the second year in a row.
SINNER’S HOT STREAK CONTINUES
When Medvedev beat Sinner to claim the Miami title 12 months ago, he extended his head-to-head record over the Italian to 6-0.
But since then, the second seed has enjoyed the upper hand as he has delivered the knockout blow on five successive contests, including a five-set thriller in the Australian Open final earlier this year.
There was no such drama on Hard Rock Stadium court as Sinner delivered a clinical performance to end Medvedev’s challenge in 69 minutes.
“I felt great on court today. Usually, the more you go on in a tournament, the more comfortable you feel, and I’m very happy about today’s performance,” Sinner said after reaching the Miami final for the third time in four years.
“I don’t think Daniil felt too well today; he made a lot of mistakes he usually doesn’t make.
“For me, it is an important tournament if I can get it good; if not, I have another great chance.”
Sinner, whose only loss this season was a semi-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells two weeks ago, becomes the first player this season to reach three finals.
The Italian had Medvedev under pressure right from the gun with three break chances on the Russian’s opening service game, converting on a blistering forehand winner for a 2-0 lead.
The third-seeded Russian would finally hold serve at 5-1 but only delayed the inevitable, as Sinner bagged a high-quality opening set without committing a single unforced error.
Baffled and lost for ideas, Medvedev could do nothing to slow the rampaging Sinner, who kept his foot firmly on the gas with another break to open the second set, which left the World Number four staring across the net with a stunned look.
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Top Women Chess Players Take Centre Stage in 2024 Global Chess League Draft
Published
3 weeks agoon
August 15, 2024By
SudhashreeThe Global Chess League, a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, is all set for the second season as 30 of the world’s best chess players were handpicked by six franchises during the Player Draft held on Sunday in New Delhi.
Following the huge success of the inaugural edition in Dubai last year, the second season is scheduled to take place from October 3rd to 12th at Friends House in London. All six teams – Alpine SG Pipers, Ganges Grandmasters, Mumba Masters, PBG Alaskan Knights, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings, and the debutants American Gambits– engaged in a thrilling bidding process to assemble strong squads for the second season of the league.
With 1000 points allocated to use during the bidding process, each franchise filled their quota of two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy player, in addition to the Icons announced last month.
The stellar line-up of Icon players include Magnus Carlsen (Alpine SG Pipers), Viswanathan Anand (Ganges Grandmasters), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Mumba Masters) Ian Nepomniachtchi (Triveni Continental Kings), and debutants Hikaru Nakamura (American Gambits) and Anish Giri (PBG Alaskan Knights).
The proceedings began with Richard Rapport getting drafted into Alpine SG Pipers, who completed their quota of Superstar Men after retaining the services of Praggnanandhaa R. American Gambits then completed their Superstar Men slots by picking Vladislav Artemiev and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Arjun Erigaisi and Parham Maghsoodloo were drafted to Ganges Grandmasters, while PBG Alaskan Knights acquired Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and retained Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Triveni Continental Kings picked up Wei Yi and Teimour Radjabov.
Arjun Erigaisi, who recently broke into top five in World Rankings, expressed, “The player draft was absolutely thrilling and I am happy to turn up for the Ganges Grandmasters. They have picked versatile players and I look forward to a fantastic event in London.”
The Superstar Women dominated the Player Draft as franchises used significant amount of points from their purse to acquire their services. Apart from retaining Yan Zhongyi, PBG Alaskan Knights picked up Alina Kashlinskaya. Vaishali R and Nurgyul Salimova were drafted by Ganges Grandmasters, while Alexandra Kosteniuk and Valentina Gunina were acquired by Triveni Continental Kings. American Gambits filled in their quota of Superstar Women with Bibisara Assaubayeva and Elisabeth Paehtz, while Grandmasters Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli were retained by Mumba Masters.
Four-time Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan said, “Firstly, I am happy to be part of the Global Chess League Season 2. The opening season in Dubai created a lot of buzz in the chess world and this time, I am happy to be part of the Alpine SG in this edition.”
PBG Alaskan Knights picked up Nihal Sarin, while Mumba Masters used their remaining purse to acquire Raunak Sadhwani. Daniel Dardha went to Alpine SG Pipers, Volodar Murzin to Ganges Grandmasters, Javokhir Sindarov to defending champions Triveni Continental Kings and Jonas Buhl Bjerre to American Gambits.
Expressing excitement on joining PBG Alaskan Knights, star prodigy Nihal Sarin, said, “For someone my age, coming up the ranks in this sport, I am super thrilled to be part of the Global Chess League Season 2. I am looking forward to learn from the stalwarts playing in this season and I am happy to be part of PBG Alaskan Knights this season.”
Upon the successful completion of the player draft for this second season, Sameer Pathak, CEO, Global Chess League, said, “We had an action-packed day at the players draft. All six franchises have put together strong and equal teams, and with the second season taking place in London, it is poised to be bigger and more exciting. Best wishes to all the players and franchises, we are eagerly anticipating a cracking extravaganza in October.
In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.
Announcements
Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbeck, Arjun named among Superstar Men for Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 2
Published
1 month agoon
August 2, 2024By
SudhashreeThe Global Chess League, a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, today announced its star-studded list of men players for the second season, scheduled to be held from 3rd to 12th October at Friends House in London.
Joining the ranks of Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Viswanathan Anand in the second season are returning Superstars, including World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi, World No. 6 Nodirbek Abdusattorov, World No. 8 Praggnanandhaa R, and World No. 10 Wei Yi. Praggnanandhaa R, who stole the limelight in the prodigy round of the first season and was awarded Player of the Tournament for his exceptional performance, will compete in the Superstar men’s category.
Making the competition even more compelling, Vidit Gujrathi, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Richárd Rapport, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Alexander Grischuk, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Vladislav Artemiev will also be a part of the 12-member list of Superstar men players for the second season.
Sameer Pathak, CEO of the Global Chess League, said, “We are delighted to announce the list of Superstar men players for the upcoming season. These elite players are poised to deliver thrilling and unforgettable games for their teams in the league’s innovative format that incentivizes risk-taking. We are confident that these players will deliver a remarkable chess spectacle in London.”
The first-of-its-kind franchise-based league features a total of six teams consisting of six players – one Icon player, two Superstar male players, two Superstar female players, and one prodigy in each team. In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.
Announcements
Top Women Stars Wenjun, Koneru, Vaishali to Shine in Global Chess League Season 2
Published
1 month agoon
July 31, 2024By
SudhashreeThe Global Chess League, a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, today announced the list of women Superstars who will be competing in the second season scheduled from October 3rd to 12th at Friends House in London.
In the second season, the reigning FIDE World Champion, Ju Wenjun, will be making her debut. She will be joined by World No. 1, Hou Yifan, who is returning to the premier annual chess event, alongside Indian chess Superstars Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. The line-up also includes some of the biggest names in women’s chess, such as Kateryna Lagno, Gunina Valentina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Tan Zhongyi, and Nurgyul Salimova.
In addition, the upcoming season of the Global Chess League will feature Vaishali Rambabu, the latest Indian woman to achieve Grandmaster rank, alongside her brother Praggnanandhaa. This makes them the first brother-sister duo to participate in the league. The roster of women Superstars also includes Alina Kashlinskaya, the 2019 European Women’s Individual Chess Champion, and Bibisara Assaubayeva, former World Blitz Champion.
World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun, said, “I followed the first season of the Global Chess League and it was very exciting to watch the unique format. The tremendous response from fans and the chess fraternity made it even more special. I am eagerly looking forward to the second season in London, where I can once again immerse myself in this wonderful experience.”
Making her debut in the second season, Grandmaster Vaishali R, added, “The world of chess has long sought a worldwide sports event that places male and female players on the same pedestal. The Global Chess League is bridging this gap and truly bringing chess as a visual spectacle to television screens across the world. I am delighted to be a part of the league this year and am looking forward to competing in front of fans in London.”
Sameer Pathak, CEO, Global Chess League, said, “The roster of women Superstars in the Global Chess League is truly exciting. These champion players will deliver intense and inspiring games for their teams. Our unique format, which brings together men, women, and prodigy players on the same teams, is a game-changer in professional sports. We are confident that the fans will be captivated by the intense matches in the second season.”
Adding to the excitement, the unique joint team format of the league will be aired on major OTT and broadcast platforms worldwide, heightening the anticipation among fans.