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England boss Southgate dismisses disrespectful Man Utd links – ARN News Centre

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AFP / Justin Tallis

England manager Gareth Southgate said reports linking him with the top job at Manchester United were completely disrespectful and that he would only decide about his future after the European Championship.

Southgate has yet to agree on a new deal ahead of the Euros, which will be his fourth major competition in charge of England. His current contract runs through to the end of 2024.

“My focus is the European Championship,” Southgate told reporters on Friday ahead of England’s friendly against Brazil.

“If we did something, a contract here (with England) before, everybody would be saying, ‘Why are you signing a contract before a Euros where you’ve got to prove yourself?’

“I’m certainly not going to speak to anybody else ahead of that. I never have. I’ve been here eight years in the job. I wouldn’t entertain speaking to anybody else when I’m in a job.”

Reports in British media say the 53-year-old is among United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s top candidates to replace Erik Ten Hag if the Dutchman parts ways with the Old Trafford club, who are sixth in the Premier League.

“There are two things from my point of view,” Southgate added. “One is that I’m the England manager. I’ve got one job: to try to deliver a European Championship. Clearly, before that, two important games this week.

“The second thing is United has a manager. It’s always completely disrespectful when there’s any speculation about a manager that’s in place.

“I’m president of the LMA (League Managers Association), so I don’t have any time for that sort of thing, really.”

England host Brazil later on Saturday and Belgium on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium.

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Honorfx Eagles beat game changers Falcons 20-15, gets first win of the season

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After suffering defeats in their first two matches, HonorFX Eagles bounced back with a 20-15 victory in their last match of the World Tennis League Season 3 held at the iconic Etihad Arena on Saturday. 

This win took HonorFX Eagles to second place with an overall game tally of 54 points, while the Game Changers Falcons, despite the setback, held on to the top spot with 68 points.  However, all eyes will be on the final league-stage match between TSL Hawks and Kites, as the finalists will be determined later in the evening after this showdown. With all four teams still in contention, the match promises to be a decisive and thrilling encounter.

The women’s singles clash between HonorFX Eagles’ Iga Swiatek and Game Changers Falcons’ Elena Rybakina began on an even note. Swiatek broke Rybakina’s third serve to seize the advantage and went on to comfortably close out the set 6-3 for HonorFX Eagles.

In the women’s doubles, Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa made an immediate impact, breaking the opening serve of their opponents, Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia, to take control of the set. The duo cruised to a comfortable 6-2 victory, extending HonorFX Eagles’ lead to 12-5. 

The men’s doubles saw a similar dominance from HonorFX Eagles as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Shevchenko outclassed Game Changers Falcons’ Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov. The HonorFX Eagles duo closed out the set 6-4 with ease, giving their team a massive 18-8 lead.

In the all-important set of the match, Game Changers Falcon’s Rublev came out all guns blazing against HonorFX Eagles’ Tsitsipas. Rublev stormed to a commanding 5-0 lead before Tsitsipas managed to hold serve, making it 5-1. Rublev then sealed the set 6-1, narrowing the overall score to 15-19 and pushing the game into Over Time.

Despite his earlier struggles, Tsitsipas rose to the occasion in the Over Time, holding Rublev to love in a critical game to clinch the match 20-15. The victory marked the HonorFX Eagles’ first win of the season.

Rublev, who has been in fine form and has won all the men’s singles sets he has competed in at WTL so far, reflected on his performance. He said, “I don’t think I’m leading the team; it just happens that my singles matches have been the last ones, and I’ve managed to win them all, so maybe it looks that way. But the truth is, we’re a team, and we’re all trying to do our best together.” 

“Today, I think I played a good match. It was Stefanos’ first singles match here, so it’s understandable he didn’t feel his best. I struggled in my first match too, but now I’ve adjusted to the conditions, and I think I played really well today,” Rublev added while talking about his match-up against Tsitsipas.

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Nick Kyrgios Fires Back at Mahut in Explosive Tennis Comeback

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Adapted from an exclusive with Telecom Asia Sports

Abu Dhabi, December 20, 2024 – Nick Kyrgios is back, and he’s not holding back. After a hard fought defeat in his match against Andrey Rublev at the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi, the Australian tennis star hit out at former doubles World No. 1 Nicolas Mahut amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Kyrgios’ comments about Jannik Sinner, the current world No. 1.

The drama began after Kyrgios, never one to mince words, expressed his desire to face Sinner at the upcoming Australian Open, vowing to turn the crowd against the Italian. Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Kyrgios said: “Let’s be honest, I just want to go out there and I really want to play Sinner. If I played him in the Australian Open, I’d get every person in the crowd to get on him. It would turn into an absolute riot. All respect would go out the window, and I would just do anything to win.”

Kyrgios’ comments came in the wake of Sinner’s doping controversy earlier this year, where the Italian tested positive for the banned substance clostebol. While Sinner was ultimately cleared of any fault by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the case remains under appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Kyrgios has been vocal about his disapproval of the ruling, previously calling for Sinner to be banned.

Mahut, a former doubles World No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion, publicly condemned Kyrgios for what he deemed unnecessary and disrespectful remarks. Speaking to Eurosport, Mahut said: “I don’t like these kinds of statements. Kyrgios gave his opinion about Sinner’s positive tests, which is fine, but to let it escalate like this? Sinner has never disrespected anyone, and he’s the No. 1 in the world. There’s no need to let yourself go like this.” Mahut also dismissed Kyrgios’ chances of defeating Sinner, predicting, “Even if the crowd gets excited, Sinner will win that match easily with 6-3s.”

In an interview following his match at the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi, Kyrgios responded to Mahut’s criticism with characteristic bluntness. Speaking exclusively to Telecom Asia Sports, he remarked: “I don’t know if there’s a back-and-forth. Nicolas Mahut, on a global level, hasn’t made inroads like I have, so I’ll let that be. And I don’t think the world necessarily cares too much about what Nicolas Mahut has to say.”

The 29-year-old, returning to the court after over a year recovering from wrist reconstruction surgery, also addressed his ability to compete at the highest level. “I wasn’t retiring. Trust me, I was two sets away from winning a Grand Slam. I didn’t retire; I was forced to stop playing for a while. It was very, very hard because I was playing the best tennis of my life,” Kyrgios told Telecom Asia Sports. “It’s been about 16 months since my surgery, and I’ve done everything the right way—no shortcuts, just rehab and hard work. I’ve put myself in the best position I can, and now I’ll let my tennis do the talking.”

Kyrgios didn’t shy away from addressing Mahut’s criticism of his confidence, saying: “I have people like Mahut telling me to be realistic. He was an amazing doubles player, a Grand Slam champion, no doubt, but he didn’t have the singles career I’ve had. That’s probably why he has his opinion. But on the singles court, he never had the belief I have, so that opinion means nothing to me.” He added, “Federer, Nadal, Djokovic—they were the greatest because people were defeated before they even stepped on the court with them. I don’t want to be that player. I’ll always back my ability and my belief.”

While Kyrgios acknowledged the current dominance of players like Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, he remained defiant. “There’s no doubt that Sinner, Alcaraz—these guys are the best in the world right now, hands down. But that doesn’t mean I won’t believe in myself. I’ll always back myself and do everything I can to compete,” he stated.

Kyrgios is set to make his much-anticipated return to the Australian Open in January, marking his first appearance at his home Grand Slam in three years. He will also partner with Novak Djokovic in the doubles draw at the Brisbane International, a pairing that has already created buzz in the tennis world.

As Kyrgios reenters the spotlight, one thing is clear—his unfiltered approach and unwavering confidence continue to make him one of tennis’ most polarizing and fascinating figures. Whether or not he faces Sinner, Kyrgios has made it clear that he’s ready to fight for his place among the game’s elite.


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Falcons and Hawks Edge Out Kites and Eagles in Day 2 battle at World Tennis League

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Abu Dhabi, December 20, 2024 – The Game Changers Falcons secured their second straight win in the World Tennis League Season 3, narrowly defeating the Kites 24-21 in a gripping Match 4 at Etihad Arena. With this victory, the Falcons climbed to the top of the points table with 53 points, keeping their unbeaten run alive.

The women’s doubles set saw a fierce battle, as Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini gave the Kites an early edge by breaking serve in the opening game. However, Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia of the Falcons regrouped to push the set to a tiebreak at 6-6, eventually clinching it 7-6 to give their team a narrow lead.

Rybakina continued her stellar form in the women’s singles, controlling the pace of the set against Halep. The Falcons’ star never allowed Halep to find her rhythm, closing the set 6-4 and extending the Falcons’ lead to 13-10.

The mixed doubles set paired Nick Kyrgios and Jasmine Paolini against Caroline Garcia and Denis Shapovalov. The set saw incredible rallies and thrilling moments, with Kyrgios and Paolini eventually prevailing in a tight 7-6 battle. Their win brought the Kites closer, narrowing the overall score to 17-18.

In the deciding men’s singles, Andrey Rublev delivered a composed performance against Kyrgios. After breaking Kyrgios’ serve to take a 4-2 lead, Rublev maintained control and closed the set 6-4, securing the Falcons’ 24-21 win and cementing their position at the top of the standings.

Following the match, Kyrgios expressed his excitement about the league format: “Every game counts in the World Tennis League. I love the mixed doubles format—it’s incredible to be on the same side of the net as someone like Paolini. For me, this is the perfect return, just the right amount of tennis without feeling overwhelming.”

Earlier in the day, the TSL Hawks claimed a decisive 21-14 win over the HonorFX Eagles, moving to second place on the leaderboard with 47 points.

With two action-packed days in the books, the World Tennis League continues to captivate fans at Etihad Arena.

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