Mubeen Blogs

Despite the drama on the court, the poor condition of Arthur Ashe Stadium was just one problem among many At the end of another comically late night and early morning in Flushing Meadows, when the remaining spectators were departing, a familiar scene was unfolding on the US Open tournament grounds. A handful of workers had congregated directly beneath a hole in the ceiling inside one of the tournament shops as they tried to stop water from flowing out of a broken pipe and ruining thousands of pounds worth of merchandise below. This was not a surprising sight. Upon entering Arthur Ashe Stadium this year, fans were greeted by some ominous signs: “Pardon our appearance while we write the next chapter of Arthur Ashe Stadium.” The tournament’s appearance, it must be said, was hideous. Inside the corridors and rooms at one of the biggest sporting events in the world, it felt like its main building was falling apart. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/oEhuYXV

Flanker says: ‘You almost have to be quite selfish’ Northampton still confident 21-year-old will stay Henry Pollock insists he has not yet re-signed for Northampton Saints and is “open to every opportunity” including playing abroad and trying out other sports. The England back-row forward is still widely expected to agree a deal to remain at Franklin’s Gardens but, for now, is refusing to publicly confirm his intentions beyond the end of this season. While the 21-year-old flanker, who toured with the British & Irish Lions last year, has been offered a significant pay rise in excess of £400,000 a year to stay with the English champions until 2029, his new promotor Eddie Hearn has been touting Pollock as “a seven-figure player” in terms of what he brings both on the field and commercially. Prem salary cap regulations, however, mean that few, if any, other English clubs are in a position to afford him at that level. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/E07SRc9

Teenager hits two in 4-2 victory at Levante Lepizig smash five past struggling Hamburg Barcelona continued their perfect start to the ⁠season with a hard-fought 4-2 La Liga victory over Levante in Valencia ⁠on Sunday. Levante ⁠found ​themselves two goals down within 19 minutes after swift play from ⁠Barcelona led to goals for Xavi Espart and Lamine Yamal. The home side ⁠then rallied, finishing the half with six ​shots to Barcelona’s ‌three. This story will be updated Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5xSp6FC

New world No 1’s relationship with her previously banned coach, Stefano Vukov, remains under spotlight despite her rise to the top In the bitter aftermath of her straight-sets defeat by Elena Rybakina at the WTA Finals last November, an inconsolable Aryna Sabalenka walked over to her courtside player box and slumped into a chair. She had been completely overpowered by her opponent, a strange and unusual feeling for such a powerful player, and she was seething. Sabalenka eventually settled on a popular Russian idiom to explain Rybakina’s untouchable form, which she believed was fortunately timed: “Once a year, even a stick shoots,” she said. That stick, it turns out, has spent the past year shooting straight at Sabalenka in every significant match. Rybakina’s performance in Riyadh was a clear warning and she has dominated the hard‑court grand slam tournaments this year, beating Sabalenka in the Australian Open and US Open finals. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.t...

World No 4 will become the first Black American man to win the singles title at Flushing Meadow since Arthur Ashe if he can beat German for the first time As Ben Shelton lapped up the explosion of joy and adoration from a full Arthur Ashe Stadium after reaching a grand slam final for the first time, one of his first thoughts was of his paternal grandmother, Regina, who died this year. Shelton credited his grandmother with ensuring that his father, Bryan, made it as a top professional, becoming one of a small group of Black men on the tour. “My dad lost his mom earlier this year and she’s the reason he was able to play tennis,” he said. “Without her, there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. So this one is for her.” Shelton stands on the verge of history. On Sunday, he will attempt to become the first Black American man to win the US Open singles title since Arthur Ashe in 1968, a feat he will attempt inside the stadium named after Ashe. Shelton would also be the first Black man to wi...

Is it too early for a Tottenham crisis? To which the answer is surely that it is never too early for a Tottenham crisis. After four Premier League games, they have yet to score. This kind of run has never happened in their history at the beginning of a league season. At least they mustered a couple of shots on target this time, having failed to do so last weekend in the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest . The first – from Mateus Fernandes – at the start of the second half was greeted by ironic cheers from the South Stand. It has certainly not been what the club expected when they spent £300m on overhauling the squad in the summer. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/y1D9fTu

Norwegian leaves rival Hocker trailing to claim $150,000 Briton Jazmin Sawyers second in the women’s long jump It is a scene that has become gloriously familiar down the years. Jakob Ingebrigtsen leaving the world’s best athletes gasping in his slipstream, holding one finger in the air, revelling in his athletic genius. But this victory over 5,000m at the inaugural Ultimate Championships carried extra sweetness – and spice. The sweetness? That came from winning a mammoth first prize of $150,000. And the spice? Well, that was provided by the way Ingebrigtsen utterly obliterated his great American rival Cole Hocker, a man he had branded a “coward” just a week ago. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/z1yCn8B