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Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning women’s champion, fought off a spirited Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday, earning her victory over Carlos Alcaraz.

With a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 quarter-final victory over Taylor Fritz on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Djokovic snuffed out his chances to win the first American Grand Slam singles title since 2003.

The victory placed the 38-year-old Serbian in a mouthwatering semi-final with Spanish second seed Alcaraz on Friday, chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory.

Fourth seed Fritz double-faulted on match point in the tenth game of the final set to earn Djokovic the victory and couldn’t hide his relief at winning in the end.

A few points on either side in this kind of match will determine the winner, he said. It was “a very close match,” the player said. It was really anyone’s match.

Read more about how Premier League clubs break a £3 billion barrier to advance over rivals.

In a three-hour, 24-minute battle that spanned the length of his career, Fritz was left ruining his inability to make the most of the opportunities that came his way. He only scored two of 13 points.

Instead of allowing Djokovic to wiggle off the hook and take a one-set lead, the American fourth seed wasted five break points in the opening set that would have made it 5-4.

Then, after coming back to break Djokovic to tie the game at 5-5, Fritz was immediately broken, giving up the lead.

The veteran Serb regrouped to win the next set while Fritz hit back in the third set as Djokovic duly held for a two-set lead.

Djokovic said, “I thought I was really lucky to save some important break points in the second set.” He was, in my opinion, the better player for the majority of the second and third sets.

Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard who is currently in blistering form, will face Djokovic in the final four matches.

The Czech 20th seed Jiri Lehecka was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour, 56 minutes, according to the five-time Grand Slam champion.

Alcaraz is back in complete control of the semi-finals against Lehecka, but this time it was Alcaraz who had never let down a set.

Alcaraz, who has won 35 of his last 36 matches since the start of the Italian Open in May, described it as “a really, or almost perfect match.”

“Just two more steps to go, I guess, and let’s see what happens. But I’m still hungry and feeling great right now.

Sabalenka walkover &nbsp

After Czech quarter-finalist Marketa Vondrousova’s knee injury forced her to withdraw from the women’s draw on Tuesday, world number one and defending champion Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals.

Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, was offered sympathy by Sabalenka in bid to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams won a hat-trick of titles in 2014.

After everything she’s been through, I’m so sorry for Marketa. She has played incredible tennis, and I know how hurtful this must have been for her, according to Sabalenka, who has now advanced to the US Open semifinals or better five times in a row.

The walkover sets up a repeat of the US Open final from the previous year on Thursday when Sabalenka takes on fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula.

Barbora Krejcikova, a unseeded Czech, defeated Pegula 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday.

Pegula’s breakout form led to her entering the US Open, which saw her exit WTA competitions in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati early on.

But she has since rediscovered her self-assurance as she makes covert rounds in New York against a number of unseeded foes.

After winning in a 1hr 26min match, Pegula declared, “I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis.”

Pegula expressed her gratitude for the chance to redress Sabalenka’s defeat in the previous year.

According to financial experts Deloitte, the Premier League is now the “most competitive in world football” thanks to record spending of £3 billion ($4 billion) during the summer transfer window.

After a day of significant moves, Liverpool announced the record-breaking signing of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak for a sumptuous £125 million deal late on Monday.

More than £3 billion in gross sales were made during the window, which is an increase of about £650 million from the previous record of £2. according to Deloitte, $4 billion is projected to be in 2023.

Gross spend exceeds $ 2 billion for the third straight summer, and it is the first to surpass $ 3 billion.

spending surpassed that in other top five leagues in Europe, accounting for 51% of total gross domestic product, including the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.

INCLUDE   Following a record deal, Liverpool reveal the striker issak.

A third record-breaking summer of Premier League spending in four years, according to Tim Bridge, lead partner at Deloitte Sports Business Group, sends a clear message that clubs have no plans to reduce their investment in the on-pitch product despite subdued spending elsewhere in the region.

Premier League clubs are looking to attract the best talent and help cement the league as the most competitive in world football with more English teams than ever competing in European competitions, more than any other league in Europe. ”

After selling the veteran Ederson to Fenerbahce, Manchester City made a signing announcement for Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on Tuesday.

Donnarumma, 26, has agreed to a five-year deal with the Etihad for a reported $ 26 million ($35 million).

Donnarumma, who will wear the 99 shirt, was a key member of the PSG side that won the Champions League last year and scored for Italy when they won Euro 2020.

However, his absence from PSG’s Super Cup squad made it clear that Lucas Chevalier, the club’s new signing, was insufficient.

READ MORE:   Liverpool Unveil Striker Isak Following Record Deal

Donnarumma, whose signing came a day after the summer transfer window closed, remarked, “To have signed for Manchester City is such a special and proud moment for me.”

“I’m joining a team that has the best talent in football history, Pep Guardiola, and a team that has one of the best managers in the game’s history. Every player interested in world football would like to join this organization.

Donnarumma, who stands 1.96 meters (six feet, five inches) tall, made his professional debut at AC Milan when he was 16 years old, before making his 2021 PSG move.

He has won 74 international caps and 412 club appearances.

Donnarumma’s arrival, according to City’s football director, was a huge boost for the club, who have had a poor season so far.

We are all “absolute thrilled” that Gianluigi has joined us at City because of his pedigree, quality, and track record.

He “knows what it takes to achieve success on a sustained level” and has a wealth of top-level experience.

One of the most successful players in club history was described as the departing Ederson, who Fenerbahce reported signing for a reported £12 million.

The Brazilian goalkeeper contributed greatly to Guardiola’s possession-based philosophy thanks to his excellent distribution, but there were growing doubts last season about how well he shot shots.

On Tuesday, City posted images of Ederson celebrating trophies, including the Champions League in 2023, on social media, saying, “You helped us make history.”

In 276 league games, Ederson, 32, kept 122 clean sheets and six Premier League titles, as well as two FA Cups.

The goalkeeper, who made 372 appearances for the club in all competitions, said, “I arrived in Manchester eight years ago with full of hope, but I could not have predicted such a beautiful time together.”

He continued, “I will always be a fan of this special club, and playing for City has been the most special time of my life.”

“I’m leaving a large family here, but I’m going with my wife and kids.”

James Trafford, a goalkeeper for Burnley, was also acquired by City during the transfer window, but he has so far failed to persuade.

As Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals on Monday, Naomi Osaka claimed a stunning victory at the US Open by defeating home favorite Coco Gauff in the final 16.

On the occasion of the Labor Day holiday in New York, the Japanese star defeated third seed Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in a highly anticipated but uneven fourth-round showdown between former US Open champions.

In the first game, Osaka broke in front of a frightened Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, and the result was a brutal display of unforced serve in a failed attempt to stop a misfiring Gauff.

READ MORE:   Liverpool Unveil Striker Isak Following Record Deal

Osaka, who is preparing to play in a fifth Grand Slam, said, “This is my favorite court in the world and it means so much to me to be back today.”

At this stage of my career, Osaka remarked, “This is kind of uncharted territory.” Simply put, I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying myself.

The 27-year-old, a two-time US Open champion, is enjoying her most recent major success since 2021 when she won her second Australian Open championship.

Osaka, who returned to tennis last year after giving birth to her daughter in 2023, has endured a difficult climb back to the top of the game.

Osaka also defeated a 15-year-old Gauff in their first meeting in 2019 by beating her at the US Open. “I just really wanted to come out here and play,” said Osaka, who was in the stands two months after giving birth.

Gauff acknowledged that her efforts to change her faltering serve had had had a significant impact on her after a difficult first week.

She said, “I think emotionally how intense this week was, and I believe I just stepped in today and perhaps felt a little empty.”

In Wednesday’s quarter-finale, Osaka will face Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova. With a 6-3, 6-7 (0/14), 6-3 win over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, Mehrova will now face her third straight semi-finale at Flushing Meadows.

In just 81 minutes, reigning men’s champion Sinner completely wiped out Alexander Bublik, who had to start the night session 6-1, 6-1, and 6-1.

Bublik, who was the only player to defeat Sinner this year, did not drop serve all tournament but had already seen eight broken by the world number one.

He had a very difficult match the previous match, and I broke him early because he didn’t serve as well as he usually does. “Overall, I’m very happy,” he said.

After the defeat, Bublik grinned as he waved to Sinner at the net and said, “You’re so good, this is insane.”

Since Roger Federer won the final of his five successive titles in 2008, Sinner is attempting to become the first man to defend the US Open.

In order to reach his first US Open quarter-final, he advances to an all-Italian matchup with 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated unseeded Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-0, 6-1.

Swiatek is “in the zone.”

In just under an hour, Swiatek defeated Russian 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-1 to extend her Grand Slam winning streak to 11 matches as she fights for the title in the US Open.

She initially seemed to play quickly, but later on I felt trapped inside her and in the zone, Swiatek said.

In a repeat of the Wimbledon final, which Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0, Amanda Anisimova. Beatriz Haddad, the American, defeated the Brazilian 18th seed 6-0, 6-3.

Alex de Minaur, the eighth-seeded man, defeated Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.

De Minaur made it to the sixth Grand Slam quarter-final by taking eight breaks to put the world number 435 to the test. However, he has never made it past the final eight.

The Australian next faces Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final in three years.

The best Grand Slam win for Auger-Aliassime came in 2021 when he advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open.

Returning to the final eight of New York feels “even better than the first time,” according to Auger-Aliassime, 25.

“I believe that when I was 21 years old, I was sort of on my way up.” It feels much better to come back for a second time to the quarter-finals here after a few setbacks, injuries, and struggles with confidence.

After a lengthy search for the Sweden international who predominated the Premier League transfer window, Liverpool finally signed Newcastle striker Alexander Isak on Monday in a record-breaking £125 million ($169 million) deal.

After being able to persuade Newcastle to accept an improved bid, Isak reportedly has signed a six-year contract with the Premier League champions.

He stated on the Liverpool website, “I feel amazing. “It’s taken a long journey to get here,” he said. However, I’m incredibly excited to be a part of this team, this club, and everything it stands for.

I’m very excited about it and am proud of it.

“I’m just happy it’s finished and that I can resume my work,” she said. I’m eager to see my teammates, the fans, and return to the scene.

In August, Newcastle turned down Arne Slot’s £110 million offer, but Isak’s resolve to force the deal through paid off as the transfer saga grew more tetchy.

Isak informed Newcastle that he wanted to leave and instead chose to spend some time practicing at Real Sociedad instead of Eddie Howe’s side.

Read more about Erik Ten Hag being sacked by Leverkusen after two League games.

He claimed he broke a promise to leave if a top club made him a suitable offer and that he would not be able to do so during Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia due to what is said to be a thigh injury.

Isak, who scored 27 goals in 42 appearances for the team overall last season, had been repeatedly urged by Howe to keep him.

With a League Cup victory over Liverpool and Isak’s goals, Newcastle finally broke its 56-year trophy drought and qualified for Champions League play.

Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade’s swoop on Saturday, however, made it possible for the Swedish international to secure his career move.

Before the Premier League’s 1800 GMT transfer deadline, the 25-year-old completed his move to Merseyside for a medical on Monday before completing his contract.

With the signing of Isak, Liverpool has spent an estimated £416 million on new players since the end of last season.

The other notable newcomers to Liverpool include: Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi, and Giovanni Leoni.

Chelsea’s goal of $ 400 million was broken by the Reds’ spending in the previous summer window in 2023.

Before Isak’s move, the Reds had already broken their own transfer record by acquiring Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz for an initial $ 100 million.

With the signing of Enzo Fernandez for a sum of $ 107 million in 2023, Chelsea broke the previous record.

Slot will attempt to win a seventh Champions League title while also defending Liverpool’s hold on the title.

Liverpool would become the most successful team in English top-flight history, winning 21 titles if they were to win the Premier League once more this year.

Since winning three games in a row between 1982 and 1984, the Reds have not won the title in three seasons.

Slot will be under pressure to break the record-breaking title because of Isak’s position as Liverpool’s fulcrum.

With new signings Isak, Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike joining Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa, the Dutchman has a wealth of forward options.

Chiesa is the only senior arrival at Liverpool during the summer of 2024 for an initial fee of £10 million, marking a significant change in policy.

Over the summer, Liverpool sold Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyler Morton, and Ben Doak, all of whom received around £190 million.

After only two Bundesliga games in charge, Bayern Leverkusen announced on Monday that Erik Ten Hag had been fired.

Ten Hag succeeded Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid after being let go by Manchester United in October.

“We had to make a difficult choice,” he said. No one wanted to make this decision, according to Simon Rolfes, the director of sport.

According to Rolfes, “the recent weeks have demonstrated that the efforts to create a new and prosperous team have not been fruitful.”

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The decision, according to club CEO Fernando Carro, was “painful but necessary.”

The 55-year-old Dutchman now has a bad record as the coach to be fired so soon after five matches, breaking the previous five-match mark for the former.

Ten Hag was appointed United manager in July 2022 after a run of just one win in eight games, which was the club’s worst Premier League start-up. Ten Hag won the FA and League Cups before being fired.

Ten Hag was given the task of guiding a dramatic rebuild after Leverkusen’s most successful decade, which included the club’s first Bundesliga title in 120 years and an unbeaten run in the league and cup from 2023 to 2024.

Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, and Lukas Hradecky were all left out of Leverkusen’s top team players this summer.

Ten Hag’s replacement was not named by the club, who stated that “the assistant coaching staff would take over the training duties for the time being.”

Ten Hag took over for Leverkusen in a 5-1 defeat for Flamengo’s under-20s team in a friendly game in Brazil on July 1.

Leverkusen won their first two Bundesliga games by claiming one point after prevailing over fourth-place Sonnenhof Grossaspach with a 4-0 victory in their opener.

After leading 2-0 and 3-1 at home to Hoffenheim, Leverkusen lost 2-1 to Hoffenheim, and on Saturday conceded two late goals to draw 3-3 against 10-man Werder Bremen.

Despite having a short time at the club, Ten Hag was reported to be facing the sack on Sunday by German media outlets Bild and Kicker.

In addition to a number of young players, Ten Hag was given the task of bedding in more than a dozen brand-new players in the offseason.