Archive January 28, 2026

Novak Djokovic’s bid to make more tennis history is still alive as he scraped into the Australian Open semi-finals after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured when leading by two sets.

Djokovic, aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, was wayward, error-strewn and irritable against the inspired Italian in front of a stunned crowd.

Musetti was 6-4 6-3 up and looked set for the semi-finals when he pulled up early in the third set.

The fifth seed took a medical timeout for treatment on his thigh but, unable to serve or move properly, he walked to the net and shook hands at 3-1 down in the third.

A heartbroken Musetti had to be helped down the corridor by a member of his team as he left the court.

“He was a far better player – I was on my way home tonight,” the 38-year-old Serb great said.

“I don’t know what to say except that I feel really sorry for him.

Djokovic received treatment for blisters on his feet at the end of the second set and could also have been tested physically had the match continued.

It is another stroke of luck for Djokovic after fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew before their match with injury.

Djokovic has not won a set since his third-round victory over Botic van de Zandschulp on 24 January.

For Djokovic to move ahead of Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles, he will need to limit his time on court, keep the points short and hope some good fortune goes his way.

Djokovic started sharply against Musetti, going an immediate break up, but then spectacularly lost his way.

A dreadful miss on an overhead handed the break back to Musetti and Djokovic never recovered, sending down just one ace and committing 18 unforced errors to nine winners on his way to losing the first set.

Djokovic frequently turned to his box in disbelief and annoyance – but he only had himself to blame at the start of the second set.

After breaking Musetti and getting out to a 30-0 lead on serve, Djokovic hit five unforced errors in six points to hand the initiative back.

Anchored by a one-handed backhand that kept Djokovic guessing and an improved serve, Musetti held off his opponent to move within touching distance of a first Australian Open semi-final.

Musetti’s level just made the injury all the more surprising. After being broken in the third set, he immediately called for the trainer and, after a valiant attempt at his next service game, called it quits.

Djokovic had warm words for his opponent at the net and afterwards – and, having struggled with physical issues early in his career, would know how devastated the 23-year-old was.

Despite the good fortune, Djokovic will know he will need to improve if he is to win an 11th Australian Open title, with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner potentially waiting in the last four.

Luis Enrique rarely lets slip any admission of his team’s weaknesses.

The Spaniard described Paris St-Germain’s defeat at Sporting in the Champions League last week as their best away performance since he took over as manager in 2023.

That is a bold claim, given the European champions have won in Barcelona and scored seven in Leverkusen this season alone.

But the statistics do not necessarily contradict his assessment, even if the PSG boss may have been looking to shield his players from increased criticism.

PSG appeared to have a firm grip on the match, with three-quarters of the possession, 28 shots, and three disallowed goals, but were undone by a late double from Sporting’s Colombia striker Luis Suarez.

“We deserved to win, but that’s how it is in football,” said Luis Enrique.

Despite controlling the game, issues which plagued the start of the Parisians’ Champions League campaign last season – as they went winless in four fixtures – seem to have resurfaced.

Just like in the autumn of 2024, their otherwise authoritative displays have been undermined by defensive mistakes and poor finishing.

Last year, the spectacular turnaround in form which culminated in a treble was helped by some clinical finishing, especially in away matches where chances were few and far between.

At the same time, low blocks were taken apart by a fluid front three led by Ousmane Dembele in an all-action false-nine role.

However, the free-flowing attacks from last season have been replaced by long passages of stale possession this term – as the league defeats by Marseille and Monaco illustrated.

Those results could be explained by the injury crisis which meant Dembele, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi were all sidelined in the autumn.

The Coupe de France loss to Paris FC earlier this month, though, seemed to confirm something is not clicking for PSG.

A convincing win over Lille a few days later, in which Dembele scored an improbable lob from the edge of the box, only briefly hinted at a return to their best.

PSG were then wasteful in defeat in Portugal and again in the 1-0 win at Auxerre last Friday.

“We created a lot of chances, but we’re lacking a bit of confidence and accuracy to finish them,” Luis Enrique said after the latter victory which meant his side moved above Lens to the top of Ligue 1.

For the better part of a calendar year, the Parisians could afford to go without a nominal centre-forward.

Dembele was enough of a focal point to draw defenders out of position, while pressing intensely and notching a career-best goalscoring return.

This season, the other PSG forwards have been too inconsistent to make up for the Frenchman’s absences.

Dembele, who is only just returning to full fitness, came off the bench to assist Bradley Barcola’s late winner against Auxerre.

Until then, Goncalo Ramos had struggled to make a decisive impact – as has often been the case when the Portugal forward starts.

Ramos undoubtedly has the skillset to be the focal point of PSG’s star-studded attack, but struggles to find enough space to involve himself.

To his credit, the former Benfica man does link up well with his team-mates when dropping deeper, but has struggled to score consistently outside of late-game cameos.

While PSG’s recent fast-tracking of academy graduates into the first team has been a success, their rise in playing time has inevitably come with uneven performances as young players find their feet in senior football.

Senny Mayulu, for instance, has filled in at centre-forward, winger, midfielder and right-back to varying degrees of success.

Ibrahim Mbaye, who starred for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations as an impact substitute, looked slightly off the pace as he was brought straight back into PSG’s starting XI on Friday.

Warren Zaire-Emery, now in his fourth season in the first team but still only 19, has been a more than serviceable stand-in for Hakimi at full-back.

The Moroccan’s influence in the final third, though, has been difficult for the France international to replicate.

Hakimi’s imminent return to action, having been out with an ankle injury since November, could offer PSG a new attacking dimension – and give Zaire-Emery some much-needed rest.

PSG’s short summer break, with the Super Cup coming exactly a month after the Club World Cup final, may also have contributed to their middling performances this season.

A travel-heavy schedule, which included a midweek trip to Kuwait for the Trophee des Champions earlier this month – when PSG beat Marseille on penalties – will also not have helped a depleted squad.

Luis Enrique, though, has dismissed any suggestion of fatigue as a deciding factor.

“It’s all in the head,” he said before their 2-1 league win over Paris FC at the start of January.

This season’s summer signings, meanwhile, have struggled to win fans over.

Lucas Chevalier has fended off competition from Matvey Safonov for now, notably thanks to his heroics in the Trophee des Champions, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s replacement in goal remains under pressure after some high-profile errors.

In Lisbon, the France keeper was first called into action 20 minutes from time, when he was beaten by Suarez for Sporting’s opening goal.

The 24-year-old then parried a shot straight into Suarez’s path for the Colombian’s second goal.

Illia Zabarnyi, who has similarly been under fire over a series of individual mistakes, was also too passive in his defending for Sporting’s winner.

Luis Enrique has reiterated his support for the new arrivals, pointing out the spotlight of the French capital does not make for the easiest environment in which to adapt.

“The first thing I like to do whenever we sign a player, is to tell them to be careful – at Paris St-Germain you’ll be criticised in your first season whatever you do,” the manager said.

Before Wednesday’s match against Newcastle, the 55-year-old urged his team to play with more authority.

“We have to control matches and passages of play,” Luis Enrique said. “We have to know that the ball is ours, and defend how we want. We’re going to try to dominate and win the match.”

At this stage last year, PSG were on the verge of crashing out of Europe entirely – before an upturn in form culminated in the greatest night in the club’s history.

The stakes are not as high this time around, although a winner-takes-all battle for a top-eight spot with Newcastle will be enticing nonetheless.

The prospect of two extra European matches would not be too serious a setback for PSG, given their domestic cup exit has already thinned out their fixture list.

Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has cancelled retirement plans and joined Yorkshire in a move he hopes can help the team continue to “build bridges” with communities.

The 38-year-old has reversed his decision to quit the county game, committing to playing in the T20 Blast.

Five years ago, Moeen spoke out in support of Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq who experienced racism while at the club.

Moeen says the case provided “a wake-up call for everybody” and expressed his belief that the county side have since “done a fantastic job integrating with society”.

“There was no doubt in my mind [to join Yorkshire]. There has definitely been a change throughout all of the counties, all the way through from coaches to umpires,” he said.

Over the past five years, Yorkshire have put in place a number of changes, from leadership to increasing support for women, girls and junior pathways.

Moeen, a two-time World Cup winner, joins the White Rose as one of England’s most accomplished white-ball cricketers, scoring 7,792 runs and taking 271 wickets in 420 T20 matches.

Moeen announced he would be leaving domestic cricket behind after featuring for Birmingham Bears last summer.

He ended his international career the previous year after playing 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20 internationals, and featuring in three Ashes series.

Following England’s recent 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, the team’s culture again made headlines, with the England and Wales Cricket Board pledging to investigate reports of players drinking excessively.

A devout Muslim, Moeen does not drink alcohol. From a sporting perspective, he says drinking a day or two before a match will have an impact on a player’s performance.

“I think when you’re at the elite level things have to be proper and if you’re trying to perform at the highest level then drinking is a bigger issue,” Moeen said.

“I think there should be something in place… I know it happens in football, guys hardly drink before the game, I think it will be the same in cricket within four or five years.”

Moeen, who won two IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings and captained Worcestershire to their first Blast triumph in 2018, also skippered Birmingham Phoenix to the final of the inaugural Hundred tournament.

He knows his latest move might surprise some people.

“There might be some fans disappointed at signing a 38-year-old, but I’m there to do a job and hopefully win silverware,” he said.

“And to play at Headingley, which is such an iconic ground, is one of the main reasons I signed for Yorkshire. I know this might be the last two or three years of my career and I want to win as much as I can.”

The move will also see Moeen team up with England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook, the Yorkshire batsman who has been making headlines on and off the pitch.

Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in an altercation during England’s tour of New Zealand before the Ashes. The incident and a fine imposed on Brook only came to light more than two months after the event.

More positively, Brook hit a rapid century for England on Tuesday in their victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo to secure a 2-1 ODI series win.

“I think he has done a good job. On and off the field is something everybody goes through, the greatest players have been through it, it’s how you learn and how you come back from it,” Moeen said.

“Mistakes can happen, it was just highlighted a lot more because we lost the Ashes. I think he will be fine, and I think he’ll learn a lot.”

Moeen will join his new side in May before their first T20 match against Nottinghamshire, and there is an option to extend his contract for 2027.

Yorkshire, who have never won the T20 Blast, have also signed Afghanistan’s Naveen Ul-Haq and Australian fast bowler AJ Tye and Netherlands all-rounder Logan van Beek for the forthcoming campaign.

Moeen said of his future: “I have got one eye on what I want to do after cricket. I want to go straight into coaching.