Category News

Cameron Norrie, a British player, was let down by teen sensation Learner Tien in the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

On another hot and humid evening, world number 33 Norrie defeated the American 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6.

After breaking free in the first set, Norrie returned and served for the opener before Tien regrouped to take the final tie-break.

Norrie then missed another two chances to break back after missing three break points early in the second set before losing his serve the following match.

This year, he has already defeated Medvedev twice, once in the semi-finals of last week’s China Open, where the Russian was forced to retire with cramps.

The 19-year-old advanced to the fourth round in Melbourne and defeated Lorenzo Musetti and Medvedev, both of whom finished in the top five this year.

Jannik Sinner, the second-ranked player in the China Open final, forced him to retire with a broken leg on Monday in Shanghai.

With a 6-3 7-6 (7-5), Medvedev looked to wrap up a difficult year by winning over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Alexander Zverev, the third-ranked player, lost to Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a first-round match.

Rinderknech, who knocked him out of Wimbledon in the first round, has now defeated Zverev for the second time this year.

Zverev, a German who reached the Australian Open final at the start of the year, has had a disappointing season, winning just one title.

Zverev said, “My year has been terrible, I’m just playing terrible tennis all year.”

The Israel-Premier Tech team are to drop Israel from their name from next season.

The team were at the centre of several disruptions during last month’s Vuelta a Espana in Spain, as pro-Palestinian protests were staged over Israel’s war in Gaza.

The team said the past few months had been “an incredibly difficult period” but “recognised the need for change”.

They added: “With steadfast commitment to our riders, staff, and valued partners, the decision has been made to rename and re-brand the team, moving away from its current Israeli identity.

The Israel-Premier Tech squad, whose five British riders include four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, is Israeli-registered and owned by Israeli-Canadian property billionaire Sylvan Adams.

It was founded as Israel Cycling Academy in 2014 and has been sponsored by Canadian company Premier Tech since 2022.

Premier Tech said last month it expected Israel to be dropped from the name from the 2026 season.

Adams is to step back from his day-to-day role as part of the changes and will no longer speak on the team’s behalf.

The 66-year-old is closely associated with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and has previously told BBC Sport he is a “self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

There were several protests and disruptions during the three-week Vuelta, aimed mainly at the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team, who stopped using their full name on their jerseys midway through the race.

The final stage, around Madrid, was cancelled following pro-Palestinian protests, which caused scuffles with riders and the course to be blocked in several places.

The team had their invitation to last weekend’s second-tier Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy revoked over fears the race could have been affected by similar disruptions.

President of the professional cyclists’ union Adam Hansen has said cutting races short may be the only way to deter protests.

World cycling governing body the UCI said it will continue to welcome Israeli athletes at its competitions despite calls for sporting boycotts.

After the United Nations commission of inquiry formally declared Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – a claim Israel denies – there have been growing calls for the country to be suspended from international football competition.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Matt Warwick – cycling reporter

This is a painful admission by the team and its owner Sylvan Adams that the presence of Brand Israel is causing unease in places such as elite sport.

Adams’ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, if not officially assigned. He supported Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a trip to the White House to oversee the signing of an accord between Emirati nations and Israel during President Trump’s first term in 2020.

The team began largely thanks to Adams’ passion for cycling, and belief that the sport can bring communities closer together in parts of the world away from its European heartland. Indeed, a certain amount of new infrastructure at the recent Road World Championships in Rwanda came from Israeli investment.

But despite a few Grand Tour stage wins here and there, Israel-Premier Tech have found the pace hard going at times at the elite level, and can ill afford to lose sponsors such as Canada’s pesticide specialists Premier Tech.

The Israel-Premier Tech team are to drop Israel from their name from next season.

The team were at the centre of several disruptions during last month’s Vuelta a Espana in Spain, as pro-Palestinian protests were staged over Israel’s war in Gaza.

The team said the past few months had been “an incredibly difficult period” but “recognised the need for change”.

They added: “With steadfast commitment to our riders, staff, and valued partners, the decision has been made to rename and re-brand the team, moving away from its current Israeli identity.

The Israel-Premier Tech squad, whose five British riders include four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, is Israeli-registered and owned by Israeli-Canadian property billionaire Sylvan Adams.

It was founded as Israel Cycling Academy in 2014 and has been sponsored by Canadian company Premier Tech since 2022.

Premier Tech said last month it expected Israel to be dropped from the name from the 2026 season.

Adams is to step back from his day-to-day role as part of the changes and will no longer speak on the team’s behalf.

The 66-year-old is closely associated with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and has previously told BBC Sport he is a” self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

There were several protests and disruptions during the three-week Vuelta, aimed mainly at the participation of the Israel-Premier Tech team, who stopped using their full name on their jerseys midway through the race.

The final stage, around Madrid, was cancelled following pro-Palestinian protests, which caused scuffles with riders and the course to be blocked in several places.

The team had their invitation to last weekend’s second-tier Giro dell’Emilia race in Italy revoked over fears the race could have been affected by similar disruptions.

President of the professional cyclists ‘ union Adam Hansen has said cutting races short may be the only way to deter protests.

World cycling governing body the UCI said it will continue to welcome Israeli athletes at its competitions despite calls for sporting boycotts.

After the United Nations commission of inquiry formally declared Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza – a claim Israel denies – there have been growing calls for the country to be suspended from international football competition.

In response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the hostage of 251, the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza.

Cycling reporter Matt Warwick

The team’s owner Sylvan Adams has painfully admitted that Brand Israel’s presence is causing unease in settings like elite sport.

Adams’ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, if not officially attributed. During President Trump’s first term in 2020, he backed Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration when he traveled to the White House to oversee the signing of an agreement between the Emirati countries.

Adams’ passion for cycling and belief that the sport can bring people together in places other than their European heartland were largely at the beginning of the team. In fact, Israeli investment contributed a significant amount to the recent Road World Championships in Rwanda.

Israel-Premier Tech can’t afford to lose sponsors like Canada’s Premier Tech, and despite a few Grand Tour stage victories occasionally, the pace is challenging at times at the elite level.

Following Saturday’s defeat at Stevenage, Luton Town have fired manager Matt Bloomfield, who ranks 11th in League One.

In January, Bloomfield assumed control of Luton after Rob Edwards left the club after being promoted there in a League One promotion.

As they finished 22nd in the Championship and fell behind on goal difference, losing 5-3 to West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season, he was unable to save them from a second successive relegation.

They won their first four games with three victories before the new campaign, but they suffered four losses from seven.

The League One season’s opening 11 games saw performances and results that were below expectations, according to a club statement.

With academy coach Alex Lawless, a former Luton player, in charge in place of Richard Thomas, Richard Thomas, first-team coach Lee Harrison, and analyst Ben Cirne, the team’s assistant has also left Kenilworth Road in preparation for Tuesday’s EFL Trophy game at Cambridge United.

Since taking over as leader, Sweet claimed that the 41-year-old had created a “fantastic environment” and was “incredibly capable, resilient, and determined.”

However, he cautioned that if the results did not improve, the club would have “no qualms” about making a change.

The board made a change after his comments were followed by a 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers. However, a draw at Blackpool and a defeat at Stevenage had given the club the opportunity to make changes.

Following a playing career that saw him make more than 500 appearances for Wycombe during his first 19 years as manager, Bloomfield made his first managerial debut at Colchester United in 2022.

After Gareth Ainsworth’s departure for Queens Park Rangers, he left Colchester and spent the first five months in charge of his former club. Wycombe remained in the top two the majority of the season.

Following Bloomfield’s three-and-a-half-year contract extension to Luton, the Chairboys were then defeated in the play-offs.

His first game as manager of the Hatters ended in a 0-0 draw with Preston North End, and he didn’t win with a score of 1-0 against Portsmouth until his 10th game.

Former Luton midfielder Jonathan Smith claimed that other teams were raising their game against them because they were perceived as a “big fish” in the division, but that also meant it shouldn’t be difficult to find good candidates for the manager’s position.

A little bit of a different approach and a fresh face in the door can sometimes just give everyone that boost, according to the author.

There will be plenty of candidates to run Luton Town. What a great opportunity it presents for someone to join this amazing club.

“Many managers who are out of work, even those who are employed, will think, “I fancy that,” they say.

After five years away from home, Smith was a member of the Hatters’ team that captured the Conference title in 2014.

He continued, “He’s not been able to find that settled line-up, he was a little unsure of what system, what personnel, and I think that just heightened the pressure on fans who are asking, “does he know what he’s doing?” ‘.

Geoff Doyle, sports editor for BBC Three Counties Radio,

This is not unexpected at all. Luton were booed off once more over the weekend when they lost to local rival Stevenage, and some reacted with chants like “we want our Luton back” and worse.

The relationship between Bloomfield, the team, and the club has become extremely toxic, and the fans have grown weary of each other. A team of players cannot be won over by the supporters.

Bloomfield has paid the price for winning five league games this year, despite having been unable to maintain Hatters’ dominance in the Championship when he first arrived in January.

He was given a raw hand, unsure of the players’ plans for the summer. The players have let him down, and the hiring process has been shaky once more.