Category Sports News

Jasmine Paolini produced a scintillating display as she blew away Coco Gauff in straight sets to end a 40-year wait for a home winner of the women’s singles at the Italian Open.

Roared on by a partisan crowd at the Foro Italico in Rome, including Italian president Sergio Mattarella, Paolini triumphed 6-4 6-2 against Gauff of the United States.

Paolini, who was a surprise finalist at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, wrapped up victory on the clay in one hour and 29 minutes.

The 29-year-old was the first Italian woman to win the tournament since Raffaella Reggi in 1985 and only the fourth overall since its inception in 1930.

Neither player was able to hold serve in the opening three games before Paolini’s nerves eventually settled as she took a 3-1 lead.

That was the point at which Paolini upped the ante as she closed out the set in emphatic fashion.

Paolini raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set with two early breaks before Gauff claimed a break back and then managed to hold her serve.

However, Gauff was unable to wrestle momentum back her way as Paolini swaggered through the remainder of the set.

Guaff saved one match point but at 40-30 Paolini, who was born in Bagni di Lucca in Tuscany, sealed victory with an unstoppable serve right down the middle of the court.

Paolini’s victory will ensure she moves up a place to fourth in the world rankings on Monday and obtain a top-four seeding for the French Open, which begins next weekend.

She could yet win both the singles and women’s doubles tournaments, as she and partner Sara Errani take on Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens in Sunday’s final.

Monica Seles was the last woman to win the singles and doubles tournaments in Rome in 1990, while the only player to do so in a WTA 1000 series tournament was Vera Zvonareva at Indian Wells in 2009.

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton (7) 28

Tries: Kemeny, Haffar 2, Cons: Smith, Hutchinson 2

Saracens (19) 24

Tarek Haffar’s last-second try saw reigning Premiership champions Northampton Saints beat Saracens 28-24 and strike a huge blow to Sarries’ play-off hopes.

Josh Kemeny’s early try for Saints was cancelled out by a close-range Tom Willis score and a well-worked Juan Martin Gonzalez try before Elliot Daly added a third.

Rotimi Segun got the bonus-point try early in the second period before Saints replacement Haffar got one back as the hosts spurned a number of good chances to add to their tally.

Saints ensured a barnstorming finish as they earned a penalty-try after Andy Onyeama-Christie pulled down a maul – and Haffar went over as the clock ticked over the 80-minute mark to secure a great comeback.

Saints restored most of their regular starting line-up after resting them for the trip to lowly Exeter last week, as Saracens returned to Franklin’s Gardens for the first time since losing there in the Premiership semi-final last season.

Fin Smith’s grubber kick was picked up by Kemeny who just had enough momentum to cross the Sarries line in the eighth minute to put the hosts in front.

But Saracens replied almost instantly as Willis forced his way over after a period of pressure following a close-range lineout.

The try count was doubled midway through the half when a lovely passing move was set alight when Elliot Daly broke through the Saints line and set Gonzalez on his way in the right corner.

It looked as thought the win would be a routine one for Saracens when the bonus point was sealed, as Segun got on the end of a five-pass move from right to left from a lineout, especially when Saints had a try ruled out five minutes later when replays showed Alex Coles lost control of the ball as he dived in the corner.

But the hosts grew in confidence as Yaffar scored from close range after an hour before Tom Seabrook missed a golden chance two minutes later as he chased down a kick towards the corner but missed picking up the ball after Ivan van Zyl had slipped.

Saints ended up not regretting those missed chances as they scored twice in the final eight minutes.

Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock.

Replacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, Weimann, Garside, Seabrook

Saracens: Goode; Elliott, Daly, Tompkins, Segun; Burke, van Zyl; Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje (capt), Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: Dan, Brantingham, Clarey, Tizard, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Bracken, Hall.

Yellow card: Onyeama-Christie (72)

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton (7) 28

Cons: Smith, Hutchinson, Kemeny, Haffar 2, and Cons:

Saracens (19) 24

With a final-second try from Tarek Haffar, reigning Premiership champions Northampton Saints defeated Saracens 28-24 to put an end to Sarries’ playoff chances.

Before Elliot Daly added a third, Josh Kemeny’s early try for Saints was halted by a close-range try from Tom Willis and a well-worked try from Juan Martin Gonzalez.

As the hosts wasted a number of good chances to increase their tally, Rotimi Segun scored the bonus-point try just before Saints replacement Haffar scored one back.

After Andy Onyeama-Christie pulled down a maul, Saints earned a penalty-try, and Haffar went over as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark to make a fantastic comeback.

Saracens made their first appearance at Franklin’s Gardens since losing there in the Premiership semi-final last year, returning the majority of their regular starting lineup after resting them for the trip to lowly Exeter last week.

Kemeny just had enough momentum to cross the Sarries line in the eighth minute to put the hosts ahead before Fin Smith’s grubber kick was picked up.

Saracens responded almost right away as Willis forced himself to turn around following a close-range lineout.

When Elliot Daly broke through the Saints’ line and sent Gonzalez in the right corner, a lovely passing move doubled the try count midway through the half.

When the bonus point was secured, especially when Saints had a try that was ruled out five minutes later when replays revealed Alex Coles had lost control of the ball as he dived in the corner, it appeared as though the win would be routine for Saracens.

However, after an hour, Yaffar scored from close range before Tom Seabrook missed a crucial opportunity by running down a corner but getting the ball back after Ivan van Zyl had slipped.

In the final eight minutes, Saints scored twice, not to mention the missed chances.

Phil Dowson, Northampton’s rugby director:

“The bench took it to a different physical level than the first half, where we were drab and lackluster.”

The final play’s forward pass calls were “in the gods’ lap.” Thankfully, it turned out to be a 50-50 call.

“Our second-half performance, even if it hadn’t, still showed a lot about our organization because we dominated in terms of territory and possession,” she continued.

On the shoulder injury front, Curtis [Langdon] has a previous stinger on his shoulder. James Ramm’s shin sprained sharply, and Alex Coles has a knee problem. It’s too early to speculate, but there might still be doubts for the following week.

Rugby Saracens coach Mark McCall:

We were completely disoriented in the final 20 minutes, so it was a painful experience and a disorienting conclusion.

“We played with intensity and exactly as we had planned, winning the European Cup at the end of the first half,” said one player.

The gap between our best and worst performances is “too big,” according to the performance today, to fully capture our mixed-bag season.

Replacements: Seabrook, Garside, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, Weimann, and Wright.

Saracens: Goode, Elliott, Daly, Tompkins, Segun, Burke, van Zyl, Mawi, George, Riccioni, Itoje (capt), Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Earl, Willis, and others.

Dan, Brantingham, Clarey, Tizard, McFarland, Onyeama-Christie, Bracken, and Hall are the replacements.

Onyeama-Christie is awarded a yellow card.

With a stunning solo victory on the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia, Australian Luke Plapp won the first Grand Tour title of his career.

With about 40 kilometers to go, the 24-year-old attacked from the breakaway group and passed the line with a 38-second gap over Wilco Kelderman of the Netherlands.

Diego Ulissi, an Italian for the first time since 2021, moved into the lead in the overall standings with a third place finish.

At the conclusion of the race, Plapp remarked, “I still can’t believe it, to be honest.

“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” he said. “I’m always trying to get an Australian summer, but I just can’t get it to happen in Europe.”

For today to occur is truly special because I was so close to the Giro last year.

Plapp then joked that because he had so much time to go before the 197km stage, Plapp felt compelled to finish in style.

Primoz Roglic, who finished third overall, is still 17 seconds behind Ulissi, who is now in command of the overall lead.

On Sunday, Ulissi will participate in the 181 km stage from Gubbio to Siena that will span the region of his birth, Tuscany.

Simon Yates is the 10th-placed British rider, while Max Poole is the seventh-placed rider overall.

1. Luke Plapp (Aus/Jayco Alula) 4h 44, 20 seconds

2. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Visma-Lease a Bike) + 38secs

3. 3.8 seconds for Diego Ulissi (Ita/XDS-Astana).

4. Igor Arrieta (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 1 minute 22 seconds

5. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) + 1 minute 35 seconds

6. Andrea Vendrame (Ita/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) + 1 minute, 48 seconds

7. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita/XDS-Astana) + 1 minute, 48 seconds

8. Georg Steinhauser (Ger/EF Education-EasyPost) + 2 min 59 secs

9. Ron Bardet (Fra/Picnic PostNL) + 3 minutes 02 seconds

1. Diego Ulissi (Ita/XDS-Astana) 29hr 21min 23secs

2. Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita/XDS-Astana) + 12secs

3. Prioroz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) + 17 secs

4. 20secs Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 20secs

5. Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) + 26 seconds

6. 44secs by Antonio Tiberi (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) + 44.

7. 47secs for Max Poole (GB/Team Picnic PostNL) + 47 seconds

8. Michael Storer (Aus/Tudor Pro Cycling) + 50 seconds

9. Emirates-XRG USA/UAE Team Brandon McNulty + 51secs

James Forrest added yet another milestone to the heaving list of accolades in his storied Celtic career with the timing of a drama king in the dying moments of trophy day in Glasgow’s east end.

The veteran winger had scored for his club for 15 straight seasons. Even his most devoted supporters must have doubted his ability to make it 16 as the years passed at Celtic Park.

He had already enjoyed playing 31 games so far this year. Even though he had nearly 1,200 minutes in four games, the goal remained elusive.

On Saturday, there was no normal time elapsed. Nothing . There were three more minutes of play. Nothing remains.

But persevere. Forrest delivered and enthralled his audience in the 94th minute.

Rarely have home fans greeted a goalkeeping goal for a late draw with thunderous cheer. The goalscorer was more important than the goal, after all.

“Relief. When Forrest was questioned about his score, he responded, “I was just buzzing.”

You could not have written it any better, in my opinion. Everyone has asked for me to score and win the record, so I’m happy to do it.

It’s difficult to express in words. I’m just trying to enjoy Celtic’s final few minutes of play. I’ve loved it a lot, and I hope I still have some memorable moments and awards like this. It’s an incredible career.

Forrest has now won his 26th medal as a Celtic man, breaking Bobby Lennox’s 25-year-old record, which has stood proudly for 45 years.

His goal total now stands at 109 with Saturday’s late strike. He has won six League Cups, seven Scottish Cups, and 13 leagues.

He has played for 188 different Celtic players.

Derk Boerrigter, Patrick Roberts, Daniel Arzani, Maryan Shved, Sead Haksabanovic, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Marco Tilio, and Luis Palma are just a few of the wingers he’s counted in the club over the years.

That is a long list. There are more.

He has had to take a backseat to the more recent generation of accomplished figures like Liel Abada, Jota, Daizen Maeda, and Nicolas Gerrit-Kuhn as the years have progressed.

More than 150 of those 500+ games were substitutes, which demonstrate his patience and professionalism.

His stats reveal a ruthless adversary, but when examined in a different way, they also reveal a fierce competitor.

He’s still fighting despite reports of injuries, brand-new signings, and significant time spent on the bench.

He has these dazzling purple patches that managers have found to be insatiable.

Forrest is the living embodiment of Celtic’s grit, and they have too much class for everyone else in this division.

Although he has the most trophies, his parents have a dog in him. Although it isn’t in his personality, it must be.

His first Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, recalls that “the season before he made his debut, I had him in the development team.”

He excelled,” he declared. He was in charge of everything. Brilliant footwork. You could play him through the middle, or left, right, or both.

He experienced a significant speed change. Even at the time, he was one of those players that would make you want to stay in your seat. passing through people. Low gravity’s axis. Nothing frightens me. I cherished him from the moment I first saw him play.

No one can dispute the fact that Lennox’s peerless times were as memorable as those from his era, even the humble Forrest, but he is in for a special time.

He has been one of Brendan Rodgers’ few constants throughout both him and McGregor’s spells. Individual standard-setters in their own ways.

What year did this all start?

Forrest scored a left-foot shot into John Ruddy’s net just before the end of a league game against Motherwell on May 10, 2010, which had gone on for 14 years and 361 days.

It was a memorable debut for the 18-year-old. One goal in nine minutes.

Forrest’s youth is apparent in the video; he might be mistaken for a 12-year-old.

Edson Braafheid, Zheng Zhi, Morten Rasmussen, and Josh Thompson are also given the names of their former teammates. Relics from a different era.

However, that scene also serves as a reminder of Forrest’s long history on the road. 24 000 people showed up at Celtic Park that day.

Forrest scored 108 goals in the first of his 523 games for the club, which were not even half full.

Both the player and the club have made significant improvements. Rangers won their second title in a row shortly after winning no more than one trophy during that same season, 2009-2010.

There was no cup final at all. Ross County won the Scottish Cup while their hearts were squandered by Hearts. Celtic won two games in Europe out of ten.

Along the way, Tony Mowbray lost his job. In an effort to restore the thunder, Lennon was appointed manager.

Look at his career, which has had great success, Lennon says. Having a bad injury or not being chosen miss out on important games. He’s had his lows, but he’s just maintained his equilibrium. He is unfazed by nothing.

When he is not a member of the team, he does not like to break the windows. Some players don’t get it, but he seems to be saying, “OK, this is my role at the moment, but I’ll be ready when I’m called upon.” He is also always prepared.

And I still watch him play a lot. When he’s at his best, he’s still one of the most exciting players to watch. He has evolved along with the game as it has. He is currently a sort of passing winger with a threat of a goal.

He’s undoubtedly a man who has accomplished great things in his own right, even though I don’t put him on a pedestal like Bobby Lennox or any of the Lisbon Lions.”