Category Sports News

British number one Jack Draper was knocked out of the Italian Open as Carlos Alcaraz showed his quality under pressure to reach the semi-finals.

Draper, 23, was beaten 6-4 6-4 on the Rome clay as world number three Alcaraz battled valiantly to save break points at key moments and take his own chances when they came.

Englishman Draper, who is fifth in the ATP rankings, led 4-2 in the first set before Alcaraz fought back to take the lead.

Looking to build on his run to the Madrid Open final at the start of May, Draper recovered in the second set and constantly applied pressure on Alcaraz’s serve.

But he was unable to convert three break points and, after coming through a lengthy eighth game to hold, reigning French Open champion Alcaraz ran with the momentum.

“I played with such a high rhythm during the whole match and didn’t let him dominate in the rallies,” said Alcaraz, who avenged a defeat by Draper in the Indian Wells semi-finals in March.

“It was a good weapon for me and I’m really proud how I approached the match.”

Coming into this European clay-court swing, Draper had won nine of his 20 matches on the red dirt.

Now, having reached the Madrid final and caused problems for Alcaraz in Rome, he has emerged as a genuine force on the surface going into the French Open, which begins on 25 May.

This, though, was a reminder of what it takes to beat the world’s leading men’s clay-courter.

Building up his physical durability – having struggled with fitness issues in previous seasons – has been key to Draper’s improvement on a surface which does not come naturally to the left-hander.

All his greater physicality was needed against Alcaraz – a player who glides around the clay and has more time to employ his weapons effectively on the slower surface.

Draper pounced on a loose game to take a 4-2 lead in the first set, but he was unable to consolidate the break as Alcaraz returned superbly to instantly hit back.

Continuing to make Draper work hard behind the baseline in the points, and electing to employ the drop-shot more regularly to end them, helped Alcaraz switch momentum.

Draper began to look weary as Alcaraz won five straight games to move a set and a break up, but he demonstrated his improved durability by digging deep to find another wind.

Draper instantly broke back in the second set, breezing through his next few service games while ramping up the pressure on Alcaraz.

Suddenly, Alcaraz looked flustered as his serve came under intense scrutiny.

The Spaniard played more than twice as many service points as Draper across the opening eight games but hung on with the help of his forehand to keep the set on serve.

Not breaking serve ultimately knocked the stuffing out of Draper.

The British left-hander was broken to love in the ninth game, bowing his head at the changeover to signal his frustration, before Alcaraz confidently served out.

World number one Jannik Sinner has met Pope Leo XIV in Rome.

The 23-year-old, who has reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Open in his first tournament since serving a three-month doping ban, was invited by the Vatican to meet the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church.

The Italian was accompanied by his family and a delegation from the Italian Tennis Federation to meet the Pope, who is formerly known as US Cardinal Robert Prevost and a keen tennis player.

Sinner presented his racket to the Pope and asked if he would like to “play a bit” – but the 69-year-old looked up at the lights in the reception room and jokingly responded: “Better not.”

In an interview in 2023, the Pope described himself as “quite the amateur tennis player”.

Reading’s takeover by ex-Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig is complete, the club have announced.

The Royals revealed earlier this month that a “sale in principle” to Redwood Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Dogwood Football LLC which is owned by the American lawyer and his business partner Todd Trosclair, had been agreed.

That deal has now been finalised and ratified by the English Football League (EFL).

It means Couhig, 75, will take control of shares in the League One club, the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood training ground from former Reading owner Dai Yongge, whose tenure as majority shareholder since 2017 has been fraught with financial difficulties and years of fan protests.

Reading said: “The club are pleased to announce that Redwood Holdings Limited – a subsidiary company of Dogwood LLC, owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans, Louisiana – has completed the acquisition of 100% of the shareholding in Reading Football Club.

“The takeover, which has received EFL clearance, completed very early on Wednesday morning and includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park training ground.

“Both Couhig and Trosclair will join the club’s board with immediate effect, with Rob Couhig being named as chairman.

“Redwood is ambitious and dedicated towards the club returning to its rightful place within the English football pyramid, while adhering to clear principles of honesty, transparency, and financial sustainability.

“Further communication from Redwood will follow in due course.”

Reading’s past three seasons under Yongge’s ownership have seen the club drop to the third tier of English football amid a series of transfer embargoes and deductions amounting to a total of 18 points.

The women’s team, a Women’s Super League (WSL) side as recently as 2023, were also withdrawn from the second tier last summer because of the financial issues and now compete in the fifth tier.

Couhig, who stepped down as Wycombe Wanderers chairman last June, had previously attempted to buy Reading last year but negotiations broke down in September 2024.

In March, Yongge – who was disqualified as an owner by the English Football League (EFL) and given an April deadline to sell the club – claimed the American was blocking his attempts to sell, with Reading then in a period of exclusivity with a separate unnamed potential buyer for a deal that subsequently fell through.

During Couhig’s stint with Wycombe, the Chairboys achieved a first-ever promotion to the Championship in 2020.

They were relegated back to the third tier of English football the following year, but finished fifth this season – nine points ahead of Reading – and are currently goalless with Charlton Athletic following the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final.

Couhig has been involved in several business in the United States, including real estate, film and pharmaceuticals, as well as being a former owner of now defunct football side New Orleans Storm.

News of a successful takeover will come as relief to Reading’s squad and fans, after a long period of increasing instability under Yongge.

The Chinese businessman and his sister Dai Xiu Li completed their takeover in May 2017, with a seventh place finish in the 2020-21 Championship season the highpoint before the club’s financial troubles began to pile up.

An initial six-point deduction was handed down by the EFL in November 2021, for a breach of profit and sustainability rules, and by April 2023 the Royals had been docked a further six points for failing to comply with the terms of an agreed business plan for the previous breach.

That penalty contributed to their relegation from the Championship at the end of the 2022-23 season, and the club were deducted six more points last season for failing to pay wages and a tax bill on time.

Amid repeated fan protests, including a mass pitch invasion that forced the cancellation of a January 2024 home match against Port Vale, the club was put up for sale in March 2024.

BBC Radio Berkshire’s Reading commentator Tim Dellor:

The deal is over the finish line!

Eleven days ago we were told it had been agreed in principle, but this statement – the last of dozens issued by the EFL and Reading FC over the last couple of years – brings the sorriest saga in Reading FC’s history to an official end.

The last couple of legal technicalities, and the signing of documents, had been complicated by Dai Yongge being in China, and Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair being in the States.

After so many missed deadlines, collapsed deals and rumours on social media, fans were just starting to get anxious again, but now, for the first time in years they can relax.

Yongge and his sister Dai Xiu Lee have left the building, and have no stake in the club.

The training ground and stadium are all wrapped up in this deal, which is also good news, there had been a fear during the sales process the three entities might be split up.

Couhig and Trosclair arrive under the banner of Redwood Holdings, that’s the company that now owns Reading FC.

They nearly got a deal over the line last September, and it looked as if with that deal collapsing their chance was gone.

Dogged determination, and some brilliant knowledge of corporate law, provided them with a second chance.

They arrive as knights in shining armour. Some of their recent tactics to acquire the club may not have been to everyone’s liking, but such was Yongge’s unpopularity, all fans will now be rejoicing.

Couhig and Trosclair will use their experience owning Wycombe Wanderers to right the ship at the SCL.

For me, Reading is a far bigger club – with a bigger fanbase and higher expectations – but expect forensic accountancy, some prudent signings as they try and build a squad capable of getting back up into the Championship, and above all a renewed sense of optimism around the place.

The Indian Premier League has revised its rules to allow temporary replacement players for the remainder of the tournament.

The rule change follows the suspension of the league for a week during tensions between India and Pakistan, with a number of players unlikely to return to the competition when it restarts on 17 May.

England’s Jamie Overton (Chennai Super Kings) and Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals) have chosen not to play in the remainder of the tournament, which will now finish with the final on 3 June.

Overton, who has played three games for Chennai this season, has been selected in England’s squad for the three-match one-day international series against West Indies from 29 May.

Jos Buttler (Gujarat Titans), Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Will Jacks (Mumbai Indians) and Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals) have also been selected for the series, with their situations “under review” by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Rajasthan and Chennai cannot qualify for the knockout stages that begin on 29 May, with their campaigns finishing on 20 and 25 May respectively, but Gujarat, Bengaluru and Mumbai all remain in contention for the tournament’s second stage.

Fraser-McGurk has withdrawn for personal reasons and will be replaced by Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman.

The rules previously stated that sides could not sign replacement players after the conclusion of their 12th game of the season, with four of the league’s 10 teams having passed that number.

US PGA Championship

Date: 15-18 May Venue: Quail Hollow, North Carolina

Rory McIlroy says he wants to “create a few more highlights” after completing the career Grand Slam – but admits he may never beat the feeling he had when he won the Masters.

The Northern Irishman returns to major action at this week’s US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where he has won four PGA Tour events.

The 36-year-old hopes to become the first player to win back-to-back majors since Jordan Spieth claimed the Masters and US Open in 2015.

While McIlroy described the outpouring of congratulatory messages following his Masters win as “absolutely amazing”, he suggested he is far from finished.

“Everyone needs to have goals and dreams and I’ve been able to do something that I dreamed of for a long time,” said the world number two.

“I’m still going to set myself goals, I’m still going to try to achieve certain things but I sit here knowing that very well could be the highlight of my career.

When asked if he still has a ‘North Star’ achievement following his emotional Masters win, McIlroy added: “Not necessarily. I think everyone saw how hard having a North Star is and being able to get over the line.

“If I can try to get the best out of myself every week, I know what my abilities are, I know the golf that I can play and if I keep doing that every week, especially in these four big ones each year, I know I’ll have my chances.”

Having won all four majors, McIlroy’s next significant achievement could be to match Sir Nick Faldo’s European record of six major titles.

“I’ve always said I’m not going to put a number on it,” added McIlroy, who will play alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Xander Schauffele during the first two rounds of the US PGA.

“I’ve talked about becoming the best European ever or the best international player, whatever that is, but the numbers tell one thing and it might not be the full story.

“I feel like I burdened myself with the career Grand Slam stuff and I want to enjoy this. I want to enjoy what I’ve achieved and enjoy the last decade or whatever of my career.

McIlroy played alongside Bryson DeChambeau in the final round of the Masters, pitting the rivals against each other again after the American’s dramatic US Open win in 2024.

After carding a disappointing final-round 75 to finish tied fifth, DeChambeau said McIlroy “didn’t talk to me once all day”.

“I don’t know what he was expecting,” said McIlroy when asked about DeChambeau’s comments.

“Like, we’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to be his best mate out there.

“Everyone approaches the game in different ways. I was focused on myself and what I needed to do and that’s really all that it was.