World number two Rafael Nadal raced into the third round of the ATP Indian Wells Masters as Roger Federer made a less speedy but still successful start to his quest for a sixth title.
Nadal, a three-time Indian Wells winner, needed just 72 minutes to get past overmatched Jared Donaldson 6-1 6-1 on Sunday.
Federer, who is seeking to break out of a tie with top seed Novak Djokovic for most titles in the California desert, looked set for a similarly easy time of it, but had to turn back a second-set challenge from German Peter Gojowczyk in a 6-1 7-5 win.
Fourth-seeded Federer said he was relieved not to go to a second-set tiebreaker after falling behind 3-1 to the free-swinging German who is ranked 85th in the world.
The Swiss regained the break and, after saving four break points to make it 4-4, he broke Gojowczyk for a 6-5 lead, the German double-faulting on break point to give Federer a chance to serve it out.
"I struggled a little bit with my serving in that second set and that gave .

Past champions Nadal, Federer advance at Indian Wells

PTI Automatic

Two-time winner Saina Nehwal and defending champion Sameer Verma will look to shrug off their All England disappointment when they spearhead India's campaign at the Swiss Open, starting with the qualifiers here Tuesday.
For Sameer, this event started his journey that culminated into a World Tour Final semifinal finish last year and a career-high ranking of 11. He had defeated newly-crowned All England Champion Kento Momota in the quarterfinals, a few months before the Japanese went on to become the world no 1 and world champion last year.
World no 14 Sameer will be opening his campaign in USD 150,000 event against a qualifier after his elder brother Sourabh, who had also battled injuries on his way to becoming the Senior National Champion last month at Guwahati, pulled out of the tournament.
Sameer might face fellow Indian B Sai Praneeth in the second round and a favourable result is likely to hand him over the chance to settle scores with former world no 1 Viktor Axelsen, who had ...

Saina, Sameer look to put behind All England disappointment at Swiss Open

Shikhar Dhawan has the knack of bouncing back just when his detractors write him off and the Indian batsman says he manages to stay afloat in the toughest of times by shutting out the criticism that comes with lean patches.
Without an international hundred for the past six months, Dhawan announced his comeback with a career-best 143 against Australia, albeit in a losing cause, in the fourth one-dayer here on Sunday.
Asked how he reacts to criticism, the happy-go-lucky cricketer said living in his own bubble helps him keep it calm in the mind.
"First of all, I don't read newspapers and I don't take information which I don't want to. So I don't know what's happening around me and I live in my own world. So, I decide in which direction my thoughts are going," said the 33-year-old after the match.
The best way to deal with pressure is to keep one's composure, said Dhawan, who rarely gives away what's going on in his mind.
"I perform best when I am calm. There's no point in cribbing or ...

I don't react to criticism as I live in my own world: Dhawan

Peter Handscomb, one of the architects of Australia's record breaking run-chase against India in the fourth ODI here, was confident that young Ashton Turner could replicate his big-hitting exploits in domestic cricket at the international stage.
Turner on Sunday smashed unbeaten 84 off 43 balls as Australia chased down a mammoth target of 359 with four wickets in hand and 13 balls to spare to level the five-match series 2-2.
The series-deciding fifth and final ODI will be played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"Ashton (Turner) is an amazing player. We have seen what he has done in the Big Bash League (for Perth Scorchers) for the past couple of years. We knew he can get the job done. The way he operated against Bumrah was quite amazing. This knock will give him so much confidence going forward," Handscomb said after the famous win on Sunday night.
He said that once Turner started hitting, everyone in the dressing room became superstitious.
"That was awesome. No was moving around with all ..

Always knew Ashton could do it at international stage: Handscomb

Alvaro Morata has made a habit of looking lost and aggrieved during five years wandering Europe's biggest clubs but in Atletico Madrid he may finally have found one to call home.
Three goals in two games and another couple ruled out by VAR mean Morata looks a player revived since his January loan move from Chelsea.
He started well there too, before confidence shrivelled to the point where faith from fans and coaches turned to frustration, and a belief he was contributing to his own decline.
Yet there is reason to suspect the early surge at Atletico may be longer-lasting, with a return to Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday offering a reminder of how one of the game's most enigmatic talents is, aged 26, still to deliver on his potential.
"Alvaro has fantastic assets that suit our game," said Diego Simeone last month.
"Hopefully he can continue the way he has started."
Strong in the air, hardly sluggish, good with his feet and, at his best, decisive in front of goal, Morata has .

Morata finding his feet after Atletico offer fresh start

Soaked by the rain swirling around Arsenal's stadium, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched helplessly as his dream Premier League start as Manchester United manager was brought to a halt.
After 12 unbeaten matches across three months since Jose Mourinho's firing, United finally lost in the league under the interim manager on Sunday.
Granit Xhaka's swerving  potentially wind-assisted  strike flew past goalkeeper David De Gea in the first half. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted a second-half penalty to give Arsenal a 2-0 victory after Alexandre Lacazette was bundled over in the penalty area by Fred.
"You have to be disappointed with the result," said Solskjaer, who had 10 wins and two draws in the league.
"But the performance, as you say, was a good one."
Arsenal and United were once slugging it out for the title in the era of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. Now they are in a chase for fourth place. Arsenal displaced United in the final Champions League qualification spot, sitting two points in 

Solskjaer's unbeaten EPL start at United ended by Arsenal

Inter Milan managed a confidence-boosting win ahead of next weekend's derby against AC Milan but its misfortunes continued.
Matteo Politano and Roberto Gagliardini scored in the second half on Sunday to help Inter to a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Spal.
Inter had earlier seen a goal ruled out on video review and penalty appeals waved away, while Marcelo Brozovic and Joao Miranda went off injured.
The Nerazzurri remained fourth, a point behind AC Milan. The top four from Serie A qualify for the Champions League next season.
Fifth-placed Roma is six points behind and hosts Empoli on Monday.
"It was important to get back to winning ways, there wasn't much space but we found the goals in the end," Inter midfielder Joao Mario said.
"We did well today, the prospect of overtaking Milan by winning the derby needs to spur us on."
Inter was still without Mauro Icardi, who has not played since being stripped off his captaincy amid protracted contract negotiations. Icardi has said he has a .

Inter beats Spal 2-0 to stay close to Milan ahead of derby

David Willey spearheaded another rout of an indisciplined West Indies batting line-up as England completed a 3-0 sweep of the series with an eight-wicket victory in the third and final T20 International at Warner Park in St Kitts here.
Medium-pacer Willey knocked over the top-order in finishing with career-best T20I figures of four for seven from three overs to take the man of the match award as the hosts were demolished for 71 off just 13 overs on Sunday.
Willey's teammate and fellow all-rounder Chris Jordan was named man of the series.
Jonny Bairstow, man of the match in the first fixture in St Lucia five days earlier, then sped the visitors toward their target with 37 (31 balls, two sixes, four fours) as the whitewash was completed with almost ten overs to spare.
Bairstow fell to Devendra Bishoo with victory in sight leaving captain Eoin Morgan to cart the leg-spinner for a six and a four off successive deliveries to seal the comprehensive result.
"It's been outstanding to see guys 

Willey steers England to series sweep against hapless Windies

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was taken to hospital Monday, midway through the second Test against Bangladesh, for scans on his injured left shoulder.
A team spokesman described it was a "precautionary" measure.
Williamson injured the shoulder while fielding on Sunday and twice needed attention by medical staff when he batted.
Despite the discomfort, Williamson made 74 before he was dismissed.
New Zealand were 275 for three midway between lunch and tea on the fourth day to lead Bangladesh by 64 on the first innings.
The first two days of the Test were washed out but fine weather is forecast for the remainder of the match.

New Zealand captain Williamson taken to hospital

Ross Taylor neared a double century, punishing Bangladesh for dropped catches as New Zealand gave themselves a shot at second Test victory on Monday despite losing two days to rain in Wellington.
The hosts raced past the Bangladesh first innings total of 211 in the third over after lunch on day four and by tea they were 372 for three, 161 ahead.
Taylor, dropped twice on 20, was unbeaten on 185 with Henry Nicholls on 93.
Despite having the first two days washed out, New Zealand were in no mood to settle for a draw as they pushed to wrap up the three-match series with a game to spare having comprehensively won the first Test.
They plundered 334 runs off just 64 overs on Monday for the loss of one wicket.
Captain Kane Williamson, troubled by a sore left shoulder he injured while fielding on Sunday, was taken to hospital after being scoring 74 for what a team official called a "precautionary" scan.
Williamson and Taylor had raced along at nearly six an over in the morning even though the .

Taylor ton punishes Bangladesh for dropped catches

Opener Shikhar Dhawan Sunday admitted that the Indian team has twice read the conditions wrongly in successive games of the ongoing ODI series against Australia.
Australia levelled the five-match series with a record chase of 359 in the fourth ODI and the senior opener, who hit a career-best 143, said that they didn't apprehend that dew would be a factor, just like the other way round in the previous game.
In the previous encounter in Ranchi, India had decided to chase a 320 plus score as they felt that dew would set in and it didn't.
"We had expected dew would be a factor in the last game and it didn't come and here, we didn't expect dew in this game and it came very heavily," Dhawan said after the match.
After scoring 358, they had thought that there will be pressure on Australia but it turned the other way round.
"So of course, when you put such a totals on the board, it's always pressure for the other sides and not our bowlers and we were quite in control till 38th over. But then .

Dhawan admits that team has twice read the conditions wrong

India captain Virat Kohli on Sunday criticised the Decision Review System, saying "it is not consistent at all and becoming a talking point in every game".
Ashton Turner, who fired Australia to a series-levelling win with an unbeaten 84 off 43 balls, was adjudged not out early in his innings despite the snicko-meter showing a spike following a DRS call from India.
"The DRS call was a surprise, it's just not consistent at all, it's becoming a talking point in every game," said Kohli after the four-wicket loss.
India lost the game despite amassing 358 for nine. The series decider will be played in Delhi on Wednesday.
In M S Dhoni's absence, Rishabh Pant missed a stumping and overall India were poor in the field.
"We were sloppy in the field and should've grabbed our chances," said the India skipper.
The dew also played a big role in the Australia's innings.
"The wicket remained good throughout, we've fallen on the wrong side of the dew in two games, but that's not an excuse.  Ashton ...

Inconsistent DRS becoming a talking point in every game: Kohli

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent a strongly worded letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), calling for action against India for wearing camouflage military caps during the third ODI against Australia.
"We have made our point very strongly to the ICC which now has no doubts or confusion about our intention or stance now on this matter," Mani told reporters at the National Stadium on Sunday night.
"We will be sending another letter to the ICC in next 12 hours after more consultations with our lawyers," he added.
Mani said that Pakistan's stance is very clear that cricket must not be used for politics.
"This is the second that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has tried to use cricket for politics. They took permission from ICC for some other purpose and used it to do something else, which is not acceptable," he said.
Last month, BCCI had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to "sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates" following 

PCB writes to ICC, calls for action against India for wearing military caps

Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar fought back on the final day to card four-under 68 and move up to Tied-31st from overnight T-58th at Commercial Bank Qatar Masters here Sunday.
Bhullar, the only Indian to make the cut, scored six birdies against two bogeys, both of which came on the back nine on 14th and 17th holes.
Justin Harding birdied three of his last four holes to claim a first European Tour win at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The South African arrived at Doha Golf Club without full playing privileges after finishing third on last season's Asian Tour but now has his breakthrough in his 54th European Tour start.
Harding made three early birdies to share the lead but his chance looked to have gone as he made two bogeys and South Korea's Jinho Choi signed for a brilliant 64 to set the clubhouse target at 11-under.
Birdies on the tenth and 12th put him back in contention and further gains on the 15th, 17th and 18th handed him a two shot lead at 13-under after a 66.
He faced a ..

Bhullar fights back to finish T-31st, Harding wins Qatar Masters

Unheralded Ashton Turner took an experienced Indian attack to the cleaners with some unbelievable hitting, helping Australia chase down a record breaking target of 359 runs and level the five-match series here Sunday.
It was the highest ever total that Indian team failed to defend in its ODI history, losing the game by four wickets.
Playing only his second ODI, Turner hit an unbeaten 84 off 43 balls with five boundaries and as many six sixes to help Australia win in only 47.5 overs. Earlier in the day, Shikhar Dhawan fired India to 358 for nine with a sublime 143 off 115 balls.
The partnership of 86 off 39 balls between Turner and Alex Carey became the turning point after Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja had set the platform with a 192-run third-wicket stand.
The big lad, who has been a designated finisher for Big Bash League side Perth Scorchers, showed his finishing skills against world's best death bowler Jasprit Bumrah (3/63), hitting him for an effortless ramp shot.
The swagger .

Turner turns it on as Australia level series with four-wicket win

Eden Hazard came to Maurizio Sarri's rescue as the Chelsea star's superb late strike earned a 1-1 draw against Wolves on Sunday.
Sarri's side were seconds away from another damaging defeat after Raul Jimenez put Wolves ahead at Stamford Bridge.
Hazard spared the under-fire Sarri's blushes with his thunderous stoppage-time equaliser, but it was still a frustrating day for the Blues boss.
Sarri's side had won three times in 10 days to temporarily silence reports that the Italian was facing the sack.
But Chelsea's latest misfiring effort raised the possibility that Sarri is back on borrowed time in west London.
With fourth-placed Manchester United playing fifth-placed Arsenal later on Sunday, Chelsea, languishing in sixth, will be further adrift of the top four after another tense afternoon for Sarri.
It has been a nightmare debut season for former Napoli boss Sarri, who had to endure a League Cup final defeat against Manchester City in which Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused .

Hazard late show rescues Chelsea in Wolves draw

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish was punched by a pitch-invading Birmingham fan in a shocking incident during Sunday's Championship clash, but the midfielder had the last laugh as he scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over their bitter rivals.
Grealish was in the Birmingham penalty area in the 10th minute when a man ran on to the field and threw a punch from behind at the Villa captain.
The blow caught Grealish on the side of the head and sent him sprawling to the turf.
The intruder was quickly restrained by a steward as Villa players including Tammy Abraham and Glenn Whelan rushed to Grealish's defence.
After the fan had been shoved over, he was eventually led away by police, defiantly blowing kisses to the crowd.
A visibly furious Grealish was helped to his feet and was able to continue playing once order was restored at Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium.
Grealish produced the perfect response to the assault in the 70th minute.
Taking possession 20 yards from goal, he advanced into the 

Villa's Grealish punched by Birmingham fan

Jurgen Klopp warned title rivals Manchester City that Liverpool will not give up their title bid quietly after a 4-2 victory over Burnley cut Pep Guardiola's lead at the top of the Premier League to a single point.
Liverpool responded impressively to City's win against Watford on Saturday, rallying strongly after falling behind to a controversial opening goal from Burnley, with two goals each from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
And the German manager, whose side visit Bayern Munich in their Champions League last-16 second leg tie on Wednesday, insisted that the performance demonstrated his team's ability to handle the pressure.
"The message from today is that nobody gets rid of us," said Klopp. "We had the perfect mixture of fighting the opponent and playing football.
"All we have to do is make sure that we stay in this really interesting competition on top of the table. We have no problem with confidence, we're in a good moment."
The victory was also a triumph for Adam Lallana, the .

Klopp defiant after Liverpool battle back to beat Burnley

Gianni Infantino wants to speed up plans for a new Club World Cup and abolish the Confederations Cup at next week's FIFA council meeting in Miami, according to German broadcaster ZDF.
The report says FIFA president Infantino wants to discuss expanding the Club World Cup from it's current format of seven teams to 24, including 12 sides from Europe on Thursday and Friday in the US.
The Swiss also reportedly wants to scrap the Confederations Cup, an international tournament held the year before a World Cup by the host nation and last won by Germany in Russia in 2017.
According to the ZDF report, the new-look Club World Cup would be held from 2021, a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup.
"Yes, that's the way it will come about, we want to say goodbye to the Club World Cup (in it's current format) and we will make that decision," Fernando Sarney, Brazil's member of the FIFA Council, told ZDF.
According to the report, Infantino also wants to delay plans to introduce a global Nations ..

FIFA boss Infantino aims to push forward Club World Cup - report

"The biggest crime that I can commit is not a murder, it is actually match fixing," Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said in a soon-to-be released documentary that focuses on Chennai Super Kings' fairy tale IPL comeback last year, following a two-year suspension for spot-fixing.
Dhoni led the Chennai franchise to its third IPL title in 2018, making it a dream return to the competition after the team served out a two-year ban for its management's role in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal.
"The team was involved, I was accused too. It was a tough phase for all of us. Fans felt that the punishment was harsh. Coming back was an emotional moment and I have always said, what doesn't kill you makes you strong," says Dhoni in the 45-second trailer  of documentary 'Roar of the Lion' which will be streamed on Hotstar from March 20.
Dhoni had not commented on the turmoil before this.
In July 2015, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the cash-rich cricket league for two years for ...

Match-fixing bigger crime than murder, says Dhoni in soon-to-be released documentary

Indian qualifier Prajnesh Gunneswaran achieved the biggest win of his career when he stunningly knocked world number 18 Nikoloz Basilashvili out of the Indian Wells ATP Masters event, continuing his dream run here.
Playing his maiden singles main draw at this level, the Indian left-hander secured a hard-fought 6-4 6(6)-7 7-6(4) victory over the Georgian in two hours 32 minutes.
The world number 97 needed only a single break of serve to take the lead in the match. Prajnesh broke Basilashvili's serve in the fifth game and then held his serve to take the opening set in 31 minutes.
The second and third sets were tightly contested and went into tie breaks with Basilashvili emerging victorious in the former and Prajnesh in the latter to seal a spot in the next round.
"It was definitely a huge match. I think I played well better than I did in the previous round. I had to step up because I was playing a really good player, someone who has been in form and is ranked in the top 20," Prajnesh ...

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