After a tough battle against wildcard Jacob Fearnley and admitting that he is not 100% fit, Novak Djokovic's road to the Wimbledon 2024 final has become clearer with 9th seed Alex de Minaur now the highest-ranked player left in his quarter. Djokovic was initially expected to face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals, but the latter retired hurt from his Round of 64 match due to a knee injury. With Djokovic's main contenders in the top 10 seeds crashing out early, the Serb's path to reaching another Wimbledon final looks smoother now.
Samet Akaydin's header in the 36th minute was the deciding goal in the thrilling quarterfinal match between Netherlands and Turkey at the UEFA Euro 2024. After a long wait, both teams finally made it to the UEFA semifinals with Turkey putting up a strong defensive performance. Turkey's victory was fueled by their dominance in duels, denying the Dutch any chance to come back. With a solid defense and excellent teamwork, Turkey secured their spot in the semifinals.
The PCB has submitted a draft schedule to the ICC to host the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy entirely in Pakistan, with a potential India-Pakistan match in Lahore on 1 March. The BCCI's approval remains a major hurdle, but there is hope that the Men in Blue will finally cross the border for the event. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is optimistic about the participation of all eight teams, and has made plans to facilitate Indian fans' entry on tourist visas.
In a tightly contested match, England and Switzerland battled it out, ending in a 1-1 draw after regulation time. Despite England's struggles at the start of the tournament, they managed to pull through with a late goal thanks to Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. On the other hand, Switzerland put up a strong fight after beating Italy in the Round of 16, but have not been able to defeat England in over 40 years. With penalties deciding the winner, tensions are high as both teams fight for a spot in the semi-finals, bringing an exciting finish to the match. Stay tuned for the live updates and action as England takes on Switzerland at UEFA Euro 2024.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has officially announced the tentative dates for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by Pakistan. This will be the first ICC tournament hosted by Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup. The tournament will feature eight teams, including India, and is set to begin on February 19 with the final scheduled for March 9. The matches will be divided between three venues - Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, with the opening game taking place in Karachi. India's games, including a potential semi-final, are all scheduled in Lahore.
Former opener Gautam Gambhir is set to take over the role of head coach for the Indian cricket team ahead of their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has conducted interviews for the role and has shortlisted two candidates, with Gambhir being favored as the successor to Rahul Dravid. BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that appointments for both coach and selector will be finalized soon, with VVS Laxman heading to Zimbabwe and the new coach starting with the Sri Lanka series. With the first match of the tour set to be played on July 27, all eyes will be on Gambhir to lead the team to victory.
Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani displayed his exceptional skills as he dominated his compatriots Shrikrishna Suryanarayanan and Sourav Kothari in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches of the Asian Billiards Championship. With consistent 100 breaks and precision on the table, Pankaj secured his spot in the final. His dominant performance reaffirms his status as a top-tier billiards player and showcases his mastery of the game.
After a scoreless first half, both teams come out strong in the second half, with Juárez dominating possession and creating opportunities, but failing to finish. However, Atlas proves to be a tough opponent, playing solid defense and capitalizing on Juárez's mistakes in counterattacks. The game remains tightly contested, with neither team able to break the deadlock until the final minutes when a late goal gives Atlas the win, earning their first points in the season. Despite the loss, Juárez shows promise and potential for a successful season ahead.
In a fiercely contested Euro 2024 quarter-final match, Spanish defender Dani Carvajal was shown a second yellow card and sent off by English referee Anthony Taylor. However, fans were quick to applaud Carvajal's calculated move as they believed he deliberately took the card to avoid missing a potential final. Despite Carvajal's suspension, Spain managed to secure a 2-1 victory over the host nation and book their spot in the semi-finals.
After years of penalty shootout disappointments, France finally emerged victorious in a tense quarter final match against Portugal. In a clash between two football powerhouses, Kylian Mbappé led his team to a nail-biting 5-3 victory in the shootout, knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal from the Euro 2020 tournament. With this win, France moves on to face Spain in the semifinals, marking their continued dominance in the world of football.