Sports

Mario Zagallo, a key figure in Brazil’s emergence as a football superpower and the first individual to win the FIFA World Cup both as a player and a coach, passed away on Friday at the age of 92. Zagallo was the last surviving member of Brazil’s 1958 World Cup-winning squad, a victory that helped heal the wounds of Brazil’s devastating …

Rafael Nadal, in his first tournament after a year off due to injury, missed three critical match points and required medical attention during his quarterfinal match against Jordan Thompson at the Brisbane International. Despite a promising start, the 22-time major winner couldn’t clinch the match in the second set and ultimately lost to the 55th-ranked Thompson in three sets, 5-7, …

In the Sydney Test, Pakistan faced a challenging start, posting 313 runs in their first innings despite a tough beginning on Wednesday, trailing 0-2 in the series. The architect of Pakistan’s early struggles was Pat Cummins, who claimed five wickets in the first two sessions on the opening day. However, Mohammad Rizwan (88) and Aamer Jamal (82) staged a rescue …

Karolina Pliskova, the defending champion, effectively utilized her powerful serve to halt Naomi Osaka’s return to competitive tennis in the second round of the Brisbane International on Wednesday. Pliskova, victorious in the 2020 edition of the tournament, rallied after dropping the first set to ultimately defeat the Japanese tennis star with a scoreline of 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4. Osaka, a …

In a major tennis upset, Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss of the season and his first in Australia in six years, falling to Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4. This defeat handed Australia a 1-0 lead against Serbia in their United Cup quarter-final match on Wednesday. Djokovic, who had a right wrist issue during Serbia’s victory over the Czech Republic, …

Mohamed Salah’s double helped Liverpool secure a 4-2 win over Newcastle at Anfield, extending Newcastle’s losing streak and placing Liverpool three points ahead in the Premier League on Monday. Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Martin Dubravka’s outstanding goalkeeping, including a save from Salah’s first-half penalty, kept the scoreline from widening. Salah, Curtis Jones, and Cody Gakpo scored in the second half, handing …

During his match at the United Cup against Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday, world number one Novak Djokovic faced a wrist issue but managed to secure a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-1 victory, bringing Serbia to an even standing with the Czech Republic in the $10 million mixed team event. Djokovic, preparing for his bid for an 11th Australian Open title, showed signs …

Naomi Osaka, a winner of four Grand Slam titles, made a successful return to top-level tennis after a 15-month break. She triumphed over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch with a score of 6-3, 7-6(9) in her opening match at the Brisbane International on Monday. The 26-year-old Japanese player, who last appeared on the tour at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in …