Sports
French Open: Alcaraz Moves to Final Following Musetti’s Retirement Due to Injury
Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Roland Garros title on Friday, reaching his second consecutive final in Paris after Lorenzo Musetti had to retire during their semifinal match. The 22-year-old Spaniard was ahead 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0 when Musetti, struggling with a left leg issue, withdrew after two hours and 25 minutes of intense play.
Musetti, who had previously upset Novak Djokovic in the tournament and had a successful clay season, requested a medical timeout at 0-5 in the third set. He briefly continued but was clearly in pain and could no longer meet the demands of Alcaraz’s relentless baseline play.
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“It’s never ideal to win a match this way,” Alcaraz commented in his on-court interview. “Lorenzo is an exceptional player who has had an outstanding clay season. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the court soon.”
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This victory marks Alcaraz’s fifth appearance in a Grand Slam final, making him the fifth-youngest player in the Open Era to achieve this milestone. Among active players, only Novak Djokovic (37 finals) and Daniil Medvedev (6) have reached more major finals.
Despite losing the first set, Alcaraz maintained his composure, displaying aggressive baseline positioning under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier.
He eventually overwhelmed Musetti with precise shots and superior movement, particularly after clinching the tightly contested second set in a tiebreaker. After that, it was a one-sided affair.
“The first two sets were quite challenging,” Alcaraz reflected. “Winning the second set gave me some relief, and in the third set, I knew I had to push him to his limits and stay aggressive. I couldn’t let him take control.”
Now unbeaten in Grand Slam finals (4-0), Alcaraz awaits the winner of the much-anticipated second semifinal between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic—a match the Spaniard is eager to watch.
“This matchup is one of the highlights of tennis right now,” Alcaraz said with a smile. “Sinner against Djokovic… I’m definitely going to watch it and enjoy it. I’ll also be picking up some tactics from that match.”
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.
This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.
Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.
During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.
With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.
In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.
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Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.
This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.
On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.
South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.
India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.
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The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.
India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.
Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.
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India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.
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