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Spurs Still Believe They Can Finish in Top Four, Says Stellini

Tottenham Hotspur's Italian assistant head coach Cristian Stellini reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 15, 2023. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Italian assistant head coach Cristian Stellini reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 15, 2023. (AFP)
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Spurs Still Believe They Can Finish in Top Four, Says Stellini

Tottenham Hotspur's Italian assistant head coach Cristian Stellini reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 15, 2023. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Italian assistant head coach Cristian Stellini reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 15, 2023. (AFP)

Tottenham Hotspur are confident they can finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League as long as it is still mathematically possible, interim manager Cristian Stellini said on Friday.

Spurs dropped out of the top four following the sacking of Antonio Conte last month and sit fifth in the league standings with 53 points having played a game more than fourth-placed Newcastle United, who have 56.

Spurs' hopes of playing in the Champions League next season were dented last weekend after they lost 3-2 at home to Bournemouth and Stellini said the game at St James' Park will not make things any easier.

"I think until the maths gives us reason to stop believing, until that moment we will continue to believe, continue to push and play to reach (the top four)," the Italian told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Newcastle.

"We've had one week to recharge after the last game and we had a good week.

"This is one of the worst stadiums to play in terms of the atmosphere power, but we have a good squad and I believe in the players at the club. We are prepared to play."

Spurs have had a rough season with only a top-four league finish to challenge for having been knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League last month.

"It is a long history, this season, because many things happened and we lived a difficult period with a lot of situations, humanly and with many injured players," Stellini said.

"It was a difficult season but I think also that we fight all season against fate, against all our problems and this is important to grow like a man, like a team. For me the players are continuing to fight to reach the target."

Stellini said Spurs were aware of the many threats posed by Eddie Howe's Newcastle, who have won five of their last six games.

"When you play against a team like this you have to prepare well for the game because they have a lot of options to use and a lot of good players," Stellini said.

"You have to take care of many aspects but we are strong enough to be prepared and to play a good match."

Stellini said defenders Ben Davies and Clement Lenglet are back in training but are not ready to play this weekend.

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Jannik Sinner Starts His Australian Open Title Defense with a Straight Set Win

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
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Jannik Sinner Starts His Australian Open Title Defense with a Straight Set Win

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)

After wasting a set point in the second tiebreaker with an ill-conceived drop shot, Jannik Sinner quickly reverted to what's been working for him and finished off a straight-set win over Nicolas Jarry to begin his Australian Open title defense.

The 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena extended Sinner’s winning streaks to 15 on both the tour and on hard courts in Grand Slams.

After all the pre-tournament attention on the 2024 doping cases of Sinner and long-time women's No. 1 Iga Swiatek, both started the year's first Grand Slam tournament about the same time on nearby courts on Day 2.

"Yeah, I was curious to see how it was," Sinner said of the reception at Rod Laver, where he became a fan favorite last year. "You never know what’s happening. I was happy about the crowd. It was a nice atmosphere."

Top-ranked Sinner had to grind for two long, tiebreak sets against No. 35-ranked Jarry, a 29-year-old from Chile, before finding his touch.

"It was a very close one because the first sets, they can go both ways," Sinner said. "In the third set when I broke it the first time, that gave me a little bit of room to breathe.

"I’m happy how I handled the very tough situation."

Sinner has got a good record at Melbourne Park in that department. He rallied from two sets down in last year's final to beat Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam title, coming off a semifinal upset of 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.

While Sinner was deep into his match against Jarry, Swiatek, a five-time major winner from Poland, fended off top-ranked doubles player Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 on John Cain Arena.

Coco Gauff had a little difficulty adjusting to the sun at one end of Rod Laver Arena in Monday's first marquee match and dropped an early service game before quickly settling into a rhythm in a 6-3, 6-3 win over 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.

Third-seeded Gauff beat Swiatek to win the title at the WTA Finals last November and started this season by helping the US to victory at the United Cup last week, against beating No. 2 Swiatek in the final.

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion is wearing a Marvel-inspired bodysuit and skirt at Melbourne Park and she's radiating confidence and calm.

"I knew going in it was going to be difficult, but you know I’m happy with how I played," she said of the 1-hour, 20-minute win over Kenin, who at No. 81 is a much tougher opponent than her ranking suggests.

"I mean (I) could serve better, but like on that side I was struggling to see the ball," Guaff said, pointing to one baseline on the main show court that was bathed in sun. "So I’m just happy that I was able to manage through that."

Another 20-year-old American, Alex Michelsen, produced the biggest win of his young career with a 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 first-round upset of 2023 Australian runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Michelsen's three booming service returns in the ninth game of the fourth set helped him earn a vital break against the 11th-seeded Tsitsipas and, after shaking off jitters on his own serve, he closed out for his first victory over a player ranked in the top 20 at a Grand Slam. No. 17 Frances Tiafoe advanced in five sets over Arthur Rinderknech of France.

Gauff went into her opening round on a streak of winning 33 matches against players ranked outside the Top 50, dating to a loss to Kenin at Wimbledon 2023.

The draw presented another tough trip to Australia for Kenin. It was the third straight year Kenin faced a Grand Slam champion in the first round in Australia, and her fourth consecutive first-round exit here.

Gauff will next play Jodie Burrage of Britain. No. 7 Jessica Pegula also advanced along with No. 12 Diana Shnaider, No. 28 Elina Svitolina, and Belinda Bencic, who ousted No. 16 Jelena Ostapenko. Lucia Bronzetti of Italy advanced over No. 21 Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion.