Verstappen Follows Up F1 Title with Victory in Qatar Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - October 8, 2023 First placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates with his trophy on the podium after the race REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - October 8, 2023 First placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates with his trophy on the podium after the race REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Verstappen Follows Up F1 Title with Victory in Qatar Grand Prix

Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - October 8, 2023 First placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates with his trophy on the podium after the race REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - October 8, 2023 First placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates with his trophy on the podium after the race REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Max Verstappen followed up his third Formula One title with yet another race win Sunday as he eased to victory in the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver, who clinched the title in Saturday's sprint race, started on pole and was comfortably ahead of the rest of the field on his way to his 14th Grand Prix win in 2023.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished second and third in a double podium finish for McLaren.
“I think what made the race was my first stint, and after that I could just manage my pace, making sure that the tires were in a good window," Verstappen said. "But the McLarens were quick again today. I had to push for it. It’s definitely a tough race out there.”
The two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton started behind Verstappen on the grid but collided at the first corner, ending seven-time champion Hamilton's race. Piastri charged through for second place as Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc ahead of him slowed to avoid the crash.
Second place continues an impressive streak for Australian rookie Piastri, who achieved his first career podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago and won the Qatar sprint race Saturday.
According to The Associated Press, Piastri told his team it was “probably the hardest race I’ve ever had in my life,” adding his thanks for “whoever bowled everyone over at turn one," in a reference to the Mercedes crash.
Norris has been on the podium for four races in a row including the sprint — though a first career win still eludes the British driver because of Verstappen’s domination.
Safety concerns over the tires meant drivers were banned from using the same tires for more than 18 laps. That meant a minimum of three pit stops in the 57-lap race, so strategy played a prominent role.
Piastri likened the race to “57 qualifying laps” since the frequent stops meant no need for drivers to ease off and prevent tire wear.
At one stage, Verstappen even lapped his teammate Sergio Perez, who trailed in ninth in another disappointing performance.



Sinner, Berrettini Lift Italy Past Australia and Back to the Davis Cup Final

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball against Australia's Alex de Minaur during the Davis Cup semifinal at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball against Australia's Alex de Minaur during the Davis Cup semifinal at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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Sinner, Berrettini Lift Italy Past Australia and Back to the Davis Cup Final

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball against Australia's Alex de Minaur during the Davis Cup semifinal at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Italy's Jannik Sinner returns the ball against Australia's Alex de Minaur during the Davis Cup semifinal at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini won matches Saturday in front of a supportive crowd to lift defending champion Italy past Australia 2-0 and back into the Davis Cup final.

Sinner extended his tour-level winning streak to 24 singles sets in a row by beating No. 9 Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 after Berrettini came back to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5, The Associated Press reported.
“Hopefully this can give us confidence for tomorrow,” said Sinner, now 9-0 against de Minaur.
Italy will meet first-time finalist Netherlands on Sunday for the title. The Dutch followed up their victory over Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals by eliminating Germany in the semifinals on Friday.
Italy, which got past Australia in last year's final, is trying to become the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. Italy’s women won the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia in Malaga on Wednesday.
The much shorter trip for Italian fans than Australians meant the 9,200-seat arena sounded like a home environment Saturday for Berrettini, with repeated chants of “I-ta-lia!” or “Ole, ole, ole, ole! Matte’! Matte’!” amplified by megaphones and accompanied by drums and trumpets. Chair umpire James Keothavong repeatedly asked spectators to stop whistling as Kokkinakis was serving.
“We're in Spain,” Kokkinakis said, “but it felt like we were in Italy.”
Sinner received the same sort of backing, of course, although he might not have needed as much with the way he has played all year, including taking the title at the ATP Finals last weekend.
“It's an honor, it's a pleasure, to have Jannik with us,” Italian captain Filippo Volandri said.
The biggest suspense Saturday on the indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain came in Berrettini vs. Kokkinakis.
Berrettini, the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021, needed to put aside the way he gave away the opening set, wasting three chances to finish it, and managed to do just that. He grabbed the last three games of the match, breaking to lead 6-5, then closing it out with his 14th ace after 2 hours, 44 minutes.
The big-hitting Berrettini has been ranked as high as No. 6 and is currently No. 35 after missing chunks of time the past two seasons because of injuries or illness. He sat out two of this year’s four major tournaments and lost in the second round at each of the other two.
But when healthy, he is among the world’s top tennis players, capable of speedy serves and booming forehands. He was in control for much of the match against No. 77 Kokkinakis, who was the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles champion with Nick Kyrgios and helped his country get past the United States in the quarterfinals Thursday.
Berrettini earned the first break to lead 6-5 in the opening set and was a point away while serving at 40-30. Kokkinakis saved that via a 21-stroke exchange that ended with Berrettini sending a forehand long, then ended up breaking back when the Italian missed again off that wing.
Then, ahead 6-4 in the tiebreaker, Berrettini had two more opportunities to own the set. But Kokkinakis — who saved four match points against Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals — saved one with a gutsy down-the-line backhand passing winner and the other with a 131 mph (212 kph) ace, part of a four-point run to close that set.
“It wasn’t easy to digest ... because I had so many chances,” Berrettini said.