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Smiling Klinsmann Questioned About His Reaction to South Korea’s Asian Cup Elimination 

South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on before the semifinal soccer match between Jordan and South Korea at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on before the semifinal soccer match between Jordan and South Korea at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
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Smiling Klinsmann Questioned About His Reaction to South Korea’s Asian Cup Elimination 

South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on before the semifinal soccer match between Jordan and South Korea at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)
South Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on before the semifinal soccer match between Jordan and South Korea at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP)

Jurgen Klinsmann’s broad smile is part of his charm.

But on Tuesday in Qatar, the South Korea coach was left to explain why he was grinning after his team suffered a painful defeat in the semifinals of the Asian Cup.

Klinsmann warmly congratulated Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta on the field after his team produced a big upset with a 2-0 win at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Perhaps a little too warmly.

“For me it’s normal to congratulate the other coach when his team was better in a game. I think this is a sign of respect,” Klinsmann said when questioned about his post-game reaction. “They deserved this win today. They were the better team, but this is for me totally normal. If you say I shouldn’t smile, give somebody a smile that deserves a compliment in that moment, maybe we have different approaches.”

There has been criticism of Klinsmann and South Korea’s performances in reaching the semifinals. His tactics were questioned and the general impression is that he should have done more with such a talented squad, led by Tottenham forward Son Heung-min.

So, it may have been jarring for some to see him smile as cameras focused on him after the final whistle against a Jordan team ranked 64 places below South Korea in FIFA’s rankings.

He could then be seen seeking out Ammouta, who was celebrating on the field with players and staff.

It remains to be seen what the fallout will be after defeat to Jordan, which had never reached the semifinals of the Asian Cup before and had only advanced to the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage — behind South Korea.

“I am very disappointed. I’m angry because we should have done better tonight,” Klinsmann said. “We were not existent the first 20 or 30 minutes. That’s why I’m saying we give them respect because they were better, they wanted it more.

“But when the game is over, and I congratulate another coach and you smile just because of him personally and you congratulate him. I think it is not a big deal. I am certainly not walking around tonight and smiling all over the place. There were reasons why we lost this game. We have to accept those reasons. If the other team showed more on the field, which they did, then you have to give them respect.”

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Jannik Sinner Beats Ben Shelton to Return to the Australian Open Final

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
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Jannik Sinner Beats Ben Shelton to Return to the Australian Open Final

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 24, 2025 Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his semi final match against Ben Shelton of the US. (Reuters)

Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame some third-set cramping and beat Ben Shelton 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to return to the Australian Open final as he seeks a third Grand Slam title.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, fell behind in the opening set and twice was a point from losing it when Shelton served at 6-5. But Sinner broke there, then dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, and broke again to begin the second set.

“It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” said Sinner, who ran his winning streak to 20 matches dating to late last season.

He said the matchup against the 21st-seeded Shelton, an American appearing in his second major semifinal and first at Melbourne Park, was filled with “a lot of tension.”

“I'm very happy with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner said.

The only trouble he ran into in the last two sets of the 2 1/2-hour contest in Rod Laver Arena was when he clutched at his left hamstring, and then his right thigh, in the third. He was treated by a trainer, who massaged both of Sinner's legs during changeovers.

Sinner is now the youngest man since Jim Courier in 1992-93 to reach consecutive finals at the Australian Open. It was Courier who conducted the post-match interview with Sinner on Friday.

Sinner won his first major title at Melbourne Park a year ago, then grabbed No. 2 at the US Open in September, shortly after being exonerated in a doping case that is still under appeal. There is a hearing scheduled for April.

On Sunday, Sinner will try to add to his trophy haul when he faces No. 2 Alexander Zverev for the championship.

Zverev advanced to his third major final — he is 0-2, with both losses in five sets — when Novak Djokovic quit after one set of their semifinal Friday because of a leg injury.

“Everything can happen. He's an incredible player,” Sinner said about Zverev. “He's looking for his first major. There's going to be, again, a lot of tension.”