Sinner Not Heaping Pressure on Himself with Top Ranking in Sight 

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner attends press conference on his participation in the Madrid Open tennis tournament, in Madrid, Spain, 23 April 2024. (EPA)
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner attends press conference on his participation in the Madrid Open tennis tournament, in Madrid, Spain, 23 April 2024. (EPA)
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Sinner Not Heaping Pressure on Himself with Top Ranking in Sight 

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner attends press conference on his participation in the Madrid Open tennis tournament, in Madrid, Spain, 23 April 2024. (EPA)
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner attends press conference on his participation in the Madrid Open tennis tournament, in Madrid, Spain, 23 April 2024. (EPA)

World number two Jannik Sinner can close in on Novak Djokovic at the top of the world rankings by lifting the Madrid Open title but the in-form Italian said he is not putting any extra pressure on himself after a superb start to the season.

With Djokovic skipping the Masters tournament to stay in top shape for the Grand Slams and the Olympic Games, Australian Open champion Sinner would pick up 1,000 points and move to within 330 of the Serb if he wins his fourth trophy of 2024.

"I don't want to put pressure on myself. I'm living a very positive moment, winning a lot of matches, I just try to keep going like this," Sinner, who has lost only two of his 27 matches this year, told reporters.

"In my mind, I know that I can and have to improve if I want to win more. I'm searching for new opportunities and I feel like that every tournament I play, there can be a good opportunity to show that my level has raised.

"Showing what I've improved ... that's for sure something I'd like to do here. This is a new opportunity, new tournament and we'll see how it goes."

Defending Madrid champion Carlos Alcaraz said Sinner was the man to beat ahead of the May 26-June 9 French Open Grand Slam.

"He's dangerous. He's the best player in the world right now," world number three Alcaraz said.

"I think (some people) think his tennis doesn't suit well to the clay, but he's had results on clay as well.

"He can win every tournament he goes to, and obviously I'm fighting with him and Novak to be number one. I'm trying to stay there, but honestly it's going to be difficult."



Iraq Decline to Play Palestine World Cup Qualifier in Jerusalem or Jordan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
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Iraq Decline to Play Palestine World Cup Qualifier in Jerusalem or Jordan

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Asian Qualifiers - Third Round - Group B - Iraq v Palestine - Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq - October 10, 2024 Palestine fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo

Iraq want their World Cup qualifier against Palestine next month moved from the Jordanian capital of Amman, having also knocked back a Palestinian proposal to stage the match just outside Jerusalem.
The last soccer international played in the Palestinian territories was in October 2019 and Palestine have since staged their "home" fixtures at neutral venues in Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and Malaysia.
Palestine are due to host Iraq in a Group B match in the third round of Asian qualifying on March 25 and, after the proposal to play the match in the Palestinian territories was turned down, FIFA proposed Amman as the neutral venue.
According to Reuters, the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) said in a statement on Thursday that it had written to soccer's world governing body asking for the match to be moved to another city as playing in Amman would breach FIFA's own rules on neutral venues.
"This decision raises serious questions about the integrity and fairness of the competition, given the highly competitive nature in Group B," the IFA statement read.
"Iraq, Jordan and Palestine are direct competitors in the group and the gap between Iraq and Jordan in the standings is currently very close."
Iraq are in second place in the group with 11 points, leading Jordan in third by two points and trailing leaders South Korea by three points. The top two teams in the group progress directly to the 2026 World Cup finals in North America.
The Palestine Football Association (PFA) released a statement on Thursday regretting Iraq's decision not to allow the match to go ahead at Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in Al-Ram, Jerusalem.
The PFA said FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had inspected the stadium and agreed the match could be played there, but only with the agreement of the Iraqis.
"We were surprised to learn that our colleagues in the Iraqi Football Association had unilaterally decided to decline playing in Palestine and directly communicated this to the AFC and FIFA without consulting the PFA," the statement said.
"Despite this decision, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to reclaiming our right to host matches on our home soil -- a right we have fought tirelessly to secure and uphold over the years."
The IFA said "despite our keenness to hold the match in beloved Palestine, and to stand with Palestinian sports at this time", the body had decided to refuse because of the lack of VAR technology in the stadium.
Reuters has contacted FIFA and the AFC for comment.
Palestine are bottom of Group B with three points after six matches. Neither Palestine nor Jordan have previously qualified for the World Cup finals, while Iraq lost all three games on their one appearance in Mexico in 1986.