Juventus Earns 2nd Straight 3-0 Win, Como Gets First Serie A Point in 2 Decades 

Juventus' Dušan Vlahovic scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Juventus FC, in Verona, Italy, 26 August 2024. (EPA)
Juventus' Dušan Vlahovic scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Juventus FC, in Verona, Italy, 26 August 2024. (EPA)
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Juventus Earns 2nd Straight 3-0 Win, Como Gets First Serie A Point in 2 Decades 

Juventus' Dušan Vlahovic scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Juventus FC, in Verona, Italy, 26 August 2024. (EPA)
Juventus' Dušan Vlahovic scores the 0-3 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Juventus FC, in Verona, Italy, 26 August 2024. (EPA)

Juventus became the only Serie A team to win both of its opening two matches of the season after Dušan Vlahovic scored twice in a 3-0 victory over Verona on Monday.

Right-back Nicolo Savona also scored on his full debut as Juventus earned a second straight 3-0 win.

Vlahovic put the visitors ahead after 28 minutes when he found space in the Verona backline and fought off the attention of three defenders to steer the ball home from 12 yards.

Savona doubled the lead with a header 11 minutes later and Vlahovic rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half.

Verona is ninth with three points.

Meanwhile, Como earned its first Serie A point in more than two decades when Cesc Fabregas’ team came back from a goal down to draw 1-1 at Cagliari.

Fabregas, the former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, helped guide Como back into the top flight last season after a 21-year absence, but the Lombardy-based club lost its opener 3-0 to Juventus.

However, it showed resilience on a sunny evening in Sardinia.

Roberto Piccolo put the host ahead when he stole in between a hesitant defender and goalkeeper to nod home after 44 minutes.

The goal marked the fifth season in a row that the 23-year-old striker has scored for a different Serie A club, after previous stints with Lecce, Empoli, Atalanta and Spezia.

Como equalized eight minutes into the second period. Alberto Dossena headed down a corner kick from the right and Como-born Patrick Cutrone was on hand to dispatch the ball high into the net.

Both goalkeepers made good saves in the last 15 minutes to maintain the stalemate.



Rusty Djokovic Kicks off Grand Slam Record Bid with Albot Thrashing 

 Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Moldova's Radu Albot during their men's singles first round tennis match on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 26, 2024. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Moldova's Radu Albot during their men's singles first round tennis match on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Rusty Djokovic Kicks off Grand Slam Record Bid with Albot Thrashing 

 Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Moldova's Radu Albot during their men's singles first round tennis match on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 26, 2024. (AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Moldova's Radu Albot during their men's singles first round tennis match on day one of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 26, 2024. (AFP)

Novak Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title kicked off on Monday with a rusty 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over qualifier Radu Albot in the US Open first round as the defending champion returned to the court after his Olympic triumph.

Three weeks after winning the singles title at the Paris Games, Djokovic toted his rackets and gear in a pair of gold-colored bags onto center court where the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd gave him a hero's welcome.

But the Serb's golden touch was decidedly lacking in the late night match as he struggled with serve and racked up nearly twice as many unforced errors as winners.

For all that, he had more than enough weapons to handle Moldovan Albot in their first tour clash and claim a record 78th win at Arthur Ashe under a closed roof.

"I was not aware of it, to be honest with you," Djokovic said of the center court milestone.

"It's definitely the loudest stadium we have in the history of our sport. The night sessions are the best in the world here."

While having never played Albot before, Djokovic said he had done his homework on the 34-year-old who beat both his younger brothers Marko and Djordje during their playing days.

"They both lost to him so hopefully I can avenge my brothers tonight," he told ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert with a laugh before taking the court. Djokovic duly avenged the family name in three clunky sets but he will hope for better from his game as he looks to move past Margaret Court on the all-time Grand Slam winners' list.

With 10 double-faults, his serve was wild by his usual standards, and he winced throughout the night as 40 unforced errors piled up.

His coach Nenad Zimonjic was an animated presence, barking instructions in Serbian at the wayward champion, who could convert only six out of 16 break points.

Though Djokovic was well off his best, Albot was unable to make the world number two pay.

After bright starts in the first two sets, he crumbled on serve in each of them before making a better game of the third.

In the twilight of a record-smashing career, Djokovic is eyeing several milestones in New York, including a fifth title at Flushing Meadows to match the professional era record held by Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.

He also hopes to become the first back-to-back winner in the men's singles since Federer's run of five successive titles from 2004-08.