عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

F1 Rookie Colapinto Laughs Off 'Crazy' Messi Comparisons

Argentine Formula Two driver Franco Colapinto addresses the audience during an event with his sponsor Gulf, in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 12, 2024. Juan Lopetegui/Gulf/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Argentine Formula Two driver Franco Colapinto addresses the audience during an event with his sponsor Gulf, in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 12, 2024. Juan Lopetegui/Gulf/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
TT
TT

F1 Rookie Colapinto Laughs Off 'Crazy' Messi Comparisons

Argentine Formula Two driver Franco Colapinto addresses the audience during an event with his sponsor Gulf, in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 12, 2024. Juan Lopetegui/Gulf/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Argentine Formula Two driver Franco Colapinto addresses the audience during an event with his sponsor Gulf, in Buenos Aires, Argentina August 12, 2024. Juan Lopetegui/Gulf/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Rookie Franco Colapinto on Thursday brushed off talk of him being Formula One's Lionel Messi as he prepares for his debut at the Italian Grand Prix.

Colapinto will become the first Argentine driver to compete in F1 in over two decades this weekend in Monza after replacing struggling Logan Sargeant for Williams, according to AFP.

His appointment delighted fans of the sport back home, but asked whether he felt like football icon Messi before the last World Cup, Colapinto said such talk was "crazy".

"It's very difficult to feel as Lionel Messi, I don't know how it is to feel that," Colapinto told reporters.

"But sometimes I see that they compare me and I'm like, you guys are crazy, like Messi is God, it's like you cannot, how are you comparing me?"

Colapinto hasn't set high expectations for his debut with Williams, who have a paltry four points in the F1 constructors' championship.

"I am not expecting much... I just want to go step by step, I want to focus on myself," he added.

"That's the main thing I think. To be able to be focused on my job. To be able to do what the team expects. And I am, to be honest, more than sure that I can do it."

The action gets underway at Monza on Friday with the first two of the weekend's three practice sessions.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Djokovic Reaches US Open Third Round after Opponent Stops in 3rd Set

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Serbia's Laslo Djere during their men's singles second round tennis match on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 28, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Serbia's Laslo Djere during their men's singles second round tennis match on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 28, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
TT
TT

Djokovic Reaches US Open Third Round after Opponent Stops in 3rd Set

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Serbia's Laslo Djere during their men's singles second round tennis match on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 28, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Serbia's Laslo Djere during their men's singles second round tennis match on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 28, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

A US Open match that Novak Djokovic already expected to be difficult was threatening to become a toss-up as he struggled with his serve.

Missing more than he made, Djokovic couldn't get many quick points Wednesday night. He acknowledged that he should have lost the second set, and if his opponent didn't get injured and have to stop, maybe he wouldn't even have won that match, The Associated Press reported.
Once he had, the defending champion was only looking ahead.
“The matches are only going to get tougher from here. I know that, but I’m fine,” Djokovic said. “I’ll find my way, as I have done many times in my career.”
Djokovic reached the third round when Laslo Djere had to retire with the No. 2 seed leading his Serbian countryman 6-4, 6-4, 2-0.
Djere was leading 4-2 in the second set when he appeared to be troubled by pain near his hip and was visited by a trainer later in the set. He finished that set, which lasted 69 minutes after the first one went 60, but didn't last much longer.
“In the end, not the kind of finish that we players or crowd wants to see, but I think it’s probably due to that physical battle that we had in the opening two sets,” Djokovic said.
It was the 90th win at the US Open for Djokovic, making him the first man to reach that total at all four Grand Slams. The 24-time major champion will play No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin on Friday.
Djere was the only player to win a set against Djokovic at last year's US Open, grabbing the first two in their third-round encounter before Djokovic rallied.
“So I knew coming into the match that if I don’t serve well, which was the case, I’m going to have to really grind and work for my points a lot,” Djokovic said. “That’s what I guess caused the two sets to be played over two hours.”
Djokovic made only 47% of his first serves and appeared to be struggling physically himself earlier in the match, which was just his second since winning the gold medal in the Olympics.
Djere had two chances to break Djokovic's serve for would have given him a 5-2 lead in the second set. Instead, he wouldn't win another game, with Djokovic breaking to win the set when Djere yanked a forehand out of bounds.
“All in all, of course, I have to be happy with the win,” Djokovic said, “and happy that in important moments I managed to play one ball more than him over the net, I guess find the right shots or anticipate well as I did in the set point in the second set.”