Gyokeres Leads Sweden to Nations League Win, the Dutch Reach Knockout Rounds

Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Sweden v Slovakia - Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden - November 16, 2024 Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Slovakia's David Hancko and Milan Skriniar Jakob Akersten Broden /TT News Agency via REUTERS
Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Sweden v Slovakia - Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden - November 16, 2024 Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Slovakia's David Hancko and Milan Skriniar Jakob Akersten Broden /TT News Agency via REUTERS
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Gyokeres Leads Sweden to Nations League Win, the Dutch Reach Knockout Rounds

Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Sweden v Slovakia - Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden - November 16, 2024 Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Slovakia's David Hancko and Milan Skriniar Jakob Akersten Broden /TT News Agency via REUTERS
Soccer Football - Nations League - Group Stage - Sweden v Slovakia - Strawberry Arena, Stockholm, Sweden - November 16, 2024 Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres in action with Slovakia's David Hancko and Milan Skriniar Jakob Akersten Broden /TT News Agency via REUTERS

Viktor Gyokeres led Sweden to a 2-1 win over Slovakia while the Netherlands qualified for the Nations League quarterfinals with a 4-0 win over Hungary on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
Germany also set a single-game scoring record for the relatively new competition — this is its fourth edition — by routing Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-0.
Gyokeres took his nation’s opening goal in the third minute. After Slovakia's David Hancko leveled in the 19th, the Sporting Lisbon striker set up Aleksander Isak to put Sweden back in front for good in the 31st.
Gyokeres is the joint leading scorer of the Nations League with five along with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko. Gyokeres recently upstaged Erling Haaland by scoring a hat trick as Sporting beat Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League.
Sweden is trying to earn promotion from League C to League B. Estonia finished at Azerbaijan 0-0 in the same group.
The Netherlands joined Germany as the two teams from League A, Group 3 to advance to the quarterfinals in March.
The Dutch easily won their game in Amsterdam, which was briefly suspended in the first half for the medical evacuation of Hungary assistant coach Adam Szalai. The Hungarian Football Federation said the former player was in “stable” condition after being taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
Wout Weghorst converted a penalty in the 21st and Cody Gapko added a second spot kick in first-half injury time. Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners added second-half goals.
Germany rolls to record win Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz scored twice, including from a superb free kick, to help fuel the Germans' demolition of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Forward Tim Kleindienst also got his first two international goals, while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane all added to the lopsided scoreline in Freiburg.
League B Wales escaped with a scoreless draw from Türkiye after the host's top scorer Kerem Akturkoglu missed an 89th-minute penalty. Akturkoglu, who leads Türkiye with four goals in the Nations League, sent his spot kick off the post.
Iceland won at Montenegro 2-0 after late goals by Orri Oskarsson and Isak Bergmann. The loss meant Montenegro will be relegated to League C.
A goal by Georges Mikautadze got Georgia a 1-1 draw at home with Ukraine after an own goal by Solomon Kverkvelia put the visitors ahead.
The Czech Republic missed the chance to earn promotion from League B after drawing at Albania 0-0.
League D Virgiliu Postolachi scored in injury time to give Moldova a 1-0 win in Andorra.



Federer Pens Tribute to Retiring Nadal

Tennis - Laver Cup - Media Day - 02 Arena, London, Britain - September 22, 2022 Team Europe's Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
Tennis - Laver Cup - Media Day - 02 Arena, London, Britain - September 22, 2022 Team Europe's Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
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Federer Pens Tribute to Retiring Nadal

Tennis - Laver Cup - Media Day - 02 Arena, London, Britain - September 22, 2022 Team Europe's Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
Tennis - Laver Cup - Media Day - 02 Arena, London, Britain - September 22, 2022 Team Europe's Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo

Roger Federer paid tribute to his retiring rival Rafa Nadal on Tuesday, telling the Spaniard he challenged him like no other player and that he had made the tennis world proud during a glittering career lasting over two decades.

Nadal is part of the Spain side that will begin their Davis Cup campaign against the Netherlands later on Tuesday, with the injury-plagued 22-times Grand Slam champion set to call time on his career after the team competition in Malaga.

Federer, who was part of the "Big Three" of men's tennis alongside Nadal and Novak Djokovic, posted a letter on X looking back at his rivalry with the 38-year-old.

"Let's start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could," Federer said of Nadal, who edged their rivalry 24-16.

"On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground.

"You made me re-imagine my game - even going so far as to change the size of my racket head, hoping for any edge."

Federer, who won 20 Grand Slam titles before retiring in 2022, also poked fun at Nadal's courtside quirks.

"I'm not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level," Federer added.

"All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear ... all of it with the highest intensity.

"Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique - it was so you. And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more."

Nadal was by Federer's side in the Swiss great's final event when they played doubles for Team Europe at the Laver Cup in 2022, with images of the pair crying together going viral on social media.

"It meant everything to me that you were there by my side - not as my rival but as my doubles partner," Federer added.

"Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career."