Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Netherlands' Teun Koopmeiners (2ndR) is congratulated by teammates Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (R) and Netherlands' forward #09 Wout Weghorst (2ndL) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Nations League football match between the Netherlands and Hungary at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on November 16, 2024 in Amsterdam. (AFP)

11:30-18 November 2024 AD ـ 17 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Captain Virgil van Dijk and midfielder Frenkie de Jong have both been released from international duty this week and will not travel for the Netherlands' last Nations League group game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, coach Ronald Koeman said.

"For both Frenkie and Virgil, it is better for them to leave the training camp at this time," Koeman said in a statement on Monday.

"That decision was made on medical grounds, with the interests of the players paramount, of course."

The Dutch will not call up any replacements with Koeman still able to pick from 23 players for Tuesday's Group A3 clash in Zenica.

Both De Jong and Van Dijk played in Saturday's 4-0 win over Hungary in Amsterdam which secured second place in the group for the Dutch and progress to the Nations League quarter-finals in March.

Van Dijk played the full 90 minutes while De Jong was substituted after 68 minutes.

It was the first game back in the Netherlands national team in 13 months for De Jong, who last season battled with an ankle injury and missed out on the European Championship in Germany this year.

On Saturday, the Barcelona midfielder said he "still needs some time" before finding his form although his return to the Dutch side drew positive reviews.

Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Asharq Al Awsat

18:59-17 November 2024 AD ـ 16 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

18:59-17 November 2024 AD ـ 16 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

Tennis - ATP Finals - Inalpi Arena, Turin, Italy - November 17, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning the final match against Taylor Fritz of the US REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner added another big title to his tremendous year, beating US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday for the ATP Finals trophy before his home fans — and before a final verdict is reached in his doping case.
Sinner won his first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open in 2024 and had already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking.
But Sinner also tested positive in two separate drug tests in March and a decision to clear him of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling is expected from the Court of Arbitration for Sport early next year.
Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.
Sinner maintained his recent mastery over Fritz, having also beaten the American in the US Open final in September and in the group stage this week at the elite event for the year’s top eight players.
By sweeping all five of his matches en route to the trophy, Sinner earned $4.8 million — the largest winner’s prize on the men’s tour, The Associated Press reported.
Sinner became the first Italian to win the finals and he went one step further than last year, when he lost the championship match to Novak Djokovic, who withdrew this time. And he did so without dropping a set – which was last accomplished by Ivan Lendl in 1986.
The crowd inside Inalpi Arena included multiple clusters of fans wearing orange — a tribute to Sinner’s red- and orange-colored hair, and how he once ate carrots during a match. There were orange carrot costumes, orange wigs, orange hats, jackets and plenty of other orange items, too.
Some fans even had carrots in their mouths.
The crowd broke into its customary chant of “Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner” when Sinner produced a drop-shot winner to break for a 4-3 lead in the first set.
Sinner faced a break point while serving for the first set but saved it with a big serve out wide that Fritz couldn’t return. Then he served an ace — his 10th of the set — to close it out.
Another break by Sinner early in the second and the match was virtually over.
Sinner extended his winning streak to 11 matches. He’s won 26 of his last 27 matches and ends the ATP season with eight titles and an overall record of 70-6.
Fritz was attempting to become the event’s first American champion since Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the title match 25 years ago.
Still, Fritz will rise to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings on Monday after beating No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a third-set tiebreaker in the semifinals on Saturday. That will make him the highest-ranked American man since Andy Roddick was No. 4 in August 2007.
It’s the latest in a series of achievements for Fritz, whose run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.
At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press that his “career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year.”
Both Sinner and Fritz will conclude their seasons representing defending champion Italy and the United States, respectively, in the Davis Cup finals, which start Tuesday in Malaga, Spain.
The German duo of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) to win the doubles title.

Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Dutch Leave de Jong, Van Dijk Out of Last Nations League Clash

Most Viewed

Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

Sinner Beats Fritz to Win ATP Finals

لم تشترك بعد