Postecoglou’s Wish Granted as Fire Alarm Takes Out VAR

Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - April 21, 2025 Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou looks on. (Action Images via Reuters)

10:08-22 April 2025 AD ـ 24 Shawwal 1446 AH

Postecoglou’s Wish Granted as Fire Alarm Takes Out VAR

There was not much for Ange Postecoglou to be happy about during Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 defeat by Nottingham Forest on Monday, but perhaps the Australian would have cracked a smile knowing the VAR system was out of action for several minutes.

Postecoglou has long been a vocal critic of VAR and said in early April that the review system was "killing the game" after a Spurs goal was disallowed during a 1-0 loss to Chelsea.

Thankfully for officials on Monday, no major incidents took place during the eight minutes VAR was unavailable due to what the Premier League said was a fire alarm at the Stockley Park facility in West London where the match footage is monitored.

A similar incident occurred in November when Manchester United's match at Ipswich Town continued without VAR because of a reported fire alarm at the same facility.

Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Asharq Al Awsat

17:59-17 May 2025 AD ـ 20 Thul-Qi’dah 1446 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

17:59-17 May 2025 AD ـ 20 Thul-Qi’dah 1446 AH

Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Jasmine Paolini took advantage of the crowd’s support and beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to become the first home player to win the Italian Open in 40 years on Saturday.

With top-ranked Jannik Sinner to play Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final on Sunday, Italy could earn its first sweep of the Rome singles titles, The Associated Press reported.

The last Italian woman to win the open was Raffaella Reggi in 1985 in Taranto. The last local man to raise the trophy was Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Paolini and partner Sara Errani are also in the women’s doubles final and will play Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for that trophy on Sunday.

With the country’s tennis boom in full force, Italy President Sergio Mattarella attended the woman’s final at the Foro Italico.

Numerous fans held aloft Italian flags and they constantly shouted “Vai Jasmine” (“Go Jasmine”).

The fifth-ranked Paolini was the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon and led Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title last year. She’ll move up to No. 4 in the rankings on Monday — which will improve her position in the draw for the French Open next weekend.

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion who was ranked No. 3, struggled with unforced errors and double faults. It’s the second time in two clay-court tournaments that Gauff has finished runner-up. She lost the Madrid Open final two weeks ago to Aryna Sabalenka.

Paolini also beat Gauff at a clay-court event in Stuttgart, Germany, in April.
Monica Seles in 1990 was the last woman to sweep Rome’s singles and doubles titles in the same year.

Postecoglou’s Wish Granted as Fire Alarm Takes Out VAR

Postecoglou’s Wish Granted as Fire Alarm Takes Out VAR

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Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

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