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Tougher Test Awaits Anxious Hosts Morocco at Cup of Nations

Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
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Tougher Test Awaits Anxious Hosts Morocco at Cup of Nations

Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)
Morocco's Brahim Abdelkader Diaz, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 soccer match between Morocco and Tanzania in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)

Hosts Morocco can expect the first proper examination of their ability to go on and win the Africa Cup of Nations when they take on a feisty Cameroon in the quarter-finals at the weekend.

The top-ranked Moroccans were not stretched in the group phase of the tournament, where they finished top of the standings, nor in their last-16 clash against Tanzania on Sunday.

Yet they delivered only one convincing performance when they beat Zambia in their last of their group matches and against Cameroon in Rabat on Friday there will need to be a marked improvement if they are to advance towards ‌the target ‌of a first continental title in 50 years.

The ‌home ⁠side were ‌heavy pre-tournament favorites but have looked anxious and nervy at times, feeling the intense pressure and will be cautious of the threat that Cameroon pose.

"We will try to disrupt them," said Cameroon coach David Pagou, promising a physical battle.

The game will be one of the highlights of a blockbuster set of last-eight ties, with Algeria meeting Nigeria on Saturday and Egypt's clash ⁠against defending champions Ivory Coast later on the same day also eagerly anticipated.

Only Senegal, who ‌take on Mali in the first quarter-final in ‍Tangier on Friday, are expected to ‍ease through to the semi-finals, up against opponents who have made ‍it to the latter stages of the tournament without winning a game.

Mali have drawn four successive matches in Morocco, advancing on post-match penalties over Tunisia in the last 16 despite being down to 10 men for most of the match. Their fighting spirit is not expected to be enough to hold out against Senegal's attack, which has scored 10 ⁠goals at the tournament.

Algeria and Nigeria are the only teams to have won all four of their matches in Morocco and both have given strong indicators of their ability to take the title.

Ivory Coast were also in impressive form in the last 16 as they brushed aside Burkina Faso 3-0 on Tuesday and are set to reignite a Cup of Nations rivalry with Egypt, who are looking to give talisman Mohamed Salah international success to go along with his numerous achievements at club level with Liverpool.

"We'll simply try to impose our rhythm (of play) on Egypt," said Ivorian ‌coach Emerse Fae.

The quarter-final winners advance to the last four to be played in Rabat and Tangier on January 14.

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Djokovic Reaches 100th Australian Open Match Win in Hunt for 25th Grand Slam

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2026 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Spain's Pedro Martinez REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2026 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Spain's Pedro Martinez REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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Djokovic Reaches 100th Australian Open Match Win in Hunt for 25th Grand Slam

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2026 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Spain's Pedro Martinez REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 19, 2026 Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Spain's Pedro Martinez REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Novak Djokovic began his ​hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a 6-3 6-2 6-2 win over unseeded Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the Australian Open first round on Monday, the Serb easing pre-tournament concerns about his fitness with a sparkling display.

Doubts had been raised about Djokovic's preparedness for the major he has won a record 10 times after the 38-year-old skipped the Adelaide tune-up event and cut short practice on Sunday, but he had no trouble sealing his 100th ‌match win at ‌Melbourne Park, Reuters reported.

The flawless performance means Djokovic has reached ‌a ⁠century ​of match ‌wins in three of the four Grand Slams, with 95 at the US Open.

"What can I say? I like the sound of it - centurion is pretty nice, it's a nice feeling to be a centurion," Djokovic said as a montage of his greatest Melbourne moments on Rod Laver Arena played out on the big screen.

"History-making is great motivation, particularly in the last five to 10 years of my career. ⁠Once I got myself into a position to eventually make history, I was even more inspired to ‌play the best tennis, and that's what I've done.

"I ‍was very fortunate early on in ‍my career to encounter people who taught me and guided me to ‍play the long shot, not burn out too quickly, to take care of my body and mind and try to have as long a career as possible.

"I'm blessed to be playing at this level and another win here tonight is a dream come true."

A ​potentially tricky start against first-time opponent Martinez turned into a routine workout when Djokovic seized control with a break and never loosened ⁠his grip under the bright lights of the main showcourt to take the opening set.

Despite last playing in November when he claimed his 101st career title in Athens, Djokovic barely missed a beat as he let rip a fiery crosscourt winner en route to breaking early and wrapping up the second set.

While the spotlight has largely swung toward reigning Melbourne champion Jannik Sinner and world number one Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic reminded the duo of his threat with some sublime tennis to power through the third set and prevail at his favourite hunting ground.

"It's definitely my favourite court, a court that has given me so much," added Djokovic, who will ‌hope to return when he takes on Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli.

"I always try to give back and I hope you enjoyed the tennis."

Sports

Tennis Australia Defends Prize Money amid Player Complaints

USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
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Tennis Australia Defends Prize Money amid Player Complaints

USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)

Governing body Tennis Australia (TA) has defended the amount of prize money on offer at the Australian Open as twice Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff warned that ​players would raise the pressure if their demands were not met.

The Australian Open hiked prize money to A$111.5 million ($74.56 million) for the current tournament, bringing it ahead of last year's French Open ($65.42 million) and Wimbledon ($71.60 million) but short of the US Open's purse ($90 million).

The world's top players wrote to the Grand Slams calling for significant improvements in prize money in ‌April last year, ‌and a number have expressed dissatisfaction ‌with ⁠the ​situation ‌at Melbourne Park in recent days.

Tournament director Craig Tiley, however, said no players had approached him with any complaints about the Australian Open.

"I've also spoken to the players directly, not through third agents, and they are very happy with the Australian Open," Tiley told the Australian Financial Review (AFR).

"Not one of them has shown any ⁠dissatisfaction to me about what we are doing. And I’m not really concerned ‌with what’s said because I know the ‍facts.

"As I said from the ‍beginning, I believe the players should continue to be ‍paid more and more players paid more, we have 128 in the main draw and 128 qualifying (men and women), so we are supporting over 500 players financially each Grand Slam."

The AFR reported that agents of ​the world's top 10 men's and women's players had met in Melbourne over the weekend and agreed ⁠to take further action seeking a bigger share of the Australian Open revenue.

American world number three Gauff told reporters on Monday she had not heard concrete plans for action over pay but said players would raise the pressure if their demands went unmet.

"I feel like that will have to be a collective decision that we would all have to talk about," she said after her 6-2 6-3 win in the first round over Kamilla Rakhimova.

"I do know players are going to put more pressure on ‌the Slams if certain things aren't being met to where we see it."

Sports

Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
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Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)

Former champion Stan Wawrinka lived to fight another day with a gutsy four-set victory to kick off his final Australian Open campaign on Monday.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, 40, is playing his last season before retiring and gave his all to down Serbia's Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in front of a Kia Arena crowd willing him to victory.

But he made life hard for himself, working 18 break points but only converting three of them in a draining 3hr 20min battle.

"It was amazing today, so thank you so much," said Wawrinka, who made his debut at Melbourne Park in 2006.

"It is my last year. It's been too long that I'm coming back, but the passion is still intact.
"But I'm not young any more, so I need to be careful also.

"It's my last time and I'm trying to enjoy it," he added. "But in the same time as I'm trying to compete. I'm always going to fight."

The Swiss stalwart, ranked 139, bounced back from losing the opening set to overwhelm the 92nd-ranked Djere in the second.

Defying his age, he then took the third before an energy-sapping fourth went to a tiebreak where the veteran's experience came into play.

"He's a great player. Last time we met, he beat me so I expected a tough match today," he said.

"But I'm happy with the discipline I put on myself, to keep staying with him, to keep fighting, trying to be a bit more aggressive, trying to find a way."

Wawrinka won the first of his majors at Melbourne in 2014, a season during which he peaked at world number three, and reached two other semi-finals.

Along with that title, he won the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016.

The triumphs all came at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men's tennis.

Wawrinka has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.

He won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.