World number two Carlos Alcaraz had to come from a set behind to defeat Fabio Fognini 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 on Thursday to advance to the Rio Open quarter-final.
The 19-year-old phenom has now won all five of his matches in 2023 after winning last week's Argentina Open, and the 2022 Rio champion is now three wins away from defending his title at South America's only ATP 500 event.
Against Fognini, Alcaraz lost the first set despite creating 11 break point opportunities, as his Italian opponent converted all four of his own chances in a back-and-forth battle.
The Spaniard tightened up his service game down the stretch, only allowing Fognini one break point opportunity from the second and third frames combined, and he will now play Dusan Lajovic following his 6-2 6-4 win against Serbian compatriot Laslo Djere.
Chile's Nicolas Jarry is still yet to lose a set in the tournament, following up his impressive upset of third seed Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-2 6-2 triumph over Pedro Martinez.
Jarry will get a crack at another seeded opponent next when he takes on Argentina's sixth seed Sebastian Baez, who emerged victorious 7-5 7-6 (8-6) after two gruelling sets against Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas.
Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo was eliminated 6-1 4-6 6-1 by Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who will meet Albert Ramos-Vinolas in an all-Spanish quarter-final after he fought off Daniel Elahi Galan 6-2 6-4.
Billy Horschel and Joseph Bramlett are co-leaders at five under after Thursday's opening round of the Honda Classic.
Horschel came into the event as the second-highest ranked player in the field, at world number 19, as many of the world's best opted to take the week off ahead of bigger prize pools at the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players.
Looking to capitalise on the weaker field, Horschel posted six birdies and one bogey during his first trip this week around PGA National in his home state of Florida. Meanwhile, Bramlett went bogey-free for his 65, joining Horschel at the summit after a birdie on his final hole.
Rounding out an all-American top-five are Pierceson Coody, Justin Suh and Carson Young tied for third at four under, and Young still has three holes to play after his round was cut short by fading light.
The only player in the field ranked higher than Horschel – world number 18 Im Sung-jae – is part of the logjam at three under that includes English duo Ben Taylor and Matt Wallace, while world number 20 Shane Lowry headlines the group one further back with Australia's Min Woo Lee.
Defending champion Sepp Straka made a safe start at one under, with last season's title the first and only of his PGA Tour career so far.
Erik ten Hag encouraged Manchester United to exude greater belief and courage prior to their inspired turnaround against Barcelona at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils came from behind to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over the runaway LaLiga leaders on aggregate and book their place in the last 16 of the competition.
United endured a difficult first half as they fell behind to Robert Lewandowski's penalty and registered just two shots on target, while they could have trailed 2-0 on the night had Casemiro not thwarted Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessie on the stroke of half-time.
Ten Hag made a substitute at the break for a second successive match, having also done so against Leicester City on Sunday, introducing Antony in favour of Wout Weghorst.
It proved an inspired move as the hosts appeared invigorated upon the contest's resumption. Fred levelled the tie, before Antony struck the winner 17 minutes from time.
"I emphasised the belief. It was too flat [in the] first half," Ten Hag told reporters his post-match press conference. "We had our spare man Casemiro [who] we didn't use enough. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had a lot of space on the right side, we didn't use [him] enough.
"I think in the pressing, we could be more brave. So, that is what we emphasised. The second was to make the sub with Antony, who brought more speed in the play and who brings belief on the pitch.
"In the squad, you need different types and profiles and when your time is there, you have to be ready and contribute with the team. You can't win trophies with 11 [players], especially not nowadays. You need that squad and rotation.
"This is another step because when you can beat Barcelona – one of the best teams in this moment in Europe – your belief can be really strong, because then I think you are able to beat anyone.
"It was a magnificent night. I think it is brilliant when you can beat Barcelona – eight points ahead of Real Madrid in LaLiga – and we have seen this week Real Madrid playing [in their 5-2 win [over Liverpool]. We did a magnificent performance."
Sergio Busquets acknowledged Barcelona are "angry" after their Europa League exit to Manchester United, but insists it will not affect their domestic form.
Xavi's side saw their European exploits come to an end for the season after they let a one-goal lead slip at Old Trafford in a 2-1 loss to the Premier League side.
With Erik ten Hag's men taking a 4-3 aggregate victory across both legs, it marks another disappointing to end to a continental campaign for the Blaugrana.
Barca remain top of LaLiga and in the hunt for Copa del Rey success though, and while Busquets touched on the sting of defeat, he was adamant they will be fine.
"In terms of spirit, it does take its toll," he told Movistar+. "We are angry, but the team is aware of where that comes from.
"We are good in the league, but in Europe, we lack that little point. We must aspire to win everything. We are on the right path, and I'm sure [this] won't take its toll on the team."
Defeat in the Europa League marked a second exit from a continental competition this season, with Barca having dropped into the second-tier competition from the Champions League.
In a group that also included Bayern Munich and Inter, they only managed a pair of wins over Viktoria Plzen, but Busquets shut down suggestions this latest result represents a similar failure.
"They have been different eliminations," he added. "In the Champions League, a lot of things happened that were incredible. We weren't good in some games.
"Today is different. This was a tie against one of the best teams in the Premier League. Defeat could happen."
Erik ten Hag saluted his "resilient" Manchester United side following their dramatic comeback victory over Barcelona in the Europa League.
Following a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week, the Red Devils fell behind on aggregate to Robert Lewandowski's first-half penalty at Old Trafford.
But Ten Hag's side turned the tie on its head after the break with goals from Fred and substitute Antony sending the hosts through to the last 16 of the competition.
It also marked the first time since defeat by Granada in April 2021 that the Blaugrana had lost having led at half-time.
When asked if this was his biggest win since taking charge, the Dutchman told BT Sport: "Yes, I think so. We've had some good wins – Liverpool, Arsenal at home. Barcelona is the leader of LaLiga, eight points ahead of Real Madrid. To beat them, it's a big win.
"I think we have some great personalities in the team, like Rapha [Varane] and Licha [Lisandro Martinez], they don't fear anyone. Even when you get setbacks, they move on, they carry on, and they are resilient. They want to get a result.
"Even when you concede a penalty, you have to go on; you can turn around such games. When you win a big game like this – after [being] 1-0 down and a difficult situation – I think this is a good bit of motivation in the season."
Following Antony's winner, United have now had 19 goals scored by substitutes in all competitions this season, the most by any side from the big five European leagues.
Alejandro Garnacho also looked dangerous following his introduction, his blocked effort leading to the decisive strike, and Ten Hag hailed the impact of both players.
"We know if we can bring Antony and Garnacho on and get over in the right areas, you get speed, you get running behind, you get dribbles, and you get belief," the manager added.
"They are both so brave; they don't fear anyone. They just take players on, and I think that gives a boost to the whole team."
On Fred, who levelled the tie, he said: "What he does really well is make the runs behind in the right moment, he has good timing. Getting behind the Barcelona midfielders was part of our game plan. I think it was really effective."
Xavi felt Barcelona "deserved more" from Thursday's defeat at Manchester United after Antony's 73rd-minute strike dumped his team out of the Europa League at Old Trafford.
Following a thrilling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty after Bruno Fernandes hauled down Alejandro Balde to put Barca ahead at half-time of the second leg.
But Fred equalised shortly after the interval, and Antony struck with less than 20 minutes to play to send United through 4-3 on aggregate and knock Xavi's side out of the competition.
It was Barca's first defeat against the Red Devils since 2008, and the first time in 38 matches in all competitions that they had lost a game after leading at half-time.
Xavi believes his players' efforts at Old Trafford warranted more than they received, telling Movistar+ after the match: "In such evenly matched knockout matches, details are important. I think we deserved something more.
"The goal to make it 1-1 hurt us. We lost a ball and they equalised. They put more intensity and we lost more duels in the second half.
"It has been an even tie. There have even been moments in which we have been very comfortable.
"This is a big disappointment but we have to focus on the competitions we have left. We had a great rival in front of us."
Despite Barca having now been knocked out of both the Europa League and Champions League this season, Xavi says this season's continental efforts have been an improvement on last campaign, when they were again knocked out of Europe's premier competition before succumbing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final eight.
"We have been better than last year," Xavi explained. "The message is a bit like when they eliminated us in the Champions League. This year we have competed against Bayern [Munich], against Inter.
"We have been better. We have competed in this tie.
"You have to be very self-critical and think about what needs to be improved. We may not be satisfied, but there has been an exponential change compared to last year.
"Next year we have to improve. They are big teams and it is hard to compete. Next year we will come back stronger."
Asked whether new signings are needed for Barca to compete at the top level again, Xavi replied: "Soon we'll see if we can sign [players]. What is clear is that we haven't competed for two years."
Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev sealed their place in the Qatar Open semi-finals while top seed Andrey Rublev was upset 4-6 6-4 6-3 by Jiri Lehecka.
Rublev won this tournament in 2020 and looked to be on his way to the final four after a strong opening set put him ahead.
But Lehecka battled back in the second to level the match and then found a crucial break in the second game of the deciding set to seize the advantage.
It was a lead he would not relinquish, holding his nerve despite watching a pair of match points come and go to clinch victory and knock out the world number five.
Lehecka will meet Murray in the semi-finals after the Brit came from a set down to see off Alexandre Muller 4-6 6-1 6-2 and keep his hopes of winning the Qatar Open for a third time alive after back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.
A tough opener had Murray facing a deficit against the world number 170, but a typically gutsy display saw him pull off the comeback and reach his first tour-level semi-final since June 2022, when he lost in the Stuttgart Open final to Matteo Berrettini.
Medvedev sealed his place in the final four with a hard-fought 6-2 4-6 7-5 win over Christopher O'Connell.
The world number eight triumphed for the seventh straight match, but did not have it all his own way against his Australian opponent, needing a crucial break with the final set tied at five games each to put himself back into the ascendancy.
Felix Auger-Aliassime awaits Medvedev in the next round after prevailing over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets.
The world number nine out-aced his opponent eight to two to author a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory after one hour and 48 minutes, and he will look to improve on his dismal record against Medvedev on Friday, having lost all five of his meetings against the Russian.
At the Open 13 Provence, top seed Hubert Hurkacz reached the quarter-final after rallying from a set down to see off Leandro Riedi 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Second seed Jannik Sinner was forced to withdraw through illness, sending wildcard Frenchman Arthur Fils into the final eight, where he will meet Stan Wawrinka.
Alex De Minaur teed up a clash with Benjamin Bonzi by cruising past Alexander Ritschard 6-3 6-3, while world number 25 Grigor Dimitrov will play Alexander Bublik on Friday after beating Gijs Brouwer in straight sets.
Bruno Fernandes put Manchester United's 2-1 comeback win over Barcelona down to a "bouncing" Old Trafford on Thursday.
The hosts went behind in the first half after the Portuguese midfielder conceded a penalty for a tug on Alejandro Balde, with Robert Lewandowski converting for Barca.
But goals from Fred and Antony after the break saw United turn matters around to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory and secure a place in the draw for the last 16.
Erik ten Hag's side were backed by a noisy Old Trafford throughout, and Fernandes was quick to pay tribute to the fans' contribution afterwards.
"The belief in the team is always there," he told BT Sport. "The belief from the fans, for us, is amazing. They [have] pushed us through difficult moments this season.
"They've been with us in the toughest moments. This season, we have been good, really good. This is something different, between them and us.
"We have something special, because they can see we are doing all we can to win games for them. Old Trafford was bouncing, that's why we got the result."
For United, there is limited time to dwell on such a momentous result – their first win over Barcelona since April 2008 – as they turn focus towards Sunday's EFL Cup final against Newcastle United.
With a chance to end the club's six-year silverware drought this weekend, fellow midfielder Fred acknowledges they must refocus quickly to stay on track.
"[It was a] good game today," he added. "[But] we need to keep going. We have a final on Sunday. We need to change our mind [ahead] of the final."
Antony was the hero as Manchester United progressed to the Europa League last 16 thanks to a 2-1 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford that secured a 4-3 aggregate success.
Robert Lewandowski put the Blaugrana ahead with an 18th-minute penalty following a pulsating 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week.
But Fred equalised early in the second half, before substitute Antony completed the turnaround for Erik ten Hag’s side 17 minutes from time.
The Red Devils held on for their first victory over Barca since the narrow 1-0 win in the Champions League semi-final second leg in April 2008.
Casemiro released Bruno Fernandes in the third minute for the latter to test Marc-Andre ter Stegen during a bright start for United.
But having almost been the hero at one end, Fernandes became the villain at the other when he hauled down Alejandro Balde in the penalty area, Lewandowski converting the subsequent spot-kick despite David de Gea's best efforts.
The United goalkeeper almost gifted Barca a second before half-time, his loose pass intercepted by Sergi Roberto, but Casemiro made vital blocks to deny him and Franck Kessie.
The hosts capitalised on their good fortune within two minutes of the restart, Fernandes feeding Fred, who drilled a low shot beyond Ter Stegen's dive.
United carried the greater threat but were almost caught by a sucker punch, with De Gea showcasing wonderful reflexes to tip away Jules Kounde's header.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag's side deservedly completed the comeback.
The ball ricocheted to Antony, who neatly guided into the bottom-left corner, and a late Raphael Varane block to deny Lewandowski ensured the Brazilian's strike was decisive.
Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic warned he knows how to defend himself after he was involved in an altercation with a fan during their Europa League loss to PSV.
The shot-stopper clashed with a supporter who rushed him on the field during the closing stages of their 2-0 defeat at Philips Stadion, pinning him until security could intervene.
Though Sevilla fell to defeat on the road after goals from Luuk de Jong and Fabio Silva, their three-goal advantage from the first leg saw them seal progress to the next round.
Speaking afterwards, Dmitrovic expounded upon the incident, stating such violence has no place in football and calling for punishment to be handed out to the individual in question.
"He pushed me from behind and tried to hit me," he told Movistar+. "He caught my nose and neck a little.
"The truth is that I wanted to hit him. If you want to hit someone, you sign up for a sport like boxing.
"Football doesn't deserve these things. I hope they punish him. It was a surprise, because you are focused on the game.
"I've never struck anyone in my life, but I know how to defend myself. It's not good in football or in life. The important thing is we have progressed."
Stats Perform approached UEFA for comment following the incident, to which the governing body said they would wait for the referee's match report before addressing the situation.
Massimiliano Allegri hailed the impact of Angel Di Maria after the winger's hat-trick helped Juventus see off Nantes on Thursday to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League.
Di Maria put the Bianconeri in front with a stunning opener after just five minutes, before his inventive backheel was prevented from going in by the arm of Nicolas Pallois, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Di Maria thumped home the resulting penalty after Pallois was given his marching orders, and the Argentina international rounded off his hat-trick with a late header to cap a sublime display and send the Bianconeri through, becoming the first Juve player to score at least three goals in a European match since Filippo Inzaghi in 2000.
Allegri lauded the improvements Di Maria has made after an injury-hit start to life at Juventus following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.
"Angel is a world champion," Allegri told reporters after the match. "He increases the quality of this Juventus and we are all happy to have him.
"Having someone like him is important to the team. Now, he knows the team better and is physically better."
Allegri was delighted with his team's second-leg performance after a disappointing 1-1 draw in Turin left his team with a tricky test to progress at a raucous Stade de la Beaujoire.
They came through that test in style, and Allegri is setting his sights on winning the competition after one win in six Champions League group-stage matches saw Juve drop into the Europa League.
It could also be their only route to next season's Champions League, following a 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches which sees them sitting seventh and playing catch-up for the European spots.
"Winning away from home is never easy, in Europe even more," Allegri said. "After the elimination in the Champions League, it seems that winning in Europe for Juve is a walk in the park, but it's not like that.
"Now seeing the [Serie A] standings, the Europa League seems like the only way to get to the Champions League.
"Barcelona, Manchester United, Sevilla, Feyenoord, Arsenal, there are important teams [in the Europa League].
"Let's see who we get in the round of 16, if Roma also get through. We try to get to the final, but not just to get to the Champions League, but also to win a trophy."
Tennis Jamaica has announced the renewal of its partnership with National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) for the next staging of its highly successful Amateur Tennis series, which kicks off with the first event set for March 4 – 11, 2023.
The series of ten tournaments will be played at the NCB Wellness and Recreational Centre in Kingston, and will see amateurs of varying levels competing in a variety of divisions namely, Men’s Class 1, 2 and 3 and Ladies A and B.
Each tournament will also see the introduction of a Men’s Class 1A event, which will allow local professionals to showcase their skills in an exhibition round robin format while gaining invaluable match practice and experience. While the majority of events will focus on singles competition, there will also be events dedicated solely to Doubles competition as well.
Tennis Jamaica President, John P. Azar, was elated to welcome NCB back on board for a second year.
“The NCB Amateur series was one of our many highlights of 2022. It allowed players of all levels to come out in a competitive yet friendly atmosphere. I have no doubt that the 2023 series will be even more successful as each of the last events were record-setting, with an increased number of entries each time, and there is no doubt that the players are raring to go and get back on the courts,” he said.
Azar was quick to point out that NCB’s support had not been limited to the Amateur Series.
“Even with the best plans and ambitions, we are powerless without the support of our valued sponsors, led by NCB. They have been consistent in their support of a variety of our developmental programs and I see it as a belief in the Tennis Jamaica brand and what we are doing. I cannot thank NCB enough for their invaluable and ongoing support,” Azar added.
Brand and Sponsorship Manager at NCB, Marion Carter, also shared her enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Tennis Jamaica for the 2023 Amateur Tennis Series. Supporting the development of sports in Jamaica is very important to us as we see more young Jamaicans turning to this field as a viable career and wealth-creation option for them and their families. We believe that the NCB Amateur Tennis Series is an excellent platform for players of all levels to showcase their skills and compete in an environment that is geared towards their development.”
Azar added: “I cannot stress enough the importance of tournaments in the development of players. The presence of events such as these encourages players to practice even harder in an effort to showcase their skills. It is wonderful to see the camaraderie and fellowship between the tennis family and nothing brings that out as well as friendly but fierce competition.”
Brendan Rodgers saluted "game changers" Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of Leicester City's Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal.
The Gunners are two points clear at the summit with a game in hand on second-place Manchester City heading into their final 15 matches of the campaign.
Their quest for a first domestic title in 19 years has been boosted by the performances of former Man City duo Jesus and Zinchenko, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium in pre-season.
Jesus scored twice and provided two assists in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leicester in August, though the Brazil international will miss the return fixture at the King Power Stadium on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the versatile Zinchenko has played 20 times under Mikel Arteta this term, and Rodgers praised the impact of both players.
"I think [Arsenal have] had a fantastic season up until now," the Foxes head coach said. "I think that you sensed right at the very beginning of the season when we played [them], they'd signed the two players that were a game changer for them in terms of mentality.
"When you've got the likes of Kieran Tierney on the bench – who's an outstanding player – because of Zinchenko playing, then it really shows you the quality of the squad that they have.
"But I think Zinchenko and Jesus coming in really will have helped, and given [them] that mindset. [William] Saliba coming in at the back and obviously the other players then improve, and so I think that they played very well on that day.
"Whenever we got close to them, we made mistakes, which gave them a cushion in the game. But you could see in that early part of the season that there was a good feeling around the place and that's continued through the season.
"I think Mikel [Arteta] has done a fantastic job with them, and, okay, still a long way to go – 15 games to go – but they've had a very, very good season so far."
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warned that a new independent regulator for English football cannot be used as a "sledgehammer" to the game.
Plans have been confirmed by the United Kingdom government for an overhaul of the sport's regulatory oversight following the publication of a white paper on Thursday.
The government said the new independent regulator will "help prevent repeat financial failings", strengthen the owners' and directors' test "to protect clubs and their fans from unscrupulous owners", give fans greater say in running clubs, and "block English clubs from joining unpopular breakaway leagues".
Reception has been distinctly lukewarm from the Premier League however, urging caution in a statement on Wednesday that highlighted the need for the top flight to remain attractive to investors.
Now Masters has further outlined concerns over the potential knock-on effects of the regulator, which was recommended after the launch of a fan-led review in 2021.
"Regulation brings with it many challenges," he told BBC Sport. "This needs to be a very precise regulatory tool and not a sledgehammer.
"Otherwise, it might take football sidewards, or even backwards, rather than forwards.
"We need to be able to ensure the things which have made English football so successful over the last 150 years, and during the Premier League period, are not damaged, and the sport is fundamentally supported.
"We don't want that to be choked off, [or] chilled, to the point where actually it's starting to affect the quality of our competition."
The introduction of a regulator would theoretically help safeguard clubs from going out of business while taking onboard additional input from supporters.
It also comes following the involvement of six Premier League clubs in the attempted European Super League breakaway.
Masters conceded there was a need to rebuild trust between the game's power brokers and fans following a turbulent period.
"We accept some of the things which have happened in the recent past should not have happened, whether that be insolvencies in the Football League or the European Super League as a concept," he added.
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