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Nadal Reaches First Final Since 2022 at Swedish Open

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Nadal Reaches First Final Since 2022 at Swedish Open

Rafael Nadal has secured his spot in the Swedish Open final after a hard-fought victory over Duje Ajdukovic in Bastad. This marks Nadal’s first final appearance since the 2022 French Open. The 38-year-old Spaniard triumphed over the unseeded Croatian 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 12 minutes.

On Sunday, Nadal will face seventh seed Nuno Borges from Portugal, who defeated Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-4, 6-3 in their semi-final match.

“It was a very tough match – my opponent has one of the best backhands I have played against,” Nadal said. “He came here with a lot of confidence. I was trying to push him back and it was very difficult. I found a way to survive.”

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The final will be Nadal’s 131st tour final and his 72nd on clay. “It is always a good feeling to get back into a final,” he added. “I’m still in this process of recovering a lot of things that I lost because I had an important hip surgery almost a year ago. Things are not going that easy, but I am fighting.”

Nadal was also set to play in the Swedish Open men’s doubles semi-final on Saturday with Casper Ruud, but the pair withdrew to conserve Nadal’s energy for the singles final. This withdrawal allowed Brazil’s Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos to advance to the final.

Nadal’s participation in the doubles was part of his preparation for his doubles partnership with Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics this summer.

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The match against Ajdukovic was a rollercoaster. The Croatian took the first set 6-4, but Nadal responded strongly, winning the second set 6-3. In the decisive third set, Nadal quickly took a 3-0 lead with a double break. Ajdukovic fought back, breaking Nadal’s serve twice to level the set at 3-3.

Nadal then managed to break Ajdukovic’s serve again in a tense exchange and celebrated wildly after saving multiple break points to hold and lead 5-3. Ajdukovic held serve to stay in the match, but Nadal held his nerve to claim victory.

Throughout the match, Nadal was clinical with his break points, converting all six opportunities. Ajdukovic, on the other hand, had 10 break points but could only convert five.

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Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento Added to England Squad for Nations League Matches

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Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento Added to England Squad for Nations League Matches

Uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento have been called up to the senior England squad ahead of this week’s crucial Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.

Jones, 23, had his first taste of senior selection in May when Gareth Southgate included him in a provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, though he didn’t make the final cut. His impressive performances for the Under-21s, especially during England’s triumph in the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under interim manager Lee Carsley, have earned him another opportunity at the senior level.

Livramento, who was part of last month’s squad but didn’t feature in the games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, has once again been called upon by Carsley, who is serving as England’s interim manager.

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Meanwhile, captain Harry Kane trained separately from the rest of the squad at St George’s Park but is expected to be fit for Thursday’s game against Greece at Wembley. Manchester City’s Jack Grealish also missed training as a precaution due to a minor knock, but his status for the upcoming matches remains hopeful.

The Three Lions will aim to secure key victories as they face Greece at home before traveling to Finland on Sunday to complete their Nations League fixtures.

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Manchester United’s Harry Maguire Sidelined for ‘A Few Weeks’ with Injury

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Manchester United’s Harry Maguire Sidelined for ‘A Few Weeks’ with Injury

Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire has confirmed he will be out of action for several weeks due to an injury sustained during United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. Maguire, 31, was forced to leave the match at half-time after getting injured in the first half and was later seen leaving Villa Park in a protective boot.

In a social media post, Maguire expressed his frustration, saying, “Frustrated to pick up an injury at the weekend, will be a few weeks on the sideline for me but I’ll come back stronger.”

The injury means Maguire will miss England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland, after being left out of Lee Carsley’s squad. Maguire has made nine appearances for Manchester United this season, with his most recent goal coming in the 3-3 Europa League match against Porto on October 3.

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This is another setback for the centre-back, who also missed Euro 2024 due to a calf problem.

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Chelsea and Nottingham Forest Charged for Failing to Control Players in Premier League Clash

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Chelsea and Nottingham Forest Charged for Failing to Control Players in Premier League Clash

Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have been charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players after a heated confrontation during their 1-1 Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The clash occurred toward the end of the game and involved multiple players from both sides, resulting in a mass altercation.

Despite the intense nature of the incident, no action will be taken against Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, who appeared to slap Forest’s Morato during the fracas. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the altercation but decided against further punishment for Jackson.

The confrontation began when Forest’s Neco Williams seemingly pushed Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella off the pitch, igniting tensions between the teams. Following this, players from both sides were involved in the clash, which saw three yellow cards issued—Williams for Forest, and Cucurella and Levi Colwill for Chelsea.

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In a statement, the FA said, “It’s alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 88th minute.” Both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have until Thursday to respond to the charges.

In addition to the altercation, Chelsea faces a separate £50,000 fine for receiving six or more bookings during the match, a threshold they have reached for the second time this season.

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