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Carlos Alcaraz Likes To Watch Replays Of his Best Shots

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PARIS — Some friendly advice, sports fans: If Carlos Alcaraz is playing, do not look away. Even for a moment. Because it’s likely, he’ll conjure up some highlight-worthy mix of ability, athleticism and awareness that drops the jaw. Anyone who’s watched him play lately knows this. Anyone who’s played against him lately knows this. And he knows this. This is why the No. 1-ranked Alcaraz himself acknowledged through that now-familiar smile that he’d glance up at the stadium video boards “a lot of times” to see a replay of what he just did.

Up to his usual tricks at Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday, Alcaraz mixed a bit of this — a back-to-the-net ’tweener lob — and a bit of that — a full-sprint-then-slide wide of the doubles alley for a backhand winner at a seemingly impossible angle — along the way to reaching the French Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 17 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. “Today he showed,” Musetti said, “that he probably can win this tournament.” First things first.

Next for Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain who won the U.S. Open in September, comes what could be a tougher test: His quarterfinal opponent will be No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, a two-time major runner-up who advanced by beating qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0. Win that, and Alcaraz could find himself in a semifinal against Novak Djokovic. He broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal by reaching the French Open Alcarazquarterfinals for the record 17th time, never truly in trouble during a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Juan Pablo Varillas.

“Well, I’m proud of it, but my attention is already on the next match,” said Djokovic, who now meets No. 11 Karen Khachanov. “I know what my goal is here. I’m trying to stay, mentally, the course and of course not look too far.” That’s because Djokovic is closing on bettering Nadal in a more prestigious category: Grand Slam singles championships. Both currently sit at 22. For Djokovic, that total includes two at Roland Garros, in 2016 and 2021, and he can become the first man to own at least three trophies from each major tournament.

alcaraz

If Carlos Alcaraz is playing, do not look away. Even for a moment. Because it’s likely, he’ll conjure up some highlight-worthy mix of ability, athleticism and awareness that drops the jaw.

Nadal is a 14-time champion in Paris but is missing this time because of a hip injury; he had arthroscopic surgery Friday night that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the year. “I really hope that his rehabilitation process can go well and that we can see him next season. He’s so important for our game, on and off the court, one of the greatest legends of tennis in the history of the game,” Djokovic said. “We want to see a healthy Rafa, no question about it.”

The No. 3-seeded Djokovic is thus far for the 14th time in a row at the French Open and for the 55th time overall at all majors. Roger Federer, who retired at 58, is the only man to reach more. Djokovic takes an 8-1 head-to-head mark into Tuesday’s meeting with Khachanov, who defeated Lorenzo Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-1. “He’s one of the toughest tasks, toughest opponents,” Khachanov said about Djokovic, “and you cannot count him out.”

Elina Svitolina, participating in her first Slam since having a baby in October, made her way into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win against No. 9 Daria Kasatkina, who was in the final four in Paris a year ago. Svitolina, from Ukraine, skipped the postmatch handshake against her Russian opponent because of the ongoing war; Kasatkina offered a thumbs-up to Svitolina. Svitolina goes up against No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion.

Sabalenka grabbed the first five games and the last nine points of a topsy-turvy 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens at night. Just like after her third-round victory, Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, did not attend the traditional postmatch news conference. Instead, the tournament allowed her to speak with a WTA editorial staff member.

alcaraz

If Carlos Alcaraz is playing, do not look away. Even for a moment. Because it’s likely, he’ll conjure up some highlight-worthy mix of ability, athleticism and awareness that drops the jaw.

At media sessions following her first two matches in Paris, Sabalenka was asked about her stance on the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 when Russia invaded that country with help from Belarus. Sabalenka led 5-0, then suddenly Stephens pulled even at 5-5. But Sabalenka took the last two points of that opening set.

Then, in the second, Stephens served at 4-all, 40-love — and wouldn’t take another point. Sabalenka was the one determining the outcome of most exchanges: She finished with far more winners (24-5) and far more unforced errors (40-19). Two Alcaraz unseeded women will play each other in another quarterfinal: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 runner-up at Roland Garros, and Karolina Muchova.

Pavlyuchenkova, who missed last year’s tournament due to a lengthy absence with a knee injury, got past a third consecutive seeded opponent, No. 28 Elise Mertens, by a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 score. Muchova was a 6-4, 6-4 winner against Elina Avanesyan, who lost in qualifying but got into the main draw when another player withdrew.

In Musetti, Alcaraz was taking on someone who won their only previous matchup in a clay-court final at the Hamburg Open last year. Musetti also had yet to drop a set through three matches in Paris. But this was a significant step up in competition.

Alcaraz accumulated a 42-17 edge in total winners while making the same number of unforced errors, 23. He could pick and choose how to undo Musetti’s game. Hit behind him along the baseline. Hit right at him too powerfully to allow a reply. Hit a forehand passing shot down the line that appeared headed wide before curling in.

Hit the softest drop volleys imaginable, so they’d arrive and barely bounce. “Certain shots, certain athletic moves, other players don’t do,” Musetti said. Alcaraz was asked afterward whether he’ll ever see an opponent come up with a stroke that he’d like to figure out how to add to his repertoire. “I don’t think that I want to learn it,” came the answer. “I just want … to hit a better shot.”

SOURCE – (AP)

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Another Byron Win Has Hendrick On A Roll Heading Toward NASCAR Team’s 40th Anniversary Party

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AUSTIN, Texas – Hendrick Motorsports has much to be excited about as it approaches its 40th anniversary celebration in two weeks.

William Bryon dominated on Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas, earning his second NASCAR win. Alex Bowman finished in the top four for the third time in 2024 at COTA, while Kyle Larson won the Xfinity Series in a thrilling finale on Saturday.

That’s quite a leap ahead of the team’s planned festivities for race weekend at Martinsville Speedway, where Hendrick Motorsports won its first race with Geoff Bodine in 1984 while racing under the moniker All-Star Racing.

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Another Byron Win Has Hendrick On A Roll Heading Toward NASCAR Team’s 40th Anniversary Party

So far, the race has resulted in its party.

Byron is the only two-time winner in the season’s first six races. The first occurred in the Daytona 500, where Bowman and Hendrick finished 1-2 in NASCAR’s marquee event.

Byron’s victory at COTA was his 12th career win and first from the pole position.

“I mean, just seeing him qualify, he was so fluid. The same thing happened throughout the race. “Just seemed to put the car in all the right places,” Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon explained. “A lot of thanks to William for accomplishing such an excellent job. Takes the entire team, pit crew, and everyone. They’ve had a great start to the season. I can’t wait to see where they take it next.

The series will head to Richmond’s short track next week before returning to Martinsville on April 7.

“We’re going to shoot for the stars,” declared Byron’s crew chief, Rudy Fogle.

Hendrick hopes to have a strong showing at Martinsville, where team vehicles will be painted in unique red schemes, owner Rick Hendrick will drive the pace car, and Bodine and Gordon will serve as grand marshals.

In the last four years, a Hendrick driver has won a race in Martinsville. The team has won the most Cup Series races at any track on the circuit, with 28 total.

“Obviously Martinsville is big for the 40th anniversary,” he remarked.

hendrick

Another Byron Win Has Hendrick On A Roll Heading Toward NASCAR Team’s 40th Anniversary Party

Bowman triumphed there in 2021 and generated huge results during a crucial season. He has not won since 2022, has had two seasons of injuries, and will miss the playoffs in 2023.

“I don’t want to say, ‘Yeah, we’re back here 100%,’ but these last few weeks have been a step in the right direction,” Mr. Bowman said.

“I’m personally working as hard as I’ve ever worked,” he said. This year, I’m all in on every aspect, whether it’s extra shifts in the (simulator), correlating the tires, spending more time with the team, or training in the gym.”

Larson’s Xfinity victory was a surprise despite starting from the pole position. He had to start from the back because his squad needed to replace a broken brake rotor, but he fought his way through and took the victory in overtime.

hendrick

Another Byron Win Has Hendrick On A Roll Heading Toward NASCAR Team’s 40th Anniversary Party

Larson was the first NASCAR driver to win the pole and the race while leading only one lap. His victory was Hendrick Motorsports’ first in the Xfinity Series since the team returned in 2022.

The only blight on Hendrick’s successful weekend was Larson’s 17th-place result in Sunday’s race, which took him out of the Cup Series lead. Larson now ranks fifth, slightly ahead of Bryon.

All four Hendrick drivers are in the top 11, but Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs are the new season championship leaders.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Ohtani To Speak To Media For 1st Time Since Illegal Gambling, Theft Allegations Against Interpreter

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Los Angeles — Shohei Ohtani wants to talk to the media on Monday for the first time since allegations of illicit gambling and theft against the Los Angeles Dodgers player and his interpreter surfaced during the team’s trip to South Korea.

The Dodgers sacked their translator, Ippei Mizuhara, last week after the team opened the season with two games against the San Diego Padres in Seoul.

ohtani

Ohtani To Speak To Media For 1st Time Since Illegal Gambling, Theft Allegations Against Interpreter

Manager Dave Roberts encouraged Ohtani to address the issue openly. He stated that the two-way superstar made the decision.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Roberts explained. “I’m glad he’s going to speak up, share what he knows, and express his thoughts on the matter. I believe it will give us all a little more clarity.”

Mizuhara was let off the team after the Los Angeles Times and ESPN reported on his apparent ties to an illegal bookmaker and claimed from Ohtani’s attorneys that the Japanese star had been the victim of a “massive theft.”

Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into the matter. The Internal Revenue Service has stated that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, an accused unlicensed bookmaker in Orange County, California, are under criminal investigation.

Will Ireton, the team’s performance operations manager, has taken over the translating duties from Ohtani. He had previously done the same for then-Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda, who is Japanese.

Ohtani made a quick cameo in the Dodgers’ clubhouse before Sunday’s Freeway Series opening against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. The teams will play three exhibition games before the Dodgers meet St. Louis in their home opener on Thursday.

The crowd of 42,607 cheered Ohtani passionately each time he came to the plate in his first game as a Dodger in his hometown stadium. He went 0 for 2 as the designated hitter, walking once and striking out once before exiting.

He is also expected to play Monday in Los Angeles and Tuesday in Anaheim, where he was a two-time AL MVP before signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December.

Roberts stated that Ohtani has yet to address his teammates as a group.

ohtani

Ohtani To Speak To Media For 1st Time Since Illegal Gambling, Theft Allegations Against Interpreter

“I think that he’s had one-off conversations with players,” Mr. Roberts added.

The manager claimed he checked in with Ohtani to see how he was doing.

“He’s kind of business as usual,” Roberts explained.

Ohtani has a double locker in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, between the shower room and fellow Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is scheduled to make his second start of the season against St. Louis on Saturday.

On Sunday, additional security was deployed in the overcrowded clubhouse. In addition to the players and a slew of journalists, eight temporary lockers were built up at one end for minor leaguers brought in from Arizona for the Freeway Series.

Overhead televisions were tuned to men’s NCAA Tournament events, baseball, and horse racing, with former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca providing TV handicapping suggestions for the day’s races.

ohtani

Ohtani To Speak To Media For 1st Time Since Illegal Gambling, Theft Allegations Against Interpreter

The MLB gambling policy is displayed in every clubhouse. Betting on baseball, legal or illegal, carries a one-year ban from the sport. The commissioner can impose penalties for illicit betting on other sports. Sports gambling is outlawed in California despite the fact that it is permitted in 38 other states and the District of Columbia.

“The mood in the room is get ready for baseball because I don’t hear a lot of conversations and speculation,” Roberts told reporters. “That’s why I think tomorrow is going to be good for everyone.”

SOURCE – (AP)

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British Runner Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman To Finish Barkley Marathons, Just 99 Seconds Before Time Limit Expired

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A British runner, Jasmin Paris, became the first woman to complete the famed Barkley Marathons on Friday.

According to Keith Dunn, who attends the race and publishes updates on X (previously known as Twitter), Paris completed the difficult course in 59 hours, 58 minutes, and 21 seconds, barely 99 seconds, before the 60-hour time restriction expired.

The 40-year-old veterinarian was photographed collapsing over the finish line as she finished the event.

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British Runner Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman To Finish Barkley Marathons, Just 99 Seconds Before Time Limit Expired

Paris was one of five finishers in the 2024 Barkley Marathons, with Ukrainian Ihor Very first, Americans John Kelly and Jared Campbell second and third, and Greig Hamilton of New Zealand fourth.

Verys, who finished at 58:44:59, said that Dunn added a sixth loop.

Campbell, who finished the Barkley Marathons for the fourth time in 59:30:32, claimed the new part was “brutal.” “You are a bad man.”

Paris made waves in 2019 when she won the 2019 Spine event. She became the first woman to win the 268-mile event and shaved 12 hours off the previous record.

The Barkley Marathons are notable for their arduous, near-impossible nature. Many consider it the world’s toughest and most punishing foot race.

berkley

British Runner Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman To Finish Barkley Marathons, Just 99 Seconds Before Time Limit Expired

Every year, the renowned ultramarathon that racer Gary Cantrell created takes place at Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. James Earl Ray’s 1977 jailbreak during which he assassinated Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. served as inspiration for the path.

Ray barely walked eight miles just over two days after escaping Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary before being apprehended, prompting Cantrell to speculate that he could travel 100 miles in the same amount of time.

The course is lengthy and indistinct, the inclines steep, and the terrain harsh, but only if you can manage the confusing admission system and earn a seat at the starting line.

The race consists of five circuits of about 20 miles each, for a total distance of 100 to 130 miles in brushy mountains with an elevation gain of roughly 63,000 feet. Athletes complete the race over three sleepless days and nights, with no aid stations, phones, or GPS to assist with navigation. Getting lost, as well as falling and being injured in the brush, is normal.

berkley

British Runner Jasmin Paris Becomes First Woman To Finish Barkley Marathons, Just 99 Seconds Before Time Limit Expired

The ultramarathon is marked with distinct unmanned checkpoints containing a paperback book. Athletes must rip out a page according to their bib number and have all the book pages in hand at the end of each loop to demonstrate that they reached each checkpoint.

Many need help to finish the races because of their difficulty, with no finishers between 2017 and 2023. It has a 99% dropout rate.

SOURCE – (CNN)

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