Jamie Renton The ITF’s Class of 2021 series recognises and celebrates players who have had a successful year progressing along the ITF player pathway, and beyond. The first of five categories being unveiled this week identifies two players who have had a stunning year on the ITF World Tennis Tour – winning a hatful of titles to accelerate their climb towards the top of the game. Anhelina Kalinina and Juncheng Shang might be at very different stages of their tennis development, but they both shone brightly on the ITF World Tennis Tour in 2021. Shang, or Jerry as he’s better-known amongst English speakers, not only carried the mantle of junior world No. 1 through the second half of the year and produced performances to match in boys’ competition, he also made a prolific start to the men’s game, winning his first three ITF singles titles in the space of five weeks. All that, and he is still only 16-years-old. Kalinina’s journey, by contrast, has been one of sustained effort and resilience. She too was a promising junior, ranking at No. 8 in the world and finishing runner up in the girls’ singles at the 2014 US Open, but success has not come quickly since. Until this year, that is, when she rocketed up the rankings with five ITF singles titles – including her first three at W60 level and the biggest of the lot at W100 Contrexeville. Anhelina Kalinina “Quite a successful year, yes,” says 24-year-old Kalinina modestly when reflecting on a season that saw her claim titles at W25 Oeiras, W60 Zagreb, W60 Montpellier, W100 Contrexeville and W60 Nantes. The Ukrainian also reached her first WTA final without dropping a set in Budapest in July, and by November had climbed to a career-high No. 52 in the WTA rankings, having started the year at No. 163. So why the understated summary of her success? “I don’t like the word success,” Kalinina adds, matter-of-factly. “Success for me is like… Novak Djokovic this year. This is success. In all four Grand Slams this year the guy is going! “But it is a big step forward in my career,” she admits. “A big step forward in terms of the confidence I gained, the experience I got, that’s what I would call this year.” “I don’t like the word success. Success for me is like… Novak Djokovic this year. This is success." Every top player has a different journey, but Kalinina is a fine example of a laser-focused individual who has honed her craft over time – capitalising on opportunities that have allowed her to develop her tennis in a way that might not otherwise have been possible. The Grand Slam Development Fund (GSDF) has been a pivotal feature of her early career in that regard. She was a member of GSDF/ITF Touring Teams at both under 14 and under 16 level which afforded her the opportunity to travel and compete against the world’s best young players, and then, at the start of 2020, Kalinina – along with 23 other players – was given a $25,000 Grand Slam Player Grant by the GSDF to assist with her competition-related costs. The timing couldn’t have been better. While the world went into Covid-induced lockdown, Kalinina was able to “put this money to my process, to keep going, to keep training with a fitness trainer every day.” Buoyed by that extra conditioning work, she hit the ground running when international tennis resumed again later in the year and kicked on to new heights in 2021, compiling a 47-15 win-loss record from January through to the end of November (including a mighty impressive 31-4 record on clay). “I was not expecting to be here now, on the edge of the Top 50, because I was not waiting for this,” Kalinina admits. “I was expecting my improvement, but I wasn’t thinking I would be close to the Top 50. My goal was to be Top 100 and to be in the main draw of Grand Slams.” “I was expecting my improvement, but I wasn’t thinking I would be close to the Top 50. My goal was to be Top 100 and to be in the main draw of Grand Slams." Kalinina achieved landmark wins over Angelique Kerber at Roland Garros and Daria Kasatkina in Moscow, but reaching that maiden WTA final was a particularly special moment. “I was proud of myself, not only because it was a WTA event, but because it was my third tournament in a row,” she says. “I was on the road three weeks and I won a 60k (Montpellier), 100k (Contrexeville) and I was in the final in Budapest. I lost my 15th match… after 15 in a row!” Kalinina played 21 tournaments in total from January through to November (“I’ve never played so much in a year”) and believes the work ethic and stability of her coaching team has largely contributed to her, er… success. “I have had my husband (Anton Korchevskyi) as my tennis coach already for three years, and I’m really happy with that,” she says. “He’s been doing a huge amount of work and we’re very happy with the results of the work we’ve done. I’ve also had my fitness coach for two years and he knows what to do with me at each part of the season. My team is really ready.” "No one guarantees that you will win a lot or you will succeed like crazy every week.” So what next after her standout season? “It’s important that next year we plan the schedule very smart,” Kalinina acknowledges. “Now I can get into the big tournaments like Doha, Dubai, Miami. In previous years it was very tough to play those, so I need to mix WTA tournaments with the ITF’s – 100k or WTA 125ks. “I’m jumping in on these highest-level tournaments, but no one guarantees that you will win a lot or you will succeed like crazy every week.” There’s no guarantee, for sure, but it’s safe to say Kalinina has all the tools to keep on climbing. Coach’s view Roberta Burzagli, the current Brazilian Billie Jean King Cup captain, was head coach on the GSDF Touring Team that Kalinina participated in at both under 14 and under 16 level. Burzagli reflects on the qualities that made her stand out from an early age: ”Anhelina was a very focussed and professional athlete from an early age. She was 100% committed to being a professional player and she knew what it took to get there. Her biggest strength was her mental outlook. She had a great attitude towards competing and tough matches always brought the best out of her. She has demonstrated her dedication over the past seven years (hovering between 100 and 300 on the WTA rankings) and it is great to see that her perseverance has finally paid off, with her recent successes taking her to the fringes of top 50. I’m sure there is a lot more still to come!” Juncheng Shang Tennis players often mature early but even with the known demands of making it in a high-pressure, individual sport, Juncheng Shang stands out as a wise head on young shoulders. Never mind his results this year on both the Junior and Men’s ITF World Tennis Tour - and they really have been exceptional - at just 16 years old, Shang’s level-headed approach and cheery, likeable nature suggest he has all the ingredients to be a future star. “I’ve learned so much this year from playing the ITF Tournaments, from juniors to men’s, [but] tennis is not the most important thing,” says the Beijing-born teen, prudently. “I think it’s more important to be a better person, a more professional athlete, and be disciplined to do all the things off court.” In a season of two halves, Shang effectively completed his junior career by reaching the last eight in the boys’ singles at Roland Garros, the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the final at the US Open, before embarking on the start of his men’s career in style with titles on US soil at M15 Fayetteville, M15 Naples and M15 Vero Beach. Next year, his attentions will turn next to the ATP Challenger Tour. “I’ve learned so much this year from playing the ITF Tournaments, from juniors to men’s, [but] tennis is not the most important thing” Shang produced a 17-3 win-loss record in men’s competition on the ITF World Tennis Tour this year, but admits that his transition to the professional realm has been particularly aided by playing the world’s best juniors. “It’s been a very fun and special year for me - not just with the results but most importantly the experiences I’ve had in the junior slams,” he says. “I was also very grateful to play the South America tournaments at the beginning of the year. It was so hard for all the players to play tournaments in 2020, so it was important to get some matches and have the chance to complete.” Shang rates the Grade A junior event in Brazil, JA Criciuma, where he polished off all but one of his five matches in straight sets, as his most important title in 2021. “My condition wasn’t 100% ready but during that tournament I learned how to win matches in a shorter amount of time, which was something I struggled with,” he admits. Two weeks later, Shang was mixing it with the pros after being handed a wild card into qualifying for the ATP tournament in Miami, where he ultimately fell to Britain’s Liam Broady in a deciding tie-break. “[That] was an unreal experience,” he remembers. “Seeing how the top players play and how they get ready for their match, I learned a lot that week and I know I need to be more professional to compete at a higher level.” “It’s been a very fun and special year for me - not just with the results but most importantly the experiences I’ve had in the junior slams” Winning a junior Grand Slam would have been the perfect way to sign off on his boys’ career and while Shang admits he still has “a lot of regrets after the US Open”, he learned plenty following the defeat to Daniel Rincon in the boys’ title match in New York. “Unfortunately I didn’t take the trophy I wanted but it was an amazing experience to play in the final and I had some sort of momentum going into the pro tournaments,” he reasoned. “It was quite special to then go on and win my first $15k title while still a junior, saving a match point in the first match [at M15 Fayetteville] and grinding all the way to the final.” Given his age, what he’s already achieved, and the fact that he hails from a family used to performing in elite sport (Shang’s mother was a table tennis player and his father a footballer), it’s clear there’s plenty more to come from the current junior world No. 1. Coach’s view Jimmy Arias is the Tennis Director at the IMG Academy in Florida, where Shang trains. He comments on the qualities that are key to the youngster’s impressive development. Arias: “Jerry’s game is based around being a shot maker, incredibly fast and solid all around. Jerry has amazing feel and can get out of difficult positions with ease. He is able to transition well from defence into offence. He is successfully transitioning from junior tennis into the pro tour on path to a career full of achievements.”

Karachi (Sports Report):- The eight-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season began at three Karachi venues today. On a day dominated by bowlers, Balochistan opener Shan Masood scored his second successive century. At the UBL Sports Complex, Northern (fifth on the points table) got off to a fantastic start against table-toppers Sindh by reducing them to 70 for six in 25 overs before lunch. Northern who opted to bowl first were rewarded by their bowlers in the opening session of the match as Sindh’s batting line-up stuttered on a pitch that offered early help to the bowlers. Sindh continued to lose wickets in the post-lunch session and declared their innings at 98 for nine (31 overs) to ensure Northern do not collect the full six bowling points that they would have salvaged by bowling out Sindh inside 100 overs. Omair Bin Yousuf (33) was the top-scorer for Sindh in what was otherwise a disappointing batting performance. For Northern, Ather Mahmood took four wickets for 23 while Kashif Ali captured three for 42. In reply, Northern lost their openers with only 18 runs on the board before captain Umar Amin revived the innings with an unbeaten 118-run third-wicket partnership with Sarmad Bhatti. At close of play, Umar was batting on 69 (119 balls, 11 fours) while Sarmad was 53 (141 balls, six fours) not out. Northern ended the day at 136 for two, having already accumulated a 38-run first innings lead. Sohail Khan took the two wickets to fall. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel,  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opted to bowl and their bowlers made most of the conditions by taking four Southern Punjab wickets in the morning session as lunch was taken with Southern Punjab wobbling at 51 for four. Southern Punjab got some respite through all-rounder Muhammad Imran’s fighting 64 off 83 balls (four fours, four sixes). Like Sindh, Southern Punjab also managed to avoid conceding full six bowling points to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by declaring their first innings at 166 for nine. Fast bowler Arshad Iqbal took four wickets for 41. Left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi who is captaining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this match took two wickets for 36 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also off to a shaky start as they finished day-one at 45 for two. Opener Musadiq Ahmed and number three Israrullah were the two batters dismissed. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Balochistan openers got their side off to a flying start by reaching 97 for no loss at lunch on day-one. Left-hander Shan Masood continued his rich vein of form by scoring his second successive century for Balochistan in as many appearances. Shan hit 13 fours and three sixes in his 102 off 142 balls before falling to Bilawal Iqbal. Shan added 157 runs for the first-wicket with Imran Butt who contributed 65 off 136 balls (seven fours, one six). After losing the openers, the Balochistan middle-order went cheaply to leave the side in slight discomfort at 247 for five. Ayaz Tassawar (36) and Kashif Bhatti (30) took the side to stumps without further loss. The two had so far added 36 runs for the sixth-wicket. For Central Punjab Hussain Talat and Zafar Gohar took two wickets each. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Northern - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) Northern 136 for 2, 46 overs (Umar Amin 69 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 53 not out; Sohail Khan 2-39) Points so far: Sindh – zero, Northern – three Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 45 for 2, 20 overs. Points so far: Southern Punjab – zero, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - three. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 283 for 5, 83 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65; Hussain Talat 2-18) Points so far: Balochistan - two, Central Punjab - one.

Bipin Dani Shane McDemott is Sri Lanka's first among three foreign coaches, whose contracts have not been extended and left the country. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, the fielding coach said, "I have arrived back to Australia (on December 3) and I am doing another 14 days strict room quarantine before returning to Adelaide to reunite with my family which I haven't seen for over 450 days". After 10 days in strict Isolation in Colombo after contracting Covid, the board didn't see it necessary for him to return to the bubble as his contract finished on the 1st of December. McDemott could not be part of the series victory celebrations against West Indies. "It was disappointing not to be there to celebrate the series win, an amazing 2 years and say farewell to all the wonderful players and staff that I have developed strong relationships with". "I will miss them, the fans, and the country dearly and hope to return one day. It has been great to be a part of Sri Lankan cricket's resurgence in world cricket", he further added. It's a strange time for the SLC to restructure and make quality coaches reapply for roles in which they have had proven success. McDermott, however, is not sure whether he would apply again for the coaching role. "Possibly, I am going to take some time to see my family and see what happens next", he signed off.

LAHORE (Sports Report):-Sports Board Punjab (SBP), on the directions of Director General Javed Chohan, conducted table tennis trials for the selection of Punjab’s Under-17 male and Under-16 Girls table tennis teams at Nishtar Park Sports Complex (NPSC) Gymnasium Hall on Monday. More than 60 boys and girls from all nine divisions of the province took part in the trials. Punjab’s selected U-17 male and U-16 female players will participate in Inter-Provincial Under-17 Boys and Under-16 Girls Table Tennis Tournament scheduled to be staged from December 24 to 26 in Karachi. Director General Sports Punjab JavedChohan in a statement on Monday said that Punjab’s 14-member contingent including five U-17 boys and two officials and equal number of U-16 girls and two officials would visit Karachi for the championship.  Director General Sports Punjab JavedChohan said: Punjab’s male and female table tennis players are being chosen purely on merit because there is no room for anti-merit tactics in our set up. Sports Board Punjab is providing sufficient playing opportunities to all talented male and female players belonging to all games.

Colombo (SB Report):-The T20 fever officially hit the islands of Sri Lanka on Sunday as the second season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) kicked off with a glitzy opening ceremony in front of a host of fans at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the cricket league, as Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva also graced the occasion. The culture and the tremendous passion for cricket in Sri Lanka was on display as various artists performed to the tune of the Lanka Premier League official song ‘Ekwa Jayagamu’ rendered by Bathiya and Santhush’, Yohani, Sanka, Sajitha, Umaria and ADK. Amongst the colour and fervour of the massive opening ceremony, the Lanka Premier League witnessed the presence of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva. Paralympic Gold Medalist Dinesh Priyantha also graced the event and declared the T20 franchise tournament open. Commenting on the occasion, Angelo Mathews, Captain of Colombo Stars and Sri Lankan legend said, “You know, all the nations are having this kind of a tournament and it benefits the country’s cricket because you produce so many young players and you give them the exposure playing with international stars so yeah, its a great exposure for all of them. LPL is a great platform for the budding stars and it is going to benefit Sri Lanka cricket a lot.” Anil Mohan - Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL said, "An explosive start is very important for any competition and what a start it was on Sunday. I would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket, all the sponsors and brodcasters and most importantly the fans of Sri Lanka cricket, who showed their passion and love for their favourite stars at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. We look forward to a fantastic tournament." The Galle Gladiators gained the first mover advantage in the opening match of the Lanka Premier League 2021 on Sunday after they defeated Jaffna Kings by 54 runs in Colombo. Gladiators Captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 56 runs off 31 runs and helped his team post a total of 164/7. Thereafter, Samit Patel picked up figures of 3/21 as the Gladiators bowled the Jaffna Kings out for 110. Player of the Match Samit Patel said, “LPL is a great tournament to play in. It has great pitches and some very special people playing it. Great Talent Sri Lanka have got here and experience and exposure like this will make them even better." A total of 24 matches will be played in the Lanka Premier League 2021. The Final Round Games will see the top two teams in the points table playing the Qualifier 1, whilst the 3rd and 4th placed teams on the table playing in the ‘Eliminator.’ The winner of ‘Qualifier 1’ will directly go into the Final, whilst the loser of the ‘Qualifier 1’ will play against the winner of the ‘Eliminator’ in the ‘Qualifier 2’, and the winner of that game will go into the Final. The Final will be played on 23 December 2021 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota.

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 6, 2021):-As many as 28 women cricketers will undergo skills and fitness training at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, Multan in the emerging women’s camp, which begins on 10 December. Over the course of the 18-day camp, these 28 players will train under the supervision of the coaching staff of the women’s national cricket team as well as Academy coaches. David Hemp, head coach of the women’s national team, will oversee the camp, along with academy coaches Mohsin Kamal and Mohammad Kamran Hussain. This camp serves an opportunity to the coaches to observe up-and-coming cricketers and provide them awareness about the desired skills and fitness levels to compete at the international level. In accordance with the PCB’s Covid-19 protocols, all those involved in the camp will undergo two tests before their integration in the bio-secure environment. Their first tests will be held at their residence on 7 December and those who return negative tests will undergo second testing on 10 December upon their arrival in Multan. Player names: Aleena Iqbal Shah Afridi, Anoosha Nasir, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Khan, Ayesha Naseem, Ghulam Fatima, Gul Uswa, Gul Firoza, Hafsa Khalid, Humaira Bibi, Huraina Sajjad, Kaynat Hafeez, Madiha Bibi, Mahnoor Qayyum, Najiha Alvi, Natalia Parvaiz, Neha Shermin, Noor?ul-Eman, Sadaf Shamas, Saima Malik, Shawal Zulfiqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Syeda Masooma Zahra Fatima, Tooba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar, Warda Yousaf and Yusra Amir Support Staff: David Hemp (Head coach), Mohsin Kamal (Assistant Coach), Muhammad Kamran Hussain (Assistant Coach), Fizza Abid (Manager), Rabia Siddiq (Physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (Performance Analyst) and Saboor Ahmed (Strength and Conditioning Coach)

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 6, 2021):-Ahmad Kamil, Kamran Khan, Mahatir Mohammad, Mohammad Usman Ejaz, Talha Bin Asif, Abbas Khan, Jabir Ali and Shaheen Mehmood qualified for the main draw of Men's Singles discipline of the J7 - 34th Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships 2021 after winning their matches at Syed Dilawar Abbas (SDA)-Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Tennis Complex Islamabad on Monday. The main draw matches will be played on Tuesday, as Yaseen Mahsud, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of J7 Group, will inaugurate the prestigious national tennis showpiece. As many as 20 players were accepted directly into the main draw according to PTF National Ranking while 4 players were awarded a wild card and 8 qualifiers completed the draw of 32. An official of PTF told Sports Bulletin website: The Draw of Men's Singles and Ladies Singles were taken out by Mohammad Arif Qureshi, ITF White Badge Referee in the presence of the players. According to the Men's Singles Draw, the top eight seeds are Aqeel Khan (WAPDA), Mohammad Abid, Mohammad Shoaib, Heera Ashiq, Mudassar Murtaza, Yousaf Khalil, Ahmed Choudhary and Barkatullah. The J7 Group of Companies is the main sponsor of the 34th edition of Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships whereas Star Marketing is joining hands as co-sponsor. J7 Group - Real Estate entrepreneurs joined hands for the promotion of the game of tennis. The dynamic team of J7 Group is led by visionaries enriched with brilliance, resources and experience. J7 Group is known to have delivered real estate projects in record time.  Results: Men's Singles (Qualifying): Ahmad Kamil beat Faizan Shahid 8-0; Kamran Khan beat Mohammad Bilal 8-6; Mahatir Mohammad beat Ahmed Nael Qureshi 8-3; Mohammad Usman Ejaz beat Mohammad Talha Khan 8-3; Talha Bin Asif beat Hamid Israr 3-2 (Retd.); Abbas Khan beat Mohammad Zaryab 8-6; Jabir Ali beat Abdul Karim 8-1; Shaheen Mehmood beat Azeem Khan 8-4.  Round-II Faizan Shahid beat Azan Shahid 6-3; Kamran Khan beat Mohammad Abdullah 6-3; Mahatir Mohammad beat Zaryab Pirzada 6-4; Ahmad Nael Qureshi beat Dr. Hamid Akram 6-0; Mohammad Talha Khan beat Haseen Inyat Raja 6-3; Mohammad Usman Ejaz beat Shaeel Durab 6-0; Talha Bin Asif beat Hasam Khan 6-2; Hamid Israr beat Parbhat Kumar 6-3; Mohammad Zaryab beat Huzaima Abdul Rehman 7-6(1); Jabir Ali beat Shawal Azeem 6-1; Shaheen Mahmood beat Mohammad Hamza Asim 6-1, Round-I Azan Shahid beat Ahmad Murad 6-0; Zaryab Pirzada beat Umair Javed 6-2; Parbhat Kumar beat Ghoush Raza 7-6; Hamid Israr beat Adnan Rashid 6-0; Mohammad Zaryab beat Mamoon Ilyas 6-3; Shawal Azeem beat Imran Haider 6-1; Jabir Ali beat Azan Sajid 6-1; Azeem Khan beat Nazar Afridi 6-0; Talha Saqib beat Jahanzeb Inam 6-1;

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The Russian Tennis Federation has won the Davis Cup for the third time after beating Croatia 2-0 in the final in Madrid. Andrey Rublev beat Borna Gojo 6-4, 7-6(5) in the opening match and then Daniil Medvedev clinched the winning point with a 7-6(7), 6-2 victory over Marin Cilic. It’s the first time RTF has won the Davis Cup since 2006 and it completes a clean sweep of the national team competitions in the last month, after the Russian women won the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Prague. Only three other nations in history - USA, Australia, Czech Republic - have ever achieved this feat, and this is the first time it’s been done since 2012.  For Croatia, this was a third final in five years, and the aim had been to take the tie all the way to the deciding doubles, when world No.1s Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic would take to the court, but overcoming RTF’s singles strength proved a step too far. With four players ranked in the top 30, the Russian Tennis Federation was the favourite for the title when the event started ten days ago, and the team certainly made good on its outstanding talent, only losing one live match throughout the entire tournament. Medvedev in particular was formidable, winning all five of his matches in straight sets. “It feels amazing”, Medvedev said afterwards. “But I’m more happy for the team than for myself. We have an amazing team, amazing atmosphere. I’m happy to be part of it and bring the points we need. It’s never easy to come here at the end of the season but they were some of the best weeks of my career.” In the first game, Rublev won a scintillating 36-shot rally with a backhand pass to set up break point, only for Gojo to save it and get himself out of trouble. Rublev kept the pressure on with a quick hold of his own and then forced Gojo to save another break point with an ace. By now the pattern of the match had been established - Rublev was racing through his service games, winning 12 straight points on serve, while Gojo was having to work much harder behind his delivery. Eventually, this pressure told. At 3-3, a couple of loose shots from Gojo let Rublev in and then two more errors from the Croatian - this time forced by Rublev’s relentless aggression and the speed of his shots - meant that the Russian finally had the break he deserved. Having won all three of his matches en route to the final, Gojo had made a habit this week of playing above his average level and beating higher-ranked opponents, but he was finding it much harder to live with Rublev’s sustained power from the baseline. The one thing keeping the match close was Gojo’s ability to play and serve well on most of the big points. This trend continued at the start of the second set as he saved five break points across his opening two service games, including a gutsy hold from 0-40. It left Rublev with a 12% conversion rate on his break points. With 150 Croatian fans having flown in specially for the final, the overwhelming majority of the vocal support was for Gojo. This, combined with Rublev’s struggles at closing out matches in straight sets this week, must have given Gojo belief. While he continued to get nowhere near Rublev’s serve, the longer the set went on, the tighter and more stressed the Russian became, unable to deliver the hammer blow. Eventually, the set wound up in a tiebreak. Gojo, who’d served 14 aces up to this point, immediately got off on the wrong foot with a double fault, and things looked bleak when he left a backhand pass that landed in. But he worked his way back into it and forced Rublev to conjure up his best level. A stunning sequence of forehands - first a passing shot up the line and then a devastating winner from the baseline - set up match point. When Gojo’s backhand drifted wide, it was over. “It was a really tough match”, Rublev said. “It’s true that I have a lot of pressure today because looks like I should win. But he was playing really great during all the event. He beat really great players. Today he was playing also really great. But I was lucky enough to win the match. In the second set I was a bit showing emotions because I feel that I'm really close to win the match. Somehow he always was serving really well and really hard that I could not do anything. But in the end I win the match and this is the most important thing.” The first break point of the match came in the seventh game when Cilic’s forehand suddenly became wayward, but he got it back together to hold, impressively hitting through any tension he was feeling. With Cilic playing well, Medvedev couldn’t afford any slip-ups, but he suddenly found himself facing break point at 3-4 30-40. A bold second serve, which Cilic netted, got him out of trouble. As the set headed to a tiebreak, Medvedev went up an early mini break, Cilic hit back with a forehand winner, and then gained the advantage as Medvedev hit a forehand wide. Serving with the advantage at 4-3, it was Cilic’s turn to miss a forehand. The Croatian then came out on top of a long rally, defying Medvedev’s spectacular defence, to move 5-4 ahead. Two strong serves from Medvedev put him 6-5 up only for an extraordinary smash from Cilic to save set point. It was an incredibly brave shot from deep in the court, particularly for a player who has developed a reputation for getting tight in pressure moments. But, on the next point, Cilic’s Achilles heel struck as he pushed a relatively straightforward forehand just wide to hand Medvedev the chance to serve it out. Medvedev had been targeting Cilic’s forehand throughout the set, to little avail, but the stroke had broken down when it mattered most. An unexpected double fault from Medvedev then brought the scores level once more. The Russian made amends to go 8-7 ahead and then took the set when Cilic was slow to get up to a backhand and pushed it wide. At this stage in the match, Cilic had nothing to show for hard work, like a football team who had played well but hadn’t scored. Having put so much effort into the first set, Cilic’s level dropped a bit in the second, and Medvedev sensed this. A series of winners helped him get the early break and from there he never looked back, pinning Cilic behind the baseline with deep groundstrokes, and choosing his moments to attack. Before you knew it, he’d worked his way to match point, and it was all over when Cilic netted a backhand.

Bipin Dani Ajaz Patel is the third bowler in the history of grabbing all ten wickets in a Test innings but his feat is more remarkable than the other two, according to Dipak Patel, the former Kiwi spinner. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Auckland on Sunday morning, he said, "Both Kumble and Jim Laker took all ten wickets in the second innings (home Tests), whereas Ajaz's journey of ten wickets began from the first day (away Test match) itself. I therefore reckon Ajaz's performance is better".  "It is very very difficult for a bowler to take all ten wickets and that too by a spinner is not easy". Interestingly, all three members of the 10 wickets club are spinners. And yes, Kumble did tweet a congratulatory message.    It was Dipak Patel who had advised Ajaz to switch from fast bowling to spin. "Ajaz's performance was superb and that too against the Indian batsmen. The fact is Indian batsmen play spinners well and therefore Ajaz's performance was amazing". Mumbai-born Ajaz's family moved to New Zealand many years ago. "He got to play his first Test only three years ago but since then he has been taking wickets. He has really worked very hard and the result is there for all to watch", Patel signed off. 

Bhubaneswar, India (SB Report):-Lautaro Domene scored a hat-trick of penalty corners to help Argentina become men’s Junior World Cup champions for the second time in their history, beating Germany 4-2 in a superb competition final in Bhubaneswar. Domene’s achievement was made more remarkable by the fact that Argentina won just three penalty corners in the entire match, with the drag-flicker finishing with a 100 percent conversion rate as his team added a second men’s Junior World Cup title to the one claimed in Rotterdam in 2005. The result ended Germany’s quest for a seventh men’s Junior World Cup title and brought the curtain down on a superb competition at the Kalinga Stadium. Earlier in the day, France – inspired by Player of the Tournament Timothée Clément – defeated India to claim the bronze medal while Netherlands and Spain were respective winners over Belgium and Malaysia in the 5-6 and 7-8 classification matches. 1st – 2nd Place: Argentina beat Germany 4-2 In a magnificent contest, Argentina produced the most clinical of displays to overcome the six times champions, with a perfect penalty corner conversion record and an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Nehuen Hernando proving vital. Lautaro Domene netted penalty corner drag-flicks in each of the first two quarters, leaving Germany with a mountain to climb in the remaining 30 minutes. And climb it they did, with Julius Heyner – earlier given a 10-minute yellow card suspension for a coming together with Argentina’s Joaquin Toscani – firing home from close range before Masi Phandt’s deflected penalty corner effort rocketed into the roof of Hernando’s goal with 13 minutes remaining. However, Domene made it three penalty corner conversions from three attempts in the 50th minute before Hernando pulled off some astonishing saves to deny Germany another equaliser. Argentina sealed their second men’s Junior World Cup title when Franco Agostini fired into an empty net in the final minute, with Germany having replaced their goalkeeper with an outfield player in a final attempt to salvage the situation. “We cannot explain our feelings in this moment”, said a delighted Lautaro Domene, the Player of the Match, after the contest. “It is difficult to know what we are thinking. We knew that this team could do it. We played together, as we have done in the other games. We committed as a team, and that is the most important thing. It is a craziness that we cannot explain, what it is to win this tournament. It’s beautiful, and we are very proud of this team.” Germany captain Hannes Muller said: “First of all, congratulations to Argentina for their win. I think the first half was not good for us. Too many technical mistakes, not enough pressure on the ball. The second half was a little bit better but, in the end, we lost the final. At this moment it’s hard to understand that.” 3rd – 4th Place: France beat India 3-1 France captain Timothée Clément netted his fourth hat-trick in six matches at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, firing his team to the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over host nation India. The home side dominated the early stages and even managed to hit the post, but France grew into the contest and edged ahead four minutes before half time thanks to Clément’s superb penalty corner drag-flick. Clément netted another penalty corner early in the third quarter, but India hit back through Sudeep Chirmako’s brilliant reverse scooped finish to leave give his team hope in the latter stages. It was Clément however, who would have the final say, with his deflected fourth quarter penalty corner effort completing his personal treble and securing a superb bronze medal for this hugely gifted young French team. “What an emotion!”, said France captain Timothée Clément, who was named Player of the Match. “Two days ago, it was very difficult to lose in the semi-final. It was very important to finish like this. We have a bronze medal. It’s just amazing! And this team is perfect. Wow! We are very happy for French hockey. The future generation is here and I think we have a really, really great future!” India’s Vivek Sagar Prasad said: “It was a really good match, a very close one. Congratulations to the French team! We’re very disappointed. As players, we will all work to improve in the future.” 5th – 6th Place: Netherlands beat Belgium 6-4 The Low Countries derby battle for fifth position went the way of the Netherlands, who earned a 6-4 victory against Belgium. The Netherlands raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Miles Bukkens (2) and Brent van Bijnen before Belgium hit back through Thibault Deplus. Bukkens completed his hat-trick just before half time to take the score to 4-1, but two goals in three third quarter minutes from Roman Duvekot pulled the Belgians to within one goal of their opponents. However, strikes from Guus Jansen and Casper van der Veen sealed the win for the Netherlands, with Belgium’s Jeff de Winter scoring the final goal of a thrilling match eight minutes from full time. “We had a good game plan, We started really well and scored four goals”, said Guus Jansen, the Player of the Match. “In the first part of the second half, we lost it a bit but with the good work of the whole team we managed to take the win home. That’s a great feeling. Overall, it’s a little shame that we didn’t finish first. That’s what we came for. But after all, we won a lot of games, we lost one a little bit unfortunate. But after all, great World championships! Very happy.” Belgium captain Dylan Englebert said: “We were not used to concede as many goals as today, so we lack a little bit of focus in this part. For sure the second half was better, but they played well, both defensively and offensively. Congrats to them! For sure, we’re a bit disappointed to not have reached the semi-finals because we felt we had a good opportunity to go to it but I think we showed a lot of good things, with a strong team that plays together, that defends well. That’s why we are a little bit frustrated today to end with 6 goals against.” 7th – 8th Place: Spain beat Malaysia 4-1 Spain were victorious in the 7th place play-off match, powering to a 4-1 triumph over Malaysia in a rain delayed contest at the start of the day. Malaysia opened the match scoring in the 4th minute through team captain Akhimullah Anuar’s field goal, with parity being restored by Eduard de Ignacio-Simo’s open play effort three minutes later. The two sides were locked together until 11 minutes from the end of the contest, when Pau Cunill fired home from a penalty corner. Late penalty corner goals from both Pepe Cunill and Pau Cunill ensured victory went the way of the Spaniards, with Malaysia finishing the competition in eighth position.  “We had really tough matches and we’ve learnt from these matches”, said Spain’s Pepe Cunill, the Player of the Match. “So, at half-time, we told us that we had to get through this match and put a lot of energy in it. I’m happy to end up this tournament with a win, but I think that we could have achieved another position in the final standings. Malaysia’s Akhimullah Anuar said: “We all gave our best. We played our game. We had a lot of chances, but we missed. Spain took every chance and scored. Throughout the tournament, I think our performance improved. But we still have more to improve in the future.” Final standings 1: Argentina 2: Germany 3: France 4: India 5: Netherlands 6: Belgium 7: Spain 8: Malaysia 9: South Africa 10: Korea 11: Pakistan 12: Poland 13: Canada 14: Chile 15: USA 16: Egypt Competition Awards Best Player of the Tournament: Timothée Clément (FRA) Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Anton Brinckman (GER) Hero Top Scorer of the Tournament: Miles Bukkens (NED) (18 goals) Odisha Fair Play Award: Team Chile Odisha Fans Choice Award for Best Goal of the Tournament: Ignacio Nardolillo (ARG) Hockey India Maximum Team Goals: Netherlands (45 goals) Hockey India Best Goal Saved of the Tournament: Mahmoud Seleem (EGY) AM/NS India Best Coach of the Tournament: Johannes Schmitz (GER)