Former Ghana striker Dwamena dies
after collapsing during game
TIRANA (Albania), Nov 12: Former Ghana striker Raphael Dwamena has died after collapsing Saturday during an Albanian Super League football match. The Albanian Football Federation confirmed the death of the 28-year-old Dwamena. Footage on social media appeared to show the player by himself and falling over on the field in the 24th minute of the match between Dwamena’s Egnatia and Partizani. Other players rushed over and, despite immediate medical intervention, the federation said “the player unfortunately passed away.” The game was halted at 1-1 with no further play. Dwamena, this season’s top scorer with nine goals in the Albanian Super League, made eight appearances for Ghana and scored twice. “ The Ghana Football Association is sad to hear of the death of our former player Raphael Dwamena and wish to express our deepest condolences to his family at this difficult moment,” it said in a statement. No details over a possible cause were given by the Albanian federation but local media reports focused on the player’s previous heart problems, including one game in 2021 with Austria’s Blau-Veis Linz when he was hospitalized with heart problems. (AP)
Ten Hag gets 1-game ban after booking against Luton
MANCHESTER, Nov 12: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will serve a one-game touchline ban after he was booked in his team’s 1-0 win against Luton in the Premier League on Saturday. It was the Dutch coach’s third yellow card this season and means he will have to watch United’s game against Everton on November 26 from the stands. Ten Hag remonstrated with officials over a throw-in decision late in the game at Old Trafford, which United won after Victor Lindelof’s 59th-minute goal. Ten Hag appeared to accept he was wrong to remonstrate. “There is a certain point you have to accept decisions, I should do as well,” he said. Ten Hag also said he had faith in his assistants to cope in his absence against Everton at Goodison Park after the upcoming international break. “We have a very competent coaching staff and they will take over.”(AP)
Fernandez leads Canada into
Billie Jean King Cup final
Seville, Nov 12: Leylah Fernandez led Canada into the Billie Jean King Cup final after beating Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and then helping to secure a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in a decisive doubles match on Saturday. Fernandez beat Vondrousova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to pull Canada level after Barbora Krejcikova had beaten Marina Stakusic 6-2, 6-1 to give the Czechs the early advantage. The 20th-ranked Fernandez got right back on the indoor hardcourt in Seville to help Gabriela Dabrowski beat Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 7-6 (3). In Sunday’s final, Canada will face Italy which saw off Slovenia 2-0 after winning both singles matches. Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion, has also paired with Siniakova to win seven major doubles titles including this year’s Australian Open. The Czech Republic, an 11-time champion, had also won all seven previous meetings with Canada. Italy reached its first final of the competition in a decade. Martina Trevisan beat Kaja Juvan 7-6, 6-3 in the opening singles match of the semifinal after breaking her opponent three times. Jasmine Paolini gave the Italians an insurmountable lead after seeing off Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. “What they have done, it’s something incredible,” Italian captain Tathiana Garbin said. “We want always to push ourselves to the limit, and we try to dream again tomorrow.” Juvan double-faulted on set point in the tiebreaker and let Trevisan take the lead. Trevisan was pushed to tears at one moment from the tension. “I had to be happy because I won the set, but I was crying,” she said. “Too many emotions to manage. But the heart and head were there, so I’m very happy.” Zidansek’s serve also betrayed her in the second match when the Slovenian doubled-faulted to cede her service game and fall behind 5-3. Slovenia was playing its first semifinal at the competition. (AP)
Sinner earns opening win in Turin
Turin, Nov 12: Jannik Sinner made a winning start to his Nitto ATP Finals campaign on Sunday when he downed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to delight the Italian fans inside the Pala Alpitour. “I was excited to step on court and opening the Finals is really, really special,” Sinner said. “I knew it was going to be very tough but I think I handled the situation well. I tried to stay aggressive and I am very happy with the performance. I am happy to start off with a win and hopefully I can continue with this intensity.” Sinner competed as an alternate in Turin in 2021, before he qualified for the eight-man tournament for the first time this year. It is just the third time an Italian player has won a singles match at the event, after Matteo Berrettini defeated Dominic Thiem in 2019 and Sinner beat Hubert Hurkacz in 2021. “It is a special week,” Sinner said. “We play under a roof, so it is nosier and playing with this crowd is such a special feeling. I tried to be really happy on the court and really focused.” The World No. 4 now holds a 3-5 record in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, while he is 1-0 in Green Group action. Six-time champion Novak Djokovic and Dane Holger Rune are also in Green Group and face off this evening in Italy. Sinner arrived in Turin off the back of a standout year. He has won four tour-level trophies in 2023, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto. With expectations raised, Sinner quickly delivered inside a packed Pala Alpitour. He earned the decisive break of the first set in the fifth game of the first set to lead, while he won 84 per cent (16/19) of his first-serve points in the opener. Sinner then gained further control at the start of the second set, breaking in the first game when Tsitsipas could only find the net with a backhand. The Italian looked smooth on serve and relaxed on his groundstrokes, sealing victory on his first match point. Tsitsipas has fond memories at the Nitto ATP Finals, having won the trophy on debut in 2019. The World No. 6, who is making his fifth appearance at the event, struggled to trouble Sinner in the opening match of this year’s edition, though, falling to 51-23 on the season. (IANS)