Pep Guardiola admitted “this f****** trophy is so difficult to win” after watching Manchester City finally end their wait for Champions League glory.
Rodri’s goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul to complete the treble derby rivals Manchester United achieved in 1999.
Asked how he was feeling after the presentation, Guardiola told BT Sport: “Tired, calm, satisfied of course. This f****** trophy is so difficult to win. It could not be different, we knew it.”
City were not at their fluent best as Inter frustrated them for long periods but they got there in the end, much to the Spaniard’s delight.
He added: “Winning this competition, the treble, is so difficult, so that’s why it’s not important the way, it’s enough to get it.”
City dominated the first half but could not find a way through Inter, and they were dealt a blow when star man Kevin De Bruyne limped off before the break.
However, Rodri’s sweet 68th-minute strike proved decisive and sparked wild celebrations on and off the pitch, though not before Federico Dimarco hit the bar and Ederson saved well from Romelu Lukaku and Robin Gosens.
Guardiola said: “At the end, Ederson, they could draw, maybe Phil [Foden] could have scored a second one. In this competition, it is [the toss of] a coin and that we were there, I think it was written in the stars. This season, it belongs to us and we did it.”
Asked what had changed about his side to finally get them over the line in Europe’s biggest club competition, the City boss said: “I think we defend a little bit better in the box with our four central defenders, who are proper defenders. We made mistakes, but I had the feeing we were solid.
“We didn’t make a bad, bad game, a little bit anxious at the start, but in general it was not bad and with the momentum we started winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and now finishing here.”
City’s momentum grew during the season after a testing start as Arsenal took the Premier League by the scruff of the neck, although they returned after the World Cup finals in determined fashion and timed their run to perfection.
Asked if it had been a frustrating start to the campaign, Guardiola said: “It was not frustrating. It was maybe not our best level, but Arsenal were beyond exceptional.
“But after the World Cup, the team made a step forward and we were there.”
Guardiola admitted he could not even begin to think about next season and the task of defending the club’s titles, but questioned the wisdom of his players heading off on international duty after their celebrations.
He said: “Right now, I don’t have any energy to think about next season, it’s impossible. We need to have a break, the season is too long.
“Most of these guys go to the national team to play again – honestly, UEFA, FIFA, think about it. We finished the Premier League what, two or three weeks ago? They’re on holiday and they come back for two weeks?
“These guys will have two or three weeks off and after, start again next season. It’s too much.
“Anyway, next season will be next season and of course we are going to start from zero. This is our job.”
Erling Haaland finished his debut Manchester City season with 52 goals to his name.
The Norway international finished on a run of just one goal in eight games but had already more than justified his bargain £51million price tag.
Here, the PA news agency looks at his stunning campaign in detail.
Premier League
Haaland’s 36 goals were a Premier League record, even including the early 42-game seasons.
Andy Cole and Alan Shearer shared the previous high of 34, with Mohamed Salah’s 32 topping the charts for a 38-game campaign, before Haaland rewrote the records.
He scored in seven straight league games from August to October – his third to his ninth appearances in the competition – with hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United helping him to 13 goals in those games and 18 in a 10-match scoring run in all competitions.
A fourth treble against Wolves in January left him one behind Shearer’s record of five in a season while he also had five doubles – against West Ham, Brighton, Leeds, Southampton and Leicester – and scored in 23 of his 35 appearances.
He scored against 16 different opponents, the exceptions being Chelsea – the only team to stop him in a pair of league appearances – Liverpool and Brentford.
Champions League
Haaland arrived in Manchester with 23 Champions League goals to his name in 19 appearances for RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, and has maintained that form.
He netted group-stage doubles against Sevilla and FC Copenhagen, either side of a goal against Dortmund, and Pep Guardiola could afford to largely rest his star man for the return fixtures save for a scoreless first-half run-out on his old stomping ground in Germany.
He was quiet in a drawn first leg against RB Leipzig but more than made up for it in the return fixture, equalling the competition record of five goals in a game as City won 7-0 and 8-1 on aggregate.
Goals in both legs against Bayern Munich took him to a dozen for the European season, though Real Madrid and Inter Milan kept him quiet even as City won their semi-final and final.
Domestic cups
Haaland’s first FA Cup goals came with a hat-trick in the 6-0 quarter-final win over Burnley, having sat out the clash with Chelsea and not scored against Arsenal.
He was not required to produce any heroics in the semi-final or final, won respectively by a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick and an Ilkay Gundogan brace.
Haaland was shut out by Liverpool in the Community Shield but did score against them in the Carabao Cup, giving him four goals in seven cup appearances.
Wales manager Rob Page has told top-flight clubs to make a move for “Premier League player” Daniel James.
The Wales winger’s club career remains uncertain following Leeds’ relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
James spent last season on loan with Fulham but has now returned to managerless Leeds and the second tier, where he shone at Swansea to earn a 2019 move to Manchester United.
Page said: “I do think DJ is a Premier League player and he could easily play there again.
“If I’m a Premier League manager and I find out he’s available, personally I’d take him.
“I’m bound to say that because I’m his Welsh manager, but for me he always poses a threat.
“He still has things to work on but with the pace he’s got it is a brave team that plays a high line against him.”
James cost Leeds £25million in joining from Manchester United in August 2021.
The 25-year-old struggled for game-time at Fulham, making only five Premier League starts among 23 appearances in all competitions and scoring three goals.
James has often reserved his best performances for a Wales shirt and started 34 consecutive competitive games before being benched for the World Cup defeat to Iran in November.
“He has taken one for the team in recent months because I’ve asked him to play a different role,” Page said ahead of forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey.
“He likes playing wide left and the way we play now suits us because he gives us the width on the left.
“He’s that option in behind and when you’ve got a tool like that in your armoury it really is effective.
“In the Premier League, and at international level, he poses a threat. It was a frustrating few months for him when I played him at centre-forward with Gareth (Bale).
“Now we’ve changed and he is back out in his natural position.”
Wales return to action at home to Armenia on Friday and against Turkey in Samsun three days later having taken four points from their opening two games in March.
Page, who has taken his squad to Portugal to prepare for the Euro 2024 double-header, says he has felt the benefits of speaking to Warren Gatland, head coach of the Wales rugby team and former British and Irish Lions boss.
“I had a great chat with him over dinner and wanted to pick his brains,” Page said of his meeting with Gatland at the Football Association of Wales’ National Coaches Conference in Newport.
“It’s not every day you get the chance to share dinner with a man of his stature.
“We talked about how we deal with players, groups of men, and it was really interesting.
“He spoke about how he deals with individuals. It was refreshing to learn it’s how I’ve dealt with individuals in the past.
“We are from a similar era and share similar culture and values. When you are dealing with a player, you do it to their face.”
The Toronto Raptors have found their successor to Nick Nurse, hiring Memphis Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic to be their head coach.
The news was first reported Saturday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Rajakovic will become the 10th coach in franchise history and was picked over Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to Wojnarowski.
A native of Serbia, Rajakovic has been an NBA assistant coach since 2014, serving on the Grizzlies' staff the last three seasons.
His first coaching job in the NBA was with the Oklahoma City Thunder and after six seasons there he spent the 2019-20 season with the Phoenix Suns before becoming Taylor Jenkins' top assistant on the Memphis bench.
The last three seasons with Rajakovic on the staff, the Grizzlies have won a pair of Southwest Division titles while making the playoffs each time. They've compiled a .614 winning percentage - fifth best among all NBA teams in that span.
Rajakovic replaces Nurse, who led the Raptors to the franchise’s only title in 2019, but was fired on April 21, nine days after losing 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls in their play-in game.
Nurse, who was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers on May 29, led Toronto to a pair of Atlantic Division titles, however, the team finished last in the Atlantic this season with a 41-41 record to miss the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Rajakovic's hiring fills the final open coaching vacancy in the NBA.
Manchester City emulated Manchester United’s 1999 trophy treble with victory in the Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how this season’s City side compares to United’s celebrated group.
Team performance
United lost only three games in their treble-winning season but a remarkable 21 draws in 57 games across the three competitions in question sees City overshadow them in most other statistical categories.
Excluding the League Cup from both teams’ records, Pep Guardiola’s side have 42 wins (73.7 per cent) to United’s 33 (57.9 per cent), 145 goals to 121 and 26 clean sheets to 20.
They conceded only 39 goals to their predecessors’ 56, scoring an average of 2.54 per game and conceding 0.68 compared to 2.12 against 0.98 for United.
City have also scored four goals or more on 16 occasions, 28.1 per cent of their matches and twice as many as that United side – and they have an unsurprising advantage when the two teams’ top scorers are compared…
Player stats
Erling Haaland’s extraordinary 51-goal contribution to City’s treble had no equivalent in a United squad that shared the burden much more equally.
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole formed a potent front two, Yorke edging his strike partner by 18 league goals to 17 and by 29 to 24 in all competitions.
Super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored 12 league goals despite starting only nine games and 15 in the three competitions with just 14 starts alongside 20 appearances from the bench. Teddy Sheringham was even more sparingly used, but his four goals included the vital equaliser in Barcelona before Solskjaer’s even-later winner.
Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs also hit double figures, with David Beckham on nine.
Haaland won this year’s Golden Boot awards in the Premier League, with a record 36 goals, and the Champions League with 12 – including five in a game against RB Leipzig – as he finished four clear of the pack.
He has been backed up by fellow summer signing Julian Alvarez with 15 goals in the league, FA Cup and Champions League, the same as Phil Foden, plus 13 from Riyad Mahrez and double figures too for cup final hero Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne.
Eight of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad featured in 50 or more of the 57 games that led to the treble – goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, defenders Gary Neville and Jaap Stam, midfield trio David Beckham, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, and Cole and Yorke up front.
Just Rodri and Bernardo Silva can boast the same figure in City’s treble as Guardiola’s famed rotation policy and squad depth shows its worth. Haaland, Gundogan and Jack Grealish have hit 50 in all competitions.
Manchester City have won the Champions League to add to their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key players in their stunning treble.
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian has been an absolute sensation, scoring a record 36 goals in City’s Premier League campaign and 52 in all competitions. People doubted whether he would be able to maintain the phenomenal scoring rate of his early career once he arrived in the Premier League following his £51million move from Borussia Dortmund but he quickly dispelled their reservations. He formed a potent partnership with Kevin De Bruyne and bagged six hat-tricks in all competitions including a stunning five-goal Champions League haul against RB Leipzig. City had to adjust their playing style to accommodate him but things had truly clicked by the run-in as City reeled in Arsenal and tasted glory on three fronts.
Kevin De Bruyne
It may not have been a vintage De Bruyne season, and some of Guardiola’s comments about him at times suggested the manager was not entirely satisfied with the Belgian, but he still produced another highly-effective campaign. He truly got going and delivered when it really mattered as City entered the run-in, with his statistics again impressive. He led the Premier League with 16 assists, and while that figure is also testament to the brilliance of Haaland’s finishing, it was four more than anyone else in the competition. He also weighed in with seven goals, with a further two goals and seven assists in Europe, though his final ended before half-time due to injury for the second time in three years.
Jack Grealish
It has taken time for Grealish to live up to his £100million billing but his second season at the club has been a considerable improvement on his first. There were some impressive performances in the early part of the campaign and since the World Cup he has reached that level on a consistent basis. He now seems more confident on the ball and has been harder for defenders to knock off it, while also showing a greater ability to pick out his team-mates. His progress has been good and City will hope there is more to come.
John Stones
The second half of the season saw Stones successfully combine all facets of his game. The England centre-back’s defending has improved considerably in recent years and, now comfortable in that role, he is confident enough to step into midfield when City are in possession. With his ball-playing ability, this defence-midfield hybrid role has added an extra dimension to the team’s play.
Rodri
The Spaniard’s influence in the City midfield has grown steadily since his arrival in 2019 and this season has seen him come of age. Physically strong and highly energetic, Rodri has been City’s driving force. He reads the game superbly, breaks up opposition attacks and powers forward. His passing ability and vision have been excellent with the likes of Haaland, De Bruyne and Grealish all benefiting enormously. His four goals included the key strike against Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Ilkay Gundogan
Pep Guardiola’s first signing in 2016, Gundogan has gained a larger share of the limelight this season than ever before. The Germany international has the versatility to play anywhere in midfield and his quiet leadership has been backed up by vital goals – never more so than his two in the FA Cup final to echo last season’s title-winning league brace against Aston Villa. Guardiola, no stranger to world-class talent, last month labelled him “one of the best players I ever trained in my career”.
Manchester City are celebrating a trophy treble after their Champions League final win over Inter Milan.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key games in their successful campaign.
October 2, Man City 6 Man Utd 3
City did not really find consistency until the spring but there were some awesome demonstrations of their firepower – and particularly that of Erling Haaland – in the opening months. Their thrashing of arch-rivals United was especially sweet. Haaland helped himself to a hat-trick, his third in successive home games and one of six in a record-breaking campaign, while Phil Foden also hit three.
January 19, Man City 4 Tottenham 2
Pep Guardiola let his anger at his side be known after they rallied from 2-0 down at half-time with goals from Julian Alvarez, Haaland and Riyad Mahrez (two). After defeats in the previous two games, the City boss felt the first half was another indicator his players – who he labelled ‘happy flowers’ – were not fully focused. City were beaten at Spurs a few weeks later, but it perhaps signalled a change in attitude.
February 15, Arsenal 1 Man City 3
Fixture disruption in the autumn meant the two leading title contenders were kept apart until February, when City landed the first blow. Kevin De Bruyne’s opener was cancelled out by a Bukayo Saka penalty but City upped the tempo in the second half with goals from Jack Grealish and Haaland. The win took City top, albeit only on goal difference and having played a game more, but it was psychologically important.
April 1, Man City 4 Liverpool 1
City started to show they really meant business when they put Liverpool, their chief title rivals in recent years, to the sword. Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead but City’s response, without injured top scorer Haaland, was impressive as Alvarez, De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Grealish scored in a convincing win.
April 26, Man City 4 Arsenal 1
City outclassed the Gunners to take firm command of the title race. Arsenal’s advantage had been eroded by three successive draws, meaning the momentum was with City, and they emphasised that with a dominant display. De Bruyne scored two, both from Haaland passes, and the Norwegian inevitably got on the scoresheet himself. John Stones scored their other goal in an unexpectedly one-sided clash. Arsenal remained two points clear but, with two games in hand, City held the upper hand and did not relinquish it en route to a third successive title and fifth in six seasons.
May 17, Man City 4 Real Madrid 0
A thrilling first leg of the Champions League semi-final finished 1-1, De Bruyne’s thunderbolt cancelling out Vinicius Junior’s opener, but Bernardo Silva’s first-half double ensured the return match was a one-sided affair. Manuel Akanji’s goal and Alvarez’s stoppage-time clincher meant a scoreline every bit as eye-catching as the 7-0 win over RB Leipzig in which Haaland scored five.
June 3, Man City 2 Man Utd 1
Gundogan’s volley after only 12 seconds was the fastest FA Cup final goal on record and though United hit back with a Bruno Fernandes penalty after Grealish was harshly penalised for handball, the Germany midfielder struck again early in the second half to seal the spoils – and set up the chance to emulate one of United’s proudest achievements.
June 10, Man City 1 Inter Milan 0
A hard-fought first half saw City lose key playmaker De Bruyne to injury, an unwelcome echo of 2021’s defeat to Chelsea on the same Champions League final stage. They finally broke down their stubborn opponents with Rodri’s firm, composed finish midway through the second half and survived scares from headers by Federico DiMarco and Romelu Lukaku as they held on.
Rodri fired the winning goal as Manchester City finally claimed Champions League glory and completed the treble with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan.
The midfielder rifled home in the 68th minute as the Premier League winners City wore down the Italians in a draining final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday.
The contest was a tight one, with City suffering a serious blow in pursuit of the prize that has eluded them for so long when they lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury in the first half.
The prolific Erling Haaland was also kept quiet by a stubborn Inter side but Rodri eventually made the breakthrough with a firm strike after a Bernardo Silva pass was deflected into his path.
It capped a momentous season for City having also won the FA Cup as well as a fifth Premier League title in six years. Their success means they also join rivals Manchester United as the only side to have won all three of those trophies in the same season.
It meant mission accomplished for owner Sheikh Mansour, who was present in Istanbul at only his second match since purchasing the club in 2008 and subsequently propelling them to the game’s top table.
Manager Pep Guardiola could also celebrate Champions League success again 12 years after the second of his two wins as Barcelona boss.
City had gone into the match as strong favourites but Inter proved more than a match, setting out with a determination to soak up pressure.
It made for a slow start and City lacked their usual sparkle.
That gave Inter confidence and Federico Dimarco sparked a threatening attack after seizing possession but Marcelo Brozovic’s shot was deflected wide.
Ederson also seemed nervous and misplaced a pass that handed Nicolo Barella a long-range sight of goal. Fortunately for the Brazilian, Barella’s effort was nowhere near the target.
Haaland had his first attempt after being played in by De Bruyne but Andre Onana blocked his first-time shot.
De Bruyne tried his luck himself from distance but his effort lacked power and his final was, once again, to end in frustration soon after.
The Belgian went down clutching his hamstring 10 minutes before the interval and, despite attempts to run off the problem, was forced to admit defeat soon after and was replaced by Phil Foden.
It meant further Champions League final woe for De Bruyne after he left the field with a facial injury during City’s loss to Chelsea two years ago.
The opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern but Inter eventually started to assert themselves more and they began to look dangerous.
City had a let-off just before the hour when Manuel Akanji reacted slowly to a Silva pass and Lautaro Martinez charged into the box. Former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku was well placed in the centre but Martinez opted to shoot and Ederson smothered his effort.
City made the most of that reprieve and took the lead moments after a John Stones cross was deflected close to his own goal by Alessandro Bastoni.
Akanji played the key pass as he picked out Silva and his cutback eventually fell to Rodri, who thumped the ball into the net from the edge of the area.
City fans greeted the strike with a mixture of celebration and relief but they were given a scare minutes later when Dimarco hit the bar with a looping header and then headed against Lukaku on the rebound.
Foden had a chance to put City in firm control when he burst through a gap into the area but Onana got down well to save.
City survived a late scare when a Lukaku header hit Ederson’s legs and was put behind by Ruben Dias and the final whistle was greeted by jubilant celebrations.
Iga Swiatek gained new-found belief in her own strength after coming through an intense struggle to beat Karolina Muchova and complete her French Open hat-trick.
The 22-year-old Pole cemented her status as the best female player in the world, particularly on clay, with her third title in four years at Roland Garros.
But this was by some distance the hardest of her grand slam finals, with unseeded Czech Muchova battling back from a set and 3-0 down to force a decider.
Muchova twice led by a break in that but Swiatek refused to be beaten, eventually prevailing 6-2 5-7 6-4 after two hours and 46 minutes and crouching down on the clay in tears.
“I’m feeling all these different emotions right now,” said Swiatek. “It’s pretty surreal, everything. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. Stressful moments and coming back. So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid in those few last games and finish it.
“But Karolina really played well. It was a big challenge. I’m happy and really proud of myself that I did it.
“This one, for sure, it was a little bit tougher in terms of injuries and the pressure, and also coming back to this tournament as a defending champion.
“I’m happy that I finished the whole clay court swing so well and that I kind of survived. I guess I’m never going to doubt my strength again.”
Swiatek is the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles – veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more.
Swiatek equals Osaka and Monica Seles, meanwhile, as the only women in the open era to win each of their first four slam finals.
Muchova, a 26-year-old ranked 43, produced the performance of her life to beat second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals, saving a match point and fighting back from 5-2 down in the deciding set.
She made a slow start and it looked set to be another comfortable ride in a slam final for Swiatek but from 3-0 in the second set the momentum shifted.
Muchova began to impose her clever game a lot more on the match while Swiatek tightened up, double-faulting to hand her opponent the chance to serve for the set at 5-4.
Muchova could not take her first opportunity but another shaky game from Swiatek gave her a second chance and this time she made it over the line, clinching her third set point after a stunning all-court rally.
Muchova has struggled badly with injuries during her career and it was only last year that doctors told her she might have to give up the game.
She rode her momentum at the start of the decider by moving into a 2-0 lead as Swiatek threatened to implode but the 22-year-old pulled herself together quickly to level.
They exchanged breaks again in the seventh and eighth games and Swiatek regained the ascendancy when she fought off another break point to hold for 5-4.
The pressure of serving to stay in the contest proved too much for Muchova, who made three errors before double-faulting on match point in a cruel end to an absorbing final.
Swiatek said: “I felt pretty confident with my game in the second set but I also knew that it’s only one break. So I needed to stay constantly aware and ready for everything, especially playing against Karolina, knowing that she’s come back from really crazy situations in this tournament.
“In the third set I didn’t want to have any regrets about the second. I just kind of looked forward, and I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m just going to give it all. No thinking, no analysing, just play my game, use my intuition’, and that really helped.”
Muchova was overcome with emotion at the trophy ceremony while Swiatek had to have two goes at lifting the trophy after dropping the lid on the first attempt.
“I honestly felt like I’m holding it with my finger, so I guess all these emotions caused that,” said the Pole.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’m glad that Suzanne Lenglen trophy is fine and it won’t happen again probably, but we’ll see. I just hope I’m going to have a chance to hold it again in future years.”
Muchova was left with mixed emotions, saying: “The feeling is a little bitter, because I felt it was very close, a close match.
“But overall, to call myself a grand slam finalist, it’s an amazing achievement, and for sure big motivation for me to work in the future and to get a chance again to play for these big titles.”
Debate continued over a contested catch from Cameron Green as Australia moved towards the final day of the World Test Championship final against India as favourites to claim the title.
England’s Ashes rivals declared midway through the fourth afternoon, leaving India needing a record fourth-innings chase of 444 at the Oval.
India were just about hanging in, reaching the close on 164 for three with a fluent knock of 44 not out from the great Virat Kohli bolstering what surely remained a distant long shot.
Australia’s hunt for 10 wickets started in earnest in the final over before the tea break when an outstanding one-handed catch from Green sent Shubman Gill on his way and ended a lively opening stand with Rohit Sharma.
There was enough uncertainty over the legality of the low chance to require attention from third umpire Richard Kettleborough, but his decision to uphold the wicket for Scott Boland was met with jeers and chants of “cheat” from a 24,000 crowd that swayed emphatically towards India.
The replays looked as though Green had his fingers under the ball but Gill wasted no time entering the fray on social media, posting a less conclusive still image of the catch on Twitter shortly after the close.
The picture was annotated with two magnifying glasses and a ‘face palm’ emoji, ambiguous enough to spare him the interest of the match referee but enough to stoke the ire of Indian supporters.
India seamer Mohammed Shami also suggested an element of dissatisfaction at the swiftness of Kettleborough’s decision, telling the post-match press conference: “We could have taken some time. It’s the World Test Championship final, not a normal match that you let go.
“It should have been checked better, zoomed in, but it’s okay, it’s part of the game. It is all about the umpires. They take a call.”
Green, who is fast establishing himself as one of the best close catchers in the business and took a similarly brilliant one-handed effort to his right on day three, insisted nothing felt untoward as he gathered the chance.
“I definitely thought I caught it. In the heat of the moment I thought it was clean, threw it up and obviously showed no sign of any doubt,” he said.
“Then it’s left up to the third umpire and he agreed. Obviously the Indian crowd are so passionate and one of their favourite guys, Shubman Gill, got out…I think they were all kind of looking forward to watching (him bat). We move on.”
If India continue to show defiance and take the chase deep, Australia’s pace attack could be in for some unwelcome hard work as the countdown to the first Ashes Test goes on. The Edgbaston opener gets under way on Friday but Green, who will be taking his share of the load as fourth seamer, insists nobody will be holding back with the size of the prize at stake.
“You’ve always got to play what’s in front of you, 100 per cent,” he said.
“We’ve been working so hard for two years to have any doubts about pushing in this game. We’re not going to focus too much on what’s coming ahead and just focus on the next day.”
Iga Swiatek survived her biggest grand slam final test yet to lift the French Open trophy for a third time.
The Pole withstood a Karolina Muchova fightback to triumph 6-2 5-7 6-4, claiming her third title in four years in Paris and fourth slam overall.
There was British success for Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid in the men’s wheelchair doubles and Andy Lapthorne in the quad wheelchair doubles.
Picture of the dayTweet of the dayPoint of the dayStat of the day
Seventeen-year-old Tokito Oda defeated Hewett 6-1 6-4 to win the men’s wheelchair singles title.
Future stars
The junior titles were decided on Saturday, with 15-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva making it back-to-back grand slam successes, while Croatian Dino Prizmic ended his junior career with his first slam trophy.
Who’s up next?
Novak Djokovic bids for sporting immortality in the men’s singles final on Sunday.
The 36-year-old will aim to become the first man ever to win 23 grand slam singles titles, while he would also be the first man to win all the majors at least three times.
Standing in his way is Norwegian Casper Ruud, who is going for a first slam crown in his third final.
Andy Lapthorne was furious to miss out on watching his beloved West Ham win a European title but secured compensation in the form of a second French Open trophy.
The Londoner teamed up with South African Donald Ramphadi to beat Heath Davidson and Robert Shaw 1-6 6-2 (10-3) in the quad wheelchair doubles final.
Lapthorne had tickets for the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday, and said: “I was absolutely fuming with the tournament referee here. He’s not going to hear the end of that for a long time, because he didn’t let me know that we wouldn’t be playing on the day of the game.
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“If I would have known that, I would have been on a plane to Prague. But we won. That’s all that matters, and I was absolutely buzzing. I go to most games, home and away, and been going with my dad and my brother for donkey’s years and we’ve never won anything.
“To see my dad and my brother get to experience that on Wednesday was very special, very emotional. I can’t wait to get home to celebrate that. Was inspiring and just so pleased for everyone involved.
“We’re back in Europe again next year so I’ll be going and following the team all over the place again and complaining about disabled access in places like Serbia and stuff again.”
Lapthorne and Ramphadi toppled the first and second seeds to win the title, giving the British player his 16th slam title overall and the South African his first on his 30th birthday.
“It’s been a tough few weeks in my personal life,” said 32-year-old Lapthorne. “I don’t need to go into it, but it’s been very difficult. This game sometimes has a way of reminding you why you love it.”
Alfie Hewett missed out on a fourth singles title at Roland Garros and lost his world number one ranking to Japanese teenager Tokito Oda but teamed up with Gordon Reid to win the doubles for the fourth year in a row.
An emotional Oda, 17, produced a brilliant display on Philippe Chatrier to win 6-1 6-4, ending Hewett’s hopes of winning three slam singles titles in a row.
Hewett and Reid have dominated the doubles category in recent years and won their 17th title together and 12th in the last 14 tournaments by beating Martin De La Puente and Gustavo Fernandez 7-6 (9) 7-5.
Hewett said: “I’m happy to finish the day on a good note. It’s never easy to come off the back of a grand slam final loss and within a couple of hours go again. I struggled a little bit with my emotions. In the end it was OK but I’m exhausted now.”
Australia stood seven wickets away from claiming the World Test Championship crown heading into the final day at the Oval, but Virat Kohli’s presence was enough to give India a glimmer of hope in adversity.
Needing to pull off a world record chase of 444, India looked down and out at 93 for three but Kohli’s accomplished 44 not out kept Australia wary of a remarkable comeback. The former captain put on an unbroken 71 with Ajinkya Rahane, and looked in determined mood.
He walked off the field at 164 for three with his side still strong outsiders, but were not yet down and out. Having scored their runs at a lively rate of 4.10, India kept in touch with what seemed an unattainable goal.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins set up the final equation by declaring at 270 for eight midway through the fourth afternoon, asking India to score 26 more than any side has ever made to win a Test, 38 more than their own record and 181 beyond the best at Surrey’s home ground.
India’s openers began brightly in the face of stifling odds, but saw their optimism dented by a sensational catch from Cameron Green in the last over before tea.
With Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill racing to 41 from the first seven overs, Scott Boland clipped the latter’s outside edge and watched on as Green flung his 6ft 6in frame to the left to take a quite brilliant left-handed effort in the gully.
Gill stood his ground as he waited to see if the catch was clean, with the heavily partisan India-supporting crowd unanimous that the ball had been grounded as Green held his fingers under the ball. English umpire Richard Kettleborough was the man on television duty and he took a long and deliberate look at the slow motion replays before settling in the bowler’s favour.
There were loud jeers and boos, as well as some chants of “cheat”, from the stands, but while there was some ambiguity around still images of the incident it seemed hard to believe that Kettleborough could have made a different verdict.
It was Green’s second brilliant catch of the match, having produced another remarkable diving effort with his right hand to dismiss first-innings top-scorer Rahane, and reminder to England of the all-rounder’s burgeoning ability to stamp his imprint on proceedings.
The wicket was badly needed given India’s early aggression, scoring nine fours and a six in the first 10 overs and rollicking along at almost exactly a run-a-ball. Sharma was in impeccable touch, producing flowing drives when the seamers went full and swivelling into trademark pulls when they dragged their length back.
At one stage Cummins tested his opposite number out with a bouncer and was hooked over the ropes at fine-leg. It took a change of pace in the form of Nathan Lyon’s to halt his charge, Sharma getting in a tangle as he shaped to sweep over mid-wicket and falling lbw.
When Cheteshwar Pujara followed in the next over, caught behind off the face attempting an uncharacteristic uppercut, India were rocking at 93 for three. But rather than fold, they carried on the the fight through Kohli and Rahane.
Kohli gave no leeway at all on line, flicking away a sequence of boundaries through the leg side. The ball was pinging sweetly from his bat and Rahane was offering solid support as Australia laboured away with minimal joy in the last half-hour.
Australia had earlier progressed with relative serenity towards their declaration.
Marnus Labuschagne failed to add to his overnight score of 41 before nicking Umesh Yadav to slip, and Green ground out a sedate 25 before diverting spinner Ravindra Jadeja into his own stumps as he ploughed away on a leg-stump line, but the runs kept flowing.
Alex Carey banked some vital time in the middle ahead of the Ashes as he made an undefeated 66, while Mitchell Starc swung the bat with freedom to make a lively 41.
All eyes were on Cummins from the moment the advantage snaked past 400 and he finally obliged when he was eighth man out, thrashing Mohammed Shami into the on-side.
England’s Dale Whitnell will take a four-shot lead into the final round of the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed as he goes in search of a first DP World Tour title in Sweden.
A stunning 61 on day two in Stockholm had handed him a six-shot advantage after 36 holes and despite dropping a first shot of the week on the second, he responded with four birdies in his next five holes to lead by eight.
He would not have it all his own way, however, as he made a double-bogey on the ninth after a poor tee-shot and another on the 16th after finding the water, although birdies on the 10th and 15th limited the damage.
German Ryder Cup hopeful Yannik Paul had cut the advantage to three with a tap-in birdie at the last as he completed a 68 but playing partner Whitnell followed him in from 15 feet to get to 19 under after a 70 and stay in pole position for victory.
“I had a couple of instances where it didn’t quite go to plan but I thought I kept my head, just tried to plug away and take one shot at a time,” he said.
“It is hard to go through a round of golf without dropping a shot, let alone two or three or four, so I sort of stuck to my guns, had a gameplan and tried to execute it.
“I mean it wasn’t a bad day, it wasn’t exactly ideal but it was more than acceptable.”
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay was six shots off the pace after a 69 as he looks for a fifth DP World Tour victory and second in as many seasons.
“The boys are playing well in front but I’m within touching distance and the goal was always to be in the mix on the back nine and I feel the back nine has a lot of opportunities,” he said.
“If I can just sort of jostle for position a little bit I can be right there, but you don’t know what they are going to do, all you have got to do is give your best, your 100 per cent and then if an opportunity arises, go for it.”
The Netherlands’ Anne van Dam matched the lowest round of the day with a 63 to be the leading woman at 12 under, a shot clear of English pair Matthew Jordan and Gabriella Cowley, with the latter making three eagles in her 64.
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