Emil Ruusuvuori consigned Dan Evans to a first-round exit at the Qatar Open with a straight-sets victory on Tuesday.

Finn Ruusuvuori ousted the sixth seed with a 7-5 6-4 victory in Doha with a powerful display.

There were 26 winners from the racket of Ruusuvuori, who had only come out on top in one of his previous eight matches against top-30 opponents.

Ruusuvuori's next assignment will be a meeting with Jiri Lehecka, who saw off qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3 7-6 (7-3).

Roberto Bautista Agut, the fifth seed from Spain, saw the back of Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (9-7) 5-7 6-4.

Botic van de Zandschulp, Tallon Griekspoor and Soonwoo Kwon also made it through to round two.

Maxime Cressy had to dig deep to make it out of the first round of the Open 13, beating Geoffrey Blancaneaux 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4).

The fifth seed from the United States was joined in the last 16 by David Goffin, who defeated qualifier Lukas Klein 6-2 6-4.

Eighth seed Marc-Andrea Huesler made an early departure after going down in straight sets to Gregoire Barrere in Marseille.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti lauded Vinicius Junior as the "most decisive player in world football" after inspiring Tuesday's 5-2 Champions League win over Liverpool.

Madrid found themselves trailing 2-0 early on thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, the latter coming after a calamitous Thibaut Courtois error.

But Vinicius scored twice before half-time to level the score – his first a wonderful finish into the bottom-right corner, the second a fortuitous goal that involved him blocking Alisson's clearance into the net.

He then won the free-kick that yielded Madrid's third goal just after the break and got the assist when Karim Benzema made it 5-2.

Seven players from Europe's top five leagues have more than Vinicius' 27 goal involvements across all competitions this term, though Ancelotti would seemingly not swap any of them for the Brazilian.

"Today, in my personal opinion, he is the most decisive player in world football," Ancelotti told reporters of Vinicius, who became the youngest (22 years and 224 days old) away player to score twice against Liverpool at Anfield in major European competition since Johan Cruyff in December 1966 (19y 233d).

"He doesn't stop. He dribbles, assists, scores. Now he is the most decisive. Hopefully he can continue like this."

The match was a far cry from the two teams' previous meeting in last season's Champions League final, which Liverpool dominated before losing 1-0.

It was put to Ancelotti that Liverpool had changed a lot – regressed, even – since that game in Paris, but he was not so sure and looked to impress on his players that the tie is not over yet ahead of the return leg on March 15.

"I only know that we have taken advantage in these 90 minutes and we have to manage the 90 in Madrid well," Ancelotti added.

"Liverpool are a very competitive team, who have created many problems for us. Unfortunately, the tie has not ended.

"They are still a great team in my opinion. They play with intensity and a very high pace, it is difficult to see teams like that in Europe.

"They haven't changed, but we proposed a game plan that was different from the one in the final. Then we played with a low block, and this time our plan was very different."

Jordan Henderson knows Liverpool were their own worst enemies in a stunning 5-2 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid at Anfield.

The Reds made a dream start to the first leg of the round-of-16 tie on Tuesday, opening up a two-goal lead after only 14 minutes courtesy of a sublime Darwin Nunez flick and a Thibaut Courtois howler that enabled Mohamed Salah to become the club's record European scorer with 42.

That was as good as it got for Liverpool on Merseyside, as Vinicius Junior pulled one back with a sumptuous finish before Alisson's terrible attempted pass struck the Brazil winger and looped into the net.

An unmarked Eder Militao capitalised on abysmal Reds defending to head the holders in front early in the second and Karim Benzema's double put them in complete command.

Madrid beat Liverpool in the final last year and Carlo Ancelotti's side should seal their place in the last eight in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 15.

Reds captain Henderson feels the Premier League side only have themselves to blame after they conceded five goals at home for first time in Europe, with Madrid becoming the first team to win by a three-goal margin after being two down in the Champions League.

The midfielder told BT Sport: "It's Very difficult. For large parts of the first half we performed well and were unlucky to be level at half-time. We made too many mistakes. Real Madrid punished us every time tonight.

"A lot was [due to] their quality. We didn't help ourselves for sure. We didn't defend it [Militao's goal] well enough. The game went away from us at that point.

"The last two games we kept clean sheets. it's difficult to come here and speak. Yes, they have a lot of quality. When you're not 100 per cent defending they punish you. We caused ourselves problems at times. It's a tough one to take in the end.

"We still played a good first half. We were on top and created some good chances. There was a good chance at 2-0, a scuffle on the line. If that goes in it's a big moment.

"The second goal obviously is a mistake. The third we'll be disappointed with. That's when the game went away from us."

Henderson says Liverpool can ill afford to feel sorry for themselves as they look to climb from eighth in the Premier League and sneak a Champions League spot for next season, with their chances of qualifying as European champions looking so slim.

"It's [the second leg] still a few weeks away," he added. "We have to move on quickly. We have Premier League games before then, so we have to concentrate on that, and cross this bridge when we come to it."

Jurgen Klopp rued Liverpool's inability to maintain their momentum as they suffered a 5-2 comeback defeat to Real Madrid after a breathtaking start.

Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead at Anfield on Tuesday, seemingly putting themselves in a great position in their Champions League last-16 tie.

But Madrid had wiped out their lead by half-time and ultimately romped home to a stunning victory as they became the first team to put five past the Reds at Anfield in Europe.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah got the Liverpool goals before Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema scored braces either side of Eder Militao's header – both teams' second goals came from glaring goalkeeping errors.

Klopp was noticeably dejected at full-time, but he did not appear especially angry.

Instead, he was keen to highlight how he felt Liverpool looked like their old selves again during the first half before being knocked off course.

"The beginning was outstanding," he told BT Sport. "It was us in a nutshell. It was perfect, exactly how we wanted to play, causing problems all over the place. A super intense start, 2-0 up. The whole first half was good beside the goals.

"After the first goal we became slightly passive higher up the pitch, we weren't chasing them, and we had to chase them because this is a team that when you get passive, you get punished. The second goal is slapstick. It shouldn't happen, can't happen, 2-2.

"The first situation pretty much [after half-time] they played a long ball to Vinicius. I'm not sure if it's a foul, but in the end [the referee] whistles it, and how we defend that is not OK. Then 3-2 and that doesn't help against a team who are outstandingly good on the counter-attack.

"We couldn't get back on track anymore. You need to play like the first half for the full 95 minutes. That's possible, but you need momentum back. After the 3-2 goal, it was exactly the opposite.

"They became more confident and scored great goals. One was deflected, I think. That's how it is. It's a strange one. We lost 5-2, we know that too, but there's a lot from me to take from it as well."

Liverpool go to Madrid for the second leg on March 15, knowing they require something akin to a miracle if they are to eliminate the reigning champions and secure their unlikely passage to the quarter-finals.

First, though, the Reds go to Crystal Palace on Saturday hoping to make it three wins in a row in the Premier League. Victory at Selhurst Park will move them to within three points of the top four.

The Atlanta Hawks announced on Monday they had fired head coach Nate McMillan after reaching the All-Star break with a 29-30 record.

It was meant to be an exciting season in Atlanta as McMillan prepared for his second full campaign in charge, having taken over from Lloyd Pierce shortly after the All-Star break in the 2020-21 season.

That year, after taking charge, McMillan led the Hawks to a blistering 27-11 finish, earning the fifth seed in the East and going on to make the Eastern Conference Finals after winning series against both the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

They took a step back the following season, finishing eighth in the East with a first-round playoff exit, and they continued trending in the wrong direction this time around.

At least with last season's disappointing end, the team could point to the fact that they had the league's second-best offense in the regular season, but were just weighed down by the fifth-worst defense.

Now the Hawks sit 16th in offense and 21st in defense, lacking any kind of identity. With the trade deadline having already passed, this is the group Atlanta will have to win with down the home stretch, and ultimately the franchise decided McMillan had run out of ideas on how to right the ship.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over as interim head coach while they conduct a "wide-ranging" search for a permanent solution.

Wojnarowski claims the Hawks are looking for a coach who has shown an ability to develop players, produce a top-10 offense and defense, and take accountability.

He states former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is viewed as a top candidate, while The Athletic's Shams Charania adds Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee – who spent four seasons as a Hawks assistant before following Mike Budenholzer to Milwaukee – is also a "serious candidate".

Other names mentioned as potential hires were Golden State Warriors assistant and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson and G-League head coach Miles Simon.

Luciano Spalletti warned Napoli cannot think they have already reached the Champions League quarter-finals despite a dominant victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Serie A leaders cruised to a 2-0 victory at Deutsche Bank Park as Victor Osimhen and Giovanni Di Lorenzo netted against Eintracht, who had Randal Kolo Muani sent off in the second half.

Napoli have never made it to the Champions League last eight but are in control of their last-16 tie ahead of the return meeting in Naples on March 15.

Spalletti refused to rest on his laurels, though, as he insisted nothing has been achieved just yet.

Asked if Napoli and Real Madrid, who smashed Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield in Tuesday's other clash, were favourites, Spalletti responded: "Will we be able to repeat it?

"We have to, let's see if we stay on track, remain in command. We cannot think we are automatically through."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saw Kevin Trapp save his penalty four minutes before Osimhen's first-half opener, with Napoli's poor spot-kick record continuing in the Champions League.

The Partenopei have scored just three of their six penalties taken in this year's competition, with only Monaco and Sevilla (in the 2016-17 term) missing as many in a single campaign, excluding shoot-outs, since Opta data began in the 2003-04 season.

Kvaratskhelia bounced back to tee up Di Lorenzo's calm finish, his 13th assist across all competitions this term – no Serie A player has managed more.

Spalletti referenced the resilience of Napoli being a key factor for their success.

"This thing should be highlighted here, the team didn't give up after the penalty kick, but scored immediately, insisted because we wanted to win," he added. 

"Thinking correctly, behaving like this, and wanting to win the match. We want to win them all, the matches pass so we don't come back again.

"We dreamed of this game here as children, we can't fail it. At 2-0, there was the possibility of scoring the third goal, we did some things well, others a little less, we could have tried more."

Victory marked Napoli's first away win in the Champions League knockout rounds, having lost their previous three, as they chase Serie A and European glory.

Jamie Carragher hit out at former side Liverpool after a "shambolic" Champions League showing as a rampant Real Madrid fought back to "destroy" the Reds.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah, the latter capitalising on an inexplicable Thibaut Courtois error, fired Jurgen Klopp's side into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of their last-16 clash.

But Carlo Ancelotti's defending European champions responded in ruthless fashion, with a Vinicius Junior first-half double restoring parity before Eder Militao nodded Madrid in front in the second period.

A Karim Benzema brace secured a 5-2 lead to defend at Santiago Bernabeu on March 15, with Liverpool the first team in Champions League history to take a 2-0 lead and lose by a three-goal margin.

It marked the first time in Europe that Liverpool have conceded five goals at home as well and Carragher was left in disbelief as he launched a scathing assessment.

The former Liverpool captain said on CBS Sports: "First of all what a performance by Real Madrid to come to Anfield and do that.

"I've never seen a team come to Anfield, on a European night that I can remember, and perform and destroy Liverpool like that.

"That was shambolic from Liverpool, embarrassing, we've made excuses for them all season. 

"We've said reasons why they're not doing as well as they have done in previous seasons, but that was a disgrace in that second half."

Klopp's charges, on the back of two straight wins, had the chance to salvage the tie with the game finely poised at 2-2 at half-time.

But Liverpool, who sit eighth in the Premier League after an otherwise poor start to 2023, crumbled under the pressure – much to the disgust of Carragher.

He added: "To not even have a chance, to show any real fight after the goals go in and to lose that second half 3-0, when you're attacking The Kop and it's 2-2 in the tie, absolutely shambolic from Liverpool.

"What I'm talking about in terms of shambolic, is defensively shambolic all season. 

"It was nonsense that Liverpool were back after the last two games, they played against an Everton team who produced one of the worst performances in a derby, they did nothing.

"At Newcastle, Newcastle had 10 men and created chances, if they had 11 they would have got back in the game I'm convinced.

"That is because Liverpool right now, all season in fact, have been an absolute shambles defensively. This team had a great defensive record last season.

"The midfield doesn't have the energy any more, the attacking players don't press or have the cohesion they had before.

"This Liverpool defence, who we've been told for years have the best players in the world, can't cope. For years, they've had a front six in front of them who worked harder and smarter than any other team in football, but now they're gone they've absolutely fallen apart."

Carragher was unable to mount any kind of defence for Liverpool or Klopp, with the Reds' performance against Madrid embodying a season of underperformance and failure.

He continued: "I keep making excuses, because as Liverpool fans we adore this manager and the team as they've done so much in the last few years, but they are eighth in the Premier League and just been battered 5-2, I know by Real Madrid.

"But these two teams were in the final last year, it's not acceptable to watch this season, we keep giving reasons and excuses, but it's nowhere near good enough.

"What makes me laugh is Virgil van Dijk said I wouldn't get in their back four a few months ago – I think I'd take his place at the moment."

Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold were so optimistic. After the commendable – albeit imperfect – 2-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend, Liverpool seemed confident their luck was changing.

Liverpool had endured several previous instances this season of winning games but then struggling to build momentum.

"This feels a little bit different," Van Dijk said. Alexander-Arnold struck a similarly defiant tone.

But Jurgen Klopp's men were brought crashing back to earth in brutal fashion on Tuesday, losing 5-2 to Real Madrid at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Let's not forget, Madrid were arguably fortuitous 1-0 victors over Liverpool in last season's final. But here, once Carlo Ancelotti's side were on the scoreboard, this was pretty much all Madrid.

It wasn't exactly plain sailing for Madrid, but they're built differently. They're a special case.

Eduardo Camavinga said it best in an interview with the Guardian earlier this week: "People think Madrid are dead, but Madrid are never, never dead."

So when Liverpool rather astonishingly found themselves 2-0 up against the European champions inside 15 minutes, surely even the most ardent Reds fans had a twinge of trepidation deep in their minds.

Madrid have made a habit of seemingly coming back from the dead. Their route to glory last season had them resembling the undead in virtually every tie, with frankly absurd comebacks seeing them past Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Lucky? Perhaps, but sometimes you create your own luck, whether that's with individual quality or benefiting from individual errors.

There was a lot of both going on at Anfield on Tuesday.

Darwin Nunez's opener was a delight. Making the run in behind the Madrid defence, he anticipated Mohamed Salah's precise low pass and met it with an impudent flick of the right heel, the connection perfect as Thibaut Courtois was left helpless.

That was the sublime. Then came the ridiculous.

Courtois controlled a bouncing pass in his own area, but with Salah bearing down, the goalkeeper panicked. An accidental touch off his knee caused him to lose all control of the situation, and the Liverpool attacker duly prodded home.

The ground refused to swallow him up, forcing Courtois to cope with the very public violation of his dignity.

But nothing about the opening 15 minutes suggested Liverpool could count on a clean sheet. There were slips, spills and errors galore, the slick pitch proving rather hazardous for both sets of players.

As such, it wasn't particularly surprising when Madrid did pull one back in the 21st minute with a moment of magic of their own.

After a quick interchange with Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior received the ball just inside the box. Seemingly surrounded, one drop of the shoulder opened up space and he somehow found the bottom-far corner.

While Liverpool chances continued to arrive, that incident felt like something of a turning point, and Alisson soon took some of the glare away from his goalkeeping counterpart.

Trying to play out from the back, his pass slammed straight against Vinicius' leg and ricocheted into the net. Klopp emitted a wry chuckle.

Suddenly it became a contest of who would respond better to such a setback. Madrid already showed their impressive hand – could Liverpool match them?

The answer was ultimately unequivocal.

Liverpool were again their own worst enemies at the start of the second half. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez failed to deal with Vinicius legally, the latter deemed to have fouled him on the left edge of the box.

Liverpool's defence lined up across the edge of the six-yard box. So bad was the defending here that Luka Modric didn't even try to put his delivery behind them, instead in front where Eder Militao – incredibly unmarked – was allowed to simply head home.

By now, the intensity Liverpool had shown during the first half was nowhere to be seen. At times Madrid looked like they'd struggle to give up possession even on purpose. The Reds were drained physically and emotionally – Los Blancos could smell blood.

The young Stefan Bajcetic was the next Liverpool player to commit a major error. Robbed of the ball in midfield, within seconds Madrid had the ball in the net again, the previously quiet Benzema seeing his rather tame left-footed effort deflect in off Joe Gomez.

But the fifth and final goal was all about Madrid's quality. Modric rolled back the years with a surging run before finding Vinicius, who showcased his ever-improving decision-making as he lured in the defender prior to slipping through to Benzema. He deceived three – including Alisson – with one swivel with the hips before effortlessly picking out the top-left corner.

Klopp referred to last season's Champions League final defeat to Madrid as "proper torture" – if that's an apt description, then it'll be intriguing to see how he labels this.

The Reds went from looking sensational to immensely fragile within about five minutes, and against Ancelotti's seasoned winners, that's never going to be a recipe for success.

This was the first time Liverpool have ever conceded five goals at home in Europe – it was simultaneously a harsh reality check and a grim reminder of how far they've fallen in less than a year.

Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema heaped more Champions League pain on Liverpool as Real Madrid produced a storming fightback to secure a stunning 5-2 victory at Anfield.

Darwin Nunez's sublime flick and Mohamed Salah's strike following a Thibaut Courtois howler gave the Reds a two-goal lead only 14 minutes into a dramatic first leg of the round-of-16 tie on Tuesday.

That proved to be a false dawn as the holders stormed back in a rematch of last year's final, Vinicius pulling one back with a classy finish before a bad mistake from Alisson gifted him a second goal in an enthralling first half.

Eder Militao headed Madrid in front early in the second half before Benzema's double gave Carlo Ancelotti's ruthless side a commanding advantage to take back to the Spanish capital for the second leg on March 15.

Nunez produced a moment of magic in the fourth minute to put the hosts in front, meeting Salah's whipped ball with an audacious right-foot flick that flashed past Courtois.

Courtois endured a nightmare 10 minutes later, controlling a back past on his chest before the ball bounced off his knee to present Salah with a simple chance to double Liverpool's lead.

Madrid looked like they did not know what had hit them, but Vinicius halved the deficit in the 21st minute by showing excellent close control in the box before bending a sumptuous right-foot finish into the bottom corner.

The winger was celebrating in front of The Kop again nine minutes before the break after Alisson's terrible attempted pass struck his Brazil team-mate and looped into the net.

Madrid lost David Alaba to injury during a pulsating first half which they would have ended with a lead had Andy Robertson not shown great awareness to deny Rodrygo a tap-in.

Los Blancos were in front two minutes into the second half, though, when an unmarked Militao capitalised on terrible defending to head in the influential Luka Modric's free-kick.

An evening that had started well then took another turn for the worse for Liverpool, with Benzema's shot striking Joe Gomez and giving a wrong-footed Alisson no chance.

Liverpool were opened up again after 67 minutes, Modric and Vinicius combining before Benzema sat Alisson down and demonstrated great composure to finish with his left foot.

Napoli took a significant step towards their first Champions League quarter-final after a 2-0 victory over 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday.

Victor Osimhen's 40th-minute opener at Deutsche Bank Park set Napoli on their way in the first leg of their last-16 clash after Kevin Trapp saved a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia penalty.

Randal Kolo Muani's red card after 58 minutes only served to further Napoli's cause before Giovanni Di Lorenzo netted to secure a comfortable lead in the tie.

Eintracht will have the chance to fight back in Naples on March 15, though it appears little can stop Luciano Spalletti's Serie A leaders at present.

Kolo Muani blasted an early warning shot wide after a smart flick past Amir Rrahmani, but Napoli soon began to dominate.

Their pressure told as Aurelio Buta needlessly felled Osimhen inside the area after Hirving Lozano struck the right post, only for Trapp to dive to his right to save Kvaratskhelia's poor penalty.

Napoli did reap their rewards four minutes later, though, as Osimhen turned in Lozano's right-wing cross, with the same combination then denied a swift second by an offside flag.

Trapp parried away a swerving Lozano attempt after the interval before Kvaratskhelia wasted a glorious chance with a chip straight at the onrushing Eintracht goalkeeper, but matters went from bad to worse for Eintracht soon enough.

Kolo Muani was shown a straight red for a lunge on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Napoli capitalised as a smart Kvaratskhelia backheel found Di Lorenzo, who curled low into the bottom-left corner to secure a two-goal cushion.

What does it mean? Business as usual for in-form Napoli

Eintracht had lost only two of 19 matches in Europe under Oliver Glasner – and just one in nine on home soil – but Napoli present an entirely different challenge this season.

Although Spalletti's in-form side, who have won 20 of 23 Serie A games this term, were slow to get going, Eintracht had no answer once they found their feet.

Napoli have never progressed past this round in the Champions League, but it will take something special to stop the rampant Partenopei this time.

Unstoppable Osimhen

Osimhen's remarkable form has led to speculation around a move to Manchester United or Chelsea, but his focus for now is on Napoli's dual bid for Serie A and Champions League glory.

The Nigeria international certainly did not appear distracted as he scored in a sixth successive match – his best streak for Napoli. 

Error compounds Eintracht misery

Kolo Muani embodied Eintracht's early promise, with his nimble footwork and pace causing repeated problems down the right flank.

But hopes of a positive outcome in this first leg – and perhaps in the tie, too – were erased after a reckless tackle was rightly punished.

What's next?

Napoli return to action in Serie A with a Saturday trip to Empoli, while Eintracht travel to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on the same day.

The Phoenix Mercury told Brittney Griner she was "missed every day that she was gone" as her return to the team was officially confirmed on Tuesday.

Reports over the weekend revealed Griner was signing a one-year contract to rejoin the Mercury for the 2023 season, and that deal was announced in a team statement.

Griner spent the first nine seasons of her career in Phoenix but missed the entirety of the 2022 campaign after she was detained in Russia for 10 months.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport in February 2022 for bringing under a gram of cannabis oil into the country in vape cartridges.

Griner said she made an "honest mistake", with her lawyers arguing she was using the cannabis for medicinal purposes and was unaware of its illegal status in Russia.

She was subsequently jailed for nine years for drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent but was released in December in a prisoner exchange that saw convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout return to Russia.

Back in the United States, Griner quickly outlined her desire to return to the Mercury, and the team were delighted to do that deal.

"It's a great day for all of us to announce that Brittney Griner has officially signed to play for the Mercury in 2023," general manager Jim Pitman said.

"We missed BG every day that she was gone, and while basketball was not our primary concern, her presence on the floor, in our locker room, around our organisation and within our community was greatly missed.

"We will continue to use the resources of our organisation to support her, on and off the floor, and we are thrilled for her that she gets to return to basketball, which she loves so dearly.

"This is a special signing, and today is a special day for all of us."

Griner is a two-time WNBA scoring champion, averaging 17.7 points per game for her career.

Ferran Torres acknowledged falling into a "bottomless pit" amid struggles at Barcelona but remains committed to the long-term Blaugrana project under Xavi.

The Spain international struggled in his debut Camp Nou term after signing from Manchester City for an initial €55million (£46.3m) in December 2021.

Torres' profligate showings last season saw him finish with just four goals from 18 LaLiga games, despite accumulating an expected goals tally of 7.03.

That led to some criticism over the forward's return to Spain, having left Valencia for City in 2020, but he has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in recent weeks after impressing in Sunday's win over Cadiz.

While he continues to battle for a place in Xavi's side, Torres – who has scored just two goals in 19 league outings this term – detailed the initial struggles to settle at Barca.

He told reporters: "I felt that I had fallen into a bottomless pit. I had never collapsed so much. I promised Xavi that I would be me again.

"I put myself in the hands of a psychologist. I usually go once or twice a week. My family also helped me, I have a very healthy environment.

"I have learnt not to be so obsessed with goals. I have learned to be happy, to face things. I have had a bad time, but it has been a great opportunity to get to know myself."

Torres hailed the role of Blaugrana veteran and Spain team-mate Sergio Busquets, as well as Barca president Joan Laporta, as he fought to adapt and improve on his underwhelming form.

"The president is very close with everyone. All of my team-mates have helped me," he added. "Busquets told me that I should be calm. That the reward would end up coming."

The 22-year-old plans to stay and fight to prove his worth at LaLiga leaders Barca, with Xavi's impressive managerial skills at the forefront of his reasoning.

"I want to succeed at Barcelona, ​​I see myself here for many years," he continued. "I'm not to blame for the price they wanted to pay for me.

"I wanted to come because this is Barca and you can't say no.

"Xavi called me several times. He carries Barca in his veins and has won everything."

Torres will look to repay Xavi's faith as Barca head to Old Trafford on Thursday for the second leg of their Europa League play-off clash with Manchester United, with the tie finely poised at 2-2.

"We will have to run like there is no tomorrow. It will be a game of patience and knowing how to suffer," he said.

"The Premier League is a very physical league, but we have a lot of talent and that's also important. We're going with everything and above all with young people ready to take on the world."

Iga Swiatek continued her ruthless form as she progressed with ease to the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships third round on Tuesday.

The world number one cruised to a 6-1 6-1 triumph over 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, just three days after winning the Qatar Ladies Open in Doha.

That marked Swiatek's 41st main-draw victory in WTA 1000 events in just her 53rd outing, only Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova (52 each) have won more than 40 such matches in fewer attempts.

The 21-year-old has won her last 35 hard-court matches against opponents ranked outside the world's top 30, though Swiatek said she had to adapt against Canada's Fernandez.

"It wasn't that easy for sure. It was much tougher than the score said," said Swiatek, who will look to make the fourth round for the first time in Dubai when she faces Liudmila Samsonova.

"In the second set ... I needed to go a level up. I didn't have much time to get used to the conditions, but I'm just happy I could play solid tennis."

Jessica Pegula, the third favourite at the tournament, defeated Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 5-7 6-1 to set up a third-round battle with Ana Bogdan, who overcame Shelby Rogers 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

Fifth seed Coco Gauff coasted past Aliaksandra Sasnovich with a 6-0 6-4 victory, teeing up a meeting with Elena Rybakina, who slammed six aces in a 7-5 6-2 defeat of Marie Bouzkova.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Rybakina at this year's Australian Open final, made light work of lucky loser Lauren Davis in a straight-sets rout as she claimed her 12th straight win in 2023.

Dubai's defending champion Jelena Ostapenko will be the next challenge for Sabalenka after defeating 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova for her seventh straight win at the event.

Barbora Krejcikova saved four match points en route to a 6-4 4-6 7-5 win over seventh seed Daria Kasatkina and will meet Karolina Pliskova next after she downed sixth favourite Maria Sakkari in straight sets.

Belinda Bencic and Marta Kostyuk played out the match of the day as the former claimed a 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph, with that clash taking three hours and 27 minutes – the second-longest on the WTA Tour this year.