Alcaraz and Sinner, another electrifying final in Cincinnati

AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a10

Cincinnati. Italian tennis world number one Jannik Sinner defeated Frenchman Térence Atmane yesterday to advance to the final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz, world number two, in another thrilling duel.

Sinner celebrated his 24th birthday with a hard-fought victory over Atmane (136) in the first semifinal by 7-6 (7/4) and 6-2.

Under a powerful sun, Sinner needed all his energy to face the challenge posed by Atmane, the revelation of a tournament in which he competed in the qualifying phase and eliminated two members of the top 10, Taylor Fritz (4) and Holger Rune (9).

“It's a very tough challenge every time you play someone completely new. And playing with these guys in the later rounds is even tougher; the pressure is higher,” acknowledged Sinner, who reached his 26th consecutive victory in matches played on hard courts, giving him 200 in his career.

Winner of two Grand Slam crowns this year, the Australian Open and Wimbledon, Sinner now has the opportunity to open his Masters 1000 showcase in a season in which he was suspended for three months for his double positive doping tests in 2024.

The Italian did his part in the dangerous duel against Atmane, but suffered at times as he showed signs of frustration, glancing at his bench, when the Frenchman took a 6-5 lead and forced him to win the set in a tiebreak.

However, Sinner managed to handle the pressure and remained calm until the end, forcing errors from his inexperienced opponent. In the second set, Atmane gradually lost his level and energy, eventually surrendering his serve for the first time, allowing Sinner to take a definitive 4-1 lead.

On the other hand, Alcaraz easily defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3, in a duel completely dominated by the Spaniard.

The German tennis player left to applause, while the Murcian will face the Italian again tomorrow in a final round and will have the opportunity to win his first Cincinnati title.

This year, the only player who has managed to stop Sinner on the big stage is Alcaraz, who defeated him in the finals of the Rome Masters 1000 and Roland Garros, while the world number one prevailed in their most recent meeting, in July at Wimbledon.

▲ Carlos Rodríguez scored a stunning scissor kick to pave the way for La Máquina's 3-2 victory over Santos. Photo @CruzAzul

Alberto Aceves

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a11

Cruz Azul struggles to keep a clean sheet. They're not the team that used to play with their goalkeeper all the way to midfield, the one that held records for most clean sheets, or the one that competed even with a man down. The revamped version of La Máquina doesn't adhere to any old script; they compete with the same strength and aggression, but in decisive moments, they raise doubts with their defensive errors. The hard-fought 3-2 win over Santos, which saw Ramiro Sordo sent off in the 40th minute, corroborated this theory.

Rarely has a host team that dominates its rival so much, pressures it, and makes it look so inferior, said goodbye to its stadium to the murmur of its fans. While La Máquina attacked Carlos Acevedo's penalty area 10 times, the La Laguna team did so less than half that number. The difference was that Santos, last place last season, converted most of their attacks into goals. Bruno Barticciotto anticipated Erik Lira and Kevin Mier (32) in the 1-1 draw, while Cristian Dájome, behind Willer Ditta (47), tied the score for the second time.

Although the final story was different, the Warriors' game always revolved around an insecure, distrustful team, almost always linked to the conflict. The more than 15,000 fans who attended the Estadio Olímpico Universitario went from praising the hiring of coach Nicolás Larcamón to criticizing tactical matters, the poor play, and the lack of skill in some players, including the Polish Mateus Bogusz and the Colombian Ditta. Nothing seemed to satisfy La Máquina's level, except for the goals from Carlos Rodríguez (16), captain Ignacio Rivero (34), and Gabriel Toro Fernández (82), with which they achieved their third consecutive victory and second place in the standings.

Building on the foundations of the teams he managed before—aggressive, with personality, but accustomed to achieving miraculous results—Larcamón is leading the way for this Cruz Azul team. The start of his career has shown not only what he has, but also what's needed, such as making his goal as difficult to beat as before. Only in the first matchday draw against Mazatlán (0-0) did Colombian Kevin Mier, named one of the best goalkeepers of the previous tournament, return home without clearing a single ball.

Another red and white disappointment

In Guadalajara, Chivas made scolding and insults a new habit. Their fans turned out in droves at the Akron stadium, as if the match would determine their qualification to the playoffs, but the outcome was the same. From a festive atmosphere where the red and white flags waved, the Rebaño ended up with another disappointment, losing 2-1 to Bravos de Juárez. There were whistles and serious criticism of Argentine coach Gabriel Milito, who has only won once at the helm of the team after three defeats, including yesterday's.

Bravos' counterattacks shattered the Rojiblancos' usual order, confidence, and game plan. Óscar Estupiñán, from a penalty, opened the scoring before halftime (41) and upon his return Jairo Torres was in charge of sealing the upset (56). Only the young Santiago Sandoval, recently introduced into attack (84), responded to the tasks that neither Roberto Alvarado nor Armando González could resolve. With only three points out of a possible 12, Chivas is now in second-to-last place in the League.

In other results, América remains unbeaten, beating Tigres 3-1 away with a double from Erick Sánchez at the Volcán stadium . Meanwhile, Pachuca's Tuzos pulled off a surprise defeat against a 10-man Tijuana side that handed them their first defeat of the tournament, 2-0 at the Hidalgo Stadium.

▲ Barcelona's youth star, Lamine Yamal, started the tournament with a good rhythm and contributed a goal in the Catalans' 3-0 rout of the Mallorcan team. Photo @FCBarcelona

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, August 17, 2025, p. a11

Madrid. Barcelona began their defense of their Spanish league title with a comfortable 3-0 victory in Mallorca, after scoring early and taking advantage of two red cards for the home side in the first half.

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who spearheaded Barcelona's prolific attack last season, needed just seven minutes to impress again. Yamal found Raphinha with a curling cross near the far post, and the Brazilian striker headed in from just wide.

Ferran Torres' shot from outside the area in the 23rd minute led to a goal that prompted complaints from Mallorca because one of their players was on the ground after being hit in the head by the ball in the previous play.

Some Mallorca players stopped playing after their teammate Antonio Raíllo went down, but referee José Luis Munuera Montero allowed the match to continue. Mallorca complained immediately after Ferran scored.

“The ball hits my head, and 10 seconds have passed. I'm a little dizzy because my first two steps are to get up, and I can't, so I think there's more than enough time to stop it,” Raillo said. “Let him explain. Other plays are stopped in a second, and this one takes 10.”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said he understood why Mallorca was upset with the way the goal came about.

"I can understand Mallorca's displeasure. If the referee doesn't stop the game, I tell the players they have to keep playing."

According to Raíllo, Torres said he only shot because he thought the game was being stopped. Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate pointed out that it should be standard practice to immediately stop play if someone is hit in the head, as Raíllo was.

“The fourth official told Munuera Montero in front of me to stop, that it was a blow to the head. I thought he had blown the whistle, but then I realized he hadn't,” the coach explained. “I was a little freaked out. In the talks, they say you have to be careful with blows to the head. It shocked me a lot. When the ball hits your head, you sometimes feel dizzy. I couldn't believe it when I saw him going towards midfield.”

In German football, Colombian Luis Díaz scored and won a title on his debut for Bayern Munich after a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart in the German Super Cup.

Harry Kane also scored for the Bundesliga champions, who began the campaign by winning the lower-tier trophy. The Briton opened the scoring in the 18th minute when the ball fell kindly to him and he fired inside the left post.

“Starting with a trophy is the most important thing,” Kane said after winning just his second career title. The Bundesliga trophy in May was his first.

In English football, Mexican Raúl Jiménez played 65 minutes in his team's 1-1 draw with Brighton, while his compatriot Édson Álvarez was left on the bench for his club, West Ham,'s 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.