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Canada’s Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov advance to Wimbledon quarterfinals – Sportsnet.ca

Published

3 years ago

July 6, 2021

LONDON — Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov both advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time on a memorable day in Canadian men’s tennis.

The two young tennis stars, and longtime friends, posted impressive fourth-round wins on Manic Monday at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Auger-Aliassime moved on with a 6-4, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4 upset over fourth-ranked German Alexander Zverev. The Canadian had 17 aces in the match.

Earlier, Shapovalov posted a 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.

Two Canadians in the quarter-finals of #Wimbledon for the first time in history.@felixtennis @denis_shapo #TennisNation pic.twitter.com/fiNs4bYZrr

— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) July 5, 2021

Auger-Aliassime withstood a comeback attempt from Zverev and earned what he called “surely the best victory of my life.”

“This match really had everything,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I had to really dig deep physically and mentally, and of course it makes it even sweeter.”

The 20-year-old from Montreal will face Matteo Berrettini next.

The match finished under a closed roof on No. 1 Court after a brief rain delay early in the fifth set.

The back-and-forth match saw Auger-Aliassime come back from being down a break in both the first and second set to take a 2-0 lead.

Zverev found his game and handily took the next two sets, and the German seemed to have all the momentum going into the fifth.

Auger-Aliassime, however, broke Zverev in the opening game of the deciding set and held on for the victory, dropping to his knees in celebration after match point.

“My celebration was very honest and genuine,” Auger-Aliassime said. “it’s a big milestone for me in my young career.

“You want to play well at the Grand Slams, especially here, being my favourite tournament.”

Auger-Aliassime, seeded 16th at Wimbledon, reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Zverev struggled with his serve throughout and finished with 20 double-faults.

Shapovalov, ranked 10th at the grass-court Grand Slam, fired 15 aces in the win over No. 8 Bautista Agut and broke the Spaniard seven times on 13 chances.

“(I) played some really high-level tennis today,” Shapovalov said. “It’s really, really tough to pick on many things.

“Obviously I got a little bit nervous in the third set. I think it’s completely normal. I dealt with that really, really well. Other than that, I played really flawless.”

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., will next face 25th-seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, who will also be playing in Wimbledon’s final eight for the first time.

The two have met once before, with Shapovalov defeating Khachanov 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on hardcourt at the 2019 Davis Cup semifinals.

“Obviously I’m expecting a long and tough battle,” Shapovalov said. “He’s a great player, Karen. He’s definitely proven himself time and time again that he’s able to beat top guys and play really well.”

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Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

2 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Arch Manning to get first start for No. 1 Texas as Ewers continues recovery from abdomen strain

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe while regular starter Quinn Ewers continues to recover from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.

It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a 56-7 Texas victory.

Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.

Ewers missed several games over the previous two seasons with shoulder and sternum injuries.

The Longhorns are No. 1 for the first time since 2008 and Saturday’s matchup with the Warhawks is Texas’ last game before the program starts its first SEC schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.

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