With the defeat of Alejandro Davidovich against Jiri Lehecka, the victory of the Czech Republic was consummated in the first series of the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals taking place in Valencia. The setback could be extremely serious for the team led by David Ferrer.. Almost any option to be in Malaga next November, in the fight for the title, involves beating Serbia this Friday led by Novak Djokovic. The Czech number 1 beat his Spanish namesake 7-6 (5) and 7-5 in one hour and 53 minutes, after Tomas Machac had beaten Bernabé Zapata by a double 6-4, in one hour and 32 minutes.

Just because it falls within the calculations, given the succession of casualties, does not make failure any less discouraging.. With South Korea as the Cinderella of the group and without significant alternatives in the team that Ferrer can present against Serbia, Spain's destiny seems to have been written, seen and unseen on its first day of competition.

At the beginning of the year, when Ferrer took over from Sergi Bruguera as captain of the Spanish team, he surely did not expect to find himself in a situation like the one he must face this week. Second seed in the ranking, Spain is, without Rafael Nadal or Carlos Alcaraz, nor Pablo Carreño, injured, nor Roberto Bautista, who is on the team but has not competed for almost two months due to an accident in which he broke the fibula while riding a horse, a vulnerable piece of equipment.

premiere day

On a day for debuts, that of Ferrer, a member of the triumphant Spain in his time as a player, now in the task of coach; Zapata's, 75º, with the stimulus or condition of playing in his city of birth; and that of Davidovich, who served as number 1 with the baggage of a single match, in doubles, with a defeat last year against Romania, Spain was caught by a wire.

Davidovich's debut in the Davis Cup was by no means a simple one.. He did it as number 1, after Zapata had lost the first point, against a player who had defeated him a few weeks ago on the Queen's grass in their only previous confrontation and knowing that in this match Spain was not only at stake for survival. in the qualifying round but, to a large extent, the chances of qualifying for the final phase.

The Malaga native, 25th, recent semi-finalist in the Canadian Masters 1000, bravely emerged from a delicate trance: 5-6 down and 0-30 in the first set. The tiebreaker was different, where he sent four backhands to the net and let Lehecka take advantage. Even though he is a tennis player yet to be made, the Czech, 30th, finalist in Winston Salem and quarterfinalist at the Australian Open, has an imposing build and a game that is not even suitable for this type of surface.

The same history

The second part followed a similar course. Davidovich was condemned in a horrible game, one of which, unfortunately, is not usually missing in any of his matches, and lost serve in the eleventh, to leave the field open for his opponent, who made the most of his first match point.

All enthusiasm, Zapata, who has only won one of the seven matches played indoors, paid with the set for the loss of his serve in the opening game. The La Fonteta pavilion warmed up as the afternoon progressed, after a dull start, with very few people in the stands and an atmosphere inappropriate for a Davis Cup tie with the hosts in contention.

Zapata, 26 years old, is a tennis player with slow progress, who this season can boast of the semifinals of the ATP 500 in Rio and the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires. Defending your country in a sport of individual essence usually weighs. And it weighed on a player who until a few days ago, when Alcaraz was still an option, had not even considered undertaking such a responsibility.

Without doing much, more confident and relaxed, successful with the open serve and without making so many mistakes, Machac, 119th, broke again in the seventh game of the second set. A break in each set was enough for him to win, leaving Spain on the ropes, from which Davidovich could not get it out. Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek saved two match points and beat Davidovich and Marcel Granollers 5-7, 7-6 (6) and 6-4.

Not even Angliru is capable of bringing order to the strange tyranny of Jumbo Visma, that game never seen before, that dominance so overwhelming that it destroys any type of competitiveness.. At the terrible summit called to decide the Vuelta everything remained the same, the first three in yellow and black, an almost random order that not even forces taken to the extreme can break. Primoz Roglic, who is still the third in contention, put his name in the mythical arrival. At his wheel, among the fog, Jonas Vingegaard, and a little further away, but not that far (19 seconds), a Sepp Kuss who remains in red. At his wheel, the first of the mortals, Mikel Landa. [Narration and ratings]

There were no attacks or sprints. The Angliru was tainted by a control that nullifies everything. Jumbo is not going to leave even crumbs in this unusual Vuelta. They don't even shoot at each other, as if their egos didn't matter.. It's all smiles at the finish line, a supposedly good atmosphere. Although, with four stages left for Madrid – two of them very tough – it is not known if there is freedom or order. It was Roglic, who observes how a Vuelta that in theory was written for him escapes him, who took the relief of a mythical triumph, his name next to that of Chava Jiménez, Heras or Contador, on the ninth climb to the Angliru. The one who with his pace in the last four kilometers, crossing the Dantesque landscapes of the Asturian colossus, the Cuña les Cabres and his percentages above 23%, left the leader off the hook.

And yet, Kuss remains at the head of the classification for eight seconds. And Vingegaard, waiting all day this time, perhaps did not dare to attack Roglic. And yet, he is closer to winning this Vuelta without trying too hard.. “They will know,” Landa responded in surprise when he caught Kuss and he refused to give him a relief.

It had been the brave Bahrain who assumed all the responsibility, who did the dirty work for the Jumbo. But not even Wout Poels' excellent effort on those ramps, which he did so well, served much purpose.. Cancel Enric Mas and Juan Ayuso very soon, the podium is already a pipe dream, and leave everything in the hands of the Jumbo trio.

Much earlier it had been Remco Evenepoel who set out for the feat through the Colladiella and the Cordal. The day before in Bejes he entered the finish line second from last, as if he wanted to show the Jumbos that under no circumstances would he dare to rejoin the fight for the general classification. For the Belgian, after the strange fainting on the way to Tourmalet, all that remains is the epic. Which is not little. Putting your name in the Angliru are huge words.

Luis Rubiales spoke for an hour about the 21 days that convulsed Spanish football. He did so with Piers Morgan, famous in the United Kingdom for his attacks against the feminist movement, in an interview, broadcast yesterday, where he reiterated his “humility to ask for forgiveness sincerely” and his commitment to dedicate himself to his defense “of the “cleanest possible”. When at one point in the talk, the British journalist asked him directly if Jenni Hermoso had lied, Rubiales opted for evasion.. “I'm not going to answer”.

Morgan started with the hottest topic, the kiss with Hermoso. «It is evident that I was wrong and I said it from the beginning. Jenni took me in the air and when we got off we were very excited. There was no intention or sexual connotation, only appreciation. “It was a simple mutual act of happiness and fusion,” explained Rubiales, who took his first steps with the Englishman in the summer of 2009, during his brief stage at Hamilton Academy, in the Scottish Premiership.. Then, he launched his first salvo: “Many people have dedicated themselves to distorting and the truth has not reached everyone.”. “I don't respect those who misrepresent.”

Next, the former president of the RFEF lowered several tones by admitting that he was “really embarrassed” by his celebration in the box, with his hands on his testicles, a few meters from Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofía: “There are no excuses”. He even dared to explain to the Anglo-Saxon audience that this Olé your…. “It was directed” to former coach Jorge Vilda. “God forbid I comment on things about the Monarchy, but the entire Royal Family knows me,” he said before confirming that he had not yet had the opportunity to apologize to the Queen.

“She was praying for me”

True to his style, Morgan boldly went for the heartstrings. The one that vibrates in Rubiales when they lie to their daughters and their mother. “Yesterday I was with her in Motril and I brought her the ice cream that she likes,” he confessed about someone who had been on hunger strike for several days.. When he insisted on the possibility of a fatal outcome, the former Levante footballer revealed the health problems typical of a 72-year-old woman, such as hypertension. “I was very scared, but she was praying for me,” he concluded.

In another calculatedly emotional moment, the former editor of the Daily Mirror and News of The World tabloids asked if he had thought about going to jail. And Rubiales' response seemed up to the mark: “I remain confident that the whole truth will come to light.”. A criminal? Look at me. I'm a good person”. What he did not seem willing to forgive was the disloyalty of someone on the technical staff.. «He wrote to me gratefully and a couple of days later he signed the manifesto calling me a sexist.. “I will take these WhatsApp messages to court,” he said.

In the United Kingdom, the interview was broadcast by the TalkTV network, owned by tycoon Rupert Murdoch, whose poor audience records have multiplied rumors about its closure in recent weeks.. So one of Morgan's goals was to make sure the show didn't decline.. To do this, he turned again to Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales “categorically” denied having pressured the Pachuca midfielder in that video broadcast during the return flight in Doha. Of course, when Morgan offered the possibility of a future apology in person with Hermoso, the former president of the RFEF was not at all conclusive.. «I have to defend my dignity with arguments. From the beginning I have maintained the same version and now I can only maintain it.

“A president cannot behave like that”

Morgan, who last November had achieved another exclusive interview in which Cristiano Ronaldo would settle accounts with the leaders of Manchester United, adjusted to his controversial profile during the conversation. In fact, he almost reprimanded the protagonist for so much apology.. However, Rubiales reiterated that his “behavior as president was not appropriate, although it was effusive and the result of emotion.”. “A president cannot behave like that in the box and can give a hug, although in a more diplomatic way,” he said.

Finally, the former presenter of Good Morning Britain, on the ITV network, from whom he was fired for his merciless attacks against Meghan Markle, got those two minutes, already leaked on Monday, where Rubiales confirmed his resignation. Rubiales spoke about the “media tsunami”, his love for Spain and the race for the 2030 World Cup. «I have had to endure a lot during these three weeks. “This decision can affect many people and it's not just about me.”. He also referred to his future projects. «I am young and I just want to be healthy and be with my family…

Romanian Simona Halep, former world number 1 in tennis and two-time Grand Slam champion, was suspended for four years for two anti-doping rule violations, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Tuesday.

Halep, 31, was already provisionally suspended since October 2022. His four-year suspension ends on October 6, 2026, the ITIA states.

The first violation is a positive for Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open. This substance, usually used to fight anemia, stimulates the production of red blood cells and is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The second charge is related to irregularities in his biological passport, explained the independent body in charge of combating doping in tennis.

The Romanian player, winner of Roland Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, announced shortly after that she will present “an appeal to this decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport”, based in Lausanne (Switzerland).

“I continue to train and will do everything in my power to clear my name of these false accusations and return to the slopes,” he wrote.

Since the beginning of the case, Halep has insisted that experts have shown that this substance was in her body due to accidental contamination after consuming a food supplement and claims her innocence, demanding to be able to testify and defend herself before anti-doping authorities.

“My fight continues”

“Today (Tuesday), a tennis anti-doping program tribunal announced a provisional decision in my case. “Last year was the hardest match of my life and unfortunately my struggle continues,” Halep insisted in her writing.

“I have dedicated my life to this beautiful game of tennis. I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and can proudly say that I have never intentionally used any banned substance.. I reject having to accept this four-year sanction. “I will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports,” he argued.

The ITIA stressed this Tuesday that although the court accepted that Halep could have taken a contaminated supplement, “it was determined that the volume that the player ingested does not correspond to the concentration of Roxadustat found in the positive sample.”

“Complex and rigorous process”

The ITIA chief executive, Karen Moorhouse, was satisfied with the “court's decision” after “a complex and rigorous hearing process” and defended that her organization “has followed the appropriate processes as it would with any other person and in accordance with the world anti-doping code”.

In recent months, Halep was very critical of the different sporting bodies. “They kill not only my reputation, but also my career,” he said in May, adding that he was living “the worst nightmare” and denouncing “harassment” by the ITIA: “They want to prove that I am guilty of anything that I have not done.”

Halep has not played since her first-round exit at the 2022 US Open a year ago.

The Romanian is the first prominent player to be suspended for doping since Maria Sharapova in 2016, when she tested positive for meldonium and was suspended for 15 months.

The former Portuguese international, however, is not the only new name in a sports organization chart in which another former Barcelona player has also entered: Bojan Krkic. In this case, as coordinator of the football area. The former striker's mission will be to act as a link between the Portuguese, Xavi himself and the youth football director, José Ramón Alexanco, as well as keeping an eye on both those on loan and the young talents that come to the first team from La Masia. Something that, in fact, he experienced firsthand and that has its most recent example in the very young Lamine Yamal.

«Lamine Yamal is a player who has surprised us. It has its feet quite on the ground, or at least that's what it seems to us, and a different quality. We have quite a few young protagonists in the first team and it is obvious that we must take care of them. In his case, furthermore, he is a 16-year-old boy, so we also have to let him have fun, play football and guarantee his peace of mind.. And how well headed. “Shortly, surely, you will know something more,” he slipped.

As for the technician, he also stressed that the extension is due to the merits acquired. «We are happy not only for the figure, we must not forget that he has been one of the best players in the history of the club, but also for his work. “He earned his renewal not because of who he is, but because of what he is doing,” said a Deco who, of course, hopes that the team will soon be able to regain success in Europe, but without talking about obligations.. «There is no obligation to win the Champions League for me, there is the obligation to compete, although it is obvious that we want to win it again. The contract does not say that you have to win, but rather that you have to work to achieve it,” he explained.. From his point of view, the latest major setbacks in Europe have a lot to do with the inheritance received.

«Barça had a generation that marked a lot. Transitions are always difficult, and if they are not done well, everything takes longer. From the outside, I actually think that the transition was not done well. What we have to do is bring in players before they get too old,” he reflected.. At the level of incorporations, on the other hand, he admitted that neither Cancelo nor Joao Félix have a purchase option and that the latter's income could actually be lower than what was calculated by LaLiga, although without giving details.. «Everyone, Gündogan too, wanted to come and everyone has made an effort. What LaLiga charges may be different from what the players earn, it may happen, for more or less, and it already happened with Dani Alves. I won't talk about contracts, but it is true that everyone did their part to be here,” he stressed.

Barça's ability to seduce was important not only for the first team.. «We know that there are clubs that pay absurd transfers, we make precise incorporations of players that we did not have. It is true that we have closed sales of young players, but always with purchase options. At the level of incorporations, Noah Darvich, the captain of Germany U17, for example, everyone wanted him, but he has all the Barça shirts and that is something that we must know how to use, be intelligent. He is a player profile that we did not have in the quarry. Mika Faye, on the other hand, is also another profile that we were looking for. Incorporations are not made for the sake of it: we are clear about what we have to do,” he stated.

Now, he is on a very different side of the table than last year, when he participated as an agent in a signing, that of Raphinha, which meant a not inconsiderable commission that, now, should not give rise to suspicion, as he stated bluntly.. «There are compliance conditions within the club that would not allow it to have two different contracts. “Everything is fixed, there is no problem,” he assured. Women's football, relocated with the rest of the club's sections for some time now, as he explained, is not part of his responsibilities, although he does want to keep an eye on it and will always be willing to help when necessary. «Women's football does not depend on me, but I am paying attention. The other day I saw a women's match live for the first time with my son. Futsal, for example, does not depend on me either, but in both cases, if I can contribute something, I will be happy to do so,” he added.