Sports
Italian Open: Novak Djokovic beaten by qualifier Dino Prizmic on return to action
Novak Djokovic was beaten by gutsy qualifier Dino Prizmic on his return to action in the Italian Open second round.
World number four Djokovic was playing his first match since 12 March – and more crucially his first of the year on clay – after missing several tournaments with a shoulder injury.
A six-time champion in Rome, Djokovic started strongly but was laboured and looked to be struggling with illness in the second set.
However, that is to take nothing away from Croatia’s Prizmic, who played bravely to overpower the Serb 2-6 6-2 6-4.
The 20-year-old, one of many players who counts Djokovic as his idol, wrote “Nole it was a pleasure” on the camera lens after the match.
Djokovic, who received a first-round bye in Italy, said afterwards he will not play before the French Open begins on 24 May, where he will once again be chasing a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
“I’m not definitely where I want to be to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far,” the 38-year-old said.
“I don’t recall last time I had a preparation where I didn’t have any kind of physical issues or health issues coming into the tournament.
“There’s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with.”
Djokovic, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year, reached the final of the Australian Open in January, losing in four sets to Carlos Alcaraz.
He will turn 39 two days before the French Open gets under way.
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Sports
Giants to acquire QB J.J. McCarthy from Vikings for 2027 fifth-round pick
The Giants have been looking to bolster their quarterback room since losing starter Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury.
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Sports
Sixers' LeBron James, 'living in the moment,' squashes retirement talk
Speaking to the media for the first time as a 76er, James said to discuss the future ‘wouldn’t be giving myself grace.’
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Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan loses to Jiang Jun in Shenzhen Open second round
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, world number one Zhao Xintong and defending champion Mark Williams were knocked out on the opening day of the Shenzhen Open.
China’s Jiang Jun, who is 64th in the world rankings, took the opening two frames before England’s O’Sullivan levelled with breaks of 92 and 52.
Jiang reeled off the next three frames, sealing a famous 5-2 second-round win with a superb break of 108 to set up a meeting with Englishman Zak Surety.
Scott Donaldson stunned 2025 world champion Zhao by winning a final-frame decider.
Scotland’s Donaldson, who is 65 places below Zhao in the rankings, compiled breaks of 77, 105, 50 and 62 as he came from 3-2 down.
Donaldson will take on China’s Pang Junxu in round three.
Welshman Williams lost 5-4 to China’s Fan Zhengyi after fouling on the final pink.
England’s Judd Trump cruised to a 5-0 win over China’s Huang Jiahao and goes into the last 16 after Anthony McGill, his scheduled third-round opponent, withdrew on medical grounds.
In Monday’s other second-round encounters, Australia’s Neil Robertson beat China’s Liu Hongyu 5-2, England’s Chris Wakelin claimed a 5-3 win over Welshman Liam Davies and China’s Si Jiahui swept to a 5-1 success against England’s Oliver Lines.
Belgium’s Ben Mertens also progressed as Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen withdrew for personal reasons.
Wales’ Jamie Clarke, England’s Andrew Higginson, Hong Kong’s Marco Fu and England’s Sam Craigie progressed in the first-round matches that took place on Monday.
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