Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

DENVER -- NIKOLA JOKIC is sitting on a leather couch in the Denver Nuggets' player lounge, an ice pack attached to his right side.

There's a 5-inch scar that runs across the top of his left arm near his shoulder and several other claw marks that come in all different sizes and shades of red. There are some fresh ones from the previous night, when the Nuggets won Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

"All year round," he says. "I have a long one here, a really big one from last year.

"I lead the league in scratches. I'm always bleeding -- I'm used to it. I am going to wear sleeves next year -- 100 percent."

They are remnants of a breakout season for Jokic, who landed in Denver four years ago as a largely unknown, Coca-Cola-guzzling second-round draft pick out of Sombor, Serbia. The 7-footer weighed about 292 pounds when he arrived and looked "soft" to one of the Nuggets' conditioning coaches. Jokic was asked to test his core strength with a plank exercise, which requires the subject to hold a push-up position with forearms flat on the floor for as long as possible.

He lasted 20 seconds, tops.

"I died! I died," Jokic recalls, growing animated. "I was shaking. I said 'I can't.' I said, 'fuuuuuuuu ...'"

Those days are over. Jokic, 24, earned his first All-Star nod this season, flirted with MVP hype and has been dominant in his first playoff action, averaging nearly a triple-double.

But beneath the stats and the headlines and the scars is a playful 7-foot kid. It's what makes "Joker" beloved by his teammates, coaches and seemingly every Pepsi Center employee.

Not long after Jokic shows off his battle scars, he sits up on the leather couch and starts reenacting a scene from his new favorite show.

"Did you see the pump-fake that Arya did?" Jokic asks before providing a basketball analysis of the recent "Game of Thrones" episode. He reenacts the defining scene from the show's "Battle of Winterfell," which ended with (spoiler alert) Arya killing the Night King by dropping her dagger from her left hand into her right and stabbing the show's most fearsome character.

"But!" Jokic exclaims, pretending to hold his own dagger high in the air and dropping it while making a sound effect. "It's a really good pump-fake. And the Night King, he jumped at it. So, he bite."

GoT may be his current interest, but Jokic's passion waits for him back in Sombor. He owns three horses -- Dream Catcher, Donita Firm and Bella Marguerite -- and grew up loving harness racing.

"You can see the passion," Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Felipe Eichenberger says. "That is his escape. He goes and sits down and watches his horse for hours."

"I enjoy animals," Jokic says. "Their nature. They're really good animals. Every different horse has a different personality, like a human."


IN PREVIOUS YEARS, Jokic would be back in Serbia. But this year, the horses are going to have to wait.

The Nuggets face the Blazers in Game 3 of the tied series on Friday night.

It's Jokic's first time playing this many games, but the extra wear and tear doesn't seem to be taking a toll. He's averaging 23.9 points, 12 rebounds and 8.6 assists. He's also averaging 37.8 minutes, sixth highest in the league.

Not bad for a player who still hears comments about his body and fitness.

"That story has been [with me] all my life," Jokic says about surprising people who underestimate him based on his appearance. "To be honest, sometimes it is funny for me just because [sometimes what they say] it's true, and [yet] I am still playing in the NBA.

"Someone said, 'He's not even in shape.' I am playing in 80 games and he said that I'm not even in shape."

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who described Jokic as "magnificent" after the Nuggets eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, joked about the shade thrown at Jokic's body type and perceived lack of athleticism.

"I just hope that he doesn't wreck it all going to the weight room or anything," Popovich cracked with a sly smile. "You know?"

Jokic credits Eichenberger and Steve Hess, Denver's former head of strength and conditioning, with helping him lower his body fat percentage, changing his diet and adding more muscle mass to handle the physicality of the NBA.

"Someone said, 'He's not even in shape.' I am playing in 80 games and he said that I'm not even in shape." Nikola Jokic

Jokic is listed at 250 but says he's playing between 275-280 -- his preferred playing weight.

He jokes about the changes in his body from the time he arrived in Denver.

"There were not any muscles," Jokic deadpans. "Now around 292, but I have a couple of muscles."

"To be honest, I like to be a little bit heavier like how I am right now," Jokic says. "I was lighter than this, say 15 pounds. But I didn't feel right. Because the guys are pushing me, I was not that heavy, I was light. I just needed a little bit more weight to keep up with those guys."

Jokic drinks protein shakes and will follow detailed nutrition plans with prepared meals periodically during the season. Eichenberger had Jokic on a seven-week prepared-meal plan leading into the All-Star break. It increased Jokic's intake from 3,000 to 5,200 calories a day. Jokic dropped 10 pounds by consuming the right type of calories and protein while eating five meals a day. Jokic had to remind himself to eat every three hours.

"He eats well," Eichenberger says. "But he likes sweets. He really likes sweets."

Eichenberger has visited Jokic in Sombor the past two summers to train, and he has gained a better understanding of Jokic's eating habits. In Serbia, Eichenberger noticed that every meal they had started with a salad, then a soup followed by a meal and dessert.

"It could be cultural," Eichenberger said of Jokic's sweet tooth.

Jokic has made his share of sacrifices. After drinking three liters of Coke a day growing up in Serbia, Jokic had his last can of the soft drink on his first flight to Denver in 2015.

"I think it's just mental," Jokic says. "Like, don't let Coke be stronger than you."


play
0:19

Jokic passes between Aminu's legs for Millsap and-1

Nikola Jokic tosses a dime between Al-Farouq Aminu's legs to set up Paul Millsap for an and-1 bucket.

JOKIC'S PREGAME ROUTINE sometimes includes scouting his own teammates. He looks for different tendencies or movements that could help his passing game.

"You need to know your own personnel," Jokic says.

Jokic knows to factor in that Gary Harris and Monte Morris like to go right, Jamal Murray prefers to go left and to pass the ball directly to Will Barton and let him decide which direction to go in.

He also will improvise and deliver a wild-card pass to test the defense and see what he can get away with. The big man is like a point guard, always thinking two or three steps ahead.

"If I see something, even if it's risky, I am going to try it," Jokic says. "Because maybe that mistake is going to open up something else, or next time it is going to be there just to give it a chance. ... I know it's every possession matters, but I think maybe that possession is going to open up the next three or four times, something else just to see what the opposing team is doing, you know?"

Jokic has thrown the most passes in the NBA this season, some 800 more than point guard Ben Simmons, who is in second place. The Nuggets rank first among postseason teams with an average of 1.22 points per possession when Jokic brings the ball up the floor, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

Teammate Paul Millsap likens Jokic's ability to read defenses to that of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

"I just look where [defenders are] standing, what they're doing, what they're talking about, just listen to everything," Jokic says. "You need to learn their calls, how they're coming from the baseline and the nail [middle of the free throw line].

"For me, it's just a normal thing. I just wonder what they're doing, and I am doing opposite of what they're doing."

"If I see something, even if it's risky, I am going to try it. Because maybe that mistake is going to open up something else, or next time it is going to be there ..." Jokic on his passing mindset

Harris has seen opposing coaches try everything to neutralize Jokic's passing skills.

"Let him score" was the craziest strategy, Harris says. "Other than that, everybody tries to double him."

Jokic is still surprising some opponents.

"He does a lot of little things that is in his favor because he doesn't depend on athleticism and speed and all that stuff," Portland's Damian Lillard said. "So it is kind of sneaky."


JOKIC WALKS ONTO the dais for his postgame session with the media, but before he takes questions, he addresses his newest nemesis: the microphone stand.

In what has become a comedic moment almost every time Jokic conducts a postgame media conference, he tries to remove the microphone from its stand so he can hold it close to his chest.

Jokic, though, has not been able to pull the microphone out or put it back with ease. Such was the case after Game 6 in San Antonio, where he became so frustrated trying to put the mic back in that he cursed under his breath.

"F--- this s---," Jokic said with a sigh.

The clip made the rounds on the internet.

But after the Nuggets' Game 7 win over the Spurs, Jokic successfully snapped the microphone back in place before celebrating with a hilarious roar.

"It's a fight," Jokic said, shaking his head. "It's a fight. It's 1-1 now, and hopefully at the end of the season, I am going to beat the mic."

At least this battle shouldn't leave a mark.

ChiSox's Rodon hits IL with elbow inflammation

Published in Baseball
Thursday, 02 May 2019 17:11

CHICAGO -- The injury woes for Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon worsened Thursday with the news that he was being placed on the injured list because of inflammation in the elbow of his pitching arm.

Rodon struggled in his two most recent outings for Chicago, saying he had a difficult time keeping his arm loose. He lasted just three innings during a start against Detroit, allowing nine runs and eight hits on April 26. Then in the first game of a doubleheader against Baltimore on Wednesday, Rodon was pulled during the fourth after giving up three runs in the frame.

It has been a seasonlong issue for Rodon, but during the last inning against the Orioles, the problem came to a head.

"It's just been tight, really, the whole season," Rodon said Thursday. "But nothing like yesterday. Yesterday kind of got me a little bit. It didn't really loosen up like it normally does."

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said that after initial examinations by the club's medical staff, it was determined that Rodon has an edema in his pitching arm.

"Upon examination, [Rodon] revealed some tenderness over the forearm," Hahn said. "We ordered some studies on them that revealed some edema in the flexor mass, which is essentially is some blood in the muscle. That's obviously not a good thing, and trying to figure out the cause of that is what ultimately will dictate the course of action."

Rodon will undergo further diagnostic tests in an attempt to find what's causing the edema and the resultant tightness in his forearm. However, Hahn expects his hurler to be out for a while and says that he can't rule out the possibility of Tommy John surgery.

"At this point, I can just say that everything is on the table," Hahn said. "I can't rule anything out. I don't want to speak for any doctors. We've got to get everybody involved and understand exactly what we're dealing with."

The news was particularly unwelcoming for a White Sox staff that has struggled to string together quality innings from its starting rotation. It's also a position group that has seen a rash of injuries, such as the elbow injuries suffered by top prospects Michael Kopech and Dane Dunning, and a recent IL stint for righty Lucas Giolito because of a hamstring strain.

"Look, 'punch in the gut' is one of many phrases that has been thrown around here over the last few hours," Hahn said. "It's frustrating. It's disappointing. At the same time, it's the by-product of having a significant number of potentially impactful guys."

Giolito was activated Thursday to fill Rodon's spot on the active roster. He was slated to start Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Hahn added that righty Dylan Covey will assume Rodon's spot in the rotation for the near term and emphasized that the timeline for top prospect Dylan Cease would not be affected by injury-related shortages at the big-league level.

Rodon was the third pick of the 2014 draft, but his White Sox career has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency. He spent time on the injured list in 2016 because of a sprained wrist. In 2017, he missed nearly three months because of bursitis in his left bicep. He returned that season but ended up back on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, an issue serious enough to eventually require surgery that kept him from the active roster for nine months.

Despite the continuous setbacks, Rodon seems to take it all as a hazard of his very unique occupation.

"It's super frustrating," Rodon said. "It's something that's out of anyone's control. It's no one's fault. Things like this happen. Second time something like this happens, there is not much you can do about it. You've just got to roll with the punches."

Reds bring up top prospect Senzel for debut

Published in Baseball
Friday, 03 May 2019 10:55

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds are bringing up top prospect Nick Senzel for his major league debut.

The 23-year-old outfielder will bat second and play center field against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. He was ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball entering this season by ESPN's Keith Law.

Cincinnati selected his contract from Louisville, optioned right-hander Matt Bowman to the Triple-A farm team and transferred second baseman Scooter Gennett to the 60-day injured list.

Senzel was the second overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft from Tennessee and signed for a $6.2 million bonus.

He sprained his right ankle during a minor league spring training game on March 25 and did not make his season debut at Triple-A Louisville until April 23. He hit .257 including one double, one homer and two RBIs in eight games and 35 at-bats.

Senzel played third, shortstop and second before transitioning to the outfield this year.

He hit .310 with six homers and 25 RBIs in 44 games at Louisville last season before season-ending surgery on June 28 to repair a broken right index finger. He returned to play in the instructional league, then had surgery Oct. 16 for bone spurs in his left, non-throwing, elbow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diamond League series starts in style, with Asher-Smith and Semenya among athletes to impress in Qatar

The 10th edition of the IAAF Diamond League series got off to a strong start on Friday, with Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and South Africa’s Caster Semenya among athletes to secure success.

In her first individual race of the season, triple European champion Asher-Smith made a statement with a dominant 200m victory. Her time of 22.26 (+1.1m/s) in the Khalifa Stadium, which will host the World Championships later this year, saw her finish well clear of the rest of the field, with Dutch European medallist Jamile Samuel second in 22.90 and Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare third in 23.14.

USA’s world 400m champion Phyllis Francis finished seventh in 23.47, while Britain’s Shannon Hylton did not get the chance to race following her disqualification for a false start.

“I didn’t know what to expect in my first race of the season but I ran faster than I thought I would so I’m really happy,” said British record-holder Asher-Smith.

“I ran a good race technically and this is a beautiful arena, I’m so glad I came here.

“To win in this stadium means a lot to me and it was nice to test out the arena and the track before the IAAF World Championships. There was a great championship atmosphere here and my aim is to come back here healthy and just try to do my best.

“Tonight, I didn’t expect to win in that way against such an accomplished field so it’s a good sign but the season is only just beginning.”

World champion Ramil Guliyev won the men’s 200m in 19.99 (+1.3m/s) from Alex Quiñónez with 20.19, while Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake was sixth in 20.83 and Ireland’s Leon Reid seventh in 20.93.

Given the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling which had been announced just two days before, there was unsurprisingly a great deal of attention on the women’s 800m and the performance of Semenya, who had been a late entry to the field.

As reported on Wednesday, the CAS dismissed the challenges from both Semenya and Athletics South Africa against the IAAF’s new rules on female classification, with the new regulations coming into effect on May 8.

After following the pacemaker through 400m in 56.66, Semenya continued to control the race and crossed the finish line with a time of 1:54.98 on the clock to secure her 30th consecutive 800m victory in the 15th quickest-ever time.

Olympic and world silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi was second in 1:57.75, while USA’s Ajeé Wilson was third in 1:58.83 and Britain’s Lynsey Sharp ninth in 2:01.51.

Speaking after the race, Semenya confirmed that she will “keep on training and running”.

“I’m excited winning here in Doha,” said the two-time Olympic and three-time world champion. “The first race of the season is tough and you may not be able to predict how your body is going to respond to the push but the weather is great and it was wonderful tonight.

“For me, I believe nothing is hard in life because it is up to you how you take life. As an athlete, I believe in sportsmanship and what sports teaches you is to keep pushing on despite all odds.

“I know life could be difficult at times but I’m a believer and I believe there is always a way to resolve issues. One of my firm beliefs is that there is always a way out for everything. So if a wall is placed in front of me, I jump it.

“I’m going to keep enjoying my life and live it. I will keep on training and running. To me, impossibility is nothing.”

The meeting had got off to an impressive start as Sweden’s world silver medallist Daniel Ståhl opened his discus competition with a Diamond League record throw of 69.63m before further improving it to 70.49m and then 70.56m.

Colombia’s Caterine Ibargüen, who last year won Diamond League titles in both the long jump and triple jump, leapt into the lead of the long jump competition in the fifth round and her 6.76m was enough to secure the win. Britain’s Lorraine Ugen finished fourth with 6.62m and Shara Proctor eighth with 6.35m.

Sam Kendricks soared over 5.80m in the pole vault, achieving a Tokyo Olympic qualifying standard as well as the win, while GB’s Charlie Myers cleared a best of 5.46m to place sixth. Women’s high jump victory was claimed by 17-year-old Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine as she cleared an outdoor PB of 1.96m and USA’s Ryan Crouser won the shot put with a throw of 22.13m.

Dalilah Muhammad clocked a meeting record of 53.61 to win the 400m hurdles as GB’s Meghan Beesley was sixth in 56.01, while the women’s 100m hurdles was won by Danielle Williams in 12.66 from Tobi Amusan with 12.73.

Nijel Amos won the 800m, clocking 1:44.29 from Emmanuel Korir with 1:44.50, while Soufiane El Bakkali battled to victory in the 3000m steeplechase, clocking 8:07.22 from Hillary Bor with 8:08.41, and Elijah Manangoi kicked to victory in the 1500m, clocking 3:32.21 ahead of Timothy Cheruiyot with 3:32.47.

Back on the track after her win at the World Cross in March, Hellen Obiri won the 3000m from Genzebe Dibaba, clocking 8:25.60 to Dibaba’s 8:26.20 PB.

Click here for full results.

Croft Chasing Another Bradway Memorial Victory

Published in Racing
Friday, 03 May 2019 05:30

CHICO, Calif. – After coming so close on many occasions, last year was the year that Willie Croft finally broke through and won the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.

Fast forward one year later, and the coveted Bradway is again up for grabs, with Croft hungry to defend his win on Saturday at California’s Silver Dollar Speedway.

“It’s been a bit of and up and down start to our season,” Croft said. “We have had good speed at times, just have had things not go our way and keep us from good finishes. We had really good speed during the last KWS 410ci race, and I am looking forward to getting back up to Chico this weekend and competing for another Bradway win.”

After a slew of 360 Sprint Car Challenge Tour events, Croft and company will get their 410ci engine bolted back into the frame rails of the Holey Smokes BBQ/ButlerBuilt/Brown and Miller-backed No. 29 to compete in the unsanctioned Bill Brownell Memorial on Friday.

Croft will then get back to King of the West/NARC action on Saturday night for the 29th Annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.

“The Bradway is easily one of the biggest races we compete in with the King of the West Series,’ Croft said. “It is a race that means a ton to my family so to be able to win it was special, but we aren’t satisfied with just one.

“We want another and hopefully we can accomplish that goal on Saturday night.”

We’re going deep in this week’s podcast. And by ‘we’, we mean Brandel Chamblee and Jaime Diaz.

In Episode 4 of the Brandel Chamblee Podcast with Jaime Diaz, the two veterans focus on The Man: Masters champion Tiger Woods.

Chamblee, of course, dives into the swing that helped Woods claim his 15th career major title, and first since 2008. Both men then plunge into Tiger’s past – the good, bad and ugly – and debate where his comeback ranks among the best in sports – not just golf – history.

And with everything that transpired at Augusta National, is Tiger Woods the best player in the game today? Can the current generation challenge him better than the previous one? Is Jack Nicklaus’ major wins record really in jeopardy?

The answer to all these questions is a click away in this scintillating podcast:

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A judge sent an influential youth basketball coach to prison effectively for the rest of his life Thursday, saying he secretly collected sexual images of 440 boys and molested more than a dozen over a 20-year period.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams sentenced former Iowa Barnstormers coach Greg Stephen to 180 years in federal prison, the maximum penalty he faced on sexual exploitation and pornography charges. Williams called Stephen's crimes horrendous, saying he abused his position of trust to prey upon boys who saw him as their ticket to college basketball.

"The harm the defendant caused to the children is incalculable and profound,'' Williams said from the bench in federal court in Cedar Rapids. He said Stephen's conduct was "of such an extreme nature'' that it warranted an effective life term.

The sentence, handed down after a daylong hearing, capped one of Iowa's largest and most stunning sexual abuse prosecutions involving youth sports.

Stephen, 43, had worked with Iowa's most promising youth players as a co-director and coach of the Barnstormers, which was sponsored by Adidas and competed nationally. Almost all of the high school seniors he worked with earned college athletic scholarships, including to play at universities such as Iowa, Northern Iowa and Wisconsin.

Stephen secretly amassed a digital collection of thousands of sexual videos and photos of his players and their friends. The majority of the victims were coerced by online personas in which Stephen pretended to be a teenage girl and enticed them to provide videos and photos of themselves masturbating; these were relationships that went on for years. Others were surreptitiously recorded by devices that Stephen placed in bathrooms in hotels and his home or disrobed by Stephen and photographed while they slept.

On at least 15 occasions between 1999 and 2018, Stephen touched boys, often as he shared a hotel bed with them during trips to tournaments and professional basketball games, according to Thursday's testimony.

One of the boys later told police he kept quiet for years because he believed Stephen was his link to college basketball coaches for whom he dreamed of one day playing, Division of Criminal Investigation agent Ryan Kedley testified.

"He decided to swallow that experience and not tell anyone,'' Kedley said.

Federal prosecutors and the mothers of two victims had urged Williams to impose a life sentence on Stephen, who helped manage his family's auto dealership in Monticello, Iowa.

"He believed you held the keys to the basketball kingdom,'' said the mother of one boy, who was tricked by Stephen into providing images of himself masturbating. "My son trusted you and you destroyed that. ... How dare you use basketball for your selfish, despicable, disgusting, self-seeking motivation.''

Stephen's defense had asked Williams for leniency, seeking a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison followed by intensive supervision on release. His lawyers and experts argued that his conduct was primarily as a voyeur, not a hands-on molester, and that he was at a low risk to reoffend now that he has been caught. Stephen's father, Roger, said his son had helped him run the dealership after his brother was killed in a traffic accident seven years ago.

"He is not a threat to society,'' he said.

Stephen apologized to his former players and their parents, saying, "I am disgusted. The things I have done are repulsive and wrong.'' He said his greatest regret was that his accomplishments as a coach were now tarnished.

Williams rebuked Stephen for that comment, saying his biggest regret should be the harm he caused the boys and their parents.

Stephen came under investigation after his former brother-in-law found one of the recording devices while performing remodeling work at Stephen's home in Monticello last year and gave it to police. Eventually, investigators found a hard drive that contained more than 400 file folders, each with the name of a different boy, that contained thousands of images collected over more than a decade. A trove of additional pornographic material was stored in a file that was waiting to be organized, Kedley said.

Stephen, who has been jailed since his arrest last year, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child sexual exploitation and production of child pornography charges. He is expected to appeal his conviction and sentence, in part by arguing that the seizure of the recording device by his former brother-in-law violated his privacy rights.

California attorney Mark Haushalter said he has been retained for that appeal.

"We believe there is merit based on the unusual and extremely unorthodox behavior of law enforcement in this case,'' he said.

Olympic sixth-placer clocks 13:18.16 and Amy-Eloise Neale 15:21.58 for 5000m to achieve Doha qualification marks, while Yomif Kejelcha runs Tokyo standard

Andrew Butchart continued his return to top form after injury by running a World Championships qualifying time at the Payton Jordan Invitational in California on Thursday.

Finishing third in 13:18.16 in his first 5000m race since breaking his foot in February 2018, the Olympic sixth-placer was well inside the standard of 13:22.50 for the championships in Doha later this year.

The Payton Jordan meeting was held on the opening day of the qualification window for most events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Racing for the first time since breaking the world indoor mile record in Boston in March, Ethiopia’s world indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha achieved the Tokyo 5000m mark with his winning time of 13:10.72.

Placing 21st, Butchart’s fellow Scot Chris O’Hare clocked 13:48.66.

More on the Tokyo qualifying standards and dual qualification system can be found here

European 5000m champion Sifan Hassan enjoyed a winning 10,000m debut as she clocked 31:18.12 ahead of her fellow Dutch athlete Susan Krumins with 31:23.81 as both were inside the Olympic and world qualifying times.

Britain’s Alice Wright ran a 19-second PB of 31:56.52 in 12th and was just six seconds off the Worlds qualifier, while Eilish McColgan dropped out with four laps to go after leading in the early stages, as she raced just her second-ever track 10,000m.

Britain’s Amy-Eloise Neale was another to achieve a Doha standard as she clocked a 15:21.58 5000m PB for third in race won by USA’s Jenny Simpson in 15:21.12.

GB’s Marc Scott also went faster than ever before as he ran an 11-second 10,000m PB of 27:56.19 to finish second behind USA’s Ben True with 27:52.39.

Results can be found here.

Glasgow ATP Challenger event renamed Murray Trophy

Published in Tennis
Thursday, 02 May 2019 14:31

Jamie Murray says he is "honoured" the ATP Challenger event in Glasgow will be renamed the Murray Trophy as a tribute to his family's contribution to tennis.

Brothers Jamie and Andy helped Great Britain win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years in 2015, and have won nine Grand Slam titles between them.

Their mother Judy is a coach and former GB Fed Cup captain.

In January, two-time Wimbledon champion Andy, 31, criticised British tennis' failure to build on his success.

Jamie - the first British player to rank as world number one in the open era - has worked closely with the Lawn Tennis Association to develop the event.

"I'm excited to be working with the LTA and Glasgow Life on this event and honoured to have it named in recognition of my family's achievements in the sport," said six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie, 33.

"I really hope we can use the Murray Trophy - Glasgow to increase awareness of tennis and create opportunities for more boys and girls to play, both in Scotland and Britain as a whole."

The Murray Trophy will take place at Scotstoun Sports Campus from 16-22 September.

Landmark day, two titles for Vladislav Ursu

Published in Table Tennis
Thursday, 02 May 2019 16:54

The no.3 seed and having competed in the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Vladislav Ursu is now a comparatively seasoned international; in Platja d’Aro that fact was evident.

In the later stages, after withstanding a spirited recovery by Russia’s Nikita Moshkov (11-7, 11-4, 11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8), he recorded straight games wins in opposition to Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yan-Cheng (11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 17-15) and Italy’s Carlo Rossi, the no.8 seed (11-7, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6) to secure the title.

The success against Huang Yan-Cheng, like Nikita Moshkov required to qualify, was a result of note; at the quarter-final stage, Huang Yan-Cheng had ousted Kay Stumper, the top seed in a hard fought seven games duel (11-13, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-5).

A player in form, likewise in the penultimate round, Carlo Rossi had been required to overcome an adversary who had raised the eyebrows. After ousting Hungary’s Csaba Andras, the no.4 seed (5-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-9, 13-11, 11-3), he ended the progress of Russian qualifier Damir Alhmetsafin (12-10, 11-4, 14-12, 4-11, 8-11, 11-7).

Earlier in the day, Damir Alhmetsafin had recorded a second round win against Brazil’s Guilherme Teodoro, the no.2 seed (11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7), prior to overcoming Germany’s Dominik Jonack (8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5) and Croatia’s Ivor Ban, the no.6 seed (11-5, 11-5, 11-4, 4-11, 11-7).

Success for Vladislav Ursu in the junior boys’ singles event was a mild surprise, in the junior boys’ doubles it was no surprise at all; alongside Guilherme Teodoro, the pair commenced matters as the top seeds.

Safely through to the penultimate round, they accounted for Ivor Ban and Croatian colleague, Jakov Jakelic, the no.8 seeds 911-9, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4), prior to overcoming Csaba Andras and Hungarian partner, Oliver Both, the no.3 seeds (12-10, 11-5, 13-11) to reserve the top step of the podium. In the counterpart semi-final, Csaba Andras and Oliver Both had ended the journey of Frenchman Jules Cavaille and Denis Dorcescu, the no.15 seeds (6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-7).

The junior boys’ singles and junior boys’ doubles events concluded, attention now turns the junior boys’ team and cadet boys’ team competitions.

Soccer

What should Gio Reyna do next after failed Forest loan, and what's the USMNT impact?

What should Gio Reyna do next after failed Forest loan, and what's the USMNT impact?

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsGiovanni Reyna's plan seemed solid enough. Leave Borussia Dortmund...

Injured Messi out for Miami's game at Orlando

Injured Messi out for Miami's game at Orlando

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLionel Messi will miss Inter Miami's match against Orlando City on...

Ten Hag: 'Example' Fernandes wanted at Man Utd

Ten Hag: 'Example' Fernandes wanted at Man Utd

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsErik ten Hag assured Bruno Fernandes that Manchester United want to...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Bickerstaff future a question for Cavs; Mitchell, too

Bickerstaff future a question for Cavs; Mitchell, too

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBOSTON -- After Cleveland saw its season end in a 113-98 loss to th...

Luka keeps peace with refs, dominates pivotal G5

Luka keeps peace with refs, dominates pivotal G5

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOKLAHOMA CITY -- Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, quite inte...

Baseball

Scherzer to 60-day IL; can't return until May 28

Scherzer to 60-day IL; can't return until May 28

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsARLINGTON, Texas -- Max Scherzer was transferred to the 60-day inju...

Rutschman walkoff saves O's streak of no sweeps

Rutschman walkoff saves O's streak of no sweeps

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBALTIMORE -- Adley Rutschman has still never been swept in the regu...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated