Heartbreak for England as Late Argentina Surge Secures World Cup Final Spot

MONTREAL: French Open champion Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise early exit from the ATP Montreal Masters after falling 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-4 to Dutch underdog Tallon Griekspoor in a dramatic second-round clash on Wednesday. The top-seeded German entered the tournament hoping to bounce back from his Wimbledon final defeat to Jannik Sinner, but instead endured one of the toughest losses of his season. Despite claiming a tightly contested opening-set tiebreak, Zverev struggled to maintain his rhythm as Griekspoor mounted an impressive comeback. The world No. 69 displayed remarkable composure and consistency, taking control in the second set before sealing the biggest victory of his campaign after two hours and 34 minutes of intense tennis. A visibly disappointed Zverev did not hide his frustration after the match. “I didn’t expect to play well, but I also didn’t expect to play this badly,” the German admitted. “This was probably the worst match of the season. Tennis has its ups and downs, and now it’s about finding my best level again.” The defeat marked Zverev’s first match since finishing runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon and brought an abrupt end to his Montreal campaign. Griekspoor’s reward is a place in the third round, where he will meet the winner of the match between Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi and Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan. The tournament had already witnessed another setback for the top seeds after second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew before his opening match because of a back injury sustained during training earlier this week. Despite the disappointing result in Montreal, Zverev has enjoyed an impressive 2026 season. He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Munich, finished runner-up in Madrid, and captured his maiden Grand Slam singles title at the French Open. However, his latest defeat serves as a reminder that even the game’s biggest stars can face unexpected setbacks as the North American hard-court season gathers momentum.

HONG KONG: Pakistan’s young squash sensation Umair Arif produced a fighting performance to capture the Under-17 title at the Hong Kong Junior Squash Open on Sunday, overcoming England’s Luke McBride in a thrilling five-game final. Arif recovered from a slow start to defeat McBride 3-2, showing composure and determination when the championship was on the line. The Pakistani teenager struggled in the opening game, losing 4-11 as McBride established early control. But Arif quickly turned the contest around, winning the next two games 11-6 and 11-5 to move within one game of the title. McBride refused to surrender and responded strongly in the fourth game, edging Arif 11-9 to level the match at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth game. With the title hanging in the balance, Arif produced his best squash of the match. He controlled the final game and secured an emphatic 11-4 victory to complete the comeback and lift the Under-17 trophy. The victory adds another promising achievement to Arif’s growing junior career. He has previously represented Pakistan at both the World Junior Squash Championships and Asian Junior Squash Championships, gaining valuable experience against some of the best young players in the sport. Arif is also a fellow of the Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood Foundation, which supports promising young talent. His latest triumph will further raise expectations around his future, particularly as Pakistan continues to nurture a new generation of squash players. The hard-fought Hong Kong final was a reminder of Arif’s fighting spirit — and his ability to respond when the pressure is at its highest.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed criticism after three major football confederations jointly challenged his leadership and decision-making. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a strongly worded letter on Monday. They stressed that football is a collective institution and should not be controlled by any single individual. The latest criticism follows Infantino’s controversial proposal to allow private investment in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The plan was withdrawn only days after it was announced following strong opposition from several football bodies. The three confederations had previously criticised the proposal. Their latest statement indicates that tensions with FIFA’s leadership have not eased despite the withdrawal of the plan. The organisations argued that leadership in football should be based on responsibility, transparency and collective decision-making. They accused FIFA’s leadership of failing to meet those standards. The dispute could become particularly significant ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election. Infantino is expected to seek a fourth and final term in office. The election is scheduled to take place in Rabat next March, while candidates must declare their intentions by November 18. CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani is considered a potential challenger to Infantino. Infantino had previously appeared likely to face little opposition after FIFA oversaw a successful 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. However, the private investment controversy has changed the political landscape within world football. UEFA played a major role in forcing the proposal off the table. European football officials had warned that they could consider boycotting World Cups if the investment plan went ahead. Such a move could have seriously affected the tournament because it could have involved major football nations, including Spain, France and England. The three confederations said FIFA’s own explanation of the controversy had focused too heavily on communication problems. They argued that the issue was more serious and reflected what they described as a failure of judgment. They also questioned an emergency meeting in Morocco where senior FIFA officials expressed support for Infantino. According to the confederations, the meeting did not adequately address their concerns because only selected members of FIFA’s management leadership were involved. They argued that FIFA’s leadership should engage directly with its wider institutional structure and staff. Infantino still retains support in several parts of the football world. The Confederation of African Football has backed him, while South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL remains broadly supportive. Support for him also exists within CONCACAF and the AFC, although the confederations do not vote as unified blocs in the FIFA presidential election. The dispute comes after Infantino spent a decade at the helm of FIFA and oversaw major changes to the World Cup and the organisation’s distribution of financial resources. The three confederations acknowledged that football had experienced significant growth during the past decade. However, they stressed that these developments were achieved through cooperation between FIFA, continental confederations, national associations and thousands of people involved in the sport.

COLOMBO: India’s preparations for their upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka have suffered a fresh setback after captain Shubman Gill was forced to miss the opening day of a three-day warm-up match due to a finger injury. Gill sustained an injury to his right-hand finger during a practice session on Thursday, prompting the Indian team management to take a cautious approach. The Test captain was rested for the first day of the warm-up fixture against a Sri Lanka XI as the medical team continues to monitor his condition. The development immediately raised concerns over Gill’s availability for the Test series, although there is currently no indication that he will miss the opening match. In Gill’s absence, vice-captain KL Rahul took charge of the Indian side. Rahul’s experience will be particularly valuable as India look to make the most of their final preparation ahead of the two-Test series. Recent reports also confirmed that Rahul led India at the toss after Gill was ruled out of the opening day. The Indian camp is already dealing with a lengthy injury list. Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Test series with a knee problem, while Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are also unavailable because of different injuries. Gill’s fitness will therefore be closely watched over the next two days. According to the team’s medical update, a decision on whether he will return to the warm-up match will be made after further assessment. India are scheduled to begin their two-Test series against Sri Lanka on August 15 in Galle, with the second Test set to be played in Colombo from August 23. For India, the priority is clear: avoid taking unnecessary risks with their captain now and ensure Gill is fully fit when the real contest begins. The latest setback adds another layer of uncertainty to an already injury-hit Indian squad, making Gill’s recovery one of the biggest talking points ahead of the series.