Struff and Zverev ensure a victory over the USA at the ATP Cup. And this year there will be four races on the Lauberhorn. The most important sports news at a glance.
Basketball: Another loss for Capelas Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks with Geneva’s Clint Capela (left) have only won five of their last 16 games.
(sda) The Atlanta Hawks lose in the NBA at the Portland Trailblazers 131: 136 and remain in form. 22 points from Clint Capela and 56 from Trae Young were not enough for the Georgia team to celebrate two wins in a row. Since the hit streak in November, Atlanta has only won five out of 16 games, including the penultimate against Cleveland. In the table of the Eastern Conference, Atlanta only ranks 12th with some distance to the direct playoff places.
Struff and Zverev ensure victory over USA at the ATP Cup
Alexander Zverev (Germany) will serve against Taylor Fritz (USA) during the ATP Cup tennis tournament in Sydney (Australia), Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
(dpa) The German tennis men around Alexander Zverev can continue to hope to make it to the semi-finals at the ATP Cup. Jan-Lennard Struff and Zverev ensured on Tuesday (4th January) in Sydney against the USA with their successes in the individual that the necessary victory in the second group game was already certain after the individual.
Two days after the 1: 2 at the start against Great Britain, Struff first defeated the strong serving John Isner with 7: 6 (9: 7), 4: 6, 7: 5. Then Zverev won 6: 4, 6: 4 against Taylor Fritz and in a hard-fought last service game with the sixth match point made the uncatchable 2-0 intermediate result perfect. Finally, the double is still on the program. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz play against Fritz and Isner.
Despite the difficulties, Zverev was overall satisfied with his performance in the end. “I’m just happy that I gave us the chance to reach the semi-finals,” said the world number three. The 24-year-old missed three match balls in a row against Fritz, a crashing ace through the middle with the second serve meant the decision on the sixth opportunity after just under an hour and a half.
Before that, Struff had survived 31 aces of the 2.08 meter tall veteran Isner. The Warsteiner used his third match point against the serve of the 36-year-old for the first victory over Isner. “It’s always difficult against John. I played him four times before and lost four times. That’s why I’m very happy to have won for my team today, “said the 31-year-old Struff.
The German team had to get their first win after the opening defeat against Great Britain in order to have a chance of winning the group in season C. Only the first placed in the four groups reach the semi-finals. The last German opponent this Thursday is Canada, which will meet the British earlier this Tuesday. In addition to its own success at the end, the German selection is also dependent on a slip by Great Britain.
Alpine skiing: Twice canceled Super-G will be made up in Wengen
The men’s World Cup Super-G, which was canceled in Lake Louise and Bormio, will be made up for in Wengen. The race will take place in the Bernese Oberland on Thursday, January 13th.
The Super-G opens the program on the Lauberhorn, which now comprises four races. Downhill runs are planned on Friday and Saturday, with the slalom ending on Sunday. A World Cup Super-G has so far taken place in Wengen. 28 years ago, Marc Girardelli from Vorarlberg, who drove for Luxembourg, won ahead of the Norwegians Jan Einar Thorsen and Atle Skaardal.
Nordic skiing: Top place for Peier in the qualification in Innsbruck
Kilian Peier convinces on the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck.
(sda) Killian Peier feels right at home again on the hill where he won the bronze medal in February 2019. The Vaudois ranks third in the qualification in Innsbruck.
Only the tour leader Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan and the Austrian Jan Hörl scored more points. At the third station of the Four Hills Tournament, Peier is aiming for the first podium this season. Before Christmas he finished fourth twice in Engelberg.
Simon Ammann and Gregor Deschwanden will also push off the bar on Tuesday. Toggenburg was in 33rd place, Deschwanden in 39th place. Ammann has to assert himself in the knockout duel against Andrzej Stekala from Poland, Deschwanden against Naoki Nakamura from Japan. Both solvable tasks.
Nordic skiing: Neprjajewa and Klaebo win the 5th stage of the Tour de Ski
Natalia Neprjajewa moves into pole position in the Tour of Skis before climbing the Alpe Cermis. The Russian wins in Val di Fiemme the 5th stage over 10 km classic with a mass start.
In the overall standings, Neprjajewa is 1:12 minutes ahead of Ebba Andersson. The Swede may not yet be written off in the overall ranking. A year ago she was one and a half minutes faster than Neprjajewa in the climb to the finish line of the Tour de Ski, who is now aiming for her first overall victory after two second places. The race on the Alpe Cermis will be held as a mass start and not as a pursuit, which suits the Russian.
The Swiss women did not convince on Monday. Nadine Fähndrich took a couple of World Cup points as 27th. Lydia Hiernickel has to worry about an Olympic selection after her 45th place.
With the men, Johannes Hösflot surprised Klaebo. The Norwegian did not decide the classic mass start race over 15 km on the home straight, but ran away from the opponents in the final phase. With the 46th World Cup victory, Klaebo equalized Björn Dählie’s record.
Klaebo won 20 seconds ahead of the Finn Iivo Niskanen, who had triumphed at the start of the tour in Lenzerheide. Alexander Bolschunow had to be content with fifth place, half a minute behind. In the Tour classification, the Russian is now second, 2 minutes behind Klaebo. The best Swiss in the overall standings is after Dario Cologna Jonas Baumann in 17th place.
Soccer: Basel isn’t going to Dubai after all
(sda) FC Basel does not travel to the training camp in Dubai. At the last minute, the club management changed their plans due to the corona situation. The Basel delegation was already at Zurich Airport to start the journey to the United Arab Emirates. Because the number of corona infections in the Middle East has recently risen sharply, the FCB went over the books again and came to the conclusion that the situation represents “too much uncertainty in relation to a good and orderly training camp”.
The club assured that the decision had nothing to do with the health situation within the team. In the run-up to the planned trip, three people in the vicinity of the 1st team had tested positive for Corona. You are in isolation and would not have traveled to the training camp anyway, which was criticized by Basel fans for the precarious human rights situation in Dubai.
Until further notice, FCB will train at home. Some players who were on vacation in Dubai or who traveled there privately now have to travel home. It cannot be ruled out that the Basel players will come to their training camp abroad at a later date. Alternatives are being examined, announced FC Basel.
At FC Luzern, four players who are now in isolation have tested positive. However, the training operations can be carried out as planned, announced the new central Swiss who have been supervised by Mario Frick.
Alpine skiing: Rast, Danioth and Meillard are missing in Zagreb due to Corona
(sda) The women’s World Cup slalom in Zagreb will take place on Tuesday without Camille Rast, Aline Danioth and Mélanie Meillard. The trio have tested positive for Covid-19 in internal tests over the past few days, says Swiss-Ski. The subsequent PCR tests would have confirmed the result.
Swiss-Ski will therefore only be represented by Wendy Holdener, Michelle Gisin, Elena Stoffel and Selina Egloff in this winter’s fifth World Cup slalom above Croatia’s capital.
Ice hockey: Third win in a row for Hischier and the Devils
Nico Hischier scores the fifth and sixth goals of the season in the NHL against Washington.
(sda) Nico Hischier leads the New Jersey Devils to their third win in a row. The Valais striker scored two goals in the 4: 3 away match against Washington Capitals, including the one in extra time.
After 22 seconds in the middle third, Hischier was successful for the first time when he steered a shot from compatriot Jonas Siegenthaler into the goal to make it 3-1. It was the ninth assist of the season for the Zurich defender.
After the Capitals had made up the two-goal deficit in the final third, Hischier made his sixth goal of the season for the Devils’ first win against Washington in almost two years and nine lost games.