finals

Seven-Try Leinster Into Champions Cup Quarter-Finals

Four-time winners Leinster produced a stunning seven-try, 50-21 victory against Northampton in Dublin on Saturday to become the first team ever to qualify for the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup after just four rounds.

Ireland centre Gary Ringrose scored a hat-trick of tries as the home side blew away the team they beat in the 2011 final.

They moved to 19 points at the top of Pool 1, enough to guarantee them a place in the knockout rounds with two group games still to play.

“Games like that where you go up by 20 points early on, well then

Leow

Loew Out Of Time To Rebuild Germany Before Euro 2020 Finals

Germany has secured qualification for Euro 2020, but coach Joachim Loew is running out of time to mould his fledgling team into title contenders before next June’s finals.

Despite dominating possession in Moenchengladbach on Saturday, Loew’s young team struggled against minnows Belarus before two Toni Kroos goals sealed a 4-0 win which confirmed their Euro 2020 qualification.

As magazine Kicker pointed out, the victory highlighted the “many obvious sites” under reconstruction.

By Loew’s pre-match admission, “many players still need a few more years to develop”, yet the Euro finals start in seven months.

The Germans and Dutch have now qualified …

Tsitsipas Stuns Federer In Semi-finals Of ATP Finals

Debutant Stefanos Tsitsipas caused a major shock by ending Roger Federer’s chances of landing a record-extending seventh ATP Finals to reach Sunday’s showpiece.

The Swiss master, who was aiming to reach Sunday’s showpiece of the ATP Finals for an 11th time and first since 2015, was bettered by the young pupil from Greece as Tsitsipas landed a breathtaking 6-3 6-4 victory to make it through to the final.

Tsitsipas is now the third debutant (after Grigor Dimitriv and David Goffin to reach the final of the ATP finals in London.

Federer And Djokovic Drawn In Same ATP Finals Group

Spectators will be hoping for a mini repeat of this year’s epic Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer after the two tennis legends were drawn in the same group for next week’s climax to the season, the ATP Finals.
Djokovic, who could finish the week as world number one, and Federer fought out a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon with the Serbian coming from a break down in the final set to win it 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 13-12 (7/3) in what was at four hours and 57 minutes the longest final in the tournament’s history.