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Liverpool must snap losing ‘habit’, says under-fire Slot

LIVERPOOL:Liverpool manager Arne Slot said his side must not make a habit of losing games they should win after six defeats in their last seven games plunged the Premier League champions into crisis.The Reds have lost their last four league games ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to Anfield on Saturday and also crashed out of the League Cup to Crystal Palace in midweek.Slot’s decision to name an inexperienced side for the 3-0 defeat to the Eagles drew criticism, but he again defended the need to give his key players a rest after a series of injury problems in the early part of the season.Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong are all still sidelined, while Ryan Gravenberch is only just back in training after an ankle injury.Slot had an eye not only on the visit of in-form Villa, but Real Madrid’s trip to Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday and Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City next Sunday.“It is nothing to do with the squad depth, it is how we’ve gone throughout the season in terms of injuries and availability,” said Slot at his pre-match press conference on Friday.“It’s just the situation as it is.

Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts

HONG KONG: Top seed Belinda Bencic pulled out of the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals on Friday as the Tokyo Olympic champion became the latest in a long line of players to suffer a late-season injury. The Asian “swing” on the WTA Tour has been particularly hard hit by injuries and pullouts in recent weeks, placing renewed scrutiny on the demanding tennis schedule. Bencic, who was ranked 421 in the world at the start of the season but has climbed to 11, was supposed to meet Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Hong Kong. “So disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury,” said the 28-year-old Swiss, who won gold at the Covid-delayed Olympics in 2021. “I’ve played a lot of tennis in the past few weeks and did everything I could to stay healthy, but it was not to be.” Bencic beat Linda Noskova last weekend to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and cap a remarkable comeback, a year after returning to tennis from having a baby. Noskova reached the final in the Japanese capital after Elena Rybakina withdrew injured ahead of their semifinal. The tournament in Hong Kong was hit even before it began with the withdrawals of former world number one Naomi Osaka and the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Both ended their seasons early through injury. Daria Kasatkina, who has won eight WTA titles, was also initially scheduled to compete in Hong Kong but she too brought the curtain down prematurely on her season. “The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone,” the 28-year-old, who this year switched nationality from Russia to Australia, said in early October.

Bayern relishing another chance to show their might against Leverkusen in Bundesliga

BERLIN: Indomitable this season, Bayern Munich have another chance to demonstrate their superiority when Bayer Leverkusen visit in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Leverkusen ended Bayern’s record 11-year run as champion in 2024, but the Bavarian powerhouse wrested the title back last season and Leverkusen have undergone a summer transformation after losing key players. While Bayern look even stronger in Vincent Kompany’s second season in charge — 14 wins across all games including the German Supercup so far — Leverkusen are already on to their second coach after making a botched start under Erik ten Hag. Kasper Hjulmand has steadied the team, which have won their last four Bundesliga games but were humbled 7-2 at home by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Another Bundesliga challenge is not expected from Leverkusen this season. Key matchups Bayern warmed up by beating Cologne 4-1 in the German Cup, where Leverkusen were taken to extra time by 10-man second-division side Paderborn before eventually prevailing 4-2. There’s a clash between second and third on Saturday when Leipzig host Stuttgart. Germany forward Deniz Undav is back for Stuttgart. Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner must fear for his job before Borussia Dortmund’s visit on Friday after his team’s German Cup exit to second-division Bochum just days after a 6-0 hiding at home to Leipzig.

Sinner reaches Paris Masters quarterfinals and stays on course to reclaim the No. 1 ranking

PARIS: Jannik Sinner beat Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of the Paris Masters on Thursday to extend his indoor winning streak to 23 matches and maintain his chances of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking. The four-time Grand Slam champion needs to win the tournament to take the top spot from Carlos Alcaraz.

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Hong Kong Sport News

Liverpool must snap losing ‘habit’, says under-fire Slot

Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts

Bayern relishing another chance to show their might against Leverkusen in Bundesliga

Sinner reaches Paris Masters quarterfinals and stays on course to reclaim the No. 1 ranking

Saudi golfer Khalid Attieh makes history at LIV Golf-backed Asian Tour

Canadians Mboko, Auger-Aliassime advance to quarterfinals at Hong Kong, Paris tourneys

Canada's Leylah Fernandez powers past Lys to reach Hong Kong quarterfinals

Victoria Mboko, Leylah Fernandez pick up 1st-round victories at Hong Kong Open