sports.ndtv.com - Ramkumar Ramanathan-Saketh Myneni Reach Chennai Open ATP Challenger Doubles Final

Ramkumar Ramanathan-Saketh Myneni Reach Chennai Open ATP Challenger Doubles Final

Defending champions Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni entered the doubles final of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger with a hard-fought win over top seeds Ray Ho and Matthew Christopher Romios in Chennai on Friday. The third seeded Indian pair registered a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8) victory over their rivals from Taipei and Australia. They will face unseeded Japanese duo of Shintaro Mochizuki and Kaito Uesugi, a 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 winners over second seeded Indians Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth, for the title. Earlier, Ramkumar and Saketh saved a set point in the second set tie-break before emerging winners on their third match point.

D Gukesh Starts Moderately In Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

World Champion D Gukesh began his campaign at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour with three draws and a lone loss, signalling that he is gradually coming to terms with the new format. A brainchild of World's number one Magnus Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, the freestyle chess event marks the beginning of what could be a permanent fixture for professional chess players despite a showdown with FIDE, the world's apex chess body. Freestyle basically is a new name given to what was known as the Fischer random chess -- the name attributed to the 11th world champion Bobby Fischer who advocated this format that has the chess pieces randomly set up at the start of the game instead of conventional chess that sees a fixed alignment of forces on both sides.

Carlos Alcaraz Cruises, Stefanos Tsitsipas Scrapes Through In Rotterdam

Carlos Alcaraz eased into the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open on Thursday with a comfortable straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori. The top-seeded Alcaraz had far too much firepower and accuracy for Vavassori, ranked 317 in the world, running out a 6-2, 6-1 winner in just over an hour. "Today, I think I hit everything pretty well. I'm just hopeful I can keep going and be a bit better next round," said the Spaniard after the match. Wearing a breathing aid on his nose as he recovers from illness, Alcaraz got off to a flying start, breaking in the very first game and sealing the set 6-2 as the Italian pushed a forehand wide.

'Was Born A Cripple, Miracle Happened At...': Shoaib Akhtar's Stunning Revelation

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has made a massive revelation about his childhood. He said that he was born a cripple and was unable to walk till the age of 8. However, Akhtar added that the next year saw a huge transformation in him as he could not only walk comfortably but also started running. It is worth noting that the ex-Pakistan speedster still holds the record of bowling the fastest delivery in cricket history. He had bowled 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) during Pakistan's 2003 Cricket World Cup match in Cape Town.

Ex-Star, Who Quit As India Coach, Set To Reunite With Rahul Dravid At Rajasthan Royals

Former India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule is set to join Rajasthan Royals as a spin bowling coach ahead of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). Bahutule, who had a stint with RR from 2018-21, has quit from his position at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which is now being called Centre of Excellence, in Bengaluru. He will be working alongside bowling coach Shane Bond of New Zealand and head coach Rahul Dravid. He had previously worked with Dravid when the latter was in-charge of the Indian team.

Pakistan Star, Picked For Champions Trophy, Lost 10kg Weight. Reason Is Grim

Set to make his Pakistan comeback, opener Fakhar Zaman has revealed the reason behind his recent absence from the national set up. Fakhar, who last played for Pakistan during the T20 World Cup last year, seemingly landed himself in trouble after criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for dropping Babar Azam from the Test team last year. In October 2024, Babar was dropped from the last two Tests against England as Pakistan completed a turn around and won the series in his absence.

Rohit Sharma And Co Rewarded With Personalised Diamond-Studded Rings. Reason Is...

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rewarded Rohit Sharma-led T20 World Cup-winning team with personalised diamond-studded rings. Taking a leaf out of American sports leagues such as the NBA and NFL's play books, the BCCI rewarded the players with the "Champions" rings during the Naman Awards 2025 in Mumbai last week. Last year, India defeated South Africa in Barbados to lift the T20 World Cup title, country's first major success since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Watch: Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen's Animated Chat Over Knee Injury Leaves Fans Wondering

In a rare development, India batter Virat Kohli missed the first ODI against England on Thursday due to a knee injury. Kohli was seen training with a strapped knee ahead of the start of the match. Kohli then decided to inform the team management that he wasn't feeling 100% ready. Hence, Shreyas Iyer was given the nod in his place. Later during the day, Kohli was spotted engaging in an animated chat with former England batter Kevin Pietersen, who is working in the series as a commentator. The video gave fans a reason to chuckle.

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Ramkumar Ramanathan-Saketh Myneni Reach Chennai Open ATP Challenger Doubles Final

D Gukesh Starts Moderately In Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

Carlos Alcaraz Cruises, Stefanos Tsitsipas Scrapes Through In Rotterdam

'Was Born A Cripple, Miracle Happened At...': Shoaib Akhtar's Stunning Revelation

Ex-Star, Who Quit As India Coach, Set To Reunite With Rahul Dravid At Rajasthan Royals

Pakistan Star, Picked For Champions Trophy, Lost 10kg Weight. Reason Is Grim

Rohit Sharma And Co Rewarded With Personalised Diamond-Studded Rings. Reason Is...

Watch: Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen's Animated Chat Over Knee Injury Leaves Fans Wondering