timesofindia.indiatimes.com - Champions League: Napoli trounce Liverpool; Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur off to winning starts

Champions League: Napoli trounce Liverpool; Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur off to winning starts

Liverpool got their Champions League campaign off to a disastrous start in a 4-1 defeat away to Napoli on Wednesday, while Robert Lewandowski hit a hat-trick in a big win for Barcelona. Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich also got their campaigns underway with victories, but Rangers were crushed 4-0 by Ajax in the Netherlands on their return to the group phase of Europe's elite club competition. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have won just two of their first six Premier League games this season and there was to be no improvement on their trip to Italy as Napoli raced into an early lead and never looked back. Piotr Zielinski converted a fifth-minute penalty, and Victor Osimhen then had a second Napoli spot-kick saved by Alisson Becker. Yet Napoli -- who had defeated Liverpool in their own stadium in the group stage in 2018 and in 2019 -- were 3-0 up at the break as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's fine finish was followed by a tap-in from substitute Giovanni Simeone.

Nottingham Forest sign defender Serge Aurier on free transfer

Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier following the expiry of his contract at Villarreal, the promoted Premier League club announced on Wednesday. The right-back becomes Forest's 22nd signing this summer. "Nottingham Forest is delighted to confirm the signing of Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier, subject to Visa approval," the club said in a statement.

Javed Miandad to Naseem Shah: Pakistan's five six-shooting heroes

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah smashed Afghanistan left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi for successive sixes in the last over on Wednesday to take his team to the final of the Asia Cup in a thrilling encounter. Here's a look at five memorable six-hitting moments in Pakistan's cricketing history: JAVED MIANDADMiandad's final-ball six off India's Chetan Sharma in the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final at Sharjah still hurts India fans. Needing 246 for victory, Pakistan were in trouble at 61-3 before Miandad struck an unbeaten 116 off 114 balls.

Asia Cup 2022, Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Naseem Shah will remember these sixes for the rest of his career, says Shadab Khan

Afghanistan in the 'Super 4' stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 , Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan said that the team was confident that bowlers could bat and Naseem Shah will remember those two sixes for the rest of his career. As a result of Pakistan's win, India are out of contention for the final as Shah's two back-to-back sixes off the first two balls of the final over undid brilliant bowling by Afghanistan throughout the innings and secured Pakistan a victory with the narrowest of margins .

Nick Kyrgios fined again at US Open

The fine was the largest leveled by the tournament so far this year and brings Kyrgios' total up to $32,500 for his five offences in New York. The money will be automatically deducted from the $473,200 Krygios earned - $445,000 for singles and $28,200 for doubles - at the year's final Grand Slam.

Watch: 'Fan' abuses Arshdeep Singh while boarding team bus as security officers go missing

Dubai. Until Tuesday night. As a group of journalists, we generally leave the Dubai International Cricket Stadium more or less at the same time, when Team India's bus leaves. The players come out of the gate adjacent to the media box. There are usually 75-100 people cheering the players as they board the bus. On Tuesday night, after India's defeat to Sri Lanka, there were around 20.

Frances Tiafoe defeats Andrey Rublev to make it to US Open semifinals

Tiafoe, aiming to become the first African-American man to win the US Open since Arthur Ashe in 1968, put on a scintillating performance to defeat Russian ninth seed Rublev 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0), 6-4 in 2 hours and 36 minutes. It was another superb giant-killing performance from the 24-year-old Tiafoe, who eliminated Spanish legend Rafael Nadal in the fourth round on Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka overpowers Karolina Pliskova to reach second straight US Open semifinal

The Belarusian underestimated her opponent in their two meetings last year, when Pliskova defeated her in the Wimbledon and Montreal semi-finals, but she was in dominant form in New York as she fired down seven aces and never dropped serve. "Always tough matches against Karolina," said Sabalenka. "The first set was really high level for me and (I) put a lot of pressure on her." Nothing went right for 2016 finalist Pliskova during the first set as she racked up 15 unforced errors and five double faults in 28 minutes. But the Czech's form improved considerably in the second set as she fended off the only break point she faced in the eighth game.

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Timesofindia.indiatimes.com Sport News

Champions League: Napoli trounce Liverpool; Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur off to winning starts

Nottingham Forest sign defender Serge Aurier on free transfer

Javed Miandad to Naseem Shah: Pakistan's five six-shooting heroes

Asia Cup 2022, Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Naseem Shah will remember these sixes for the rest of his career, says Shadab Khan

Nick Kyrgios fined again at US Open

Watch: 'Fan' abuses Arshdeep Singh while boarding team bus as security officers go missing

Frances Tiafoe defeats Andrey Rublev to make it to US Open semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka overpowers Karolina Pliskova to reach second straight US Open semifinal