PHOTO Sorana Cîrstea qualified in Nurnberg quarters and conquered the commentator: "It is the best equipment in the history of tennis" Sorana Cîrstea (29 years old, 93th place WTA) passed another Romanian, Laura-Ioana Andrei Paar (30 years, 301 WTA), score 6-4, 6-7, 6-0, and qualified in quarter finals of the Nurnberg tournament. Sorana Cîrstea had defeated the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens (33-year-old 59th WTA) in two sets with the score of 7-6, 6-2 after an hour and 47 minutes of play. He returned to the field a few hours later for a 100 percent Romanian duel. The first set Cîrstea - Paar was a seven-shot carousel, which was awarded by Sorana 6-4. In game number 10 in the second set, Sorana missed two match balls and was recognized defeated in tie-break at six. The decisive act was without history, 6-0. The superior experience at this level was decisive for the WTA 93th place. Sorana will play in the quarter-finals against Serbian Nina Stojanovic (22-year-old, WTA 247). HE CONQUERED HIS FANS Sorana Cîrstea once again wore new, completely black equipment, consisting of a pair of tights and a long-sleeved blouse. Portuguese journalist Jose Morgado, commentator of the Sport TV Portugal tournament, posted on Twitter a picture of Sorana and the commentary: " Cîrstea returned to the finest equipment in the history of tennis! ". For more access https://www.gsp.ro/sporturi/tenis/galerie-foto-sorana-cirstea-s-a-calificat-in-sferturi-la-nurnberg-si-l-a-cucerit-pe-comentator-567784.html

Battle for the Stanley Cup - Boston or St. Louis? In the finals of the world's strongest hockey league, NHL, teams from Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues will meet. SOURCE: B92 Photo by Rich Gagnon / Getty Images Boston Bruins managed to overcome the Carolina Hurricanes team with a 4: 0 in the series and practically rest from May 16, while their opponent in the final step before the Stanley Cup trophy, St. Louis Blues, who were 4: 2 in the series better than San Jose Sharks. The entire NHL play-off was a real craze, the favorites were in the turn out as "dairy teeth", primarily referring to Tampa, who was first-ranked by Columbus Blues Jackets in the first round, followed by the elimination of the Washington Capitals, abnormal "series of Las Vegas Golden Nights and San Jose Sharks, which Sharks won in the first round with 4: 3. Bruins started their way against a fairly ungrateful opponent, Toronto Mike Lifs. It was also one of the crazy series, which after Boston's top seven doubles. In the next round they eliminated Blu Jeckets, who were a real sensation by throwing away the favorable Tampa. So Bruins were in the finals of the East after six years, where they easily defeated Hurricane. As for St. Louis Blues, they have not been fighting for the Stanley Cup trophy since the 1970s, so this finale will be extremely important, not just for the team, but for the entire city. Especially when considering that Remsi were "taken away", and that Spirits did not even get a chance to enter the NBA, and whether they believed it or not, this finale was in 1970 between Bruins and Blues, while Bruins was on the wings legendary Bobi Ora. St. Louis on his way had Winnipeg Jets in the first round, then brave Dallas Stars, who managed to win the game despite a 3-2 loss in the series, having been convincing in this sixth match and defeating 4: 1 with Jade Švarca. There is a very interesting NHL finale, whether St. Louis will be able to vindicate the defeat in 1970 and embrace his first Stanley Cup, or will Boston do it for the seventh time in club history. https://www.b92.net/sport/zimski/hokej.php?yyyy=2019&mm=05&dd=23&nav_id=1545538

Inequality! Ice's Messi's Ice »With the sixth trophy and the third in a row, the Argentinean shot down a record Photo: Reuters Article by - Daniel Scorpie RECORD. Lionel Messi took advantage that Mbappé managed just one goal Saturday and remains the best European marker 9 years after the first title. No one has been winning so many times since 1967. Leo Messi escaped emotions before the Spanish Cup finals. Kylian Mbappé did not score a good fortnight in the last round of Ligue 1. He needed four goals to match the Argentine, but PSG's striker gave only the only French champion, defeated by 1-3, in a match nightmare for Buffon. He stopped at 33, leaving the captain of Barcelona (36) to take third "Golden Ice" in turn and sixth in total. Record in trophy history! Nine years after he first became the leader of European markers. 6-4 WITH CRISTIANO He then beat Luis Suarez, who scored 34 goals but the Uruguayan played Ajax in a low-level championship. The tip, untouched by anyone, was escalated in 2012 when Messi scored 50 times! He left behind the eternal rival Ronaldo, who only conquered four, the last four seasons last, and has three times more Boots than Dudu Georgescu, winner (1974-75, 1976-77), two other 8 players . "I played horrible" Before the duel with Valencia, Leo came out with critics at his first appearance in a press conference in the last 4 years in the Cup: "I promised to do everything I can to the League. It was a disaster for me, for all the players. I played horribly. It can be said that last year there was an incident with Rome, but now I have it again. It is inadmissible to be so close to the final and not to succeed. It was difficult for us to come back after that game. " "I would prefer Valverde to remain a coach, he did an impressive work. He is not the guilty for the failure with Liverpool, but we, the players. We have lost two crucial parties over the past two years " Leo Messi, striker Barcelona THE GREAT GIRLS SIX SEASON GOALS 2009-2010 34 2011-2012 50 2012-2013 46 2016-2017 37 2017-2018 34 2018-2019 36 https://www.gsp.ro/international/campionate/lionel-messi-a-castigat-gheata-de-aur-al-saselea-trofeu-si-al-treilea-la-rand-567945.html

Saracens set the template for what a top-notch rugby club should be With community a core value, it is about more than rugby for the kings of Europe and now Premiership play-off contenders By Paul Rees/The Guardian When Saracens played their first European Cup final, against Toulon in 2014, it was a meeting of two clubs who had approached the venue in Cardiff from opposite directions. The French club, owned by the impatient Mourad Boudjellal, aimed to buy success, recruiting players, many of them World Cup winners, from around the world; the Premiership side, encumbered by a less generous salary cap, looked to build something lasting. Toulon’s approach yielded three consecutive European Cups and a Top 14 title but five years on only two of the players involved in the 23-6 victory are still with the club. In contrast 11 of the Saracens 23 that day remain on the payroll and all of those except Marcelo Bosch were involved in last weekend’s victory over Leinster in Newcastle that made Saracens the first English club to win the Champions Cup for a third time. Toulon will be in the Challenge Cup next season, a legacy of their short‑term approach, while Saracens, whose squad against Leinster included 11 players who had come through the club’s academy, have since the last World Cup matured into the leading club in Europe. The majority of their most valuable assets have been homegrown. It took Saracens a long time to reach the top in Europe. Well beaten at home in a 2012 quarter-final by Clermont, they lost a semi-final to Toulon the following year. Progress was steady but the experience of failure was turned to advantage: nine of the players involved against Clermont took part against Leinster, seven of them starting the match, and the director of rugby, Mark McCall, also remains. They lost their first European quarter-final, semi-final and final this decade, but each time won the next one. “It is about more than the rugby at Saracens,” says the Bristol coach, Pat Lam, whose club are taking a similar approach by adding a sprinkling of high-profile signings to supplement players who have come through the system. “It is about the community and there is alignment between Nigel Wray [Saracens’ chairman] and Mark. They have been clear in their vision and what they have achieved is outstanding. “I sent Mark a message after the victory over Leinster saying Saracens were great ambassadors for the Premiership and the game in England. So much work goes on behind the scenes to deliver a title: it is a process, one that is based on outcome. If you have absolute belief in what you are trying to do and where you are going, and you are steadfast, you will get there. They are what a rugby club should be.” Sign up to the Breakdown for the latest rugby union news Read more Wray has been involved with Saracens since the amateur drawbridge was lowered in 1995. It has cost him about £40m as he makes good losses every year and his approach has changed: at the start big names were recruited – Thomas Castaignède, Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella, Francois Pienaar and Abdelatif Benazzi among them – but the investment yielded success only in the Tetley Bitter Cup. Too many close seasons were spent starting over. Nigel Wray Nigel Wray has been a key figure in creating ‘an environment where people work hard and know they’re going to be looked after’. Photograph: Matthew Impey/REX/Shutterstock There were two catalysts for change: the arrival of Brendan Venter as the director of rugby in 2009, together with his assistant, McCall; and the move from Vicarage Road to Allianz Park in 2013. The club last year established a charitable arm, Saracens Sports Foundation, with the aim of changing lives through the power of sport in north London and Hertfordshire, focusing on those who have been marginalised. The former Saracens flanker Will Fraser, who retired through injury in 2017, is the director of the Saracens Way, an initiative aimed at businesses with bespoke programmes based on the club’s core values. “By undertaking one of our programmes you will gain a unique insight into how Saracens have gone from a chronically under-achieving organisation to double [now triple] European and four-time Premiership champions,” it says in the prospectus “You will have the opportunity to understand how a cultural change, a strong set of values and an emphasis on happiness and making memories have propelled Saracens to one of the top sides in world club rugby.” The aim is sustained success. “I don’t think you are ever satisfied, because that means putting in a full stop,” Wray says. “Triumph is short‑lived. Beating Leinster was fantastic but it is about where we go from here. How do we get better? How do we keep caring? We have created an environment where people work hard and know they’re going to be looked after. When times get tough that’s when it really shows.” It was tough against Leinster after 32 minutes. Saracens had lost two props to injury, including Mako Vunipola, who will miss the rest of the season with a torn hamstring, plus Maro Itoje to the sin-bin. After they conceded a try to go 10 points down Owen Farrell gathered the players under the posts. “He took control of everyone,” says the hooker, Jamie George. “He said we had two choices: feel sorry for ourselves and roll over or roll up our sleeves and get on with it. We are a really close group. Many of us have grown up together and when the final whistle went it was the best feeling I have had on a rugby field. We had to really battle.” Attention now turns to the Premiership and play-off against Gloucester at Allianz Park. Saracens missed out on the double in 2017, partying hard and losing at Exeter in the semi-finals after beating Clermont, but they have an extra week this year and will take some stopping. “What Saracens get is that rugby is not just about one thing,” says Dean Ryan, the Rugby Football Union’s head of international development, who takes over as the Dragons director of rugby in July and who started his playing career at Saracens. “There has to be a narrative about what you are trying to do. It makes Saracens very powerful and able to overcome a team like Leinster that has full international backing and can manage its players over the year. Europe is a real challenge for English clubs. Saracens have mastered it.” Continuity the key Only one Toulon player from the 2014 Champions Cup final XV at Cardiff – Mathieu Bastareaud – remains at the club. In contrast 11 Saracens from that day’s starting lineup are still full-time players at Allianz Park: Alex Goode Still at Saracens Chris Ashton Sale Marcelo Bosch Saracens Brad Barritt Saracens’ captain David Strettle Saracens Owen Farrell Saracens Richard Wigglesworth Saracens Mako Vunipola Saracens Schalk Brits Retired Matt Stevens Sharks (Durban) Steve Borthwick Retired Alistair Hargreaves Retired Jacques Burger Retired Billy Vunipola Saracens https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/may/19/saracens-template-kings-of-europe-premiership-play-off?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDUyNA%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email

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MULTI-TALENTED USA SURFER COFFIN AIMING TO MAKE HISTORY AT TOKYO 2020 WINTER OLYMPIANS ARE PERHAPS NOT THE OBVIOUS INSPIRATION FOR A SURFER, BUT THE USA’S CONNER COFFIN, WHO IS AIMING TO WIN ONE OF HIS SPORT’S FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC MEDALS, IS NO ORDINARY COMPETITOR... With an eye on one of the first Olympic surfing medals, Conner Coffin (USA) has been seeking Games inspiration from snow and ice rather than sandy beaches. “My mum and dad always used to watch the Olympics when it was on and I have always loved the snowboarding, the downhill skiing and the ice skating. I thought they were kind of like surfing in a way,” the 25-year-old Coffin said. RED GERARD (GETTY IMAGES) “More recently I watched Red Gerard (USA) win the gold in slopestyle snowboarding (at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games) as an underdog and that was a really fun and inspiring performance. Next time that could perhaps be me.” Hoping to qualify for the inaugural Olympic surfing competition at Tokyo 2020, Coffin has turned to another Winter Olympian: the former Alpine skier Julia Mancuso (USA). The retired four-time Olympic medallist Mancuso, who won gold in the giant slalom at Turin 2006, is married to one of his friends and has been sharing some advice on how to enter the Olympic stage. “It’s been fun to pick her brain about the Olympics and get some insight into that, to see how she’s prepared and stuff. She’s been sharing what the Olympic experience is like and how she’s been training before the Games,” Coffin said. JULIA MANCUSO (GETTY IMAGES) Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, however, the local heroes were USA surfers such as Bobby Martinez, Dane Reynolds and three-time world champion Tom Curren. “I’ve always loved watching him (Curren) surf and tried to study that as much as I could. My town and state has a big surfing lineage with a lot of big surfers so I’m fired-up to be carrying the torch for us (in the Olympic Games),” Coffin said. TOM CURREN (GETTY IMAGES) Coffin finished seventh in the World Surf League last year and is aiming even higher in the new season. “My goal is to be in the top five at the end of the year and hopefully be going for the world title,” he said. WATCH MORE VIDEOS ON THE OLYMPIC CHANNEL “If that happens, there’s a good chance that I’ll be getting to go to the Olympics too so that’s the plan. Everyone has definitely talked about how cool of an experience it would be. Everyone’s trying to do their best this year, train harder and surf harder, and the Olympics would be the icing on the cake of a good year on the tour.” TOKYO 2020 Having competed with the world’s best on the tour since 2016, Coffin does not feel that the prospect of winning a historic medal would add to the Tokyo competition’s tension. “From what I’ve heard from a lot of people, that might be their only chance to win in their sport every four years so they put a lot of extra pressure on themselves. For me, it’s nice, I’m very used to competing on a regular basis and mentally used to dealing with everything that goes along with the competitions and the heats,” he said. The chase for historic medals aside, Coffin believes that surfing’s inclusion on the Olympic programme for the first time could be advantageous. CONNER COFFIN (GETTY IMAGES) “The reality of having a shot at going to the Olympics is really recent with the sport being accepted for the Tokyo Games just in the past few years, so growing up I never aspired to become an Olympic athlete. It’s a cool thing and at the same time nice not having been building it up in my head for 20 years or whatever,” he said. Coffin’s surfboard is not the only item guaranteed space in his luggage when he travels to competitions. “I always travel with the guitar and play on the road. It’s a great way in between heats, like yesterday when we had five calls for the contest and between them I just come back, pick up the guitar and get to escape a bit, turn my mind off and use it as a creative outlet, so I love it. “It is really a big passion of mine and I hope to record some of my own music someday,” said Coffin, who last year released his first covers EP, ‘Conner Coffin and friends’. Aiming to qualify as one of the two best USA surfers in the World Surf League top ten, he will continue to train hard and perhaps further limit his post-surf activities. CONNER COFFIN (GETTY IMAGES) “I’ve always tried to eat well and take good care of myself and maybe I’ll party a bit less this year. I don’t party much but in between events sometimes I’ll go and have a couple of nights with the boys and sometimes I get a little run-down so maybe I’ll knock that back a bit to try to stay my best throughout the whole year.” https://www.olympic.org/news/multi-talented-usa-surfer-coffin-aiming-to-make-history-at-tokyo-2020?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2019-05-24&utm_campaign=crm_emails_owned_weeklyupdate&sfmc_e=0031n00001sOA0OAAW

VIDEO SNAPPED: THE SECRET BEHIND THE STRIKING SHOT OF SINDHU DAVID RAMOS CAPTURED ONE OF THE MOST IMAGINATIVE AND CELEBRATED IMAGES OF RIO 2016: INDIAN BADMINTON STAR PV SINDHU, FROM ABOVE, WITH THE THROWN SHUTTLECOCK PERFECTLY POSITIONED OVER ONE EYE. THE SPANISH PHOTOGRAPHER EXPLAINS HOW TEAMWORK COMBINED TO GET THE PERFECT FRAME – AND TALKS ABOUT THE CRAZY LIFE OF AN OLYMPIC PHOTOGRAPHER. “The magic of photography is that sometimes you get this lucky moment and think, ‘Wow, that’s the perfect shot’,” David Ramos said. “You can’t predict it; you just have to try and prepare for it.” The 41-year-old Getty Images photographer from Barcelona knew he had an absolutely classic image as soon as he saw his frame of PV Sindhu, the Indian badminton player, in action at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. But he is quick to credit others for the result: like many of the best Olympic moments, it was the product of hard work behind the scenes. “Covering a badminton match, it is difficult to get to an original photograph,” he said. “This is a clear example of teamwork. The picture was shot by a remote camera which was put up there by another Getty photographer, who is in charge of robotics, weeks before the Games. The start of the Olympics is not the start for us; there is a lot of preparation. DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES “He set up cameras on the roof of the pavilion, in lots of different positions. At the venue I could trigger that camera through mine. But despite the technology, you also need the human effort to time it right and get the moment. Photography is about moments. When they’re gone, they’re gone.” Research also paid off. “When you’re watching badminton, it’s quite specific and not easy to shoot,” the Spaniard explained. “I needed to know and understand the sport first before shooting, and think about new points of view. I thought that it would be important to shoot from a high position. This is where you get the best shots of badminton. There is some really nice action from that angle.” Ramos admits that he “was hoping for this kind of shot, because that’s where they serve, and the camera was framing the right part of the court. I was ready to get that frame. And it worked – we got the shuttlecock exactly over the eye. That just makes the frame.” Ramos didn’t know that he had struck photographic gold at first. Life as an Olympic Games snapper is extremely hectic, rushing from one job to another. Thousands of images from cameras are beamed to a central work desk every hour, where editors pick out the best imagery. It was as a result of fine editing that this one was caught, too. DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES “It’s another example of it being a team effort, because when you’re shooting, it’s very important that the editor catches the frame. They had to do a great job spotting that one. “I didn’t see it immediately. I went off and did another sport. It was a very, very long day. It was later when I looked at the ‘best pictures of the day’ that I looked at that one and thought, ‘Wow, that’s a cool frame’. It was unbelievable. The point of view, the moment, it just works. You have the Olympic rings, the line, the yellow on green. It is just perfect.” Ramos, who has been working as a photographer since 2001, was at his first Olympic Games; he has since also attended the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES “I love working at the Olympics; it is a very different experience,” he says. “It is a dreamland for a photographer and for the sportspeople. It’s a place you want to be at least once in your life. It’s all about emotions. The level is so high. Everyone there wants to give their best – photographers, journalists and sportspeople. “I feel it is even different from the World Championships in any sport. It has a romantic feeling to it, from its long history. We want to see world records and iconic images.” Ramos also caught some other great images of Sindhu, who went on to win a silver medal, that day. “She’s very good to shoot, very emotional,” he said. “She’s a top Olympic athlete, and I got some beautiful shots of her. It was a day I will remember from the Olympic experience.” VIDEO HERE https://youtu.be/2WGNZ_TO1Q8 https://www.olympic.org/news/snapped-the-secret-behind-the-striking-shot-of-sindhu?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2019-05-24&utm_campaign=crm_emails_owned_weeklyupdate&sfmc_e=0031n00001sOA0OAAW

Karakurt keeps Turkey at top of table with sweep of Serbia Ebrar Karakurt gets the ball past Serbia's Mina Popovic, as she leads Turkey to their third win in as many matches at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Belgrade, Serbia, May 23, 2019 - Turkey remained at the very top of the table at the close of the first week of play in the 2019 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-20) sweep of reigning world champions Serbia Thursday night. This being a Balkan derby with a historic rivarly between the two sides, it was as much about bragging rights as it was about the points earned - though those will come in very handy as Turkey seek their entry into the Final Six for the second year running, after finishing runners-up to USA in the 2018 VNL. Coach Zoran Terzic brought on a few of his top guns for the game in a vain attempt to finish the opening week undefeated. The MVP of the 2018 FIVB World Championship Tijana Boskovic was one of those - and indeed she did top score for Serbia with 15 points, but that proved hardly a match for the opposite side's Ebrar Karakurt who hauled a match-high 20 (including 4 aces). In fact, performing under par, Boskovic had to be subbed out in the third set. Brankica Mihajlovic and Tijana Boskovic were brought on to boost Serbia in the Balkan derby against Turkey, but it was all in vain. Turkey showed far more passion on the court and blanked the bulk of attacking efforts of Serbia, either on the net or with some of their fiery digging, restricting the home team to a 36% (34/93) efficiency - as compared to Turkey's 45% (42/93). It was Turkey's third win in as many matches so far in the VNL, following victories over Korea and the Netherlands. Serbia have now fallen to 2-1, having had already beaten the same opponents. http://www.fivb.org/en/Volleyball/viewPressRelease.asp?No=82540&Language=en VIDEO HERE https://youtu.be/ocZFjc35Nh8.