Man City 3-1 Sevilla: Rico Lewis makes Champions League history as City end Group G with victory

Match report as academy graduate Rico Lewis lights up the Etihad Stadium with equalising goal; Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez make the game safe after Rafa Mir headed Sevilla into shock lead; City finish top of Group G

Rico Lewis became the youngest player to score on his first Champions League start as he sparked a Manchester City comeback in a 3-1 win over Sevilla.

The 17-year-old right-back coolly slotted home the equaliser after Rafa Mir had headed Sevilla into a shock first-half lead.

City had to call for Kevin De Bruyne from the bench in search of a winner and he delivered within three minutes, setting up Julian Alvarez with a wondrous assist - his 12th of the season. Alvarez then grabbed his second assist of the night when setting up Riyad Mahrez to make the game safe as City finished top of Group G.

Pep Guardiola said of Lewis: "We see him every day, we don't give out presents here. Not just because he's a Manchester City fan and from the academy, he has to earn it. But we've since day one that this guy has something special. He's aggressive enough defensively but does have a lot of margin to improve and with the ball when playing inside he is so good. And outside he showed today with his crossing and finishing."

The last-16 draw, for which Man City will be seeded, will be held at 12pm on Monday November 7. They will face one of Club Brugge, Inter Milan, Frankfurt, Milan, RB Leipzig or PSG.

Rico Lewis, remember the name…

Guardiola resisted the urge to bring Erling Haaland back into the fold after the goalscoring machine had been suffering with a virus and a foot injury - he's likely to be ready for the clash with Fulham on Saturday.City's last two games in the Champions League both finished 0-0 and they failed to score in a lacklustre first-half showing. Sevilla, meanwhile, carried the greater attacking threat and Mir had already had two looks at goal before opening the scoring on 31 minutes. It was really poor defending from City's point of view as Mir was left in three yards of space from an Isco corner to loop a header into the far corner.

City had nine shots before the break but only one of those hit the target. Guardiola switched his tactics at half-time by bringing off Jack Grealish and adding another central midfielder into the game with Rodri. Guardiola revealed Grealish was "the best player" in the first half but withdrew him for a mixture of tactical and fatigue reasons.

That allowed the two City full-backs to play more as wingers rather than inverted midfielders and it was Lewis - born in 2004 - that grabbed the equaliser. A successful high press left Sevilla outnumbered and Alvarez threaded a perfectly weighted ball through for Lewis, who kept his cool impressively for someone so young and scored with a fine finish.

Despite the leveller, City struggled to find space up against the Sevilla low block and Guardiola called for De Bruyne off the bench. Alvarez had been making some fine runs in behind the Sevilla centre-backs all evening but no one possessed the vision to find him until De Bruyne picked up the ball on the halfway line and spun a sensational ball in behind that he latched onto. From there the striker rounded the goalkeeper and fired home into the roof of the

Mahrez looked like he was feeling sorry for himself at times after a rusty start to the season but his mood improved with eight minutes left, hammering home a superb finish after being found by an unselfish Alvarez pass.

Pep: Tactical switch made it a good night for us

Guardiola said: "In the first half we were there but we struggled to attack as we played a right footer on the left and left footer on the right so you go inside and it becomes difficult against five at the back. In the second half with Sergio Gomez on the left and Rico Lewis on the right we felt we had more presence in the final third. It's good as of course we have qualified but we finished well and the money for the club is important. It was a good night for us, especially in the second half."

Guardiola on the production line coming from the academy: "The academy is working amazingly since Jadon Sancho, Brahim Diaz, Phil Foden, James McAtee, Cole Palmer, there are many talents. The guys that want to stay here and fight for their position, they have a chance. If they are not patient and listen to the agents more, then they can leave, no problem. You saw the reaction from the crowd that people are so pleased to have players from the academy playing for us. They can help us as they have quality."

Opta stats: Alvarez makes his mark

1. Aged 22 years and 275 days, Álvarez became the youngest Argentinean to be directly involved in three goals in a single UEFA Champions League match since Lionel Messi vs FC Bayern München in April 2009, also under Pep Guardiola (21 years 288 days).
2. Rafa Mir scored in England for the first time in what was his 19th club appearance in the country, previously failing to score with Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Sevilla (vs West Ham).
3. Lewis became the fifth Englishman to start a UEFA Champions League match before turning 18 after Jack Wilshere, Josh McEachran, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.

Man City have three more games before the World Cup break. They host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 3pm. They then face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday November 9, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 8pm.

Their final match before the World Cup is on Saturday November 12, when they host Brentford in the Premier League; kick-off 12.30pm.

Sevilla have two further La Liga fixtures to play, against Real Betis and Real Soceidad, before a Copa del Rey match against Velarde on Sunday November 13

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

 

Reiss Nelson steps in for Bukayo Saka, Costa’s red card could be costly for Wolves and Cucurella’s struggles continue

1) Marsch hopes Anfield can relaunch Leeds’ season

Inconceivable. That could apply to the decline of a team who were challenging on all fronts six months ago, have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League, yet find themselves adrift in the title race having dropped points in eight of 12 matches this season. But it was the word Jesse Marsch used to describe Leeds’ first win over Liverpool since April 2001 – prefixed by “almost”, admittedly – as the under-pressure manager savoured the release of a dramatic late victory at Anfield. The emotional celebrations were understandable but did not cloud Marsch’s assessment that Leeds cannot waste the chance to launch their season. With three of the current top four to play after Bournemouth’s visit to Elland Road next Saturday, his realism made sense. “We should not be in this position, we should not be suffering the way we are,” said Marsch. “But we haven’t found ways to reward ourselves. Part of it is we are a young team. We needed a moment in our season to stop the bleeding and to get it here is almost inconceivable. But we can’t just rely on one game. We need to build momentum in our season.” Andy Hunter

2) Cucurella makes torrid return to Brighton

Marc Cucurella is struggling. The Spanish defender has had a difficult start to life at Chelsea and it did not get any better for him when he returned to Brighton on Saturday. Brighton’s fans had not forgotten how Cucurella forced his way out of the club last summer and they delighted in watching him fail to contain Solly March, who had the freedom of the right flank because of Graham Potter’s cavalier decision to field Raheem Sterling at left wing-back for Chelsea. Sterling offered Cucurella, who was at left centre-back, zero protection and the home side duly ran riot. Nothing went right for Chelsea. They were comfortably outplayed and the individual concerns over Cucurella are growing. His defending has been ragged, his distribution iffy, and he has been substituted early in four of his last five starts; not the best look for a player who cost £62.5m. Jacob Steinberg

3) Nelson makes his case from the bench

Reiss Nelson has had to wait patiently for his chance but the Arsenal attacker took full advantage during their dismantling of Nottingham Forest. Nelson was brought on for Bukayo Saka in the first half and played a huge role in the rout. Two goals at the start of the second half and an assist added up to an outstanding return that suggests he can play a valuable role in their squad this season. “Not only me but all his staff and teammates are so happy for him, because he’s really evolving and maturing,” said Mikel Arteta. “He’s showing every day how much he wants it. Today he had that opportunity and he did extremely well.” It was only Nelson’s fourth appearance of the season and his first in the Premier League but he played with the confidence and touch of a first-team regular. It will surely not be his last meaningful contribution. Simon Mail

4) Guardiola looks ahead to City’s home comforts

“I know the calendar,” Pep Guardiola said a little menacingly a half-hour or so after victory at Leicester, proceeding to rattle off how Chelsea host Arsenal and Tottenham entertain Liverpool before the World Cup break. Chelsea also travel to Newcastle before the Premier League halts. The point Guardiola was making was that his Manchester City side must try to make the most of a relatively kind schedule. They have four successive home games before eyeballs turn to Qatar, including a Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea and league matches against Fulham and Brentford. Rivals are likely to drop points and City will hope to avoid fatigue and defeat. “We can arrive after the World Cup being there on top of the league,” Guardiola said. Ben Fisher

5) Martínez’s injury points to concussion concerns

It is a measure of Newcastle’s progress that two national coaches, England’s Gareth Southgate and Brazil’s Tite, watched Eddie Howe’s side shred Aston Villa, scoring four fine goals. In scoring two and helping create both of the others, Wilson emphasised that he should be nailed on as Harry Kane’s international understudy. He has surely booked a place in Southgate’s Qatar-bound World Cup squad. While Howe’s impressive team seem genuinetop-four contenders, Aston Villa’s incoming manager, Unai Emery, has much to do when he begins work on Tuesday. One priority must be reviewing the club’s concussion protocols. Despite requiring prolonged treatment after his teammate, Tyrone Mings, accidentally drove a knee into his head, Emiliano Martínez continued for a further 12 minutes before collapsing unchallenged after collecting a cross and finally being helped off the pitch. Why did Villa not replace their goalkeeper immediately after the Mings collision? Louise Taylor

6) Antonio has a future as a West Ham supersub

Michail Antonio last started a Premier League game in mid-September but he has a potential future as a supersub. At Old Trafford, he was called for after 57 fruitless minutes for Gianluca Scamacca. Antonio offering variety could be important for David Moyes, who has lacked a backup option of note for a long time. Antonio went on and made Lisandro Martínez know of his presence immediately, producing the sort of shoulder barge that would leave a lesser player requiring a month in bed. Manchester United knew they were in a battle and had to adapt to the new challenge, doing so successfully – but only just. He lost out to defenders on a couple of headers but the pressure was certainly increased on the opposing backline and he forced David de Gea into a fine tip over the bar with a rising drive. Antonio can continue to have similar impacts and in modern football there is no great shame in being a very effective substitute. Will Unwin

7) Moore’s strength vital for Cherries and Wales

Kieffer Moore is non-conventional. His route to the Premier League – signed by Yeovil Town from non-league Dorchester only to endure back-to-back relegations; a brief stint with Norway’s Viking FK; a whistle-stop UK tour taking in Ipswich, Barnsley, Wigan, and finally Bournemouth – was non-conventional. His playing style – 6ft 5in battering ram centre-forward – is, by modern standards, non-conventional. But against Tottenham on Saturday, Moore was too much for the visitors to handle. A goal in each half came through a pair of differing first-time finishes. He steered the opener home with his right foot, before later stooping for a header of strength and bravery. He did not deserve to finish on the losing side. Still, there were signs of promise for both Bournemouth and Wales. Sam Dalling

8) Lampard and Silva are at clubs that suit them

“I have to remind you that in our first season [at] Everton we finished in eighth,” said Marco Silva. “Until the last game we were competing for the Europa League.” Silva was standing his ground determinedly, just as Fulham had been denied victory by the brilliance of Jordan Pickford, and some prime defending by Conor Coady and James Tarkowski. His sacking in December 2019 clearly still rankles but at Fulham his attacking style of play is highly appreciated. Frank Lampard, meanwhile, suits Everton’s current needs well, and deserves credit for reviving his career and reputation by saving the club from relegation before making them hard to beat this season. “Last year we would lose that game so there is progress, but I want more,” he said. Everton remain blunt in attack but Lampard’s relative success and Fulham’s excellent season so far under Silva reminds us certain clubs suit certain managers. Finding those combinations is the difficult bit. John Brewin

9) Palace continue to lack a top finisher

Patrick Vieira’s tenure at Crystal Palace has been quietly impressive so far, the manager having succeeded in transforming an uncomplicated counterpunching side into one that attacks with far more imagination, all without sacrificing any resilience at the back. The one glaring absence, though, is a goalscoring striker – a situation compounded by Conor Gallagher’s return to Chelsea and mitigated only partly by Wilfried Zaha’s output. With 88 goals in four seasons for Celtic, Odsonne Édouard was signed to fill that gap but a piddling total of six last term did not befit an attack featuring two of the country’s most fearsome wingers. The Frenchman’s record is little improved much this season but his three goals so far – close-range conversions to cap passages of smart buildup play – at least offer a decent blueprint for the type of striker Palace need. If Édouard doesn’t improve soon, Vieira should be on the lookout for a more predatory centre-forward capable of spearheading a charge for Europe. Ivan Toney perhaps? Alex Hes

10) Costa’s red card so wasteful for Wolves

There were signs that Diego Costa was finding sharpness in the draw with Brentford. A neat feint and drag past Ben Mee in the second half left the impressive centre-back flailing and the former Spain international’s vicious low shot was well stopped by David Raya. His link-up play and movement looked to be improving, too. Having scored only six Premier League goals this season, Wolves desperately needed the veteran striker to quickly find fitness and form to help lift them away from the relegation zone. The hard work on getting up to speed was wasted when the forward headbutted Mee over absolutely nothing. It was an astonishing lack of discipline and the straight red card – Costa’s first in the Premier League, surprisingly – means the 34-year-old is now suspended until Boxing Day. Another extended break will mean Costa has to work again to find match fitness. Wolves might be wondering whether signing him was worth it. Gregg Bakowski

Rafael Nadal: 'Work in progress'

 By:  SportsNews Team

The 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal should play again in the upcoming weeks. Rafa has been battling an abdominal injury since Wimbledon, losing his rhythm and experiencing an early US Open loss. Nadal went home to Mallorca, welcomed his first child and hit the practice court, working on his game and preparing for Paris in Turin.

The Spaniard shared a video with his fans, calling it a work in progress and looking eager to fight for the titles he is missing. World no. 2 made an impressive return after skipping the second part of 2021, never giving up and enjoying an excellent season despite setbacks.

The 36-year-old is ranked 2nd on the ATP Race list behind his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, winning two Major titles and passing his greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal should return to the court in the upcoming weeks.

Rafa lifted his first Australian Open crown in 13 years in January, performing an incredible comeback against Daniil Medvedev from 6-2, 7-6, 3-2, 40-0 down.

Nadal conquered Acapulco and rattled off 20 consecutive wins before fracturing his rib in Indian Wells. He lost the final to Taylor Fritz and skipped his favorite events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The Spaniard did not play well in Madrid and Rome once he returned, and more problems arose above him ahead of Roland Garros.

Struggling with foot pain, Rafa needed injections to endure the best-of-five efforts in Paris, overcoming challenges and securing his 22nd Major crown. Hoping for more at Wimbledon, Nadal experienced a severe abdominal injury, dealing with a seven-millimeter tear and still winning five matches.

Rafa withdrew ahead of the semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios following an epic quarter-final duel against Taylor Fritz, heading home and hoping to recover ahead of the US Open. As it turned out, there was no time for that, and Nadal suffered the fourth-round loss to Frances Tiafoe.

After missing a chance to become world no. 1 again, Rafa returned to Mallorca to spend time with his wife and a new family member, as they became parents for the first time on October 8. Nadal flew to London and competed alongside Roger Federer at the Laver Cup, returning home the following day and not playing in the previous weeks.

If everything goes right, we will see him in action in Paris and Turin, still seeking the year-end no. 1 honor for the sixth time.

FIA ends F1 race director rotation for rest of 2022 season

The FIA has announced it will no longer rotate its Formula 1 race directors for the rest of the 2022 season following its review of the crane incident at Suzuka.

F1’s governing body announced after the Japanese Grand Prix that it would be launching a full investigation into the events at Suzuka after a number of drivers express anger over the use of a recovery vehicle on-track in torrential rain.

The report was published in full on Friday and included a number of procedural changes that will be implemented from Austin onwards.

One major change comes on the structure of race control, which will see Niels Wittich see out the season as race director after sharing the role with Eduardo Freitas through the 2022 season.

“For the remaining races of the 2022 Formula 1 season, the FIA will not use the system of rotating the role of Race Director,” reads part of the statement from the FIA regarding the report.

“From the United States Grand Prix in Austin and the following races in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Niels Wittich will assume the position of Race Director with the support of Race Control staff.”

Wittich and Freitas shared the race director role this season as one of the main changes for 2022 in the wake of the Abu Dhabi controversy and the axing of former race director Michael Masi.

Along with rotation of the race director, the FIA announced it would be using a new Virtual Race Control Room at its Geneva base to support race control on weekends in their decision making.

But a number of drivers have raised concerns earlier this year inconsistency with changing race officials, calling for the FIA to stick to a single official to oversee proceedings.

Mercedes driver and GPDA director George Russell said on Thursday in Austin that the drivers “believe that having the rotation isn't the best thing for a sport, for that consistency.”

“We've never had a steward from a previous event at the following race to talk about any certain decisions, I believe,” said Russell.

“Gary Connelly is here this weekend who was in Japan, as well. And these are all things that we need to continue to work with the FIA to improve.”

World Endurance Championship race director Freitas was in charge at Suzuka. All calls for marshals or recovery vehicles to enter the track are made by the race director and the clerk of the course.

The report from the FIA also highlighted the need to “better define the allocation of tasks across the Race Control team” during safety car and virtual safety car periods. It was noted in the report that Pierre Gasly was not detected in the pit lane, which caused him to drop back and then drive faster past the recovery vehicle to rejoin the back of the field.

The report also accepted it would have been “prudent to have delayed the deployment of the recovery vehicles on track” given the conditions.

Two-time grand slam champion Simona Halep suspended after failed drug test

 

Former No.1-ranked tennis player Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after failing a drug test during the US Open last month.

The ITIA said Halep tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat, a drug approved for medical use in the European Union to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure.

"Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth," Halep wrote on Twitter.

The 31-year-old added that the news came as "the biggest shock of my life".

"Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with.

"Facing such an unfair sanction, I feel completely confused and betrayed.

"I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that, sooner or later, the truth will come out.

"It's not about the titles or the money. It's about the honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years."

Halep is a two-time singles grand slam champion who is currently No.9 in the WTA rankings. She won Roland-Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, beating 23-time singles major champion Serena Williams in the final.

Halep, a 31-year-old from Romania, recently announced she was taking the rest of this season off after having nose surgery to improve her breathing.

According to the EU’s medicines agency, which approved Roxadustat last year, it stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a doping product favoured by cyclists and distance runners.

During a provisional suspension, a tennis player is ineligible to compete in, or attend, any sanctioned events.

Under the World Anti-Doing Code, Halep faces a ban of up to four years for a positive test for a substance like Roxadustat.

Athletes can earn a reduction in their ban, likely to three years, if they quickly admit an offence and accept their sanction.

Tennis authorities will handle Halep’s case and any ruling can be challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

• Get more news about tennis

Gabriel Magalhaes signs new long-term contract

Gabriel Magalhaes has signed a new long-term contract with us.

Since joining from Lille in September 2020, Gabi has become a vital part of our first team, making 81 appearances in all competitions.

 The 24-year-old defender continues to grow in stature with impressive performances and is also a big goalscoring threat. He netted on his debut in September 2020, and scored five times in the Premier League last season.

NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Oct. 20, 2022 include Kawhi Leonard

SportsLine's Mike McClure, a daily Fantasy pro with over $2 million in winnings, gives optimal NBA DFS lineup advice

After a 12-game NBA slate on Wednesday, just two contests will take place on Thursday, with games involving the 76ers and Lakers. Both of these squads also played on opening night so we have some data to utilize when crafting Thursday's NBA DFS strategy. The stars from those teams -- Joel Embiid, James Harden, LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- all had standout performances as you would expect from players of their caliber. But what unsung players from those teams could come at a discount as NBA DFS picks for tonight?

Lonnie Walker IV logged 29 minutes on opening night and he looks to be a big part of the Lakers' youth movement. Meanwhile, many think Tyrese Maxey will be the Sixers' second-best player, behind Embiid, by season's end and he put up 21 points on Tuesday. Neither player would do too much damage to your NBA DFS salary cap and should at least be considered for tonight. Before making any NBA DFS picks for Thursday, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Mike McClure.

McClure is a DFS professional with over $2 million in career winnings. He's also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.

This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Wednesday, he highlighted Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as one of his top NBA DFS picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. The result: Jokic produced 27 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals to return 46 points on DraftKings and 46.8 points on FanDuel. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, October 20

For Thursday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, who is listed at $8,400 on DraftKings and $8,600 on FanDuel. This will be Leonard's first game since June 2021 as he missed all of last season with a torn ACL. But he was stellar before the injury and averaged 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals through an 11-game postseason run at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Leonard looked fully healthy during preseason in addition to being noticeably bigger and stronger. He should be able to pick up right where he left off, especially considering the Lakers' porous defense will be what he's going up against. LA allowed 123 points on opening night and just three teams allowed more in their opening games this season. Leonard isn't even among the top three most expensive forwards on DraftKings or FanDuel, so you want to jump on him before his price tags rise.

Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,700 on DraftKings, $11,300 on FanDuel), who averaged a career-high of 29.9 points last season to go along with 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

The two-time MVP put up 21.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG in just 26.4 minutes during the preseason, giving a glimpse of what Bucks fans can expect this season. However, Antetokounmpo will log much more than 26.4 minutes with Khris Middleton (wrist) sidelined, robbing the team of its second option. In last year's playoffs when Middleton exited the lineup, Antetokounmpo took more of the scoring burden and averaged 32 points over a 10-game stretch. With tonight being the Bucks' season opener, he'll look to put on a show in front of a national TV audience.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, October 20

McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

Roger Federer could have a new role at Wimbledon 2023!

 

Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2023, could not only be a utopia. The Swiss played his last career match at the Laver Cup alongside Rafael Nadal. The Swiss champion decided to greet all his fans in the Rod Laver event and was unable to hold back his tears at the end of the double that closed the Day 1 program of the well-known team event.

Roger explained: The decision came at the beginning of the summer. I felt that my progress was not satisfactory, that my knee was not doing well. Then I did an ultrasound and saw that there was no more progress. I would have liked to have been able to return to Wimbledon next year, I really believed it, but then in the following weeks I still took some exams that showed no progress and it was there that I decided to say enough.

If I look at the last few years away from competitions, I have still done a lot of things with my family and my sponsors, I don't want to completely distance myself from the sport that has given me everything. I have always told my wife Mirka that I would be more available to them at the end of my career and that is what I will do."

Will Roger Federer Return to Wimbledon in 2023? Federer, during the interview, revealed his intention to still be part of the tennis world, albeit in a different guise. The Swiss may already have found a way to keep in touch with the sport he loves, at least according to rumors launched by Sue Barker.

The former BBC commentator, during the promotion of her autobiography Calling The Shots and according to Stuart Higgins' account on Kingston Nub News, would reveal Federer's new role at Wimbledon: "Sue has hinted that tennis legend Roger Federer, who retired from the Laver Cup, could join the BBC commentator team for the next edition of Wimbledon."

Federer holds the record for Wimbledon titles, has raised the trophy eight times to the sky on the lawns of the All England Club, and has always said words of great esteem for the tournament.

Flamboyant Moutet fake smashes his way to last 16 in Napoli

 Corentin Moutet will face Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, the No 5 seed, in the next round

Frenchman Corentin Moutet scored a hard-fought three set win over Italian wildcard Luca Nardi to move into the last 16 at the Tennis Napoli Cup on Wednesday, pulling off an incredible fake smash en route to the win which earned him jeers from the crowd backing its local player.

Moutet, ranked No 65 in the world, came from a set down to win 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-2 and set up a clash against fifth seed Miomir Kecmanovic, of Serbia, next.

Moutet, known for his flamboyance on court, pulled off the fake smash in the first point of the second set tiebreak, having lost the first set.

He went on to win the point and then proceeded to bow to the crowd, who began jeering him for his stunt. It did not seem to matter to Moutet though, as he went on to win the second set tiebreaker and the match.