On Friday last week, Croatian grandmaster Miso Cebalo passed away in Zagreb. In his younger years, Cebalo was one of Yugoslavia’s best bridge players. He was also a linguistic genius. Cebalo was a national player for Yugoslavia, then Croatia, and in later years was active as an author, commentator and coach. Miso Cebalo was 77 years old.
The saints Chrysanthus and Daria were early Christian “evangelists,” and they were killed for it. Then their remains became a wandering legend until 2011.
Djokovic sweeps into Italian Open quarters in front of great Rome crowd
Issued on: World number one Novak Djokovic is the defending Rome champion Filippo MONTEFORTE AFP 3 min
Rome (AFP)
World number one Novak Djokovic swept into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Thursday with a straight sets wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in front of spectators who were allowed to watch in the Foro Italico.
The five-time Rome champion won through 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes against the 48th-ranked Spaniard with the venue filled to 25 per cent of capacity for the first time amid the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. It was not good, it was great. I missed the crowd, said the 33-year-old, who next plays Stefanos Tsitsipas in a rematch of last year s French Open semi-final which the Serb won.
Nadal wins thriller to join Djokovic in Rome last eight as fans return
Issued on: Nine-time Rome winner Rafael Nadal saved two match points. Filippo MONTEFORTE AFP 4 min
Rome (AFP)
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Open in contrasting styles on Thursday as spectators returned to the stands for the first time in Italy.
Nadal and Djokovic have won 14 of the last 16 Rome titles between them, playing each other in the final five times.
World number one Djokovic needed just 70 minutes to sweep past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-1.
But nine-time champion Nadal had to save two match points against Canada s Denis Shapovalov in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) battle over nearly 3hr 30min.