Saturday, August 31, 2019

US Open 2019: 'NextGen is here' — Bianca Andreescu issues warning after ousting Caroline Wozniacki in third round

New York: Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu met US teen sensation Coco Gauff for the first time Saturday while practising at the US Open and took confidence a new generation's time has come.

"I told her congrats on all the success," Andreescu said. "Keep killing it. NextGen is here."

Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, waves to spectators after defeating Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, during round three of the US Open tennis championships Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Bianca Andreescu celebrates after beating Caroline Wozniacki. AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

The 19-year-old from Toronto ousted 2018 Australian Open champion and two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4, extending the 15th seed's deepest Grand Slam run.

"I'm really, really pumped," she said.

Gauff, only 15, reached the last 16 at Wimbledon and booked a third-round showdown with top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka in New York while Andreescu won titles at Toronto and Indian Wells this season.

"You see a lot of young players doing really well right now and I think it's really good for the game," said Andreescu. "You see many fresh faces and I think we're only going to get better from here."

Andreescu is 30-4 despite a shoulder injury that sidelined her most of the past five months. But she hasn't lost a completed match since March.

"I don't feel like I've lost a match," she said. "It feels pretty good, because you never know what can happen in a match. I'm trying not to take anything for granted right now. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing.

"My two (titles) before this tournament are giving me a lot of confidence."

Andreescu next faces 116th-ranked US qualifier Taylor Townsend, who ousted Romanians Simona Halep and Sorana Cirstea to face a Canadian of Romanian heritage.

"I know she loves coming to the net," Andreescu said. "She has incredible volleys. I'll for sure work on some passing shots."

Wozniacki compared Andreescu to retired Belgian star Kim Clijsters, a three-time US Open champion.

"She has made a mark. Obviously she's playing well," Wozniacki said.

"The one I can most compare her game to would probably be Kim back in the day, Clijsters, because she moves well and she can stretch out and get to some balls and also play the aggressive and using the angles."

Clijsters was indeed one of the idols who inspired Andreescu's style of play.

"I actually looked up to her a lot while I was just coming up, when I started playing tennis," Andreescu said. "I think my game is pretty similar to hers. Not as good yet.

"But she's an incredible fighter. She's very solid all around. She can volley, she can slice, dropshot.

"She's very consistent, as well. She chooses her targets and she has a very good serve and return. She's very strong mentally."



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LaLiga: Zinedine Zidane happy with Real Madrid squad, insists relationship with club president Florentino Perez is strong

Madrid: Zinedine Zidane insists his relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is strong and he is happy with his squad ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Madrid have spent around 300 million euros this summer but Zidane has not selected a single new signing in his first starting line-ups for the first two games of the season.

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid have spent more than 300 million euros in summer transfer window. Reuters

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid have spent more than 300 million euros in the summer transfer window. Reuters

Zidane hoped the club would sign Paul Pogba, but Manchester United would not sell, and sell Gareth Bale, but the Welshman remains determined to see out his contract, which expires in 2022.

"The decisions that are up to me are on the pitch," said Zidane in a press conference on Saturday, ahead of Sunday's league game away at Villarreal.

"My relationship with Florentino Perez has always been very good, he will always be the president that brought me here and I will never forget that.

"Sometimes it is better to clarify things and I say the relationship is good, I don't care what anyone says. The important thing is my day-to-day work and that I have the chance to coach this great team."

Madrid have brought in Eden Hazard from Chelsea but the Belgian has a thigh injury and will not return until after the international break. Hazard began training alone on Friday.

Real have also signed Eder Militao, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy, with Zidane refusing to rule out further additions before the window shuts.

Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain remains uncertain while Tottenham's Christian Eriksen and Ajax's Donny van de Beek are also believed to be targets.

"Until Monday at midnight, everything can happen, one surprise, two surprises, but the match is tomorrow," Zidane said.

"I am proud of the players I have, for me they are the best players. Even when you say you want to make some changes, the important thing is when the season starts, you are happy and I am happy.

"I cannot complain about the squad that I have. If I complain, I can change jobs."

Keylor Navas has fallen behind Thibaut Courtois in the race to be Madrid's first-choice goalkeeper and is expected to join PSG.

"It could happen," Zidane said. "Keylor will be with us for the game against Villarreal and until the window closes, anything can happen."

Madrid started the season with an encouraging away win at Celta Vigo but were held to a draw at home to Real Valladolid last weekend.



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Last Night In Soho: Edgar Wright shares first look of Thomasin McKenzie from new psychological thriller

Edgar Wright, known for such quality genre films as Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Baby Driver, has a new thriller coming out next year. Called Last Night In Soho, the film stars Anya Taylor-Jo, Matt Smith, Thomasin McKenzie, Michael Ajao, Synnøve Karlsen, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp and Rita Tushingham.

While not much is revealed about the plot, Wright recently took to social media to share the first look from the film.

The still features McKenzie, one of two female leads in Last Night in Soho. Wide-eyed and covering her mouth with her right arm, she seems horrified of something that is out of frame. She is clad in a black top and dons dark and dramatic makeup around her eyes.

Check out the first look here

Wright co-wrote the script with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who has also collaborated with Sam Mendes on the script for the upcoming war movie 1917. According to Entertainment Weekly, the film will be a psychological horror story about a female character in London.

“I realised I had never made a film about central London — specifically Soho, somewhere I’ve spent a huge amount of time in the last 25 years,” Wright previously told Empire magazine of the film “With Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, you make movies about places you’ve lived in. This movie is about the London I’ve existed in,” he added.

Meanwhile, McKenzie, 19, is also set to star in Taika Waititi’s WWII satire Jojo Rabbit and Netflix’s The King alongside Timothée Chalamet and Robert Pattinson.

Last Night in Soho is set for theatrical release on 25 September, 2020.



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Vaibhavi Merchant on choreographing Prabhas for Saaho, and reuniting with Salman Khan for Dabangg 3

In an industry obsessed with deifying the star, the spotlight often evades those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. The success of a film is often attributed to its face but seldom to those who constitute the spine. And so, in this column titled Beyond the Stars, Firstpost highlights the contributions of film technicians who bring their expertise to the table.

Telugu superstar Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor's multilingual action thriller Saaho released earlier this week on Friday. Besides the action, the film was lauded for another technical aspect. Co-produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, four songs were unveiled before the release of the film. National Award-winning choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant has choreographed all the song sequences. Firstpost caught up with her for an exclusive interaction, where she talked about how she landed Saaho, her long equation with Salman Khan, and whom she had the most fun working with in her career so far.

Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from Saaho

Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from Saaho

Prabhas has said, on multiple occasions recently, you are the best choreographer he has worked with as you really encouraged him to pull up his socks in the song sequences. How did you achieve that?

I met him for the first time at the set in Hyderabad. Obviously, I'd met Sujeeth and the entire technical crew beforehand. But I hadn't met Prabhas in the past, and the only film I've seen of him was Baahubali. After I got to know the screenplay, I visualised him in a certain way. We had to beat his shyness. I had to reach out to him a lot more because I understand how the South Indian heroes operate. They're very coy, shy, quiet, and respectful towards technicians. I'm aware of this culture. With him, it was one day at a time. It was one schedule at a time. The first schedule with him was for the song that was released recently, 'Baby Won't You Tell Me'. It's the longest sequence I've shot. It was spread over six months. It started from December 2018 and ended in June 2019. But Prabhas made all of us very comfortable. He doesn't carry his weight around. He's unaffected by his success. Also, technicians and actors collaborate on a different level vs actors and the fans or the media. For us, it is a nine-to-nine job, if not nine-to-five. I love to study actors, their strengths and their weaknesses. I design the choreography not only around the character but also the person. I think he recognised that. I didn't want him to feel or look uncomfortable.

You have worked with Shraddha before in the 'The Hamma Song' in Ok Jaanu. How did you recreate a song that already has an iconic precedent in 'Hamma Hamma' from Bombay?

Shaad Ali, the director (of Ok Jaanu), and I go a long way back. We've worked on Bunty Aur Babli and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom before. We've also set a benchmark with songs like 'Kajra Re'. So I agreed to do 'The Hamma Song'. I've seen Ok Kanmani (original Tamil film from which Ok Jaanu was remade) so I understood how the song fits well into the narrative. I knew Shraddha is an excellent dancer. She is very good with expressions. I had a ball working with her because she got how much namak and masti and other nuances she needs to bring. At the same time, Adi (Aditya Roy Kapur) was very nervous because he never considered himself a dancer. But I camouflaged it really well by making him look hot and suave. I wanted girls to swoon for him. Overall, the song had to cater to the story. I had another version, more pacey, which I had choreographed. Four days before the shoot, Karan (Johar, co-producer) told me, 'Babe , you're gonna kill me. But please listen to this version also.' I thought it was a damn cool version. Of course, I had to redo the choreography. I told everyone that the new version needs to be much cooler. It needs to have a vibe.

Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from 'The Hamma Song'

Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in a still from 'The Hamma Song'

Your filmography recently has mostly been either under Yash Raj Films (YRF) or Salman Khan Films. Then how did Saaho happen?

There are those few people who call me a few times, and I'm there for him. Not just YRF or Salman, but even Excel Entertainment. I'm really fond of Farhan (Akhtar) and Ritesh (Sidhwani). Similarly, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, with whom I've worked with so many times. Shyam, who is his brother-in-law, was co-producing the film in North. He asked me if I'd be interested, and I said why not. Going into Saaho, I was a bit skeptical because I had to carry forward Prabhas' legacy, immediately after Baahubali. But we got along really well later.

You recently choreographed for Allu Arjun's Telugu film Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India. Did that experience open you to the South film industries?

I get a lot of offers from the South. I love the culture. I'm a quarter Telugu (sic) myself. My mom is half-Telugu, half-Rajasthani (Jaipur). My dad is a Gujarati. So I have a lot of India within me. I also have family in Hyderabad. I was born in Chennai but brought up in Mumbai. But I'm a huge fan of Mani (Ratnam) sir and K Balachander ji. But over the past two decades and a half, I've been so busy because of the work I'm doing in Bombay that I haven't been able to travel there to do more work.

You have collaborated with Salman, right from 'Dholi Taro' in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) to now, Dabangg 3. How has your relationship with him changed in these 20 years?

It has just been the same. He's not changed at all. I can shamelessly say I'm biased towards him. My journey with him started when I was an assistant in the song 'Jai Maa Kali' in Karan Arjun. I recently shot a song with him in Jaipur. I requested him to be at the location at 11 because then we need to shift the location. At 11:05, that man was in my frame. My jaw still drops when he does such things. You have to see his body right now! He randomly took his T-shirt off. I was amazed by this man who can give anyone a run for money. That's why he's a superstar. His stardom does not affect him at all. The Salman I know from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is more mature and wiser today. He has also developed a keen sense of business acumen. He keeps very busy but is never too busy for the ones he loves.

Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a still from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a still from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

There have been a couple of instances, of him being credited by the media for designing the 'Rangtaari' song in Loveyatri, and coming up with the 'Jag Ghoomeya' hook step in Sultan. How do you react to these reports?

I take it very lightly. For me, it was a joke. People don't know what technicians actually do. I'm not coming up with dance steps. I'm actually the director for that particular sequence. You reduce it to a dance step so I become a little upset. I had mentioned it also to Salman is quirky in a way. He knows his audience so he experiments sometimes. He'd come up with something very magical with a few steps. I love that about him! In Dil Bole Hadippa, Rani (Mukerji) and I would ask the lightman to dance to see how he'd react to it. If I like it then maybe I'd draw something from it for the song. So there's no ego that if it's my song, then it has to come only from me.

You recently posted a picture with Dabangg 3 director Prabhu Deva from the sets. How has his dance and choreography affected your career?

Prabhu, Salman and I also worked during Wanted. But he wasn't available on the set when we shot my song 'Le Le Maza Le'. But he always kept a track of my work, and liked it. Obviously, the nation loves him, and he's India's answer to Michael Jackson. I know when Jackson came to India, Prabhu was invited to perform on the same stage as him. I was extremely excited about how talented and how humble he is. There's a lot of respect for him as both a technician and a person.

You have worked with a lot of great dancers, like Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Katrina Kaif, and Shahid Kapoor. Whom did you have the most fun working with?

I had a lot of fun working with Ranveer Singh because he's mad. I did his first film, and then we also did Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl and Befikre. He didn't feel Band Baaja Baaraat was his first film. It was totally up his alley. There were times I had to tell him to reduce his energy. He also understood he has to be in the frame because the camera won't go flying with him. Then Rani is my best friend. I just have to tell her how to do it, and she says, 'Take!' There is no rehearsal. I've shot some of the best songs of her career, from Bunty Aur Babli to Dil Bole Hadippa to Aiyya to Hichki. She was never known for her dancing skills even though she's a good dancer. Because she is a powerhouse performer so that part got highlighted more. But I always told her: 'Let's bring out the dancer within you.' So when I work with her, it's smooth sailing. There's no glitch, she's always on time. I asked her how are you doing it! She has every right to take undue advantage of me but she doesn't.

All images from YouTube.



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Formula 1 Paddock Diaries, Day 3 at Belgian Grand Prix: Weekend energy at Spa, Jehan Daruvala's podium-finish and remembering Michael Schumacher

The day ended on a tragic note with the passing away of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert. He was a bright young talent, the reigning GP3 champion and a Renault junior driver. Motorsport is dangerous, and despite being infinitely safer with every passing year, there are still huge risks involved. Drivers risk their lives every time they are on track and it is important to recognise that. Our heartfelt wishes to Anthoine's family, friends and members of the Arden/Renault teams. As a mark of respect, Sunday's Formula 2 race stood cancelled.

Saturdays in the paddock

Saturday is when the energy really starts picking up — for many in the paddock, qualifying is the most anticipated session (even more than the race). Finding our way into the circuit became a challenge as hundreds of cars caused a jam in the tiny mountain roads around Spa and scores of spectators marched towards the venue in particularly high spirits. Seeing the grandstands fill up is exciting, and paddock regulars opined that attendance this year seemed significantly higher 1 the Max Verstappen effect? It was also heartening to see several young fans curiously taking in the sights of the paddock. “This is much cooler than on TV!” exclaimed one.

An ode to Schumacher

Kimi Raikkonen may be the King of Spa but Michael Schumacher is at the top of the grand pecking order — he is the driver with the maximum number of victories at this circuit. Fans paid tribute to the legend through a gigantic poster on the main straight, which declared that 'Michael: F1 is nothing without you.' We absolutely agree!

Fans pay tribute to Formula One legend Michael Schumacher. Image: Kunal Shah/Mithila Mehta

Fans pay tribute to Formula One legend Michael Schumacher. Image: Kunal Shah/Mithila Mehta

The local hero behind Barichello’s first pole in 1994

During our time at the circuit, we interacted with a fine gentleman by the name of Philippe Servais. He has been working at the Belgian Grand Prix every year since 1991 — “the same year as Michael Schumacher started, and I am still continuing!” he grinned.

Philippe narrated a very interesting anecdote to us: An hour before qualifying at the 1994 Belgian GP, a young Rubens Barichello came up to him. Barichello asked if Philippe was a local, and what he thought of the weather conditions for qualifying. Spa was known for its whimsical weather (and it still is), and often posed the biggest challenge for drivers. Basis Philippe’s advice, Barichello was able to take advantage of the weather conditions and grabbed the first-ever pole of his career. He also set the record for the youngest driver to secure pole at that time. In the picture below, Philippe poses with a picture taken with Barichello right after this momentous qualifying session and autographed by the driver. The message: "Thanks again for your great advice!"

Philippe Servais' weather tip gave Rubens Barichello his first ever pole position in 1991, and the former has made sure the memory stays with him. Image: Kunal Shah/ Mithila Mehta

Philippe Servais' weather tip gave Rubens Barichello his first ever pole position in 1991, and the former has made sure the memory stays with him. Image: Kunal Shah/ Mithila Mehta

Jehan takes a podium in F3’s first race

Jehan Daruvala is India’s next Formula 1 hope — the 20-year-old is racing in the Formula 3 series with Prema Racing. His doting parents travel with him to most races, and it is heartwarming to see their dedication and unwavering support for Jehan.

In Race 1 at Spa, Jehan grabbed pole and went on to finish third in the race. As we waited for the drivers to emerge on the podium, his mother could not stop beaming. She shared that the feeling of seeing Jehan stand on the podium was as special every single time.

After the race, Jehan shared a special message for all his fans and friends back in India via Firstpost, saying that “he hopes he is making everyone proud.” This result propelled him to second in the overall championship standings. Let’s see how he can do in the second race at Spa on Sunday.

Hamilton nearly gets Mercedes into trouble

Lewis Hamilton got Mercedes into a spot of trouble when he mentioned at Spa that “we had a bit of dialogue with the team which we generally don’t usually have during the break, just trying to see what else we can do to improve.” The FIA was spurred on to dig deeper, given that teams must undertake a mandatory 14-day shutdown in summer to guarantee time off for their staff.

Mercedes later clarified that “Lewis was referring to contact with the team during the week after Hungary, when he had begun his summer break but the team was still working until the following Friday, when our (official) shutdown period began for the mandatory two weeks.” All’s well that ends well, and good to know that the Mercedes staff got their holiday as mandated!

Notorious Raghunathan strikes again

Indian Formula 2 driver Mahaveer Ragunathan has been the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. The driver rose to notoriety for amassing penalty points at a blistering pace — which even led to a two-race ban in Austria. Ragunathan’s latest transgression at Spa came during the Friday qualifying, where he failed to slow down for the yellow flags on the circuit. Motor racing is a dangerous sport and it is imperative that drivers adhere to rules and regulations. Ragunathan is going to have a hard time explaining why he constantly finds it necessary to flout them. We have reached out to the driver for an interview and will update our readers when he responds.

Vettel rues loss of German GP in 2020

The only race from the current calendar to not make it to 2020 is the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. This is disappointing, given that it has a special connection with the sport. Sebastian Vettel called it a “big shame” to lose his home race. He shared with the media, “It is not possible for F1 to lose races in countries with a big history. I just hope wherever we go instead will have as good a race and as many people in the grandstands — which is not a given, honestly.” The loss of Hockenheim illustrates F1’s ongoing quandary around expanding to newer markets while trying to keep historic circuits intact: Vietnam is set to debut on the F1 calendar next year.

Jacques Villeneuve to Haas?

The second seat at Haas is of much interest — to Romain Grosjean, of course, and to Nico Hulkenberg. However, in the midst of the pressure of retaining his seat for 2020, Grosjean was able to maintain his humour. "Now there's only a couple of teams that have seats available, here one so we're going to hear every rumour, maybe even Jacques Villeneuve at one point,” joked the Frenchman. In fact, we spotted Villeneuve in the paddock on Saturday conducting his television duties, like he always does — wonder if popped in at Haas to negotiate his contract!



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US Open 2019: Kristie Ahn continues fairy-tale run by beating Jelena Ostapenko to reach fourth round

New York: Kristie Ahn, winless in three Grand Slam matches entering the US Open, was in tears on Saturday after ousting her second Slam winner of the week to reach the fourth round.

The 27-year-old American of Korean descent fired a final ace to defeat Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 7-5, the 2017 French Open winner making 45 unforced errors to join 2004 US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova on Ahn's victim's list.

Kristie Ahn, of the United States, reacts after scoring a point against Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia, during round three of the US Open tennis championships Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Michael Owens)

Kristie Ahn beat Jelena Ostapenko to reach the fourth round of the US Open. AP/Michael Owens

"It was exciting because I hit an ace, which I never do," Ahn said. "I could finally let my emotions get to me. The crowd roared. It was such a cool environment.

"When I looked back, I was like, 'You cried, what a little baby.' All my friends told me they cried, too, so I guess that's OK."

The 141st-ranked wildcard will play for a quarter-final berth on Monday against Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens.

Ahn is feeling the confidence to rival the most famous of Manhattan's skyscrapers after a season of learning.

"I've been able to accumulate a lot of little life chips, like little wins," Ahn said. "Even if you lose a match, what you're able to take away, the positives, and being able to just keep that building, one day you'll be able to have little towers.

"It's like the Empire State Building now."

Ahn says she isn't really doing anything different than she had before.

"I feel like the tennis has been the same but it's just the ability to mentally dig in a little bit deeper in those tough moments," Ahn said.

"I'm just really proud of how I was able to stay mentally focused and not let the nerves get the best of me."

Ahn entered her match with her right elbow taped and left with her right knee taped as well after skidding to a sudden stop in the second set.

The latest injury came the same day Don Ahn, Kristie's dad, told the New York Times about his concerns with a tennis career, saying: "If you get injured you've got nothing. There's no employment compensation. You just get hungry, and without money."

While the knee is sore, Ahn expects to be ready for Mertens. Until then, she's going to keep enjoying the fairy-tale run.

"When I go back to the hotel, I just think about how awesome of an opportunity it is and what a great experience it has been this week," she said. "I'm just so happy about it."



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US Open 2019: Alexander Zverev beats Aljaz Bedene to reach fourth round for first time at Flushing Meadows

New York: Alexander Zverev progressed to the last 16 at the US Open for the first time on Saturday with a hard-fought 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene.

Sixth seed Zverev, who came through a pair of five-set matches in his first two rounds, is on course for a potential quarter-final with three-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reacts after defeating Aljaz Bedene, of Slovenia, during round three of the US Open tennis championships Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Sarah Stier)

Alexander Zverev celebrates after defeating Aljaz Bedene. AP/Sarah Stier

"It's the first time in the second week. Obviously it's a fourth round. I don't really want to stop here. I want to keep going," said Zverev, who next plays 20th seed Diego Schwartzman who beat Tennys Sandgren.

"I want to keep improving my game. It doesn't get easier, the opponents don't get easier, the matches don't get easier. We'll see how it goes. But I'm happy for now."

Zverev was again made to work hard by 80th-ranked Bedene in a contest lasting three hours and 36 minutes, spending longer on court than in his two previous matches that went the distance.

"Generally, I mean, all the top guys are getting through the matches, but their aim is to play their best tennis in the second week," he said.

"There's still a lot of things to improve. Obviously, I mean, if you go into details, we'll be here for a very long time. In general, the serving, the returning. Everything can still be better."



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The Good Place: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil's first look stills from final season released

NBC’s critically acclaimed comedy, The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, will end after the upcoming fourth season. The show, which also features Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, and Manny Jacinto, will be out on the network in September. According to Comicbook.com, the first episode is titled "A Girl from Arizona."

The first look images feature Eleanor (Kristen), Tahani (Jameela), Jason (Manny), Michael (Ted) and Janet (D'Arcy) but no Chidi (William Jackson Harper).

Here are the pictures from The Good Place season 4.

Debuting in 2016, The Good Place explores themes of after-life. Kristen plays a deceased saleswoman who wakes up in after-life only to find herself in a highly selective Heaven-like utopia. However, she finds it's a case of mistaken identity and must hide her morally imperfect past while trying to become a better and more ethical person.

While talking about the season 3 finale twist, creator Michael Schur said season 4 will, in many ways, harken back to season 1, which may lead to “different power dynamics.”

"Normally, when a show ends, it’s canceled months after you’ve wrapped, and there’s this feeling that something’s been taken from you, or stolen from you, because you’ve been told that you can’t come back. This was a collective agreement that we made to end the show because Mike Schur found the perfect ending. He found an ending that is as meaningful as the reason he created the show," Kristen had said about the show's conclusion in an interview with Collider.

The Good Place joins ABC's Modern Family, NBC's Blindspot, Fox's Empire and The CW's Supernatural and Arrow as broadcast series that will end their runs during the 2019-20 season. The previous seasons of The Good Place are available on Netflix.



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US Open 2019: Rested Rafael Nadal sets up fourth-round clash with Marin Cilic after thumping win over Hyeon Chung

New York: A rested and healthy Rafael Nadal rolled into the US Open's fourth round on Saturday, wishing he had been pushed harder as he charges after a 19th Grand Slam title.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, who won his 12th French Open title in June, advanced to the last 16 by defeating 170th-ranked South Korean qualifier Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Rafael Nadal, of Spain, reacts to the crowd after defeating Hyeon Chung, of South Korea, during round three of the US Open tennis championships Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Hyeon Chung in the third round. AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

"I didn't face a breakpoint. That's a positive thing," Nadal said. "And the best thing is without playing great, playing a normal match, I was able to have a very comfortable score. That means a lot of things, positive ones.

"Now is the moment to push, to take a step forward if I want to give me a chance to fight for the important things. That's what I'm going to try."

Nadal, a three-time US Open champion, said he wished he had been able to play a second-round match against injured Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis instead of advance by walkover and rest for three days.

The injury-nagged star who was forced out of a US Open semi-final last year with knee pain and struggled with a hip injury earlier this season wanted more than six sets under his belt by now on the New York hardcourts.

"You never know what's better or worse, no? From here, the main thing, I am happy to be where I am. I'm in the fourth round, and that's the main thing," Nadal said.

"For me, personally, in some way, I will prefer to play the match. In some way is true that you save energy. So you never know what's the best thing."

Second seed Nadal is concerned about form as much as rest, although he did withdraw from a tuneup event in Cincinnati after winning at Montreal.

"I had the first three or four months of the season very hard, too many issues again, and then it's true that since Barcelona, things have been improving," Nadal said.

"I was able to fix a little bit the body and play more or less with freedom of movements. That's given me the chance to compete at the highest level again.

"So here I am to try my best and I'm going to put my 100 percent to try to be ready for the next round."

Big-serving Cilic next

Next up for Nadal is a Monday matchup against Croatia's 23rd-seeded Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion.

"The key is to play well. That simple," Nadal said. "If I'm playing well, I'm going to have hopefully my chances to return a couple of points and give me chances.

"Against big servers... chances are not a lot, so you need to be ready to expect a very tough one. But I need to be focused with my serve, as always. I need to be ready to accept the challenge that brings the competition in days like these.

"And I hope to be ready to play my highest level, because that's what I'm going to need."



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US Open 2019: Defending champion Naomi Osaka beats tearful Coco Gauff in emotional third-round clash

New York: US teen sensation Coco Gauff's first appearance at Arthur Ashe Stadium left both players crying Saturday night and produced one of the most touching moments in US Open history.

Top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka captured the last eight games in a dominating 6-3, 6-0 third-round victory that had 15-year-old Gauff wiping away tears, but it was what happened next that was memorable.

The 21-year-old Japanese star pleaded with Gauff to stay on the court and join her for a post-match interview.

"I definitely was wanting to leave the court because I'm not the type of person who wants to cry in front of everyone," Gauff said. "I didn't want to take that moment away from her as well.

"She told me, 'It's better than crying in the shower.' She convinced me multiple times to stay. I kept saying no. Finally I said, 'OK, I'll do it.' Because I didn't know what to do."

Wiping away tears, she stayed and poured out her heart as the crowd roared with excitement at the sporting gesture by Osaka, herself in tears, to a child rival needing support at a painful moment.

"After the match, I think she just proved that she's a true athlete," Gauff said. "For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who on the court treats you like your worst enemy but off the court can be your best friend. I think that's what she did tonight.

"She really showed sportsmanship. I mean, I wasn't expecting it."

And Gauff had no regrets about staying and speaking as the tears rolled down her face.

"I'm glad I was able to experience that moment," Gauff said. "I'm glad the crowd was kind of helping me and her. She was crying, she won. I was crying. Everybody was crying. I was like, I don't know why she was crying. 'You won the match.'

"Everybody was crying. But I think it was a good moment for both of us."

Osaka's own moment of ultimate victory last year was spoiled by boos in the same stadium after a controversial game penalty against Serena Williams helped her take the title, prompting her to later call the moment "bittersweet," something Gauff understands.

"I'm still a little bit sad because it's still fairly new. I think tomorrow I'll really cherish the experience," Gauff said.

"I hope that next year I'll be able to play on Ashe again. It was a great court, a great atmosphere out there. Maybe next time I'll come out on top."

'A good moment for me'

Gauff usually only projects strength on court, as in her run to the fourth round at Wimbledon in July in her Grand Slam debut.

"I guess it shows that I'm human. Athletes in general just experience things, and we show emotion, good and bad," Gauff said.

"People see the more pumping up side of me, the more fiery side. I guess that side is good for other people to see. I'm glad I was able to experience that on the biggest stage. I really thank Naomi for that because it was a good moment for me."

Gauff even found positives learning how far her game must grow to test Osaka.

"I'll learn a lot from this match. She's the number one player in the world right now, so I know what I need to do to get to that level," Gauff said. "She's at the top of her game right now.

"I got to the third round in my first main draw US Open. I'm super proud of myself. I'm just going to continue to learn.

"My dad told me I'm 15, I still have a lot to work on, a lot to improve. But I think that today definitely I learned a lot."



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Bigg Boss 13 new teaser sees Salman Khan join Karan Wahi, Surbhi Jyoti to promote reality show

A new promo for the much-anticipated Colors reality show Bigg Boss 13 was released on Saturday. After introducing Salman Khan as the 'station master' in the 30-second promo, the makers of reality Bigg Boss 13 have shared another video; but this time, the star is joined by television stars Karan Wahi and Surbhi Jyoti.

Check out the promo video here

The video opens to Salman and Surbhi in a gym, exercising on the treadmill. He hands Surbhi a bouquet of flowers, and declares that the new season will see celebrities falling in and out of love. However, a miffed Karan steps up and snatches the flowers from her, only to indulge in a fight. Further Salman goes on to explain that a lot of secrets will be revealed as this Bigg Boss instalment will speed up to its finale within four weeks.

Though the casting for the reality drama is underway, Indian Express reveals that celebrities like Chunky Pandey, Rajpal Yadav, Karan Patel,Dayanand Shetty, Tina Dutta, Devoleena Bhattacharjee and Ankita Lokhande have reportedly been approached for the season.

For the uninitiated, the winner of the show’s last season was Dipika Kakar Ibrahim.

According to Indian Express, the new season will deviate from the format of having commoners as contestants, “Bigg Boss 13 will only have celebrities for a change as the makers want to get back the old popularity and charm of the reality show.”

Meanwhile, Salman is prepping for Prabhudheva's Dabangg 3, the third installment in the Dabangg series. The actor will reprise his cult favourite role of Chulbul Pandey for the film. It was also reported that the cop drama will release in four languages — Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil for a pan-India audience.

Dabbang 3, co-starring Sonakshi Sinha, Saiee Manjrekar and Kiccha Sudeep, is scheduled to release on 20 December.



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India vs West Indies: Hanuma Vihari's old-fashioned grind and maturity stand out in his maiden Test ton as visitors seize control of second Test

“Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but I am happy that I could contribute to the team’s success. Maybe, one day will come when I will cross that three-figure mark,” said Hanuma Vihari at the end of the first Test in Antigua as he fell seven runs short of a well-deserved maiden Test ton. The Andhra batsman didn’t have to wait very long; Saturday was that day when he would cross that three-figure mark which he dedicated to his late father, who passed away when Vihari was 12 years of age.

Hanuma Vihari scored his first Test ton on Saturday after missing the mark in Antigua. AFP

Hanuma Vihari scored his first Test ton on Saturday after missing the mark in Antigua. AFP

While Jasprit Bumrah has exclusively featured in India’s overseas Tests — since India are trying to manage the workload of the greatest fast bowling talent to emerge from there — Vihari has been a prisoner of the schedule and has played all his six Tests away from home. He has been moved around the order too, and has tried to do his best to keep the contenders for the sixth spot in the line up at bay, and his century at Sabina Park would go a long way to cement it.

Vihari said that he “did not sleep very well” as Day 1 action in Jamaica ended with him on 42. If he was feeling any tiredness, he would get a jolt as he would lose his partner Rishabh Pant on the first delivery of Day 2. At 264/6, with Ravindra Jadeja and the bowlers to come, on a pitch that still provided movement and the ball just seven overs old, Vihari couldn’t afford to think about his hundred as he had to ensure India reached a comfortable score.

India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said that he was very happy for Vihari — a player who has done well in first-class cricket and could turn that into a pretty decent start in international cricket as well. Followers of Indian cricket have heard of him for a while and one would think he must be a veteran of the domestic scene in his thirties but he is just a young man of 25.

He boasts a fantastic first-class record, averaging almost 60, with a best of an undefeated 302. He performed quite well on the India A's tour of England in 2018 which put him on the selectors’ watchlist of back-up batsmen and would soon be included in India’s Test squad for the last two Tests in England last year.

Vihari received special mentions from skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri on his contribution as a makeshift opener, and his performances with India A on the tour to West Indies prior to this Test series, and his ability to bowl off-spin, got him selected for the contentious and competitive sixth spot for the Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

During the second innings in Antigua, as he approached his first Test hundred and the team looked to declare, Vihari tried to score quickly to get to his 90s and then coast to the landmark. However, it didn’t exactly work out the way he wanted.

In Jamaica, Vihari reached lunch at 84, and with no pressure of declaration, he knew he had time on his side. However, he was made to work quite hard to get going after lunch by a rejuvenated Shannon Gabriel and the ever consistent Jason Holder. It took him 11 deliveries to reach 86, and he was stuck on that score for 31 deliveries before he received a gift from Gabriel on the pads that he put it away to the midwicket delivery.

More than all the attractive drives, sweeps and flicks he had played in a terrific innings, it was this passage of play that highlighted the true credentials of Vihari as a Test batsman — that he was willing to bide his time for the right delivery and not being consumed by the desire to get to a major personal milestone. Eight of the 31 deliveries were left alone, few others defended safely and the rest found the fielders.

“I was patient,” said Vihari at the end of the day, and credited the opposition for “bowling well after lunch” and make him earn his runs. Ishant Sharma was an equal contributor to the partnership as the two one-time Sunrisers Hyderabad members and now Delhi Capitals teammates realised over a 100 runs, which would make Vihari comment, tongue firmly in cheek, that “(Ishant) looked more like a batsman than me.”

Ishant and Vihari reached their personal milestones; the former was welcomed with hooting and hollering from the Indian dressing room and the latter with a standing ovation reflective of the respect Vihari has already earned amongst his teammates for his thoughtful batsmanship.



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Ligue 1: 10-man Lyon held to frustrating draw by Bordeaux; Nimes hand promoted Brest first defeat of season

Paris: Ten-man Lyon dropped points in Ligue 1 for the second straight match as Sylvinho's side were held to a 1-1 draw at the Groupama Stadium by Bordeaux.

A busy transfer window and thumping victories in their opening two games of the season had raised hopes that Lyon could challenge reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain for the title.

Lyon's Brazilian head coach Sylvinho (foreground 2ndR) speaks to his players during the French L1 football match between Lyon (OL) and Bordeaux (FCB) on August 31, 2019, in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, central-eastern France. (Photo by ROMAIN LAFABREGUE / AFP)

Lyon dropped points for consecutive games after being held to a draw by Bordeaux. Romain Lafabregue/AFP

But the midweek 1-0 loss to Montpellier was followed with another disappointing performance, as Jimmy Briand grabbed Bordeaux a point midway through the second half after Memphis Depay's opener and Thiago Mendes' sending off.

"The sending off of Thiago Mendes penalised us. It seemed to me that it was an exaggerated (fall)," said Sylvinho, who replaced Bruno Genesio as Lyon coach in May.

"I am sad about the result and the sending off."

Depay fired the hosts into a 32nd-minute lead with a low, left-footed strike after racing away from the visiting defence and has now scored four league goals in as many games this season.

But the dismissal of Mendes, a close-season signing from Lille, for a second yellow card changed the match and Briand equalised in the 67th minute after a goalmouth scramble.

"It's very hard to digest, clearly two points lost, but the good thing is that we did not lose," said Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

"We lacked focus and maturity to finish the game XI against XI."

Rennes will put Ligue 1's last 100 percent record on the line against Nice on Sunday, but only need a point to retake top spot from PSG, who beat Metz 2-0 on Friday.

Elsewhere on Saturday, promoted Brest suffered their first defeat of the season with a 3-0 loss at Nimes, while Angers moved into third by beating pointless Dijon 2-0.



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Breaking Bad: Before El Camino, a look at what made Vince Gilligan's crime series a modern classic

Run a poll and ask people who Heisenberg was, and few would name the Nobel Prize-winning quantum physicist. It’s not the first time a famous name has been appropriated, but never has it been done with more aplomb. The idea of a chemistry teacher turning meth cook might seem a little out there, but then there was nothing normal about Breaking Bad. Hell, Heisenberg himself might have been impressed by the ‘good’ use his only contribution to chemistry was used for (Google it!).

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad | AMC

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad | AMC

Breaking Bad didn’t just make science cool; it made science wicked, in every sense of the word. If it made you want to dig around in your parents’ old chests of junk, find your school chemistry set and create poison out of beans, you wouldn’t be the only one. Six years back, when Walter White (Bryan Cranston) eventually realises his death wish, rescues one-time business partner, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), and the credits roll, you couldn’t have asked for a more poetic end to what will be remembered as one of the most memorable stories ever told.

The show’s cult following hasn’t gone unnoticed over the years, and we’ve already had one successful spin-off/prequel, Better Call Saul, which gets into its fifth season next year. It’s a whole planet of fandom, but it’s still Vince Gilligan’s main story that people talk about, the one that people miss, the one that had its heroes figuratively riding off into the sunset. Or so we thought. Last weekend, when Netflix dropped the trailer for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, it resuscitated long dead discussion boards and brought an end to years of speculation on the possibility of one last hurrah.

In hindsight, what is it about Breaking Bad though, that makes it a modern classic? Definitely wasn’t just one thing.

To start with, it was like watching a classic western movie without the cows, horses, six-gallon hats and lassos. But it definitely had those feels, because every frame was a work of art etched on 35mm film. The rich colours of southwest America are played up through some beautiful cinematography and even the indoor shots are lifted by some exceptional mood lighting and an eye for contrast. The contours on Walt’s face, a solitary pink teddy bear floating in a pool of deep azure, every one of those stunning sunsets, all make for some indelible memories.

Breaking Bad wasn’t just a visual treat though. If tickling all your senses was what show creator Vince Gilligan was going for, he hammered a home run with an eclectic mix of post punk, world music, R&B and some plain old rock. There are times when the music actually feels like the third character on the show; lurking somewhere behind the meth smokescreen, waiting to be unleashed when the conversations ran dry. The musical montages tie scenes together and move the narrative along, at times better than mere words could.

All of this beautifully crafted window-dressing could just as easily have been for nothing though, had the writing not been what it was. If the premise was a shocker to start with, the writing just lifted the love for its characters. Imagine your high school chemistry teacher cooking meth for money after he’s diagnosed with terminal cancer. You inevitably start from a place of empathy for Walt’s situation and slowly watch his degeneration. The ride through his five-season long journey from anxious, uncertain schoolteacher to deadly drug lord is almost like giving Kurt Vonnegut the rights to your memoirs and saying, “Write my future. Go wild with it.” There’s a certain brand of gallows humour that makes content loveable, and it’s strong with this one.

The cast of Breaking Bad | AMC

The cast of Breaking Bad | AMC

It wasn’t just the dark humour though; the drama was thick and some of the episode ending cliffhangers would make any television top ten list. There’s no slack on this show, never the feeling of time being filled, never a scene that felt unnecessary. It’s a compulsive binge-watch; difficult to take a break from once you’ve started. A lot of this is achieved by throwing in some very complex character arcs. Without getting into a back story, there’s enough in the screenplay to spark your imagination and decide for yourself what Walt White probably always was, deep down inside. It’s also remarkable how Jesse’s character starts off being antagonistic, yet ends up being the one everyone is rooting for.

The show also introduced a really interesting support cast along the way, from Walt’s DEA brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris) to sleazebag lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and Mike (Jonathan Banks), the hitman you can’t help but love. Skyler White’s (Anna Gunn) character was probably the most fascinating of the lot though, and a testament to Gilligan’s deep understanding of how the human mind works. Put yourself in the shoes of a woman whose boring husband suddenly turns into a meth dealer, and hers becomes a transformation that’s as thought-provoking as those of the two lead characters. She’s downright annoying at times but highly resourceful, and has a temperament of steel.

When Gilligan gives us his sequel in October, seeing some of these characters again will no doubt be a huge draw, apart from closing out Jesse’s story. One can’t help asking though, whether it will be quite the same without Walt. Six years on, it’s easy to look back at all that’s memorable about the show, and it eventually always boils down to two people. You saw a mentor-apprentice relationship quickly taking on shades of ‘parent-problem child’, followed by something way more complex, something that’s hard to define. There were trust issues, there was always a manipulator and a manipulated, and there was enough going on for a couple’s therapist to have a field day. Call it what you want but there were definitely shades of love, a (b)romance of another kind. That is what stays with you.



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Joker early reactions: Joaquin Phoenix shines in 'Todd Phillips' grippingly atmospheric supervillain origin story'

Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, directed by Todd Phillips, premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2019 on 31 August. The standalone film follows Arthur Fleck and his descent into madness. Joker also stars Zazie Beetz, Rober De Niro, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham.

Phoenix had revealed that the film strays from the DC supervillain's storyline, which may disappoint or anger fans. Phillips had explained that the plot is more about how Joker becomes the man he came to be. Joker will also be showcased at Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival before opening in US theatres on 4 October.

Joaquin Phoenix in a still from Joker. Screenshot from YouTube

Joaquin Phoenix in a still from Joker. Screenshot from YouTube

According to the overwhelmingly positive early reactions, the film is as dark and twisted as the promotional material promised.

Here's what critics are saying about Joker.

The Guardian: "What a gloriously daring and explosive film Joker is. It’s a tale that’s almost as twisted as the man at its centre, bulging with ideas and pitching towards anarchy."

Cinema Blend: "It is because the protagonist trajectory in Joker runs entirely contrary to tradition that the movie is so unnerving and disturbing – but, frankly, that just means it’s doing what it’s supposed to do telling a story about this notorious character."

The Hollywood Reporter: "The clown prince of crime is alive and mentally unwell in Gotham City in Todd Phillips' grippingly atmospheric supervillain origin story, Joker. While a never-better Joaquin Phoenix paints on the famed maniacal smile with his own blood at one memorable climactic moment of messianic rebirth, what's most noteworthy about this gritty entry in the DC canon and the lead actor's sensational performance is the pathos he brings to a pathetically disenfranchised character — just like countless others in a metropolis in which the social chasm separating the haves from the have-nots has become a pit of incendiary rage."

BBC: "...Joker is ultimately nothing but a flimsy, two-hour supervillain origin movie, so the viewer is just waiting for Arthur to become the fully-fledged Clown Prince of Crime. If it had been chopped down to an hour and then intercut with a Batman plot, what a film that might have been."

Variety: "Many have asked, and with good reason: Do we need another Joker movie? Yet what we do need — badly — are comic-book films that have a verité gravitas, that unfold in the real world, so that there’s something more dramatic at stake than whether the film in question is going to rack up a billion-and-a-half dollars worldwide. Joker manages the nimble feat of telling the Joker’s origin story as if it were unprecedented."

 IndieWire: "By the time “The End” comes in its cute, old-timey font, Joker is neither a game-changer nor just “another day in Chuckletown.” It’s both. It’s good enough to be dangerous, and bad enough to demand better. It’s going to turn the world upside down and make us all hysterical in the process. For better or worse, it’s exactly the movie the Joker would want."



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Bundesliga: Union Berlin stun Borussia Dortmund to notch historic first-ever league win; Bayern Munich thrash Mainz

Berlin: Union Berlin pulled off perhaps the biggest victory in their turbulent history, defeating Borussia Dortmund 3-1 at the Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on Saturday.

Dortmund came into the match heavily favoured to win and reclaim their place on top of the table but struggled to match Berlin's enthusiasm in sweltering conditions in the German capital.

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - 1. FC Union Berlin v Borussia Dortmund - Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin, Germany - August 31, 2019 1. FC Union Berlin's Marius Bulter celebrates scoring their second goal with team mates REUTERS/Annegret Hilse DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video - RC1D00E77DF0

Union Berlin players celebrate Marius Bulter's second goal. Reuters/Annegret Hilse

Union were 1-0 in the 22nd minute, with Marius Buelter scoring the side's first-ever top-flight goal at home.

Buelter latched onto a Berlin corner which had been struck low and fast, hammering the ball into the bottom right of the net.

The goal stung Dortmund into action, who equalised just two minutes later through Paco Alcacer.

Dortmund coasted through the remainder of the first half, dominating possession and territory as they went in search of what seemed like an inevitable second.

It was Union who would score next, however, with Buelter grabbing a second by pouncing on a desperate clearance from Dortmund keeper Roman Buerki.

Sebastian Andersson added another in the 75th minute to put the home side 3-1 up and seal their first-ever win in the top division.

Union manager Urs Fischer said he was proud of his side's performance — and planned on letting them savour the victory.

"We knew that it would be a really difficult 90 minutes — when you want to take points off (Dortmund) you have to work hard and try everything. And we did it," Fischer said.

"I think there might be a beer or two tonight — we'll see if we get around to completing the video analysis tonight or not."

Dortmund captain Marco Reus said the entire team was to blame for the loss.

"We had plenty of opportunities but the last pass seemed to fail us every time," he said.

"We simply didn't put in enough tonight."

Bayern dominate Mainz

Earlier on Saturday, Bayern Munich new boy Ivan Perisic bagged his first goal for the Bundesliga champions as they romped to a 6-1 win over a hapless Mainz at the Allianz Arena.

Robert Lewandowski scored his sixth of the season in just three games, while Benjamin Pavard, David Alaba, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies also found the net.

In Freiburg, Cologne's Ellyes Skhiri scored the winner in second-half injury time to secure the visitors a 2-1 victory.

Freiburg took the lead in the 40th minute through an own goal by Rafael Czichos, before Cologne fan favourite Anthony Modeste equalised in the 52nd minute.

Schalke picked up their first win of the season over a disappointing Hertha Berlin at Gelsenkirchen's Veltins Arena.

Hertha scored own goals either side of half-time through Niklas Stark and Karim Rekik.

English defender Jonjoe Kenny added a third in the 86th minute to make it 3-0 — the first goal by a Schalke player this season — to put the game beyond doubt.

Wolfsburg and Paderborn fought out a 1-1 draw at the Volkswagen Arena.

Newly-promoted Paderborn went ahead through Cauly Souza in the 12th minute, before Josip Brekalo equalised in the 56th minute.

At the BayArena, visitors Hoffenheim ended Bayer Leverkusen's 100 percent start to the season as the sides fought out a 0-0 draw.

The visitors had to endure a six-minute spell of injury time but held firm against a luckless Leverkusen attack.



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Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski among celebrities sued over Fyre Festival payments, promotion

Models Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski are among the prominent celebrities who have landed in trouble as a result of their association with the infamous Fyre Festival.

According to The Wall Street Journal, lawsuits have been filed against the two models as well as musicians Migos, Pusha T, Blink-182 and Lil Yachty for promoting the festival.

Kendall Jenner | Twitter

Kendall Jenner | Twitter

Gregory Messer, the organiser's bankruptcy trustee, is trying to claim back money for defrauded investors and attendees.

He alleges that Jenner, 23, received USD 275,000 for promoting the festival on her social media pages. It includes the additional USD 25,000 which she was paid days after sharing a post, which has been since deleted.

Messer is also seeking the return of USD 500,000 that was paid to Blink-182, who was supposed to headline the event.

In the suit against Ratajkowski, the trustee alleges that the 28-year-old model-actor was paid USD 300,000 for promoting the festival on Instagram.

The lawsuits accuse Ratajkowski and Jenner of demonstrating a "clear lack of good faith" because they did not disclose that they were paid for their posts.

The festival, organised by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, had made headlines in 2017 over it being poorly executed and the subsequent lawsuits which were filed by the angered audiences.

McFarland is currently serving a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to fraud charges.



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India vs West Indies: Jasprit Bumrah's hat-trick attests his mastery over Dukes ball and intellectual thrill he brings to the table

Jasprit Bumrah has always been infatuated about improving his skills. Last year after being ruled out of T20 and ODI series in England due to a fractured finger, he returned home with a box of Dukes balls. Unable to bowl, Bumrah spent his time by acquainting himself to Dukes ball by resting and running his index and middle fingers down the seam.

Jasprit Bumrah became only the third Indian to claim a Test hat-trick on Saturday. AFP

Jasprit Bumrah became only the third Indian to claim a Test hat-trick on Saturday. AFP

What was the purpose of it? Burmah had never bowled with the Dukes ball and wanted to make sure the skin on his fingers was familiar with the prominent seam. Bumrah had heard how the pronounced Dukes ball seam had been inflicting minor cuts on the Indian bowler's fingertips and he wanted to ensure his fingers were seasoned for the challenge ahead.

On Saturday evening as most of India dozed off, Bumrah hooped the Dukes ball like a magician as he became the only third Indian bowler to claim a hat-trick to finish the day with figures of 6-16. Ever since his finger gripping project in India, Bumrah has picked a wicket every 38 balls with the Dukes ball.

It just further exemplifies his maturity and his constant drive to improve. Bumrah might be blessed with a unique action, but his evolving skills are a credit to his mind and hard work. Above all, he has the brains to outsmart the batsmen.

Last week in Antigua, he terrorised the West Indies left-handers with inswingers. At Sabina Park, he tortured them by shaping the ball away from the bat. Dwayne Bravo was a victim of Bumrah's sheer brilliance. Bumrah had uprooted his off-stump with a prodigious inswinger in the previous innings, so he knew the left-hander would be anticipating the ball angling towards him. Bravo had even changed his guard, but what he did not foresee is the delivery that jagged across him. Burmah meant it and got it his reward.

Shamarh Brooks would have seen Bumrah uprooting stumps with the outswinger from the dressing room a few days ago, so he was ambushed by the one that swung late and cannoned into his pads. Roston Chase also looked amused as his first ball tailed in late to strike him in front of his stumps. In a space of three balls, Burmah had perhaps scarred the West Indies top-order for life. His mind is far too advanced. His dexterity is far too supreme.

A toe-crushing yorker and a crunchy nip-backer would have been satisfactory for most bowlers in the world, but not Bumrah. He wanted to evolve and kept picking people's mind. Bumrah developed an outswinger with the aid of RP Singh. The former Indian quick solidified his wrist position and showed him how to manipulate it at release point.

But while others might have tried it immediately on the grand stage, Bumrah waited patiently until he had mastered it. The perplexed look on Keaton's Jenning's face as he shouldered arms to one that cut back at him in Southampton Test was a sight to behold.

"Lot of hard-work and practice goes into that (bowling the outswinger). I always had the inswinger but the more I played the more confident I got. Playing with the Dukes ball in England helped me a lot too. It has helped my confidence," he said after the first match.

Bumrah now faces a healthy conundrum — does he execute an outswinger or the inswinger? He can now accomplish both by a slight manipulation of his wrists. It is an art that not many have managed to master in the history of the game. Only 12 Test matches in his career, Bumrah has conquered it. But perhaps above all, it is the intellectual thrill in watching Bumrah unleashing his weapons that makes him far superior to anyone in the world.

"(We are) always trying to evolve as a bowler and always trying to do new things and when the ball is not swinging maybe try and use the seam to get the movement. A lot of communication goes between the bowlers and sometimes you just need to hit good areas and everything else will follow", he said.

Those close to Bumrah say he is a fast learner and one thought that constantly lingers in his mind is 'what next?' A toe crushing yorker, sharp bouncer, a slower ball, an inswinger, an outswinger, and even a Test hat-trick — seriously what next? Bumrah probably knows it already or perhaps with the big home season coming up he will just start flicking the SG ball in his fingers.



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Serie A: Kalidou Koulibaly's late own-goal hands Juventus victory in seven-goal thriller against Napoli; AC Milan win

Milan: Kalidou Koulibaly handed Juventus a dramatic win on Saturday with a last-gasp own goal that consigned Napoli to a painful 4-3 Serie A defeat after his side had battled back from three goals down to level the scores.

The Senegal international shanked in Paulo Dybala's free-kick under no pressure in the second minute of stoppage time to hand Juve the three points in Turin and put Maurizio Sarri's side top with a maximum six points, leaving Napoli with nothing to show for their Herculean efforts.

Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly reacts after scoring the own goal that gave Juventus a 4-3 win, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Napoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday Aug. 31, 2019. (Alessandro di Marco/ANSA via AP)

Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly sinks to the ground after scoring the own goal that gave Juventus a 4-3 win. Alessandro di Marco/ANSA via AP

"It's an own goal that hurts me because it came after an incredible comeback," Koulibaly later said on Twitter.

"I'm sorry but I have to — we have to accept it: we are strong. We have shown that. We're going to prove it."

Koulibaly's blunder undid all of Napoli's good work in fighting back from the dead with less than half-an-hour left, with goals from Danilo just 20 seconds after he came on as a substitute, Gonzalo Higuain — back at Juventus after loan spells at AC Milan and Chelsea — and Cristiano Ronaldo on 61 minutes giving the reigning champions what looked like an unassailable lead.

However two goals in as many minutes from Kostas Manolas and Hirving Lozano shortly after Ronaldo had made it three brought Napoli back into the game, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo sent the away fans wild with a close-range finish to set up a tense final nine minutes.

But with at least point seemingly in the bag, Koulibaly made it a nightmare end for Carlo Ancelotti's men, who finished on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline after winning by the same margin at Fiorentina last weekend.

"It was a rollercoaster. We lost control of the game and got distracted, so they managed to equalise, but fortunately, in the end, we still won," said Higuain, who spun Koulibaly before slamming home Juventus' superb second.

The champions made light of the absence of captain Giorgio Chiellini, out with anterior cruciate ligament knee injury, and Sarri, who is battling pneumonia and was not on the bench.

Ancelotti meanwhile was left to regret a "wasted opportunity" after losing in such gut-wrenching fashion.

"It was not a positive performance. The first hour we didn't do well. But despite the 3-0 we stayed in the game, we came back," said Ancelotti.

"Juventus have so much character and quality, we know that they always step up in the important moments of the season.

"We wasted an opportunity today."

AC Milan scrape opening win

Earlier Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu claimed AC Milan's first three points of the season after scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over newly-promoted Brescia.

The 25-year-old connected with a cross from Spanish winger Suso to head a 12th-minute winner after Milan had lost their opener to Udinese last weekend.

Poland forward Krzysztof Piatek, who finished third in Serie A's scorers' chart last season with 22 goals, Lucas Paqueta and Fabio Borini all started on the bench for the side who have been banned from this season's Europa League for breaking financial fair play rules.

Dimitri Bisoli missed a chance to equalise, sending a shot over the bar with Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denying Ricardo Rodriguez's deflected shot before the break.

Piatek come on for the last half an hour in place of Andre Silva, with Paqueta replacing Calhanoglu five minutes later.

The hosts came to life in the final 10 minutes with Piatek missing a chance to get a second goal for Milan, then setting up Paqueta who also drew a blank.



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Turram Khan: Rajkummar Rao, Nushrat Bharucha's upcoming comedy to release on 31 January, 2020

Director-actor duo Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao will return to the big screen on 31 January, 2020 with their latest collaboration Turram Khan. Mehta and Rao have previously worked together in critically-acclaimed films like Shahid, Citylights, Aligarh and Omerta.

The filmmaker shared the release date of their new movie on Twitter on the occasion of Rao's 35th birthday.

Turram Khan also stars Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety actor Nushrat Bharucha. The film will marks Rao and Bharucha's maiden collaboration. The duo have earlier been a part of Dibakar Banerjee's 2010 anthology drama, Love Sex Aur Dhokha.

Produced by Ajay Devgn, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, the film is a social comedy based in a small town in Uttar Pradesh.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)



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LaLiga: Ansu Fati becomes third-youngest player to score in league but can't rescue Barcelona from draw at Osasuna

Pamplona: Ansu Fati became the third-youngest player to score in LaLiga on Saturday but the 16-year-old could not rescue Barcelona from being held to a 2-2 draw away at newly-promoted Osasuna.

Fati equalised five minutes after coming on at half-time and Barcelona looked likely to complete the comeback when Arthur Melo, also on a substitute, made it two 13 minutes later at El Sadar Stadium.

Barcelona´s Guinea-Bissau forward Ansu Fati celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league football match CA Osasuna against FC Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona on August 31, on 2019. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP)

Barcelona's Ansu Fati celebrates after scoring against Osasuna. Ander Gillenea/AFP

Yet Roberto Torres, who had given Osasuna an early lead, delivered a twist by scoring a late second from the penalty spot after Gerard Pique handballed.

As Barcelona refuse to give up on their pursuit of Neymar before the transfer window closes on Monday, this was another reminder of the talent that already exists in their ranks.

Coach Ernesto Valverde appears ready to look to the future rather than the past, with Carles Perez, a 21-year-old product of La Masia, also providing two assists on his second consecutive start.

He should even have scored the winner but the concern will be that Barcelona needed Fati and Perez at all, even taking into account the injuries to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.

Antoine Griezmann put on a statement display in the win over Real Betis last weekend but he was quiet again here and it remains to be seen whether the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu feels negotiations for Neymar should now be pushed over the line.

Guillermo Amor, Barcelona's director of institutional relations, told Movistar on Saturday the deal is not dead.

"The market closes soon but we still have a few days," said Amor. "Nothing is done and we are waiting to see what can happen. Of course, something can happen at the last minute. We are calm."

Bad Barca

Roberto Torres also came through the ranks at Osasuna and has more than 200 appearances for the club. His double means they are unbeaten from their first three games, having returned to the top flight for the first time since 2017.

Both teams stood for a minute's silence before kick-off in a show of support for Luis Enrique, Barcelona's former coach and player, whose daughter Xana died aged nine last week. Barcelona's fans then chanted his name when the silence ended.

Barcelona started badly and got worse in the second half, the opening 45 minutes strewn with misplaced passes and lacking a single chance for the visitors.

Osasuna also forced the issue, pressing hard and showing more bite than Barcelona, with Brandon and Roberto Torres causing a raft of problems for the Barcelona backline.

Their goal came from Brandon, who twisted and turned down the right to leave Clement Lenglet on the floor. He sent a cross to the back post where Nelson Semedo got caught and Roberto Torres smashed home.

Barcelona never found their rhythm and it might have been Sergi Roberto putting a simple pass out of play that persuaded Valverde to make a half-time change.

Fati came on for Semedo, with Sergi dropping into right back. The goal came from that side too as Perez crossed and Fati rose high, hung in the air and powered a header inside the post.

Transformed, Arthur came on for Rafinha two minutes later and within a minute, Barca scored again. Perez provided the assist, freeing Arthur who used Jordi Alba's overlapping run to cut inside and curl into the far corner.

The hard work looked done but Osasuna rallied. Juan Villar tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen and with nine minutes left, Pique handballed, allowing Roberto Torres to slide in the penalty for his second of the game.

Perez might have won it for Barcelona in the 88th minute. He had only Osasuna's Ruben to beat but was caught in two minds and the chance was gone.



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Premier League: Table toppers Liverpool maintain 100 percent record with comfortable win over Burnley

Burnley: Jurgen Klopp admitted he has been surprised by Liverpool's 100 percent start to the Premier League season after a 3-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday kept his side two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

The European champions struggled in pre-season, losing three times, as they had to cope largely without Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane after their participation in international tournaments during the summer.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring against Burnley during the English Premier League soccer match at Turf Moor, Burnley, England, Saturday Aug. 31, 2019. (Anthony Devlin/PA via AP)

Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah celebrate Liverpool's third goal. Anthony Devlin/PA via AP

But all three have picked up where they left off last season as Klopp's men extended their winning run in the Premier League to a club-record 13 games.

"If you ask me four weeks ago I wouldn't expect it would happen," said Klopp.

"We had a tricky pre-season. No pre-season for the front three but they still deliver. So far, so good."

Burnley were left to rue missing the first big chance of the match when Chris Wood got in behind the Liverpool defence just three minutes in and turned Virgil van Dijk, but the New Zealander's shot was just too close to Adrian, who palmed the ball to safety.

Liverpool went straight down the other end and were inches away from an early lead themselves when Salah's fiercely struck effort came back off the post.

The Egyptian then did not get the break of the ball as Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope's clearance bounced off Salah and inches wide.

However, fortune did favour Jurgen Klopp's men 12 minutes before half-time.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was clearly looking to deliver a cross into the box, but the ball flicked off Wood and looped over Pope into the far corner.

Burnley then played a huge part in their own downfall moments later when Ben Mee gifted possession to Firmino inside the hosts' half.

The Brazil forward strode forward before releasing a perfect pass so Mane did not have to break his stride in finding the bottom corner.

Firmino then became the first Brazilian to score 50 Premier League goals when he found the bottom corner from just outside the box 10 minutes from time.

"On transition they are deadly," said Burnley boss Sean Dyche. "We gave them too many cheap turnovers in dangerous areas.

"They were the better side and deserved to win the game but 3-0 doesn't really reflect the game."

Liverpool could ease off the gas after the break to record their first clean sheet of the season as Burnley rarely threatened to get back into the game.

"We controlled the game as much as you can," added Klopp. "Wood and (Ashley) Barnes fight so hard for these balls, and we defended it really well. We were aggressive but gave away no fouls, we worked our socks off."

Klopp also downplayed the one flashpoint that came when Mane reacted angrily to being substituted moments after Salah choose to go for goal himself rather than squaring for his teammate, who appeared in a better position.

"Sadio is an emotional guy," said Klopp. "Something went not like he wanted, it is not the substitution. We will clarify it in the dressing room."



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Jasprit Bumrah hat-trick: 'Once in a lifetime talent', leaves Twitterati spellbound after six-wicket magic spell against West Indies

Kingston: Pacer Jasprit Bumrah took a five-wicket haul on day two of the second Test of the two-match series against West Indies to consolidate India's position here at Sabina Park.
West Indies finished day two at 87/7 after bundling India out for 416 runs in the first innings.

Windies' innings got off to a bad start as Bumrah had John Campbell (2) caught at the hands of wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant with just 10 runs on the board.

Bumrah wreaked havoc in the 9th over as he registered a hat-trick, and, with this, he became only the third Indian after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan to achieve the feat in the longest format of the game.

Bumrah's figures read 6/16 from 9.1 overs at the end of second day's play. Here's how Twitterati reacted:

Bumrah at his best!

Is Jasprit Bumrah the 'GOAT' already?



Unstoppable Bumrah!

A Deja Vu moment?

This one is for the 90s kids

Bumrah's not to be taken lightly!

Wishful and greedy, but that could happen very soon for Bumrah

A six-star performance from Boom Boom Bumrah!

With inputs from ANI



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