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- Stocks push higher on hopes for Trump's Treasury pick
- Dortmund boss calls for member vote on club's arms sponsorship deal
- Chanel family matriarch dies aged 99: company
- US boss Hayes says Chelsea stress made her 'unwell'
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- China's Ding beats 'nervous' Gukesh in world chess opener
- Man City can still do 'very good things' despite slump, says Guardiola
- 'After Mazan': France unveils new measures to combat violence against women
- Scholz named party's top candidate for German elections
- Flick says Barca must eliminate mistakes after stumble
- British business group hits out at Labour's tax hikes
- German Social Democrats name Scholz as top candidate for snap polls
- Fresh strikes, clashes in Lebanon after ceasefire calls
- Russia and Ukraine trade aerial attacks amid escalation fears
- Georgia parliament convenes amid legitimacy crisis
- Plastic pollution talks must not fail: UN environment chief
- Maximum term sought in French mass rape trial for husband who drugged wife
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- Equity markets mostly on front foot, as bitcoin rally stutters
- Ukraine drones hit Russian oil energy facility: Kyiv source
- UN chief slams landmine threat after US decision to supply Ukraine
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- Salah feels 'more out than in' with no new Liverpool deal on table
- Pro-Russia candidate leads Romanian polls, PM out of the race
- Taiwan fighter jets to escort winning baseball team home
- Le Pen threatens to topple French government over budget
- DHL cargo plane crashes in Lithuania, killing one
- Le Pen meets PM as French government wobbles
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- India crush Australia in first Test to silence critics
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- Asian markets mostly on front foot, bitcoin rally stutters
- India two wickets away from winning first Australia Test
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- As baboons become bolder, Cape Town battles for solutions
- Uruguay's Orsi: from the classroom to the presidency
- UN chief slams landmine threat days after US decision to supply Ukraine
- Sporting hope for life after Amorim in Arsenal Champions League clash
- Head defiant as India sense victory in first Australia Test
- Scholz's party to name him as top candidate for snap polls
- Donkeys offer Gazans lifeline amid war shortages
- Court moves to sentencing in French mass rape trial
Alcaraz beats Rublev to open ATP Finals account
Carlos Alcaraz opened his account at the ATP Finals on Wednesday with an entertaining 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win over Andrey Rublev which boosted his hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
World number three Alcaraz comfortably defeated Rublev to lift himself off the bottom of the John Newcombe Group and looked in much better form despite struggling with fatigue and illness in the lead-up to the match.
There had been some doubt as to whether Alcaraz would continue in Turin after quickly ending his training session on Tuesday, with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero saying that he had trouble breathing.
But the Spaniard, winner at Wimbledon and Roland Garros this season, cruised to the first set in 38 minutes, breaking Rublev in game seven and quickly winning the next two to go one set ahead.
And although he had a harder time of it in the second set Alcaraz delighted fans in Turin with a series of spectacular shots which suggested he might be approaching his best form.
Rublev meanwhile drops to last place after losing his sixth straight Finals match, although he put up a battle and had two set points.
Alcaraz winning in straight sets means that Casper Ruud will reach the semi-finals if he beats two-time Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the day's late match.
On Thursday Jannik Sinner will secure passage to the last four if he claims a single set against Daniil Medvedev, and will top the Ilie Nastase Group with a third straight win.
K.Brown--BTB