Sports

LOS ANGELES  — Spanish centre Serge Ibaka scored a season-high 30 points and powered the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors to a club-record 12th consecutive triumph on Wednesday by beating Indiana 119-118.

The 30-year-old Congo-born big man sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to cap a game-ending 11-0 Raptors run, as the Raptors rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit.

“The key is we keep our composure during the game. We just didn’t give up. We kept digging and digging,” Ibaka said.

“We have the mindset of ‘Don’t give up.’ We don’t point the fingers when things go bad. We stay together and I think that’s what makes us special.”

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry scored 32 points, passed out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds, while Cameroonian star Pascal Siakam added 25 points and nine rebounds for the reigning NBA champions.

Toronto, which trailed 69-50 early in the third quarter, improved the third-best record in the NBA to 37-14.

Ibaka, who won his first NBA title with Toronto last year in his 10th league campaign, was bolstered by Raptors coach Nick Nurse to keep firing 3-pointers even though he was only 1-for-7 from beyond the arc until hitting the decider.

“I missed a couple open threes earlier. Coach told me keep shooting with confidence and moving the ball,” Ibaka said. “That gave me a lot of confidence.”

Nurse likes what he has seen lately from Ibaka, saying: “He is getting better. He has been really good. He’s way more than pick, pop and shoot.”

Paul George and reserve guard Landry Shamet each scored 23 points to lead eight double-figure scorers from the Los Angeles Clippers in a 128-111 home victory over Miami.

Heat star forward Jimmy Butler left after scoring 11 points in 26 minutes with a strained right shoulder.

Serbian centre Nikola Jokic’s triple double of 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists sparked the Denver Nuggets over host Utah 98-95, although Jamal Murray led the visitors with 31 points.

Jokic hit a go-ahead jumper with 59 seconds remaining and Murray sank two free throws with five seconds to play while Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer at the final buzzer.

Jayson Tatum netted 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics over visiting Orlando 116-100. Frenchman Evan Fournier led the Magic with 26 points.

Atlanta All-Star guard Trae Young scored 32 points and passed off 11 assists to power the Atlanta Hawks over host Minnesota 127-120, dealing the Timberwolves a 13th consecutive defeat.

German guard Dennis Schroder scored 30 points off the bench to power Oklahoma City over visiting Cleveland 109-103.

Andre Drummond scored 31 points and grabbed 19 rebounds while Reggie Jackson added 25 points to lead Detroit over visiting Phoenix 116-108.

Brooklyn’s Caris Levert had 23 points and eight assists in the Nets’ 129-88 rout of visiting Golden State.

Ja Morant’s 21 points led six double-digit scorers for Memphis in a 121-107 victory at Dallas, while Latvian centre Kristaps Porzingis had 32 points and 12 rebounds in a losing cause.

MELBOURNE — It wasn’t so long ago that Sofia Kenin’s father was driving New York taxis and spoke English so poorly that he didn’t know where he was supposed to be going. These days Alex Kenin, despite starting with close to zero tennis knowledge, is coaching a Grand Slam champion.

Russian-born Alex, an unassuming, grey-haired man with a receding hairline, introduced Sofia to tennis, brought her up around the game and pushed her to achieve the extraordinary — crowned by her victory at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Sofia said her “crazy smart” father had no prior experience of the game, but simply picked it up by observing those around him.

“He’s seen how all the other coaches have been coaching their players, but he knows everything,” Sofia said, after stunning Garbine Muguruza in her first Grand Slam final.

“He knows what he’s talking about, he really knows it and he comes up with the right plans, the right strategies.”

If Sofia’s achievement is remarkable, it owes a great deal to her father, who was ever-present courtside during her increasingly impressive run through the Melbourne women’s draw.

Teenage prodigy Coco Gauff, World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and, in the final, two-time Major-winner Muguruza all fell victim to tough-as-boots Sofia, who was following strategies drawn up by her wily father.

He joins a long list of tennis dads who have produced champions, including Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, Mike Agassi (Andre) and Yuri Sharapova (Maria).

But unlike some other fathers, whose influence has been resented or even negative, Alex and Sofia, 21, remain close and affectionate.

“I really have him to thank. We’ve been dreaming about this — it’s a dream come true for us,” Sofia said. “He’s told me a lot of positive things. He knows exactly what he’s talking about. 

“Even though I don’t like to admit it sometimes, to tell him he’s right. Yeah, he really works hard. Just thank you to him. We can share this forever.”

‘People overlooked me’

Alex Kenin arrived in New York from what was then the Soviet Union in 1987 with his wife, Lena, and a few hundred dollars in his pocket, searching for the “American Dream”.

He drove a taxi by night and went to English and computer school during the day, a period he describes as “very, very tough”.

“I had to work at night, go to school in the morning. Driving in New York, speaking English on the [taxi] radio. I had no idea what they were saying,” he said.

“But it’s amazing the things you do to survive. [Sofia] knows about that and I think it made her tough.”

Sofia clearly had talent from a young age, but they remained outsiders and making it on the tennis circuit was never easy.

“People overlooked me. I wasn’t the tallest kid when I was little. People said, ‘What are you talking about? She’s so small. What are you doing? This is a joke,’” Sofia said.

“We didn’t have the best things said about me but my dad’s been there and he believed in me, didn’t listen to that. He could have easily said, okay, and I could have done something [else].”

Sofia represented America at the 2014 Youth Olympics, made her Grand Slam debut as a wildcard at the 2015 US Open and broke into the top 100 in March 2018.

Her career really took off last year, when she won three singles titles and rose to a world ranking of 12. But despite her recent success, nobody predicted her victory in Melbourne.

During Saturday’s final, Alex could barely watch as Sofia closed on the win, and he filmed her winner’s speech — which was beamed live worldwide — on his mobile phone.

“He was so happy. I was so happy. We shared this together. He was like, ‘What just happened?’” Sofia said. “I’m also just on cloud nine.”

“He’s just proud of me. I’m a tough cookie, but I did it.”

LOS ANGELES — Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks over the New Orleans Pelicans 120-108 on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo hit 12-of-17 from the floor and 9-of-13 free throws while adding six assists, a steal and a blocked shot as the Bucks improved their NBA-best record to 43-7 thanks to a 42-24 scoring edge in the third quarter.

“I had a good game but I could get better,” Antetokounmpo said. “Closing down the third quarter, we didn’t do a good job. We got sloppy.”

The Greek star still feels the sting of losing to Toronto in last year’s Eastern Conference final and failing to lift the Bucks into their first NBA Finals since 1974, three years after Milwaukee won its only title.

That’s why chasing the NBA one-season best record of 73-9 by Golden State is not the Bucks’ major goal.

“It’s going to be good if we win 70 games. All that hard work is going to pay off,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s going to be even better if we get better every game and play for the championship.”

Brandon Ingram led the host Pelicans with 32 points, while 19-year-old rookie star Zion Williamson had 20 points despite 5-of-19 shooting from the floor with seven rebounds and five assists.

“I’m happy he’s going to be out there and help his team win,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s good playing against him. It’s going to be a great duel for a lot of years.”

In Los Angeles, the Lakers got 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds from LeBron James and 18 points from Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma as the hosts rolled over the San Antonio Spurs 129-102.

The Lakers improved the best record in the Western Conference to 38-11, three-and-a-half games ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Clippers.

James sank five 3-pointers in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter to stretch the Lakers’ lead from 87-77 to 108-87 and seal San Antonio’s fate.

“LeBron came out and hit five straight threes in three-and-a-half minutes, he got the lead for us and closed out the game early,” Davis said.

“We just want to come out and make sure we play defence every night.”

DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 28 points.

NBA scoring leader James Harden, chasing a third consecutive NBA scoring crown, poured in 40 points, passed off 12 assists and grabbed nine rebounds to power the Houston Rockets over visiting Charlotte 125-110.

Harden could match the third-longest run of scoring titles in NBA history, behind only the record seven seasons in a row of scoring crowns won by Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Serbian centre Nikola Jokic scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and passed out nine assists to spark the Denver Nuggets over visiting Portland 127-99. Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 21 points.

PARIS — Erling Braut Haaland and Romelu Lukaku were again among the goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Neymar left their coach irritated, and it was another fascinating weekend in Spain.

AFP Sport looks back at some of the main talking points from around Europe:

All to play for in La Liga

Real Madrid and Barcelona may have pulled away as La Liga’s title contenders this season, but the division’s key battlegrounds remain remarkably close.

Three points separate first and second after Madrid and Barca beat Atletico Madrid and Levante respectively. Getafe and Sevilla are level on points in third and fourth.

Valencia, the next closest challenger for the last Champions League spot, are only two points back while Atletico are one further point behind in sixth.

At the bottom, Leganes’ victory over Real Sociedad lifts them two places to 18th, in the relegation zone below Mallorca, but only on goal difference.

As a topsy-turvy season nears its final straight, everything is still to play for.

Goals keep coming for Haaland, Dortmund

While RB Leipzig’s draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach allowed Bayern Munich to go top of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund are only three points adrift of the summit as they continued their whirlwind start to 2020.

Erling Braut Haaland scored twice on his first start for Dortmund as his side thumped Union Berlin 5-0. The teenage Norwegian sensation now has seven goals in three appearances, finding the net once every 19 minutes since moving from RB Salzburg. 

Dortmund have scored five goals in each of their three outings since the winter break, with another teenage sensation, Jadon Sancho, taking his tally to 12 for the season.

Lucien Favre’s team are motoring with a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain coming into view.

“We know we’re going to come up against sides with even more quality in the weeks to come, but that’s good for us because they like to attack and we’ll find even more room than we have in these games,” said Marco Reus.

Conte expects even more from Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku’s two second-half goals at Udinese means the Inter Milan ace has 12 goals in 11 appearances away from home this season.

He scored 12 times altogether for Manchester United in the Premier League last season, but is on 16 in Serie A, and 20 in all competitions for Inter. Coach Antonio Conte believes the 26-year-old can do better.

“Lukaku has really important qualities, and is a decisive player for us, but aside from his brace, today wasn’t his best match,” Conte said after the 2-0 win. 

Second-placed Inter are unbeaten away this season with nine wins and two draws, and Lukaku warned: “I’m also going strong at the San Siro.” They face Milan there in the derby next.

Will ‘distractions’ 

cost PSG?

Paris Saint-Germain moved 12 points clear atop Ligue 1 after trouncing Montpellier 5-0, a result which left them unbeaten in 19 games.

Neymar, with his hair dyed pink, inevitably stood out, while Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers, and on the surface everything certainly looks rosy for PSG ahead of that upcoming Dortmund tie.

However, coach Thomas Tuchel was later forced to handle questions about his superstar duo, with Mbappe reacting angrily to being substituted and Neymar taking headlines for staging a birthday bash at a Parisian nightclub, 48 hours before his team play again.

“These are distractions, and they give the impression we are not serious, not professional,” Tuchel said when asked if he would attend Neymar’s party.

Of his touchline spat with Mbappe, he admitted: “It doesn’t look good.”

Ajax keep AZ at 

arm’s length

Ajax beat traditional rivals PSV Eindhoven 1-0 with a Quincy Promes goal to stay three points clear atop the Eredivisie, but the real challenge to the reigning champions is coming from elsewhere this season.

AZ Alkmaar hammered RKC Waalwijk 4-0 to keep up their chase of Erik ten Hag’s team. Teenage top scorer Myron Boadu was again on target for AZ as they made it a ninth win in 11 outings, a run that included beating Ajax in December. The sides meet again in Amsterdam on March 1.

LOS ANGELES — Paul George found his groove just in time to help the Los Angeles Clippers pull off a 108-105 NBA victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

George, who made just two of his first seven shots, drained four of his last six as the Clippers rallied from a 15-point second-quarter deficit to snatch the win.

Trailing by nine points at halftime, the Clippers out-scored the Spurs 31-19 in the third period to take an 85-82 lead.

After a back-and-forth battle in the fourth the Clippers emerged with the win by three.

“We don’t care if it’s a blowout or it’s a close one — we need to learn how to do both,” said George, who also pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out eight assists as the Clippers, second in the Western Conference, improved to 35-15.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 22 points and his one-handed dunk — off a pass from George — put Los Angeles up by two with 1:35 to play.

George drained a jump shot with 13.7 seconds left to give Los Angeles a 106-102 lead, the Spurs responding with a three-pointer from Patty Mills before Lou Williams made two free throws for the Clippers to seal it.

“Defence is key,” said George, who left the game with his nose bleeding in the third after taking an elbow from DeMar DeRozan but returned in the final period.

“I think defensively we got in a nice little zone and offensively it comes down to us making good shots.

“I just found a rhythm,” he said of his own late surge. “I was able to see the ball go down... that’s all it took.”

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter for the Spurs, but DeRozan, who scored 26, came up empty in the final period.

Butler shines

In Miami, Jimmy Butler exploded for a season-high 38 points against his former team, doing enough damage to sit out all of the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 137-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Butler’s aggressive game helped the Heat overcome the early departures of injured Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard — who had to be helped from the floor with a sprained left ankle.

With Boston’s 123-115 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta, Miami and the Celtics both finished the night with records of 34-15 — eight games behind Eastern Conference leaders Milwaukee and 1.5 behind second-placed Toronto.

“I felt great,” Butler said. “More than anything I’m super-happy that we got the Dub [W].”

Bam Adebayo added 18 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists for the Heat, who scored 41 points in the third quarter to blow open the game.

In Atlanta, the Hawks rallied to pressure the Celtics late, but rookie Grant Williams came up with a couple of big baskets down the stretch — including a driving layup with 37.6sec remaining that pushed Boston’s lead to six points.

Jayson Tatum scored 28 points for Boston, connecting on 10 of 20 shots from the field including five of nine from three-point range.

Gordon Hayward added 24 points and Jaylen Brown had 21 for the Celtics, who led by as many as 13 before the Hawks — led by 34 points from Trae Young — slashed the deficit to three points with less than four minutes to play.

The Golden State Warriors, coming off a 131-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, kept things rolling with a 125-117 victory over the Wizards in Washington.

Alec Burks came off the bench to score 30 points for Golden State, who had six players score in double figures to withstand a 43-point performance from Washington’s Bradley Beal.

Davis Bertans added 19 points for Washington while Thomas Bryant and Japan’s Rui Hachimura — back in the starting line-up after missing 22 games with a groin injury — scored 11 points apiece.

LONDON — Steven Bergwijn’s debut goal helped Tottenham to a remarkable 2-0 win over 10-man Manchester City on Sunday to breathe new life into their challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men had been completely outplayed for the first hour, but were kept in the game by City’s profligacy and Hugo Lloris’s first-half penalty save from Ilkay Gundogan.

However, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s sending off changed the course of the game, as Spurs scored with their first two shots on goal through Bergwijn and Son Heung-min.

Victory lifts Spurs up to fifth, just four points off fourth-placed Chelsea.

A sixth league defeat of the season for City sees Liverpool remain 22 points clear at the top and within touching distance of their first league title for 30 years.

“Liverpool are unstoppable. We dropped a lot of points in many games where we played quite similar as today,” said City boss Pep Guardiola.

“This business is how many goals you score and how few you concede. We tried to play as good as possible. Always I believe you are closer to win the games if you create more chances and concede few.

“It happened a few times this season and we have to accept it.”

This was arguably the least anticipated of Mourinho and Pep Guardiola’s 23 meetings as opposing managers, but it resorted to type as the Portuguese set up Spurs to defend deep, while City monopolised possession.

The visitors could have been out of sight by half-time as in a recurring theme of their season, the champions were wasteful in front of goal.

However, Tottenham also felt City were lucky not to be down to 10 men earlier when Raheem Sterling caught England international teammate Dele Alli with his studs.

“I thought I was going to love VAR the same way I love goal-line technology,” said Mourinho. “With VAR there are too many mistakes, but that doesn’t take out my pleasure [of the win].”

Lloris was making just his third appearance since returning from a long-term layoff due to a dislocated elbow, but the French number one was back to his best to keep his side level at half-time.

He turned Sergio Aguero’s low shot onto the post before the Argentine was chopped down in the area by Serge Aurier.

Referee Mike Dean initially waved play on, but with no break in play for a few minutes he eventually stopped the game after being told to give a penalty by VAR.

City’s dreadful run from the spot continued as Gundogan joined Gabriel Jesus and Sterling in failing to convert in recent weeks as his low effort was parried by Lloris.

Sterling then pounced on the rebound and went down over Lloris, but no second penalty was awarded and Sterling also escaped the possibility of a second booking for diving.

Dream debut

Gundogan was the guilty party again minutes into the second period when he hooked over with the goal gaping after a calamity of errors in the Spurs defence saw Lloris collide with Japhet Tanganga.

However, the game was decided in three minutes just after the hour mark.

Zinchenko was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Harry Winks as Tottenham launched a counter-attack.

At that point City had attempted 14 shots on goal to Tottenham’s none, but the hosts only needed one.

Bergwijn, signed earlier this week from PSV Eindhoven, capped a dream debut as he chested down Lucas Moura’s pass and volleyed past Ederson.

“As a little kid I wanted to be here and play in the Premier League, so to score on my debut is unbelievable,” said Bergwijn.

Eight minutes later, Spurs were out of sight when Son, who scored three times in a famous Champions League quarter-final win over City last season, was the scourge of City again with a fine low finish from Tanguy Ndombele’s pass.

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel admitted Neymar’s latest lavish birthday celebrations were a “distraction” at a key time in the season after the Brazilian helped the Ligue 1 leaders to a 5-0 win over nine-man Montpellier on Saturday.

Neymar, with his hair dyed pink, shook off an injury scare and raged with the match officials while Pablo Sarabia, Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe and Layvin Kurzawa all scored along with a Daniel Congre own goal as PSG went 13 points clear of Marseille at the top of the table.

On Sunday, the Brazilian is set to host a lavish party for his 28th birthday at a Parisian nightclub, despite his team playing again on Tuesday against Nantes.

“It’s a distraction, that’s clear,” said Tuchel. “I always want to protect my players, and if there are difficult things to talk about I prefer to say them internally.

“These are distractions, and they give the impression we are not serious, not professional. But I don’t really want to talk about it because then these things become big issues.”

Neymar warmed up with a shirt bearing the name of Kobe Bryant and the number 24 of the basketball star who was killed in a helicopter crash last weekend.

While Neymar didn’t score, having to settle just for one assist, he produced his usual tricks, provoked the opposition, and required lengthy treatment at the end of the first half after appearing to hurt his ribs as he grappled for the ball with Montpellier’s Arnaud Souquet.

Unhappy with the some of the treatment reserved for him, Neymar was booked for dissent in the first half and was then caught by television cameras angrily remonstrating in Portuguese with the fourth official in the tunnel at half-time.

Mbappe anger at substitution

Tuchel was also forced to answer questions about Mbappe’s angry reaction to being taken off midway through the second half, as Edinson Cavani came on for a first appearance since a January move to Atletico Madrid fell through.

“It doesn’t look good, but we are not the only club where players react like that,” the coach said.

“This team shows how professional and focused they are every day, but this gives the impression it’s not always like that and I’m sad because it’s not necessary.

“I explained to him why he came off and that will be that. I always make decisions for sporting reasons. This is football, not tennis, and you have to respect everyone.”

Sarabia was selected ahead of Mauro Icardi and Cavani to start with Mbappe up front, and the former Real Madrid player curled home a fine opener from 22 yards in the eighth minute for his 10th goal of the season.

Montpellier’s hopes of getting back into the game were then as good as over when goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud was sent off in the 17th minute for coming out of his box to stop Mbappe bearing down on goal, only to block the ball with his arm and receive a straight red.

On came young debutant goalkeeper Matis Carvalho and he had to pick the ball out of his net twice before the interval.

Di Maria lifted the ball over him and in to make it 2-0 in the 41st minute, and shortly afterwards Teji Savanier’s attempt to clear a Di Maria corner rebounded off the face of defender Congre and in.

After Neymar cooled down at the break, he set up Mbappe to round Carvalho and score his 14th league goal of the season.

Kurzawa drilled in the fifth in the 65th minute, and the visitors were reduced to nine men late on as substitute Joris Chotard saw two quick yellow cards.

Marseille go to Bordeaux on Sunday looking for a first win there in 43 years, while Rennes strengthened their grip on third by scoring twice in injury time to claim a 3-2 win over Nantes on Friday.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Monaco’s problems continued as they had two men sent off in the first half and lost 3-1 at Nimes. They remain 13th. Victor Osimhen’s late penalty gave Lille a 2-1 victory at Strasbourg to leave them fourth.

MELBOURNE — America’s Sofia Kenin stunned two-time Major champion Garbine Muguruza to win the Australian Open on Saturday, completing a surprise run where she has come from nowhere to win her first Grand Slam title.

Despite making her debut in a Major final Kenin, 21, showed all her trademark aggression as she fought back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in 2hrs 3mins against the shellshocked Spaniard.

The 14th seed, who will now jump as high as seventh in the world and usurp Serena Williams as America’s No. 1, was in tears at the end and headed straight for her father Alexander, who is her coach.

It was the final twist in a tournament of upsets, after Williams went out in the third round and Kenin upset Australia’s World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals.

“My dream officially came true, I can’t describe this feeling,” said Moscow-born Kenin. “It’s amazing, dreams come true. If you have dreams, go for it, it’s going to come true.”

Spain’s Muguruza, 26, was unseeded for the first time at a Slam since 2014 having suffered a marked loss of form in the last 18 months.

She was resurgent in Melbourne over the past fortnight, but after grabbing the first-set lead, her serve failed her spectacularly.

She totted up eight double-faults in all, three of them in the final game — including one on the second championship point, handing the title to her younger opponent.

Kenin fights back

Muguruza drew first blood at Rod Laver Arena, where the roof was closed for rain in Melbourne, getting the first break of serve.

Moscow-born Kenin, who ended the fairytale run of 15-year-old Coco Gauff on her way to the final, bounced her American stars-and-stripes racquet on the hardcourt in irritation.

The 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon winner Muguruza took the first set in 52 minutes when the young American planted her forehand out.

But the aggressive Kenin upped the ante in the second set, breaking her more experienced opponent in the fourth game and easily holding to sprint into a 4-1 lead.

Kenin, who won their only previous encounter in three sets, grabbed the second set in an emphatic 32 minutes. A rattled Muguruza was seen briefly by a physio for what appeared to be a lower-back problem.

Into the deciding set and the gutsy Kenin saved three game points in a pivotal fifth game, tossing the ball back over her head by way of celebration.

Kenin, who was overshadowed in the build-up to Melbourne by the likes of Williams, Osaka and Barty, adds by far the biggest title of her fast-burgeoning career to the three WTA crowns she won last year.

“The past two weeks have been the best of my life,” she told Rod Laver Arena, as her father — who left the Soviet Union in 1987 to give the family a better life — filmed her victory speech on his phone.

“I love you guys from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much,” she told the crowd.

At 21 years and 80 days, Kenin is 22 days younger than Japan’s Naomi Osaka when she won the title last year. 

Kenin is the youngest Australian Open champion since Maria Sharapova — her idol — won aged 20 in 2008.

LONDON — Manchester United finally secured a deal to sign Portuguese international midfielder Bruno Fernandes on Wednesday ending a long-running chase of the 25-year-old.

United are badly in need of midfield reinforcements due to the absence of Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay through injury, whilst Pogba’s future at the club beyond the end of the season is very much in doubt.

Fernandes will cost the Red Devils an initial 55 million euros (£47 million, $61 million) with up to 25 million euros more in performance-related add-ons.

However, United know to their cost that even such a huge fee is no guarantee of success after seven years of decline since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, despite splashing over £1 billion on transfers.

So, who is Fernandes and can he help lead a revival of United’s fortunes?

Goals galore

One area where Fernandes clearly fits United’s needs is a goal threat with top scorer Marcus Rashford sidelined by a back injury to compound the absence of Pogba and McTominay.

He scored 63 times in 137 appearances for Sporting since returning to his homeland in 2017 after spells with Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria in Italy.

Of those 47 have come in the last season-and-a-half as he has blossomed into a potent threat, earning comparisons with Chelsea manager Frank Lampard — the top scoring midfielder in Premier League history.

“He is a complete player, and if you ask me to compare Bruno with a player, I will say Frank Lampard,” former Sporting manager Carlos Carvalhal told talkSPORT.

Fernandes’s ability to shoot from range could be the key to unlocking deep-lying defences that Solskjaer’s men have struggled to break down this season.

Moreover, he has also been a creative force during his time at Sporting, providing 42 assists in total and creating the most chances in the Portuguese league for the past two seasons.

‘Finished article’

Unlike many products from the Portuguese league, Fernandes is making the move to England in the prime of his career rather than as a precocious youngster.

One of those young talents went onto become one of United’s best ever players when Cristiano Ronaldo made the move from Lisbon to Manchester in 2003 as an 18-year-old.

Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert believes the timing on Fernandes’s transfer means he is well-equipped to make the step up to the Premier League.

“In 25 years watching Sporting live every other week Bruno Fernandes is undoubtedly the best player I’ve seen in the green and white,” said Kundert.

“Yes, Sporting had [Luis] Figo and Ronaldo, but they weren’t the players at [Jose] Alvalade they’d become. Fernandes is the finished article. Ripe for a bigger challenge.”

A lack of leadership has been highlighted as one of United’s problems in recent seasons. Harry Maguire was recently handed the captaincy after less than six months at the club.

Fernandes was forced to grow up fast in Lisbon, captaining Sporting through an institutional crisis when a group of angry fans attacked some players at the club’s training ground in May 2018.

Many of Sporting’s stars choose to rescind their contracts and leave following the incident, but Fernandes stayed and signed a new contract before going onto score 32 goals last season.

That experience could be important in helping lead United out of their own toxic period. Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward’s house was targeted with flares and graffiti on Tuesday.

With United languishing fifth in the Premier League, six points off the top four, animosity towards Woodward and the club’s American owners, the Glazer family, has risen among the club’s fanbase in recent weeks.

They are now banking on another lavish purchase in Fernandes to quieten that discontent.