From England’s World Cup win to PV Sindhu’s gold, moments of sporting greatness in 2019
Updated: December 19, 2019 7:37:43 pm- 1 / 17
Naomi Osaka beat Petra Kvitova to claim the Australian Open title with a 7-6(2) 5-7 6-4 on January 26. She also became the first Asian player to claim the world number one ranking. (Source: Reuters)
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Tiger Woods completed one of sport’s great all-time comebacks to end an 11-year major title drought at the Masters in Augusta on April 14 by claiming a fifth Green Jacket. (Source: The New York Times)
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Liverpool erased the disappointment of last season's UEFA Champions League final loss by claiming the trophy for the sixth time with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham on June 1. (Source: File Photo)
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Andy Ruiz Jr. dethroned title-holder Anthony Joshua with a seventh-round stoppage on June 1 to become the first Mexican-American World Heavyweight Champion. (Source: File Photo)
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The Toronto Raptors made history on June 14 by winning the NBA Finals 4-2 against Golden State Warriors, giving Canada its first NBA title. (Source: USA Today)
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United States won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the fourth time, owing to two goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle on July 7. After winning it 1991, 1999, 2015 and now in 2019, they became the first team ever to retain it. (Source: Reuters)
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After failures in 1979, 1987 and 1992, England won the World Cup for the first time in its 12th edition defeating New Zealand in the final on the basis of hitting more boundaries after a dramatic Super Over on July 14. (Source: File Photo)
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Novak Djokovic won the Wimbledon Men’s Singles final against Roger Federer after defeating him by 7-6 1-6 7-6 4-6 13-12 in the longest ever final, clocking at 4 hours and 57 minutes on July 14. (Source: USA Today)
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PV Sindhu won her maiden World Championship gold medal after defeating Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara by 21-7, 21-7 on August 25. She ended the chase of the elusive gold medal after having to settle for silver in the last two years. (Source: Reuters)
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Ben Stokes' unbeaten 135 earned England a one-wicket victory in the third Ashes test on August 25 which levelled the series against Australia at 1-1. England were chasing down a record target of 359. (Source: Reuters)
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Rafael Nadal defeated fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 in a thrilling final to claim his fourth US Open crown on September 8, securing his 19th Grand Slam title overall. (Source: USA Today)
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won her fourth 100m World Championship gold on September 29 at the age of 32, by crossing the finish line in 10.71 seconds at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha. (Source: Reuters)
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Eliud Kipchoge made athletics history on October 12 when he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. The Olympic marathon champion and world record holder completed a course around Vienna’s Prater Park in one hour 59:40 minutes. (Source: Reuters)
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Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history on October 13 when she won the beam and floor finals to take her career tally to 25 medals. (Source: File Photo)
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South Africa lifted their third Rugby World Cup title after beating England 32-12 on November 2. Springboks' captain Siya Kolisi became the first black captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. (Source: Reuters)
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Lewis Hamilton secured his sixth Formula One championship at the US Grand Prix on November 3. He now ranks second in F1 history behind Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles. (Source: File Photo)
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Lionel Messi won a record sixth Ballon d'Or overtaking his rival Cristiano Ronaldo's five, a day after scoring his 614th career goal for Barcelona on December 2. (Source: Reuters)