TOKYO (AP) — Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue remained the undisputed world super-bantamweight champion when Irish challenger TJ Doheny dropped to his knee and quit in the seventh round because of an apparent back injury on Tuesday.
Doheny complained of a “twinge” after walking back to his corner gingerly. Before then, he was getting pummeled by Inoue, who celebrated his technical knockout — for a 28th successive win — in muted fashion in Tokyo.
Inoue's pressure and relentless body work started getting its rewards from the sixth round, and Doheny's face was marked by the end of the fight. The 37-year-old challenger wound up limping away from the ring, propped up on both sides by his team.
“This fight didn't end how we expected," Inoue said through a translator, “but fighting a long career like this, this is a night we might have.
“I want to celebrate," Inoue added, "how TJ Doheny brought the fight into this ring.”
This was the 31-year-old Inoue’s 23rd world title fight since his first in 2014, and seventh in a row in Japan.
His promoter, Bob Arum, said Inoue will be defending his titles again in Tokyo at the end of the year and then will fight in Las Vegas.
Inoue, a four-division world champion in light-flyweight, super-flyweight, bantamweight and now super-bantamweight, didn't have it all his own way against Doheny, who made the bout awkward with his sharp movements and experience.
Doheny might even have won the third round after a powerful punch to the body and then a left-right combination to Inoue's head.
But in round four, he was getting trapped on the ropes and picked off by Inoue, who slowly broke Doheny down.
The pressure told in the sixth when Inoue's body work and an overhead right hurt Doheny, who — in the final seconds of the round — appeared to clutch the bottom of his back.
The fight was over 16 seconds into the seventh when Doheny wriggled free from a flurry of punches before saying he couldn't continue. The Irishman left the ring in clear pain and without conducting an interview.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Japanese champion Naoya Inoue celebrates after defeating Irish challenger TJ Doheny during the seventh round of a boxing match for the unified WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight world titles in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Japanese champion Naoya Inoue, left, and Irish challenger TJ Doheny, right, during the first round of a boxing match for the unified WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight world titles in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Japanese champion Naoya Inoue, left, and Irish challenger TJ Doheny, right, during the first round of a boxing match for the unified WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight world titles in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Japanese champion Naoya Inoue, right, and Irish challenger TJ Doheny, left, fight during the first round of a boxing match for the unified WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super bantamweight world titles in Tokyo, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
SHANGHAI (AP) — Stefanos Tsitsipas' rivalry with Daniil Medvedev will add another chapter after the Greek player beat Alexandre Muller 6-3, 7-5 at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
The 12th-ranked Tsitsipas and the Russian former U.S. Open champion will meet for a 14th time, and first in nearly a year. The fifth-ranked Medvedev has a commanding 9-4 lead in the head-to-head series, which has spilled over into a war of words off the court in the past.
“I consider him someone that I respect on the tour, much more than I did before," Tsitsipas said. "We’ve had some heated things on the court in the past, but I think those things have resolved themselves over time, and we also had the time to speak about those things and have a common understanding of why these things happen.
“What is missing is trying to get a good win under my belt, and that will redeem my efforts for so far of trying to get better. My whole goal is to get out there, play the best tennis that I can.”
Tsitsipas had to wait out a two-day rain delay to play his third-round match against Muller, but looked in complete control until losing his serve at 5-3 in the second set. Unperturbed, the Greek broke back to love to clinch the match and renew his six-year rivalry with Medvedev.
No. 16-ranked Ben Shelton put away Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-4, firing eight aces and 24 winners to line up top seed Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.
Seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz also advanced with ease, beating Japan's Yosuke Watanuki 6-3, 6-4, while Grigor Dimitrov, playing in his 100th Masters event, beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Gael Monfils upset 15th-ranked Ugo Humbert 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-1 in an all-French matchup. The 38-year-old Monfils, ranked 46th, is the second oldest player to reach the Shanghai fourth round in Shanghai, behind only Roger Federer (also 38) in 2019.
“It’s never easy to play Ugo, he’s really aggressive, playing fast off both wings and takes a lot of time from you,” said Monfils, who plays second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz next.
“Carlos is in a confident mood (having) just won a tournament ( China Open ), so that’s going to be a tough one for sure.”
Also, Tomas Machac, who made the semifinals in Tokyo, eased past Australian Alexander Vukic 6-4, 6-2 and next faces No. 13-ranked Tommy Paul in the third round.
Later Tuesday, four-time champion Novak Djokovic plays his third-round match against Flavio Cobolli, bidding to capture his 100th tour-level title. Third-ranked Alexander Zverev faces Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in a night match.
Katerina Siniakova had a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines to set up a second-round match against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Second-ranked Sabalenka, who won the title the last time it was played in 2019, needs only to make the quarterfinals at Wuhan to regain top spot in the rankings from Iga Swiatek, who withdrew from the women’s Asian swing citing fatigue and personal reasons. Swiatek recently split with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
Magda Linette of Poland routed No. 23-ranked Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2, and Ekaterina Alexandrova beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the U.S. 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Other winners included Britain’s Katie Boulter, American Amanda Anisimova, Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova and Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, who has Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen next,
After snapping a 24-match losing streak at the China Open last week, Zhang Shuai’s change of fortune turned in Wuhan as she lost to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.
The top eight seeds, including Sabalenka and China Open champion Coco Gauff, received a first-round bye.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Ugo Humbert of France plays a backhand return against his compatriot Gael Monfils during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Gael Monfils of France plays a forehand return against his compatriot Ugo Humbert during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Gael Monfils of France serves against his compatriot Ugo Humbert during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Taylor Fritz of the United States plays a backhand return against Yosuke Watanuki of Japan during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece plays a backhand return against Alexandre Muller of France during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece plays a backhand return against Alexandre Muller of France during the men's singles third round match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece reacts during the men's singles third round match against Alexandre Muller of France, in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
