FAR BEHINDIsrael missed a chance to move within four points of Italy after a 1-0 home loss to Macedonia. But Ireland’s hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup _ for the first time since 2002 _ were damaged a half-hour later when Valeri Qazaishvili equalized from close range. A roundup of World Cup qualifying games in Africa on Saturday:GROUP BMahrez was given permission by . At 30, Mischa Zverev has enjoyed a superb year, putting the gloss on a stunning rise up the rankings, from outside the top 1000 in 2015 to the verge of a place in the top 20. Walsh tasted a lot of success with Australia and the Netherlands. ys’ grand slam title at US OpenUS Open 2017: This has been one of the best seasons of my career, says Rafael NadalAs if her third-round defeat against Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi was not heartbreaking enough, Naomi Osaka suffered more pain during her post-match news conference at the US Open on Saturday. Of the rest, only in six innings his strike-rate had been in the 90s. Two massive shots saved him and he got to level for 2-2 as he let out a huge ‘Vamos’, raising his clenched fist towards the crowd. What makes the left-handed Zverev stand out is his playing style, almost a throwback to a previous generation when serve and volley tennis was the norm. But the Austrian flicked a switch to reel off seven straight games, taking the opener and a 3-0 lead in the second.