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MALAGA, Spain (AP) — The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp , gave the Netherlands a 1-0 lead over Germany in the Davis Cup semifinals Friday by hanging on to defeat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 on his 10th match point. “At some point, I didn't know what to do any more on the match points," van de Zandschulp said. “I had the toughest match of my life on Tuesday (against Nadal), so everything that comes next is maybe a little bit easier.” He was up a set and a point from leading 5-2 in the second when Altmaier began playing more aggressively and interacting more with the German fans, yelling and throwing uppercuts or raising his arms after key points. In the tiebreaker, Altmaier managed to save five match points before converting his own fourth set point to extend the contest. But van de Zandschulp — who upset four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open — quickly moved out front in the final set, even if he needed five more match points in the last game before serving it out. The Dutch never have been to the team competition's final and would get there if Tallon Griekspoor managed to get past Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the second singles match. The other semifinal is Saturday, with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner and defending champion Italy taking on Australia . On Tuesday in the quarterfinals, van de Zandschulp outplayed Nadal for a 6-4, 6-4 result that marked the end of the 22-time Grand Slam champion's career because the Netherlands went on to eliminate Spain 2-1. The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that the Davis Cup would be his final event before retiring. Presumably because people purchased tickets ahead of time with plans to watch Nadal compete in the semifinals, there were hundreds of unoccupied blue or gray seats surrounding the indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain on Friday. Now truly a neutral site, the place was not nearly as loud and rowdy as on Tuesday, although there were shouts of “Vamos, Rafa!” that drew laughter while van de Zandschulp played the 88th-ranked Altmaier. The Netherlands hadn't been as far as the semifinals since 2001. The Germans — whose best current player, two-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, opted not to participate — have won three Davis Cups but not since 1993, when 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich led them to the title. AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisIs ‘Glicked’ the new ‘Barbenheimer’? ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ collide in theaters
Our family looks forward to a busy holiday event attended by thousands in our town each year. We've given the oldest of our four kids more independence, even at this crowded event. We use technology and the trust we have in our community to keep our kids safe. Each year, on the first Saturday of December, our town hosts its annual holiday light-up night to kick off the festive season. Our quaint main street is packed with vendors, goodies, local musicians, and reindeer games. Local businesses sling seasonal cocktails for the grownups and set up craft stations for the kids. The town kicks off the evening by welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus to the town center where everybody cheers as the massive Christmas tree comes to life with thousands of twinkling lights. If I'm being honest, it's a scene straight out of a holiday movie. My husband and I have been attending this event for a decade, ever since we relocated to the tiny Pittsburgh borough of Bellevue with infant twins and a toddler in tow. Since our first light-up night, the event has grown substantially — and so has our family. I'll admit it hasn't always been easy helping four kids navigate a main drag packed with a couple of thousand neighbors, but we trudge the two blocks to the center of town religiously every year. It's a chance to hug neighbors, let the kids run free, and celebrate the loving community we are so thankful to be a part of. We created our village I often hear other moms bemoan the "loss of the village ," and the way modern motherhood can feel insular and lonely . This is true on many levels. Shifts in the fabric of American society have left today's mothers with less support than our moms had, and the 24-hour news cycle has left even more mothers fearful of leaning on their community. Thankfully, that has not been our experience. While I would like to say we magically found our "village," the truth is that sometimes we have to create one. Related stories It's not easy to lean on neighbors (or strangers), but I've learned over our decade in this little town that people are willing to look out for each other, if you open up your heart and let them. A few years ago, we briefly lost our youngest child at this very same holiday event. While those moments when she wasn't in our eyesight were terrifying, I knew in my gut during those frantic moments that the adults in our town were looking out for her. As a neighbor I barely knew hoisted my kiddo above the crowd so I could find her, I teared up. This community we are a part of looks out for one another. Giving our kids independence Our kids are older now; 13, 11 (twins), and 6. We've given our big three more independence in our walkable town throughout the year. With kid-safe cell phones in hand and kid-friendly debit cards at their fingertips, we trusted our village enough to set them loose on the main street once that giant evergreen was shining brightly at the center of town. While my 13-year-old and one of my 11-year-old twins spent some time with us throughout the evening, our son Ezra disappeared into the festive fray almost immediately. I wasn't surprised. He's extroverted and confident and has never met a festival he didn't love. For many parents, not seeing their fifth grader for two hours on a dark and chilly evening may induce panic, but this village we've built and come to rely on gave us the confidence to let him test his wings. The location dot on his cell phone let us know he was still at the event, and a few spending notifications told us he was well hydrated and warm, thanks to a pair of LED gloves he purchased from a street vendor. It seems like our son had a great night We heard snippets about Ezra's evening from others. Our town librarian heard the DJ say his name at one point, and another friend let us know he helped pass out raffle baskets to the winners at the end of the evening. A fellow parent let me know she told his friend group to move their horseplay away from some younger kids, and they readily complied. I thanked her for being willing to offer guidance when I didn't have eyes on him. "Sure," she said. "I would want you to do the same if you saw my kid being a knucklehead, too." We laughed, but I know she means it. Once the festivities had concluded, Ezra sent us a text asking if he could help the adults in charge clean up the event. We often say his big personality is paired with an even bigger heart. Of course we said yes. Once he finally burst through our front door at the end of the evening, brought home by a friend's older cousin, he was cold and exhausted. It was after 10 p.m. and he crashed quickly into bed. I asked him how his night went since we had not seen him for over two hours. "It was fun," he said. "I think I did everything they had to do." Within minutes, he was out cold. I'm glad we can trust our children — and our town — to do the right thing A few days later, a local photographer shared a photo album from the festivities. Within an hour I had a dozen text messages telling me to take a look. I opened the link and gasped. There was Ezra, on stage, holding a tambourine. The thousand-watt smile on his face says it all. He had the best night. I have never seen a photo that better encapsulates my son. Modern parenting is designed to provoke anxiety . From online urban legends and hysteria to a general lack of trust in our neighbors, it's easy to give into the temptation to clip our kids' wings and worry about how the world may harm them. I know the world is scary. I worry every day about my kids' safety. I worry about gun violence, online bullying, and the general divisiveness and hatred that seems to permeate today's culture. Rather than give into the temptation to shelter them at home, though, I've found strength in leaning on our community and working hard to foster independence in our kids. With a bit of help from modern technology and a whole lot of help from trusted adults, teaching our kids to navigate the world on their own feels like the best possible tool we can give them.
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The lawyer has been identified as Parag Maini who is a resident of Noida’s Sector 79. The police have registered a case against the lawyer under Section 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by endangering life). Telangana cop punched, dragged by villagers, video goes viral On Cam: Crane drags car with senior citizens sitting inside, case registered | video goes viral Instagram influencer shot dead by husband in Rajasthan's Phalodi CCTV: Thieves arrive in car, decamp with jewellery in MP's Damoh Goons hurl abuses at toll plaza employee in MP's Chhatarpur Two goons hurled abuses at a toll plaza employee in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur. One of the assailants is reportedly the brother of an MLA. The incident was filmed by an employee of ol plaza which has gone viral on social media. The goons were upset after they had to wait in the queue. Viral: Cobra blocks road in MP's Chhatarpur district Nigeria: Lion kills zookeeper at Obafemi Awolowo University CCTV: Biker crushed to death by speeding bus in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district Four women steal tray full of earrings from a jewellery shop in MP's Raisen Shirtless British man punches air steward after destroying aircraft toilet, arrested A shirtless British man punched an air steward after destroying the aircraft toilet. The man was arrested. The man went berserk soon after the flight took off . He went up to smash the plane’s toilet. The incident took place on February 7 when the flight took off from Bangkok to London. A video of the incident went viral on social media. 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Ukrainian Soldiers Abandon Bases After Putin's Men Fire Hypersonic Missile, Storm Donetsk | Details Russian Forces March In Kursk With North Korean Troops; Capture 5 Ukrainian Positions | Watch Top Viral Videos Shocking! Lawyer rams Mercedes car into Kachori shop in Delhi, Six injured In a shocking incident, six people were injured after a lawyer rammed his speeding Mercedes car into a Kachori shop in the national capital. The incident took place at Fateh Kachori in Civil Lines area. The police have taken the lawyer into custody and seized his car. The lawyer has been identified as Parag Maini who is a resident of Noida’s Sector 79. The police have registered a case against the lawyer under Section 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by endangering life). Telangana cop punched, dragged by villagers, video goes viral On Cam: Crane drags car with senior citizens sitting inside, case registered | video goes viral Instagram influencer shot dead by husband in Rajasthan's Phalodi CCTV: Thieves arrive in car, decamp with jewellery in MP's Damoh Goons hurl abuses at toll plaza employee in MP's Chhatarpur Two goons hurled abuses at a toll plaza employee in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur. One of the assailants is reportedly the brother of an MLA. The incident was filmed by an employee of ol plaza which has gone viral on social media. The goons were upset after they had to wait in the queue. Viral: Cobra blocks road in MP's Chhatarpur district Nigeria: Lion kills zookeeper at Obafemi Awolowo University CCTV: Biker crushed to death by speeding bus in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district Four women steal tray full of earrings from a jewellery shop in MP's Raisen Shirtless British man punches air steward after destroying aircraft toilet, arrested A shirtless British man punched an air steward after destroying the aircraft toilet. The man was arrested. The man went berserk soon after the flight took off . He went up to smash the plane’s toilet. The incident took place on February 7 when the flight took off from Bangkok to London. A video of the incident went viral on social media. On cam: Several injured after swarm of bees attacks guests during wedding ceremony in MP's Guna On cam: Man hurls abuses at government school teacher in MP's Chhatarpur district On cam: Man thrashes youth with stick in MP's Ujjain Doctor loses cool, misbehaves with home guard in MP's Chhatarpur On cam: Goons thrash Dalit youth in MP's Betul A Dalit youth was thrashed in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul. The man was brutally thrashed and forced to squat while holding his ears. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. Congress leader Jitu Patwari highlighted the plight of the Dalit man. The police have launched a probe into the matter. On cam: Govt employee consumes alcohol at work place in MP's Singrauli On cam: Goons thrash liquor shop employee in MP's Gwalior CCTV: Man thrashed, abducted in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district Fight breaks out between CHC employee and patient in UP's Barabanki Short Videos BJP Orchestrated Attack On Kejriwal During ‘Padyatra’ Campaign: Delhi CM Atishi Your Autistic Child Can Also Make A Difference Your Autistic Child Can Also Make A Difference Kejriwal Questions RSS Over BJP’s 'Dirty' Tactics Against Opposition | Watch Atishi's 1st Statement After Being Picked As Delhi CM; 'Kejriwal Made Biggest Sacrifice' Kejriwal To Give Up CM Residence; AAP's Sanjay Singh Issues Big Warning... Haryana Polls: Vinesh Phogat & Bajrang Punia Join Congress; Sakshi Malik next? Putin's Big Pledge For Russian Speakers In Ukraine; 'Will Fight For...' Ukraine’s Kursk Incursion Has Failed To Achieve Objectives, Declares Putin Putin Says Russia Will Support Kamala Harris In U.S. Elections Related Articles Ex-Google CEO Schmidt to the US Army: Give tanks away, instead buy a ... Trump's pick for top security advisor Mike Waltz calls for 'responsible end' to Russia-Ukraine war Big escalation: 'Russia launches ICBM strike' against Ukraine, shoots down UK Storm Shadow missiles 'Not enough to prevail': Zelenskyy warns of Ukraine's possible loss without US aid Stocks fall as Russia-Ukraine war rattles traders: Markets wrap Ukraine arrests commander for allegedly sharing intelligence with Russian military 'PM Modi deserves Nobel Peace prize for global mediation efforts,' says veteran investor Mark Mobius Do Today’s Wars Really Ever End?Fans take lead role in Rollermania musical