Xavi Hernandez seeks to build a cohesive family with the Netherlands... and Cheviontek reaches the final of the Beijing tournament

Xavi Hernandez, coach of the Netherlands national team, said that he feels satisfied with the first 4 matches that the team played under his leadership, and that he is working on building a cohesive family that fights for each other. The Netherlands took the lead in Group Two in the first level of the European Nations League with a 2-1 victory over Serbia yesterday, Sunday, to have a great opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals next March.

Xavi continued: “We fought as one family, and we really had to suffer.”

The former world champion with Spain added: “We had to defend, but in reality we wanted to play possession-based football, but we were unable to achieve that and did not control the match. Because Serbia performed well. But when we switched to a different way of playing, things improved.”

Xavi relied on different playing methods in the first 4 matches with the Netherlands, which began with a draw at home against Germany, then an away win over Serbia, and came back from falling behind to equalize a 2-2 draw in Greece, last Thursday.

He said: “We know, now, how to control matches in different ways, but we also know how to defend sometimes with a low or medium defensive block. In terms of our core values, I feel completely satisfied, the players are great. As for football, we need to improve in various aspects.”

The Netherlands conceded for the 12th match in a row, yesterday, Sunday, and Xavi said that they are seeking to enhance defensive solidity and make reaching their goal more difficult.

He continued: “The most important thing is to score more than the opponent, but we want to keep our sheets clean, and this requires time. I'll have a rest, now; Because the past period has been intense, I will continue to follow everyone. "We are building a family."

The Netherlands will host the Greek national team in Amsterdam, next November 13, before visiting Berlin to face Germany three days later.

Poland's Iga Swiwontek, previously ranked first and currently ninth, came back from afar against Croatian Donna Vekic, and reached the quarter-finals of the 1000-point tennis tournament in Beijing, beating her 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, on Monday. The Polish woman, who will win the title in 2023, seemed on her way to bid farewell to the tournament after losing the first set 4-6, and falling behind in the second 2-5, but she came back from afar and avoided catching up with Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina, world number one, and Belarusian Arina Sabalenka, second, deciding the confrontation in two hours and 40 minutes.

The Polish woman appeared to be making a gradual comeback and broke her opponent's serve twice to tie the game at 5-5. Then both players held their serve, extending the set to a tie-break, which Szwiłtek took full control of and decided without losing a single point.

The two players began the third set with an exchange of breaks of serve, but the momentum was clearly in favor of Światnik, who grabbed a new break of serve to lead 3-2, on her way to deciding the match.

Shevuntek raised her score to 5 victories in 5 confrontations with Vekic, and 147 in the thousand-point tournaments, in third place behind Sabalenka (156) and American legend Serena Williams (148), according to the WTA website. In her next test, she will face American Iva Jovic, tenth in the tournament, who in turn won over Uzbekistan's Kamila Rahimova 6-1, 7-5 in an hour and 45 minutes.

Shevuntik, winner of 6 major titles (4 at Roland Garros and one each at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows), is looking for her second crown of the season, after the first in the Toronto 1000 Points Tournament, last August, when she won the final over Rybakina 6-2, 6-3.