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Anisimova beats Swiatek to reach WTA Finals last four

RIYADH: Amanda Anisimova pulled off a stellar comeback on Wednesday to get the better of Iga Swiatek 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2 and book her spot in the last four of the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Making her tournament debut this week, the fourth-seeded Anisimova secured the runner-up spot in the Serena Williams Group behind Elena Rybakina. Rybakina completed round-robin play with a perfect 3-0 mark, thanks to a 6-4, 6-4 success against Russian alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova earlier in the day. Anisimova improved her three-set record this season to an impressive 15-3 by posting her 10th top-10 win of the year.

Fabian Hurzeler: England boss Thomas Tuchel has to make call on Danny Welbeck

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said he was sure the “other German” Thomas Tuchel will make the right call over whether to hand Danny Welbeck an England recall.

Sinner reaches Paris Masters final, closes in on No. 1 ranking - ESPN

PARIS — Jannik Sinner routed a weary-looking Alexander Zverev 6-0, 6-1 in a little more than an hour Saturday to reach the Paris Masters final and move closer to reclaiming the No. 1 ranking.

Poroshenko: 10 more Ai-Petri complexes will cover our infantry and artillery

Ten more Ai-Petri technical reconnaissance countermeasure systems are being sent to Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades to protect our infantry and artillery units from enemy wings, according to a Facebook post by Petro Poroshenko, Member of Parliament and leader of European Solidarity.

CAS partially upholds Russian luge appeal for neutral status at 2026 Games

Russian luge athletes may be eligible to compete in qualifying events ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics if they meet neutral status criteria after the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday partially upheld a Russian Luge Federation appeal.

Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts

HONG KONG: Top seed Belinda Bencic pulled out of the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals on Friday as the Tokyo Olympic champion became the latest in a long line of players to suffer a late-season injury. The Asian “swing” on the WTA Tour has been particularly hard hit by injuries and pullouts in recent weeks, placing renewed scrutiny on the demanding tennis schedule. Bencic, who was ranked 421 in the world at the start of the season but has climbed to 11, was supposed to meet Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Hong Kong. “So disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury,” said the 28-year-old Swiss, who won gold at the Covid-delayed Olympics in 2021. “I’ve played a lot of tennis in the past few weeks and did everything I could to stay healthy, but it was not to be.” Bencic beat Linda Noskova last weekend to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and cap a remarkable comeback, a year after returning to tennis from having a baby. Noskova reached the final in the Japanese capital after Elena Rybakina withdrew injured ahead of their semifinal. The tournament in Hong Kong was hit even before it began with the withdrawals of former world number one Naomi Osaka and the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Both ended their seasons early through injury. Daria Kasatkina, who has won eight WTA titles, was also initially scheduled to compete in Hong Kong but she too brought the curtain down prematurely on her season. “The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone,” the 28-year-old, who this year switched nationality from Russia to Australia, said in early October.

Doping-Key time for testers as Winter Olympics approach, says WADA chief

LONDON :The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are still three months away but now is a key time in the battle to keep the dopers out, WADA director of intelligence and investigations Guenter Younger said on Thursday.

Juventus appoint former Italy manager Spalletti as head coach

ROME: Juventus have appointed former Italy manager Luciano Spalletti as head coach until the end of the season, the Serie A club said on Thursday, following the sacking of Igor Tudor. Juventus turned to the former Italy, Inter Milan and Napoli manager after parting ways with Tudor following an eight-match winless run in all competitions. They sit seventh in the standings after nine games. “Luciano Spalletti is the new head coach of Juventus, signing an agreement with the club until June 30, 2026,” Juventus said in a statement. “We are delighted to welcome a coach with such expertise and experience to the Bianconeri family: welcome to Juventus and good luck, coach!“ Croatian Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, was the first foreign manager appointed by Juventus since Frenchman Didier Deschamps in 2006-07. He guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and secured qualification for the Champions League. However, they had not won a game since mid-September with five draws followed by three straight losses in all competitions before Tudor was sacked. Massimo Brambilla took interim charge and Juve won their next game, beating Udinese 3-1. Spalletti, 66, led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, after a long club management career that has included spells at AS Roma, Inter, and a five-year stint with Russian club Zenit St.

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Anisimova beats Swiatek to reach WTA Finals last four

Fabian Hurzeler: England boss Thomas Tuchel has to make call on Danny Welbeck

Sinner reaches Paris Masters final, closes in on No. 1 ranking - ESPN

Poroshenko: 10 more Ai-Petri complexes will cover our infantry and artillery

CAS partially upholds Russian luge appeal for neutral status at 2026 Games

Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts

Doping-Key time for testers as Winter Olympics approach, says WADA chief

Juventus appoint former Italy manager Spalletti as head coach