Sabalenka beats Pegula to reach WTA Finals semis, Ons Jabeur eliminated
FORTH WORTH, TEXAS: Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 on Friday and advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Finals as second-ranked Tunisian Ons Jabeur was eliminated.
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Sabalenka beats Pegula to reach WTA Finals semis, Jabeur eliminated
Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-5 on Friday and advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals as second-ranked Tunisian Ons Jabeur was eliminated.
Sabalenka knocks Pegula out of WTA Finals with group stage win
Aryna Sabalenka eliminated Jessica Pegula from the WTA Finals with a 6-3 7-5 group stage victory on Friday and will have to wait to see how the match between Ons Jabeur and Maria Sakkari plays out to see if she reaches the semi-finals.
Coco Gauff eliminated at WTA Finals after losing to Daria Kasatkina of Russia
FORT WORTH, Texas: Tears gathered in Coco Gauff’s eyes as she sat on the WTA Finals sideline during a changeover Thursday night after giving away a lead in what would become a 7-6 (6), 6-3 round-robin loss to Daria Kasatkina that ended the 18-year-old American’s hopes of reaching the semifinals. Gauff, who is ranked No. 4, fell to 0-4 in her debut at the season-ending tournament for the best in women’s tennis — 0-2 in singles and 0-2 in doubles with Jessica Pegula. The Floridian was the youngest participant in both events at the WTA Finals since Anna Kournikova in 1999. Earlier Thursday, top-ranked Iga Swiatek beat Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 by taking control with an eight-point run that launched a match-ending stretch in which she grabbed nine of 11 games. “Pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Garcia said. Swiatek has won all four sets she’s played so far while dropping a total of just 10 games. “It’s the last tournament of the season, so I have kind of nothing to lose. I don’t have to worry what I’m going to do next,” Swiatek said. “So, yeah, for sure, I’m giving it 100 percent, physically and mentally.” The results mean that Swiatek clinched a semifinal berth and that No. 6 Garcia will face No. 8 Kasatkina on Thursday for the other spot available in their group.
Saudi Games update: medals in taekwondo, badminton and beach volleyball
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and director of the Saudi Games, on Thursday honored the medallists of the taekwondo, badminton and beach volleyball competitions.
Messi to lock horns with Lewandowski in World Cup swansong
PARIS: Lionel Messi knows he has one last shot at winning the World Cup with Argentina, who will arrive in Qatar unbeaten in 35 matches after an impressive qualifying campaign and last year’s Copa America triumph in Brazil. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to grace his fifth and final World Cup, four years on from Argentina’s turbulent campaign in Russia which ended in the last 16. Lionel Scaloni, an assistant to Jorge Sampaoli in 2018, has since taken over the top job and fostered genuine belief Argentina can win a third World Cup that narrowly eluded them after an extra-time defeat by Germany in the final eight years ago.
NBA star Kyrie Irving suspended over ‘antisemitic’ tweet
NEW YORK: The Brooklyn Nets are suspending Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay, saying they were dismayed by his failure to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.” Hours after Irving refused to issue the apology that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sought for posting a link to an antisemitic work on his Twitter feed, the Nets said that Irving is “currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.” “We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify,” the Nets said in a statement.