Top-seeded Iga Swiatek advances to 3rd round at China Open
Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek defeated Yuan Yue 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the third round at the China Open in Beijing and create some WTA Tour history.
Carlos Alcaraz Sport News
Turki Alalshikh announces ticket sales for Six Kings Slam tennis showdown in Riyadh
RIYADH: Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, announced on Thursday that tickets for the global tennis championship Six Kings Slam 2025 are now available through the Webook platform, ahead of the event to be hosted in Riyadh on Oct. 15, 16, and 18 at Kingdom Arena, as part of Riyadh Season 2025.
Atletico still burning over penalty controversy as Madrid derby looms
MADRID: Xabi Alonso’s perfect start as Real Madrid manager will be tested when his side visit a vengeful Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with Diego Simeone’s team still seething over a controversial penalty decision that cost them a Champions League quarter-final spot. Real Madrid arrive at the Metropolitano stadium with a flawless record of six wins in LaLiga, sitting five points clear of second placed Barcelona and nine points ahead of Atletico. Atletico are motivated by more than just local bragging rights – they remain furious over Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty in last season’s round of 16 Champions League defeat. The incident, where Alvarez’s penalty in the shootout was disallowed by VAR due to a controversial “double touch” decision after he slipped while attempting the shot, allowed Real Madrid to progress into the last eight. The controversy was so significant that the International Football Association Board (IFAB) later updated the rulebook, clarifying that the rule was meant to prevent deliberate double touches, not punish accidental slips. Several months on, the Atletico manager is still furious about the incident which he believes robbed his side of victory. “We feel outraged, violated... It wasn’t just another penalty, it was a penalty that would have sent us through to the quarter-finals...
Modric and De Bruyne meet in Serie A for the first time when AC Milan hosts Napoli
ROME: Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne have grown accustomed to facing each other in the Champions League. On Sunday at the San Siro, the two midfield standouts will have their first meeting in Serie A since their recent moves to Italy. When Modric’s AC Milan host De Bruyne’s Napoli, they will also be a showdown between two of the Italian league’s best performing teams. At age 40, Modric has helped transform Milan into a potential title challenger. De Bruyne, who is 34, has helped defending champion Napoli remain the team to beat. Napoli will be looking to extend their perfect start, while Milan will be aiming for their fifth straight win across all competitions. Modric’s move to Milan came after 13 seasons at Real Madrid.
Sponsor urges Israel Premier Tech cycling team to change their name in face of protests
MADRID: Israel Premier Tech cycling team have been urged by their title sponsor to change their name in the face of pro-Palestinian protests. Riders were targeted at the recent Spanish Vuelta, causing disruption to the Grand Tour event. Spain’s government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage when protesters criticized the presence of Israel Premier Tech. In a statement reported by Radio Canada, Premier Tech said “the current situation regarding the team’s name is no longer sustainable to achieve our goal.” Premier Tech is a multinational company based in Quebec, Canada. It is the title sponsor of the cycling team co-owned by Israeli Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams. The Spanish Vuelta, which concluded this month, turned into a diplomatic battleground.
European soccer body UEFA moves toward vote to suspend Israel
GENEVA: European soccer body UEFA is moving toward a vote to suspend its member federation Israel over the war in Gaza, people familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Thursday. A majority of UEFA’s 20-member executive committee is expected to support any vote in favor of suspending Israeli teams from international play, two sources told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. The move comes two weeks before the Israel men’s team is due to resume its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with away games against Norway and Italy. It is unclear whether world soccer body FIFA will support excluding Israel given the close relations between FIFA’s leader, Gianni Infantino, and President Donald Trump.
Alcaraz survives injury scare to beat Baez on Tokyo debut
TOKYO :World number one Carlos Alcaraz overcame a foot injury scare to beat Argentina's Sebastian Baez 6-4 6-2 on his Tokyo Open debut on Thursday, extending his sizzling run of form to reach the second round at the ATP 500 event.
Alcaraz survives injury scare and rain delay to win Tokyo opener
TOKYO: World number one Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off an ankle injury to beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in a gritty start to his Japan Open campaign. US Open champion Alcaraz crumpled to the ground chasing a shot in the fifth game of the opening set in Tokyo and sat on the court grimacing for several minutes. The Spaniard had his left ankle heavily strapped during a medical timeout before gingerly returning. He soon began to move comfortably and broke world number 41 Baez to take a 5-4 lead. The match was delayed for a further half an hour as organizers closed the stadium roof with rain falling. Alcaraz returned strongly and closed out the first set before breezing past Baez in the second. “I have to see later if the outcome is going to be good,” Alcaraz said of his injury after the match. Alcaraz is playing at the Japan Open for the first time and the crowd gave him a warm cheer as he emerged in a burgundy sleeveless outfit with platinum blond hair. But their applause soon turned to concern when he went down injured halfway through the first set, with his reaction suggesting he may be unable to continue. Alcaraz somehow found a way to carry on and went on to dominate the match, winning in 1 hour and 30 minutes when Baez hit a return long. Number two seed Taylor Fritz of the US survived a tough opening test against Canada’s Gabriel Diallo to go through 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). Fritz, the world number five, beat Alcaraz at the Laver Cup in San Francisco last week. Norway’s number four seed Casper Ruud also advanced, with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki. Number five seed Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic went out after losing 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro.