Sabalenka blasts past Paolini in WTA finals opener in Riyadh
RIYADH: Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her quest for a maiden WTA Finals title by blasting 11 aces on her way to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini in Riyadh on Sunday.
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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.
Auger-Aliassime advances to Paris Masters final, on verge of qualifying for ATP Finals
Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the Paris Masters tennis tournament final with a straight-sets win over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan on Saturday.
India's Bopanna retires at 45 after Grand Slam and world ranking feat
Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna announced his retirement at the age of 45 on Saturday, ending a professional career spanning more than two decades in which he captured two Grand Slam titles and also became the oldest men's doubles world number one.
Mboko beats Fernandez in all-Canadian semifinal at Hong Kong Open
Victoria Mboko won an all-Canadian showdown in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Saturday, defeating Leylah Fernandez (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) to advance to her second WTA final of the season.
Premier League confirms only one Boxing Day game amid scheduling issues
MANCHESTER: The Premier League has announced that this season will feature just one match on Boxing Day, breaking from the tradition of a full slate of festive fixtures that fans have long enjoyed. Manchester United host Newcastle United in the lone game, for the fewest top-flight fixtures in 43 years on Boxing Day, which falls on a Friday this year. In a statement, the League cited mounting scheduling pressures linked to the expansion of European club competitions as the key reason for the change. “There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” the League said. The adjustments have left the Premier League operating as a 33-weekend competition, which is fewer than in previous years, despite maintaining its 380-match format since 1995. The League broadcasting deals mean matches must be scheduled on those weekends each season. With only five rounds of midweek games included, matches must be played on December 27-28. “With fewer weekends available, fixture planning has become increasingly constrained,” the League said.
Turkish football suspends 149 referees accused of betting
ISTANBUL: The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday suspended 149 referees accused of betting on matches. The TFF said in a statement that its disciplinary committee had handed out suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months, adding that investigations are continuing into three other referees. An investigation by the federation into 571 referees in the Turkish professional leagues revealed on Monday that 371 of them had sports betting accounts and 152 were actively betting. “Refereeing is a profession of honor,” said TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Thursday.” “Anyone who tarnishes that honor...will never again be involved in Turkish football,“ The TFF said on Monday that 22 of the officials (seven match referees and 15 assistants) work in the top league. Ten of the referees listed by the TFF placed more than 10,000 bets, with one of them alone placing 18,227 bets.
New Juve manager Spalletti eyes Scudetto
“Of course, I hope this team can still get involved in the title race,” he said“Only nine matches have been played; there are still 29 left to play. That’s a lot of matches”ROME: New Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti said on Friday that his seventh-placed team are capable of challenging for the Sere A title.“Of course, I hope this team can still get involved in the title race,” he said Friday, on the eve of Juve’s game at Cremonese.Spalletti, who succeeds the sacked Igor Tudor, added: “As we discussed with the players on Thursday, we must aim for the highest.“And the highest is the Scudetto.“Only nine matches have been played; there are still 29 left to play.