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Man Utd draw in Spain in Europa League last 16 as Spurs beaten

PARIS: Manchester United drew 1-1 away to Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, while Tottenham suffered a 1-0 loss away to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Joshua Zirkzee drilled in from just outside the area to give United the lead on 57 minutes in San Sebastian but Mikel Oyarzabal levelled from the spot after Bruno Fernandes was punished for a handball. Zirkzee cut a distraught figure after missing the decisive penalty in last week’s FA Cup shootout loss to Fulham and has endured a testing first season at United, whose only remaining hope of silverware is in the Europa League. He scored for the first time in Europe this term, unleashing a sharp low drive from 20 yards after being teed up by Alejandro Garnacho’s inviting pass. But Ruben Amorim’s side could not hold on to their advantage as Fernandes handled at a corner, with Oyarzabal confidently converting his spot-kick. Andre Onana made two excellent saves to keep United level as Real Sociedad pressed for a winner, leaving the tie evenly poised ahead of next week’s second leg. “I felt until the penalty we had control of the game and then I think the penalty changed a little bit the momentum,” Amorim told TNT Sports. “I felt our team in the last 30 minutes were really, really tired,” he added. “We take this stage to Old Trafford...

Women’s tennis players now are eligible for paid maternity leave funded by Saudi Arabia’s PIF

DUBAI: Pregnant players on the women’s tennis tour now can receive 12 months of paid maternity leave, and those who become parents via partner pregnancy, surrogacy or adoption can get two months off with pay, under a program sponsored by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and announced Thursday by the WTA. “Independent contractors and self-employed individuals don’t typically have these kinds of maternity benefits provided and available to them. They have to go out and sort of figure out those benefits for themselves,” WTA CEO Portia Archer said. “This is really sort of novel and groundbreaking.” More than 300 players are eligible for the fund, which is retroactive to Jan. 1. The WTA would not disclose how much money is involved.

Virat Kohli hits ton in Dubai as India push Pakistan to brink of Champions Trophy exit

DUBAI: Star batsman Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100 to lead India to a six-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday and push the title holders to the brink of elimination from the Champions Trophy. Chasing 242 for victory, Kohli hit a boundary to seal the match with 45 balls to spare and register his 51st ODI ton after an innings which also saw him pass 14,000 runs in one-day international cricket. Kohli, 36, removed his helmet and raised his bat to the Dubai International Stadium crowd after taking India closer to the semifinals with two wins in two outings in Group A. Pakistan have lost both their matches and will need Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to have any chance of staying in contention for a last-four spot. The top two teams from the two groups will make the semifinals. “My job was clear — to control the middle overs, not take risks against the spinners and take on the pacers,” said Kohli. “I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs. I have a decent understanding of my game. “It’s about keeping the outside noise away, take care of my energy levels and thoughts.

Pakistan win toss, bat against India in key Champions Trophy clash

DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to bat in a blockbuster Champions Trophy clash against India on Sunday as his side looks to stay alive in the tournament. A full house was expected for the eagerly awaited Group A match at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium, India’s home for the 50-over tournament after they refused to tour Pakistan due to political tensions. Defending champions Pakistan lost the tournament opener to New Zealand and another defeat will virtually end their chances of making the semifinals. Imam-ul-Haq comes into the Pakistan side for Fakhar Zaman, who was injured in the opening match and is out of the tournament. India had a hard-fought win in their first match against Bangladesh and come into the key clash unchanged. India captain Rohit Sharma said it “doesn’t really matter, they (Pakistan) won the toss, so we’ll bowl first.” The top two teams from the two groups will make the semifinals. Teams India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav. Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed. Umpires: Paul Reiffel (AUS), Richard Illingworth (ENG) TV Umpire: Michael Gough (ENG) Match Referee: David Boon (AUS)

Doncic dominates as Lakers rout Nuggets, Suns gore Bulls

LOS ANGELES, United States: Luka Doncic delivered a dominant 32-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Denver Nuggets’ nine-game winning streak on Saturday with an impressive 123-100 victory on the road in Colorado. Doncic, playing only his fourth game for the Lakers since his blockbuster trade from Dallas, was in scintillating form as the Lakers conjured a statement wire-to-wire win over their Western Conference rivals. The Slovenian superstar was the standout performer on a night when the Lakers saw four players finish with 20 points or more for the first time this season. Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while LeBron James backed him with 25 points. Austin Reaves added 23 points and Rui Hachimura 21. “I’m starting to feel a little bit more like myself — that’s why I was smiling the whole game,” Doncic told ESPN afterward. “There’s still a lot of room for improvement and this is only my fourth game.

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

DUBAI: Inspired by LeBron James and Roger Federer, Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva wrapped up a fairytale week in Dubai by becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion with victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday.

'Soft' Man Utd have to survive this season, says Amorim

LIVERPOOL: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim described his side as "soft" despite fighting back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday. United looked destined for a ninth defeat in 13 Premier League games when goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure gave Everton a deserved half-time lead. However, captain Bruno Fernandes inspired a fightback from the visitors to at least prevent another defeat for Amorim's men. Fernandes curled in a free-kick with United's first shot on target on 72 minutes. Manuel Ugarte levelled shortly afterwards after another Fernandes set-piece delivery was only partially cleared. United, though, were fortunate to escape Goodison Park with a point as Everton had a penalty controversially ruled out after a VAR review in stoppage time. The Red Devils remain down in 15th, but are 13 points clear of the bottom three and should be safe from the embarrassment of relegation. "The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do. We were soft", said Amorim, who has taken just 15 points from a possible 45 since taking charge in November. "In this moment, we need to focus on day-by-day.

Buoyant Frankfurt aim for ‘perfection’ against league leaders Bayern

BERLIN: Despite their best Bundesliga season in decades, Eintracht Frankfurt know only something close to a perfect performance will help topple league leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday. With 22 of 34 games played this Bundesliga campaign, Frankfurt sit third and are on track for their first top-four finish since the 1992-93 season. Frankfurt’s 2022 Europa League win meant a first-ever Champions League participation. Another crack at the European elite from finishing in the top four this season would be a just reward for Dino Toppmoeller’s impressive side, who have rebounded despite the loss of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City. Up next is a trip to Bayern, who are eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and on track to win back the Bundesliga title. Frankfurt will be the underdogs on Sunday but have recent form against the German giants. Frankfurt held Bayern to a 3-3 draw in October, making them one of only four teams alongside Leverkusen, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund who have taken points off the league leaders this season. Bayern may have won only one of their past four against Frankfurt, but Eagles captain Kevin Trapp was not getting ahead of himself on Thursday. “We are third and Bayern are 13 points ahead of us, that speaks volumes. Trapp said the visitors “must get close to perfection in order to get a point or better there.” Bayern may be sailing in the league but they come into Sunday’s game after two straight draws and Trapp said the hosts will fight hard “so that a crisis isn’t declared in Munich.” Bayern look set to be without star striker Harry Kane, who was subbed off at half-time in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Celtic. Frankfurt have their own injury woes, with German defender Robin Koch out and

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WTA Sport News

Man Utd draw in Spain in Europa League last 16 as Spurs beaten

Women’s tennis players now are eligible for paid maternity leave funded by Saudi Arabia’s PIF

Virat Kohli hits ton in Dubai as India push Pakistan to brink of Champions Trophy exit

Pakistan win toss, bat against India in key Champions Trophy clash

Doncic dominates as Lakers rout Nuggets, Suns gore Bulls

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

'Soft' Man Utd have to survive this season, says Amorim

Buoyant Frankfurt aim for ‘perfection’ against league leaders Bayern