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Andreeva, 17, tops world No. 1 Sabalenka for Indian Wells title

INDIAN WELLS, United States: Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva toppled world number one Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday to capture her second WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells. Andreeva, who last month become the youngest ever player to win an elite 1000 level crown with her triumph in Dubai, ended a frustrating run against the Belarusian to ensure she will rise to a career-high sixth in the world on Monday. Andreeva shook off her first set woes and broke Sabalenka three times in the third pushing her 2025 record to 19-3 — the most wins of any woman on the WTA tour. “I would like to thank myself for fighting to the end,” Andreeva said. “I was running like a rabbit today because Aryna she was sending bullets and it was really hard to keep up.” In a match of swinging shifts of momentum, Andreeva was in full control by the end, giving herself a match point on Sabalenka’s serve with a defensive lob that forced a miss from the number one and clinching victory with a forehand winner. “The match point I just really tried to just put the return in, it doesn’t matter how,” she told Tennis Channel.

Barca mount late comeback to stun Atletico in thriller

MADRID: Barcelona battled back from two goals down to beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 and land an important blow in the Spanish title race on Sunday. Lamine Yamal struck in the 92nd minute and Ferran Torres in the 98th to help take the Catalans back top of the table after Real Madrid beat Villarreal on Saturday to briefly claim pole position. Barcelona have a game in hand on the champions with both sides level on 60 points, while Atletico trail the top two by four after they crumbled at home against Hansi Flick’s side to end a disastrous week following their Champions League elimination. Having twice been caught out late by Atletico this season, this time it was Barcelona’s turn to provide the sting in the tail, extending their unbeaten streak to 18 matches across all competitions. Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth put Atletico ahead before Robert Lewandowski and Torres hit back for Barca, who went on to win in stoppage time. Flick selected Marc Casado in midfield, with Frenkie de Jong not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad. The German had warned his players to stay focussed after they conceded a 96th minute goal in December to surrender the lead at the top of the table to Atletico in a 2-1 home defeat. Barcelona also conceded two late goals in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg to draw 4-4 against Diego Simeone’s side in February. They played within themselves in the first half, overly cautious and conserving energy, failing to create many openings. Teenage winger Yamal created one for himself but fired wide with Jan Oblak’s goal gaping, while Lewandowski directed a header at the Slovenian stopper. At the other end Atletico wanted a penalty when Inigo Martinez pulled back Marcos Llorente in the area but they

Griekspoor stuns top-seeded Zverev, avenges French Open ‘heartbreak

Tallon Griekspoor stunned top-seeded Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in the second round at Indian Wells on Friday, avenging a devastating loss to the German at Roland Garros last year.

With Messi sitting out again, Suárez and Allende score to lead Inter Miami past Cavalier FC 2-0

FORT LAUDERDALE: Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende scored second-half goals with a healthy Lionel Messi on the bench, and Inter Miami beat Jamaican club Cavalier FC 2-0 on Thursday night in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup group of 16 match. Messi sat out his second straight game. He didn’t travel with Miami to Houston for a Major League Soccer match against the Dynamo on Sunday night, which Miami won 4-1. “For us, we feel it when we don’t have Leo,” first-year Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said.

Neymar recalled by Brazil for World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina

RIO DE JANEIRO: Former captain Neymar has been recalled by Brazil after an absence of almost 1 1/2 years.

Kante snatches a point for Al-Ittihad during frantic finish at Al-Qadsiah

Al-Ittihad rescued a point with a 1-1 draw in their Saudi Pro League clash at Al-Qadsiah on Thursday, thanks to a 96th-minute strike from N’Golo Kante that canceled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opening goal, which came just five minutes earlier.

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.

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Andreeva, 17, tops world No. 1 Sabalenka for Indian Wells title

Barca mount late comeback to stun Atletico in thriller

Griekspoor stuns top-seeded Zverev, avenges French Open ‘heartbreak

With Messi sitting out again, Suárez and Allende score to lead Inter Miami past Cavalier FC 2-0

Neymar recalled by Brazil for World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina

Kante snatches a point for Al-Ittihad during frantic finish at Al-Qadsiah

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