KUALA LUMPUR: Nour El Sherbini stormed back from a two-game deficit to defeat top seed Laura Massaro and become the youngest-ever women’s squash world champion on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Egyptian’s victory at the PSA World Women’s Championship in Malaysia also vaults her past Massaro into the sport’s No.1 ranking.
“I’m dreaming right now, I didn’t imagine I could win this match,” said El Sherbini.
She had looked like a champion all week.
In the quarterfinals she crushed Nicol David — the defending world champ who had dominated the sport over the past decade — ending the Malaysian’s bid for a ninth world title.
She then swatted aside her compatriot Nouran Gohar in the semifinals to set up a rematch of the 2013 final that was won by Massaro.
Massaro seemed headed for her second world championship as El Sherbini, appearing rattled, committed several unforced errors and questioned the officials’ decisions in dropping the first two games 6-11 and 4-11.
But she recovered in the third with a series of devastating volleys and held Massaro off 11-3, 11-5, 11-8 in the last three games.
“Me and Laura’s games have always finished in five games. This time was going to be my turn and I was confident knowing that I was playing good,” El Sherbini said.
Massaro paid credit to El Sherbini after the match.
“It’s amazing for her to have come back from two games down. I will take this defeat on the chin and return stronger,” she said.
El Sherbini’s defeat of David earlier in the week left the Malaysian’s hometown fans stunned and provided further evidence that her decade-long dominance of the game may be over.
The Malaysian has a record eight world championships but has suffered a dip in form over the past year. In September she surrendered her phenomenal nine-year stranglehold on the world’s No.1 ranking.
But David expressed confidence that she could stay among the sport’s elite despite falling to a previously unthinkable world No.5, and she shot down speculation that she may consider retiring soon.
“Disappointed — but not even close to retirement,” she tweeted late Thursday after her loss.
No world championship was held in 2015 after the event was suddenly called off in December amid controversy, with its previous promoter claiming security concerns in Malaysia prevented it being staged.
Malaysian officials denied any security threat and accused the promoters of a ploy to secure more financial support.
El Sherbini is world squash champion
El Sherbini is world squash champion
Saudi national football team prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
- Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium
- Defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from injury
RIYADH: The Saudi national football team trained on Thursday evening at their preparatory camp in Al-Khobar, as part of the build-up for their crucial ninth and tenth rounds of the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
French coach Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium, a media statement said.
The training session began with warm-up training followed by tactical exercises and a half-field game, before it concluded with stretching routines aimed at muscle recovery and injury prevention.
In a positive development, defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from a recent injury. Muteb Al-Harbi and Mohammed Bakr continued their individual rehabilitation programs under the supervision of the medical team.
The Green Falcons will resume their preparation on Friday afternoon with a closed-door training match against the Jordanian national team, also scheduled to take place at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium.
Argentine court declares a mistrial in the case over the death of soccer star Maradona
- The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down
- The judges turned the clock back on all proceedings
BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine court on Thursday declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona, the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the soccer world for more than two months.
The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down over criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case.
Her withdrawal compelled the court to either appoint a new judge in her place or to retry the entire case from scratch.
On Thursday, the judges decided the latter, effectively turning the clock back on all proceedings in the case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care for the soccer star in his final days.
‘Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah’ in King Cup final, says Laurent Blanc
- ‘Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are,’ says French coach
- Michel Gonzalez expresses happiness to play in King Cup final against Al-Ittihad on Friday
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad head coach Laurent Blanc confirmed the team’s full readiness, predicting that Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah when they meet on Friday in the King Cup final at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.
Blanc spoke to the press on Thursday ahead of the King Cup final, saying: “Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are. Of course, they have ambitions to win the title. They have distinguished players, and they have speed, but my team are fully prepared for this match and will be ready to fight, enjoy and win.
“Al-Ittihad fans in Jeddah are important for the team. We must focus mentally.
“I am proud of the players after they had an exceptional season, and tomorrow our team will be ready to fight for victory. I have 22 players ready for the match, I know my team well, and I am happy with the players’ readiness.”
His countryman Karim Benzema, the captain of Al-Ittihad, explained that Al-Qadsiah have good players and a good coach, but playing the match in Jeddah will be in their favor.
He said: “Al-Qadsiah have a good coach and players, but we have full confidence in tomorrow’s match. As everyone knows, finals are won, not played. Today, we have a final training session in preparation for the final. This season, we were able to win against all teams, and tomorrow we have the home advantage and the fans.
“So, it’s job done in the Saudi Pro League, fantastic, and we’re happy to win the title. But tomorrow is a different game, a final, and we want to win at any cost.”
On the other side, Al-Qadsiah’s head coach, Michel Gonzalez, expressed his happiness to play in the King Cup final against Al-Ittihad, on Friday, at the end of the sports season.
“I am very happy with what we have achieved by reaching this great final, thanks to the players’ efforts,” Gonzalez said on Thursday during a press conference in Jeddah.
“We were able to secure an advanced position in the Saudi Pro League, in addition to qualifying for the final match of the King Cup.
“We had a real and strong desire to perform well since the beginning of the season, and all the club’s fans are happy with what the team have achieved. Everyone knows that we have performed at a high level this season … On the final night, we will face a very strong team, which recently won the Saudi Pro League.
“I promise the fans to do everything we can to beat Al-Ittihad for the first time this season and win the Cup title.”
Al-Qadsiah’s defender Nacho Fernandez expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to win the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup title against Al-Ittihad in the final match.
He said: “We are happy to be here after the great effort we put in this season. We came to compete and give our best. I like the quality of these matches because they are finals and we have respect for the opponent, the league champions.”
Riyadh to host WWE SmackDown in June
- Tickets for SmackDown, Night of Champions now available through Webook
- Riyadh Season, WWE co-organizing events, sponsored by Esports World Cup
RIYADH: Riyadh is gearing up to host two World Wrestling Entertainment events at the Kingdom Arena: its first-ever SmackDown on June 27, and Night of Champions the following day.
The events are being organized jointly by Riyadh Season and WWE, and are sponsored by the Esports World Cup.
Wrestling fans will be eagerly anticipating the events with the confirmed appearance of global icon John Cena.
SmackDown will feature a star-studded lineup including Cody Rhodes, Omos, Bianca Belair, and Charlotte Flair, in a show to be broadcast live on USA Network in the US.
Night of Champions will stream exclusively on Peacock in the US, while fans in Saudi Arabia and most international markets can watch both events live on Netflix, as part of WWE’s new partnership with the platform.
Tickets are now available for purchase through the Webook platform.
Both events mark major highlights of Riyadh Season, which was launched in 2019 and has rapidly grown to become one of the largest entertainment festivals in the world, attracting millions of visitors to premier sports, entertainment, and music events.
Bayern sign Germany defender Tah until 2029
- “I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team,” Tah said
- “In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality,” said sporting director Christoph Freund
MUNICH: Bayern Munich have signed German international defender Jonathan Tah on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions announced on Thursday.
The 29-year-old has signed a four-year deal which will keep him in Munich until 2029.
“I’m very happy to be at Bayern. I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team and win lots of trophies together,” Tah said in the club statement.
Tah spent a decade at Leverkusen, winning an unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24. He told Leverkusen he would not be extending his contract beyond 2025 and was given a big farewell at his last home game in May.
Bayern were linked with signing Tah in the summer of 2024 with one year remaining on his contract, but the Bavarians refused to meet Leverkusen’s asking price.
Bayern needed to sign a center-back after Eric Dier departed for Ligue 1 side Monaco at the end of the season.
“In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality, who won’t need much time to establish himself in our defense,” said sporting director Christoph Freund.
“He’ll be a good and important addition for us with his technical qualities as well as his manner and the way he leads.”
The Hamburg-born defender, who was also linked with a move to Barcelona where he would have joined former Germany coach Hansi Flick, has played 35 games for the national team since making his debut in 2016.
Tah has since established himself at the heart of the Germany defense. He has started all but one of the international games for which he was available since September 2023.
He is a member of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad to play in the Nations League finals next month.
The hosts face Portugal in the semifinals in Munich on June 4 with the winner taking on either
France or Spain in the final at the Bayern home ground three days later.
Bayern also tried to sign Tah’s club teammate Florian Wirtz but the midfielder now appears likely to move to Liverpool after Leverkusen admitted this week that there is “concrete interest” from the Premier League winners.
