ZHUNAI, China: Women’s Tennis Association chief executive Steve Simon said he wants the WTA Finals to become the last event of the season from 2019, meaning a likely swap with the ongoing Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
Simon said the Elite Trophy, which features 12 players ranked roughly from nine to 20, should precede the WTA Finals, the traditional season finale which has the women’s top eight and which finished on Sunday.
“Several years ago they were flipped,” Simon told reporters at the $2 million Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, southern China.
“It is something I would like to see changed going forward. It won’t happen in 2018 but for ‘19 and beyond it would be my goal to see the WTA Finals as the last event of the year, no question.
“I think it’s something that we have to fix long term.”
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki won the WTA Finals in Singapore on Sunday, but this week’s less prestigious Elite Trophy will now round off the arduous women’s season.
Simon said he had no plans to cut back on the busy end-of-year schedule, which is focused on Asia and is often hit by a spate of injuries and retirements as the long season takes its toll.
Simon admitted that the tour had a “crowded and mature calendar,” but he said scrapping Zhuhai, or any other Asian tournament, was not necessarily the answer.
“What sport do you play where at the end of the season players aren’t tired, they’re not held together by tape, ice and aspirin?” he quipped.
“Based upon the investments that have been made it’s very hard to tell somebody we don’t want you anymore ... That can hurt you too.
“So you have to respect the investment that’s been made and see how you can get creative and make it work.”
Zhuhai has built a new tennis center with a 5,000-seat center court, while Wuhan has a main stadium for 15,000 spectators, similar to Wimbledon. The Tianjin Open also has a purpose-built facility.
Simon said China had “a great desire” to develop in tennis, following Li Na’s breakthrough achievement in winning two Grand Slam singles tournaments before retiring in 2014.
“You’re seeing more courts being built ... more grassroots programs coming in, they’re taking it to the schools, they’re doing a lot of things that fully support the investment,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that more work was needed to attract crowds, particularly at a new event such as Zhuhai, which started in 2015.
“There’s a feeling and a perception, and it’s to some extent fair, that great events, great facilities, great hospitality, no fans. Where are they?” he said.
“It’s something we have to work on. But I think that the idea that because that’s a challenge, that you shouldn’t be here, is the wrong approach ... Nothing’s easy.”
Simon said he was also hopeful that China would unearth a successor to Li Na, who was far and away the country’s most successful player so far. China currently has five women in the top 100, led by Peng Shuai at 27.
With more players coming into the sport and more opportunities, “the odds of another group coming through will be very good,” he said.
Women’s tennis boss wants WTA Finals to close season
Women’s tennis boss wants WTA Finals to close season
Jake Paul beats 58-year-old Mike Tyson as hits failed to match the hype
- Downdetector reported that the outage primarily impacted users in major metropolitan areas, including New York, Seattle and Los Angeles
ARLINGTON, Texas: Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Friday night.
All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before the final bell sounded at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73.
Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn’t try much else the rest of the way.
Even fewer rounds and shorter rounds couldn’t do much to generate action for a 58-year-old in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years, facing a boxing neophyte with hopes of fighting for championships somewhere in the future.
Paul was more aggressive after the quickly burst from Tyson in the opening seconds, but the punching wasn’t very efficient. There were quite a few wild swings and misses.
Tyson mostly sat back and waited for Paul to come to him, with a few exceptions. It was quite the contract the co-main event, another slugfest in which Katie Taylor kept her undisputed super lightweight championship with a decision over Amanda Serrano.
It was the first sanctioned fight since 2005 for Tyson. Paul started fighting a little more than four years ago.
The fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but had to be postponed when Tyson was treated for a stomach ulcer after falling ill on a flight.
Kosovo players walk off in Romania game after ‘Serbia’ chants
Bucharest: A Nations League game between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest was suspended on Friday in injury time after fans in the crowd shouted “Serbia!.”
The Kosovo players left the pitch after the chants, leading to the game to be paused with the score 0-0.
Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s.
Kosovo and Serbia do not play each other in UEFA and FIFA tournaments.
Football’s world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup after the team hung a flag in their changing room depicting Kosovo as part of Serbia.
Kosovo joined FIFA and European confederation UEFA in 2016.
When Romania played in Pristina, they beat Kosovo 3-0.
Ronaldo shines as Portugal rout Poland to reach Nations League last-eight
PORTO, Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal staged a second-half supershow to crush Poland 5-1 and reach the Nations League quarter-finals on Friday.
Portugal join France, Germany, Italy and Spain in the last-eight while Poland’s hopes of going through from Group A1 were ended.
Having struggled to plant a shot on target in the first half, Portugal stepped on the accelerator after the break.
Rafael Leao broke the deadlock in Porto just before the hour mark after starting and finishing the move.
The AC Milan striker raced away and passed to Nuno Mendes whose cross from the left was headed powerfully past Marcin Bulka in the Portugal goal.
Thirteen minutes later, skipper Ronaldo got his name on the scoresheet, converting a penalty after Jakub Kiwior was penalized for a handball in the area.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes made it 3-0 in the 80th minute, scoring after a clever run by Vitinha.
Pedro Neto added the fourth three minutes later after Ronaldo’s fine pass which left the Polish defense stranded.
As Polish spirits sank, Ronaldo added his second and Portugal’s fifth in the 87th minute with a spectacular overhead kick before Dominik Marczuk tucked away a consolation goal for the visitors.
Poland had enjoyed the better chances before falling behind but their potency in front of goal was blunted by the absence of record goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski who was sidelined with a back injury.
Moments before Leao’s goal, Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa pulled off a fine save to deny Marczuk having also been alert to deny Nicola Zalewski in the first half.
Portugal’s best chance in the first 45 minutes had fallen to Ronaldo who fired a close-range effort over the bar from close range.
Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura says he will play next season at age 58
- Miura will turn 58 in February
- He intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka
TOKYO: Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura is several generations older than his teammates. His contemporaries retired decades ago. Lionel Messi is 37, and Cristiano Ronaldo is 39 — mere youngsters compared to Miura.
Miura will turn 58 in February, and the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported this week that he intends to play next season for his fourth-tier Japanese club, Suzuka. It will be his 40th season playing in professional soccer.
Miura is widely listed as the oldest active professional soccer player.
Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearances and was a star with Japan’s national team in the 1990s.
He has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos, a side made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.
Japan beat Indonesia 4-0 to extend group lead in Asian World Cup qualifying
- Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round.
- Australia, Saudi Arabia and China all have 6 points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with 3
JAKARTA: Japan defeated Indonesia 4-0 on Friday to move seven points clear at the top of Group C in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Two goals in each half mean the Samurai Blue stays on course for an eighth successive World Cup appearance.
After a bright start from the home team, the 78,000 fans at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium were silenced after 35 minutes as Daichi Kamada broke down the left and sent a cross which defender Justin Hubner put into his own net from close range.
Takumi Minamino then scored from inside the area off Kaoru Mitoma’s pass to extend the lead five minutes before the break.
Hidemasa Motira took advantage of an errant pass from Indonesia’s goalkeeper to make it 3-0 early in the second half and Yukinari Sugawara rounded out the scoring in the 69th minute.
Japan tops the group on 13 points with five games remaining in the round. Australia, Saudi Arabia and China all have six points, followed by Bahrain with five and Indonesia with three.
The top two from each of the three groups will be guaranteed a place at the World Cup, with the third- and fourth-place teams progressing to the next stage.
