MELBOURNE: The heat wasn’t a factor for Rafael Nadal this time against Damir Dzumhur, despite the searing temperature causing trouble for players earlier Friday at the Australian Open.
Nadal reached the fourth round in Australia for the 11th time with the 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win, and leveled his career head-to-head record with Dzumhur.
The 16-time major winner lost their only previous meeting when he had to retire because of heat-related issues in the third set at Miami in 2016, giving Dzumhur the win that day.
It was also a change of scenery for Nadal, who was playing on Margaret Court Arena — the No. 2 venue at Melbourne Park — while local hope Nick Kyrgios played Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a night match at Rod Laver Arena.
The youngest player in the tournament and the oldest player in the men’s draw went out earlier on Day 5.
Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina ended 15-year-old Marta Kostyuk’s run with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, then met her fellow Ukrainian at the net for a warm embrace and some words of encouragement.
“She’s a great fighter,” Svitolina, one of five women in contention for the No. 1 ranking, said of her fellow Ukrainian. “We’re going to hear a lot more about her.”
Andreas Seppi withstood 52 aces from 38-year-old Ivo Karlovic for a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-7 (5), 9-7 win in 3 hours and 51 minutes in an afternoon match.
Players were bothered and spectators clamored for shade and mist-spraying fans in searing heat earlier Friday, and organizers were on the verge of enforcing the tournament’s extreme heat policy before temperatures dropped significantly after peaking around 2 p.m. local time.
Play can be suspended at the Australian Open if the temperature 40 Celsius (104F) and a combination of factors — including temperature, humidity and breeze — reaches an unbearable limit.
Alize Cornet, who needed a medical timeout and a doctor to take her blood pressure as she struggled with heat stress in her 7-5, 6-4 third-round loss to Elize Mertens, was among those suggesting the extreme heat policy needs reviewing.
“I started to feel dizzy. ... I was feeling super, super hot. I kind of felt that I could faint at any moment,” she said, adding that while precautions were taken by tournament officials, “playing in this condition is of course very dangerous for the health of the player.
“The limit of not playing the match is really high. ... I think this limit should be a little bit lower.”
No. 3-seeded Grigor Dimitrov beat No. 30 Andrey Rublev 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in just over three hours after the change came through and said “the heat didn’t scare me at all today.”
Kyle Edmund overcame Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6 (0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 in 3 ½ hours on an open court in the peak of the heat, earning a spot in the next round against Seppi. No. 10 Pablo Carreno Busta had a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over No. 23 Gilles Muller.
Kostyuk entered the tournament ranked No. 521 — a number that will likely be halved next month — and had wins over 25th-seeded Peng Shuai and Olivia Rogowska to become the youngest player to win main-draw matches at the Australian Open since Martina Hingis in 1996.
The step up to facing a top 10 player was too much.
Svitolina, the only seeded player still in contention in her quarter, had five aces, only 11 unforced errors and didn’t serve a double fault in the 59-minute match.
Kostyuk, who had nine double-faults — including one on match point — sobbed into a towel in the tunnel soon after leaving the court, but could joke about the defeat when asked later what she could take out of the experience.
“Well, a lot,” she said. “How much you have to pay Svitolina to have one-hour lesson? I got it for free.”
Svitolina will next play Denisa Allertova, who beat Magda Linette 6-1, 6-4. No. 19 Magdalena Rybarikova had a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win over Kateryna Bondarenko.
Petra Martic celebrated her 27th birthday with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 over Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum.
“That was really ugly,” Martic said of the heat. “We were lucky to play on Rod Laver because we had some shade behind so you could hide for a few seconds in between the points.
“Other than that, you need to be mentally tough and ready to just suffer out there.”
Rafael Nadal into fourth round of Australian Open
Rafael Nadal into fourth round of Australian Open
Banton, Pooran steer MI Emirates to emphatic 26-run triumph over Dubai Capitals
- Victory at Zayed Cricket Stadium was MI Emirates’ first win of the DP World ILT20 season
ABU DHABI: The MI Emirates cruised to their first win of the DP World ILT20 season against the Dubai Capitals at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday evening.
With half-centuries from Tom Banton and Nicholas Pooran, the MI Emirates clinched a 26-run win.
Shai Hope was the star of the match with a magnificent 101 runs in 59 balls, but it was in vain as the Dubai Capitals lost to the MI Emirates for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The course of the game turned in favor of the MI Emirates with Fazalhaq Farooqi’s over, where he picked up two wickets and conceded just three runs.
With the Capitals chasing a daunting target of 188, the MI Emirates opened their bowling with spin. Akeal Hosein was handed the new ball and the move nearly paid off in the third over.
This was when Ben Dunk skied a quicker one, but Waqar Salamkheil dropped the sitter. Hope, at the other end, did the bulk of the scoring and anchored the Capitals’ innings.
Alzarri Joseph gave the MI Emirates the breakthrough as he bowled Dunk in the sixth over, but Hope motored on at the other end and brought up his 50 in 32 deliveries.
Hope and McMullen put up 61 for the second wicket before the latter was stumped by Pooran. It was a redemption tale for Salamkheil as he finally got his man.
Hope remained unscathed and hit AM Ghazanfar for a four and six as he brought up his T20 career’s second century. This was the first century scored by a Dubai Capitals player and also the third 100 in the history of the DP World ILT20. Hope fell with the next ball.
The momentum swung the MI Emirates’ way thereafter as Farooqi dismissed Sikandar Raza with a toe-crushing yorker. Farooqi made it two in two as he crafted another brilliant yorker to get rid of Dasun Shanaka’s off-stump.
The Dubai Capitals were left to rue their chances as Zahoor Khan bowled a fantastic 19th over, giving away just one run. The Dubai Capitals needed 36 in the final over, but it proved to be too steep a hill to climb.
Earlier in the evening, the MI Emirates stuttered as Dushmantha Chameera was on the money in his very first delivery. He outfoxed Kusala Perera and dislodged his leg stump to give the Dubai Capitals an early footing in the game.
Banton joined Muhammed Waseem in the middle and the duo offered the MI Emirates much-needed stability with a key partnership of 38 runs that was littered with boundaries.
However, Raza made amends for a missed catch earlier as he found the stumps with a stunning throw from mid-off and Waseem returned to the pavilion for 18. The powerplay ended with the MI Emirates putting up 50 for two, with both teams having plenty of positive takeaways.
Banton continued to thrive on one end, bringing up his half-century in style as he swept Zahir Khan for a huge six on the leg side to wrap up the 11th over.
Coming in at number four, Pooran joined the party as he clobbered two fours and six sixes in a 29-ball endeavor that yielded 59 runs. Pooran took Olly Stone for three successive sixes in the 15th over.
The skipper began his onslaught with a perfectly timed scoop, the next was a fortunate edge that sailed over the ropes, and the third was a repeat of the first. In pursuit of a fourth consecutive maximum, he holed out to Shanaka at deep midwicket.
Stone struck again in the 18th over as he got rid of Banton, the architect of MI Emirates’ innings, for a top score of 74 runs in 52 balls.
Romario Shepherd, Kieron Pollard and Joseph made up Gulbadin Naib’s second consecutive three-wicket haul in the final over as the Capitals restricted the MI Emirates to 187 for seven.
Expressing his regret on not bringing the Capitals home, centurion Hope said: “A 100 always feels a lot sweeter when you end up on the winning side.
“Just unfortunate I could not get the team there, but we just fell short with the bat. It was a pretty good pitch, and I thought we did well to restrict them to under 200.”
Meanwhile, Player of the Match, Banton remarked: “It was tricky to begin with. We spoke pre-game that someone’s got to bat through the innings. I looked to put pressure back on the bowlers when the ball was in my area.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket here and the wickets are always good. It’s my first year here, I was with MI Cape Town last year. Someone has to put his hand up every game, and today it was me.”
Brief scores:
MI Emirates beat Dubai Capitals by 26 runs.
MI Emirates 187-7 in 20 overs (Tom Banton 74, Nicholas Pooran 59, Kieron Pollard 22, Gulbadin Naib 3 for 27).
Dubai Capitals 161-6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 101, Brandon McMullen 16, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 22).
Saudi Arabia, Japan discuss collaboration for 2026 Asian Games
- Meeting at Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquarters in Riyadh
RIYADH: Officials representing the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisashi Matsumoto discussed on Monday plans for the hosting of the 20th Asian Games and the 5th Asian Para Games in Nagoya city in 2026.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the SOPC’s CEO and Secretary-General Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Baeshen attended the meeting at the organization’s headquarters in Riyadh.
The officials discussed ways to facilitate the participation of Saudi Arabia’s sports delegation in the games.
Collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Japan have strengthened following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SOPC and the Japanese Olympic Committee on the sidelines of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Set to begin in September, the theme of the 2026 Asian Games is “Imagine One Asia.”
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This story was originally posted on Arab News Japan
‘Ready and excited’: Beterbiev looking to remain undefeated in rematch with Bivol at ‘The Last Crescendo’
- The fight, backed by Riyadh Season, will determine the undisputed light-heavyweight champion
LONDON: Artur Beterbiev on Monday declared his readiness and excitement for his highly anticipated rematch against Dmitry Bivol, headlining the blockbuster boxing event “The Last Crescendo” on Feb. 22 in Riyadh.
The fight, backed by Riyadh Season, will determine the undisputed light-heavyweight champion.
“I am ready and excited, and looking forward to the match,” Beterbiev told Arab News during a press conference in London. The undefeated champion highlighted his respect for Bivol’s skills and his confidence in securing another win.
Their first fight was a closely contested bout, showcasing their talent and tenacity. Bivol, seeking redemption, expressed his determination to reclaim the title and avenge his only career loss.
The event features a stellar lineup of undercard bouts, with champions and rising stars ready to deliver memorable performances.
Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker
Dubois, the IBF heavyweight champion, will defend his title against former WBC champion Parker. “I’ve pushed myself harder than ever in training. This is my time to shine,” said Dubois. Parker, undeterred, vowed to use his experience to regain a world title.
Shakur Stevenson vs. Floyd Schofield
In a WBC lightweight title bout, Stevenson will face Schofield, a rising star in the division. “This fight is a stepping stone to solidify my legacy,” Stevenson said. Schofield called the match a “dream opportunity” to prove his worth on the world stage.
Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz
WBC middleweight champion Adames will battle the undefeated Sheeraz. “I’m here to make a statement and bring the title home,” Sheeraz said. Adames, determined to retain his belt, promised to “show the world why I’m the champion.”
Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel
Heavyweight powerhouses Zhang and Kabayel will face off in a bout with global intrigue. “The support of Saudi Arabia is incredible, and events like these align with Vision 2030 to promote global sports and cultural exchange,” Zhang said.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith
Two rising stars of the light-heavyweight division will clash in a bout that could redefine the division’s future.
Djokovic joins Alcaraz, Sinner in second round of Australian Open
- In front of new coach and former rival Andy Murray, Djokovic struggled to raise a smile in the immediate aftermath
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic survived a scare in his quest for tennis history before following Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.
But Greek former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas and home favorite Nick Kyrgios both fell at the first hurdle, with the combustible Australian going out swearing and in pain.
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff powered through with minimum fuss as they launched their bids to dethrone two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Another winner was two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
On a blockbuster second day in Melbourne, Djokovic lost the first set to 107th-ranked American Nishesh Basavareddy in the prime-time evening match on Rod Laver Arena.
But the Serbian great, hoping to roll back the years and win an 11th Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered to ease through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
In front of new coach and former rival Andy Murray, Djokovic struggled to raise a smile in the immediate aftermath.
“At the end, it was great but I think he was the better player for a set and a half,” said the 37-year-old.
Italian world No. 1 Sinner was warmly welcomed on Rod Laver Arena before defeating Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Sinner is playing under a cloud after twice testing positive for traces of a steroid in March.
He denies wrongdoing and was cleared by tennis authorities, but the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed and is seeking to ban him for up to two years.
“I was curious to see how it was. You never know what’s happening,” he said about the reception.
“I was happy about the crowd,” added Sinner, who has not tasted defeat since losing to Alcaraz in the Beijing final in October.
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion but never a winner in Melbourne, had a couple of hairy moments before seeing off Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, 6-1, 7-5, 6-1.
“This is a tournament I really want to win one day, hopefully this year,” said the 21-year-old Spaniard.
There was disappointment for home fans as the colorful but temperamental Kyrgios, only recently back from 18 months out with injury, lost 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) to Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
Kyrgios spoke to physios multiple times in the second set after wincing in pain while serving and fired expletives at his coaching box.
The 11th-seeded Tsitsipas became the first major casualty when Alex Michelsen blasted past him 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
The 26-year-old Greek, who played Djokovic in the 2023 final at Melbourne Park, never looked comfortable against the 42nd-ranked American.
“It just sucks in a way that I’ll be hanging around for quite a while now before my next tournament comes in,” said Tsitsipas.
Two-time US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe vomited twice on court before pulling through in five sets against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
The women’s draw provided few upsets on day two.
Red-hot world No. 3 Gauff laid down a marker as she swept aside former Melbourne champion and fellow American Sofia Kenin.
Gauff is unbeaten this year after leading the US to United Cup glory and eased past the 2020 Australian Open winner 6-3, 6-3 in 80 minutes.
“I knew it was going to be difficult, but you know, I’m happy with how I played,” said Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion.
World No. 2 Swiatek defeated Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 to get her tournament up and running.
The Pole has won five Grand Slams but her best performance at Melbourne Park is the semifinals in 2022.
“For sure it wasn’t an easy first round, so I’m happy that I’m through,” said Swiatek.
US Open finalist Jessica Pegula, the seventh-seeded American, blew away home player Maya Joint 6-3, 6-0.
Victoria Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 champion, was a notable early loser as the Belarusian went down 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) to Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti.
Warner, Williamson, Joseph and Mitchell to make debut in Pakistan Super League 2025
- All six franchises assembled their squads at the glittering PSL 2025 Player Draft ceremony on Monday
- PSL 2025 is scheduled to take place between April 8 and May 19, with 116 players from 10 countries
ISLAMABAD: New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell became the first pick of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 Player Draft as the two-time winners Lahore Qalandars roped him in to bolster their batting order at a ceremony in Lahore on Monday afternoon, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
Mitchell, who has played 70 T20Is, will make his PSL debut later this year. Left-handed batter David Warner was pouched by 2020 PSL champions Karachi Kings as they made use of the second pick in the first Platinum round. Warner, with his wealth of experience including 12,727 T20 runs in 392 T20 matches, will also be among the list of notable debutants this season.
Peshawar Zalmi used the Right to Match option for Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was picked by Quetta Gladiators. Kohler-Cadmore has represented Zalmi in the last four PSL editions. Gladiators then picked up New Zealand’s Mark Chapman, who has played 81 T20Is in his 10-year long international career and is a dual international as well.
Michael Bracewell and Matthew Short were the last two picks in the Platinum one round as they were gleaned by Multan Sultans and Islamabad United, respectively. Bracewell, an all-format player for New Zealand has played 149 T20s having scored 2,744 runs and taken 66 wickets. Short will add to Islamabad’s explosive batting line-up as they look to add a fourth PSL Trophy to their cabinet later this year.
“In the Platinum round two, Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings had two picks each. Gladiators used their Wild Card pick option to snare all-rounder Faheem Ashraf to their squad,” the PCB said in a statement.
“Aggressive Kiwi opening batter Finn Allen was the other player Quetta picked in this round. Allen, 25, has played 47 T20Is for New Zealand and scored 1,141 runs with the help of two centuries and at a strike rate of 158.69.”
Karachi Kings strengthened their pace arsenal as they went for Adam Milne as their first pick of the Platinum two round and followed it up by using Wild Card on Mohammad Abbas Afridi.
Milne will bring in extra pace to PSL 2025 along with his experience of 186 T20s in which has bagged 213 wickets at an average of 23.61. On the other hand, Abbas Afridi, who will now ply his trade for the Kings, was the leading wicket taker – 23 wickets, for Multan Sultans in PSL 2023 and also became part of the team of the tournament.
The Diamond round of picks saw Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars bag quality overseas talent in the form of Corbin Bosch, Jason Holder and Kusal Perera. Bosch was picked by Zalmi, Holder by United and Perera by Qalandars.
Peshawar Zalmi topped up their pace stocks by picking Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana in the Gold category round one. Rana, 22, has impressed one and all with his express pace in his brief international career.
In the same category, Islamabad United picked Aussie left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis, who has bagged 176 T20 wickets at an average of 22 in 140 games. He will join his fellow countrymen Riley Meredith and Short on the United roster for PSL 2025.
“In the Silver category round three Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain was picked up by Qalandars. In a first, United States of America’s (USA) Andries Gous made it to the HBL PSL 2025 and he will turn up for Islamabad United,” the statement read.
“Multan Sultans added Irish pacer Josh Little and West Indies’ spinner Gudakesh Motie to their side during this round.”
In the supplementary round one, Kane Williamson was picked by Karachi Kings, who will join his New Zealand teammate Milne. He will be one of the notable overseas signings for Kings along with Mohammad Nabi, David Warner and Litton Das. Johnson Charles, Tom Curran, Kusal Mendis and pacer Alzarri Joseph were bagged by Sultans, Qalandars, Gladiators, and Zalmi, respectively in the supplementary round one.
In the round two, Sam Billings was snared by Qalandars who used Right to Match card against defending champions Islamabad United, who later picked up Rassie van der Dussen. Quetta Gladiators made a strong pick as they bagged Australia’s Sean Abbott adding more pace and batting firepower to their line-up. Shai Hope was picked by Sultans while Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi will return to Karachi Kings this year.
Shoaib Malik will feature in his tenth consecutive PSL edition as he was picked up by Quetta Gladiators in the Supplementary round three. Among the two Emerging rounds of picks, notable selections were made. Batting prodigy Hasan Nawaz went to Gladiators’ roster, while talented Maaz Sadaqat was picked up by Zalmi.
Saad Masood the right-arm leg-spinner, who can bat as well and made headlines in the recent Champions T20 Cup in Rawalpindi, found home in Islamabad United and will be marshalled by Shadab Khan himself. Hunain Shah returns to Islamabad United while Ubaid Shah was picked up by Multan Sultans.
FINAL SQUADS
Islamabad United: Matthew Short, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan (all Platinum), Imad Wasim (mentor) and Azam Khan, Jason Holder (both Diamond), Ben Dwarhuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha (Brand Ambassador) and Haider Ali (all Gold), Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Muhammad Nawaz and Rumman Raees (all Silver), Hunain Shah, Saad Masood (both Emerging)
Supplementary – Riley Meredith and Rassie van der Dussen
Multan Sultans: Michael Bracewell, Mohammad Rizwan and Usama Mir (all Platinum), David Willey (mentor), Iftikhar Ahmed (Brand Ambassador) and Usman Khan (all Diamond), Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Hasnain (all Gold), Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Faisal Akram and Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Ubaid Shah and Shahid Aziz (both Emerging)
Supplementary – Johnson Charles, Muhammad Amir Barki, Shai Hope and Yasir Khan
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all Platinum), Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Haris (all Diamond), Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat and Nahid Rana (all Gold), Arif Yaqoob, Najeebullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz and Sufyan Moqim (Brand Ambassador) (all silver), Ali Raza and Maaz Sadaqat (both Emerging)
Supplementary – Ahmed Daniyal and Alzarri Joseph
Quetta Gladiators: Faheem Ashraf, Finn Allen and Mark Chapman (Platinum), Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir (mentor) and Rilee Rossouw (all Diamond), Akeal Hosein, Saud Shakeel (Brand Ambassador) and Mohammad Wasim Jr. (all Gold), Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Kyle Jamieson, Khurram Shahzad and Usman Tariq (all Silver), Mohammad Zeeshan and Hasan Nawaz (both Emerging)
Supplementary – Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott and Shoaib Malik
Karachi Kings: Adam Milne, David Warner and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (all Platinum), Hasan Ali and James Vince, Khushdil Shah (all Diamond), Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Shan Masood (all Gold), Arafat Minhas (Brand Ambassador), Litton Das, Mir Hamza, Tim Seifert and Zahid Mehmood (all Silver), Fawad Ali and Riazullah (Emerging)
Supplementary – Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Mirza Mamoon
Lahore Qalandars: Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Platinum), Haris Rauf (Brand Ambassador), Kusal Perera and Sikandar Raza (all Diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan and Zaman Khan (all Gold), Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, David Wiese, Muhammad Akhlaq and Rishad Hossain (all Silver), Mohammad Azab and Momin Qamar (both Emerging)
Supplementary – Mohammad Naeem, Sam Billings, Salman Ali Mirza and Tom Curran
