Arab star Ons Jabeur reflects on her ‘painful’ Wimbledon exit

Ons Jabeur just missed out on reaching the third round of Wimbledon.
Updated 06 July 2018
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Arab star Ons Jabeur reflects on her ‘painful’ Wimbledon exit

  • Tunisia lost 9-7 in the deciding set to world No. 42
  • 'It was a tough one, very tough'

LONDON: Ons Jabeur said her Wimbledon defeat to Katerina Siniakova was a bitter pill to swallow, especially after she had got herself in a great position to become the first Arab women to reach the third round of the grass-court slam.
Jabeur was 5-2 up in the deciding third set and enjoyed match point against the world No. 42, but she lost seven of the last nine games and crashed out 5-7, 6-4, 9-7. Had she won, she would have gone one step further than her compatriot Selima Sfar did in 2001, 2002 and 2005.
“It was a tough one, very tough,” Jabeur said in an interview with Sport360. “This kind of loss is very painful.”
Jabeur was a wild-card entry, so did well to even reach the second round by knocking out Viktorija Golubi in the first round, but once she was there, Jabeur feels she should have made the most of the opportunity. These kind of opportunities, when you can smell a place in the third round of arguably the most famous slam of them all, do not come around too often.
“Unfortunately maybe I don’t have enough experience to hold enough my serve,” said the 23-year-old. “It was the key, and maybe other stuff.”


Jabeur only won two less points than Siniakova in the match but she only landed 54 percent of her first serves and recorded only a 51 percent win percentage on her second serve. Her serve was a big reason why she forfeited a winning position.
“When you say 5-2, it was just one break up, I know it’s three games but two were on her serve,” Jabeur said. “I should have won my serve, I have to really work on much, much more. I’m working on it, but these kind of matches and these kind of situations I need it much more. It was better at the end of the [Viktorija] Golubic match [in the first round], when I had to win my serve I did win it. I just have to learn from these mistakes.”
Jabeur feels she will be better for the experience of being in the business end of matches at a slam against players ranked in the top 50.
“She acted differently, she wasn’t crying, she was loose, she was hitting all the balls much better,” said Jabeur. “Because I was fighting back, also breaking her serve after. The second set was also a little bit tough. I felt a little bit tired but then I came back much better at the end. I have to absorb it better this loss and then maybe something better will come after, at the end of the season. Maybe if she started like stressing out more I would have won the game but she started playing looser and much better.”
Jabeur pocketed £108,000 ($142,000) for her run to the second round and will pick up a healthy number of ranking points that should improve her position of 130 in the world. She already dropped a fair few places after winning an ITF $100,000 title in Manchester earlier this month without dropping a set.


Green Falcons arrive in San Diego ahead of CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Mexico

Updated 7 sec ago
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Green Falcons arrive in San Diego ahead of CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal clash with Mexico

  • The Green Falcons arrived from Las Vegas following their progression from the group stage
  • Renard gave his players a rest day, allowing the squad time to relax and explore the coastal Californian city

SAN DIEGO: The Saudi Arabian national football team touched down in San Diego on Tuesday morning as they prepare for their high-stakes CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal showdown against Mexico on Saturday.

The Green Falcons arrived from Las Vegas following their progression from the group stage in a debut Gold Cup campaign that has seen them reach the knockout rounds at the first time of asking.

Herve Renard’s side finished second in Group D behind hosts the US, having secured crucial results including a pivotal draw against Trinidad and Tobago over the weekend.

The upcoming clash with Group A winners Mexico at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is expected to draw a large crowd.

Upon arrival in San Diego, Renard gave his players a rest day, allowing the squad time to relax and explore the coastal Californian city.

The team is scheduled to reconvene at their training base later on Tuesday evening.

Preparations for the quarterfinal will intensify on Wednesday, with a closed training session planned for 6:00 p.m. local time.

Saudi Arabia, invited as a guest nation for this edition of the Gold Cup, now seek to upset nine-time champions Mexico in their pursuit of an unprecedented semifinal berth.


Club World Cup prize money does not mean more pressure: Chelsea boss Maresca

Updated 24 June 2025
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Club World Cup prize money does not mean more pressure: Chelsea boss Maresca

  • If Chelsea, as one of the 12 European representatives, go on to win the trophy on July 13, they can take home around $125m as a cash reward.
  • “The owners just want the best for us and for the players game by game and they are not talking about the final prize or the final reward in terms of money,” Maresca told reporters

PHILADELPHIA: Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has insisted that the club’s owners are not putting extra pressure on him to win the Club World Cup as a result of the enormous financial incentives on offer at FIFA’s new tournament.

World football’s governing body has dangled the carrot of a total $1 billion in prize money to the 32 competing teams in the United States.

If Chelsea, as one of the 12 European representatives, go on to win the trophy on July 13, they can take home around $125 million (£92.4m) as a cash reward.

That could give the Stamford Bridge side a considerable advantage over many of their English and European rivals going forward into next season.

However, Maresca claims money has not come up in discussions with the club’s hierarchy around the ongoing competition.

“The owners just want the best for us and for the players game by game and they are not talking about the final prize or the final reward in terms of money,” the Italian told reporters in Philadelphia ahead of Tuesday’s match against Esperance of Tunis.

“They never put pressure on me or the players in terms of we need to win this tournament because of the money.”

Chelsea must avoid defeat against the Tunisian four-time African champions in order to qualify for the last 16 from Group D.

That is after they were beaten 3-1 by Brazilian giants Flamengo in their last game, when Maresca appeared to prioritize tactical experiments over the need for results.

Playing Cole Palmer on the right of a front three was not a success, as the England international struggled to make a big impact on the game.

“Off the ball Cole was defending a little more wide, but the position on the ball was exactly the same position as during the season,” Maresca explained.

“If it is a good moment or not to try new things, I don’t know. But we also are here to think about the future, and to try different systems.

“Last year we played three or four different systems during the season. The idea is to continue to evolve and improve, and to try different things.”

Philadelphia is sweating under a fierce heatwave at the moment, and while the 9:00 p.m. local time kick-off on Wednesday should mean that is not a huge factor for the game itself, it has made preparations tricky.

“It is almost impossible to train because of the weather. Now we are just trying to save energy for the game,” said Maresca, who is likely to rotate his squad and make numerous changes to the starting line-up.

Striker Nicolas Jackson is suspended after being sent off against Flamengo having come on as a substitute only a few minutes earlier.

Chelsea won their opening match at the tournament, defeating Los Angeles FC 2-0 in Atlanta, before the reverse at the hands of Flamengo.

Esperance bounced back from a defeat to the Brazilians as they beat LAFC 1-0 in Nashville in their last outing — that is the only victory so far in six matches at this Club World Cup for a North African team.

If Chelsea go through they will head to Charlotte for a last-16 tie on Saturday against the winners of Group C, which could be Bayern Munich.

“If we go through we can talk about Bayern,” said Maresca. “In this moment it has to be about tomorrow. Football is full of surprises.”

Maher Kanzari, the coach of the Tunisian champions, said his team were ready for a ‘historical’ battle against the Blues.

“We are prepared and we have to fulfil the expectations of our technical team, of our fans, of the Tunisian public. It will be a historical game,” he said.

“We will be well prepared, especially mentally. Everyone is waiting for this game and we are really proud of what we have achieved so far.

“Hopefully we will do what it takes.”


Wimbledon plan to honor Murray with statue

Updated 24 June 2025
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Wimbledon plan to honor Murray with statue

  • Wimbledon hope the statue will be revealed in 2027
  • “He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and him and his team will be,” Jevans said

LONDON: Wimbledon organizers are planning to honor two-time champion Andy Murray with a statue at the All England Club.

Murray, who ended a 77-year wait for a British winner of the men’s singles title in 2013 before winning again in 2016, retired after the Paris Olympics last year.

Wimbledon hope the statue will be revealed in 2027 during the championship’s 150th anniversary.

“We are looking to have a statue of Andy Murray here (Wimbledon) and we’re working closely with him and his team,” All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast.

“The ambition is that we would unveil that at the 150th anniversary of our first Championship, which was 1877.

“He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and him and his team will be.”

A bronze statue of Fred Perry, the last British men’s champion before Murray, was erected at Wimbledon in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his first singles championship.

Tennis greats John McEnroe and Billie Jean King are among those that have previously called for Murray to be honored in similar fashion at Wimbledon.


Lebanon’s Ramadan Ondash to face undefeated Thai star

Updated 24 June 2025
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Lebanon’s Ramadan Ondash to face undefeated Thai star

  • ONE Friday Fights 114 will take place on at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on June 27

DUBAI: Lebanon’s rising Muay Thai star Ramadan Ondash is set to face Thai star Chartpayak Saksatoon at the ONE Championship event, ONE Friday Fights 114, on June 27.

Over three rounds, the strawweight Muay Thai contest will see two of the sport’s most exciting young talents clash inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.

The 18-year-old Lebanese athlete is hoping to secure his fourth consecutive win in the global martial arts organization and keep his clean record intact.

Nicknamed “The Scorpion,” Ondash opened his account with an imposing knockout victory in January 2024, dropping Thailand’s Yangdam Jitmuangnon 80 seconds into the matchup.

He followed his debut win with two equally impressive victories by unanimous decision at the expense of experienced Thai fighters Pichitchai PK Saenchai and Kongchai Chanaidonmueang

After watching his older brother, Abdallah Ondash, pick up a first-round knockout win in the main ONE Friday Fights 112 event on June 13, the former Lebanon, Arab and IFMA Youth world champion now hopes to raise his own overall professional record to 11-2.

However, the next bout represents the Lebanese athlete’s most difficult yet. His opponent, Saksatoon, is a veteran of 83 fights with a 68-15 record. Since his ONE Friday Fights debut, the 26-year-old Thai has amassed a 7-0 record with five wins out of seven coming via knockout.


Messi to face PSG after Miami and Palmeiras draw to go through

Updated 24 June 2025
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Messi to face PSG after Miami and Palmeiras draw to go through

MIAMI GARDENS, US: Lionel Messi faces a reunion with his former club Paris Saint-Germain after his Inter Miami side reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras.
The Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Hard Rock Stadium, a result which secured both teams a place in the knock-out stages.
Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second surprise victory in the tournament after their win over Porto.
But the Brazilian side struck twice in the last 10 minutes through Paulinho and Mauricio to make sure of their place in the next round.
Few expected Miami to make it out of the group but they now face the European champions while Palmeiras will have an all-Brazilian encounter with Botofogo.
For Messi, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Tuesday, the tie in Atlanta will see him face his former club PSG for the first time since leaving them to join Miami in 2023.
The result meant that Egyptian club Al Ahly and Porto were both eliminated despite producing a highly entertaining 4-4 draw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
There were six Argentines in the Miami starting line-up which took the field in front of a large Brazilian contingent in the 60,914 crowd.
The traveling fans were on their feet in the opening minutes when Gustavo Gomez powered a header goalwards from a corner but Oscar Ustari was down well to save.
Miami grabbed the lead in the 16th minute when Suarez brilliantly chested a long ball into the path of the on-rushing Allende who showed pace to break clear of the Brazilian defense and then composure to fire past Weverton.
Palmeiras’s tactics of sitting off Miami were not working with Messi dropping deep and linking up with Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo as the Major League Soccer side enjoyed plenty of possession.
The only chance for Palmeiras before the break came when Facundo Torres found himself in a promising position after some sloppy Miami defending but he screwed his shot wide.
Messi’s first real effort on goal came four minutes after the restart when he eked out just enough room on the edge of the box for a low shot but Weverton was down well.
Allende threatened again when he broke down the right and flashed a shot just wide of the post and Messi drove a bouncing ball narrowly over the bar as Miami pushed for a second goal.
That came in the 65th minute with the 38-year-old former Barcelona striker Suarez rolling back the years as he dribbled past two defenders and then blasted into the top corner.
Top spot in the group mattered to Miami as it would have avoided the clash with PSG but it was not to be as Palmeiras earned themselves a crucial point with their late revival.
Substitute Paulinho fired home in the 80th minute after a lovely reverse pass from Allan Andrade.
Then, with three minutes left on the clock, Maxi Falcon’s header fell straight to Mauricio who pounced on the opportunity, rifling into the far corner to make it 2-2.
“It’s a historic night for MLS, because we are into the best 16 teams in the world. All of the MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano told DAZN.
“We played with heart. Normally these kinds of games are more intense than we have in the domestic league, but we also tried to progress with the ball by playing football,” he said.