MELBOURNE: The lines on Day 1 at the Australian Open were noticeably thinner than usual, and the lawn chairs set up in front of the giant television screen in Garden Square were far emptier.
On the outer courts, there was none of the usual jostling or standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of a tight match. No waiting in long lines to get a seat, either.
Attendance for this year’s first Grand Slam tournament is capped at 30,000 per day. On Day 1 last year, 64,387 fans crammed onto the grounds at Melbourne Park.
Still, there were actual fans at a Grand Slam again.
“I am not complaining,” Venus Williams said after her match in front of a sparser-than-normal crowd at Margaret Court Arena. She has contested the tournament 21 times. “I think every single person there was probably in awe to be sitting at a sporting event, as much as I was to have them there.”
Tennis went into shutdown last year after the COVID-19 outbreak became a global pandemic. The tours resumed in August but mostly without crowds. No fans were allowed at the US Open and only small crowds were allowed at the French Open.
Watching from a grassy hill overlooking the outer courts, where giant white circles had been painted on the grass to maintain social-distancing, Jason Cameron of Melbourne said he didn’t think fear of the coronavirus was keeping people away this year.
“I think it’s a combination of it being a modified set-up this year ... and it’s February when everyone is back at school and not having the tourists in town,” he said. “It’s going to be a low-key version of the Australian Open this year.”
His friend, Lee Elliott, who flew from Adelaide to catch a bit of the tennis, did think some may have felt nervous to be in a sizable crowd again.
“Once people actually see it on television and that people are going ... maybe, as the week goes on, crowds will improve.”
Not everywhere was subdued on Monday, though. On Court 3, a rollicking crowd chanted and cheered for Australian John Millman as he stretched Corentin Moutet of France to five sets before losing in three hours, 45 minutes. The crowd even managed to get a socially-distanced “wave” around the court. Twice.
“I just made a decision I wanted to support (the tournament) and to step forward and start doing things again,” said Cathie Coughlan, who drove two hours from Bendigo in central Victoria. “There was a bit of trepidation, but then it was a conscious decision to do it.”
Former Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber tried to stay positive about having to endure 14 days in hard lockdown after arriving in Australia last month.
But after her 6-0, 6-4 loss in the first round at Melbourne Park to American Bernarda Pera, Kerber admitted her timing was just off.
The 2016 champion had seven double-faults and just seven winners in the match. The first set lasted all of 18 minutes.
“Of course, you feel it,” she said of the strict lockdown, during which she and 71 other players were confined to their hotel rooms without any chance to practice because they were classified as close contacts of passengers on their charter flights who tested positive for COVID-19 after landing in Australia. “I was feeling this at the beginning ... I was not feeling the rhythm that I was before.”
Kerber didn’t waste any time after her enforced isolation, hitting the practice courts five minutes after being released from quarantine at midnight a little over a week ago. Despite the obstacles, she tried to stay motivated for the Australian Open, one of her favorite tournaments.
Now, however, she’s slightly unsure if it was all worth it.
“Maybe if I knew that before to stay really two weeks in the hard quarantine without hitting a ball, maybe I would think twice about (coming).”
Australian Open: Fans are in, but crowd numbers are thin
https://arab.news/9u5ud
Australian Open: Fans are in, but crowd numbers are thin
- There was none of the usual jostling or standing on tiptoes to catch a glimpse of a tight match
- Attendance for this year’s first Grand Slam tournament is capped at 30,000 per day
Pakistan hopes for fair deal from ICC on Champions Trophy impasse with India
- PCB says it’s unacceptable that Pakistanis play in India while Indians don’t come to Pakistan
- Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums chosen for tournament
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hopes it will get a fair deal on “equality” when the International Cricket Council (ICC) holds a virtual meeting on Friday to finalize details for next year’s Champions Trophy.
There’s an impasse for the eight-team, 50-over format tournament after India declined to tour Pakistan for the event, scheduled to be held from Feb. 19 to March 9.
A decades-long tense political situation between the two South Asian countries hasn’t seen India playing international cricket in Pakistan since 2008 when it competed in Asia Cup.
Both nations have competed in ICC tournaments with Pakistan touring India last year for the 50-overs World Cup.
“I promise we’ll do what is best for Pakistan cricket,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in Lahore. “We’re still clear in our stance that it’s not acceptable that we play cricket in India, and they don’t play cricket here. Whatever will happen, will happen on the basis of equality. We’ve told the ICC very clearly, and what happens next we’ll let you know.”
The ICC board could decide the issue in a vote among members.
“Whatever we do, we will make sure the best outcome for Pakistan is achieved,” Naqvi said. “But I repeat, and I am sure you know what I mean, it’s not possible that Pakistan play in India, and they don’t come here.”
Earlier this month, the ICC told the PCB that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had informed the game’s governing body it will not tour Pakistan for the event. The PCB sent an email, asking the ICC reasons behind India’s refusal.
Naqvi said he’s been in “constant touch” with the ICC chairman Greg Barckley, but didn’t say whether he got the answers from the game’s governing body as to why India was not willing to tour Pakistan.
Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, said that whatever decision the ICC makes on Friday, he will go to his government for the final approval.
Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi — the three venues chosen for the Champions Trophy. Naqvi said he hoped the renovation of three stadiums will be completed well in time to host the event.
Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic returns having won the inaugural tournament in 2023
- Ons Jabeur and Beatriz Haddad Maia already confirmed to compete next February
ABU DHABI: Belinda Bencic and Paula Badosa are the latest entries confirmed for the 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, with the third edition of the WTA-500 event scheduled for Feb. 1-8 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.
Swiss star Bencic, 27, became the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’s inaugural champion in 2023 when she beat Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the title. She was unable to defend her crown earlier this year because she was pregnant.
The former world No. 4 is an eight-time singles winner on the WTA Tour, having also claimed Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, held in 2021, when she defeated the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in three sets.
Bencic produced a stunning comeback to claim the 2023 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, overturning a one-set deficit and saving three match points against Samsonova.
"I’m so excited to return to the UAE and compete in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open once again,” Bencic said. “Winning this tournament in 2023 was an unforgettable moment in my career, and I’m looking forward to coming back as a new mother and experiencing the amazing atmosphere.
“It’s been a special journey returning to the tour after giving birth, and I can’t wait to be back on court in a place which holds such special memories.”
Bencic will be joined in the competition by Dubai resident Badosa, who is currently 12th in the rankings. She clinched a fourth WTA Tour title with the Mubadala Citi DC Open in August after entering as a wildcard, defeating Marie Bouzkova in the final.
Badosa, 27, will be making her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open debut after missing the previous two tournaments through illness and injury respectively.
“I’m thrilled to be competing in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open,” she said. “It’s a tournament I’ve wanted to play since it began in 2023, but unfortunately, I had to withdraw previously due to injuries, however I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity in 2025.
“Abu Dhabi is an incredible city with amazing fans, and the tournament always attracts such a strong field. I’m feeling good about my form right now, and I’m looking forward to showing what I’m capable of in February.”
Bencic and Badosa will be joining a line-up of 28 leading players, which includes three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who joins the field after a lengthy lay-off with a shoulder injury, along with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist in the last two editions of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Olympic rugby stars and fresh faces ready for sevens action in Dubai
- The HSBC SVNS 2025 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 is at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai
- South Africa men and Australia women look to extend their Emirates Dubai 7s title-winning streaks
DUBAI: After the record-breaking Olympic Games competitions, the wait is over for rugby sevens fans as the HSBC SVNS 2025 season kicks off with the Emirates Dubai 7s on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
With interest in rugby sevens on a high following Paris 2024, the many millions of fans who watched the Games can expect to see Olympic medallists on show in Dubai alongside debutants out to make their mark at the first round of a highly anticipated new HSBC SVNS campaign.
Men’s Olympic champions France will be looking to retain their SVNS champions crown after they defeated SVNS league winners Argentina to claim the inaugural men’s title in 2024. Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medallists South Africa will hope to continue their incredible form in Dubai during which they have won five consecutive titles and seven of the past eight tournaments.
New Zealand’s women won their second successive Olympic title in Paris and will be aiming to reclaim the SVNS champions title they lost to Australia in 2024. They will have to break Australia’s dominance in Dubai, which has resulted in four consecutive titles at The Sevens Stadium.
The Emirates Dubai 7s features the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world competing over two days, and the 24 captains gathered by Old Dubai Creek on Wednesday to launch the latest edition of an event that has featured on the global rugby sevens calendar since its inception in 1999.
The competition format replicates the Olympic model, in which the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams, qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knock-out rugby.
Following a successful inaugural year for World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded competition, HSBC SVNS 2025 will feature seven events over seven months at seven global destinations.
Six regular season events will be played in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore to decide the HSBC SVNS League winners, before the HSBC SVNS World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Olympic Games rugby sevens competitions.
The top eight teams based on cumulative series points after six events in Singapore will compete in the “winner takes all” World Championship, where the women’s and men’s SVNS champions will be crowned.
Los Angeles will also host the high stakes promotion and relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger, in a battle to secure their places in the next HSBC SVNS.
In a huge year for women’s rugby, World Rugby’s commitment to grow the women’s game is unwavering and at all HSBC SVNS events men’s and women’s teams will receive equal participation fees and share the platform equally on the biggest stages around the world. For the first time in history, there is an all-female panel of match officials for the women’s SVNS 2025.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “Following a ground-breaking Olympic Games which captivated a huge new global audience, we can’t wait for HSBC SVNS 2025 to start and for these incredible athletes to showcase their awesome skills at seven iconic destinations around the world.
“Dubai has been a mainstay on the global rugby sevens circuit since 1999 and will no doubt provide the perfect lift-off for what promises to be an exciting campaign with seasoned Olympians inspiring audiences around the globe and new stars hoping to make their mark.”
Saudi Pro League and OneFootball team up on official video and editorial content
- Fans can access match clips, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and viral moments
- Omar Mugharbel: ‘This collaboration is an important step in our commitment to increasing international engagement’
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League and OneFootball have announced a new partnership aimed at expanding the global visibility of one of the world’s fastest-growing football leagues.
Through this collaboration, the SPL will publish and amplify official video and editorial content across OneFootball, bringing worldwide fans closer to the action than ever before.
As part of the partnership, OneFootball will feature video content on its platforms, including content from the SPL’s official social channels. Fans can look forward to match clips, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage and viral moments in vertical and horizontal formats. This initiative aims to enhance the fan experience by providing visual narratives throughout the season.
“We are delighted to partner with OneFootball to bring Saudi Pro League content to football fans across the globe,” said Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League. “This collaboration is an important step in our commitment to increasing international engagement and providing fans everywhere with a closer connection to the excitement and passion of Saudi football.”
In addition to video content, OneFootball will offer official editorial coverage from the SPL in English, ensuring that fans can access timely updates, in-depth analysis, and expert commentary throughout the season.
Patrick Fischer, CEO at OneFootball, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Saudi Pro League to showcase the incredible talent and excitement of football in the region. This collaboration will elevate the league’s content and enhance the overall fan experience, bringing the vibrant world of Saudi football to a wider audience.”
To kick off the collaboration, representatives from OneFootball recently travelled to Saudi Arabia to cover the Saudi Pro League’s “Derby Week,” attending the “Sea Derby” in Jeddah between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, as well as the “Capital Derby” in Riyadh, featuring Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. OneFootball’s content provided exclusive social media content, behind-the-scenes moments, and in-depth interviews with league representatives, managers and players.
OneFootball will be a primary outlet for publishing the SPL’s official text and video content for global audiences, with the aim of enhancing fan engagement and fostering a deeper connection between the league and its supporters.
Liverpool shine in Champions League, dumping Real Madrid down the table. Dortmund rise to 4th
- Only Liverpool have started the new Champions League format with five wins and first-year coach Arne Slot’s team are two points clear of Inter Milan
- The best comeback was at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team trailed Shakhtar Donetsk by two goals in the 87th minute before a 3-2 win was sealed by US forward Ricardo Pepi’s goal deep in stoppage time
LONDON: Liverpool are 100 percent on top of the Champions League after dumping title holders Real Madrid into an almost unbelievable 24th place in the 36-team standings on Wednesday.
No one felt the embarrassment of Madrid’s 2-0 loss at Anfield more than Kylian Mbappe, the superstar added in the offseason by the storied club that also was European champion against Liverpool in the finals of 2022 and 2018.
Mbappe had a penalty saved in the second half and was earlier dumped on his behind by Conor Bradley’s superb tackle in an instant viral moment.
Only Liverpool have started the new Champions League format with five wins and first-year coach Arne Slot’s team are two points clear of Inter Milan. Barcelona are third, trailing Liverpool by three points.
Madrid are, remarkably, with three rounds left just one place above being eliminated. The top eight teams at the end of January go direct to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a round of two-leg playoffs in February.
“(This) doesn’t change much, because even with a win it was going to be tough to secure a top-eight finish,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. ”It was a fair result.”
Monaco missed a chance to go second in the table, giving up a lead playing with 10 men from the 58th minute in a 3-2 loss at home to Benfica. Swiss forward Zeki Amdouni scored the winning goal in the 88th.
Borussia Dortmund, the beaten finalists against Madrid in May, are up to fourth place after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0. Champions League standout Jamie Gittens now has four goals in five games, curling a rising shot in the 41st to open the scoring in Croatia.
The best comeback was at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team trailed Shakhtar Donetsk by two goals in the 87th minute before a 3-2 win was sealed by US forward Ricardo Pepi’s goal deep in stoppage time.
US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers scored an embarrassing own goal for Celtic — playing a no-look pass far beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel — in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge.
“One of those things,” Schmeichel said. “Cam gets pressed and he hasn’t heard me shout that I’m not in (goal).”
Congo teammates Ngal’Ayel Mukau and Silas impressed in wins for Lille and Red Star Belgrade.
Mukau scored twice in 12th-place Lille’s 2-1 win at Bologna and Silas leveled for Red Star in a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart, though he barely celebrated his goal. Silas is on loan with the Serbian champion from Stuttgart.
Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw with Juventus was preserved by an excellent save by Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper, diving low to push away a header from Francisco Conceiçao.
Bradley beats Mbappe
Liverpool’s stand-in right back Bradley was a standout Wednesday, denying Mbappe at high speed in a signature defensive play in the 32nd.
The 21-year-old Northern Ireland defender, deputizing for fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold, joined the attack in the 52nd to play a key pass returning the ball to Alexis Mac Allister who scored the opening goal.
After Mbappe’s penalty was pushed away by goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 61st, Liverpool star Mo Salah missed with his spot-kick in the 70th, before substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the win with a header in the 77th.
Madrid now have lost three of five games after defeats at Lille and at home to AC Milan. The record 15-time European champions have another tough trip next, at fifth-place Atalanta on Dec. 10. On the same date, Liverpool are at 30th-place Girona and look to be cruising into the round of 16.
“You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times,” Liverpool coach Slot said of Madrid. “They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too.”
First wins, first points
Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz ended four-game losing runs to get their first points and wins.
Red Star rallied against Stuttgart after the German team led in the fifth minute. The 1991 European Cup winner’s goal to level the game in the 12th was scored by on-loan Silas. He held up his hands as if in apology as part of a low-key celebration.
Sturm Graz won 1-0 against Girona, the Spanish newcomers to European competitions. It was the Austrian champions’ first Champions League game since coach Christian Ilzer left to join Hoffenheim.
