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Egyptian WTA heroine Mayar Sherif ‘pushed to limits’ by win in Parma

ParmaLadiesOpen (Daniele Combi)
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Updated 19 October 2022
Reem Abulleil
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Egyptian WTA heroine Mayar Sherif ‘pushed to limits’ by win in Parma

  • The 26-year-old could not hide her disbelief as after she became her nation's firts ever WTA title winner
Updated 19 October 2022
Reem Abulleil

PARMA: Moments after she made history by becoming Egypt’s first-ever WTA title winner with a heroic effort at the Parma Ladies Open, Mayar Sherif could not hide her disbelief as she tried to articulate how she felt about her latest achievement.

The 26-year-old from Cairo had to contest both the semi-finals and final on the same day after rain had washed out play on Friday.

Sherif ended up battling through four hours and 26 minutes on court on Saturday to overcome Romanian Ana Bogdan in the semis and Greek world No.7 Maria Sakkari in the final as she went on to secure a maiden WTA-level trophy.




ParmaLadiesOpen (Daniele Combi)

The victory was Sherif’s first against a top-50 opponent – she was 0-10 against top-50 players coming into the final – and it required an incredible amount of grit, as the Egyptian fought back from a break down on three occasions in the first set, and once in the second, en route to a 7-5, 6-3 success over former world No.3 Sakkari.

“I’m so tired, I can’t, I really can’t,” Sherif told Arab News with a chuckle after pulling off that historic triumph.

“I lost a (WTA) 250 final last year, so I stepped on court this time thinking, ‘I don’t want to lose again’; I really don’t like to lose finals. So I had this mentality of, ‘I really want to win this, I’ll do what I can and stretch my limits, I have nothing to lose’; and I was loose.

“I knew I was tired and that I had to go for it. Thank God really, it happened and we really cannot believe it.”

While Sherif had lost her sole previous WTA final in Cluj-Napoca last season, the Cairene is a big match player and has won all four finals she has reached at the $100k or 125-series level, which are just under the main tour level.

“I really hate losing finals and last year I lost two finals back-to-back, and I told Justo (my coach), ‘My next final, no matter what, I’m going to win this final’,” she confessed.

“Because that says a lot about what kind of a champion you are, and it says a lot about your character. So I hate losing finals, I have to go for it. Today I was so tired and I really cannot believe I pulled it off.”

Sherif’s brutal three-set win over Bogdan earlier in the day gave her the confidence to step things up against Sakkari, who had conceded just three games to the Egyptian in their previous clash in Doha last year.

“The last time I played Sakkari, she beat me soundly in two sets, so I stepped on court today, thinking I’m going after her. I knew she was struggling and I know she doesn’t play well in finals, so I went after her,” said Sherif.

Sherif, who will return to the top 50 and move up from 74 to No.48 in the world rankings on Monday, had been struggling since coming back from a foot injury she had picked up at Roland Garros in May and sidelined her for more than two months.

The Pepperdine graduate lost six of her nine matches upon her return to the tour in August and had zero expectations arriving in Parma last week.

“I’ve had a cold since the start of the tournament and my nose has been blocked since the first match,” Sherif revealed.

“I really came to Parma thinking I just want to pass the first round, I just wanted to win one match. But somehow things kept happening one match at a time. It was beyond any expectations, I came here from rock bottom. I had been losing and losing, I was searching for my match rhythm and this came out of nowhere.”

Sherif is no stranger to making history as she continues to write new chapters for Egyptian women’s tennis in the record books. She is the first WTA player from her country to crack the top 50, the first to win a match at a Grand Slam, and now the first to win a title on tour.

“I’m so happy that I broke many barriers today; I got my first top-10 win, I won a WTA 250 title, all this for me is huge,” she said.

“I struggled mentally, lately, so much, so much. My foot didn’t feel the same, physically I couldn’t get back in shape the way I was. I was trying in practice to really push myself every day. After all this effort, even though I wasn’t playing well or I was losing, it finally paid off.

“This gives me unreal motivation to keep going, to work on myself and improve my level. I still have huge margins, I’m not playing my best at all. So this gives me the motivation to improve and to physically get back to where I was, I’m really happy.”

Sherif’s ascent over the last couple of seasons has coincided with the meteoric rise of Tunisian world No.2 Ons Jabeur, whose string of unprecedented feats by an Arab tennis player have defied all odds.

Jabeur, who is the highest ranked African woman and highest ranked Arab-born player in history, has made it to back-to-back Grand Slam finals this season, at Wimbledon and the US Open, and has become a force to be reckoned with on tour.

“I’m not shocked at all by what Ons is doing,” said Sherif of Jabeur.

“She is a great champion and she broke so many barriers and I have no doubt she is mentally stronger than so many players inside the top 10 and the top 50.

“Here in Africa, we have this talent, which I feel not many other people possess. Being at this high level, Ons is ahead of so many people mentally, God bless her.

“I’m not surprised at all by what she’s doing. What she does really pushes me forward. I see her playing a Grand Slam final and I think, ‘It’s time for me to push myself even harder’.

“I win a 250 tournament and I’m already thinking of what’s coming next. She gives me this inner push; I have the motivation to follow her.”

Sherif will head to Cairo on Sunday for a three-week training block before getting back on court for the closing stages of the 2022 season.




Semifinal wta 250 Parma (Daniele Combi)

 

Topics: Egypt tennis Mayar Sherif

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France edge tense clash with Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals

Updated 01 July 2024
AFP
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France edge tense clash with Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals

  • Muani collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen
  • French goalkeeper Maignan finally had to make a save 20 minutes from the end of normal time, to keep out a drive from Lukaku
Updated 01 July 2024
AFP

DUSSELDORF, Germany: Jan Vertonghen’s late own goal took France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Monday as they edged Belgium 1-0 in a tense tie in Duesseldorf.
France had dominated the last-16 clash but their profligate finishing looked set to force extra time until they finally found a way through with five minutes left.
Substitute Randal Kolo Muani collected the ball inside the Belgian penalty area and hit a shot that was going wide until a deflection off the unfortunate Vertonghen took it past goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
The lucky break sent the 2022 World Cup runners-up into a last-eight tie in Hamburg on Friday as they remain on course to become European champions for the third time.
France are yet to score from open play in four matches at the tournament — captain Kylian Mbappe netted once from a penalty against Poland, while their other two goals came from opposition defenders.
Crucially, however, they are rock solid in defense, having conceded only one goal, from a penalty, so far.
Their back line was outstanding against Romelu Lukaku and his fellow attackers, and Belgium bow out after what will go down as a disappointing tournament for them.
Both of these sides were looking for revenge, in Belgium’s case for their 1-0 defeat against France in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, a result that still hurts six years on.
France, meanwhile, had a point to prove at the Euros after going out in the last 16 three years ago on penalties to Switzerland, a deeply disappointing result in between runs to consecutive World Cup finals.
The French were widely seen as the favorites to win this tournament before arriving in Germany, but they were below par during the group phase.
The broken nose suffered by Mbappe in their opening game against Austria did not help, and the uncertain form of Antoine Griezmann has been a problem too.
Griezmann was dropped for the last group match against Poland but returned here in one of two changes, with Marcus Thuram also coming in as wingers Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola made way.
Meanwhile Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco’s reaction to his own side’s unconvincing displays in the group stage was striking.
Yannick Carrasco and Lois Openda were given starts to provide as much attacking threat as possible in support of Lukaku, while skipper Kevin De Bruyne played a more withdrawn role.
The hope, for the neutrals at least, was that so much attacking talent would lead to an open game full of goals, but the reality was rather different.
Belgium were happy to sit back and thwart France, and did not test opposition goalkeeper Mike Maignan at all in the first half.
France had lots of the ball, yet often looked untidy, imprecise and rather flat, with Griezmann appearing lost on the right wing.
But they had chances in the first half, with Thuram heading just wide from Jules Kounde’s inviting cross just after the half-hour mark and Aurelien Tchouameni twice firing off-target.
Real Madrid midfielder Tchouameni then tested Casteels with a deflected long-range strike as France upped their game at the beginning of the second half.
Mbappe accelerated inside and smashed a shot just over, and there was a sense a goal might be coming.
The breakthrough almost came for Belgium an hour in as William Saliba lost possession on halfway and De Bruyne released Carrasco, who was about to pull the trigger when Theo Hernandez arrived to make a brilliant saving block.
Maignan finally had to make a save 20 minutes from the end of normal time, to keep out a drive from Lukaku, and was called into action again to deny De Bruyne.
It was becoming clear that one goal would decide the contest, and France got it in the 85th minute as N’Golo Kante fed Kolo Muani, and his shot went in off Vertonghen to take Les Bleus through.

Topics: Euro 2024 France Belgium Randal Kolo Muani

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Hurricane delays triumphant return as India set to name new coach

Updated 01 July 2024
AFP
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Hurricane delays triumphant return as India set to name new coach

  • Frontrunner appears to be Gautam Gambhir, former batsman who scored over 10,000 international runs across three formats
  • Other man in the running to replace Rahul Dravid is W.V. Raman, ex-Indian cricketer and former coach of national women’s team
Updated 01 July 2024
AFP

India will name their new coach after the World Cup-winning team makes its triumphant return from the Caribbean, but it is unclear when that will be because of a hurricane.

The frontrunner appears to be Gautam Gambhir, 42, a former batsman who scored over 10,000 international runs across three formats. He most recently coached Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL crown.

Indian media reported Monday the other man in the running to replace Rahul Dravid is W.V. Raman, 59, also an ex-Indian cricketer, and former coach of the national women’s team.

Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the two candidates had been “interviewed and shortlisted” by the board’s Cricket Advisory Committee, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

“After reaching Mumbai, whatever they have decided, we will go by that,” Shah said.

Shah spoke in Barbados, where he told Indian reporters the team were stranded because flights were delayed by Hurricane Beryl.

“Like you we are also stuck,” he told reporters.

India won a thrilling final by seven runs against South Africa in Barbados on Saturday to clinch their first global tournament since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

The T20 World Cup final was the final match in charge for former skipper Dravid, 51, who was bounced in the air by the team during the celebrations.

Former batsman V.V.S. Laxman will coach the team for their tour of Zimbabwe for five T20 internationals from July 6-14, Shah said.

The new coach will take over for India’s tour of Sri Lanka, made up of three T20s and three ODIs, which begins on July 27.

Topics: Gautam Gambhir

James Anderson set to mentor England’s quicks after Test exit

Updated 01 July 2024
AFP
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James Anderson set to mentor England’s quicks after Test exit

  • The 41-year-old is the first seamer and only third bowler to have taken 700 Test wickets
  • English great set to retire from Test cricket following next week’s series opener against the West Indies
Updated 01 July 2024
AFP

LONDON: England great James Anderson will join the team’s backroom staff as a fast-bowling mentor when he retires from Test cricket following next week’s series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s.
The 41-year-old is the first seamer and only third bowler to have taken 700 Test wickets after spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Anderson, however, has decided to end his Test career after England made it clear they wanted to move on ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes.
But England managing director Rob Key told reporters on Monday: “After the Lord’s Test, Jimmy will continue in our set-up, and he’ll help a bit more as a mentor.”
Key added: “He has got so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to see that go.
“When we asked him, he was keen. He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game.”
Anderson is currently playing for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship at Southport, but his first-class future remains uncertain.
“What he does with Lancashire will probably work out after the Lord’s Test,” said Key.
England have included three uncapped players in their squad for the first two matches of a three-Test series against the West Indies, with Jamie Smith selected to keep wicket ahead of both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
The 23-year-old Smith averages over 50 in the County Championship this season and celebrated his Test call-up by making exactly 100 for Surrey against Essex on Sunday.
He usually plays as a specialist batsman for Surrey with Foakes keeping wicket for the reigning county champions.
“Sometimes you’re selecting people for what they’re going to be as well, and where you think they can progress to,” said Key.
“It’s very much the start for Jamie Smith. We feel he’s going to be a fantastic international cricketer.”
Key, asked how Smith would cope with the demands of keeping wicket for 90 overs a day in a Test match when he is not a regular behind the stumps, said he had consulted several former England wicketkeepers in Chris Read, James Foster and Alec Stewart — Smith’s boss at Surrey.
“Some of the guys have been the best keepers in the country... We use them a lot really and we trust a lot of their opinions,” Key explained.
Key added Bairstow, 34, “needs to get back to what he was a couple of years ago,” when the Yorkshireman hit six Test centuries in 2022.
Bairstow, however, has struggled lately after nearly a year out of the game following a horrifying leg break in a freak accident on a golf course.
“Generally his form, in all formats, has just been going slightly in the wrong direction,” said 45-year-old former England batsman Key.
“It’s an arduous task being a keeper and you want someone who can back up series after series. We weren’t convinced that Jonny would be able to do that, especially at the stage of his career that he’s at.”
Key was speaking for the first time since defending champions England’s defeat by India in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
England won just one of their four matches against fellow Test sides during a tournament in the Caribbean and the United States following a woeful defense of their 50-over World Cup title in India last year.
Those reverses have called into question the positions of England white-ball captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott.
But Key said he would take his time regarding their future ahead of England’s next white-ball series against Australia in September.
“I’m not going to rush anything on that,” he said.
“At times I thought we showed how good we were and at times we were inconsistent. We’ll let the dust settle on the World Cup and then move forward from there.”

Topics: Cricket Test cricket England England cricket james anderson

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Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon with a shoulder injury

Updated 01 July 2024
AP
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Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from Wimbledon with a shoulder injury

  • A little more than a week ago, Sabalenka stopped playing during the first set of her quarterfinal at the Berlin Ladies Open, citing pain in her shoulder
Updated 01 July 2024
AP

WIMBLEDON, England: Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from Wimbledon on Monday because of an injured shoulder.
The two-time Australian Open champion was supposed to play Emina Bektas of the United States in the first round on Day 1 at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
Sabalenka, a semifinalist at the All England Club each of the last two times she appeared there, was replaced in the draw on Monday by Erika Andreeva, who lost in qualifying last week.
A little more than a week ago, Sabalenka stopped playing during the first set of her quarterfinal at the Berlin Ladies Open, citing pain in her shoulder.
She said she had a muscle injury that she called “very frustrating.”
“The most annoying thing is that I can do anything. I can practice; I can hit my groundstrokes. I’m struggling with serving. That’s really annoying. You don’t feel like you’re injured,” Sabalenka said. “If you give me some weights, I’m going to go lift some weights. But if you tell me to serve, I’m going to go through pain. We did an MRI, we did everything. We did a lot of rehab, a lot of treatments and everything.”
Sabalenka said on Saturday there was a chance she would need to pull out of Wimbledon, “But I still have my hopes. As someone who been fighting through a lot of different pains in the past months, I still have my hopes.”

Topics: Aryna Sabalenka tennis Wimbledon

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Mexico eliminated from Copa America as Ecuador earns spot in quarterfinals after 0-0 draw

Updated 01 July 2024
AP
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Mexico eliminated from Copa America as Ecuador earns spot in quarterfinals after 0-0 draw

  • Mexico was initially awarded a penalty kick by referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca, but a VAR review rescinded the penalty
Updated 01 July 2024
AP

GLENDALE, Arizona: Mexico was eliminated from the Copa America after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador, which advanced to the quarterfinals Sunday night after avoiding a penalty in stoppage time thanks to a VAR review.
Mexico was initially awarded a penalty kick by referee Mario Alberto Escobar Toca when Ecuador’s Felix Torres took down Mexican forward Guillermo Martinez in the penalty box. VAR rescinded the penalty because Torres touched the ball and Mexico was awarded a corner kick, sending in a chorus of boos raining down from the Mexican fans at State Farm Stadium.
“I don’t like to talk about our referee. It is what it is and I believe we have more possibilities now that we have VAR,” Mexico coach Jaime Lozano said. “After an early exit, I don’t want to talk about the referee.”
Ecuador weathered a second-half push by Mexico in front of 62,656 mostly pro-Mexico fans to finish second in Group B behind Venezuela. Ecuador and Mexico finished level on four points from three games but Ecuador advanced thanks to a better goal differential and will face Group A winner Argentina in the quarterfinals Thursday in Houston.
“Playing against Argentina in our experience is a very tough team because they have the world’s best players, they play in the best leagues at a high level,” Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez said through an interpreter. “They are very versatile, have been playing together for a long time with the same coach and they still have a lot of ambition.”
Mexico failed to get out of the group stage for the fourth time in its last five Copa America appearances, which could put Lozano’s job in jeopardy.
El Tri was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup for the first time since 1978 in Qatar two years ago and lost to the United States in CONCACAF Nations League final in March.
Mexico had one goal on 57 shots in three Copa America games.
“There were many players who had never played in a tournament like this, which is directly below the World Cup,” Lozano said. “Other players (who played) in the Cup didn’t have the results of other games. But I believe the team has grown in many aspects. The decision is not up to me.”
Mexico needed a win to advance after losing 1-0 to Venezuela on a penalty kick in the 57th minute and beating Jamaica 1-0 in the tournament opener.
Ecuador, ahead 4-1 in goal differential, only needed a draw to reach the quarterfinals following a 3-1 win over Jamaica and a 2-1 loss to group leader Venezuela.
Mexico had a slight advantage in possession the first half (54 percent) and took seven shots, but continued its struggles with efficiency.
El Tri didn’t have a shot on goal and its best scoring chance came in the final minutes of the half, when Santiago Gimenez sent a header over the crossbar.
Ecuador had the best chance of the half in the 19th minute, when Kendry Paez’s shot to the near post on free kick forced Julio Gonzalez to make a save.
“We’ve discussed when there was a pass backward, we should try to move ahead but they were trying to press with two or three players,” Sánchez said. We created two or three counter attacks, but in futbol today you have to be good in every phase.”
Mexico began ramping up the pressure early in the second half, creating more scoring opportunities.
El Tri and its fans were irate when Toca didn’t call a foul after Torres took down Gerardo Arteaga in the penalty box, but the non-call was upheld on VAR. Gimenez sent another header over the crossbar on the ensuing corner kick.
Julián Quiñones had Mexico’s best chance a few minutes later, rifling a shot from just inside the box that Alexander Domínguez sprawled out to knock away. Gimenez’s shot on the rebound hit the outside of the goal.
Mexico continued to pressure Ecuador and thought it had a potential tournament-saving penalty shot, only to have it taken away.

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