MIAMI: A traumatic week for world number two Aryna Sabalenka came to an end with a third round, three set loss in the Miami Open to Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina on Saturday.
The 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 win for the 36th ranked Kalinina prompted Sabalenka, who had kept her emotions in check through both of her games at Hard Rock Stadium, to smash her racket violently into the court.
On Monday, Belarusian Sabalenka’s former boyfriend, ex-NHL player Konstantin Koltsov, died in Miami after what police called an “apparent suicide.”
The pair had been in a relationship until recently and Sabalenka only announced they were no longer together following the death.
On Friday, she looked in control as she defeated her close friend Paula Badosa of Spain in straight sets.
But given the late slot on the main stadium court, Sabalenka looked to be feeling the strain more as she struggled for any kind of consistency.
After losing the opening set, she utterly dominated Kalinina in the second, with her serve and powerful backhand too much for the Ukrainian.
But once Kalinina broke in the third, Sabalenka’s focus and composure deserted her and her opponent took full advantage.
“It’s really tough with nerves. But I managed in the tough moments to deal with it,” said Kalinina. “So I’m a little bit proud of myself today.”
World number one Iga Swiatek had no trouble in beating Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-1 as the rain impacted tournament packed in the big names including postponed matches from Friday.
“I was feeling really pretty confident and I just wanted to see how I’m going to feel the surface. It was all really comfortable, so I’m happy,” said Swiatek.
Japan’s Noami Osaka continued her increasingly impressive form with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) win over 17th ranked Elina Svitolina, in a battle of two women who have returned to the tour after giving birth.
Sixth-seed Ons Jabeur suffered an upset with 21-year-old Russian Elina Avanesyan, ranked 65th in the world, running out a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 winner.
Elena Rybakina moved into the fourth round after a tight tussle with American Taylor Townsend.
Townsend, ranked 11th, won a second set tie-break to set up a fiercely contested deciding set before she succumbed with the Kazakh winning 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4.
In the ATP event, top seed Carlos Alcaraz was simply too much for his compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena as he powered to a 6-2, 6-1 win in 85 minutes.
Like Swiatek, Alcaraz is looking to complete the “Sunshine Double” after his victory in Indian Wells last week and the two-time Grand Slam winner looked in formidable form.
The 20-year-old was on top from the start, powerful from the baseline but willing to approach the net as he hit 10 winners to one in the opening set.
He saved all three break points that he faced against his 64th ranked opponent, who asked some tough questions at times but usually received an emphatic response.
Alcaraz will next face French veteran Gael Monfils, a 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-2 winner over Australian Jordan Thompson.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion ranked third in the world, made a confident start to his bid in Miami with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over compatriot and qualifier Andrea Vavassori.
Progress was also straightforward for defending champion Daniil Medvedev who advanced into the third round with a 6-4 6-2 win over Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.
But it was a tough day for the American men.
Taylor Fritz was upset by Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in straight sets as three of the four top ranked US men tumbled out of the tournament.
Fritz’s early departure came shortly after Francis Tiafoe went out to another lower-ranked player in Australian Christopher O’Connell.
O’Connell, battled to a 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) win over the 21st-seeded Tiafoe after play began following a three-hour rain delay.
Tommy Paul had to retire with an ankle injury in his match against fellow American, wild card Martin Damm. Paul had won the first set 6-4 and was 2-1 down in the second when he abandoned.
Greek 10th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas also headed for the exit door at the Hard Rock Stadium after he was upset by 126th ranked Denis Shapovalov of Canada.
Britain’s Andy Murray, a two-time winner in Miami, advanced to the third round with a 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Sabalenka exits Miami, Alcaraz starts in style
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Sabalenka exits Miami, Alcaraz starts in style
- World number one Iga Swiatek had no trouble in beating Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-1
Markram, Pooran lead Lucknow Super Giants to IPL win over Gujarat Titans
Chasing 181 for victory on a sluggish pitch, Markram shared partnerships of 65 with fellow-opener Rishabh Pant and 58 with the left-handed Pooran as Lucknow achieved the target with three balls to spare at their home in Ekana Stadium.
Markram hit 58 and Pooran smashed 61 to end Gujarat’s winning streak of four matches in this edition of the T20 tournament.
Gujarat dropped a place down from the top of the 10-team table with Lucknow behind in third with four wins from six matches.
West Indies’ Pooran struck his fourth half-ton to go past Gujarat opener Sai Sudharsan as the leading batter with 349 runs; Sudharsan has 329.
South Africa’s Markram set the platform for the chase as he stepped up in the absence of his in-form opening partner Mitchell Marsh, who missed the match due to the illness of his daughter.
Skipper Pant opened the batting with Markram but failed to strike form despite an early reprieve when Gujarat wicketkeeper Jos Buttler dropped a catch down the leg side.
The left-handed Pant hit four boundaries before he lofted fast bowler Prasidh Krishna to deep third man, falling for 21 from 18 balls.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant is still waiting to justify his record auction price of $3.21 million as he has only managed 40 runs in five innings.
Markram stood strong to raise his second fifty at the venue and hit back with Pooran as the two smashed regular boundaries.
Krishna dismissed Markram but there was no stopping Pooran who hammered his fifty in 23 balls.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan finally sent back Pooran caught at long-on but the batter had done the damage with one four and seven sixes in his 34-ball knock.
Spinner Washington Sundar bowled David Miller for seven to keep Gujarat in the hunt for a miracle when they went into the final over needing to defend six.
Impact substitute Ayush Badoni hit an unbeaten 28 and sealed the win with a four and six.
The Lucknow bowlers set up victory when they restricted Gujarat to 180-6 after the hosts elected to field first.
Sudharsan, who made 56, and skipper Shubman Gill, who hit 60, put on 120 runs for the opening wicket but the rest of the batting faltered.
Gujarat lost wickets regularly and lost their way against a disciplined Lucknow attack.
Medium-pacer Shardul Thakur and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets each as they choked Gujarat in the middle overs.
De Bruyne leads Manchester City comeback, Forest beaten by Everton
- Unbeaten in seven games, Palace made the trip north full of confidence and found themselves 2-0 up after 20 minutes
- Belgian legend rolled back the years to save City’s blushes
MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne inspired a Manchester City fightback from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2, while Nottingham Forest’s challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League stumbled after a 1-0 defeat by Everton on Saturday.
In De Bruyne’s first appearance at the Etihad Stadium since announcing his decade in Manchester will come to an end at the end of the season, the Belgian rolled back the years to save City’s blushes.
Unbeaten in seven games, Palace made the trip north full of confidence and found themselves 2-0 up after 20 minutes.
Eberechi Eze slotted home Ismaila Sarr’s pass before Chris Richards took advantage of poor City defending to head in from a corner.
Eze had a third goal narrowly ruled out for offside before De Bruyne stirred the City fightback.
The 33-year-old fired in a free-kick off the post before heading down for Omar Marmoush to level just three minutes later.
City were rampant after the break as De Bruyne teed up Mateo Kovacic on 47 minutes to complete the comeback.
Goalkeeper Ederson provided his fourth Premier League assist of the season for James McAtee to make it 4-2 before Nico O’Reilly’s sweet strike rounded off the scoring.
Victory lifts Pep Guardiola’s men back into the top four, with the top five in the Premier League this season qualifying for the Champions League thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.
Forest remain in third and on course for their first taste of Europe’s elite competition since they were holders in 1980.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have lost their last two games to allow the chasing pack back onto their tails.
A forgetful game at the City Ground appeared to be meandering toward a stalemate until Abdoulaye Doucoure struck in the 94th minute to secure Everton’s first win in seven games.
Aston Villa’s Champions League run this season may have just days left in it as they trail Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 after the first leg of their quarter-final in the French capital.
Unai Emery’s men are making a charge to get back into the competition next season after maintaining their winning Premier League run with a 3-0 victory at already-relegated Southampton despite Marco Asensio having two penalties saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
Ollie Watkins was again left on the bench by Emery but made a stunning impact with a volley over Ramsdale from Youri Tielemans’ dinked pass 17 minutes from time.
Donyell Malen then sealed the points with his third goal in as many league games.
Asensio’s second spot-kick was saved in stoppage time, but John McGinn pounced on the rebound.
Villa climb above Chelsea into fifth, just one point behind City.
Leicester scored their first league goals since January to snap a nine-game losing run, but a 2-2 draw at Brighton still did little to help the Foxes’ hopes of survival.
Twice the Seagulls led through two Joao Pedro penalties.
But Brighton’s ambitions of European football next season were dealt a blow as Stephy Mavididi and Caleb Okoli levelled for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men.
Arsenal can cut the gap on leaders Liverpool to eight points later when they host Brentford.
Mikel Arteta, though, showed his priority is in finishing the job against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were among those to start on the Gunners’ bench.
UAE President’s Cup Showjumping Event under way in Abu Dhabi
- Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club welcomes top international riders to the UAE’s premier showjumping event
ABU DHABI: The UAE President’s Cup Showjumping Event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, got under way on Friday at ADEC International Arena.
Over three days it will showcase CSI5* and CSI2* competitions and a world-class roster of International Federation of Equestrian Sports-ranked athletes and horses.
Boasting a record prize pool of $640,000, including just over $544,000 for the CSI5* and close to $82,000 for the CSI2*, this competition sets a new benchmark as the most lucrative individual competition in showjumping in the UAE.
Ali Al-Shaiba, director general of ADEC, stated: “It is an honor to host the UAE President’s Cup International Showjumping Event, a showcase of elite sport and a celebration of equestrian heritage. This event reinforces Abu Dhabi’s commitment to equestrian excellence and reflects the UAE’s emergence as a key player on the global showjumping circuit.
“We are deeply grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan — vice president, deputy prime minister, chairman of the President Court, and president of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club — whose vision continues to guide ADEC’s evolution as a world-class equestrian and lifestyle destination.”
Participants will contest technically challenging courses, culminating in the CSI5* Grand Prix featuring fences up to 1.6 meters in height. The tracks are designed by Alan Wade, an FEI level four course designer, internationally acclaimed for crafting some of the sport’s most technical and demanding layouts.
The UAE President’s Cup will culminate in “A Legacy Unveiled, A Nation United,” a bespoke, immersive performance crafted exclusively for the occasion, highlighting the UAE’s long-standing equestrian heritage.
Anthony Lowry, ADEC equestrian director, added: “Behind the scenes, our team has worked tirelessly to elevate this year’s event. From our newly upgraded competition arenas to enhanced facilities for athletes and horses, we are proud to provide an environment that meets the highest international standards. We are especially thrilled to welcome such a high-caliber group of athletes to Abu Dhabi.”
The elite international field of riders includes:
Abdel Qabir (Morocco)
Cian O’Connor (Ireland)
Claudia Moore (UK)
Daniel Deusser (Germany)
David Will (Germany)
Kevin Staut (France)
Richard Vogel (Germany)
Roger Yves Bost (France)
Shane Breen (Ireland)
Trevor Breen (Ireland)
William Funnel (UK)
FIA meeting on future F1 engines ends without a commitment to bringing back V10s
- A meeting between Formula 1 governing body the FIA and engine manufacturers has ended without a clear commitment to any future return to fan-favorite V10 engines
- The FIA statement on the meeting says “all parties are committed to the 2026 regulations” but they also “agreed to continue discussions on the future technical direction of the sport”
A meeting between Formula 1 governing body the FIA and engine manufacturers has ended without a clear commitment to any future return to fan-favorite V10 engines.
Amid concerns over the cost and sound of the current V6 turbo hybrids — there will be a new generation of those from next year — FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem suggested in February that there could be a return to “the roaring sound of the V10.”
The FIA statement on the meeting, held ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, said “all parties are committed to the 2026 regulations” but they also “agreed to continue discussions on the future technical direction of the sport.”
There was no mention of V10 engines specifically in the FIA account of the meeting, though it said: “Besides the 2026 regulations, a range of options and timelines for the future were discussed. One of the topics under discussion was the adoption of normally aspirated engines with sustainable fuel.”
The FIA added there was an understanding that “a level of electrification will always be part of any future considerations,” which signals a continuing place for hybrid technology. Hybrid engines are more common in modern road cars than the V10.
Audi, which will operate its own team from 2026, is a key supporter of the hybrid rules. The German manufacturer thanked the FIA and Ben Sulayem for arranging the meeting and emphasized its commitment to the 2026 framework.
“Our aim is to help shape a sustainable and future-oriented form of motorsport that leverages cutting-edge technologies — benefiting not only Formula 1 but also Audi’s broader technological development which we see reflected in the 2026 power unit regulations,” Audi said in a statement.
“Audi remains fully committed to entering Formula 1 from 2026 onwards, with power unit technology built around three key pillars: Highly efficient engines, advanced hybrid electrification, and the use of sustainable fuels.”
While some drivers and teams have concern about various aspects of the 2026 rules, some worry that criticism risks making it seem like F1 is talking down its own future.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the existing plans might need work but could still yield a “good product.”
“We haven’t even started 2026, and we are already talking about something else,” he said. “I would like to invoke a sense of responsibility by all the stakeholders, because we are here to protect the interests of the sport.”
Inconsistent Al-Hilal drop more points with time running out for title hopes
- A 1-1 draw at Ettifaq leaves the defending champs 7 points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad with only 7 games left to play
DAMMAM: Second-place Al-Hilal fell further behind in the Saudi Pro League title race on Friday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Ettifaq.
With just three wins from their last nine games, the defending champions are seven points behind league leaders Al-Ittihad with only seven games left to play.
It was a game coach Jorge Jesus will know the Riyadh side should have won, especially after spending much of the second half on the attack.
Ettifaq, driven forward by the in-form Gini Wijnaldum, enjoyed a bright first half and took the lead on the stroke of half-time with a spectacular opener. Joao Costa found the ball far from the Al-Hilal goal and the 20-year-old unleashed a fierce shot that flew into the net.
The visitors emerged from the break full of purpose, with Aleksandar Mitrovic shooting straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.
Just three minutes before the hour mark, they were level. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic set Renan Lodi free down the left and the full-back reached the byline before pulling back a short ball to his Brazilian compatriot, Malcom, who fired high into the roof of the net from close range.
It was suddenly anybody’s game but the visitors were undoubtedly in the ascendancy. Just three minutes later, the 19-time champions almost took the lead with the same move, except this time Marcos Leonardo got on the end of it and could not quite wrap his foot around the ball at the near post. Next, a Kaio Cesar shot from the opposite side of the area was well-blocked.
Deep into injury time, Abdullah Al-Hamdan came close with a flying header, only for his attempt to land on the top of the net. Al-Hilal left frustrated, while Ettifaq remain in eighth place.
Earlier, Al-Ahli moved into fourth spot with a 2-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Al-Raed. Franck Kessie scored in the first half from the penalty spot, then Gabri Veiga, returning to action after a lengthy absence through injury, sealed the points midway through the second half.
