BERLIN: Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur joined the procession of injured stars limping off the Berlin grass as they retired Saturday while losing their delayed quarterfinals in the Wimbledon warm-up event.
Second-seeded Belarusian Sabalenka retired against unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya trailing 5-1 in the first set, in one of the quarterfinals pushed back to Saturday morning by rain on Friday.
Eighth-seeded Jabeur had gone toe-to-toe with top seed Coco Gauff before losing a one-hour 14 minute first set tiebreak 11/9 before packing her rackets in her bag and walking off.
“It doesn’t feel like a win,” said Gauff on court. “Especially as we had such a great first set.”
“It’s not the way you want to finish a match, especially with someone who is so nice on and off the court.”
Gauff said the Tunisian had indicated she was not seriously injured.
“I know she’s going to feel better tomorrow and should be fine for Wimbledon.”
Trailing 4-1, Sabalenka called a medical timeout to have her shoulder and neck treated. She played on for one game before stopping. It was the first time the Belarusian had retired injured in a WTA tournament, said the women’s tennis body.
“I played really good. I had a good start. I’m happy to be in the semifinals,” Kalinskaya said. “I’m happy to have three matches (here), fourth one on grass. That gives me confidence.”
On Thursday, reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova retired with a right hip injury from her second-round match, also against Kalinskaya.
On Friday, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina pulled out while trailing Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-finals.
Azarenka will play Kalinskaya in one semifinal later on Saturday.
Gauff will face compatriot Jessica Pegula who beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3 on Saturday. The fourth-seeded American had led 4-2 in the third set when rain halted play on Friday.
Gauff said her training regime prepared her to play twice in one day.
“I’ll be ready for later today,” said Gauff.
Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka join Berlin injury list
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Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka join Berlin injury list
- Injured stars lose their delayed quarterfinals in the Wimbledon warm-up event
Al-Ittihad part ways with coach Marcelo Gallardo
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad announced Tuesday that first team coach Marcelo Gallardo’s contract will not been renewed.
The Argentine, who took over the team as champions of the Saudi Pro League, managed the Jeddah club for 33 matches.
Ittihad finished fifth in SPL, unable to secure a Champions League spot or a AFC Cup place.
Six athletes, including one woman, in Palestine team for Paris Olympics
- Much of the Palestinians’ sporting infrastructure, clubs and institutions have been destroyed and Gaza-based athletes have been forced to leave to train
PARIS: Six athletes, including one woman, were selected to represent Palestine at the Paris Olympics, an official from the Palestinian Olympic Committee told The Associated Press on Monday.
The athletes will compete in boxing, judo, swimming, shooting and taekwondo, said Nader Jayousi, the technical director at the Palestinian Olympic Committee.
Jayousi said there was a remote possibility a seventh athlete in track and field could be added.
At the Tokyo Games, Palestine sent five athletes in swimming, track and field, weightlifting and judo. Barring injuries, the POC will have more athletes in Paris despite the war between Israel and Hamas that has brought the sports movement to a brutal halt since last October.
Contacted by The Associated Press, the IOC declined to comment on the Palestinian selection, recalling the athlete entries’ deadline for Paris is on July 8. The Olympics begin on July 24.
Only one Palestinian athlete — taekwondo fighter Omar Ismail — has directly qualified for Paris.
Jayousi said the others will be competing in France under a wild card system delivered as part of the universality quota places. Backed by the International Olympic Committee, it allows athletes who represent poorer nations with less-established sports programs to compete, even though they did not meet the sporting criteria.
Alongside Ismail, Jorge Antonio Salhe will compete in shooting, Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi in swimming, Fares Badawi in judo, and Wasim Abusal in boxing. Al Bawwab competed in Tokyo.
According to Palestinian officials, about 300 athletes, referees, coaches and others working in sports have died since the war started. Among them was long-distance runner Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian to compete in the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. He died of kidney failure after he was unable to be treated in Gaza and could not be evacuated to Egypt.
Much of the Palestinians’ sporting infrastructure, clubs and institutions have been destroyed and Gaza-based athletes have been forced to leave to train.
Only 26 athletes have represented Palestine in Olympics’ history.
Malen doubles up as Dutch beat Romania to reach Euro 2024 quarters
- Cody Gakpo gave the Dutch the lead but they missed a host of chances before Malen hit a brace
- Dutch will play either Turkiye or Austria in the last eight
MUNICH, Germany: The Netherlands swept into their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008 as Donyell Malen scored twice in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Cody Gakpo gave the Dutch an early lead but they were unable to convert pressure into a crucial second goal until the Liverpool forward set up Malen with seven minutes remaining in Munich.
Romania were gritty but out-classed, lacking the quality to punish their opponents’ profligacy before Malen added his second on the counter in stoppage-time.
The victory put the Oranje on course for a quarter-final clash with Turkiye or Austria, who beat the Netherlands in 3-2 in the group stage.
“We played a good game. I’m very pleased. Especially after the last game we needed a reaction and today was a good step in the right direction,” Gakpo said.
“We talked a lot about the aggression, the intensity and defending like a team. It was a good step.
“Sacrifice something for each other and work really hard to be at your best. Good game overall.”
Ronald Koeman’s side will need to improve their effectiveness in front of goal should they wish to emulate their manager, who was a player for the Dutch when they won the 1988 Euros on German soil.
Prior to the game, Netherlands’ captain Virgil van Dijk said his side lacked energy and the “will to win” in the loss to Austria.
But the Dutch were still strangely flat in the early stages despite Van Dijk’s rallying cry.
Group E winners Romania, whose 3-0 victory over Ukraine in their opening game, was just their second ever win in the Euros, pinned the Dutch back early.
Romania went close when Dennis Man latched onto a superb diagonal ball from Nicolae Stanciu, but the Parma winger blasted over.
The Dutch broke Romania’s momentum shortly after when Gakpo got on the end of a sweeping move to open the scoring on 20 minutes.
Jerdy Schouten sliced a perfect, long pass through the midfield to Xavi Simons, who found Gakpo on the left flank.
Gakpo eluded Andrei Ratiu and seemed to catch goalkeeper Florin Nita off-guard, blasting in at the near post.
The goal ignited a period of Dutch dominance, Stefan de Vrij heading inches wide five minutes later.
The Netherlands wasted a perfect chance to double their lead with half-time approaching when Denzel Dumfries picked Bogdan Racovitan’s pocket and found Simons, who got tangled up and failed to get a decent shot away.
Koeman’s team squandered an array of opportunities early in the second half.
Memphis Depay and van Dijk went agonizingly close before Gakpo’s second was ruled out by VAR for offside.
With every missed chance, the nerves in the Dutch camp seemed to grow, but Romania lacked the quality to truly punish them.
Gakpo, the most impressive man in orange, took matters into his own hands with seven minutes remaining, dribbling through a crowded penalty area and finding Malen who tapped home.
“We work very hard with each other to do our best and I’m happy I could assist Donnie with his goal today,” Gakpo said.
With Romania launching a final attack, Malen broke through on the counter and slid the ball into the goal in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to seal the victory.
Rublev crashes out in Wimbledon first round
- The Russian sixth seed battled back after losing the first set
LONDON: Andrey Rublev crashed out of Wimbledon at the first hurdle on Tuesday, going down in four sets to Argentina’s Francisco Comesana.
The Russian sixth seed battled back after losing the first set but lost momentum early in the third and went down to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) defeat.
Rublev, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year, struggled for consistency on his serve and was broken four times in the match by his opponent, ranked 122nd in the world.
The 26-year-old, who smashed his racquet repeatedly against his knee in frustration in the third set, is the highest-seeded men’s player to exit the Championships so far.
Comesana will face Australia’s Adam Walton for a place in the last 32.
Ronaldo says he is playing his ‘last European Championship’
- Portugal superstar is playing at the Euros for a record sixth time and has helped his country reach the quarterfinals
HAMBURG, Germany: Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed this year’s European Championship will be the last of his career.
The Portugal superstar, who is 39, is playing at the Euros for a record sixth time and has helped his country reach the quarterfinals — where Kylian Mbappe and France await in Hamburg on Friday.
Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP after the penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia on Monday, Ronaldo said: “It is, without doubt, my last European Championship.
“But I’m not emotional about that. I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me.”
Ronaldo, who is one of the most prolific scorers in football history and has a record 14 goals at European Championships, said his main motivation now was “making people happy.” He was reduced to tears during the Slovenia game after having a penalty saved in extra time.
“It’s not about leaving the world of football,” he said. “What else is there for me to do or win? It’s not going to come down to one point more or one point less.”
