JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad are champions of Saudi Arabia for the 10th time after winning 3-1 at Al-Raed on Thursday.

The Tigers are now nine points clear of Al-Hilal and as the second-placed team have just three games remaining and have an inferior head-to-record, there is no way they can catch the leaders.

Just two years after their last title triumph, Al-Ittihad now take the Saudi Pro League trophy back to Jeddah and for the rest, the focus is now all about finishing in second and qualifying for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite.

It looked as if there would be another twist at the top when Oumar Gonzalez put Al-Raed, who are officially relegated, ahead after just nine minutes. The Cameroonian pounced on a rare defensive mistake from N’Golo Kante to fire home from close range.

With top scorer Karim Benzema watching injured from the sidelines, there may have been a few concerns but if Laurent Blanc’s men were rattled, they didn’t let it show as they were back level after just 21 minutes thanks to Steven Bergwijn. Abdulrahman Al-Oboud broke into the right side of the area and squared the ball for the Dutchman who made no mistake.

It was obvious from the reactions of the Al-Ittihad attackers that they wanted more and they took the lead five minutes before the break. Unai Hernandez swung over a corner from the left and Danilo Pereira was the first to the ball at the near post to head smartly past the ‘keeper.

From then, it was always going to be difficult for the hosts and it was game over just two minutes after the restart. Bergwijn chipped a pass or a shot through a crowded area and Al-Aboud was there on the goal line to bundle the ball home to seal the win and the title.

The t-shirts with ‘Champions 25’ were soon put on and the celebrations started. They may continue for some time.

ROME: Jannik Sinner marched into the semifinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 and sending a warning that the world number one is officially back.

Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in Madrid earlier this month.

In his previous matches Sinner looked to be still finding his feet after his suspension, accepted from the World Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.

But the 23-year-old demolished sixth seed Ruud in just over an hour with an ominous display of tennis, his domination such that the home fans at the packed center court, seemingly out of sympathy, began to cheer the rare points that Ruud won.

Ruud even got the loudest cheer of the match when he held his serve for the only time, in game three of the second set, holding his arms aloft in ironic celebration.

“I was feeling great on court today. I think we all saw that,” said Sinner.

“How I felt today was very, very positive signs for me... I was serving well and also returning well. Moving great on the court, so I’m very happy about that.”

Tommy Paul, a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 winner over Hubert Hurkacz in the day’s first match, will have wondered what on earth he can do to stop Sinner if the Italian brings that form to Friday’s last-four clash.

Sinner won the first set in just 27 minutes, giving up only seven points as he stalked the court with intent, dressed all in black as he has been all week.

And he then maintained his record of not dropping a set in the tournament to not so much stroll as smash into the last four, and send a message to Carlos Alcaraz.

Spaniard Alcaraz, Sinner’s key Grand Slam rival ahead of the French Open, will contest the other semifinal with Lorenzo Musetti on Friday afternoon, with the blockbuster final tennis fans wanted still on.

Home hope and sixth seed Paolini became the third Italian woman to reach the Foro Italico final, and the first since her doubles partner Sara Errani was thumped by Serena Williams in 2014.

Late bloomer Paolini, 29, will face one of Coco Gauff and China’s Zheng Qinwen, who beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday night, after beating Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1.

“It’s a privilege to be in this position. I matured late as a tennis player but everyone has their own path. Some mature earlier and some later,” said Paolini.

“I’m just enjoying it without thinking too much about the past.”

Paolini was favorite to get past unseeded Stearns but early on her American opponent showed why she got to her first 1000 series semifinal by knocking out a succession of big names including Naomi Osaka and fifth seed Madison Keys.

Paolini looked way off the pace when she lost the first three games of the match in surprisingly timid fashion, serving weakly and mishitting a host of simple shots.

But she slowly began to force herself back into the contest, putting pressure on Stearns to find shots with her serving and finding both more power and accuracy on her forehand.

Stearns’ frustration was clear to see after being broken to allow Paolini to serve for the set, lashing her racket into her bag before giving herself a telling off in her seat.

And a break of serve in the third game of the second set deflated Stearns, whose fate was sealed two games later when Paolini took the third of three break points, roaring her joy to her delighted supporters in the center court stands before comfortably seeing out the match.

Paolini could yet win both the singles and women’s doubles tournaments, with her and Errani taking on Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider in the semifinals on Friday.