BEIJING: Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings.
The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed “personal matters.”
Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step toward overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing.
“Of course that’s one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one,” the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said.
But the 26-year-old added: “I’m not trying to focus on that, I’m trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.
“I’m just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I’ll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.”
The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being usurped by Swiatek.
“To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It’s good to know that you’ve been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn’t a waste of time,” she said.
Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round.
Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
The competition begins on Wednesday.
A men’s ATP 500 event runs alongside the women’s tournament.
US Open champion Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking
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US Open champion Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking
- Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step toward overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing
Pacer Marco Jansen admits South Africa face challenge after losing three wickets
- Pakistan’s opening bowlers had South Africa reeling at 27-3, 121 runs short of a win
- The third day of the match started with a three-hour delay due to continuous rain
CENTURION, South Africa: South African fast bowler Marco Jansen admitted that his team faced a challenge after Pakistan took three quick wickets late on the third day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Saturday with the hosts chasing 148 runs for victory.
Pakistan opening bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad had South Africa reeling at 27-3, 121 runs short of a win which would clinch them a place in the World Test championship final in England next June.
Abbas took two wickets for three runs in four immaculate overs of swing bowling, dismissing Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs, while Shahzad trapped Ryan Rickelton.
Aiden Markram, South Africa’s top scorer in the first innings, was unbeaten on 22 going into what could be a nervy fourth day for the hosts.
Jansen, who took six for 52 as Pakistan were bowled out for 237 in their second innings, said the pitch had “quickened up,” with some balls lifting sharply and others keeping low.
“If Pakistan keep on bowling the lengths they did now we will have a task on our hands,” said Jansen.
But he added that a victory target of 148 “isn’t too much.”
“We know the new ball moves quite sharply, especially in the second innings. Once the ball gets older it gets a lot easier to bat,” the 24-year-old added.
All three South African wickets were leg before wicket decisions as the Pakistan bowlers attacked the stumps — and all three were reviewed.
De Zorzi batted outside his crease in an attempt to counter the swing which undid him in the first innings, but Abbas beat his inside edge and he was given out.
He reviewed umpire Alex Wharf’s decision but replays showed the impact was “umpire’s call,” with the ball going on to hit the stumps, and he had to go for two runs.
Rickelton failed to score before he was trapped by Shahzad and Stubbs made one before falling to Abbas — with Pakistan successfully reviewing on both occasions after the batsmen were initially given not out.
It was a dramatic end to a day on which the start was delayed by three hours because of rain.
South Africa seemed well on target for victory when Pakistan were bowled out for 237 despite Saud Shakeel making an impressive 84.
Resuming at 88-3, Babar Azam and the left-handed Shakeel batted confidently, adding another 65 runs in 14.5 overs.
Babar made 50, his first half-century in 19 Test innings, before Jansen had a burst of three wickets in 14 balls, starting when Babar slapped a short ball to deep point.
Shakeel was ninth man out when he missed a full toss from Jansen after hitting 10 fours and a six in a 113-ball innings.
“I was looking for a yorker,” admitted Jansen. “I missed by a shin length.”
Saudi Arabia defeat Iraq to advance to Gulf Cup last four
- Kingdom into the last 4 of competition
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 3-1 on Saturday to finish top of Group B in the Arabian Gulf Cup and book their place in the last four of the Kuwait tournament.
Needing just a point to progress, two late goals from substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan, following an earlier strike from his Al-Hilal colleague Salem Al-Dawsari, produced victory and meant that the Green Falcons stayed on course for a first regional title since 2004.
Both teams had chances in the first half, but 10 minutes into the second, Herve Renard’s men — who lost the opening game against Bahrain — got the breakthrough they had been looking for. Ibrahim Bayesh was judged by VAR to have handled in the area to give Saudi Arabia a penalty.
Al-Dawsari had missed his last two spot kicks for the national team, but the 2022 Asian player of the year showed few signs of nerves as he stroked the ball home to give his team a vital lead.
However, after 64 minutes Iraq were level. Mohanad Ali turned Ali Al-Bulaihi inside the area to shoot home inside the near post to give the holders real hope.
There were plenty of nerves among the Kingdom’s fans but the team restored their lead with nine minutes remaining following a delightful strike. Sultan Al-Ghannam pulled the ball back from the right side of the area for Al-Hamdan to take a touch and curl the ball into the top corner of the Iraqi net.
Five minutes later and it was all over. Al-Dawsari skipped clear of challenges in the Iraqi half to feed Al-Hamdan on the left corner of the area and the forward rolled the ball into the opposite side of the net with a precise low shot.
The result meant Saudi Arabia finished top of the group with six points, above Bahrain who lost 2-1 to bottom team Yemen.
The Green Falcons take on hosts Kuwait in the semifinals on Tuesday, while Bahrain meet Group A winners Oman.
Rain washes out first session on Day 3 of first test between South Africa and Pakistan
- South Africa wants a victory for a place in next year’s World Test Championship final
- The host team claimed a 90-run lead after Markram and Bosch scored half centuries
CENTURION, South Africa: Rain delayed the start of the third day’s play in the first cricket test between South Africa and Pakistan with no play possible before lunch on Saturday.
The entire first session was washed out at SuperSport Park with Pakistan scheduled to resume its second innings at 88-3 – still trailing South Africa by two runs.
South Africa has plenty of time left to press its bid for a place in next year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The home team needs to win one of the two test matches against Pakistan for a guaranteed place in next June’s WTC final at Lord’s.
South Africa claimed a 90-run first innings lead on the back of half centuries from Aiden Markram and debutant Corbin Bosch, who smashed an unbeaten 81 on a dream debut.
Bosch's scintillating knock, which featured 15 fours, was the highest score by a No. 9 batter on debut in test history.
Pakistan had been bowled out for 211 as Bosch claimed a wicket with his first ball and finished with impressive figures of 4-63.
Paceman Dane Paterson took 5-61 on a wicket where both teams have packed their line-ups with four fast bowlers each, going into the game without a specialist spinner.
Damac’s dangerman Georges-Kevin N’Koudou has Ronaldo and Mitrovic in his sights
- The Cameroon international has scored 13 goals in the Saudi Pro League so far this season
LONDON: Few players will want the winter break in the Saudi Pro League to be over more than Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.
Despite his team Damac sitting in 10th place in the Saudi Pro League table, N’Koudou has netted eight goals in 13 games so far; only Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Aleksandar Mitrovic have scored more in the league this season.
The Cameroon international primarily operates as a winger but since moving to Damac in the summer of 2023, N’Koudou has become a dangerous finisher. Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, he had only scored more than five goals in a season once in his career. At Damac, he has done it twice in a row.
N’Koudou hit the ground running in impressive fashion after his move from Turkish side Besiktas, bagging 14 goals in his first 16 games, including a sensational match-winning brace against then-reigning Saudi champions Al-Ittihad last December. The Damac No. 10 credits his prolific form to the influence of his coach, ex-AC Milan defender Cosmin Contra.
“The coach has given me so much responsibility and freedom on the field,” N’Koudou told Arab News. “He knows I have experience, so he has just let me play my game and be happy on the pitch and off the pitch.
“I have had many great coaches in my career so far but before being a coach, (Contra) is a great man. He’s honest and if he has something to say he will say it to you straight.
“He’s really passionate about the game because he was a player before. He understands us and I think that’s maybe the difference between some of the coaches who weren’t players; he played at a good level in Milan.
“(Now) I feel free and can enjoy my game. The coach helped me a lot and that’s why I think everything happened for me. I scored 15 goals last season and hope I can do the same this season too.”
It could have been even better in 2023-24 for N’Koudou, who tailed off in the second-half of the season, scoring just once in his last 14 games after his electric start. The Cameroon international firmly believes it was fatigue from the mid-season Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast that was responsible for the slowdown.
“When I came back from AFCON I was so tired; my legs were dead,” N’Koudou said. “I always try to recover as much as I can but sometimes you just can’t.
“Damac is a smaller team and they relied more on me to be the one to score goals or make an assist but it was more difficult (after AFCON).”
Without a continental tournament to disrupt his form this season, could N’Koudou make a serious tilt at the Saudi Pro League Golden boot?
“Honestly I’m not someone who looks at the numbers,” N’Koudou said. “These guys — Cristiano, Mitrovic, Benzema — they are strikers, they play on big teams. They fight for the title.
“I’m a winger, and sometimes No. 10, so for me it’s a little bit different. But I always try to do my best for the team and I will try to score more than last season and then I will see how far I can go. I will try to be there.”
Some of N’Koudou’s best performances for Damac have been against the league’s top sides. Having played in Ligue 1 for Marseille and Monaco, and in the English Premier League for Tottenham, he insists he doesn’t treat these matches any differently.
“I have been used to playing against big players since I was 17, 18. It doesn’t feel surprising to me, like it might for other players who don’t have this experience. I am not shy or scared to play. You still have to be able to express yourself, whoever the opponent — even when it is big players or big teams.”
Although he is one of Damac’s most experienced players, N’Koudou says he is a quiet presence in the club’s dressing-room. The Cameroon winger has certainly done most of his talking on the pitch since arriving in Khamis Mushait, winning over fans not only with high-energy displays but with his sunny disposition too. N’Koudou always plays with a smile on his face, something he attributes to the example set by his football heroes growing up.
“I loved Robinho, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo (Nazario),” he said. “When I was young, I saw these kinds of players, they enjoyed football and played with a smile. For me, this is football.
“It is the pleasure of playing before anything else, the same way I played with my friends as a kid or as people play at the weekend with their mates. This is why I smile too.”
N’Koudou hopes that he and his teammates have more to smile about come the end of the season and promised Damac supporters that he will do everything he can to try to take the club up the Saudi Pro League table.
“For a club like Damac our first priority is to stay in the league at the start of every season. And as a professional football player you want to be competitive — to try to go as far as you can.
“I think we have a lot to improve on from the first part (of the season), but I think if we can make a better finish than last season it’s going to be good for the club. We will see how far we can go.”
Rankings champion Niemann confirms place at International Series India
- The $2m tournament will take place at DLF Golf and Country Club in January
GURUGRAM: In-form LIV Golf superstar Joaquin Niemann, The International Series Rankings champion for the 2024 season, is the latest big name to be confirmed for International Series India, the $2m tournament taking place at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram next month.
The Chilean, who captains the Torque GC team in the LIV Golf League, will join defending US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and local hero Anirban Lahiri for the tournament, which will take place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2.
Niemann was runner-up in the LIV Golf League individual standings in an impressive 2024 season, winning two of the first three tournaments in Mayakoba and Jeddah, and clinching two T2 and two T3 places as he narrowly lost out to two-time major champion Jon Rahm.
The 26-year-old, a two-time PGA Tour winner, finished the campaign on a high by winning the Asian Tour's season-ending $5m PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers earlier this month in Riyadh in a thrilling play-off where he held his nerve to edge out 2022 Open champion Cam Smith and promising American Caleb Surratt.
That result, combined with a third-placed finish in the season-opening International Series Oman, gave Niemann the International Series Rankings crown.
International Series India presented by DLF is the first tournament on the LIV Golf-backed series to be played on the subcontinent. It is the first of 10 events across the season on the Asian Tour that will include stops in Macau, Morocco, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
The series offers players from all over the world a pathway into the LIV Golf League, with the end-of-season rankings champion guaranteed a place on the roster for the following season. The International Series Rankings also offers players a second chance to claim a place on the LIV Golf League, through the innovative LIV Golf Promotions event.
