MELBOURNE: Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka was pushed to the limit in setting up an Australian Open showdown with teenager Mirra Andreeva on Friday but Naomi Osaka’s run ended with an injury retirement in round three.
Also on day six in Melbourne, Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set before surging into the last 16 and Alexander Zverev staked his claim for a first major title with a third straight-sets victory.
Novak Djokovic later steps up his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam crown.
Women’s number one Sabalenka was made to work hard behind a faltering serve before beating Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the third round on Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka was broken four straight times at the start of the match but found her groove to win 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 after more than two hours of attritional tennis.
“I’m just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win,” said Sabalenka, who is chasing a rare third Melbourne title in a row.
Her win puts her into a clash against highly rated 17-year-old Andreeva, the 14th seed, who beat Poland’s 23rd seed Magdalena Frech in three sets.
Russia’s Andreeva announced her burgeoning talent by beating Sabalenka in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year.
Two-time Melbourne champion Osaka was on a collision course with American third seed Coco Gauff in the next round.
But the former world number one needed treatment on her stomach from the trainer during the first set against Belinda Bencic and called it quits after losing the opener on a tiebreak.
Osaka, who was struggling with an abdominal injury in the build-up to the tournament and retired from the final in Auckland, was in the third round of a Slam for the first time since the birth of her daughter in 2023.
Alcaraz, who raced into the last 32 for the loss of just 12 games, suffered a wobble in the third set against Portugal’s unseeded Nuno Borges.
But the Spanish third seed, who has won four majors but never been beyond the quarter-finals in Melbourne, regained his focus to ease through 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
Germany’s Zverev also booked his place in the second week of the opening Grand Slam of the year with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
Zverev came into Melbourne at a career-high number two ranking and has not dropped a set in three matches at the tournament.
Djokovic and Alcaraz are on track for a quarter-final clash.
Ten-time champion Djokovic must first dispose of Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac in a prime-time evening match to reach the last 16.
Jakub Mensik, the Czech teenager who shocked sixth seed Casper Ruud in round two, will make his bid to reach the second week against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Gauff had to battle back from 5-3 down in the second set against Britain’s Jodie Burrage in round two after dropping her serve three times.
She knows she will need to improve against former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, even though she recently beat the Canadian at the United Cup, if she is to meet Bencic in the last 16.
“Obviously I did well at the United Cup. It’s a different match, different story. Anything can happen,” said Gauff, who plays in the night session on Margaret Court Arena.
In other women’s draw early action, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova swept past Germany’s Laura Siegemund, who stunned Zheng Qinwen in the second round, 6-1, 6-2.
The Russian 27th seed will face Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic for a place in the quarter-finals.
Vekic outlasted another Russian, 12th seed Diana Shnaider, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5 in the day’s first match on Margaret Court Arena
Seventh seed Jessica Pegula, the US Open finalist last year, takes on Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.
Sabalenka fights on at Australian Open, Osaka bows out injured
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Sabalenka fights on at Australian Open, Osaka bows out injured
- It was Aryna Sabalenka’s eighth match victory in a row to start the season after winning the Brisbane International 10 days ago
Haliburton leads comeback as Pacers advance; Pistons stay alive
- The Pacers advanced to an Eastern Conference semifinal series with top seeds Cleveland after pulling off a remarkable overtime Houdini act
- The reigning NBA champion Celtics had an easier time of it as they overpowered the Orlando Magic with a series-clinching 120-89 victory at Boston’s TD Garden
LOS ANGELES; The Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics became the latest teams to book their places in the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday as the Detroit Pistons thwarted the New York Knicks to keep their postseason hopes alive.
In Indianapolis, the Pacers battled back from a 20-point deficit and then rallied again in overtime to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 and seal a 4-1 victory in their NBA Eastern Conference duel.
The reigning NBA champion Celtics had an easier time of it as they overpowered the Orlando Magic with a series-clinching 120-89 victory at Boston’s TD Garden.
The Knicks, leading their series 3-1, missed the chance to join Boston and Indiana in the second round after losing 106-103 to Detroit at Madison Square Garden.
The Pacers advanced to an Eastern Conference semifinal series with top seeds Cleveland after pulling off a remarkable overtime Houdini act.
The Pacers trailed 118-111 with 40 seconds remaining but launched an 8-0 run that culminated with Tyrese Haliburton’s driving layup to clinch victory with 1.3 seconds left on the clock.
A late blunder by Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr — who fumbled a wide open pass to turn over possession and set up Haliburton’s winning layup — proved pivotal.
“Both teams literally left every single ounce of everything they had out there, including timeouts — nobody had anything left,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
“But you know, fortune favors the bold — and our guys were bold in the last three quarters and we’re very grateful and thankful to be moving on.”
Asked what his message to his players had been after they had fallen 20 points behind early on, Carlisle replied: “Hit somebody.”
Haliburton led Indiana’s scoring with 26 points, five rebounds and nine assists while Myles Turner added 21 points. Aaron Nesmith finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Trent Jr. led the scorers for Milwaukee with 33 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 30 in the absence of the injured Damian Lillard, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday’s game four loss.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said turnovers and poor execution in the closing stages cost his team victory.
“These games will kill you,” Rivers said. “Execution down the stretch is something you have to have, and we have to own that. We failed in that department tonight. But give them credit — they hung in there.”
In Boston, Jayson Tatum’s 35-point display and 23 points from Jaylen Brown helped the Celtics close out their series against Orlando.
The Celtics trailed 49-47 after a sluggish first-half display but erupted on a 35-9 run in the third quarter to take the game away from the Magic.
“We didn’t really like the way we played in the first half,” Tatum said. “But it’s tough to put a team away. We just stuck with it.
“But we’re champions and we can win in multiple different ways, with multiple different lineups. The Magic forced us to play in a different way, but we adapted and figured it out.”
The Celtics will face the winner of the series between New York and Detroit in the other Eastern Conference semifinal.
The Pistons ensured their postseason campaign will last at least one more game after downing the Knicks in New York. The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
In a game that saw the lead change hands 18 times, the Pistons held on for the win after the Knicks closed to 104-103 with seven seconds remaining.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit’s scoring with 24 points with Ausar Thompson adding 22.
Pakistan’s Noor Zaman revives family legacy with epic Under-23 world squash championship comeback
- Zaman defeated opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France and Malaysia on his path to the final
- His epic win has got him a wildcard entry to Senior World Championship in Chicago next month
PESHAWAR: Noor Zaman found himself on the brink of defeat after losing the first two games to his Egyptian counterpart in the final of the Under-23 Men’s World Squash Championship in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi this month.
The 21-year-old faced a moment of truth in front of a roaring home crowd and decided he could not lose the world championship Pakistan was hosting for the first time in 30 years and what followed was an epic comeback from Zaman to beat Egypt’s Karim El Turky 3-2.
His victory was not just a personal milestone but a symbolic moment for Pakistani squash, a sport once dominated by legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, and Zaman’s own grandfather, Qamar Zaman.
“When I got 2-0 down, only one thing was coming to my mind that ‘a world championship is being held in Pakistan after three decades, the whole crowd is sitting here to support me, if I lose, I will regret it a lot’,” Zaman recalled.
“I thought to myself that ‘all the hard work I have done in the past three, four months to prepare for this tournament, I should go to the court and fight for every single point.’ Thank God, I fought for every point and Allah made me the world champion.”
Zaman, who hails from the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, says for him, squash was more of an obligation than a passion.
“When I was young, I used to be taken for playing squash [by my grandfather]. I was not as passionate in childhood,” he said.
But with time, the sport became his calling.
Zaman’s ascent began with two consecutive Asian Junior Championship titles last year, followed by a silver medal at the Asian Games after graduating to the senior category.
The Under-23 World Squash Championship saw participation from 32 countries, with Zaman defeating opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France, and Malaysia on his path to the final. Zaman defeated 3-0 the players he had narrowly contested against as a junior, which was a testament to his growing dominance in the game.
His final opponent, Egypt’s El Turky, pushed him to the limit, but Zaman staged a spirited comeback, cheered on by an electrifying crowd in Karachi.
But there has hardly been any official recognition of Zaman’s feat.
“Everyone congratulated me — government officials, seniors, everyone — but no one has yet invited me for any honors,” he shared.
The 21-year-old remains grounded, driven by the legacy of his grandfather who continues to nurture talent in Peshawar by organizing regular tournaments.
“This is our family game and all the players emerging from Peshawar are emerging because of him, because of his support,” Noor said.
“He organizes 2-3 tournaments every month, which gives motivation to kids and they improve further.”
Zaman’s victory in the Under-23 championship has earned him a direct wildcard entry to next month’s Senior World Championship in Chicago.
The young Pakistani squash star is hopeful of not just carrying forward his family’s legacy, but also helping his country reclaim its former glory in the sport.
“God willing, now, I am going to play the Senior World Championship, [and] the goal is to become the Senior World Champion,” he said.
Jon Rahm out to break 2025 win drought ahead of PGA Championship
- Rahm vowed to clean up his game in South Korea with the second major of the year, the PGA Championship, only two weeks away
- The two-time major winner will tee off in Friday’s first round at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon alongside the in-form Joaquin Niemann of Chile
SEOUL: Former world No. 1 Jon Rahm said Wednesday he had not done himself “any favors” in his winless start to the season ahead of LIV Golf’s South Korea debut.
The Spaniard has endured an indifferent 2025 by his own lofty standards, admitting “small mistakes” had cost him.
He failed to mount a serious challenge at last month’s Masters and he vowed to clean up his game in South Korea with the second major of the year, the PGA Championship, only two weeks away.
“I’m just not doing everything I need to do right,” Rahm said ahead of LIV Golf Korea, which will also feature US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who played alongside eventual winner Rory McIlroy in the final group at Augusta.
“Sometimes you also need a little bit of luck in your favor, not that I haven’t been lucky.
“I just haven’t done myself any favors on the golf course, I would say it like that,” added Rahm.
The two-time major winner will tee off in Friday’s first round at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon alongside the in-form Joaquin Niemann of Chile, who won his third LIV tournament of the season in Mexico last weekend.
The 2023 Augusta champion had a frustrating time at this year’s Masters, starting poorly with a three-over 75 and leaving himself with too much to do heading into the weekend.
He picked up his game but the damage had been done as he finished eight shots behind McIlroy for a share of 14th place.
Rahm was second in the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit’s season-opening event in Riyadh and has finished in the top 10 in all six tournaments, which have a field of 54 players.
“While I like having top 10s and I like being a good player week-in and week-out, winning obviously is what matters more,” he said.
“I would gladly give up some of those top 10s for more wins.
“I keep playing well, I keep putting myself close enough, just every once in a while there’s been enough mistakes where I’m just not quite close enough going into the back nine on Sunday.”
Niemann’s victory in Mexico secured his berth at the US Open at Oakmont in June.
The Chilean added to the titles he won in Singapore and Adelaide this season.
“It’s been an exciting last six events here at LIV, the way I’ve been playing, the way I’ve been feeling on the course,” said the 26-year-old.
“I felt like there’s been a lot of trust and a lot of faith in the work that I’ve been putting in.”
Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seize edge in Champions League semifinal
- Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown
LONDON: Paris Saint-Germain seized the advantage in their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal as Ousmane Dembele sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg on Tuesday.
Dembele struck in the opening minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Luis Enrique’s side held on to the lead with a composed display that kept Arsenal at bay.
PSG will head into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7 as favorites to reach the final against Barcelona or Inter Milan as they look to win the tournament for the first time.
But the French champions should take nothing for granted given their history of epic European collapses.
Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown.
Mikel Arteta had labelled Arsenal’s run to the semifinals a “beautiful story.”
The last chapter might make for frustrating reading, but they aren’t dead and buried just yet.
The Gunners had beaten holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semifinal since losing to Manchester United in 2009.
They could not replicate the swaggering display that blew Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg, despite a frenzied atmosphere as kick-off approached.
When Arsenal’s players gathered for a pre-match huddle in the tunnel, Declan Rice implored his team-mates to give everything as he roared “if we don’t have the ball we die.”
A video message from Arteta played on the Emirates screens struck a similarly rousing chord as the Spaniard urged fans to raise the roof.
But PSG had already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, after coming back from two goals down to beat Manchester City in the league phase.
Arsenal were the one English side they had failed to conquer, losing 2-0 in north London in October.
However, PSG were without the influential Dembele for disciplinary reasons on that occasion and Luis Enrique insisted his side were “more complete” seven months on.
Dembele took just four minutes to prove the point as the France star started and finished a ruthless raid.
Taking possession in the center circle, Dembele worked the ball out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and he drove at Jurrien Timber with intent.
Dembele had carried on his run into the Arsenal area and Kvaratskhelia’s perfectly weighted pass picked him out for a clinical finish that went in off the far post.
Having seized the momentum, PSG went for the kill and Marquinhos rose to meet Achraf Hakimi’s cross with a header that was just too close to Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Kvaratskhelia had a strong penalty appeal waved away when Timber appeared to halt the forward’s burst into area with an arm around his chest.
Kvaratskhelia was undeterred, forcing Raya to save after attacking Timber again.
Dembele was proving equally hard for Arsenal to handle, his clever run and pass reaching Desire Doue for a low strike that Raya saved at full stretch.
Arsenal had been out-gunned but they should have equalized just before half-time when Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sublime pass found Gabriel Martinelli, whose shot was superbly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal thought they had drawn level two minutes into the second half when Mikel Merino headed home from Rice’s free-kick, yet their celebrations were premature as VAR disallowed the goal for offside against the Spain midfielder.
Arteta’s men had the momentum and Leandro Trossard was inches away from equalising when Rice’s pass sent him bursting into the PSG area for a shot that Donnarumma brilliantly tipped away.
Feeling the shift in the balance of power, PSG looked to take the sting out of the game by playing at a slower pace.
The tactic almost worked to perfection when Bradley Barcola sauntered through, but with just Raya to beat he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
It was a woeful miss, leaving Luis Enrique holding his head in disbelief.
The PSG coach was in the exact same stunned pose moments later when Goncalo Ramos fired against the bar from close-range.
Impressive Al-Ahli down Al-Hilal to move into Champions League Asian final
- Firmino, Toney, Al-Buraikan score in Greens’ 3-1 win
- Jeddah club will face Al-Nassr or Kawasaki Frontale in Saturday’s final
JEDDAH: Al-Ahli beat Al-Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday to move into the final of the AFC Champions League Elite.
After an incident-filled semifinal showdown, the Jeddah club will face either Al-Nassr, another Riyadh giant, or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in Saturday’s final, where one thing is for sure — there will be a new continental champion.
It was a deserved win for Al-Ahli who were on top for most of the 90-plus minutes in Jeddah. Now they prepare for their third Champions League final and in this form few would bet against them landing a first title.
Beating four-time winners Al-Hilal means that there is nothing to fear for Al-Ahli and it took just nine minutes for the fans to start celebrating. Galeno broke down the left, racing on to a fine pass and just about reached the ball before it went out of play. The Brazilian, signed in January from Porto, sent over a first-time cross for compatriot Roberto Firmino to sweep home from close range.
There were calls for offside but to the dismay of the Riyadh giants they were not upheld. There were more chances, such as Ivan Toney’s shot that went just wide after 18 minutes, as Al-Ahli continued to look the more dangerous.
Then, just before the half-hour, it was 2-0. Riyad Mahrez picked up the ball in a central position and slipped a perfect pass to the left side of the area. It was picked up by Toney who feinted past Yassine Bounou in goal and rolled the ball into an empty net.
For a while, that seemed to be that. The Greens were on top and heading into the final but Al-Hilal are not the most successful team in Saudi Arabia and Asia for nothing. This is a team, especially in continental competitions, that never knows when it is beaten.
Three minutes before the break, Salem Al-Dawsari, one of the best players in Asia, halved the deficit. For anyone who has watched Saudi Arabian football in recent years, it was a familiar goal. The ball bounced off a white-shirted defender and there was the 2022 Asian Player of the Year to pick up possession and sweep a low shot home for his 10th of the tournament. Al-Hilal were looking dangerous and just minutes before the break Malcom should have fired home at the far post to equalize from close range.
At halftime, it was anyone’s game but early in the second period, Toney saw two goals ruled out for offside.
Then, on the hour, a tough situation for Al-Hilal became a major problem. They were reduced to 10 men as Kalidou Koulibaly was red-carded for a second booking. Despite the Blues’ continental pedigree it was always going to be tough and while they poured forward in desperate search of the all-important equalizer, it was not to be. Al-Ahli continued to look the more dangerous and were denied by the woodwork on more than one occasion.
With five minutes remaining it should have been all over. Hamid Al-Yami was judged to have brought down Mahrez in the area. Up stepped Franck Kessie to seal the win but it was a tame shot from the Ivorian and was well saved by Bounou.
For once, Al-Hilal did not punish such a mistake. Eight minutes into added time, the victory — one of the most important in Al-Ahli’s history — was sealed thanks to substitute Firas Al-Buraikan.
It led to huge celebrations for many of the 50,000 crowd and the biggest prize in the world’s biggest continent is now just 90 minutes away.
