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A bogey-free third round at the Qatar Masters Saturday saw American Patrick Reed open up a two-shot lead heading into the final round, keeping himself firmly in contention for a second victory in three weeks.Reed sits at 14-under-par after carding a two-under 70 at Doha Golf Club. Denmark’s Jacob Olesen is his closest challenger on 12 under, having produced the standout round of the day among the pursuers. Olesen fired a four-under 68, highlighted by a blistering back nine that featured five birdies.“I felt like I hit the ball better today than I did the last two days – well, really compared to Saturday, and shot two shots worse, so it’s an interesting game,” Reed said.“The golf game feels good, it feels solid, it feels steady and really just got to go out there and keep the foot on the gas tomorrow, get off to hopefully a faster start than today, and see where it goes.”Reed’s birdies at the second and the par-five tenth were backed up by 16 pars in a solid round despite a three-putt from just under 100 feet at the last hole after finding the green in two.“It’s one of those days you’ve got to take advantage of the par-fives, I didn’t really do that very well today. A three-putt on the last obviously stings but to go round this place bogey-free, especially with how the wind was, it’s obviously successful,” the 2018 Masters champion said.Reed won the Dubai Desert Classic last month and then lost in play-off at Bahrain Championship last week as Germany’s Freddy Schott claimed a maiden victory. The American, now playing regularly on the European-based circuit after leaving LIV Golf with a return to the PGA Tour not possible until August.“Hopefully we can continue to do that tomorrow, continue hitting the ball solid and giving ourselves a lot of birdie looks, and hopefully make a couple more than just two tomorrow,” the 35-year-old said.Reed’s playing partner Joakim Lagergren slipped off the pace slightly with a one-over par 73 seeing him fall back to 10-under. Bogeys for Lagergren at the 11th, 14th and 16th left him four off the pace going, meaning Olesen will play with Reed in today’s final group.The left-hander Olesen was one over for his front nine but five birdies coming home, including three in the last four holes, put him in contention for his maiden DP World Tour win.“It was a grind on the front nine, couldn’t really get anything going, didn’t hit any good shots at all either,” said Olesen.“I hit a good wedge in on ten after a poor drive. It’s not really the pin position where you want to be stuck with a wedge out the first cut, but hit a good one in there and rolled one in. That got me back to level and I kind of knew it wasn’t playing that easy so I knew I wasn’t in a terrible spot, just needed to get something going,” the Dane said.Australia’s Daniel Hillier and Spain’s Angel Ayora are joint third on 11 under, while Scotland’s Calum Hill – the third member of last week’s play-off in Bahrain with Reed and Schott – and England’s Daniel Bradbury are in a six-way tie for ninth on nine under.Sebastian Soderberg from Sweden, posted the best round of the day – a seven-under 65 that included an eagle two at the 10th to reach nine under. Alongside them on that total were Dan Bradbury, Kazuma Kobori and Johannes Veerman.Padraig Harrington carded a one-under par 71 to sit on four-under overall in tied-34th. The Dubliner, who is making his 500th start on the tour, recorded birdies on the first, sixth, 10th and 14th holes with dropped strokes on the eighth, 13th, and the par-5 18th. Related Story Source link
Hadi De Carrere, carrying the silks of Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohamed bin Faleh al-Thani, captured the Ain Sinan Cup at Al Uqda Racecourse Saturday.The nine-year-old bay settled into a handy position throughout the 2000m Purebred Arabian Open Race before producing a strong late challenge. He reeled in the long-time leader in the closing stages and swept clear to land the day’s feature by an emphatic 2¼ lengths.This was his second win from three starts this season and in the process the veteran completed a treble on the card for the Jassim al-Ghazali-Marco Casamento trainer-jockey combination.M’tawa El Saa’yeb broke sharply from barrier one and was allowed to stride on, quickly opening up a wide advantage as he set a strong gallop through the early stages. The remainder of the field adopted more conservative tactics, with Hadi De Carrere settling at the head of the chasing group ahead of Nasser Al Shahania, content to track the leader while keeping his powder dry through the middle stages.The order remained unchanged passing halfway, though the early leader’s margin began to contract after the 1000m mark as the tempo took its toll. Approaching the home turn, Hadi De Carrere was brought into the race smoothly from his handy position and began to close decisively on the long-time leader. Once inside the final 200m, he asserted with authority, quickly reeling in M’tawa El Saa’yeb and drawing clear to settle the outcome in convincing fashion. M’tawa El Saa’yeb, owned by Saif Rashid Saif al-Khayarin and trained by Hamad al-Jehani, stayed on under Pierre-Charles Boudot to take second, finishing just a neck ahead of Nasser Al Shahania. The latter, representing Al Shahania Stud and trained by Rudy Nerbonne, ran on under Lukas Delozier to secure third after racing prominently throughout.The meeting’s seven-race card produced a full spectrum of winners, beginning with Lahab, who opened the day with a victory in the local Thoroughbred maiden. Shamshon ANR prevailed in a tight Purebred Arabian contest, while Thunder Valley was awarded the handicap after a stewards’ inquiry.Politico produced a late surge to win decisively, and Al Ryan Park dominated once again with a wide-margin success. Maarek continued his consistent form with a commanding staying performance, before Hadi De Carrere reasserted his class to close the day in style.RESULTS47th Al Uqda Race Meeting – Ain Sinan CupWINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)1 – Ain Sinan Cup, Purebred Arabian Open RaceHadi De Carrere, Jassim al-Ghazali, Marco Casamento2 – Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate, 4-7yo, 2000mLahab, Jassim al-Ghazali, Saleh Salem al-Marri3 – Local Purebred Arabian Maiden PlateShamshon ANR, Dr Fahad Salman Al-Hajri, Marco Casamento4 – Thoroughbred Handicap (45-65)Thunder Valley, Hadi al-Ramzani, Abdulla Rashid al-Hajri5 – Thoroughbred Handicap (0-70)Politico, Fahad Rashid al-Khayarin al-Hajri, Abdulla Rashid al-Hajri6 – Purebred Arabian Handicap (55-75)Al Ryan Park, Jassim al-Ghazali, Marco Casamento7 – Purebred Arabian Handicap (55-75)Maarek, Jihad El Ahmad, Damien Morin Related Story Source link
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and USA at the Wankhede…
Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf plays a shot during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Pakistan and Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports…
West Indies’ Romario Shepherd celebrates after taking the hat trick wicket during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Scotland and…
Francesca Lollobrigida powered to victory in the women’s 3,000 metres speed skating Saturday, bringing Italy its first gold medal of the Milano Cortina Winter Games and ending the Netherlands’ run of three consecutive Olympic titles in the discipline. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund and Canada’s Valerie Maltais joined her on the podium as the speed skating programme got underway at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Lollobrigida clocked three minutes and 54.28 seconds to finish 2.26 seconds ahead of Wiklund. Skating in her fourth Olympics, Lollobrigida produced an inspired performance to secure her first gold medal, adding to the 3,000m silver and mass start bronze she won at Beijing in 2022. Celebrating her 35th birthday, she carried the weight of home expectations and lived up to them. Her victory ended a formidable Dutch legacy in the 3,000m. The Netherlands famously swept the podium at PyeongChang 2018, and Irene Schouten won gold at Beijing 2022 before retiring. In Milan, Marijke Groenewoud and Joy Beune were again seen as leading Dutch contenders to extend that dominance, as was Wiklund – but Lollobrigida had other ideas. The Netherlands remains the sport’s powerhouse, with a record 48 Olympic gold medals – well clear of the US (30) and Norway (28). Lollobrigida’s victory was Italy’s third Olympic gold in speed skating. Meanwhile Olympic medallists Alex Hall of the United States and Jesper Tjader of Sweden made it through the freeskiing slopestyle qualifying round at the Milano Cortina Winter Games to set up a showdown in next week’s final in the Italian Alps. Hall, the defending champion, was one of three Americans to make the field of 12 who will compete for medals in the mountain town of Livigno, near the Swiss border. His teammates Mac Forehand and Konnor Ralph also advanced. The 27-year-old Hall sounded relieved after securing his spot in Tuesday’s final after two smooth runs under sunny skies. “It’s always nerve-wracking during the qualifiers,” Hall said. “There is a little bit of strategy involved. “You don’t want to show all your cards. You don’t want to try something too hard that you might not land. In the finals, you just go all out,” he added. The slopestyle event features skiers who slide across rails and perform aerial tricks to impress the judges with difficulty and originality. The best score from each of the two runs determines the rankings. Tjader, the bronze medallist at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, tumbled off a rail in his initial run, putting him in danger of elimination. A strong second run vaulted the 31-year-old to third place. “Everybody did amazing runs so I really had to step up to make the final,” Tjader said. “I’m really proud of my run. I did a few new tricks that I haven’t done on a slopestyle run before,” Tjader added. Norway’s Birk Ruud, the first men’s rider of the day, executed a flawless performance and finished at the top of the pack. Source link
Iga Swiatek, a three-time Qatar champion, is the top seed. The season’s first WTA 1000-level event – $4.1mn Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2026 will swing into big action at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex Sunday with seven of the Top 10 players in action. The draw for the tournament has thrown up some interesting prospects where defending champion Amanda Anisimova could face Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, while Mirra Andreeva sits on a collision course with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina at the bottom. With World No. 1 and former champion Aryna Sabalenka not in the field, three-time champion Iga Swiatek is the top seed, followed by Rybakina, Anisimova, Coco Gauff and Andreeva. Swiatek could run into Italian Jasmine Paolini, seeded sixth, in the last eight. Swiatek has won their first six matches, including the Cincinnati final last year, but Paolini turned the tables at the WTA Finals last year with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win that took everyone by surprise. Rybakina, fresh off her second Grand Slam title and winner of 20 of her last 21 matches, tops her part of the draw. Her biggest threat is Andreeva, who won the title in Adelaide last month. This section also includes Victoria Mboko, Diana Shnaider and the returning Zheng Qinwen. Anisimova, who won the biggest title of her career here last year (till then), is the top seed in a section that also includes Australian Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina, fresh into the Top 10. American Emma Navarro and Karolina Muchova are also in this quarter, as are Filipina sensation Alexandra Eala (who will attract a large number of fans in Doha) and 2017 champion Karolina Pliskova. Among the opening day matches would be the meeting between 2019 winner Elise Mertens of Belgium and Anastasia Pavlyucehnkova, scheduled for 3pm on centre court.The first round also features a clash between Czech Linda Noskova, seeded nine, and Australian teen Maya Joint. Noskova, now up to No. 12 in the world will take on Joint in their first meeting in a match between potential future superstars. There will also be American Emma Navarro against German Tatjana Maria. It’s been a slow start to the year for Navarro, who went just 2-3 during the Australian swing and lost her opener in Abu Dhabi. She’s fallen to No. 17 in the rankings, and is very much in need of a deep run in Doha to get some momentum back. And her opponent, 38-year-old Maria, is always a joy to watch. They’ve only played once, a 6-3, 6-2 win for Maria in Rome, Italy way back in 2022. Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu, who missed the chance to win her first title since her US Open triumph in 2021 after losing in straight sets to home favourite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final Saturday, will also feature in Doha hoping to swing her fortunes. Unfortunately, Czech Barbora Krejcikova and Spaniard Paola Badosa had to withdraw from the tournament Saturday due to injuries. Krejcikova suffered a left knee injury while Badosa was pulled down by a troubled right hip. Seedings at the $4.1mn Qatar TotalEnergies Open 1. Iga Swiatek 2. Elena Rybakina 3. Amanda Anisimova 4. Coco Gauff 5. Mirra Andreeva 6. Jasmine Paolini 7. Elina Svitolina 8. Ekaterina Alexandrova 9. Linda Noskova 10. Victoria Mboko 11. Clara Tauson 12. Emma Navarro 13. Liudmila Samsanova 14. Karolina Muchova 15. Diana Shnaider 16. Elise Mertens. Today’s order of play atCentre Court (3pm start)Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs 16-Elise Mertens (BEL)Followed by:Ann Li (USA) vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN)Not Before 6Pm:Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs 10-Victoria Mboko (CAN)Followed by:Jaqueline Cristian (ROU) vs 14-Karolina Muchova (CZE) Related Story Source link
Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida claimed 400m gold medal at the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tianjin, China, Saturday. He clocked 47.27 seconds to top the field, with China’s Chiyu Zheng finishing runner-up in 47.34 seconds. Iran’s Arash Sayyari secured third place in 47.59 seconds. Related Story Source link
Patrick Reed continued his impressive start to the season by claiming the solo lead at the halfway stage of the Qatar Masters yesterday. At Doha Golf Club, Reed carded a four-under-par 67, finishing his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th to move to 12 under for the tournament. The American holds a one-shot advantage over Joakim Lagergren after the Swede produced a flawless 66 without dropping a shot. Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren is one shot behind the leader after round two. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil Reed, who announced on January 28 that he will leave LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour in 2027, admitted the round was not without its challenges. “Honestly, today was a little frustrating, especially early,” said Reed, whose only bogey came at the 15th hole. “My ball-striking wasn’t quite as sharp as it was yesterday, but I missed in the right spots and that allowed me to still get balls on the greens. Going round this place and feeling like you didn’t hit it quite as well as you wanted to, and hit 17 greens is always a positive,” the 2018 Masters winner said. USA’s Patrick Reed carded a four-under 67 in the…
India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted yesterday “there will be nerves” when India open their T20 World Cup campaign in front of more than 30,000 fanatical home supporters in Mumbai, but vowed to give them “entertainment”. The co-hosts start their Group A campaign against the United States at a packed Wankhede stadium tonight. Suryakumar is only too aware that India, the top-ranked T20 team in the world, are overwhelming favourites to retain their title. But he said his team will try to feed off the positive vibes from a billion-plus home supporters and not be crushed by the huge weight of expectation. “When you’re playing at home there is always an added pressure. I’m not running away from the fact,” Suryakumar told reporters ahead of India’s final training session yesterday. “To be honest, there will be nerves, there will be pressure, but if you see the positive side of it, there’ll be a lot of cheer around. “There’s so many people coming to watch in the stadiums, I’ve told my boys the same thing, 30,000-35,000 people coming and so many watching at home.“Let’s give them a good time. Let’s give them entertainment.” India know that their opening opponents, the United States, caused the biggest upset of the 2024 tournament when they beat Pakistan in a super over, and Suryakumar said no team would be taken lightly. “I don’t see any weak teams in the competition. All 20 teams are very much capable of playing some good cricket,” he said.“In this format, one or two batters can make a difference. Or it takes one or two bowlers to have a good 24 balls on any given day.“So we will have to play the same way as we’ve been playing against all the teams.” The USA’s middle order batsman Sanjay Krishnamurthi said it was an honour to play the opening match against the hosts in Mumbai.“I think for all Americans, this is a special moment for our country,” said the Oregon-born 22-year-old. “To be able to come here and play cricket in one of the most iconic stadiums against one of the best teams in the world, I think it’s going to inspire a future generation of cricketers to rise through the ranks in American cricket.” In a blow to Suryakumar’s plans, India fast bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana was ruled out of the tournament late yesterday after suffering a knee injury in a warm-up match two days before. “Following consultations with a specialist and subsequent scans, the BCCI medical team deemed him unfit to participate in the tournament,” India said.The 24-year-old will be replaced by experienced fast bowler Mohammad Siraj. A veteran of 45 Tests, the 31-year-old Siraj has not played a T20 international since July 2024. Source link