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Jessica Pegula shook off a first-set stumble to beat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday, reaching the eighth WTA 1000 final of her career. World number six Anisimova took less than half an hour to win the first before building a 3-1 lead in the second set. But Pegula held her nerve and broke Anisimova three times in a row to win the second set, before securing victory in the decider. In the final today, Pegula will take on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina who beat world number four Coco Gauff in the second semi-final. Svitolina won 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 in the three gruelling sets. “It’s not like we have really easy matches … we had a lot of cat and mouse points and they mostly went my way so that was good,” world number five Pegula said after her fifth straight win over Anisimova. Anisimova, who reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open last year, yesterday frustrated Pegula with aces throughout the match. But Pegula, who won only six of her 16 service points in the first set, drew her opponent into longer rallies as she plotted her comeback. Pegula made Anisimova run back and forth with short slices and won the second set with a powerful backhand, as Anisimova’s hasty return went long. An exhausted Anisimova found the net while attempting a drop shot, setting up Pegula’s break point to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the third set. Source link
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Carabao Cup – Semi Final – Second Leg – Manchester City v Newcastle United – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain – February…
Former Brazil captain Neymar said he is thinking of retiring at the end of the year after being hampered by injuries but hopes to go to the World Cup first. The ex-Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker returned in January 2025 to his boyhood club Santos from Saudi club Al Hilal.After an injury-interrupted first season he extended his contract until the end of 2026 but then missed the start of the Brazilian season in January after undergoing knee surgery in late December. “I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” the striker told Brazilian online channel Caze. “It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.”He made his return as a second-half replacement in a Sao Paulo championship match on February 16, 11 days after his 34th birthday. “Obviously, I wanted to come back to help my team in the best way possible, but I ended up holding back a little so I could come back 100 per cent,” he said.Neymar is the all-time leading scorer for Brazil, with 79 goals, two more than Pele, but has not played for the national team since October 2023 when he suffered a serious knee injury against Uruguay.Carlo Ancelotti has not called up Neymar since taking over as Brazil coach last May. “This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it’s a World Cup year, and for me too,” Neymar said. “So it’s a huge challenge.”IOC chief Coventry says unaware of Infantino’s presence at Board of Peace meeting, will look into matterInternational Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said she was unaware of world football body (FIFA) chief Gianni Infantino’s presence at the first meeting of The Board of Peace along with US President Donald Trump, and said she would look into the matter.Infantino, who is also an IOC member, took part in the meeting of The Board of Peace, established under Trump with a focus on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, and aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.The FIFA chief appeared on stage with several politicians, sported a red hat with ‘USA’ on the front and the numbers 45-47, for the two non-consecutive presidencies of Trump. Infantino also displayed the FIFA collaboration agreement with The Board of Peace, which includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium.”I wasn’t aware of that, that we had an IOC member front and centre,” Coventry told a press conference during the Milano Cortina Olympics. “Now that you guys (journalists) made us aware of it we will go back and have a look at it,” she said. “The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents.”The Olympic Charter states that members must always act independently of commercial and political interests. They also cannot accept “from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote,” the Charter says.”I think from the IOC’s point of view we will continue to be politically neutral,” Coventry said. “That’s the only way for us as an organisation to ensure that we allow for there to be fairness on the field of play. That’s what we will continue to do as we walk into the future.”Trump has met Infantino several times, with the United States co-hosting this summer’s soccer World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.The US President was also awarded FIFA’s inaugural peace prize in December for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world’s biggest hotspots, the soccer body said at the time.Coventry, elected in 2025, has not yet met Trump, with the 2028 Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. Source link
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten celebrate after beating Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in the final of the doubles title clash at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open…
Britain’s Scott Brash and his evergreen partner Hello Jefferson extended their flawless run on the second day of the 13th edition of CHI Al Shaqab, producing another commanding performance to win the CSI5* 1.55m jump-off class at Al Shaqab’s Longines Arena on Thursday.Fresh from victory in Wednesday’s 1.50m CSI5* competition, the celebrated duo once again proved unbeatable, underlining their remarkable consistency as one of the sport’s most successful partnerships.Following a competitive first round that featured 37 combinations, eleven riders progressed to the jump-off over Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani’s demanding track, with ten returning for the decisive round.Brash guided the 17-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding to a brilliant fault-free round in 39.93 seconds, finishing just under a second clear of Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher aboard Vestmalle des Cotis, who stopped the clock in 40.82 seconds. Brazil’s Santiago Lambre secured third place with Zeusz after another double-clear effort in 40.86 seconds.“Jefferson was incredible yet again,” Brash said after sealing his second consecutive victory of the week. “He has such an amazing career now. He is 17 years old and probably in the form of his life. The whole team behind him keeps him in top shape.”Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman Alrajhi finished fourth riding Lorenzo ES, narrowly ahead of Portugal’s Duarte Seabra on Dourados 2, while Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels also impressed by qualifying for the jump-off and eventually placing 10th with Oaky Flandria.Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano emerged as another standout performer, securing victories in both CSI5* and CSI3* competition. In the CSI5* 145cm Table C (LR-D) class, speed proved decisive as Gaudiano piloted Julius.D to victory in 59.76 seconds. Britain’s Millie Allen followed in second with Quick Diamant HR (60.80s), while American rider Kristen Vanderveen placed third aboard Bull Run’s Amen (62.33s).Gaudiano later returned to the arena to win the CSI3* 140cm Faults and Time class with Diarouge Blue PS, narrowly edging Egypt’s Ismail Osama El Borai and Gin Lady Tivoli Z by just 0.12 seconds. Qatar’s Ghanim Nasser al-Qadi completed the podium riding Isis, drawing strong home support.Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Al Hadi claimed top honours in the CSI3* 130cm Faults and Time competition with a fluent clear round aboard Capoen in 59.42 seconds. Egypt dominated the remaining podium places through Abdallah Haitham on Consagros and Seif Eldin Essam Abbas riding Heathcliff Blue.In the CSI1* 110cm Special Two-Phase event, Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah of Saudi Arabia delivered the fastest double-clear performance with Erosa (25.36s). Qatar’s Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani secured second with Cassandra 352, while Egypt’s Fatima Mohanad Alkishawi finished third riding Ippocampo de Maor.Young Qatari riders featured strongly in the CSICh-B 105cm class, where Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani guided Let It Be des Hurlevents to victory ahead of compatriot Abdulla Ahmed al-Khulaifi on Quenta van de Corsendonksehoeve. Sheikh Nasser Hamad al-Thani completed an all-Qatari podium aboard Equinoxe de l’Aulne.The para dressage programme showcased high technical standards across all CPEDI3* Grand Prix A grades. Brazil’s Luiz Felipe Queiroz Menin topped Grade I aboard Ocaso Do Luar, while USA rider Fiona Howard produced the leading performance in Grade II with Ferguston (73.506). Italy’s Francesca Salvade won Grade III with Escari, and the Netherlands’ Sandra Jeuken secured Grade IV honours riding Nespresso. Sweden’s Lena Malmström claimed victory in Grade V aboard Fabulous Fidelie.Qatar celebrated further success in the CDI1* Prix St-Georges, where Jassim al-Kuwari and Jack Sparrow delivered a winning score of 69.608 ahead of compatriot Wejdan Majed al-Malki and Maryam Ahmad al-Boinin. Source link
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain advanced to the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Friday, defeating defending champion Andrey Rublev in a closely contested semifinal match. Alcaraz won 7-6(3), 6-4 after converting his sixth match point, overcoming significant resistance from the Russian fifth seed. The hard-fought win positions the World No. 1 to compete for his first career title at the Doha tournament. Rublev, who previously won the event in 2020 and 2025, heavily tested the Spaniard’s resolve throughout the match. Despite the pressure, Alcaraz maintained his composure during the final exchanges to close out the match and seal his passage to the championship round. “I know what I am able to do every time I step on the court, what I am capable of doing,” Alcaraz said when asked if he is ever amazed by himself. “The way that I am approaching every match, I’m just really proud about it. It’s something I am trying to be better at and it’s paying off. I’m proud of myself (for) getting better and maturing,” he added. “If you want to find a solution to a problem, you should find it in a calm place,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something I am working on. When I am playing and getting mad, seeing I’m not at my best, I just get frustrated. That is not the place you will find solutions. In these matches, I have been really calm, thinking clearly and being positive. It’s in those places where you can find the solutions to a problem,” Alcaraz explained. The No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings battled for a gripping victory under the lights in Doha to extend his perfect start to 2026 to 11 matches. Although he twice failed to serve out the opening set and saw a 3-0 lead in the second quickly erased, Alcaraz remained steady under pressure to advance to the Qatari ATP 500 final for the first time after two hours, two minutes. Since capturing the Australian Open crown in January to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, the 22-year-old Alcaraz has played with assurance, but his path in Doha has required persistence. After rallying past former champion Karen Khachanov in three sets in the quarter-finals, the top seed faced more challenges against Rublev but still fought his way to an impressive win. Alcaraz stayed composed through a nervy end and eventually converted his sixth match point to secure victory and advance to his 34th tour-level final. The World No. 1 is 25-8 in career finals. Source link
Australia demolished Oman by nine wickets in their final Twenty20 World Cup group match on Friday, delivering a dominant display that ultimately came too late to salvage a disappointing campaign with both sides already eliminated.Chasing a modest target of 105 in Pallekele, skipper Mitchell Marsh was in no mood to hang around and ruthlessly dispatched Oman's bowlers to all corners of the park, bringing up his 50 off just 26 balls inside the first powerplay.Oman's Shakeel Ahmed collided with wicketkeeper Vinayak Shukla when he had Travis Head caught and bowled off a top edge for 32, but the 38-year-old spinner was so overjoyed he brought out Cristiano Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration.Marsh remained unbeaten on 64 with seven boundaries and four sixes to guide Australia home with 62 balls to spare, equalling the T20 World Cup record for the fastest chase of a total over 100.Australia finished third in the group with two wins and two defeats, with Marsh describing the 2021 champions' campaign as a ‘missed opportunity’, while winless Oman propped up the table with no points.’Unfortunately we didn't play our best in a couple of games that we needed to and that's tournament play,’ Marsh said.’You lose that game to Zimbabwe and you're under pressure and fair play to them, wish them all the best. But we're a very disappointed group.’CLINICAL BOWLING DISPLAY FROM AUSTRALIAAustralia produced a clinical bowling display to dismiss Oman for 104 after winning the toss and opting to field, with Adam Zampa finishing with figures of 4-21.Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett set the tone with a wicket off the very first ball, removing Aamir Kaleem before he had skipper Jatinder Singh also bowled.Oman attempted to rebuild but none of their batters converted their starts while Wasim Ali stood out with a gritty 32, offering the only meaningful resistance.Zampa claimed his fourth four-wicket haul in T20 World Cups.’It's been a rough few days, there's a few quiet voices around the team at the moment,’ he said after picking up the player of the match award.’We're feeling pretty flat about the World Cup ending so soon for us. We feel like we've built something over the last few years.’We played a specific brand of cricket that we thought was going to work and under pressure it unfortunately didn't for us. So yeah, we're disappointed.’BRIEF SCORESAustralia 108 for 1 (Marsh 64*, Head 32) beat Oman 104 (Wasim 32, Zampa 4-21, Maxwell 2-13, Bartlett 2-27) by nine wickets Source link
HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Kendah Al Shahania won the Loyalty Cup in style at the Al Rayyan Racecourse turf on late Thursday evening.The bay filly, trained by Rudy Nerbonne and ridden by Marco Casamento, built on her runner-up debut to open her account in decisive fashion, settling towards the rear before unleashing a sharp burst in the straight to seize control and score 1¾ lengths win in the 1600m feature race, Graduation Plate for four-year-old Local Purebred Arabians, Class 4, contested by 10 runners. In the process, the filly, also provided her trainer a double on the card.Early pace was set by the front-running group while Kendah Al Shahania was content to bide her time in behind, travelling comfortably as the field began to string out approaching the home turn. Turning in, Qiltan had already moved into a prominent position and struck the front, but once the eventual winner was angled into the clear she quickened decisively, reeling him in with authority and drawing away inside the final stages.Qiltan, representing Wathnan Racing and trained by Alban de Mieulle, stayed on under Soufiane Saadi to secure second, finishing a full seven lengths clear of Asfaan Al Shahania, who ran on late under Lukas Delozier for HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani and trainer Nerbonne.The sizeable margin between the pair underlined how the winner and runner-up had pulled well clear of the remainder in the straight, effectively settling the race between themselves before the line.Tabahi returned to winning form by winning the The Late Rabiah Saad Al Kaabi Cup, the 1400m race for Thoroughbred Handicap for Fillies & Mares. The five-year-old chestnut mare, in the silks of Sheih Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, recorded a third win from five starts this campaign, tracking the long-time leader throughout before finding extra passing the 300m mark to strike the front and score by a length. Trained by Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki, the mare was ridden by Arnaud De Lepine.Torvar broke through in Division 2 of the 1100m Thoroughbred Handicap for Mohammed Nawaf Al-Rayes by winning The Late Rashid Mubarak Al-Shafi Cup. Drawn wide, the five-year-old chestnut gelding was rewarded for three consecutive placed efforts, producing a display of grit and speed in the home straight as he charged from the rear to overhaul the leaders in the concluding stages and prevail by a ¼ length. Trained by Mohammed al-Ghazali, he was ridden by Soufiane Saadi, the pair completing a treble on the day. Source link
Return To Senders returned to winning form in the seventh race on Wednesday night, claiming the Al Jumayliyah Cup over 1700m for 4-year-old and older Thoroughbreds at Al Rayyan Racecourse. The nine-year-old bay, owned by Al Eida Racing and trained by Jassim al-Ghazali, produced a powerful finish to sweep past his rivals in the final 200m and secure a decisive four-length victory under Marco Casamento, completing a double for the trainer-jockey duo on the card. Drawn wide in barrier 9, Return To Senders settled just behind the early leaders as Coco Jack set the pace, chased by Mobilise, Assertively, Local Law and Upton Park. The field maintained a steady tempo into the home turn. In the straight, Upton Park, representing Mohammed Abdulhadi al-Hajri and trained by Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki, surged to the front and briefly looked set to win. But Return To Senders responded with a decisive burst of speed, overtaking him inside the final 200m to claim the trophy. Upton Park held second under Faleh Bughenaim, while Smart Contender, ridden by Abdulla Rashid al-Hajri for owner and trainer Nasser Owaida Salem al-Hajri, completed the podium. Across the seven-race card, highlights included Al Bayyin Grine breaking his maiden in the opener, Ta’hoos Al Shahania powering home from the back, Mysteryofthesands delivering a devastating turn of foot, Moharb asserting dominance, AJS Najma front-running impressively, and Sussex showcasing stamina and authority. RESULTS 52nd Al Rayyan Race Meeting – Al Jumayliyah Cup WINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)1 – Al Jumayliyah Cup, 4yo+ ThoroughbredsReturn To Senders, Jassim al-Ghazali, Marco Casamento2 – Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden PlateAl Bayyin Grine, Hamad al-Jehani, Jefferson Smith3 – Local Purebred Arabian Handicap (0-65)Ta’hoos Al Shahania, Rudy Nerbonne, Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik4 – Thoroughbred Handicap (0-75)Mysteryofthesands, Mohammed al-Ghazali, Salman Fahad al-Hajri5 – Local Thoroughbred Handicap (0-65)Moharb, Jassim al-Ghazali, Marco Casamento6 – Local Purebred Arabian Fillies & Mares Handicap (70-90)AJS Najma, MHK al-Attiyah, Szczepan Mazur7 – Thoroughbred Handicap (70-90), 4yo+Sussex, MHK al-Attiyah, Szczepan Mazur Related Story Source link
The West Indies tuned up for the T20 World Cup Super Eights in perfect fashion Thursday with a comfortable 42-run victory over Italy in their final group match in Kolkata.After being asked to bat, the West Indies captain Shai Hope scored 75 off 46 balls with four sixes to help his side post 165-6 in the dead rubber Group C clash.They then easily defended the total by bowling out Italy for 123 off 18 overs.’I always try to contribute. Wicket was a good one; felt like I could've given the team more impetus at the death,’ said Hope, who was named player of the match.Italy finished with one win in four matches at their debut World Cup, and Hope said it wasn't easy when his side did not know many of the opposition players.’When you face unfamiliar opposition, you plan but are unsure. You are facing many bowlers for the first time,’ he said.’They bowled well in patches, it was tough to score early on. You have to be ruthless early on.’Italy lost regular wickets and were always behind in their chase in the face of tight bowling by the West Indies.JJ Smuts took 27 balls to score 24 as Italy failed to break the shackles in the middle overs.Ben Manenti whacked 26 off 21 balls before having his stumps shattered by Gudakesh Motie with four overs to go, and from 115-7 the rest folded quickly.Pace bowler Shamar Joseph took a superb 4-30 backed up ably by fellow seamer Matthew Forde, who had 3-19.Joseph also had a great day in the field and became the first player to take four wickets and four catches in a T20 international.Left-arm spinner Motie was the pick of the slow bowlers, finishing with 2-24 from his four overs.The West Indies will face Zimbabwe in Mumbai on Monday to kick off their Super Eights campaign, with clashes against South Africa and co-hosts India to follow. BRIEF SCORES: West Indies 165 for 6 (Hope 75, Kalugamage 2-25, B Manenti 2-37) beat Italy 123 (B Manenti 26, Joseph 4-30, Forde 3-19, Motie 2-24) by 42 runs. Source link