Pegula stuns Swiatek at US Open as home hopes surge, Draper in breakthrough

Pegula stuns Swiatek at US Open as home hopes surge, Draper in breakthrough
USA's Jessica Pegula celebrates her victory over Poland's Iga Swiatek at the end of their women's quarterfinals match on day ten of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 4, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 05 September 2024
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Pegula stuns Swiatek at US Open as home hopes surge, Draper in breakthrough

Pegula stuns Swiatek at US Open as home hopes surge, Draper in breakthrough
  • Draper, meanwhile, became the first British man to make the last four since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago by beating Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 7-5, 6-2

NEW YORK: Jessica Pegula became the fourth American to reach this year’s US Open semifinals on Wednesday by stunning world number one Iga Swiatek as Jack Draper broke through to his first Grand Slam last-four.
Pegula swept past 2022 champion and four-time French Open winner Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 to reach a maiden semifinal at the majors after falling in six quarter-finals.
The 30-year-old will next face Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
If she gets through that she would set-up an all-American title match should Emma Navarro stun world number two Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday’s other semifinal.
Draper, meanwhile, became the first British man to make the last four since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago by beating Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
The 25th seed will tackle either world number one Jannik Sinner or 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev for a place in Sunday’s championship showdown.
Pegula has now won 14 times in 15 matches on US hard courts this summer.
“Finally I can say I’m a semifinalist. I lost so many of these damn things,” said the American after her fourth career win against Swiatek.
“Thanks to the crowd. I sent over a 65mph second serve (on a third match point) because I was so tight.
“I did everything I could to not get frustrated. I took advantage of some things she was not doing so well and just rode that momentum.”
Swiatek was undone by 41 unforced errors.
Draper pulled off victory over 10th-ranked De Minaur despite taking a medical timeout early in the second set to have his right thigh bandaged.
“It’s amazing. My first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium, it means the world to me,” said Draper, who had lost three times in three meetings with De Minaur before Wednesday.
“I played a solid match and I feel the best fitness-wise that I have felt in a long time.”
Draper has made the semifinals without dropping a set as he continued an impressive summer run which saw him capture his first ATP title in Stuttgart and then defeat Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Club on the eve of Wimbledon.
On Wednesday, he sent down 11 aces in his 40 winners while forcing De Minaur to fend off 14 of 20 break points.
The British player enjoys a 1-0 lead over Sinner in the pair’s head-to-head although that win at Queen’s came three years ago. He lost to Medvedev on clay in Rome earlier this year.
Sinner is the only top-four player left in the men’s draw following the exits of Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.
However, he is yet to reach the last four in New York and faces a test of his credentials against fifth-ranked Medvedev.
Sinner defeated Medvedev from two sets down to win his first major at the Australian Open in January before the mercurial Russian avenged that loss at Wimbledon.
“I will try to think more about Wimbledon than the Australian Open,” said Medvedev, also the 2019 and 2023 runner-up at the US Open.
With Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz already lined up for an all-American men’s semifinal on Friday, and Navarro and Pegula safely into the women’s last four, home fans are dreaming of a title sweep this weekend.
Andy Roddick was the last US man to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy in New York in 2003 while Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff have triumphed in the women’s tournament in the last decade.
Muchova’s 6-1, 6-4 win over Beatriz Haddad Maia came despite having to sprint to the bathroom early in the second set, a dash which caught everyone on the hop.
“I had a problem that I wouldn’t like to comment on,” said the 28-year-old. “Sorry if I disturbed anybody but I really didn’t have any other choice.”
After losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff in the 2023 semifinals, Muchova suffered a serious wrist injury which sidelined her until June this year.
A former world number eight, now ranked at 52, Muchova has yet to drop a set, knocking out two-time champion Naomi Osaka and this year’s French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini.


Croatia extend Scotland’s losing streak

Croatia extend Scotland’s losing streak
Updated 12 October 2024
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Croatia extend Scotland’s losing streak

Croatia extend Scotland’s losing streak
  • Steve Clarke’s side took a shock lead through Ryan Christie’s first half goal at the Stadion Maksimir
  • Igor Matanovic equalized before the interval and Kramaric bagged the winner midway through the second half

ZAGREB: Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric condemned Scotland to their worst losing streak in five years as the striker sealed a 2-1 win in the Nations League on Saturday.
Steve Clarke’s side took a shock lead through Ryan Christie’s first half goal at the Stadion Maksimir.
But Igor Matanovic equalized before the interval and Kramaric bagged the winner midway through the second half.
Scotland have lost four successive games for the first time since 2019.
They arrived in Zagreb winless in their last eight competitive matches, the longest streak in their history, and that dismal run has now reached nine.
Scotland have mustered just one win in their last 15 matches, a 2-0 victory over minnows Gibraltar in June.
Having crashed out of Euro 2024 at the group stage, the Scots sit bottom of Nations League Group A1 after defeats against Poland, Portugal and Croatia.
In Clarke’s defense, he is dealing a debilitating injury list that denied him the services of James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry, Tommy Conway, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Lewis Ferguson.
Even so, another loss when Portugal visit Hampden Park on Tuesday would add to the pressure on the Scotland boss.
Lyndon Dykes’ audacious effort from the halfway line was a bold statement of intent from Scotland.
Christie fired just wide after Andrew Robertson’s cross wasn’t cleared, while Billy Gilmour tested Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic with a 25-yard blast.
Craig Gordon, Scotland’s 41-year-old stand-in keeper, made a fine save to keep out Kramaric, with Borna Sosa heading just wide from the rebound.
Ben Doak, 18, was the youngest player to start a competitive match for Scotland since Willie Johnston in 1965.
And the Liverpool winger, currently on loan at second tier Middlesbrough, made his landmark occasion even more memorable with the cross that produced Scotland’s 32nd minute opener.
Josip Sutalo made a hash of clearing and Christie gleefully pounced to slot home from an acute angle.
Croatia were behind for just four minutes as Matanovic met Ivan Perisic’s clever cutback with a powerful strike that flashed past Gordon.
Matanovic nearly scored again immediately after the interval but this time Gordon was equal to his shot from the edge of the area.
Gordon made another good save to repel a curler from Luka Modric, who deftly nutmegged Scott McTominay before bending his shot narrowly wide in another threatening raid from the evergreen Real Madrid midfielder.
Croatia were well on top and Kramaric completed their comeback in the 70th minute.
Sosa met Perisic’s cross with a stinging strike that was parried by Gordon, with Kramaric perfectly placed to head in the rebound.
In a dramatic finale, Che Adams thought he had salvaged a stoppage-time equalizer but VAR disallowed his effort for offside.


Egypt captain Salah released from international duty

Egypt captain Salah released from international duty
Updated 12 October 2024
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Egypt captain Salah released from international duty

Egypt captain Salah released from international duty
  • The 32-year-old has “been released early from international duty amid the ongoing October break,” Liverpool said
  • Egypt need a single point in the next match to qualify as they sit six points ahead of rivals

LIVERPOOL: Egypt captain Mohamed Salah will not play in next week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Mauritania, club side Liverpool confirmed on Saturday.
The 32-year-old has “been released early from international duty amid the ongoing October break,” Liverpool said.
On Friday, Salah scored for Egypt in a 2-0 victory over Mauritania and had been due to play a second fixture against the same opponents on Tuesday.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan had told journalists in Cairo on Friday that there were concerns over playing on Mauritania’s artificial turf and injury fears.

Record seven-time African champions Egypt faced stubborn resistance from Mauritania until Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan netted 69 minutes into the Group C clash.
Prolific Liverpool scorer Salah put the outcome beyond doubt with a second goal 10 minutes later to maintain the perfect record of the Pharaohs after three rounds.
Egypt need a single point in the next match to qualify as they sit six points ahead of rivals Cape Verde, Botswana and Mauritania.
Liverpool also confirmed that Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk had been also released early from international duty.
Van Dijk was dismissed for the Netherlands after picking up two yellow cards during a 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with Hungary.
“The pair will take no further part for their respective nations this month after the decision was made to relieve them both early from their international commitments.”


Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan

Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan
Updated 12 October 2024
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Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan

Sinner and Djokovic reach Shanghai Masters final. Sabalenka rallies over Gauff at Wuhan
  • Victory ensured Sinner will be the ATP year-end No. 1 and the first Italian to achieve that feat
  • Djokovic was clearly struggling for mobility and balance with his left knee heavily strapped, but US Open runner-up Fritz could not take advantage

SHANGHAI: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will chase his seventh ATP title of the year in the Shanghai Masters final after beating Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday.
Victory ensured Sinner will be the ATP year-end No. 1 and the first Italian to achieve that feat.
His 64th match win of the year set up a final against Novak Djokovic, who overcame physical discomfort to beat seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (6) and move closer to a 100th career title and a record-extending fifth at Shanghai.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also improved to 10-0 in his career matches against Fritz, who blew a 5-3 lead in the second-set tiebreaker and a set point at 6-5 up.
Djokovic was clearly struggling for mobility and balance with his left knee heavily strapped, but US Open runner-up Fritz could not take advantage.
He lost a long rally at 6-6 and succumbed on the first match point when Djokovic stabbed a volley at the net and the American flicked it just long at full stretch.
Djokovic leads 4-3 overall against Sinner, who has won the last two — including in the Australian Open semifinals.
Earlier, Sinner weathered a nearly two-hour baseline storm from No. 33-ranked Machac, who beat No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
The Italian has a shot at his third Masters title in 2024 following victories in Miami and Cincinnati, to go with his wins at the Australian Open and US Open.
“I just tried to stay there every point, to see what was going to happen,” Sinner said. “Just playing every point with the maximum intensity I could, so I’m very happy about that. I’m happy to be back in a final again.
“I’m just looking forward to (the final), to try to find a solution somehow ... and hopefully it’s going to win the match.”
Sinner fired 10 aces and 28 winners, against only seven unforced errors, in a characteristically efficient performance.
Wuhan Open
Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a slow start to beat an in-form Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to her third straight Wuhan final and preserve her perfect record at the tournament.
Sabalenka will face seventh-ranked Zheng Qinwen in the final. The Paris Olympics champion beat No. 51-ranked Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka will be bidding for her fourth title of the season, which includes the Australian Open and US Open.
The Belarussian’s 16th straight victory at Wuhan ended Gauff’s own recent win streak at nine, including the China Open title last week. But it looked anything but certain for Sabalenka as she crashed 6-1 in the opening set.
“In the first set she was just crushing it,” Sabalenka said. “Whatever she was doing, everything was flying in. Everything was so aggressive. I didn’t have much opportunities.”
In a fight between the last two US Open champions, Gauff led by a break early in the second but Sabalenka responded to pull level at 4-4 and saved a break point on serve to take a 5-4 lead.
Serving to stay in the set, Gauff was broken as Sabalenka hit a lunging forehand volley to force a deciding set.
The Belarussian carried her momentum into the third, extending her streak to seven games for a 3-0 lead. Gauff fought back to level at 4-4, but Sabalenka held strong to halt Gauff’s run.
Sabalenka broke once more after Gauff hit her season-worst 21st double fault on match point, ending the 2 1/2-hour match.
“I know what she’s going through. This is really difficult,” said Sabalenka, who had issues on her serve in the past. “But I know that if she’ll be able to overcome this serve situation, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be one of the greatest players.”


Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final

Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
Updated 12 October 2024
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Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final

Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
  • A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improves her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0
  • Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open

WUHAN, China: Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Wuhan Open final for the third time.
A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improved her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0 and awaits Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.
Gauff, who was on a nine-match winning streak on the back of her title run in Beijing last week, played a perfect first set but committed a whopping 21 double-faults during a semi-final lasting two hours, 26 minutes.
Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
“The atmosphere was incredible,” said Sabalenka, who was 2-4 down in the second set.
“It definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like it was a Grand Slam final.”
Sabalenka struggled on serve early on and couldn’t control her forehand as a clinical Gauff leapt to a double-break 5-0 lead inside 19 minutes.
The American dropped a mere two points behind her first serve and limited the Belarusian to just two winners throughout that opening frame.
If the first set was a rout, the second was a dogfight with six of the first eight games going against serve.
After 78 minutes of play, Sabalenka found herself in the lead for the first time in the match, inching ahead 5-4 to up the pressure on Gauff, whose serve abandoned her when she needed it most.
With Gauff’s double-fault count rising, Sabalenka took full advantage and broke serve to level the contest and force a decider.
A marathon third game that witnessed seven deuces and three break points saw Sabalenka win a seventh consecutive game and hold for a 3-0 lead in the final set.
Despite Gauff’s best retaliatory efforts to level for 4-4 Sabalenka held on to close out a gritty victory.


Strong field set for season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai

Strong field set for season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai
Updated 12 October 2024
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Strong field set for season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai

Strong field set for season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai
  • Major champions Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Adam Scott will tee off at at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Nov. 14-17

DUBAI: The 2024 Race to Dubai is set for a thrilling conclusion, with a host of global stars already confirmed for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Nov. 14-17.

Billy Horschel, who recently claimed his second BMW PGA Championship title, will tee off on the Earth Course alongside major champions Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, and Adam Scott, and fellow Rolex Series winner Robert MacIntyre, who won the Genesis Scottish Open in July.

They join reigning Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy and his fellow Ryder Cup star and 2017 European No. 1 Tommy Fleetwood, with both already confirmed for the final Rolex Series event of the season.

Horschel’s victory at Wentworth saw him move up to third on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, and the American will be making his second appearance in the season-ending event.

The 37-year-old won the PGA Tour’s FedExCup in 2014 after claiming the BMW Championship and Tour Championship titles in back-to-back weeks, and the eight-time PGA Tour winner is excited by the opportunity to win the DP World Tour’s season-ending title.

“I’m excited to return to Dubai next month to finish my season,” said Horschel. “I really enjoyed my experience at Jumeirah Golf Estates three years ago and I’m looking forward to getting back to the UAE.

“It has been great playing in some of the DP World Tour’s most historic events in the latter part of the season and I hope to finish the year on a high note with another memorable experience in Dubai.

“I’m incredibly proud to have won the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, so to have a chance to add the DP World Tour Championship title to my trophy cabinet would certainly be very special.”

Horschel finished joint runner-up at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon alongside Justin Rose, who has also confirmed his return to the DP World Tour Championship. Joining them in the field is Australian Adam Scott, who won the Masters Tournament in 2013, the same year that Rose won the US Open at Merion.

Fellow major champion Lowry will be competing in back-to-back weeks in the UAE, after also confirming his appearance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Irishman, who won the 148th Open at Royal Portrush in 2019, has recorded 13 top 20 worldwide finishes in 2024, including a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour alongside McIlroy.

Scotsman MacIntyre is enjoying a career-best season a year on from making his Ryder Cup debut at Marco Simone, having won both the RBC Canadian Open and his home Genesis Scottish Open in 2024.

The 28-year-old is currently sixth on the Race to Dubai Rankings and is hoping to eclipse his previous highest finish of ninth on the season-long standings, which he achieved in 2019.