Coco Gauff wins China Open final in straight sets; Sinner and Alcaraz advance in Shanghai

Coco Gauff wins China Open final in straight sets; Sinner and Alcaraz advance in Shanghai
TUSA's Coco Gauff celebrates with the trophy after winning the women's singles final match against Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on Sunday. (AFP)
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Updated 07 October 2024
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Coco Gauff wins China Open final in straight sets; Sinner and Alcaraz advance in Shanghai

Coco Gauff wins China Open final in straight sets; Sinner and Alcaraz advance in Shanghai
  • At 20, the sixth-ranked US player became the youngest China Open champion in 14 years
  • Gauff’s win in Beijing improved her chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals featuring the eight top players for the third consecutive year

BEIJING: Coco Gauff won her second title this season with a lopsided 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova in the final of the China Open on Sunday.

At 20, the sixth-ranked US player became the youngest China Open champion in 14 years. She is also the second American champion in Beijing, following Serena Williams’ title runs in 2004 and 2013.

“Honestly, it means a lot when I saw that the last American woman to win this was Serena Williams,” Gauff said. “Anytime my name is mentioned in whatever sentence hers is, it’s a huge honor.”

It was Gauff’s eighth career title. She improved her record in tour finals to 8-1 and has now a 7-0 record in hard-court finals, a feat never achieved before in the Open Era.

“That’s pretty cool,” Gauff said. “I hope somebody else breaks it. I think records are meant to be broken, honestly.”

Gauff, who defended her Auckland title earlier this season, wasted no time and took the opening set in just 31 minutes. She dropped just five points on her first serve, hit 24 winners and broke Muchova five times.

Gauff’s win in Beijing improved her chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals featuring the eight top players for the third consecutive year. With her title, she will overtake Jessica Pegula to take the No. 5 spot ahead of the final WTA 1000 tournament of the season, the Wuhan Open starting Monday.

 

Shanghai Masters

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner overcame a one set deficit to rally to a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Shanghai Masters.

A night after winning his 250th career match with a straight-sets victory, the 23-year-old Italian faced a much sterner third-round examination against the No. 37-ranked Argentine under the roof inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena that hosted play due to rain.

Sinner will next play either No. 16-ranked Ben Shelton, who beat the Italian here last year, or Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain.

Etcheverry produced the shot of the night with a stunning drop volley to bring up set point in the first set tiebreak, which he converted to take the lead.

Sinner began to better find his range in the second and after trading breaks midway through the set, the Italian found another opportunity to level the match.

The momentum was all with Sinner in the third as he broke Etcheverry twice more to advance in 2 hours, 39 minutes under a retractable roof on the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. Due to heavy rain, play was restricted to the main court with all matches on outside courts postponed to Monday.

“It was a very tough match, physically (and) mentally, so I am very happy to get through this one,” said Sinner, who is chasing a seventh title this year.

Fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev also came from behind for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Matteo Arnaldi to book his fourth-round berth against either 12th-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexandre Muller.

The 28-year-old Medvedev was forced to dig deep to level the match after the Italian took a tight first set.

In the deciding set, Medvedev’s experience and composure came to the fore as he clinched a vital break in the ninth game and held firm to close out the match in 2 hours, 44 minutes.

Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the China Open on Wednesday for his fourth title of the year, defeated Chinese player Wu Yibing 7-6 (5), 6-3.


Caitlin Clark steps off the court and onto the fairway to play in an LPGA pro-am

Caitlin Clark steps off the court and onto the fairway to play in an LPGA pro-am
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Caitlin Clark steps off the court and onto the fairway to play in an LPGA pro-am

Caitlin Clark steps off the court and onto the fairway to play in an LPGA pro-am
  • The WNBA rookie of the year star was invited to take part in Wednesday’s pro-am at Pelican Golf Club ahead of The Annika
  • This will be her second pro-am, which often attracts athletes and entertainers

BELLEAIR, Florida: Caitlin Clark has one goal when she plays in an LPGA pro-am.

“I’ve tried to practice as much as I can,” Clark said Tuesday. “I’m just the average golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some bad. ... Just going to try not to hit anyone standing outside of the ropes. But it’ll be fun.”

The WNBA rookie of the year star was invited to take part in Wednesday’s pro-am at Pelican Golf Club ahead of The Annika. The presenting sponsor is Gainbridge, which has an endorsement deal with Clark.

She took part in an LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit with Sorenstam, the tournament host, and former model and business leader Kathy Ireland.

Clark will be playing the front nine with Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the women’s ranking who has clinched the LPGA’s player of the year award. She plays the back nine with Sorenstam, who retired in 2008 and now dabbles in senior golf.

Clark had said after the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs that she planned to play golf until it became too cold in Indiana, adding with a smile, “Become a professional golfer.”

Yes, she was kidding.

“I’ve tried to take as much time as I can to practice, but there is only so much hope. You just cross your fingers, pray,” she said Tuesday. “No, I’ve practiced a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.

“It’s challenging and getting to come here and be around the best and have a good time is what I’m looking forward to.”

This will be her second pro-am, which often attracts athletes and entertainers. Clark played in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic in July 2023 when she was still at Iowa.


Analysis: Bernhard Langer and his 18 straight years of winning is among golf’s untouchable records

Analysis: Bernhard Langer and his 18 straight years of winning is among golf’s untouchable records
Updated 13 November 2024
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Analysis: Bernhard Langer and his 18 straight years of winning is among golf’s untouchable records

Analysis: Bernhard Langer and his 18 straight years of winning is among golf’s untouchable records
  • Langer finished his year with a feat as impressive as any, if not more
  • Langer’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship victory makes it 18 consecutive years with at least one win on the 50-and-older circuit, where time is the greatest adversary

Winning doesn’t get old. Neither, apparently, does Bernhard Langer.

In a year when Scottie Scheffler delivered a level of dominance not seen since Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele won two majors, when Nelly Korda tied an LPGA record by winning five straight times and Lydia Ko got into the LPGA Hall of Fame by winning Olympic gold, Langer finished his year with a feat as impressive as any, if not more.

Winless for the first time since the 67-year-old Langer became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions in 2007, he was down to the final tournament on a Phoenix Country Club course where he had never finished within five shots of the winner.

“One more putt,” caddie Terry Holt told him on the 18th green, and Langer holed a 30-foot birdie putt for a 66 — his third straight day shooting his age or lower — for a one-shot victory in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

That makes it 18 consecutive years with at least one win on the 50-and-older circuit, where time is the greatest adversary. No other league has a shorter shelf life for success. For every year that skills deteriorate, a new batch of younger players (relatively speaking) arrive.

Consider this: The year Langer joined the PGA Tour Champions in 2007, Padraig Harrington won the first of his three major championships. Langer finished 10 shots ahead of the Irishman on Sunday.

The record for consecutive years winning on the PGA Tour is 17, held by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. They were in their 40s when the streak ended, not pushing 70.

“The commitment, the dedication and desire to compete at a high level blows my mind,” said Mark O’Meara, a runner-up to Langer in the German’s first Champions win in 2007. “A lot of things happen in sport. I understand what Tiger did, what Nicklaus did, Palmer, all the greats that come before us. But what this man has done for 18 years is amazing. Forget the money. Just to have the desire and will.

“I don’t see it happening again. I truly don’t.”

O’Meara, who now lives in Las Vegas, wouldn’t get very good odds of this record being broken.

It belongs among the untouchable record in golf, just shy of Byron Nelson winning 11 tournaments in a row on the PGA Tour in 1945, probably greater than Woods making 142 consecutive cuts over seven years.

Langer set the record for oldest winner on the PGA Tour Champions in 2021 when he was 64. He has broken his record five times since then, most recently on Sunday. He defied more than age this year.

Remember, Langer began the year by tearing his left Achilles tendon while playing pickleball and missed three months. That he missed only three months was remarkable in itself. And then there’s the motivation of coming back from such an injury at this stage in life.

He already had broken the one PGA Tour Champions record thought to be out of reach, 45 career wins by the fiercely competitive Hale Irwin. Langer won his record-breaking 46th last year at no less than the US Senior Open against Steve Stricker (who is 10 years younger).

Langer knew what was at stake in Phoenix. He knew it was his last chance. Langer wasn’t about to let it go that easily. He forged a 54-hole tie, birdied five of his six opening holes on Sunday to build a big lead and then watched it disappear until he came to the last hole tied with Steven Alker.

Langer was in the trees, punched out and hit wedge to 30 feet. The putt was stuff of legend, perfect pace and a perfect line that slid gently to the right at the last minute into the cup. Langer dropped his putter and slung his visor to the ground, emotion rarely seen in either of his two Masters wins.

“It did just perfectly what it needed to do and disappeared,” he said. “Then all hell broke loose kind of emotionally. So it was pretty wild, yeah.”

How does he do it? It’s a question Langer has been asked for the better part of the last decade, because most great players graduating to the PGA Tour Champions make their hay in the first eight years at the most, not 18.

It’s actually the second time Langer has strung together 18 consecutive years of winning. His first was in 1980 on the European tour in the British Masters when he was a 22-year-old with wavy blond hair from a country with next to no history in golf. He won the German Masters for the third time at age 50 in 1997, and then the streak ended in 1998.

It’s even more impressive to do it at his age. Langer spent 30 years working, grinding, winning. He turned 50 and worked just as hard with a body that doesn’t cooperate like it once did.

“You can still work, but are you living it like you used to?” Curtis Strange said. “Physically, we can play pretty well. We can all beat balls. But can you be into it 25 times a year? I marvel at Bernhard. It’s incredible stuff.”

Even more amazing? There’s always next year.

“People say why am I still playing? Well, this is why,” Langer said after collecting his 47th trophy on the PGA Tour Champions, to go along with two Masters green jackets, another PGA Tour win, 40 wins on the European tour, victories on every continent where golf is played.

“I enjoy the adrenaline. I enjoy being in the hunt. And I still feel like I can win and be there on the leaderboard,” he said. “I’ve just proven that again, becoming the oldest winner again and again out here. It’s been great to compete against these guys.

“It never gets old.”


Canadian women’s coach, two aides out after drone scandal

Canadian women’s coach, two aides out after drone scandal
Updated 13 November 2024
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Canadian women’s coach, two aides out after drone scandal

Canadian women’s coach, two aides out after drone scandal

OTTAWA: Canadian women’s national team football coach Bev Priestman and two assistants suspended by FIFA over a drone scandal at the Paris Olympics will not be returning, Canada Soccer announced Tuesday.
A report released Tuesday by Canada Soccer detailed findings of an investigation into the using of drones to illegally film New Zealand practices at the Paris Olympics.
The report found Priestman and assistant coach Jasmine Mander “directed, approved and condoned the actions taken by” assistant coach Joey Lombardi to fly a drone over closed New Zealand practices ahead of Canada’s first match, a 2-1 victory over New Zealand.
The three Canadian coaches were sent home and banned for a year by FIFA, and a Canada Soccer statement Tuesday said the trio had effectively been fired.
“The three individuals currently suspended by FIFA will not be returning,” Canada Soccer said. “The search for a new head coach for the women’s national team will commence shortly.”
Drone footage was not viewed by players on the Canadian women’s squad, according to the report on the independent external investigation conducted by Sonia Regenbogen, a Toronto attorney.
The probe also found no evidence any surveillance was undertaken at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where the Canadian women captured a gold medal.
Potential violations of Canada Soccer’s ethics and conduct code by former Canadian men’s head coach John Herdman were identified and are being examined to see if a greater investigation is warranted.
The report found no substantiation of alleged drone use by the men’s team to film a rival’s practice at Copa America.
Canada Soccer chief executive officer Kevin Blue and president Peter Augruso were unaware of drone surveillance and did not condone such actions, according to the report.
The report said some staff and assistant coaches were uncomfortable with spying on opponents but did not feel they could challenge a head coach.
Canada Soccer’s board of directors is contractually mandating reporting unethical behavior and ethics training for coaches and staff members and creating an independent audit and compliance committee as a result of the report.
“The findings of the independent investigator reveal that the drone incident in Paris was a symptom of a past pattern of an unacceptable culture and insufficient oversight within the national teams,” Blue said.
“This is no longer part of our operations. In fact, the investigation findings strengthen our resolve to continue implementing changes that are needed to improve Canada Soccer, in all respects, and to do so with urgency.
“We are working to change Canada Soccer into a federation that Canadians trust and are proud of, and one that is not defined by unfortunate actions of the past.”
In a joint statement, Blue and Augruso said they are taking disciplinary steps that will be private but reinforce expected conduct with consideration for “specific facts and power dynamics of each situation” — calling it a time of reflection and a turning point.


Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League
Updated 13 November 2024
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Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

PARIS: A five-goal blitz in the space of 12 minutes sent Barcelona on their way to a 7-0 romp over St. Poelten in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, while Manchester City stayed top of Group D with a win.
Arsenal beat Juventus 4-0 in Italy but remain second in Group C after Bayern Munich extended their 100 percent record with a 3-0 victory over Valerenga.
For Barcelona, Ewa Pajor, Francisca Nazareth, Aitana Bonmati, Keira Walsh and Claudia Pina all scored between the 32nd and 45th minutes, before Pina and Caroline Graham Hansen added goals in the second half.
Despite scoring 16 goals and conceding none in their last two European outings, holders Barca sit second in Group D after they lost their opening fixture at Manchester City.
“Objective met — yes, absolutely,” Barca coach Pere Romeu said after his side’s second emphatic victory in three games.
“Even when we couldn’t score in the first half an hour, we were getting in behind them. And I knew once we got the first goal, more would follow.”
Austria’s St. Poelten stay bottom of the group with three losses from three.
The floodgates opened at the Johan Cruyff Stadium shortly after the half-hour when Pajor slid onto full-back Ona Batlle’s cross at the near post and directed the ball into the far corner.
Stand-in captain Marta Torrejon nearly doubled the score soon after she rose highest from a set-piece, but her looping header clipped the top of the crossbar.
Fresh from picking up her second Ballon d’Or last month, Aitana Bonmati nearly caught Carina Schlueter out with a chip but the goalkeeper just managed to claw out the ball.
Barca were all over the Austrians. When Bonmati got in behind the defense on the right, her cross was parried to Nazareth who made no mistake on 38 minutes.
Bonmati opened her account in the Champions League this season two minutes later, before Walsh fizzed home a side-footed strike from outside the box in the 42nd minute.
On the stroke of half-time, Pina flitted in at the back post to guide home an outside-of-the-foot volley as Barca ran riot.
The Spanish forward then completed her brace from 12 yards seven minutes after the interval following a foul on the rampaging Batlle.
Substitute Graham added a seventh in the 87th minute.
Man City stayed three points ahead of Barca after second-half goals by Laura Brown and Aoba Fujino overcame Sweden’s Hammarby 2-0.
Goals by Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Mariona Caldentey and Caitlin Foord handed Arsenal a 4-0 win in Piedmont against Juventus.
The Gunners are second in Group C on six points while Juve sit third with one win and two losses.
A superb team passing move unlocked the Italians’ defense with Maanum deftly applying the finish on 38 minutes.
Blackstenius, Caldentey and Foord stuck inside the final quarter of an hour to make the game safe for Renee Slegers’ side.
“We are happy with the win, but in a few days we will face Juventus again and we will have to start from scratch. We have to think about that game and not look at the table, because it is still early and there are many difficult challenges ahead of us,” Arsenal interim manager Slegers said.
Group C leaders Bayern Munich increased their tally to nine points with a 3-0 win at home to Norway’s Valerenga.
Pernille Harder put the German champions into the lead on 10 minutes, before Giulia Gwinn added a second from the spot seven minutes later.
Sarah Zadrazil powered home a third two minutes into stoppage time.
On Wednesday, eight-time Champions League winners Lyon visit Roma and Galatasaray host two-time victors Wolfsburg in Group A.
In Group B, Real Madrid play Dutch side Twente and Chelsea travel to Scotland to take on Celtic.


Sinner beats Fritz again in rematch of US Open final. Medvedev back in contention at ATP Finals

Sinner beats Fritz again in rematch of US Open final. Medvedev back in contention at ATP Finals
Updated 13 November 2024
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Sinner beats Fritz again in rematch of US Open final. Medvedev back in contention at ATP Finals

Sinner beats Fritz again in rematch of US Open final. Medvedev back in contention at ATP Finals
  • Sinner, who beat Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the season-ending event for the top eight players, improved to 23-1 in his last five tournaments

TURIN, Italy: Top-ranked Jannik Sinner made it two wins in two matches before his home fans at the ATP Finals, beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday in a rematch of the US Open final that the Italian also won in straight sets.
As the crowd chanted “Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner,” the home favorite gave them just what they came for by turning up his intensity when it mattered most.
Sinner survived a marathon service game midway through the first set then broke his American opponent with a huge forehand up the line on his first set point.
When Sinner produced a backhand passing shot up the line while on the run midway through the second set, he held his finger up to his ear to encourage the crowd to cheer louder.
Sinner, who beat Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the season-ending event for the top eight players, improved to 23-1 in his last five tournaments.
Earlier, Daniil Medvedev moved back into contention with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over De Minaur following a temper tantrum in his previous match.
Medvedev didn’t face a single break point and was generally much sharper than in his straight-set loss to Fritz on Sunday — during which he smashed his racket and lost his cool twice.
Sinner leads the group while Fritz and Medvedev are next with one win each.
De Minaur, who is making his debut at finals, lost both of his opening matches.
The top two finishers from each round-robin group advance to the semifinals.
On Thursday, Medvedev faces Sinner and De Minaur plays Fritz in the final matches of the group.
In the other group on Monday, Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud beat Andrey Rublev and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year.
A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September. A final ruling in the case is expected early next year.
Medvedev had to ‘block the noise’ after temper tantrum
When his match was over, Medvedev closed his eyes and held his fingers to his ears. Then he wrote on a camera lens, “Block the noise.”
“I went into this match also blocking the noise even from myself,” Medvedev said. “No like tantrums and stuff. Just block the noise. And I really didn’t care what was happening on the court. I just tried to play and it was a good feeling.”
Medvedev won the finals in 2020 — the last edition held in London.
“The more popular you become, the more fans you get, the more haters you get, the more attention you get. And sometimes even the good noise can make you off balance,” Medvedev said.
“You know, you win everything and everyone thinks you’re a god. ... Then you lose two matches and everyone is like, ‘Finished, your career is finished.’ So sometimes it’s good just (to) block it,” Medvedev added.