Sports
Aryna Sabalenka beats Coco Gauff and faces Zheng Qinwen
Aryna Sabalenka remains on track to defend her Australian Open crown after reaching the Melbourne final by avenging her loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s US Open showpiece.
Belarusian second seed Sabalenka won 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 against American fourth seed Gauff in a tense semi-final. Both were edgy in an error-strewn first set with six breaks before Sabalenka pounced decisively late in the second.
Sabalenka will face Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in Saturday’s final.
Zheng, 21, reached her first Grand Slam showpiece by ending Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska’s incredible run with a 6-4 6-4 win in Thursday’s second semi-final. Zheng is aiming to become the second Chinese woman to win the Australian Open singles title – on the 10th anniversary of Li Na’s famous victory. “It feels unbelievable,” Zheng said. “I’m super excited to have such a great performance and arrive in the final
Anticipation for the contest between Sabalenka and Gauff at the opening Grand Slam of the season was high.
Both players had been impressive as they worked their way through the draw, setting up a rematch of their thrilling US Open final which 19-year-old Gauff edged in September to claim her first major title. It took place under the roof on Rod Laver Arena – as did the second semi-final – because of persistent rain in Melbourne.
Sabalenka had been particularly dominant and, after showing resilience to recover from sticky spells against Gauff, still has not dropped a set over the past fortnight.
The 25-year-old Belarusian unleashed her explosive game on Gauff from the start, cracking 33 winners and attacking her opponent’s second serve in a high-octane demonstration of her power.
While Sabalenka’s style still often leads to errors, she seems more at ease at Melbourne Park this fortnight having the experience of lifting her first major title here.
Now, after keeping her composure to serve out victory, she is the first woman to reach back-to-back finals since Serena Williams in 2017.
“I think I was able to focus on myself and I was prepared for her moving really good and putting every ball back,” said Sabalenka, who has reached at least the semi-finals of the past six majors. “I had to be ready to make an extra shot and I was ready for tonight.”
Gauff fulfilled what had long seemed her destiny by winning in New York, when she fought back from a set down to beat Sabalenka. This time she was unable to repeat the feat as Sabalenka ended her unbeaten start to the 2024 season.
Gauff came to Melbourne on the back of winning a WTA title in Auckland and did not drop a set in her opening four matches.
But, after scraping past Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in what she called a “bad” quarter-final, she looked extremely nervy in the early stages of the semi-final. Gauff’s tension was illustrated by six double faults in the first set, although she also showed her ability to mentally reset as she twice recovered from being a break down.
After soaking up so much pressure, Gauff broke for 6-5 but blew the chance to serve out the set from 30-0 and was punished as Sabalenka dominated the tie-break. Gauff had to fight off more break points in the first and sixth games of the second set, with the pressure telling when loose errors from the baseline allowed Sabalenka to break for 5-4.
This time, Sabalenka did not allow the opportunity to slip from her grasp and earned the “revenge” she wanted to exact on Gauff for her Flushing Meadows defeat. “It was a tough match for me,” said Gauff, who looked close to tears while she left Rod Laver Arena. “Overall it was a positive tournament. I had chances in both sets, but she played better. I think it just came down to a couple of points and that’s tennis.”
Unlike Sabalenka and Gauff, neither Zheng nor Yastremska had ever played a Grand Slam semi-final match – and both were looking to emulate notable major triumphs of the recent past. Zheng – an aggressive baseliner with a hefty serve – was aiming to follow in the footsteps of Chinese trailblazer Li.
Yastremska, meanwhile, was the first qualifier to reach the last four of a major since Britain’s Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open.
It was Zheng who continued her journey to the delight of a vocal Chinese backing in a city where there is a large population with links to the Asian country.
After dropping her opening service game, Zheng instantly broke Yastremska and took the 23-year-old Ukrainian’s serve once more to seal the opener.
Yastremska, who said it was her “mission” to ensure people remember about her nation’s fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion, needed treatment for what appeared to be an abdominal injury.
But, as promised before the match, the world number 93 continued to show the same fight she had displayed to come through qualifying to make the last four.
Losing serve for 2-1, Yastremska stopped Zheng consolidating the break by taking her fourth break-point opportunity in the next game.
However, a double fault set the tone for a poor seventh game where Zheng pounced again and the Chinese player used her dominant serve to see out victory.
(BBC)
Six-a-side school cricket is set to make a high-profile return to Moratuwa when the Old Boys’ Association of Prince of Wales’ College stages the Prince of Wales’ College 150th Anniversary Inter-School Sixes Cricket Tournament on August 29 and 30 at the De Soysa Stadium.
The two-day tournament is one of the major sporting attractions of the College’s historic 150th anniversary celebrations and
will bring together 16 leading school cricket teams for a knockout competition.
The tournament is aimed at reviving the excitement of six-a-side cricket, a format renowned for its fast pace and spectator-friendly nature, which has not featured regularly in major inter-school competitions in recent years.
The Old Boys’ Association believes the 150th anniversary provides the ideal opportunity to bring the format back to the forefront while celebrating Moratuwa’s deep-rooted passion for cricket.
Cricket has long held a special place in the hearts of Moratuwa’s residents, while Prince of Wales’ College boasts a proud cricketing tradition that has produced several outstanding players who have gone on to represent Sri Lanka at the highest level.
The organizers expect more than 5,000 cricket enthusiasts from Moratuwa and surrounding areas to witness the tournament over the two days, turning the event into a major festival of school cricket.
The opening ceremony on August 29 is scheduled to be attended by Kusal Mendis, one of the leading cricketers produced by Prince of Wales’ College and a member of the Sri Lankan national team.
The tournament will feature 16 schools, including Royal College Colombo, St. Joseph’s College Darley Road, Thurstan College Colombo, S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, Prince of Wales’ College Moratuwa, Moratu Maha Vidyalaya, D.S. Senanayake College Colombo, Sri Sumangala College Panadura, Richmond College Galle, Mahanama College Colombo, St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College Colombo and Mahanama College Panadura.
With the competition being played on a knockout basis, the compact format is expected to produce plenty of attacking cricket and give emerging players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a large crowd.
Apart from the competitive aspect, the tournament is also intended to promote sportsmanship, friendship and fellowship among the participating schools.
The tournament will conclude on August 30 with a ceremonial awards presentation, with the participation of Eran Wickramaratne, distinguished invitees, representatives of participating schools, past pupils and members of the cricketing community.
The Old Boys’ Association has also expressed its appreciation to the corporate sector and event sponsors whose support has helped make the tournament possible.
Their contribution, according to the organizers, reflects the continuing partnership between Prince of Wales’ College, its alumni and the corporate community in supporting educational, sporting and development initiatives.
The six-a-side tournament is therefore expected to provide not only two days of entertaining school cricket, but also a fitting sporting celebration of 150 years of Prince of Wales’ College.
India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) and 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
American golfer Matt Gogel has been suspended for six months for betting on golf tournaments, the PGA Tour has said.
The 55-year-old competes on the PGA Tour Champions circuit which is reserved for professional golfers aged 50 and older.
Gogel did not bet on events in which he was participating but admitted to unknowingly violating PGA Tour policy by placing “small recreational wagers” in 2024 and 2025.
“I would never knowingly violate the integrity of the game of golf,” Gogel said in a statement.
“I made an honest mistake and I look forward to playing in 2027 on the PGA Tour Champions.”
He had two top-10 finishes across 18 PGA Tour Champions events in 2026 and was most recently in action during the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta where he finished tied 30th last week.
Gogel, who has earned more than $760,000 (£559,000) in prize money from Champions events, won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2002 – his only victory in 179 starts on the PGA Tour.
His suspension came into effect on 23 August and lasts until 22 February.
[BBC Sports]
More than 360 dead, 1,400 missing in Nepal and Tibet after Himalayan floods
Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic dies
Prince of Wales to celebrate 150th anniversary with six-a-side cricket
Unyielding Dinusha, spirited tail hold off India to save Colombo Test
US golfer Gogel gets six-month ban for betting
UAE’s Asif Khan handed 15-month ban for using a banned substance
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News7 days agoCountry’s first woman Surveyor General appointed
-
Business6 days agoSriLankan Airlines makes ShakthiSAT Mission possible for talented Sri Lankan student
-
Features7 days agoMedical education in Sri Lanka: Then and now
-
Latest News6 days agoImran Khan moved to private hospital amid deteriorating health
-
Latest News7 days agoGovernment has declared 21, 22 and 23 August 2026 as national days of mourning
-
Features5 days agoMy secondary schooling after Royal Primary
-
Latest News6 days agoTharanga edges out Chopra in 88m javelin battle
-
News7 days ago22A: Opp. demands all available SC judges hear petitions