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Final eight singles lineup confirmed for WTA Finals in Riyadh

Final eight singles lineup confirmed for WTA Finals in Riyadh
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Updated 24 October 2024
Arab News

Final eight singles lineup confirmed for WTA Finals in Riyadh

Final eight singles lineup confirmed for WTA Finals in Riyadh
  • Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova secure last two singles spots
  • The WTA Finals will take place at King Saud University from Nov. 2-9, featuring the world’s top eight singles players and doubles pairings
Updated 24 October 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: The singles lineup for the Women’s Tennis Association Finals, set to take place at King Saud University from Nov. 2-9, has been announced.

Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova secured the last two singles spots to join an elite group of stars.

This year’s WTA Finals will see the world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams compete in a round-robin format. The singles champion will lift the Billie Jean King Trophy, while the doubles champions will earn the Martina Navratilova Trophy.

Here is a first look at the eight qualifying singles players for this year’s WTA Finals Riyadh:

Aryna Sabalenka

2024 record (Win-Loss): 54-12

2024 titles: 4 (Australian Open, Cincinnati, US Open, Wuhan)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 3

Best WTA Finals result: 2022 runner-up

Sabalenka has been a dominant force this season, starting with a victory at the Australian Open. She comes to Riyadh in strong form having taken three titles from her last four tournaments, including a Grand Slam — the US Open — and two WTA 1000s. Leading the PIF singles race, she is poised to finish as the year-end World No.1, a position she narrowly missed out on last year.

Iga Swiatek (Poland)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 54-7

2024 titles: 5 (Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 3

Best WTA Finals result: 2023 winner

Swiatek began the year in explosive form, clinching five titles that included her fourth French Open. Despite a dip in performance and a coaching change she remains a formidable contender, having previously reclaimed the No.1 ranking.

Coco Gauff (USA)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 48-15

2024 titles: 2 (Auckland, Beijing)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 2

Best WTA Finals result: 2023 semifinals

Making her third appearance at the year-end championships, Gauff is the youngest competitor in this year’s finals. She reached the semifinals at Roland Garros and finished strong, winning 12 of her last 14 matches, including a perfect run at the China Open.

Jasmine Paolini (Italy)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 37-17

2024 titles: 1 (Dubai)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 0 (Debut appearance)

Paolini made remarkable progress this season, climbing from a year-end ranking of No.30 to No.6. Her breakthrough came with a WTA 1000 title in Dubai, and she achieved the rare feat of reaching finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 41-9

2024 titles: 3 (Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 1

Best WTA Finals result: Went 1-2 in group play

Rybakina’s season was marked by highs and lows due to illness and injury. Despite early successes with victories in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart, her post-Wimbledon performance was limited. However, she remains a key player with notable achievements earlier in the year.

Jessica Pegula (USA)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 38-13

2024 titles: 2 (Berlin, Toronto)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 2

Best WTA Finals result: 2023 final

Pegula’s late-summer surge included a win at the National Bank Open and finals appearances in Cincinnati and the US Open. Her impressive run secured her third consecutive WTA Finals berth.

Zheng Qinwen (China)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 37-16

2024 titles: 2 (Palermo, Olympics)

Previous WTA Finals appearances: 0 (Debut appearance)

Zheng’s Olympic gold in Paris was a career-defining moment. Her recent performances, including a strong showing at the US Open, have solidified her status as a rising star, matching her career-high ranking of No.7 as she makes her debut appearance at the WTA Finals.

Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic)

2024 record (Win-Loss): 15-12

2024 titles: 1 (Wimbledon)

WTA Finals appearances: 1

Best WTA Finals result: Went 0-3 in group play

Despite challenges with injury and illness in 2024, Krejcikova triumphed at Wimbledon, defeating four Top 15 players to claim the second major title of her career. Qualifying under a new rule for major winners finishing in the Top 20, she returns to the WTA Finals with renewed vigor.

Topics: tennis WTA Riyadh

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Inter Milan coach maintains optimism despite Italian Supercup loss

Inter Milan coach maintains optimism despite Italian Supercup loss
Updated 07 January 2025
Sulafa Alkhunaizi

Inter Milan coach maintains optimism despite Italian Supercup loss

Inter Milan coach maintains optimism despite Italian Supercup loss
  • Simone Inzaghi working to regain ‘focus’ as team look to the future
Updated 07 January 2025
Sulafa Alkhunaizi

RIYADH: Inter Milan will focus on boosting morale for future games following defeat in the Italian Supercup, Simone Inzaghi, the club’s manager told Arab News on Monday.

AC Milan secured a 3-2 comeback victory over city rivals Inter Milan at Riyadh’s Alawwal Park on Monday.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Inzaghi said: “We should work on motivating the players and the fans. Cheering them up and boosting their morale.

“Defeat is a hard feeling I know but we should work on regaining conscience and focus. We wanted to win the title, but it is what it is.”

Prior to the derby, Arab News interviewed devoted AC Milan fans.

Waleed Alahmed said: “Milan is going to win because of their new manager, (Sergio) Conceicao. I think his way of playing is very good and if (winger Rafael) Leao is there, Milan is going to win.”

After just one week at the helm, Conceicao has now earned his first trophy.

The hosting of the 37th Italian Supercup aligns with Ƶ’s Quality of Life program and the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. It is a part of the country’s plan to continue hosting major global sporting events.

The Ministry of Sports organized the event, which was hosted by the Kingdom for the fifth time.

Topics: Italian Supercup

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UK politicians urge England to boycott cricket match against Afghanistan in Pakistan

UK politicians urge England to boycott cricket match against Afghanistan in Pakistan
Updated 07 January 2025
AP

UK politicians urge England to boycott cricket match against Afghanistan in Pakistan

UK politicians urge England to boycott cricket match against Afghanistan in Pakistan
  • Over 160 politicians sign letter urging England stand against Taliban regime’s restrictions on women’s rights
  • England are scheduled to play against Afghanistan in Pakistan’s Lahore on Feb. 26 in a Champions Trophy clash
Updated 07 January 2025
AP

LONDON: England should refuse to play the Champions Trophy cricket match against Afghanistan next month according to a letter signed by more than 160 UK politicians. The politicians want the England and Wales Cricket Board to take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights and boycott the men’s one-day international against Afghanistan in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 26.
Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, a move that puts the Afghanistan Cricket Board in contravention of International Cricket Council rules.
Because Afghanistan’s men are still allowed to compete by the ICC, a strongly worded letter has emerged from the UK parliament pleading for the ECB to make its own moral objection.
Penned by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi and signed by a cross-party group from the House of Commons and House of Lords including Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, it raises the “insidious dystopia” unfolding in Afghanistan.
The statement, addressed to ECB chief executive Richard Gould, concludes: “We strongly urge the England men’s team players and officials to speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
“We also urge the ECB to consider a boycott of the upcoming match against Afghanistan... to send a clear signal that such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated.
“We must stand against sex apartheid and we implore the ECB to deliver a firm message of solidarity and hope to Afghan women and girls that their suffering has not been overlooked.”
Gould issued a swift response, reaffirming ECB principles while suggesting it favored a uniform approach from all member nations rather than acting alone.
“The ECB strongly condemns the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime,” he said.
“The ICC constitution mandates that all member nations are committed to the growth and development of women’s cricket. In line with this commitment, the ECB has maintained its position of not scheduling any bilateral cricket matches against Afghanistan.
“A coordinated, ICC-wide approach would be significantly more impactful than unilateral actions by individual members.
“We understand the concerns raised by those who believe that a boycott of men’s cricket could inadvertently support the Taliban’s efforts to suppress freedoms and isolate Afghan society.
It’s crucial to recognize the importance of cricket as a source of hope and positivity for many Afghans, including those displaced from the country.”
At the 2003 Cricket World Cup, England forfeited a game against Zimbabwe in protest at Robert Mugabe’s regime.

Topics: Afghanistan cricket team England cricket Champions Trophy 2025 ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Forest tame Wolves to maintain unlikely Premier League title challenge

Forest tame Wolves to maintain unlikely Premier League title challenge
Updated 07 January 2025
AFP

Forest tame Wolves to maintain unlikely Premier League title challenge

Forest tame Wolves to maintain unlikely Premier League title challenge
  • Forest remain third in the table but move level on points with Arsenal
Updated 07 January 2025
AFP

WOLVERHAMPTON, United Kingdom: Nottingham Forest’s stunning season continued with a 3-0 victory at Wolves on Monday to give manager Nuno Espirito Santo a winning return to Molineux.
England international Morgan Gibbs-White and the in-form Chris Wood struck before half-time to take Forest to within six points of leaders Liverpool, who they host in their next Premier League game.
Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi rounded off the scoring and a sixth consecutive win for Forest in stoppage time.
Defeat leaves Wolves outside the relegation zone only thanks to goal difference as they suffered a first defeat under new boss Vitor Pereira.
Forest remain third in the table but move level on points with Arsenal.
Even if a shock title challenge proves beyond Espirito Santo’s men, they are building up an impressive cushion in the race for Champions League football next season.
They are five points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle and six in front of struggling champions Manchester City in sixth.
A top-four finish would guarantee a return to the continent’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years for the two-time European champions.
However, fifth could also be good enough depending on how English club fare in European competition this season.
“We need to stay humble. We haven’t achieved anything yet, we need to work until the end and this can lead us to good moments,” said Espirito Santo.
Gibbs-White savoured his return to the club where he spent the early part of his career.
In front of the watching new England manager Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder did his case for further international recognition no harm with a cool finish from Antony Elanga’s pass.
Forest’s unexpected rise from battling relegation until the final day of last season into Champions League contenders has been build on a solid defense and Wood’s purple patch.
The New Zealand international turned in Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low cross for his 12th goal of the season to double the visitors’ lead just before half-time.
Wolves pressed and probed for a way back into the game after the break but were toothless in the absence of talisman Matheus Cunha through suspension.
Mats Sels was forced into one brilliant save to deny Jorgen Strand Larsen to preserve a ninth clean sheet of the season and fourth in a row.
That solidity is familiar to Wolves fans from Espirito Santo’s time in charge of their club between 2017 and 2021.
The Portuguese coach led Wanderers from the Championship into Europe for the first time in 39 years.
Now after troubled spells at Tottenham and Saudi club Al-Ittihad, he is recreating that magic to leave Forest fans in dreamland.
“As coaching staff we have this natural ambition of improving the players, this is what we are obsessed with,” he added.
“If we improve the players then the team will improve and if the team improves then the club will improve and the city will be happy.”

Topics: english Premier League Nottingham Forest Wolverhampton Wanderers

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WWE Royal Rumble coming to Ƶ in 2026

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Updated 07 January 2025
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WWE Royal Rumble coming to Ƶ in 2026

WWE Royal Rumble coming to Ƶ in 2026
  • The event in Riyadh next January will be the first time it has taken place outside North America
  • It is being organized in partnership with Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority as part of Riyadh Season
Updated 07 January 2025
Arab News

RIYADH: Royal Rumble is coming Ƶ early next year, when the WWE’s flagship annual show will make its first appearance outside North America.

The 39th Royal Rumble will be hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in January 2026, organizers announced on Monday. It will be staged in partnership with the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, as part of the annual cultural and sports program known as Riyadh Season.

Turki Alalshikh, the authority’s chairperson, said: “Ƶ’s hosting of the Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America reflects the General Entertainment Authority’s ongoing commitment to bringing the world’s largest and most important entertainment events to the Kingdom.

“Through this partnership with WWE, we aim to enhance the entertainment sector and deliver a transformative experience that attracts a wide audience.”

The announcement came during the debut episode of Monday Night RAW on Netflix, broadcast from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Royal Rumble is an annual WWE Premium Live Event that includes both men’s and women’s bouts, with fighters battling to eliminate all their opponents and secure a shot at the championship at WrestleMania.

Nick Khan, WWE’s president, said: “WWE is a global enterprise and it only made sense to expand our relationship with the Kingdom by bringing one of our biggest annual events to Riyadh in January of 2026.”

Topics: WWE WWE Royal Rumble

Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final

Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final
Updated 07 January 2025
AP

Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final

Leao, Pulisic and Abraham inspire AC Milan comeback in 3-2 win over Inter in Italian Super Cup final
  • It was the fifth time in the last seven years that the competition was played in Ƶ
Updated 07 January 2025
AP

RIYADH: It took exactly one week on the job for Sergio Conceicao to earn his first trophy as AC Milan’s coach — with two comeback wins no less.
Milan came back from two goals down to beat city rivals Inter Milan 3-2 and win the Italian Super Cup on Monday.
Rafael Leao came off the bench and played a part in all three of Milan’s goals from Theo Hernandez, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham.
Conceicao was hired to replace the fired Paulo Fonseca last Monday and also led the Rossoneri to a comeback win over Juventus in the semifinals.
This time, Lautaro Martinez and Mehdi Taremi put Inter ahead with goals on either side of halftime.
Leao then earned a foul that resulted in a free kick which Hernandez curled in around Inter’s wall.
Then Pulisic finished off a counterattack by shooting through Augusto’s legs on a play that began with Leao.
For the third goal, Leao provided a through ball for Pulisic, who crossed to Abraham, who tapped into an empty net in stoppage time.
It was the fifth time in the last seven years that the competition was played in Ƶ, and the second year of an expanded four-team format.
A throw-in led to Inter’s opener as Taremi fed the ball inside the area to Lautaro, who cut back before shooting through Hernandez’s legs on Inter’s only real chance of the half.
Taremi, who was playing in place of the injured Marcus Thuram, finished off a counterattack right after the break.
Milan play their first Serie A match under Conceicao against Cagliari on Saturday. The Rossoneri are in eighth place but will return to league action with much more confidence.

Topics: football soccer Ƶ Italian Super Cup AC Milan Inter Milan

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