MONTREAL: Roger Federer continued his longest winning streak in five years by reaching the Rogers Cup final.
The second-seeded Federer used a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over unseeded Robin Haase of the Netherlands on Saturday to reach his sixth final of the year and win his 16th consecutive match.
He had considering skipping the event, which would have been disastrous for the promoters with world No. 1 Andy Murray as well as Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka already out with injuries. But Federer decided to play and now has a chance to add to a tally that includes Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year.
“I’m very happy that I’ve made it here,” he said. “It was a good decision for me. If I would have known I would have gone to the finals, I would have said ‘yes’ right away. Sometimes you’ve just got to wait and see how you feel. I’m most happy that I’m actually really healthy going into the finals. I haven’t wasted too much energy. I’ve been able to keep points short. I’ve been really clean at net. I think my concentration and just my playing has gone up a notch. I’m just playing better.”
Federer is looking for a third Rogers Cup title, but his first in Montreal, having won in 2004 and 2006 in Toronto. A victory would give Federer, currently ranked third in the world, one of the top two seeds at the US Open beginning Aug. 28 in New York.
The 36-year-old Federer has his longest winning streak since 2012. Next up is 20-year-old Alexander Zverev, who stopped Denis Shapovalov’s impressive run with a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the second semifinal.
Federer has won their three meetings, including a victory over the German on grass in June.
Shapovalov’s tournament included consecutive wins over 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and top-seeded Spanish star Rafael Nadal. The victories, and the shaggy-haired youngster’s style and skill on the court, announced his presence not only to Canadian fans but to the tennis world.
“My whole life has changed in the past five days,” he said. “It’s crazy how it is.
“I mean, I go from being not known to being so known in the tennis world, in Canada in general. It’s going to be a little bit of a change to me. I’m going to have to adapt. But that doesn’t change things. I still have to work really hard every day.”
Flag-waving fans in the packed grandstands at Uniprix Stadium were hoping for more magic, but Zverev was too strong, winning 81 percent of the points off his serve compared to 64 percent for Shapovalov.
Haase, who upset seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the third round, was in his first career semifinal of a Masters Series tournament.
“I hope it gives me a lot of confidence,” Haase said of his performance for the week. “Next week (in Cincinnati), different conditions, different courts, so it’s tournament by tournament. But, in general, to make an achievement like this is good because it shows you can do it.”
Federer reaches Rogers Cup final
Federer reaches Rogers Cup final
Hyo-Joo Kim relishing chance to play Aramco Team Series event in home country
- ‘Unique format of the event excites me,’ golfer says
- $1m pro-am competition is first for Ladies European Tour in South Korea
LONDON: South Korean golfer Hyo-Joo Kim says she is “excited” about playing in an Aramco Team Series event in her home country later this week.
The series is heading to Seoul for the second leg of a five-location global tour, as the Ladies European Tour makes its debut in South Korea, at the New Korea Country Club.
The event runs from Friday to Sunday and will see 36 teams — each comprising three professionals and one amateur — competing for the team title, before the professionals battle it out on the final day for the individual title and a share of the $1 million prize pot.
Kim said that playing in front of a home crowd would be a major source of motivation to clinch her first Aramco Team Series in her debut year.
“I’ve heard from those on tour how special Aramco Team Series events are and how they are set up like a major. As soon as I heard the series was heading to Korea for the first time there was no doubt that I would be competing,” she said.
“The unique format of the event excites me. I’ve never played in a tournament quite like it. I’m looking forward to competing with some of my fellow LPGA players here on Korean soil and exciting the passionate crowds.”
Kim will be joined by American Danielle Kang, who is on the hunt for her first win since 2022. The 2017 KPMG PGA Championship winner is no stranger to the city and has Korean heritage.
“I’m thrilled to be participating in the Aramco Team Series in Korea,” Kang said.
“I absolutely love the team aspect of this series and can’t wait to play alongside a great field of golfers from both the LPGA and LET. I am very thankful for this opportunity and excited to compete.”
Saudi fighter Al-Qahtani faces Morocco’s Bendaoud as PFL tournament makes MENA debut
- Iraq’s Ali Taleb faces Jordanian Nawras Abzakh in the bantamweight division co-main event
- The first of four PFL MENA Season events takes place in Riyadh
Riyadh: Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani headlines the fight card when the Professional Fighters League stages its first PFL MENA event in Riyadh on May 10.
The capital hosts the opening instalment of a four-event sport-season format featuring the region’s top fighters in a groundbreaking initiative with SRJ Sports Investments.
The action at the Green Halls in Riyadh will feature fights in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, with the best Middle Eastern and North African fighters competing in a PFL playoff win-and-advance format.
Al-Qahtani takes on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight bout, while the co-main event features Iraqi fighter Ali Taleb, who will meet Jordan’s Nawras Abzakh in a bantamweight showdown.
PFL MENA Fight Card
Featherweight main event: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Taha Bendaoud
Bantamweight co-main event: Ali Taleb vs. Nawras Abzakh
Bantamweight: Xavier Alaoui vs. Rachid El-Hazoume
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs. Adam Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs. Jalal Al-Daaja
Bantamweight: Elias Boudegzdame vs. Hassan Mandour
Amateur female atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs. Nada Faheem
Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit vs. Motaz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tarek vs. Abdelrahman Alhyasat
Showcase featherweight: Mido Mohammed vs. Yazeed Hasanain
Showcase flyweight: Malik Basahel vs. Harsh Pandya
Rejuvenated Amir back for ‘unfinished work’ at T20 World Cup
- Amir was selected at the age of 15 by none other than great left-armer Wasim Akram at a fast-bowling camp
- He says his short-term goal is to win World Cup, adds it’s hard to describe the feeling of playing for Pakistan
KARACHI: Rejuvenated fast bowler Mohammad Amir said he has “unfinished work” at next month’s T20 World Cup, 15 years after dazzling as a teenager when Pakistan last lifted the trophy.
The 32-year-old, who was jailed for spot-fixing in 2011, came out of retirement last month and is grateful to have another crack at the World Cup.
“It’s a great feeling to be playing for Pakistan again,” Amir told AFP by phone from Lahore this week ahead of the tournament in the United States and the West Indies beginning on June 2.
“I want to complete the unfinished work and, for me, the short-term goal is to win the World Cup.”
The young Amir impressed in all formats after breaking into the Pakistan side in 2009 and playing at the T20 World Cup.
Within a year he was one of the hottest young talents in cricket, but his precocious career then crashed to an infamous halt in 2010.
Amir was one of three Pakistan players banned from cricket for five years for spot-fixing during a Test match in England after being caught in a newspaper sting. He was later jailed in the UK for six months.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who was deemed the ringleader, and fellow quick bowler Mohammad Asif were also banned and the pair were jailed for 30 and 12 months respectively.
Amir returned after his ban to play for Pakistan in 2016 but announced a shock retirement in December 2020 after poor form kept him from being selected.
He will form a potent pace bowling attack with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf that sees Pakistan ranked among the World Cup favorites.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management have shown trust in me so I have to fulfil that trust,” said Amir.
“I have come back after four years and when you play for your country the feeling cannot be described.”
Amir played three of the four T20 home matches against New Zealand last month, taking three wickets in a 2-2 drawn series, and said he felt part of the attack again.
“To be honest I felt fitter than in 2019 and until you are fit you cannot express yourself, so I am ready to do better and better,” said Amir.
He will be in action when Pakistan travel to Ireland for three T20s in Dublin on May 10, 12 and 14.
Pakistan then move to England to play the defending T20 world champions in Leeds (May 22), Birmingham (May 25), Cardiff (May 28) and London (May 30).
Brought up in Changa Bangial village in Punjab province, some 60 kilometers from the capital Islamabad, Amir was determined to make his name in cricket after his five older brothers introduced him to playing.
He was picked out at the age of 15 by none other than great left-armer Wasim Akram at a fast-bowling camp and within two years grew in height and overcame a stress fracture of the back.
Amir said now he only wanted to remember the good events in his career.
“The 2009 Twenty20 World Cup winning memories are special and excite me to this day,” said Amir, who took six wickets in seven matches in the tournament.
They included the prize dismissal of Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan — the player of the tournament — in Pakistan’s eight-wicket final victory.
“I was selected for the first time and then became part of a champion team.
“When I landed (back) at Rawalpindi airport to go to my village there were so many cars and they were showering flowers on me,” he recalled.
“I am lucky that I am still playing. When I came, I was the youngest in the team, so here I am having another chance to win the World Cup and that is the target for me and my team.”
Hero Malcom assists and scores as Hilal edge closer to SPL title
- The Brazilian played starring role in the 2-1 Saudi Classico win against Al-Ahli in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Brazilian star Malcolm was the hero for Al-Hilal on Monday night when he managed an assist and a decisive goal in their 2-1 win over Al-Ahli in the latest Saudi Classico in Jeddah.
The match had been postponed from the 28th round of the Saudi Pro League due to Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League commitments.
Malcolm set up Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the equalizer on 52 minutes after Saudi international Firas Al-Buraikan had given Al-Ahli the lead on the half-hour mark at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Malcom then brought Al-Hilal within touching distance of a record-extending 19th league title by scoring the winner in the 89th minute.
Al-Hilal signed Malcom on a four-year contract from Zenit St. Petersburg last summer. And with five matches remaining until the end of his first season, he has scored 22 goals for the club, 14 of which have come in the SPL.
Thailand retain Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship title in Abu Dhabi
- UAE fighters Hazza Farhan, Saeed Alkubaisi and Shamma Al-Kalbani also struck gold Sunday
ABU DHABI: Thailand has successfully defended their crown at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship in Zayed Sports City with 13 gold medals in several disciplines.
In the adult division on Sunday, the UAE continued their dominance by securing the title for the fourth consecutive year.
On the final day of the adult competition, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team delivered a stellar performance, adding seven more medals to their tally. They won a total of 18 medals, including six gold, seven silver, and five bronze.
Hazza Farhan (over 94 kg), Saeed Alkubaisi (85 kg) and Shamma Al-Kalbani (63 kg) secured gold for the hosts, while Faraj Alawlaqi (85 kg), Bashayer Almatrooshi (63 kg) and Abdullah Alkubaisi (94 kg) claimed silver medals. Ammar Al-Hosani (94 kg) won a bronze medal.
Thailand’s outstanding performance enabled them to retain their title, earning 13 gold, seven silver, and seven bronze medals across various disciplines including Duo-Classic, Show, Jiu-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu Fighting. Kazakhstan secured second place with 46 medals, including 12 gold, 18 silver, and 16 bronze.
Despite competing only in the Jiu-Jitsu discipline, the UAE team earned a commendable third-place finish overall.
The championship, held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, will run until May 8.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Vice Chairman Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri praised the national team.
“The Jiu-Jitsu National Team’s victory in the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship underscores the dedication and sacrifices of our athletes and technical staff across all levels over the past weeks,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “Their exceptional performance throughout the three days of competition culminated in another title win, reaffirming their continental dominance over the strongest Asian teams.”
Chanchai Suksuwan, president of the Jiu-Jitsu Association of Thailand, expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“Our team has been performing incredibly well. This is all the work we have done over the last few years to promote the sport and athletes in our country, which has brought the desired results. We have high hopes for the youth competitions as well.”
“Jiu-jitsu is getting bigger and bigger every year in Thailand, which has hosted some of the major events such as the previous edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship as well as the Thailand Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix. We are working closely with the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation to bring more events to our country.”
Falah Alansery, coach of the Iraqi national youth jiu-jitsu team, expressed his satisfaction with their participation.
“The Iraqi Jiu-Jitsu Federation is dedicated to promoting the sport within our country, and we have adopted a comprehensive approach to its advancement over the coming years. Our primary focus is on establishing National Teams across different age groups capable of competing on both continental and international stages.”
Hazza Farhan, who scooped gold for the UAE in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Male over-94 kg category, said: “It’s truly an indescribable feeling to witness our relentless hard work culminate in success. I dedicate this medal to the wise leadership of the UAE, our fans, our dedicated technical staff, and our supportive colleagues.”
Shamma Al-Kalbani who bagged gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Female 63 kg category, added: “We exerted additional effort during training to prepare ourselves to adapt to the conditions of the competition and smoothly transition between offensive and defensive techniques. These techniques have proved invaluable during the competition. This is a moment I will cherish for a long time.”
Phung Thi Hue of Vietnam, who secured gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Fighting Female 45 kg category, said: “Winning gold at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship is an honor and a significant achievement that will be remembered for years to come. This championship sets global standards for excellence, and I am glad I could be a part of it and win a medal.”
