ABU DHABI: Olympic champion Belinda Bencic saved three match points to defeat Liudmila Samsonova in the Abu Dhabi final on Sunday for the eighth title of her career.
The 25-year-old world number nine came through 1-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, saving the three championship points in a marathon second-set tiebreak.
It was Bencic’s second title of 2023 after her win in Adelaide while she also became the tour leader in match-wins this season, with her 12 passing Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
“It’s been a really tight match, and I’m happy to turn these match points around,” said Bencic.
“I just really tried hanging in there and scramble for every point, and just do my best. I proved to myself that I can really fight hard and just stay in the matches and somehow turn it around.”
Bencic defeated 19th-ranked Russian player Samsonova for the first time in four meetings having lost in the 2021 Berlin final, Luxembourg and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Before Sunday, Samsonova was a perfect 4-0 in championship matches.
Bencic saves three match points to clinch Abu Dhabi title
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Bencic saves three match points to clinch Abu Dhabi title
- Bencic defeated 19th-ranked Russian player Samsonova for the first time in four meetings
Nuggets’ Jokic scoops third NBA Most Valuable Player award
- Jokic joins Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as three-time winners
LOS ANGELES: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was named NBA Most valuable Player for the third time in four seasons on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Serbian star, who won the award in 2021 and 2022, finished runner-up in the voting in 2023 but had the satisfaction of leading the Nuggets to a first NBA title.
This season he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the regular season and beat out Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks in final voting for the award.
He became the second player, after Oscar Robertson, to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 600 assists in a season.
His 25 triple-doubles and 68 double-doubles were both second in the league.
Jokic enters elite territory with a third MVP crown. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six MVPs are the most ever. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won five apiece and Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James four.
Jokic joins Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as three-time winners after earning 79 first-placed votes compared to 15 for Gilgeous-Alexander and four for Doncic.
Behind Jokic, the 57-25 Nuggets matched the franchise high for victories in a season — although they were tied for best record in the West with Oklahoma City and ended up with the second seed.
Whether Jokic will be able to combine an MVP award and the title this season remains to be seen.
The Nuggets dropped the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series to the Minnesota Timberwolves and face the tough task of trying to claw back on the Timberwolves’ home court starting on Friday.
Jokic’s victory marks the sixth straight season that the MVP award has gone to a player born outside the United States. The last US-born player to win was James Harden in 2018.
Head, Abhishek star as ‘unreal’ Hyderabad crush Lucknow by 10 wickets
- Chasing a modest 166 for victory, Head, who smashed 89, and fellow left-hander Abhishek, who hit 75, tore into the opposition attack to romp home with 10.2 overs to spare
- Head is now third in the batting chart behind Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) with his fourth half-century — he also has a ton — in this edition
HYDERABAD: Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma smoked half-centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad crushed Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets on Wednesday to boost their play-off hopes in the IPL.
Chasing a modest 166 for victory, Head, who smashed 89, and fellow left-hander Abhishek, who hit 75, tore into the opposition attack to romp home with 10.2 overs to spare at their home in Uppal.
“I’m lost for words. We’ve watched that batting on TV but that was unreal,” Lucknow skipper KL Rahul said of the bludgeoning by the Hyderabad openers.
“Everything was hitting the middle of the bat, kudos to their skill, they’ve worked very hard on their six-hitting.”
Australia’s Head attacked with a flurry of fours and sixes as he reached his fifty in 16 balls and went past 500 runs this season.
Head is now third in the batting chart behind Virat Kohli (542) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (541) with his fourth half-century — he also has a ton — in this edition.
He took on the spinners with aplomb and said the skill will be invaluable on the slow pitches in the West Indies during the T20 World Cup in June.
“Something I have been working on with spin, something I have been working hard on. It will be a big part in the Caribbean,” said man of the match Head.
“Nice to get 360 (degrees) and get to the parts of the ground I have not been to. We want to maximize the powerplay. It is not going to work every time but we want to go for it.”
The 30-year-old Head lauded his younger partner Abhishek, 23, and said: “His spin game is something else. We complement each other so well.”
Abhishek joined the charge as he got to his fifty in 19 balls after the pair took Hyderabad to 107 in the first six overs of powerplay, when only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle.
Hyderabad, who won the IPL in 2016 under David Warner, registered their seventh win in 12 matches to hand a perfect gift to birthday boy and captain Pat Cummins, who turned 31 on Wednesday.
Abhishek hit the winning six as Hyderabad moved to third in the 10-team table with 14 points. Lucknow stay sixth after the bruising loss.
Top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai.
Cummins said Head’s unconventional hitting does not “surprise” him anymore and praised Abhishek for being “an incredible player of spin” and pace.
Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar set up victory with impressive bowling figures of 2-12 in his four overs to restrict Lucknow to 165-4 after they elected to bat first.
Lucknow lost regular wickets until Nicholas Pooran, who hit 48, and Ayush Badoni, who smashed 55, put on an unbeaten stand of 99 in 52 balls to boost the team total.
But the score proved too little against a team which posted record totals of 277 and 287 in this high-scoring edition of the T20 tournament.
UAE adds 19 medals at Jiu-Jitsu Asian Youth Championship
- Hosts won of five gold, two silver, and 12 bronze medals in the U-18 division at Mubadala Arena
ABU DHABI: Emirati athletes excelled on day two of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Youth Championship, winning five gold medals and raising the UAE’s total medal count to 28.
In Tuesday’s U-18 division jiu-jitsu competition, the host nation’s athletes stood out on the mats, securing an impressive tally of five golds, two silvers, and 12 bronze medals.
Featuring competitions for athletes under 16, 18, and 21 years old, the ongoing Jiu-Jitsu Asian Youth Championship is part of the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian 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, at Mubadala Arena from May 3-8.
The second day of the youth competitions witnessed action in various disciplines including duo-classic, show, jiu-jitsu, and jiu-jitsu fighting. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team’s medals came in the jiu-jitsu discipline, the only category it is participating in.
Salem Alqubaisi (-56 Kg), Alanood Alharbi (-44kg), Abdulla Ahmed Aldarmaki (+85kg), and Zamzam Al-Hammadi (-57 kg) shone with gold medals for the hosts, while Shamsa Alameri (-48kg) and Khuloud Alblooshi (+70kg) bagged silver.
Haira Aldaheri (-40kg), Maitha Almezaini (-48kg), Mouza Alrashdi (-52kg), Saif Alblooshi (-44kg), Ebrahim Almansoori (+85kg), Mansoor Alblooshi (-48kg), Theyab Darmaki (-48kg), Obaid Saeed Alketbi (-52kg), Omar Younis Alraeesi (-52kg), Harib Alhammadi (-62kg), Ali Alteneiji (-77kg), and Majed Alshamsi (-85kg) took bronze.
“Despite their young age, our youth athletes demonstrated exceptional technical proficiency,” said Youssef Al-Batran, board member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. “This accomplishment underscores the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s dedication to cultivating talent and creating a generation that proudly represents the UAE on the global stage.”
Khalifa Salem Andeez, the father of the athlete Ahmed Khalifa Andeez, was among the fans cheering for the under-18 athletes who took to the mats on Tuesday.
“I am here to encourage my son, who is participating in the 69 kg competition,” he said. “He performed well and reached the semi-finals. He couldn’t bag a gold medal today, but I am sure he will learn from his experience and perform better and aim for higher achievements.”
Salem Alqubaisi, the -56 kg gold winner, added: “There is no doubt that achieving the gold medal in the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship is a historic achievement for me that will keep me motivated to perform even better in the upcoming championships. I am extremely grateful to everyone who supported me in my journey towards the gold medal.”
Professional Fighters League signs talented UAE MMA duo
- Top Emirati prospects Hadi Al-Hussaini and Youssef Al-Housani will compete in Showcase bouts during the inaugural PFL MENA Season
- Combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30 percent of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class
RIYADH: The Saudi-backed Professional Fighters League has announced the signing of two top MMA prospects from the UAE, flyweight Hadi Omar Al-Hussaini and featherweight Youssef Al-Housani to exclusive, multi-fight contracts.
The duo are expected to compete in Showcase bouts in the inaugural PFL MENA season, before joining next year’s season proper.
“We are thrilled to welcome two of the UAE’s top prospects to PFL MENA,” said Gustavo Firmino, vice president of fighter operations, PFL MENA. “The mission of the PFL is to find the best fighters in every region around the world. Our partnership with SRJ Sports has allowed the PFL to identify and sign exceptional fighters like Al-Hussaini and Al-Housani who we know have the potential to become global stars in the sport.”
Al-Hussaini joins PFL MENA with a 5-0-1 professional record. The former UAE Warriors standout trains at the world-renowned American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California under Javier Mendez, alongside world champions Islam Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov and Umar Nurmagomedov.
Youssef Al-Housani, meanwhile, joins PFL MENA with a 4-1 professional record. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt is an elite-level grappler with multiple Abu Dhabi jiu-jitsu pro championships to his name. Outside the cage, Al-Housani is an accomplished actor, appearing in the UAE-based TV show Ramadan.
PFL is the only organization in MMA with a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator — purchased by PFL last year — boasts 30 percent of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC.
Top racers lined up for Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024 from King Khalid City
- Series leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi from Saudi Arabia heads field in his Toyota Hilux
TABUK: The Tabuk Toyota Rally 2024, round two of the Saudi Toyota Championship, will start from King Khalid City in Tabuk on Thursday afternoon, with most of the leading racers confirmed for the starting lineups.
The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation has laid on a challenging three-day desert route for the entrants, which include cars, motorcycles and quads, with approximately 419 kilometers to be timed against the clock.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi has an eight-point overall lead in the drivers’ championship, courtesy of his and Timo Gottshalk’s victory during round one in Hail.
Dark Horse OT3 driver Saleh Al-Saif is his nearest rival with Dania Akeel holding third place after making the switch from the Challenger category to driving an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux alongside Al-Rajhi in the Ultimate P section. Al-Saif’s co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari trails Gottschalk by eight points in the co-drivers’ championship.
With Pal Lonyai and Ahmed Al-Kuwari not competing in Tabuk, the door is open for German driver Annett Quandt to climb the leader board. She currently holds sixth in the overall standings and switches from a Yamaha YXZ to drive a Can-Am Maverick X3 on this occasion. Her closest challengers in the overall drivers’ championship are Hamad Al-Harbi, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Maha Al-Hameli.
Al-Rajhi has had it all his own way so far in the Ultimate P category, while Al-Yaeesh arrives in Tabuk with a six-point cushion over Faris Al-Moshna in the Ultimate class. Khaled and Ahmed Al-Shammeri currently hold third and fourth places.
Al-Saif leads the absent Lonyai by seven points in Challenger, with Quandt, Al-Harbi and Al-Hameli looking to snatch the initiative from the OT3 driver. Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al-Haydan are also registered in the category this weekend.
In the absence of the SSV category-leading Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Moaaz Hariri — who is a single point behind the Qatari — has the opportunity to pull clear of his nearest rivals. The Shegawi Racing duo of Esraa Al-Dkheil and Abdullah Al-Shegawi should provide stiff competition in their Can-Ams, although Waleed Al-Dakheel and Orjwan Ammar are also on hand for the battle.
Muneef Al-Shammeri heads to the start line with a 10-point lead over Sufian Al-Omer in the Stock category for series-production cross-country vehicles. Majed Al-Thunayyan is third, a further four points adrift in the standings.
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi wheels out his Husqvarna Rally Bike this weekend in a four-motorcycle team alongside his closest title rival Abdullah Al-Shatti, brother Sultan and fellow Emirati Marwan Al-Rahmani. Al-Balooshi holds a 10-point cushion over his Kuwaiti team-mate with Saudi Arabia rider Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera holding third and Hamdan Al-Ali and the absent Abdullah Abu Aisheh rounding off the top five.
Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (25 points) heads an eight-strong quad field and will defend a five-point cushion over Hani Al-Noumesi in the standings. Recent Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura winner Abdulaziz Al-Shayban is third on 16 points, three ahead of Abdulaziz Al-Atawi.
Thursday will see the ceremonial start at King Khalid Sport City precede the opening Prologue stage in Tabuk that will determine the starting order for the first of two desert selective sections on Friday morning.
