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Top-ranked Swiatek Wins her 3rd Straight Qatar Open

Iga Swiatek (R) of Poland shakes hands with Elena Rybakina of Kazakistan after winning the Women's singles final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, 17 February 2024. EPA/NOUSHAD THEKKAYIL
Iga Swiatek (R) of Poland shakes hands with Elena Rybakina of Kazakistan after winning the Women's singles final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, 17 February 2024. EPA/NOUSHAD THEKKAYIL
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Top-ranked Swiatek Wins her 3rd Straight Qatar Open

Iga Swiatek (R) of Poland shakes hands with Elena Rybakina of Kazakistan after winning the Women's singles final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, 17 February 2024. EPA/NOUSHAD THEKKAYIL
Iga Swiatek (R) of Poland shakes hands with Elena Rybakina of Kazakistan after winning the Women's singles final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, 17 February 2024. EPA/NOUSHAD THEKKAYIL

No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek won the Qatar Open for a third straight year on Saturday.
Swiatek defeated No. 4 Elena Rybakina 7-6 (8), 6-2 in the final.
Rybakina led 4-1 but cut her leg in her serving motion and needed medical attention. Swiatek rallied to 4-4. Rybakina broke again for 6-5 and a chance to serve out the set but Swiatek broke back.
In the tiebreaker, the defending champion missed three set points as the score reached 8-8. But then Swiatek hit a backhand winner and snatched the set with a backhand passing shot.
Swiatek's 18th career singles title was her first of the year.
Serena Williams was the last woman to win a WTA event three successive times, in 2015 at the Miami Open.

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Neymar Has Two Months to Show He Is Ready for World Cup, Says Ancelotti

Brazil's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks during a friendly football match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
Brazil's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks during a friendly football match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
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Neymar Has Two Months to Show He Is Ready for World Cup, Says Ancelotti

Brazil's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks during a friendly football match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)
Brazil's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks during a friendly football match between Brazil and France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on March 26, 2026. (AFP)

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti ‌has left open the possibility of Neymar earning a place in his 26-man squad for this year’s World Cup, saying the forward has two months to prove he has the required qualities.

Ancelotti has consistently maintained that Neymar will be in contention if he is fully fit, but the attacker was excluded from Brazil’s squad for last month’s warm-up matches against France and Croatia.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer with ‌79 goals, ‌has not played for the national ‌team ⁠since suffering a ⁠serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning to Santos last year. Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to France in Boston prompted fans to chant Neymar’s name but Ancelotti dismissed the reaction at the ⁠time, saying attention should focus on the ‌players selected.

Now, however, the ‌Italian has suggested that the Santos forward remains part of ‌his thinking as Brazil assess their options ahead ‌of the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in North America and Mexico.

"He's a great talent, and it's normal that people think he can ‌help us win the next World Cup," Ancelotti said in an interview with ⁠French newspaper ⁠L'Equipe.

"He's currently being evaluated by the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) , by me, and he still has two months to show that he has the qualities to play in the next World Cup.

"After his knee injury, Neymar has made a good comeback; he's scoring goals. He needs to continue in this direction and improve his fitness. He's on the right track."

Brazil are in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in the World Cup and will begin their campaign on June 13 at New Jersey Stadium.

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Carrick Buoyed up by Mount’s Return as Champions League Push Resumes Against Leeds

15 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford. (dpa)
15 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford. (dpa)
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Carrick Buoyed up by Mount’s Return as Champions League Push Resumes Against Leeds

15 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford. (dpa)
15 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford. (dpa)

Manchester United return to action on ‌Monday with renewed optimism after interim manager Michael Carrick welcomed Mason Mount back to fitness and saw Lisandro Martinez return to training ahead of their Premier League clash with Leeds United.

Carrick's men have not played for more than three weeks since a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, but resume their campaign sitting third in the table and looking to strengthen their grip on a Champions League place, buoyed up by improving squad availability as the season heads into a crucial phase.

Mount has played sparingly due to injury, and was on the pitch for just a minute of the Bournemouth draw,

"It's great to have Mason back, ‌to miss him ‌so quickly after we came in and came together," ‌Carrick ⁠told reporters on ⁠Saturday.

"He's obviously had nearly two or three weeks of building up and finding his rhythm, finding his sharpness. I think his versatility, is a big strength of his. He can play through the middle, he can play midfield, he can play wide and he can do so many different roles.

"We've just got to give him the time to get fit again and be patient with that ⁠but he's certainly in a good place right now."

Carrick ‌was undecided on the status of Martinez, ‌who has not played since suffering a calf injury in early February.

"It's just that call ‌that we make," he said. "We wouldn't be pushed into anything.

"He's back training, ‌which is great, and back on the grass. But we've certainly got to make the right decision and make sure he's ready."

United are third on 55 points, one point ahead of fourth-placed Aston Villa, but six ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool.

Carrick has overseen ‌a spectacular run since taking charge in January, guiding United to 23 points from a possible 30 and restoring ⁠calm after a ⁠turbulent first half of the season.

With just weeks remaining and the race for the five Champions League places tightening, United know there is little room for complacency.

Monday's match also reignites one of English football's fiercest rivalries, with Carrick keen for his players to embrace the occasion.

"It's gone on for an awful long time," Carrick said. "I think that's what rivalries are there for, for a really good reason, I think, to be part of, and the intensity and the emotion and the passion that goes into it.

"Obviously, it's got to keep within the margins but I think that's part of the game we love, going up against other teams... and battling it out on the pitch. So I think it's something that we've got to embrace."

Sports

Sinner Brushes Past Zverev to Reach Monte Carlo Final

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
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Sinner Brushes Past Zverev to Reach Monte Carlo Final

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)

World No.2 Jannik Sinner eased his way into the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 semi-final win over Alexander Zverev on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Italian becomes the first player to reach all three finals of the season's first three Masters 1000 events since Novak Djokovic in 2015.

Roger Federer, in 2006, and Rafael Nadal, 2011, are the only two other players to achieve the feat.

"I'm very happy," said Sinner.

"We came here trying to give myself some feedback [on clay] and now finding myself in the final means a lot to me."

Sinner said he had felt in top form right from the outset of the match against his German opponent, ranked third in the world.

"Obviously every match, every day is different, so I'm very happy about today's performance. I felt really solid from the beginning.

"When you are a break up straight away, it changes the dynamic of the match, so very happy and let's see what's coming in the final."

Sinner will face either world No.1 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or local boy Valentin Vacherot, ranked 23 in the world, who meet later on Saturday.

If it is Alcaraz, it will be the first meeting this season between the world's top two players which would decide who will be world No.1 come Monday when the new ATP rankings are released.

As in Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner, 24, had the measure of Zverev who has not prevailed in their meetings since the round of 16 at the US Open in September 2023.

Extremely aggressive from the start, Sinner blew the German away in the opening set, breaking him three times and wrapping it up in 34 minutes.

In the second set, the German put up more resistance, finding his first serve again, but he still had to battle every time to hold.

He finally folded after 1hr 22min on another blistering forehand from Sinner, who has lost only one set in his last 21 matches at Masters 1000 events.