Mbappe Hat Trick as PSG Beats Vannes 4-0 in French Cup

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Vannes in the French Cup last 32. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Vannes in the French Cup last 32. (AFP)
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Mbappe Hat Trick as PSG Beats Vannes 4-0 in French Cup

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Vannes in the French Cup last 32. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Vannes in the French Cup last 32. (AFP)

Kylian Mbappe scored a second-half hat trick as French Cup holder Paris Saint-Germain won at fourth-tier Vannes 4-0 to reach the last 16 on Monday.

Goalkeeper Clement Petrel made a couple of smart saves before PSG central defender Presnel Kimpembe stooped to score a powerful header from a Nuno Mendes corner in the 28th minute.

Mbappe was kept quiet by the Vannes defense in the first half on a rainy night in the Brittany region of northwestern France.

But he made it 2-0 in the 59th when he latched onto Kimpembe's long pass from defense to sprint clear and finish with a low shot that looped in.

His next goal was far more emphatic as he arrowed a shot high into the net from 20 meters, after good work from midfielder Marco Verratti allowed 18-year-old Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons to send Mbappe through in the 71st.

His third goal was from close range after swapping passes with substitute Eric Ebimbe in the 77th. It marked his 18th goal in 25 games overall.

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino also picked 18-year-old French midfielder Edouard Michut, who impressed with his technical ability albeit against modest opposition.

PSG was without Lionel Messi, isolating at home in Argentina after being among four players who tested positive for the coronavirus during a brief winter break. Pochettino was uncertain if Messi will recover in time to play at Lyon in the league on Sunday.

Lens hosts Lille in a northern derby on Tuesday for the final spot in the last 16.



Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, Battling Injuries and Unhappy on the Court, Is Taking a Hiatus from Tennis

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
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Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, Battling Injuries and Unhappy on the Court, Is Taking a Hiatus from Tennis

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)
Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - June 30, 2025 Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during her first round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova. (Reuters)

Ons Jabeur is taking a hiatus from the women's tennis tour, with the three-time major runner-up saying Thursday she wants to "rediscover the joy of simply living."

Once ranked No. 2 on the WTA Tour, Jabeur has battled injuries in recent years and has fallen to her current No. 71. The 30-year-old from Tunisia retired because of difficulty breathing during her first-round match at Wimbledon, where she reached the final in 2022 and 2023, and won't be playing as the hard-court swing begins.

"For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges," Jabeur wrote on Instagram. "But deep down, I haven't felt truly happy on the court for some time now.

"Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living."

Jabeur also was the US Open runner-up in 2022, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach the final at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows in the same year.

She fell short of becoming the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era, but she climbed to No. 2 in the WTA rankings the next week.

She is 15-15 this year after her 2024 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, as she played just once after Wimbledon.

Jabeur, popular with other players and fans, thanked the fans in her post.

"Even while I'm away from the court, I'll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all," she wrote.