Egypt Advances to African Cup Semifinals

Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
TT

Egypt Advances to African Cup Semifinals

Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Mohamed Salah scored the equalizer and created the winner to inspire Egypt's comeback on Sunday to beat Morocco 2-1 after extra time and reach the African Cup semifinals.

Egypt fell behind to an early penalty won by Achraf Hakimi and converted by Sofiane Boufal in the seventh minute.

Egypt captain Salah reacted quickly to knock in a rebound to make it 1-1 in the 53rd and sent in a perfect low cross for Trézéguet to tap in near the end of the first half of extra time.

Egypt was left to rely on third-choice goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhy for most of extra time after an injury to Mohamed Abou Gabal, who was already in the team in place of first choice Mohamed el-Shenawy.

Abou Gabal was injured in normal time but tried to play through it. He couldn't and had to come off in the sixth minute of extra time, leaving the 22-year-old Sobhy to make his debut for his country at the end of a high-pressure game.

In the end he wasn't tested and Salah and Trézéguet combined for the winner four minutes after Sobhy came on. Salah was faced with three defenders covering him on the right wing but he went for the outside and sent a right-foot cross into the path of Trézéguet at the back post.

Salah almost had a second in the final, chaotic moments when Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou joined an attack in the desperate search for an equalizer and left the Moroccan goal unguarded.

Egypt broke and Salah chased down a through ball but couldn't force it into the empty net from a tight angle.

It didn't matter. Full time came about a minute later and Egypt went through to a semifinal against host Cameroon, which is a repeat of the 2017 African Cup final that was won by Cameroon.

Egypt hasn't won the African Cup since its record-extending seventh title in 2010. Salah made his debut for the national team the year after that triumph and is still searching for a first major title with his country.



Jannik Sinner Starts His Australian Open Title Defense with a Straight Set Win

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
TT

Jannik Sinner Starts His Australian Open Title Defense with a Straight Set Win

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after defeating Nicolas Jarry of Chile during their first round match during the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 13 January 2025. (EPA)

After wasting a set point in the second tiebreaker with an ill-conceived drop shot, Jannik Sinner quickly reverted to what's been working for him and finished off a straight-set win over Nicolas Jarry to begin his Australian Open title defense.

The 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena extended Sinner’s winning streaks to 15 on both the tour and on hard courts in Grand Slams.

After all the pre-tournament attention on the 2024 doping cases of Sinner and long-time women's No. 1 Iga Swiatek, both started the year's first Grand Slam tournament about the same time on nearby courts on Day 2.

"Yeah, I was curious to see how it was," Sinner said of the reception at Rod Laver, where he became a fan favorite last year. "You never know what’s happening. I was happy about the crowd. It was a nice atmosphere."

Top-ranked Sinner had to grind for two long, tiebreak sets against No. 35-ranked Jarry, a 29-year-old from Chile, before finding his touch.

"It was a very close one because the first sets, they can go both ways," Sinner said. "In the third set when I broke it the first time, that gave me a little bit of room to breathe.

"I’m happy how I handled the very tough situation."

Sinner has got a good record at Melbourne Park in that department. He rallied from two sets down in last year's final to beat Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam title, coming off a semifinal upset of 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.

While Sinner was deep into his match against Jarry, Swiatek, a five-time major winner from Poland, fended off top-ranked doubles player Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 on John Cain Arena.

Coco Gauff had a little difficulty adjusting to the sun at one end of Rod Laver Arena in Monday's first marquee match and dropped an early service game before quickly settling into a rhythm in a 6-3, 6-3 win over 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.

Third-seeded Gauff beat Swiatek to win the title at the WTA Finals last November and started this season by helping the US to victory at the United Cup last week, against beating No. 2 Swiatek in the final.

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion is wearing a Marvel-inspired bodysuit and skirt at Melbourne Park and she's radiating confidence and calm.

"I knew going in it was going to be difficult, but you know I’m happy with how I played," she said of the 1-hour, 20-minute win over Kenin, who at No. 81 is a much tougher opponent than her ranking suggests.

"I mean (I) could serve better, but like on that side I was struggling to see the ball," Guaff said, pointing to one baseline on the main show court that was bathed in sun. "So I’m just happy that I was able to manage through that."

Another 20-year-old American, Alex Michelsen, produced the biggest win of his young career with a 7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 first-round upset of 2023 Australian runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Michelsen's three booming service returns in the ninth game of the fourth set helped him earn a vital break against the 11th-seeded Tsitsipas and, after shaking off jitters on his own serve, he closed out for his first victory over a player ranked in the top 20 at a Grand Slam. No. 17 Frances Tiafoe advanced in five sets over Arthur Rinderknech of France.

Gauff went into her opening round on a streak of winning 33 matches against players ranked outside the Top 50, dating to a loss to Kenin at Wimbledon 2023.

The draw presented another tough trip to Australia for Kenin. It was the third straight year Kenin faced a Grand Slam champion in the first round in Australia, and her fourth consecutive first-round exit here.

Gauff will next play Jodie Burrage of Britain. No. 7 Jessica Pegula also advanced along with No. 12 Diana Shnaider, No. 28 Elina Svitolina, and Belinda Bencic, who ousted No. 16 Jelena Ostapenko. Lucia Bronzetti of Italy advanced over No. 21 Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion.