Egypt’s Mayar Sherif Rallies to Reach Monterrey Quarters

Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
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Egypt’s Mayar Sherif Rallies to Reach Monterrey Quarters

Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)

Seventh-seeded Mayar Sherif of Egypt saved two match points while rallying for a 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 win over China's Xinyu Wang on Thursday in the second round of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico.

Wang served for the match at 6-5 of the second set, but Sherif broke to force a tiebreaker. Wang then jumped ahead 6-4 before Sherif took the final four points of the tiebreaker to extend the match.

A service break in the fifth game of the final set was all Sherif needed, though it took her four match points to close out the win.

Sherif's quarterfinal opponent will be top-seeded Caroline Garcia of France, who cruised past Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-2.

Fourth-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium posted a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She will oppose the winner of the late Thursday match between eighth-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Tatjana Maria of Germany in the quarterfinals.

ATX Open

Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam prevailed in a marathon third-set tiebreaker, edging Russia's Erika Andreeva 7-5, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (8) in second-round action at Austin, Texas.

Friedsam squandered three match points in the decisive tiebreaker before Andreeva had a match point at 8-7. Friedsam bounced back and finally sealed the win.

Friedsam's upcoming quarterfinal opponent, Marta Kostyuk, also needed three sets to advance. The eighth-seeded Ukrainian defeated the United States' Madison Brengle 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Fourth-seeded Danielle Collins won an all-US matchup against Caty McNally 6-1, 6-1, and Russia's Anna Kalinskaya ousted the United States' Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-1.



Argentina Shakes off Chaos of Morocco Game by Beating Iraq 3-1

 Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
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Argentina Shakes off Chaos of Morocco Game by Beating Iraq 3-1

 Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)

Argentina got its Olympic men's soccer campaign back on track by beating Iraq 3-1 on Saturday in Lyon.

Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favorites, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco in its Group B opening game marred by a pitch invasion from Moroccan fans and a two-hour delay.

While Iraq threatened to pull off another surprise when Aymen Hussein leveled the game in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Fernandez sealed victory for Argentina.

Thiago Almada, who Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team's training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute at Stade de Lyon.

But Hussein's header in the fifth minute of first half-time added time evened the game before the break.

Gondou's far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina's lead and Fernandez curled in a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th.

The win leaves Argentina level with Iraq and Morocco on three points. Morocco was playing Ukraine in a later kick off.

Spain advances Spain reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux.

Goals from Fermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two for Spain in Group C.

Lopez — one of Barcelona’s rising stars — scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th.

Baena restored Spain’s lead in the 55th and Gutierrez sealed it in the 70th.

Spain’s men are aiming to add to a golden period for its nation’s soccer teams after the women’s team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month.