عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Zheng Routs Paolini to Advance to Semifinals at WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia

Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
TT
TT

Zheng Routs Paolini to Advance to Semifinals at WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia

Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Zheng Qinwen cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini to reach the semifinals of the WTA Finals on Wednesday.
Zheng needed just over an hour to defeat Paolini in the match that decided the final qualifier from the Purple Group at the season-ending tournament for the top eight women's players, The Associated Press reported.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who had won her first two matches to clinch a semifinal spot, lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to No. 5 Elena Rybakina. It was Rybakina's first win of the round-robin phase.
It was Zheng's fourth win in as many matches against Paolini. The 22-year-old Chinese player had 12 aces and broke the Italian's serve five times.
“It's one of the best performances I had during this year,” Zheng said. “I'm really proud. I played in a really difficult group.”
Zheng is the youngest player to reach the semifinals in her first appearance at the WTA Finals since Petra Kvitova in 2011. It’s her seventh semifinal of the year and the first time she has beaten two top-10 opponents in the same tournament. She defeated Elena Rybakina on Monday.
Zheng has won 30 matches since Wimbledon, clinching the Olympic gold medal in Paris and winning titles in Palermo and Tokyo.
She could become the second player to win the singles gold medal and reach the WTA Finals championship match in the same season since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, after Serena Williams in 2012.
Paolini finished the season 38-19, having made the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Jessica Pegula withdrew from her last match at the tournament because of a left knee injury. The American, who lost her first two matches and was already eliminated from semifinal contention, will be replaced in the Orange Group by first alternate and ninth-ranked Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina will play second-ranked Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Mbappe Misses France Training Ahead of Italy Clash

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe (C) arrives for a training session third days ahead of France's UEFA Nations League football match against Italy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines outside Paris on November 9, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe (C) arrives for a training session third days ahead of France's UEFA Nations League football match against Italy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines outside Paris on November 9, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Mbappe Misses France Training Ahead of Italy Clash

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe (C) arrives for a training session third days ahead of France's UEFA Nations League football match against Italy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines outside Paris on November 9, 2026. (AFP)
France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe (C) arrives for a training session third days ahead of France's UEFA Nations League football match against Italy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines outside Paris on November 9, 2026. (AFP)

France captain Kylian Mbappe did not take part in team training on Wednesday and remained "under treatment" ahead of his country's Nations League match against Italy, Les Bleus' coaching staff said.

The French coaching staff did not provide any further details regarding the 27-year-old's physical condition.

The Real Madrid forward is back in the France squad for this camp after missing their last three matches through injury.

Mbappe scored the winning goal in Zinedine Zidane's first match as coach against Türkiye in September in the Nations League, but had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards due to pain in his left knee.

After three wins and a draw in four matches, France top Group A1 of the Nations League and are well on course to qualify for the quarter-finals ahead of their final two pool-stage fixtures against Italy on Thursday in Milan, and Türkiye on Sunday in Bordeaux.

Sports

Ngumoha Has Ballon d’Or in His Sights After Taking Inspiration from Kane’s Triumph

UEFA Champions League - Fenerbahce v Liverpool - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - November 4, 2026 Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Kostas Tsimikas and Dominik Szoboszlai during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
UEFA Champions League - Fenerbahce v Liverpool - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - November 4, 2026 Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Kostas Tsimikas and Dominik Szoboszlai during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Ngumoha Has Ballon d’Or in His Sights After Taking Inspiration from Kane’s Triumph

UEFA Champions League - Fenerbahce v Liverpool - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - November 4, 2026 Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Kostas Tsimikas and Dominik Szoboszlai during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)
UEFA Champions League - Fenerbahce v Liverpool - Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Türkiye - November 4, 2026 Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, Kostas Tsimikas and Dominik Szoboszlai during the warm up before the match. (Reuters)

Liverpool winger Rio ‌Ngumoha said Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or victory can inspire a new generation of English footballers, including himself, to follow in the Bayern Munich striker's footsteps and be recognized as the world's best.

Kane was awarded football's highest individual honor last month, becoming the first Englishman to win the award since ‌Michael Owen ‌in 2001.

Ngumoha, who was called ‌up ⁠to the England ⁠squad for this week's Nations League games against Croatia and Spain, said Kane was an inspiration.

"Harry Kane winning the Ballon d'Or is definitely a big thing," the 18-year-old told British ⁠media.

"It's also helped English football ‌now because everyone's ‌seen one of us win the Ballon ‌d'Or, it is definitely encouraging many ‌more people to want to be known as the best player in the world.

"For me, I would like to achieve it ‌and I think I can do it."

Ngumoha was a bright ⁠spark ⁠for Liverpool last season and has become a key part of the squad, inspiring them to a 4-3 comeback victory over Villarreal in the Champions League last month.

He has played three times for England since making his debut in June.

England host Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, before travelling to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday.

Sports

Source: Man United Does ‘Due Diligence’ on Pochettino Becoming Its Next Coach

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino arrives for the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, July 6, 2026. (AP)
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino arrives for the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, July 6, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Source: Man United Does ‘Due Diligence’ on Pochettino Becoming Its Next Coach

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino arrives for the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, July 6, 2026. (AP)
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino arrives for the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, July 6, 2026. (AP)

Manchester United is working on a potential deal to have US men’s team coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace Michael Carrick, who is under pressure after a dismal start to the season, a source with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday.

United is in 18th place in the Premier League standings after 10 rounds, the club's worst start in the modern era.

Pochettino is a candidate to succeed Carrick, even though the 54-year-old Argentine is under contract with the US team through the 2030 World Cup.

A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that preparations to appoint Pochettino had been carried out as a matter of “due diligence." The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because no final decision has been made on Carrick's future.

Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte have also been reported to be options in recent weeks.

It is not uncommon for clubs weigh up potential candidates and reach out to intermediaries before deciding to fire a coach.

Pochettino, who has previously coached Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League, took over the US team in October 2024 and led it to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup.

He was a leading candidate for Manchester United in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired.

Pochettino won the French title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, but arguably his greatest achievement was turning Tottenham into a serial title contender in the Premier League and also leading the London club to the Champions League final in 2019.

He has never won a major trophy in England, most recently losing in the final of the English League Cup with Chelsea in 2024.

Carrick, who said Sunday that he would not walk away from the job, was due to lead training Wednesday despite increased speculation over his position.

United opted against firing him last month, deciding to give him time to turn around a wretched start to the season, but Sunday's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left the 20-time English champion in the relegation zone with just one win from 10 games.