Keys Extends Winning Streak, Gets Sabalenka Again at Indian Wells After Australian Open Title 

Madison Keys is congratulated by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland after their match during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Madison Keys is congratulated by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland after their match during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Keys Extends Winning Streak, Gets Sabalenka Again at Indian Wells After Australian Open Title 

Madison Keys is congratulated by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland after their match during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Madison Keys is congratulated by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland after their match during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 13, 2025 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Madison Keys extended her winning streak to 16 matches, reaching the BNP Paribas Open semifinals with a 6-1, 6-1 wipeout of wild-card entry Belinda Bencic on Thursday.

The Australian Open champion needed just 65 minutes to hold up her end of a rematch with top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-3 later. Keys beat Sabalenka in three sets in January at Melbourne Park, denying Sabalenka a third consecutive title.

Bencic was coming off an upset of No. 4 seed Coco Gauff in the fourth round, but the 28-year-old from Switzerland never had a chance against the fifth-seeded Keys.

Ben Shelton, at 22 the youngest American man to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells since 2004, couldn't go further. Jack Draper of England moved on to the semifinals with a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

The 13th-seeded Draper will face No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion who extended his winning streak at Indian Wells to 16 matches with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Francisco Cerundolo.

Iga Swiatek reached the BNP Paribas semifinals for the fourth consecutive time in her bid to be the first woman to win the tournament three times. The No. 2 seed from Poland beat eighth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China 6-3, 6-3 in a rematch of a Paris Olympics semifinal from last summer won by Zheng.

Swiatek, the defending champion, has a 10-match winning streak in the California desert. The five-time Grand Slam champion also won the event in 2022. Zheng ended Swiatek's 25-match winning streak at the Olympics last year.

Swiatek converted all five of her break points, but Zheng broke twice on her way to winning six games, matching the total Swiatek had dropped in the tournament coming into the match.

On the men's side, Daniil Medvedev reached the Indian Wells semifinals for the third consecutive year with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7) victory over 20-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils.

The 29-year-old Russian, seeded fifth, kept alive a bid for a third trip to the final of the event. That included a brief delay in the third set when gusty wind blew debris all over the stadium.

Mirra Andreeva advanced to the women's semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina. Holger Rune moved on to his first Indian Wells semifinal by rallying for a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 win over Tallon Griekspoor.



Khelif Says She is Open to Genetic Testing by IOC for 2028 Olympics

Paris 2024 Olympics - Boxing - Women's 66kg - Final - Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. Imane Khelif of Algeria in action against Liu Yang of China. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
Paris 2024 Olympics - Boxing - Women's 66kg - Final - Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. Imane Khelif of Algeria in action against Liu Yang of China. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
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Khelif Says She is Open to Genetic Testing by IOC for 2028 Olympics

Paris 2024 Olympics - Boxing - Women's 66kg - Final - Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. Imane Khelif of Algeria in action against Liu Yang of China. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
Paris 2024 Olympics - Boxing - Women's 66kg - Final - Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris, France - August 09, 2024. Imane Khelif of Algeria in action against Liu Yang of China. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif said she will comply with genetic testing requirements as long as the tests are conducted by the International Olympic Council (IOC), to be able to participate in competitions.

Khelif won gold in the women's welterweight division at the Paris Games in 2024 amid a gender dispute over her eligibility, after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her from the 2023 World Championships based on sex chromosome tests.

World Boxing, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles after being granted provisional recognition by the IOC, last May announced mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions. Khelif, who lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over World Boxing's decision barring her from events unless she undergoes genetic sex testing, said she would only undergo the testing if it is administered by the IOC, Reuters reported.

"Of course, I would accept doing anything I'm required to do to participate in competitions," Khelif told CNN.

"They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn't hurt other women."

"I'm not transgender. I'm a woman. I want to live my life. Please do not exploit me in your political agendas."

The 26-year-old was hopeful of getting justice from the CAS.

“I will not surrender until I have justice because I know justice is on my side above all else,” she said.


Benzema Scores Hat-trick on his Debut for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Okhdood v Al Hilal - Prince Hathloul Bin Absulaziz Sport City Stadium, Najran, Saudi Arabia - February 5, 2026  Al Hilal's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with Nasser Al Dawsari REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Okhdood v Al Hilal - Prince Hathloul Bin Absulaziz Sport City Stadium, Najran, Saudi Arabia - February 5, 2026 Al Hilal's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with Nasser Al Dawsari REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Benzema Scores Hat-trick on his Debut for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Okhdood v Al Hilal - Prince Hathloul Bin Absulaziz Sport City Stadium, Najran, Saudi Arabia - February 5, 2026  Al Hilal's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with Nasser Al Dawsari REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Okhdood v Al Hilal - Prince Hathloul Bin Absulaziz Sport City Stadium, Najran, Saudi Arabia - February 5, 2026 Al Hilal's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring their first goal with Nasser Al Dawsari REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick and grabbed an assist on his debut for Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal as they thrashed lowly Al-Akhdoud 6-0 on Thursday.

The 38-year-old joined Al-Hilal on Monday.

The former France striker made an immediate impact for his new side as he broke the deadlock in style with a back-heel touch after seizing on a loose ball inside ⁠the area shortly after the half-hour mark.

Benzema doubled ‌the score with a ‍low, close-range drive ‍in the 60th minute and four ‍minutes later completed his hat-trick with another close-range effort.

The Frenchman set up Malcom for Al-Hilal's fourth, shortly before being substituted in the 71st minute.

"It was an important game today. So we ⁠are happy, we play well, we do a clean sheet and we score so we are happy," Reuters quoted Benzema as saying.

"Everybody is good with me they give me everything so when I am on the pitch I give everything for them," he added.

Salem Al-Dawsari, the AFC Player of the Year ‌for 2025, completed the rout with a brace.


Strasbourg Beats Monaco 3-1 to Reach French Cup Quarterfinals

Strasbourg's Paraguayan midfielder #10 Julio Enciso (2nd R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the French Cup round of 16 football match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and AS Monaco at the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP)
Strasbourg's Paraguayan midfielder #10 Julio Enciso (2nd R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the French Cup round of 16 football match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and AS Monaco at the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP)
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Strasbourg Beats Monaco 3-1 to Reach French Cup Quarterfinals

Strasbourg's Paraguayan midfielder #10 Julio Enciso (2nd R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the French Cup round of 16 football match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and AS Monaco at the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP)
Strasbourg's Paraguayan midfielder #10 Julio Enciso (2nd R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the French Cup round of 16 football match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and AS Monaco at the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Frederick FLORIN / AFP)

Paraguay midfielder Julio Enciso scored twice as Strasbourg beat Monaco 3-1 at home to reach the French Cup quarterfinals on Thursday.

Winger Martial Godo put Strasbourg ahead in the seventh minute to quickly end Monaco's bid for a fourth straight clean sheet.

Enciso struck twice in quick succession in the second half before striker Mika Biereth replied for Monaco in the 58th, The Associated Press reported.

Strasbourg's reward is a home game against second-tier Reims, last year's runner-up. Reims is the only team left not playing in Ligue 1.

Brazil forward Endrick's fifth goal in five games on loan from Real Madrid helped Lyon win on Wednesday.

Lyon will host Lens, while Marseille faces Toulouse and Nice is at Lorient in the other quarterfinals held next month.