Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

07:14-14 November 2026 AD ـ 04 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1448 AH

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Elina Svitolina overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the deciding set to seal a 6-3 3-6 6-1 upset on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells, where she will face Linda Noskova.

Svitolina absorbed and redirected Sabalenka's power effectively, breaking the Belarusian six times before sealing her first victory over her opponent in more than six years with a forehand winner on her ‌fourth match ‌point. With the win, Svitolina improved to 2-6 against ‌Sabalenka ⁠in their career ⁠meetings.

"It was a bit of a roller-coaster match," Svitolina told reporters.

"I played well in the first set but lost a little bit of rhythm. She played well in the second and served much better. I was really happy with the way I could come back in the third after losing the first game."

The Ukrainian again did not shake hands ⁠with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining her policy of ‌not doing so with Russian and Belarusian ‌players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Svitolina, the 2018 WTA Finals champion, will face ‌Noskova on Saturday for a place in the final.

The defeat ended ‌Sabalenka's season on a disappointing note. The second seed won Brisbane International in January and then Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March to complete the "Sunshine Double" but did not claim another title after that.

Sabalenka also surrendered the world ‌number one ranking to Elena Rybakina at the US Open. She had entered the season finale among ⁠the favorites after ⁠Rybakina withdrew on the eve of the tournament because of illness.

Sabalenka declined to speak to the media following Friday's loss.

ANDREEVA ROLLS

Earlier in the day, tournament debutant Andreeva continued her impressive run with a 6-2 6-1 win over fellow Russian Diana Shnaider, her third straight-sets victory of the week.

Shnaider, Andreeva's friend and doubles partner, replaced Karolina Muchova, who withdrew before the final day of round-robin matches with a gastrointestinal illness.

Andreeva had already secured her place in the semi-finals before facing Shnaider and will meet American Jessica Pegula on Saturday.

Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

07:14-14 November 2026 AD ـ 04 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1448 AH

Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine serves to Aryna Sabalenka during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

"It was a bit of a roller-coaster match," Svitolina told reporters.

The Ukrainian again did not shake hands ⁠with Sabalenka after the match, maintaining her policy of ‌not doing so with Russian and Belarusian ‌players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Svitolina, the 2018 WTA Finals champion, will face ‌Noskova on Saturday for a place in the final.

Sabalenka declined to speak to the media following Friday's loss.

ANDREEVA ROLLS

Earlier in the day, tournament debutant Andreeva continued her impressive run with a 6-2 6-1 win over fellow Russian Diana Shnaider, her third straight-sets victory of the week.

Shnaider, Andreeva's friend and doubles partner, replaced Karolina Muchova, who withdrew before the final day of round-robin matches with a gastrointestinal illness.

Andreeva had already secured her place in the semi-finals before facing Shnaider and will meet American Jessica Pegula on Saturday.

Sports

Man United Hires Mauricio Pochettino, Who Tearfully Leaves US Job to Revive Former Power

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino of the United States Men's National Soccer Team speaks to the media during a press conference after announcing his resignation at Arthur M. Blank US Soccer National Training Center on November 13, 2026 in Fayetteville, Georgia. (Getty Images/AFP)

16:27-13 November 2026 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1448 AH

Man United Hires Mauricio Pochettino, Who Tearfully Leaves US Job to Revive Former Power

Mauricio Pochettino was hired as Manchester United's head coach on Friday, agreeing to leave his job with the US national team to take on the challenge of reviving the fortunes of English football's once dominant force.

Just three months after announcing a contract to lead the Americans through the 2030 World Cup, the US Soccer Federation said Pochettino will depart next week for Old Trafford. The 20-time English champion is in the relegation zone after 10 games of the Premier League season.

“They know that there’s not too many opportunities (that) can happen in your career like a side of Manchester United and, of course, when that arrives, it’s difficult to turn down,” Pochettino said during an emotional news conference at the US team training camp.

He signed a 2 1/2-year contract and will take over on Nov. 18 ahead of the match at Liverpool four days later, becoming United's eighth permanent coach or manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Pochettino choked up at a news conference while sitting between USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone and CEO JT Batson.

“One of the most difficult decision in our career,” he said, crying and rubbing his hands as Cone put a supportive hand on his back.

“A decision that in some part is a very sad decision,” Pochettino added, “in another part is that we are professional and we need also trying to find the next step to try to make your dreams come true.”

United said the 54-year-old Argentine was “renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players," and had “consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues.”

Pochettino's appointment comes one day after Michael Carrick was fired for overseeing United's worst league start in 40 years, with one of the biggest teams in world football languishing 18th in the Premier League.

Pochettino and his assistants will remain with the US team for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals against Haiti on Saturday and Tuesday.

“We recovered our motivation,” Pochettino said. “We recovered our capacity to dream big, the capacity to train players that really want to improve and really want to share good moments and players that really care about the federation and this country.”

Pochettino took over the US team in the fall of 2024 and led the co-host Americans to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup. The USSF is likely to sound out Pep Guardiola’s interest and could also consider elevating Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo, a former national team defender. Cherundolo will lead a senior national team training camp next month with players mostly from Major League Soccer.

Going into his final two games, Pochettino led the US to 21 wins, 12 losses and two draws, counting a penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica as a draw. He was the first long-term US coach not to win any titles since Steve Sampson from 1995-98.

After coaching Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League, Espanyol in Spain and winning the French title with Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino takes a job that has proved to be too big for a succession of managers since Ferguson led the team to a record 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns during a near 27-year tenure.

United has not won the league since Ferguson’s last season in 2013 and has been overtaken by rivals Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Champions League-winning coaches Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho failed to meet United’s expectations, while David Moyes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Carrick also came up short.

Despite winning the French league with PSG in 2022, arguably Pochettino’s greatest achievement was turning Tottenham into a serial title contender in the Premier League and also leading the club to the Champions League final in 2019.

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

Sports

Rogers Says ‘It’s a Lie’ That Palmer Does Not Want to Play for England

Premier League - Sunderland v Chelsea - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - November 8, 2026 Chelsea's Cole Palmer looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

11:00-13 November 2026 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1448 AH

Rogers Says ‘It’s a Lie’ That Palmer Does Not Want to Play for England

Premier League - Sunderland v Chelsea - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - November 8, 2026 Chelsea's Cole Palmer looks dejected after the match. (Reuters)

Morgan Rogers defended Cole Palmer's ‌commitment to England on Thursday, saying any suggestion that his Chelsea teammate does not want to play for the national team "is a lie" and "nonsense".

Palmer, left out of England's World Cup squad this year after a persistent groin injury affected his form, was called up by coach Thomas Tuchel for Nations League fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia in September and October.

However, he was forced to pull out due to a recurrence of the issue, with ‌Tuchel saying the ‌24-year-old "misses too many opportunities" and then leaving ‌him ⁠out of the ⁠squad for this month's games.

Asked about Palmer's exclusion after England's 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley, goalscorer Rogers told the BBC: "He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done.

"He was in quite ⁠a low place with his injuries last ‌year and didn't feel 100% ‌himself on the pitch, so he wants to be here and ‌he wants to be the best version of himself.

"But ‌he also has to look at his body. He wants to play for 10 or 15 years, he also has to manage himself. If he has to manage himself in the short ‌term for the greater good then he has to do that and you have ⁠to fully ⁠support it.

"It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It's a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. It's a lie."

In his post-match press conference, Tuchel told reporters it was "totally fine" for Rogers to defend Palmer.

"It's his teammate and friend," the German manager added.

"I was very happy with the emotional commitment and physical commitment of Morgan. He was our standout player today."

England next travel to Madrid to face world champions Spain on Sunday in their final Nations League group stage game.

Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

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Svitolina Stuns Sabalenka to Reach WTA Finals Semis

Man United Hires Mauricio Pochettino, Who Tearfully Leaves US Job to Revive Former Power

Rogers Says ‘It’s a Lie’ That Palmer Does Not Want to Play for England

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