Alcaraz Celebrates 20th Birthday with Return to Madrid Final

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates beating Croatia's Borna Coric during their 2023 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament singles semi-final match at Caja Magica in Madrid on May 5, 2023. (AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates beating Croatia's Borna Coric during their 2023 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament singles semi-final match at Caja Magica in Madrid on May 5, 2023. (AFP)
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Alcaraz Celebrates 20th Birthday with Return to Madrid Final

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates beating Croatia's Borna Coric during their 2023 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament singles semi-final match at Caja Magica in Madrid on May 5, 2023. (AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates beating Croatia's Borna Coric during their 2023 ATP Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament singles semi-final match at Caja Magica in Madrid on May 5, 2023. (AFP)

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday by returning to the Madrid Open final after beating Borna Coric in straight sets.

The defending champion defeated the 17th-seeded Coric 6-4, 6-3 on the outdoor clay in yet another dominant performance by the home favorite.

The second-ranked Alcaraz will play Jan-Lennard Struff or Aslan Karatsev in Sunday’s final.

Alcaraz is aiming for his fourth title of the season after triumphs in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, and Barcelona. The Spaniard is also preparing for the French Open this month.

If Alcaraz successfully defends his title in Madrid, he will recover his world No. 1 ranking by playing one match in Rome next week.



Saudi Arabia, Argentina Discuss Means to Enhance Football Cooperation

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia, Argentina Discuss Means to Enhance Football Cooperation

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) President Yasser Almisehal met on Wednesday with Argentina’s Ambassador Facundo Vila at the federation’s headquarters in Riyadh.

During the meeting, they discussed means of enhancing cooperation between the Saudi and Argentinean football federations.

The meeting aligns with SAFF’s football transformation strategy launched in September 2021, comprising seven pillars that include strengthening international relations.