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Al-Ittihad to Meet New Zealand’s Auckland City in First Match of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup

(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
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Al-Ittihad to Meet New Zealand’s Auckland City in First Match of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup

(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)
(FILES) Ittihad's French forward #09 Karim Benzema reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd stadium in Riyadh on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)

Al-Ittihad football team of Saudi Arabia is set to meet on Tuesday evening, December 12, Auckland City Football Club of New Zealand, in the opening of the 20th edition of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, to be held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, SPA said on Tuesday.
Led by French striker Karim Benzema and his compatriot N’Golo Kante, Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad enters this confrontation armed with prominent and distinguished players with great experience, local and regional record and a high technical level.
The Saudi fans in general, and Al-Ittihad in particular, are looking forward to Tuesday’s match, in view of the constellation of stars who represent them on the field, technically led by Argentine coach Gallardo, and with the advantage of playing at home. Indeed, the Saudi sports fans wish their team achieve a positive result, enabling it to make further progress in the event which witnesses the participation of seven teams: England’s Manchester City, Egypt’s Al-Ahly, Japan’s Urawa Reds, Brazil’s Fluminense, Mexico’s Club Leon, and New Zealand’s Auckland City.

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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
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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.