Two Seeded Players Lose in First Round at the Adelaide International 

Russia's Anna Kalinskaya hits a return against Belarus's Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2024. (AFP)
Russia's Anna Kalinskaya hits a return against Belarus's Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Two Seeded Players Lose in First Round at the Adelaide International 

Russia's Anna Kalinskaya hits a return against Belarus's Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2024. (AFP)
Russia's Anna Kalinskaya hits a return against Belarus's Victoria Azarenka during their women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 2, 2024. (AFP)

Former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova and Beatriz Haddad Maia lost their first-round matches Monday at the Adelaide International.

Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya beat 2021 Roland Garros winner and No. 4-seeded Krejcikova 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Kalinskaya had three match points on Krejcikova’s serve when leading 6-5 in the deciding set and converted the third for the win.

Former French Open finalist Pavlyuchenkova breezed through qualifying and beat fifth-seeded Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-4.

The joint WTA-ATP tournament is the biggest tune-up event this week for the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday at Melbourne Park.

In another first-round Adelaide result, Ana Bogdan beat Katie Boulter, who represented Britain at last week's United Cup tournament, 6-3, 6-4.

Elena Rybakina, who won Sunday’s Brisbane International, and Jessica Pegula are the top women’s seeds. Neither played Monday.

Tommy Paul is the top-seeded player in the ATP portion of the tournament. In a first-round result Monday, Jack Draper beat fifth-seeded Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-3.

At the Hobart International WTA tournament, top-seeded Elise Mehrtens, who won the tournament in 2017 and 2018, beat 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-3.

“Collins is) definitely a tough opponent in the first round. She can definitely strike the ball very hard,” Mertens said. “The weather was in my advantage, a little bit more wind.”

The Belgian player next faces Slovakia’s Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova, who beat fellow qualifier Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5.



UEFA Bans Barcelona Fans from One Away Game in Champions League

Barcelona's Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal reacts during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal reacts during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)
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UEFA Bans Barcelona Fans from One Away Game in Champions League

Barcelona's Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal reacts during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)
Barcelona's Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal reacts during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on September 25, 2024. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

UEFA banned Barcelona on Friday from selling tickets to fans for its next away game in the Champions League for “racism and/or other discriminatory conduct” during a game at Monaco.
The disciplinary sanction will apply on Nov. 6 when Barcelona plays at Red Star Belgrade, The Associated Press reported.
UEFA did not specify details of the misconduct during a 2-1 loss at Monaco last week in the teams’ opening game in the new format Champions League opening phase.
The ticket sales ban activated a probationary sanction UEFA ordered for Barcelona last season. In April, fans made Nazi salutes at Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League game.
UEFA said its disciplinary judges also fined Barcelona 10,000 euros ($11,000) and ordered a new probationary sanction for a repeat offense in the next year. That will activate another ticket sales ban for one away game in a European competition.