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.



Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning a first major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia in 2022 were given an unlikely domestic lifeline on Saturday and, on Monday, the Portuguese star can help Al-Nassr stay on course for a first Asian title.

Ronaldo scored his seventh goal of the season against Al-Qadsia on Friday in a battle against Spanish defender Nacho but his former Real Madrid teammate was celebrating at the final whistle.

“It was a different and difficult game against Ronaldo,” Nacho said. “He is my friend and I had the best part of my career playing with him but here we have a different experience and are playing for different teams. It was an honor to play against him.”

Al-Nassr looked to be slipping out of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title race. Al-Hilal, unbeaten in 46 league games, would have gone nine points clear on Saturday with a win against Al-Khaleej but despite leading 2-0, Hilal fell to a shock 3-2 defeat, a first since May 2023.

“We knew that the victories would not continue because this is football,” said Hilal forward Marcos Leonardo. “We have to work and achieve victory in the next match in the AFC Champions League Elite.”

Saudi Arabian clubs have yet to lose in the western zone of the Asian competition — the 24 teams in the tournament are divided into two groups of 12 with eight from each progressing to the Round of 16 after playing eight matches — and occupy the top three spots.

Al-Nassr is third with ten points from four games and will be almost certain of a place in the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

Al-Hilal, a four-time champion and top of the group with four wins, also travels to Qatar to face 2011 winner Al-Sadd. Unlike SPL games, Neymar is eligible to play in Asian competitions but the Brazilian is still recovering from the injury sustained against Esteghlal of Iran earlier in November.

Al-Ahli of Jeddah is second with the maximum 12 points and faces defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ain is bottom of the group and lost 5-4 to Hilal and then 5-1 to Nassr, defeats which cost Hernan Crespo his job as head coach earlier in November. The Argentine has been replaced by Leonardo Jardim, the Portuguese boss who led Al-Hilal to the 2021 continental title.

In the eastern zone, there is another former champion in 12th and last place. Ulsan HD, winner in 2012 and 2020, has lost all four games. Ulsan has just won a third successive South Korean title and needs to defeat newly-crowned Chinese champion Shanghai Port to keep chances of the second round alive.

Australia’s sole representative Central Coast Mariners is also in need of victory as it has just one point. The A-League team however has a daunting trip to Japan to face group leader Vissel Kobe.