عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Osaka Advances as Gauff, Jabeur Dumped Out of Qatar Open

Naomi Osaka won back-to-back matches at a tournament for the first time in 23 months - AFP
Naomi Osaka won back-to-back matches at a tournament for the first time in 23 months - AFP
TT
TT

Osaka Advances as Gauff, Jabeur Dumped Out of Qatar Open

Naomi Osaka won back-to-back matches at a tournament for the first time in 23 months - AFP
Naomi Osaka won back-to-back matches at a tournament for the first time in 23 months - AFP

Naomi Osaka battled into the last 16 of the Qatar Open on Tuesday but Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur crashed to surprise second-round exits with straight-sets defeats.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka brushed past Croatia's Petra Martic 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), continuing a comeback from maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter in July.

Osaka grasped control with a break in the fourth game of the opening set. She broke twice more in the second set -- either side of dropping her own serve -- only to blow a chance to close out the match at 5-4.

Martic threatened to force a third set as she won the first four points of the tie-break, but Osaka then saved four set points before her opponent double-faulted down match point.

It is the first WTA tournament in almost two years at which Osaka has won back-to-back matches. She goes on to play Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who knocked out fourth seed Jabeur 6-3, 6-2.

Tsurenko won nine straight games from 3-1 down in the first set to notch her first victory over a top-10 player in five years.

Jabeur has endured a difficult start to the year. She admitted she was still hampered by a right knee problem that affected her in Abu Dhabi.

"Definitely much better than last week, but it's still there, unfortunately," said Jabeur, AFP reported.

"It will not heal in two or three days, but I'm doing my best to heal it, and I think it's going to be very positive for the next weeks."

World number three Gauff lost 6-2, 6-4 to Katerina Siniakova in her opening match, marking the first time she has failed to reach the quarter-finals of a tournament since Wimbledon last year.

US Open champion Gauff dropped serve six times in an error-strewn display, blowing a 4-0 lead in the second set.

Siniakova will face Danielle Collins in the last 16.

Elena Rybakina, seeded third, raced past China's Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-1. She meet American Emma Navarro for a place in the quarter-finals.

Earlier on Tuesday, Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen battled to victory in her first match since losing the Melbourne final to Aryna Sabalenka, beating Magda Linette 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Belgian Coach Tedesco Still Believes He’s the Right Man for the Job

Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Belgian Coach Tedesco Still Believes He’s the Right Man for the Job

Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Belgium's head coach Domenico Tedesco waves at the end of the UEFA Nations League Group A2 football match between Belgium and Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on November 14, 2024. (AFP)

Belgium's 1-0 defeat by Israel in the Nations League on Sunday has ramped up the pressure on Domenico Tedesco but the coach still believes he is the right man for the job.

Belgium have won just two of their last 10 internationals and only avoided bottom place in their group, and relegation from the top tier, because of better head-to-head results against the Israelis.

The 39-year-old has come under scrutiny since Belgium's disappointing exit at the European Championship and while the defeat in Budapest on Sunday did little to ease the pressure Tedesco remained positive about his role.

"I trust my qualities. I trust my staff, I trust my players. I trust the people around me. I know how hard I work," he said.

Belgium's timid tactics have been criticized throughout the six-game campaign despite Tedesco promising a more adventurous approach after they limped out to France in the last 16 at Euro 2024 in July.

"After the Euros I told you that we have to change something in some games, we missed intensity, and that we have to try new players because if we don't do it now we will never do it," Tedesco told reporters.

"This campaign was different because of many, many injuries."

Belgium were without a host of key players for their last group game on Sunday and lost the match late on after a horror defensive error from new cap Matte Smets.

"It was a difficult game, difficult circumstances, and it's difficult to say something harsh to this young team," said Tedesco.

"We are better equipped now to go into the next year's World Cup qualifiers."

While his future was the subject of much debate in Belgium after the loss to Israel, Tedesco was not letting it get to him.

"The negative sentiment is nothing new. I was told this is typically Belgian," he added.

"Naturally the results in the Nations League did not help but in March we have a sort of final in the playoffs to keep our place in the A League. It will be good to start the New Year with a strong focus."