Paolini Defeats Kalinskaya in Comeback Victory for Dubai Title

Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2024.  EPA/ALI HAIDER
Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2024. EPA/ALI HAIDER
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Paolini Defeats Kalinskaya in Comeback Victory for Dubai Title

Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2024.  EPA/ALI HAIDER
Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis WTA Championships 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 February 2024. EPA/ALI HAIDER

Jasmine Paolini earned her biggest title by defeating Anna Kalinskaya 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the Dubai Championships final on Saturday.
Paolini fought back from a break down in the second and third sets en route to the second WTA singles title of her nine-year tour-level career.
The 26th-ranked Paolini and 40th-ranked Kalinskaya defied a field that started with 16 of the top 20 women, including the top four.
Paolini won her first title in Slovenia in 2021 and lost three finals since then. She lost to Kalinskaya a month ago in the Australian Open fourth round. Saturday’s victory assured the Italian of a top 15 debut when the rankings are updated on Monday.
“It's so special. I'm really happy and really surprised,” an emotional, smiling Paolini said on court, according to The Associated Press.
“I'm just happy that I believed I could win every match. I remember my first match this week. It was second set, I'd lost the first and was a break down, yet now I'm here winning the title. It's unbelievable.”
Paolini trailed 6-4, 3-1. Then she was 4-2 down in the third set. She stopped Kalinskaya serving for the match at 5-4.
Kalinskaya came through qualifying and beat three top-10 players in a row — including No. 1 Iga Swiatek — to reach her first final. Kalinskaya will debut in the top 30 on Monday.



F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
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F1 Seeks to Spice up Monaco GP with More Mandatory Pitstops

Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drives during the third practice session of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on May 25, 2024. (AFP)

Formula One's governing body is planning to spice up the showcase Monaco Grand Prix by forcing teams to carry out more pitstops.

The FIA said in a statement that an F1 commission meeting in London on Tuesday had discussed "proposals for Monaco-specific regulations" to promote less processional racing at the tight and twisty circuit.

"The commission agreed to increase the numbers of mandatory pitstops in the race," it added, without providing further details.

"These proposals will be further discussed by the sporting advisory committee in the coming weeks."

The current mandatory minimum is one pitstop per race.

Overtaking is extremely difficult around Monaco, with qualifying and pole position a much more crucial element than at other races.

The FIA said there would also no longer be any restriction on the number of gearboxes teams could use during a season as the reliability of current designs had rendered the regulation obsolete.