Sabalenka Extends Winning Streak, Osaka to Play Gauff at China Open

 Tennis - China Open - China National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 30, 2024 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning her round of 32 match against Ashlyn Krueger of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - China Open - China National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 30, 2024 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning her round of 32 match against Ashlyn Krueger of the US. (Reuters)
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Sabalenka Extends Winning Streak, Osaka to Play Gauff at China Open

 Tennis - China Open - China National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 30, 2024 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning her round of 32 match against Ashlyn Krueger of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - China Open - China National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 30, 2024 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning her round of 32 match against Ashlyn Krueger of the US. (Reuters)

Aryna Sabalenka's dominant hard-court season showed no signs of slowing down as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger at the China Open on Monday for her 14th consecutive victory.

The three-time Grand Slam winner started her streak with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the US Open earlier this month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year.

The second-ranked Sabalenka converted five of her seven breakpoint opportunities in a lopsided contest against Krueger and will next face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21.

Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat the baseline power of Keys.

Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a round of 16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.

It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, with the head-to-head series tied at 2-2.

“It’s going to be a really cool test for me,” Osaka said. “She’s played really well this year. I’m excited to play the match, and I know people are excited to watch the match.”

Osaka, who returned from maternity leave at the start of this season and is No. 73 in the current rankings, fired five aces and produced three service breaks.

The four-time major winner joined Mouratoglou shortly before the China Open after splitting with Wim Fisette. Her run here so far is the first time since May that Osaka has had three consecutive wins.

Also, No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya was leading 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 when Peyton Sterns retired from their match. She will next play Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine.

Karolina Muchova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 and will play the winner of the match between Cristina Bucsa and 24th-seeded Elise Mertens in the fourth round.

In the men's draw, Andrey Rublev beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 7-5 in a match that was carried over from Sunday because of a rain delay.

No. 6-ranked Rublev had six aces and 21 winners to extend his career record against Davidovich Fokina to 5-0.

The fifth-seeded Russian will play local favorite No. 96-ranked Bu Yunchaokete in the quarterfinals.



France will Host Israel in the Nations League 'Under Usual Conditions,' French Authorities Say

Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
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France will Host Israel in the Nations League 'Under Usual Conditions,' French Authorities Say

Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)
Israel’s Mohammad Abu Fani celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italia and Israel at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Israel's Nations League soccer match against host France next month will take place in "usual conditions,” French authorities said Tuesday, a day after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.

Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police prefect, said in a statement that the match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public,” The AP reported.

Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday, with the game being played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.

It was the first match Israel has played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.

All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including last month’s game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.