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Zheng Routs Paolini to Advance to Semifinals at WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia

Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Zheng Routs Paolini to Advance to Semifinals at WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia

Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Tennis - WTA Finals - King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - November 6, 2024 China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates after winning her women's singles group stage match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Zheng Qinwen cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jasmine Paolini to reach the semifinals of the WTA Finals on Wednesday.
Zheng needed just over an hour to defeat Paolini in the match that decided the final qualifier from the Purple Group at the season-ending tournament for the top eight women's players, The Associated Press reported.
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who had won her first two matches to clinch a semifinal spot, lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to No. 5 Elena Rybakina. It was Rybakina's first win of the round-robin phase.
It was Zheng's fourth win in as many matches against Paolini. The 22-year-old Chinese player had 12 aces and broke the Italian's serve five times.
“It's one of the best performances I had during this year,” Zheng said. “I'm really proud. I played in a really difficult group.”
Zheng is the youngest player to reach the semifinals in her first appearance at the WTA Finals since Petra Kvitova in 2011. It’s her seventh semifinal of the year and the first time she has beaten two top-10 opponents in the same tournament. She defeated Elena Rybakina on Monday.
Zheng has won 30 matches since Wimbledon, clinching the Olympic gold medal in Paris and winning titles in Palermo and Tokyo.
She could become the second player to win the singles gold medal and reach the WTA Finals championship match in the same season since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988, after Serena Williams in 2012.
Paolini finished the season 38-19, having made the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Jessica Pegula withdrew from her last match at the tournament because of a left knee injury. The American, who lost her first two matches and was already eliminated from semifinal contention, will be replaced in the Orange Group by first alternate and ninth-ranked Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina will play second-ranked Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

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Colombia Beat DR Congo 1-0 to Reach World Cup Knockouts

Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
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Colombia Beat DR Congo 1-0 to Reach World Cup Knockouts

Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)

Colombia finally broke down a stubborn DR Congo side on Tuesday to secure a 1-0 win that guaranteed their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Victory in Guadalajara, courtesy of a 76th-minute goal from Daniel Munoz, took them top of Group K with six points -- two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal with one game to go in the first round.

Portugal, held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening match, earlier hammered Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice.

Colombian fans turned the Mexican stadium into a sea of yellow, vastly outnumbering supporters of the African nation, AFP reported.

The South Americans, who beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their tournament opener, dominated the early stages, peppering Lionel Mpasi's goal.

Munoz squandered an early chance and shortly afterwards had a goal ruled out for offside while James Rodriguez unleashed a stinging shot that was brilliantly saved as Colombia kept probing.

Mpasi made further sharp stops from Johan Mojica and Luis Diaz as the Colombians, playing with pace and invention, continued to dominate.

But their intensity dipped after the first drinks break, allowing DR Congo to edge back into the contest and pose their own occasional threat.

Mpasi made another stunning save with his leg from Diaz in the 50th minute to keep the game goalless.

DR Congo briefly threatened but Crystal Palace defender Munoz made up for his first-half miss when his shot was deflected past a wrong-footed Mpasi.

The African team did not give up and as the clock ticked past 90 minutes Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was forced to scramble to his left to turn a fierce Nathanael Mbuku shot behind.

Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face Portugal in Miami on Saturday, while DR Congo take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

The Africans still have an outside chance of reaching the last 32 in their first appearance at the World Cup since 1974, when the country was known as Zaire.

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Senegal Skipper Koulibaly Owns up to Mistakes Against Norway

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly , left, and Norway's Erling Haaland vie for the ball during a World Cup Group I match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP)
Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly , left, and Norway's Erling Haaland vie for the ball during a World Cup Group I match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP)
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Senegal Skipper Koulibaly Owns up to Mistakes Against Norway

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly , left, and Norway's Erling Haaland vie for the ball during a World Cup Group I match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP)
Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly , left, and Norway's Erling Haaland vie for the ball during a World Cup Group I match in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP)

Senegal ‌captain Kalidou Koulibaly owned up to key mistakes in his side’s World Cup group-stage loss to Norway on Monday that left the African side in danger of early elimination.

Koulibaly’s slips allowed Norway to win 3-2 and book their place in the next round along with France, while Senegal, who before the tournament had been touted as strong outsiders, have yet to pick up any points and must win their match against Iraq in Toronto on Friday if they ‌are to have ‌any chance of being one of ‌the ⁠best third-placed finishers.

"At ⁠the top level, football comes down to the details. The team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. Today, I made a lot of mistakes and that’s a real shame,” Koulibaly told reporters after the game.

“The standard at the World Cup is very high and so there is no room ⁠for error. We made too many mistakes ‌to stand any chance of winning ‌the match.”

Koulibaly misjudged a clearance and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was ‌unable to keep out substitute Marcus Pedersen's rasping shot to ‌give Norway the lead close to halftime.

The 35-year-old defender, whose place had been questioned after the defeat to France in their opening game in Group I, was also culpable for Erling Haaland’s ‌two goals in the second half.

Despite a litany of defensive errors, Senegal sometimes looked ⁠dangerous on ⁠the counter-attack, with Ismaila Sarr getting two goals back, including one in stoppage time.

“Chasing the game is very difficult. Mentally, the team reacted well though. Despite the setbacks, there was a surge of energy and the players did everything they could to try and secure a draw but we didn't manage it. You have to believe until the very end,” added Koulibaly, who was taken off in the 72nd minute.

"Now we have to believe right to the end. We’re going to play a big match against Iraq and try to win," the skipper said.

Sports

F1 to Have Extra Test Day from 2027, Engine Tweaks Approved

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
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F1 to Have Extra Test Day from 2027, Engine Tweaks Approved

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - June 7, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli in action during the race REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo

Formula One teams will be allowed an extra day of pre-season testing from next year while agreed engine tweaks have now been formally approved, the sport's governing body said on Tuesday.

The current allocation of three days of testing has been increased to ⁠four due to ⁠the complexity of the cars, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said after its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) met in Macau.

According to Reuters, it ⁠added that the WMSC had ratified proposed changes "to rebalance the contribution of the Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

"Updates include targeted adjustments to internal combustion engine output, fuel energy flow ⁠and ⁠energy recovery system deployment, together with increased flexibility in energy management."

The changes aim to allow more flat-out qualifying and less energy management after widespread driver complaints earlier this season that racing had become more artificial and also more dangerous.