Cristiano Ronaldo Nets 2 and Leads Saudi League in Scoring

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Taawoun v Al Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - January 17, 2025 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match. REUTERS/Stringer
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Taawoun v Al Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - January 17, 2025 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match. REUTERS/Stringer
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Cristiano Ronaldo Nets 2 and Leads Saudi League in Scoring

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Taawoun v Al Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - January 17, 2025 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match. REUTERS/Stringer
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Taawoun v Al Nassr - King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia - January 17, 2025 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match. REUTERS/Stringer

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Al-Nassr in a 3-1 victory over Al-Khaleej on Tuesday to move atop the Saudi Pro League goalscoring standings above Aleksandar Mitrovic and Karim Benzema.
The five-time Ballon D’Or winner fired Al-Nassr into the lead after 65 minutes, finding the net with a low shot from the edge of the area for his 100th goal contribution since joining the Riyadh club in December 2022, The Associated Press reported.
While Al-Khaleej made it 1-1 after 80 minutes, Sultan Al-Ghannam quickly restored the lead for Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo sealed victory eight minutes into stoppage time from close range for his 13th Saudi Pro League goal of the season. He is one ahead of Mitrovic of Al-Hilal and two in front of Benzema of Al-Ittihad.
Al-Nassr climbed into third but is 11 points behind Al-Hilal, which later defeated Al-Wehda 4-1 to go three points clear of Al-Ittihad.



Navarro Calls for Video Review Rule Change After Double Bounce in Defeat 

USA's Emma Navarro hits a return against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
USA's Emma Navarro hits a return against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
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Navarro Calls for Video Review Rule Change After Double Bounce in Defeat 

USA's Emma Navarro hits a return against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2025. (AFP)
USA's Emma Navarro hits a return against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles quarter-final match on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 22, 2025. (AFP)

Emma Navarro's split-second decision not to halt play after a double bounce in her Australian Open quarter-final loss to Iga Swiatek on Wednesday cost her a vital point and the American called for changes to the rules on the use of video reviews.

Navarro lost the match 6-1 6-2, with her fightback fading following a controversial moment at 2-2 in the second set, when Swiatek ran to the net and returned a low shot after the ball had bounced twice.

The incident was missed by the chair umpire and while the 23-year-old Navarro sought a video review immediately after losing the point she was informed by the official that it was too late as she had continued the rally.

"I think it (a video review) should be allowed after the point even if you play. It happened so fast. You hit the shot, and she hits it back, and you're just like 'Oh, I guess I'm playing'," Navarro told reporters.

"In the back of your head you're like, 'Okay, maybe I can still win the point even though it wasn't called'. It's going to be a downer if I stop the point and it turns out it wasn't a double bounce. Yeah, it's tough.

"I think we should be able to see it afterwards and make that call."

Swiatek, a five-times Grand Slam champion who is chasing her first Australian Open title, said it was the official's job to call double bounces.

"I wasn't sure if it was a double bounce or I hit it with my frame," Swiatek added.

"It was hard to say, because I was sprinting. I don't remember even seeing the contact point. Sometimes you don't really look when you hit the ball.

"I thought this is like the umpire's job to call it. I was also waiting for the (video review), but I didn't see it, so I proceeded. I was already focused on the next one."

It was not the first time Swiatek had benefited from a no-call on a double bounce at a Grand Slam with a similar incident occurring during her quarter-final win over Jessica Pegula in her triumphant 2022 French Open run.

Navarro shrugged off Wednesday's incident, saying it was not the only factor in her defeat.

"It is what it is, I guess," she added.

"It's tough to place blame on anybody. It's a tough call. I think the rules should be different."