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Sonmez Becomes Fan Favorite in Melbourne After Coming to Aid of Ball Girl

Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye and umpire Chase Urban help a ball kid who fainted, from the court during her first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP)
Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye and umpire Chase Urban help a ball kid who fainted, from the court during her first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP)
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Sonmez Becomes Fan Favorite in Melbourne After Coming to Aid of Ball Girl

Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye and umpire Chase Urban help a ball kid who fainted, from the court during her first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP)
Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye and umpire Chase Urban help a ball kid who fainted, from the court during her first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP)

Zeynep Sonmez earned a place in fans' hearts as well as the second round at the Australian Open on Sunday when the Turkish qualifier rushed to the aid of a ball girl who had fainted in the punishing Melbourne heat.

The world number 112 was locked in battle with ‌11th seed ‌Ekaterina Alexandrova and waiting ‌to ⁠receive serve ‌in the second set when the girl, who was positioned beside the chair umpire, suddenly wobbled and fell on her back.

The girl picked herself up but stumbled again moments later, prompting ⁠23-year-old Sonmez to stop play and run towards ‌her.

With the crowd applauding, ‍Sonmez put the ‍girl's arm over her shoulder and ‍guided her to a seat so medical staff could provide treatment.

Sonmez went on to lose the set but she was able to secure a 7-5 4-6 6-4 win and become the ⁠first woman from Türkiye to reach the second round of the Melbourne Park Grand Slam.

Her victory comes on the back of a 2025 season in which she reached the third round at Wimbledon, marking the best Grand Slam result in the professional era for a Turkish woman.

She also reached the ‌second round of the US Open.

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Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
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Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa

Bayern Munich face a tricky trip to Bayer Leverkusen while holders Stuttgart will host local rivals Freiburg in the semi-finals of the German Cup after Sunday's draw, AFP reported.

Record 20-time winners Bayern made it to the semis this season for the first time since they last lifted the trophy in 2020.

That season, they defeated Leverkusen in the final.

Leverkusen won a league and cup double in 2023-24 and knocked Bayern out of the competition in the last 16 last season.

Stuttgart, who beat third-tier Arminia Bielefeld to win the Cup in May, are four-time winners.

Freiburg, losing finalists to RB Leipzig in 2022, are the only one of the semi-finalists never to have won the trophy.

The semi-finals will take place at the end of April with the final held at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on May 23.

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Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
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Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck a winner deep into stoppage-time as his side snatched a scarcely-deserved 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

After a pedestrian 90 minutes in which they barely managed a shot on target, Mac Allister lit the fuse with a stoppage-time effort that was ruled out for handball before rifling home a rebound in the 97th minute to snatch the win.

Liverpool's attacking struggles began before the game when Florian Wirtz suffered an injury in the warm-up, and was replaced by Curtis Jones.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had an early chance for the home side but Alisson stood tall to thwart him, and Elliot Anderson ⁠spurned a couple ⁠of decent chances as the visitors barely threatened at all, Reuters reported.

Liverpool’s best chance in normal time came in the 54th minute when Mohamed Salah headed a deep cross back to Jones, but Forest keeper Stefan Ortega got a foot to his shot to avert the danger, and the home side looked to be headed for a draw in their first ⁠league game under new manager Vitor Perreira.

However, Mac Allister had other ideas and he thought he had given his side the lead in the second minute of stoppage time when the ball cannoned off him and into the net, but a VAR review showed the ball striking his elbow.

Undeterred, Mac Allister latched on to a rebound in the 97th minute and lashed it into the net.

Liverpool are sixth in the table on 45 points, level with Chelsea and Manchester United, who occupy fourth and fifth spots. Forest are 17th on 27 points, two above ⁠the relegation zone.

Liverpool ⁠manager Arne Slot was well aware of how close his side came to losing more ground in the race for Champions League football.

"It was fine margins, we really struggled in the first half. We were the lucky ones, scoring in the extra time," he told the BBC, and though Mac Allister was happy to get the three points, he was far from pleased with how his side performed.

"Mixed feelings, I love scoring, I love winning, but I don't think we played very well. It's always nice when you win," he told Sky Sports.

"We need to analyze what we did well and what went wrong. The intensity wasn't there, but we did what we did to win."

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Bayern Confirm Davies Suffered Muscle Injury Against Frankfurt

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (R) sits injured on the ground during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (R) sits injured on the ground during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
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Bayern Confirm Davies Suffered Muscle Injury Against Frankfurt

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (R) sits injured on the ground during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies (R) sits injured on the ground during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa

Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies suffered a muscle injury during Saturday's 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena, the German club said.

Davies, who recently returned to action after a long-term knee injury, was replaced by Hiroki Ito in the 50th minute after the Canadian collapsed and required ⁠medical treatment.

"Alphonso Davies ⁠suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right hamstring in the 3-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. This was confirmed by ... FC Bayern’s medical unit," ⁠the side said in a statement.

"The defender will be sidelined for the time being."

While the length of Davies' absence remains unconfirmed, manager Vincent Kompany expressed hope he would return within two to four weeks.

"It doesn't look so bad," Kompany said after the match, according to Reuters.

"I ⁠don't ⁠know if it will be two or four weeks," he told reporters. "My gut feeling is that it won't take that long."

Bayern, who are on top of the Bundesliga table with 60 points in 23 games, will face the second-placed Borussia Dortmund next Saturday.