分类： sports

DUBAI – Despite the withdrawal of Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina due to illness, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continue to deliver high-stakes drama as defending champion Mirra Andreeva advances to a captivating quarterfinal showdown.

The 18-year-old Russian phenom, who became the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history with her Dubai triumph last year, secured her place in the final eight with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in a match featuring an extraordinary 13 service breaks.

Andreeva now faces American powerhouse Amanda Anisimova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who demonstrated dominant form with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 dismissal of Indonesian wildcard Janice Tjen in just 70 minutes.

The defending champion acknowledged her imperfect performance after experiencing disrupted preparation due to Daria Kasatkina’s late withdrawal, which granted her a walkover in the second round following a first-round bye. ‘It’s kind of breaking the rhythm of your play a little bit,’ Andreeva admitted. ‘I was pretty far from perfect today, but I’m super happy that I stayed focused and tried to reset for every single point.’

Andreeva now stands at the threshold of history, seeking to join tennis legends Justine Henin, Venus Williams, and Elina Svitolina as only the fourth player to claim consecutive Dubai titles. ‘I feel so much more motivated here than any tournament,’ she revealed. ‘I’m going to give it all tomorrow.’

In other quarterfinal action, Lucky Loser Antonia Ruzic capitalized on Rybakina’s withdrawal, advancing when the Russia-born Kazakh retired after Ruzic claimed the second set 6-4. The Austrian will face Svitolina, who prevailed in a three-set battle against Swiss opponent Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s Clara Tauson, last year’s Dubai finalist, delivered an impressive performance with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette. Tauson will next confront fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, who overpowered rising star Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2.

Australian women’s football team coach Joe Montemurro has unveiled his squad selection for the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup, set to commence on home soil in just ten days. The announcement confirms superstar striker Sam Kerr will captain the side in her fifth appearance at the continental tournament.

In a significant development, Montemurro has included Manchester City forward Mary Fowler, marking her return to international duty following a lengthy rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. Fowler sustained an anterior cruciate ligament rupture during last April’s Women’s FA Cup semifinal, requiring reconstructive surgery and limiting her to merely fifteen minutes of competitive play since.

The squad features experienced veterans Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter as vice-captains, providing leadership support to Kerr as Australia seeks its second Asian Cup title, having previously triumphed in 2010. This tournament, along with next year’s World Cup in Brazil, potentially represents the final major international competitions for many Matildas veterans who featured prominently in the 2023 World Cup.

Montemurro emphasized the selective process, stating: “Selecting a squad is never easy. But it is a privilege to bring together players who truly represent the identity and spirit of the Matildas, and who understand the responsibility of representing Australia.”

Australia begins its campaign against the Philippines in Perth on March 1, followed by group stage matches against Iran on the Gold Coast (March 5) and 2022 finalists South Korea in Sydney (March 8). The twelve-team tournament, featuring defending champions China, will conclude with the final at Sydney’s Olympic stadium on March 21, with matches distributed across five venues in Perth, Sydney, and the Gold Coast.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The Philippines has entered a groundbreaking chapter in winter sports history with 17-year-old Alpine skier Tallulah Proulx becoming the nation’s first female Winter Olympian and its youngest ever representative at the Winter Games. The U.S.-born athlete completed her historic participation in the Milan Cortina Games, finishing 50th in slalom and 52nd in giant slalom after proudly carrying the Philippine flag during the opening ceremony.

Proulx, who grew up skiing at California’s Sierra Tahoe resort before moving through Iowa’s Sundown Mountain and ultimately settling in Park City, Utah, represents a new wave of Filipino athletic excellence following tennis standout Alexandra Eala’s Australian Open popularity and gymnast Carlos Yulo’s dual gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics.

Despite her American upbringing, Proulx maintains deep familial connections to the Eastern Samar province in the Philippines’ Eastern Visayas region through her father. Though the COVID-19 pandemic canceled her planned first visit to the homeland, she immersed herself in Filipino culture through her grandmother’s cooking and traditions. The skier dedicated her Olympic journey to her grandmother, who passed away last year, viewing her participation as both a personal achievement and a tribute to her heritage.

At Cortina, Proulx experienced memorable interactions with skiing elites including American slalom specialist Paula Moltzan and gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, moments she described as surreal for someone who had long admired these athletes from afar.

The pioneering skier now looks forward to finally visiting the Philippines, hoping her trailblazing performance will inspire more tropical nations to participate in winter sports and demonstrate that geographical limitations need not determine athletic possibilities.

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has called for UEFA to impose a Champions League ban on Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni after the Argentine winger was accused of directing racial abuse at Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. The explosive incident occurred during Tuesday’s tense Champions League playoff first-leg encounter in Lisbon, which Real Madrid ultimately won 1-0.

The controversy erupted shortly after Vinicius broke the deadlock with a superb second-half curler. Television cameras captured Prestianni apparently covering his mouth with his shirt before making a remark that Vinicius and several teammates immediately interpreted as racially motivated. The situation escalated rapidly, with footage showing an visibly angered Mbappe confronting Prestianni directly, allegedly labeling him ‘a bloody racist’ to his face.

Match official Francois Letexier was forced to halt proceedings for eleven minutes while implementing FIFA’s anti-racism protocols. When play eventually resumed, the atmosphere turned increasingly hostile as home supporters directed persistent boos toward both Vinicius and Mbappe whenever they touched the ball.

Prestianni vehemently denied the allegations through a statement on his Instagram account, asserting: ‘I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.’

However, Mbappe provided reporters with a contradictory account, claiming he heard Prestianni repeat the same racist remark multiple times—an allegation supported by French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Real Madrid forward revealed he had been prepared to lead his team off the pitch in protest but was persuaded by Vinicius to continue the match.

Mbappe delivered a powerful statement to media: ‘We cannot accept that there is a player in Europe’s top football competition who behaves like this. This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore. We have to set an example for all the children watching us at home. What happened today is the kind of thing we cannot accept because the world is watching us.’ When questioned about whether Prestianni had offered any apology, Mbappe responded with dismissive laughter.

Vinicius later took to social media to express his profound frustration, posting: ‘Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouth with their shirt to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or my family’s life.’

The Brazilian international has been subjected to repeated racist abuse throughout his career in Spain, with official records indicating 18 separate legal complaints filed regarding racist behavior targeting Vinicius since 2022. The two clubs are scheduled to meet again for the decisive second leg at Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium next Wednesday, where tensions are expected to remain high.