HomeSports
Sports
sport
French Open 2023: Swiatek and Sabalenka on Track for Final Showdown
PARIS: If Iga Swiatek meets Aryna Sabalenka for the French Open championship, more than the trophy would be at stake. The No. 1 ranking would be, too.
But there’s work to be done for both players first — getting to the final.
In Thursday’s semifinals, No. 2 Sabalenka of Belarus will play unseeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, before No. 1 Swiatek of Poland faces No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Sabalenka is unbeaten in Grand Slam action in 2023; she won her first major title at the Australian Open in January.
sport
Lionel Messi Chooses Inter Miami as His Next Destination
BARCELONA: Lionel Messi will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, the player said Wednesday in interviews with Spanish media, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.
sport
Gulf Running Clubs Fostering Community Spirit for Locals and Expats
“You do not stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.”
This is the paraphrasing of George Bernard Shaw’s famous saying on “playing” and getting old, by Christopher McDougall, from his seminal 2009 book “Born to Run,” about the legendary running tribe, the Tarahumara. It is especially poignant on June 7, which is Global Running Day.
Across the GCC, many runners of all abilities and ages will mark the day in their own way, no doubt with the appropriate hashtags and photos.
sport
Hudson joins Qatari club a week after leaving American job
DOHA: Anthony Hudson has agreed a two-year deal to guide Al Markhiya in the Qatari soccer league a week after quitting as interim head coach of the US men’s national team.
The club posted confirmation of the two-year contract on its social media platforms late Wednesday, saying Hudson’s immediate goal is to help Al Markhiya improve on the seventh-place finish it achieved in its first season after promotion to the Qatar Stars League.
sport
Novak Djokovic dominates tiebreaker at French Open, set to face No. 1 Alcaraz
PARIS: Novak Djokovic, in his words, felt “quite sluggish, quite slow” for nearly two full sets against Karen Khachanov in the French Open quarterfinals Tuesday.
Afterward, Djokovic called it his worst stretch of the tournament, a fair assessment. He dropped the opening set, something he hadn’t done at Roland Garros this year. As the second went to a tiebreaker in Court Philippe Chatrier, he knew it was vital to step up his game, bring forth his best.
sport
West Ham and Fiorentina Seek to End European Trophy Drought in Europa Conference League Final
PRAGUE: West Ham and Fiorentina haven’t won a European trophy for more than 50 years.
The drought will end for one of them when they play out the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday in Prague.
“This will be the biggest match that the club has had in so long, so it’s going to be an honor to be part of and hopefully we can create some history on the night for the fans to cheer about,” said West Ham captain Declan Rice, who is widely expected to leave the club after the season.
sport
Juventus to Exit Super League Project Amid Legal Turmoil
TURIN, Italy: Juventus plan to leave the Super League project still being pursued by Real Madrid and Barcelona, though the club denied Tuesday they had been threatened with a European ban by UEFA.
The three storied clubs are awaiting a ruling expected within weeks from the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg into their legal challenge against what they claimed is UEFA’s monopoly control of European club competitions.
Must read