Sabalenka’s section of the draw doesn’t look like a rough ride: As the No. 6 seed, she’s the top-ranked player…reports Asian Lite News
Aryna Sabalenka continued her fine run in the summer by stunning American Catherine Harrison of the United States to romp into the second round at the U.S Open on Tuesday.
The hard-hitting Sabalenka, who reached the semifinals at Cincinnati and the US Open last year, got the better of Catherine Harrison, a qualifier ranked 243 in the world and best known for deft doubles play, took the match, 6-1, 6-3 at Court No. 10.
In the first set, the 28-year-old Memphis native Harrison showed some of the tenacity that got her through the qualifiers without dropping a set and, for that matter, the skills she honed at UCLA, where she played alongside teammate Jennifer Brady, according to a report in the official website.
But Harrison found herself hitting defensively, doggedly tracking down Sabalenka’s nearly unerring angles. And it was errors made by the favoured player that finally put Harrison on the board at 1-4. But the American couldn’t find a way to win her serve and the first set went to Sabalenka, 6-1.
The 5-foot-11 Sabalenka’s dominant serve let her down during second set and the players traded breaks. But the stat that tells the story of the match is this one: Harrison hit 12 winners to her opponent’s 27. She took the second set, and the match, 6-1, 6-3.
Sabalenka’s section of the draw doesn’t look like a rough ride: As the No. 6 seed, she’s the top-ranked player. But numbers can deceive-and often do. No. 25 seed Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champ, is on the road ahead. So is the No. 11 seed-none other than the reigning US Open champ Emma Raducanu.
Thereafter, a couple of boundaries from Ibrahim Zadran ((42 not out off 41) brought the equation down to 52 from the final five overs which is when Najibullah Zadran (43 not out off 17) took over and stunned the bowling side…reports Asian Lite News
Afghanistan became the first team to qualify for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2022 with a convincing seven wicket win over Bangladesh in a Group B match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday.
The victory for Afghanistan was set up by spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan, while Najibullah Zadran’s six-hitting spree and his unbroken partnership of 69 off 5.3 overs with Ibrahim Zadran took Afghanistan home with nine balls to spare.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Bangladesh batters couldn’t get going for most part of the innings on a dusty pitch, which had a fair amount of grip and turns.
The Afghanistan spin twins Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3/16) and Rashid Khan (3/22) bowled tight length and lines and spun their webs in the powerplay and in the middle-overs respectively.
When Mahmudullah (25 off 27) got out in the 15.4 overs, Bangladesh were 89-6 and it looked like they’d even fold for under 100. However, Mosaddek Hossain’s 31-ball 48, and Mehidy Hasan’s 12-ball 14 helped Bangladesh in some form of recovery and led them to a respectable total of 127/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing a respectable target, Afghanistan got off to a poor start as Shakib Al Hasan, playing his 100th T20I, got rid of operer Rahmanullah Gurbaz to give Bangladesh some hope. Bangladesh capitalised on the wicket as the runs were stifled.
The spinners were doing all the damage by not giving away freebies to Hazratullah Zazai and Ibrahim Zadran was content taking the chase deep. By removing Zazai and Mohammad Nabi in succession, Bangladesh appeared to have taken control of the game. Afghanistan were on the verge of going down as needed 66 from the final 7 after fetching only 62 from the first 13.
Thereafter, a couple of boundaries from Ibrahim Zadran ((42 not out off 41) brought the equation down to 52 from the final five overs which is when Najibullah Zadran (43 not out off 17) took over and stunned the bowling side.
For the first 35 overs of the contest, only one six was hit. But Najibullah added six more hits over the fence in the next four overs with his clean hitting. Mustafizur was hit for a couple of sixes and Saifuddin suffered the same fate in the following over as the pacers undid the spinners’ good work.
The 22-run 18th over very much ended the contest as Afghanistan needed only 4 more from the final two overs with Najibullah clearing the ropes one more time to lead Afghanistan to a convincing win in 18.3 overs, with seven wickets in hand.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 127/7 in 20 overs (Mosaddek Hossain 48 not out, Mahmudullah 25; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 3/16, Rashid Khan 3/22) lost to Afghanistan 131-3 in 18.3 overs (Najibullah Zadran 43 not out, Ibrahim Zadran 42 not out, Mosaddek Hossain 1/12) by 7 wickets.
Down 15-30 in the next game, Garcia stood firm in a bruising rally, skipping forward to clip away an acute volley and fend off any danger of a potential comeback…reports Asian Lite News
No. 17 seed Caroline Garcia opened her 2022 US Open campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline over lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova while Maria Sakkari survived a scare as she advanced with a three sets victory in early women’s singles action here.
On Monday, Sakkari returned to the scene where she tore through the 2021 US Open wom’n’s draw, riding on a high of a breakthrough season that saw her crack the Top 10 for the first time in her career, determined to change the narrative. She opened her 2022 campaign with an emphatic 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 win over Tatjana Maria of Germany.
Early on, a knee-high volley from midcourt caught Rakhimova by surprise and the stance and execution on return was particularly aggressive. Sprinkle in winners off each wing and 10 successive points, and it all enabled the Frenchwoman to surge 4-0 in front.
By this point, Garcia was serving superbly with two holds to love. It took 18 minutes for Rakhimova to claim a game, but it was pure dominance from Garcia.
An ace at 5-2 was called let by umpire James Keothavong, but Garcia didn’t hear the call and celebrated posting a set lead. Back to the baseline for taking two, another well-constructed point, and Garcia secured a 6-2 advantage.
The power play, the transitioning up the court, and the net play was all on the song and the pressure finally took hold on the world No. 90. At 2-2, Garcia connected with a backhand return on the stretch, read her opponent’s reply and hooked a forehand pass for a pivotal break.
Down 15-30 in the next game, Garcia stood firm in a bruising rally, skipping forward to clip away an acute volley and fend off any danger of a potential comeback.
A confident hold closed out victory to cue the trademark “Fly with Caro” celebration.
In 2021, Sakkari had played lights-out tennis through to the semifinals, but even that was not enough to get past the teen craze that took hold of last year’s event. Just one win shy of her first major final, Sakkari’s dream run came to an abrupt halt when she fell to eventual teenage champion Emma Raducanu in straight sets, leaving her stunned and fumbling for answers as to what went wrong.
The win was big for the No. 3 seed not only to stay alive in the draw but also because, well, vengeance is sweet. The last time these two players met was earlier this summer at Wimbledon, where Sakkari fell to then-No. 103 Maria in the third round. Monday’s victory evened their scorecard to a 2-2 head-to-head record.
Maria used a variety of slice shots to take away the pace of the rallies early in the match, neutralizing Sakkari’s biggest weapon. Within the first 10 minutes of play, the German was up 4-1. But it didn’t take long for Sakkari to dial in and gain better control of her aggressive brand of tennis, as she reeled off the next five games to claim the first set, according to a report on the official website.
The second set played out identical to the first, with Maria jumping out to another 4-1 lead. This time, it was Sakkari’s service woes that handcuffed her, committing six double faults in the set and allowing Maria to take the set and force a third.
With coaching now acceptable at the US Open, Sakkari took a few tips from her coach and cruised through the final frame, holding off Maria to sweep all six games and book a spot in the second round.
Dhyan Chand represented India in three Olympic Games — 1926 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin — and won gold medals in all three…reports Asian Lite News
Meet the Champion events in over 25 cities, felicitations, interactions with sportspersons, and various functions were organised on Monday throughout the country to commemorate the birth anniversary of the greatest-ever sports star, the legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand.
The day, celebrated as National Sports Day had Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of politicians and celebrities paying rich tributes to Dhyan Chand, who was born on this day in 1905 in Allahabad in the then undivided United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in British India.
Known as “Hockey Wizard”, or The Magician, Dhyan Chand was blessed with superb ball control, dribbling skills and brilliant reading of the game that helped him dominate the sport during an international career spanning from 1926 to 1949.
Dhyan Chand represented India in three Olympic Games — 1926 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin — and won gold medals in all three. In a career spanning more than two decades, he played 185 matches, scoring 570 goals. According to his autobiography Goal, Dhyan Chand, known as Dadda or Dada in the hockey and sports community, he scored over 1000 goals in his entire domestic and international career.
His exploits in the three Olympics, especially in the 1936 Games in Berlin which were organised by Hitler’s Nazi Germany as a tool of propaganda. India played Germany in the final and beat them handsomely as Hitler left the stadium midway as Dhyan Chand’s India took control of the match.
After retiring from hockey and the Indian Army, took over as chief hockey coach at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala for several years. He died on December 3, 1979, from liver cancer at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi (AIIMS).
The government has awarded Dhyan Chand with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honour. The government celebrates his birthday as the National Sports Day and the President gives away sports-related awards the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Awards on this day.
Virat Kohli, playing in his 100th T20I, was dropped by Fakhar Zaman at second slip while chasing a wide one, followed by a series of inside and outside edges. He showed signs of his authoritative self when he pulled slashed and whipped off his wrists to collect boundaries…reports Asian Lite News
In the Men’s T20 World Cup held in the UAE last year, Hardik Pandya was a pale shadow of his all-round skills and far from his fittest self. He faced 45 balls with the bat and bowled only four overs, the effect of which was seen in India’s early exit from the tournament.
Ten months later, Pandya is back in the Blue jersey and in Sunday’s marquee clash against Pakistan in Group A of Asia Cup 2022, his all-round skills were the driving force behind India sealing a five-wicket win in an engrossing match.
With the ball, Pandya used his short ball to good effect and got extra bounce as well on a two-paced pitch to break Pakistan’s innings mid-way with his spell of 3-25. Then, after Pakistan were bowled out for 147, India were in a scenario where 59 runs were needed off the last six overs.
From there, Pandya (33 not out) and Jadeja (35) shared a stand of 52 runs off just 29 balls. Even though the left-handed Jadeja fell in the final over, Pandya finished off things with a six over long-on to take India over the line and add another thrilling chapter in the history of India-Pakistan clashes.
The innings of both India and Pakistan had two similarities: eventful first overs and being penalised for slow over-rate in their last three overs as one extra fielder came into the 30-yard circle. In chasing 148, debutant pacer Naseem Shah (2-27) struck on just his second T20I ball, as K.L Rahul inside-edged to his stumps.
Virat Kohli, playing in his 100th T20I, was dropped by Fakhar Zaman at second slip while chasing a wide one, followed by a series of inside and outside edges. He showed signs of his authoritative self when he pulled slashed and whipped off his wrists to collect boundaries.
Rohit Sharma, cautious till then, opened up in eighth over when he slog-swept Mohammad Nawaz (3-33) over long-on. But the left-arm spinner had the last laugh as Rohit holed out to long-off on the final ball of the over. In his next over, Nawaz had another big scalp as Kohli chipped straight to long-off. Jadeja started off his promotion at number four by smacking Nawaz down the ground for a 98m six.
He and Suryakumar Yadav stitched a stand of 36 runs before Naseem knocked off Suryakumar’s off-stump on the first ball of his second spell. Jadeja and Hardik Pandya hanged in to bring the equation to 32 off the last three overs. By then, Pakistan were struggling as their pacers got cramps and Jadeja survived an lbw appeal off Naseem Shah clearly in pain after a review showed the ball pitching outside the leg-stump.
On the very next ball, Jadeja lofted with a straight bat down the ground for six. In the next over, Pandya flat-batted off Haris Rauf over extra-cover and got a boundary as Babar chased the ball, but couldn’t stop it from hitting the boundary rope. He then swatted Rauf over wide long-on and brought out a short-arm jab on the last ball for a four splitting deep mid-wicket and long-on for perfection.
With seven needed off the final over, Nawaz struck on the first ball as Jadeja was castled while going for an expansive slog. Pandya finished off the match in style by clobbering Nawaz over long-on to win an absorbing contest.
Earlier, electing to bowl first, Azam oozed gorgeousness while straight driving with full face twice through mid-off. In an attempt to pull off a Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-26) bouncer, Azam sent a top-edge to a short fine leg.
Avesh Khan banged in short and got a faint tickle off Zaman’s bat through extra bounce to be caught by the keeper. Though India didn’t appeal, Zaman walked off, ruling himself out. Post power-play, Pandya and spinners, Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal, kept things tight with a hint of turn on offer. It didn’t deter Pakistan as Mohammad Rizwan cut through backward point off Jadeja for four while Ahmed heaved Chahal high over long-on for six.
But India halted their charge as Pandya bounced out Ahmed and the top-edge was caught safely by Karthik. In his next over, he made a double strike with his short balls as Rizwan ramped straight to third man and Khushdil Shah slashed straight to cover.
Pakistan never recovered from those three wickets lost in overs 11-15, as Asif Ali holed out on a slower off-cutter to long-off off Bhuvneshwar. Arshdeep came back to have Nawaz nicking behind. Bhuvneshwar took out Shadab Khan and Shah on consecutive lbws. But Dahani smacked two huge sixes over leg-side before his stumps were disturbed by a quick Arshdeep yorker to end Pakistan’s innings at 147.
Brief scores: Pakistan 147 all out in 19.5 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 43, Iftikhar Ahmed 28; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-26, Hardik Pandya 3-24) lost to India 148-5 in 19.4 overs (Virat Kohli 35, Ravindra Jadeja 35; Mohammad Nawaz 3-33, Naseem Shah 2-27) by five wickets.
Venus Williams will play her first-round match on Tuesday against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck…reports Asian Lite News
Serena Williams and Venus Williams will reunite for doubles at the U.S Open after receiving a wild card for the tournament, which is set to begin on Monday.
The William sisters are two-time champions at the U.S Open and will pair for the first time since 2018 Roland Garros. In addition to their 14 major doubles titles, the last of which came at 2016 Wimbledon, Serena and Venus have teamed to win three Olympic gold medals in doubles, winning in 2000, 2008, and 2012.
The duo is the most recent team to hold all four major doubles titles at one time, having won 2009 Wimbledon, 2009 U.S Open, 2010 Australian Open, and 2010 French Open.
Earlier this month, Serena confirmed the U.S Open would be her final tournament before evolving away from tennis. In singles, she is set to face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the first round on Monday night.
Venus Williams will play her first-round match on Tuesday against Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck.
The USTA also announced additional doubles wildcards going to the other teams: Sophie Chang and Angela Kulikov, Robin Montgomery and CoCo Vandeweghe, Katrina Scott and Elizabeth Mandlik, Peyton Stearns and Ashlyn Krueger, Hailey Baptiste and Whitney Osuigwe Clervie Ngounoue and Reese Brantmeier.
Subam Rabha’s men were kept busy by the Tuskers who constantly were creating chances after Roshan went on a running spree, easily getting past three defenders but his shot went wide off the post…reports Asian Lite News
Kerala Blasters FC secured their first victory of their Durand Cup 2022 campaign as they eased past NorthEast United FC in a comfortable 3-0 victory in their Group D match at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, here on Saturday.
A brace from Mohammed Aimen (28′, 90′) and a goal from Muhammed Ajsal (55′) outnumbered NorthEast United FC to hand full points to the Blasters.
NorthEast United FC hit the ground running by being quick on the ball right from kick-off with a handful number of chances being created in the opening minutes of the game, but the Blasters’ shot-stopper Sachin Suresh calmly took charge of the situation.
The Highlanders imposed themselves on the Blasters’, putting them on the back foot as the former kept looking for spaces to create more attacking chances. Tomasz Tchorz’s men found their first big chance of the game in the 21st minute after Roshan’s attempt from a free kick found Marwan on the right, as the latter’s glancing header narrowly sailed over the bar.
A quick counter-attack from the Blasters opened the way for the first goal of the game as Muhammad Ajsal’s blocked shot fell through to Muhammed Aimen, who with an exquisite first touch slot it home to make it 1-0 for his side.
Subam Rabha’s men were kept busy by the Tuskers who constantly were creating chances after Roshan went on a running spree, easily getting past three defenders but his shot went wide off the post.
The Blasters maintained their attacking consistency in the second half and were rewarded with a second goal after Ajsal found himself in an open position to receive Azhar’s ball, and smashed it past the keeper to hand his side a two-goal cushion in the 55th minute.
In the 65th minute, the Blasters almost scored the third goal of the night as a lightning counterattack by Tomasz Tchorz’s men ended up with a quality block by a Highlanders’ defender after their blunder in the opposite half.
Minutes later, the Highlanders were slenderly close to scoring an equaliser but a last-ditch tackle by Tejas scrapped any chance of losing their lead. Right before the stroke of full-time, Aimen netted his second of the night and the third for his side as he went round the keeper and latched it past the net after receiving a long ball from Azhar.
The Tuskers’ take the field again on Wednesday as they face Army Green FT while the Highlanders will lock horns with Sudeva Delhi FC two days later.
The die-hard cricket fans can subscribe to the Cricket package on STARZPLAY at AED 24.99/month to enjoy Asia Cup 2022 and non-stop live cricket all-year-round….reports Asian Lite News
STARZPLAY, ranked among the region’s top three subscription video on demand services, will stream live the upcoming 15th edition of the DP World Asia Cup 2022 across the MENA region.
The upcoming tournament will be available as part of STARZPLAY Sports, as well as a standalone package ‘Cricket’ (formerly ‘PowerPlay’), for those who only wish to watch the DP World Asia Cup 2022 and other cricket series. All the matches will be streamed LIVE along-with highlights, pre-shows and post-match analysis, with full match replays.
evision, the entertainment streaming division of e& life, a business pillar of e& (previously known as Etisalat Group), and a majority stake holder in STARZPLAY, has acquired the exclusive broadcast and media rights across MENA. Cricket fans eagerly awaiting the much-anticipated game can now enjoy the cricket fiesta anytime, anywhere and from any device on STARZPLAY via evision’s flagship sports channel CricLife Max.
Danny Bates, Chief Commercial Officer, STARZPLAY, said: “Cricket is hugely popular in the region, especially amongst the South Asian diaspora and we are proud to bring the exciting Asia Cup to millions of fans across the region. The addition of Asia Cup further elevates our recently launched STARZPLAY Sports offering as we continue to invest more in sports, building the category into one of our core products. Our strategic priority is to ensure that the best sports entertainment is readily accessible to our subscribers across the MENA region at affordable prices and this prestigious win is another step towards this direction. We thank our partners at evision for their continued support.”
Olivier Bramly, Chief Executive Officer, evision said: “It is exciting to bring the DP World Asia Cup 2022 to all viewers on CricLife MAX after a four-year, pandemic hiatus. We have always been committed to delivering the best in sports and entertainment from local and international content providers. Increasing our footprint throughout MENA through STARZPLAY gives us the opportunity to enhance and expand our offerings for avid cricket fans. They will now be able to enjoy the games on our broadcast as well as digital platforms, giving them the flexibility to watch the cricket series from anywhere and at any time.” The tournament kicks off on August 27 and will conclude with the final on September 11. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are the confirmed teams, while Hong Kong qualified for the sixth spot after winning all their three matches in the qualifiers beating UAE, Kuwait and Singapore.
Asia’s biggest cricket rivalries will come face to face live on STARZPLAY starting August 27. The die-hard cricket fans can subscribe to the Cricket package on STARZPLAY at AED 24.99/month to enjoy Asia Cup 2022 and non-stop live cricket all-year-round.
STARZPLAY’s sports and entertainment content can be enjoyed through starzplay.com and the STARZPLAY mobile apps. Subscribers can enjoy the fantastic quality on their big screens via the STARZPLAY television app available on Android TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs, PS4 or through casting video from the mobile app to TV through AirPlay or Google Chromecast.
With thousands of hours of premium content including the best western content, Arabic shows, Turkish favourites, anime, and live sports, STARZPLAY is today one of the leading streaming platforms in the MENA region. The service is available in 19 countries across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.
In reply, Murtaza and skipper Nizakat Khan powered Hong Kong to a quick start, sharing a stand of 85 runs in 10.5 overs, recording the side’s highest-ever T20I opening partnership…reports Asian Lite News
Hong Kong qualified for the main Asia Cup event after defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by eight wickets at the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in Muscat.
With Hong Kong ending the Qualifiers as the top-ranked side, they will now join India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup T20 event. Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are in Group B of the competition.
Their match against India will be on August 31 in Dubai, followed by the clash against Pakistan in Sharjah on September 2. Co-incidentally, Hong Kong had defeated UAE in the 2018 qualifiers to join India and Pakistan in the same group of the ODI Asia Cup event.
Ahead of the final match of the Asia Cup qualifiers, Hong Kong and UAE were put in a must-win situation after Kuwait defeated Singapore by six wickets and completed their chase of 105 in 7.5 overs to be on top of the table on the basis of Net Run Rate.
Electing to bowl first, off-spinner Ehsan Khan shined for Hong Kong with the ball, picking 4-24 in his four overs. He was well-supported by right-arm medium pacer Ayush Shukla, picked three for 30 in his three overs, while Aizaz Khan (2-8) and Yasim Murtaza (1-17) chipped in with vital contributions to bowl out UAE for 147 in 19.3 overs.
For the UAE, their captain CP Rizwan top-scored with 49 from 44 balls, including four fours, while all-rounder Zawar Farid smashed 41 off 27 balls after coming in at number seven, hitting two fours and three sixes, to give their bowling attack something to defend.
In reply, Murtaza and skipper Nizakat Khan powered Hong Kong to a quick start, sharing a stand of 85 runs in 10.5 overs, recording the side’s highest-ever T20I opening partnership. Nizakat fell for 39, including five fours, while Murtaza made 58 off 43 balls, smashing seven fours and a six.
Babar Hayat (38 not out) and Kinchit Shah (six not out) ensured Hong Kong crossed the line with six balls to spare to seal the last remaining spot for Asia Cup. Hong Kong, ranked 23rd in the ICC T20I rankings, will be making their first-ever Asia Cup T20I appearance and fourth overall after playing in 2004, 2008 and 2018 editions in ODI format.
Brief Scores: UAE 147 all out in 19.3 overs (CP Rizwan 49, Zawar Farid 41; Ehsan Khan 4-24, Ayush Shukla 3-30) lost to Hong Kong 149-2 in 19 overs (Yasim Murtaza 58, Nizakat Khan 39; Basil Hameed 1-31, Junaid Siddique 1-35) by eight wickets
The nominations for the posts can be filed between August 25 to 27 while the scrutiny will be done on August 28, the returning officer had said…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the hectic activities in the All India Football Federation over the filing of nomination for the Executive Committee election, the posterboy of Indian Football, Bhaichung Bhutia has filed his fresh nomination for the post of President.
Sources close to the development told that his nomination was proposed by the Andhra Football Association and seconded by Rajasthan Football Association.
After the termination of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), as demanded by the international football federation (FIFA), the returning officer on Tuesday issued fresh dates for the elections to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Executive Committee.
After the SC order, the returning officer Umesh Sharma had stated that the election will be held on September 2 at the AIFF headquarter in Delhi and the results could be announced either on September 2 or 3.
The nominations for the posts can be filed between August 25 to 27 while the scrutiny will be done on August 28, the returning officer had said.
The candidates will have a chance to withdraw the nomination on August 29 while the returning officer shall prepare the final list of contesting candidates and put it on the AIFF website on August 30.
