Sport

Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for her second Grand Slam title of the season after cruising past China’s Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday.Australian Open champion Sabalenka – who will take over as world number one next week – booked her place in the last four with a 6-1, 6-4 victory in 1hr 13min.The Belarusian second seed will face either Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic or Madison Keys of the United States in the last four.“I think I definitely played great tennis today,” Sabalenka said, before praising her opponent.“I’m super happy with the win against her, she played incredible tennis at the US Open this year.”Sabalenka was assured of replacing Iga Swiatek at the top of the women’s rankings after the Polish No.1 crashed out of the US Open on Sunday.However Sabalenka said she is not thinking about her new-found status as the world’s top player just yet.“Of course I’m happy ... it’s incredible for me and my family.“But I have some things still to do in New York this year and I’ll think about becoming No.1 after the US Open.”Rising Chinese star Zheng had been dreaming of pulling off another upset after reaching her first Grand Slam quarter-final by downing last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur in the fourth round.But the 20-year-old 23rd seed never looked like toppling the hard-hitting Sabalenka, who threatened to run away with the match after a blistering start in which she broke Zheng twice for a 3-0 lead, conceding just two points.Zheng was broken again to go 4-0 down and although she finally held in the sixth game to make it 5-1, Sabalenka served out easily to take the first set in just 27 minutes.Sabalenka’s dominance was reflected in her serve, where she won 23 of 26 points on her first serve, and 13 of 19 on her second. Zheng was unable to open up a single break point opportunity across the match.Zheng fared slightly better in the second set, but after Sabalenka broke in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead, the result was never in doubt, and she wrapped up victory on serve in the 10th game.Shelton hopes to play disruptor against DjokovicBen Shelton’s reward for his battling quarter-final victory at the US Open is a match against 23-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and as daunting as the task may be the young American is confident he can play the role of disruptor.Shelton, the son of former professional Bryan Shelton, is blessed with a big serve and booming forehand but he showed he had plenty of resolve too, beating compatriot Frances Tiafoe 6-2 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2 at a muggy Arthur Ashe Stadium.The 20-year-old will need all of his weapons on Friday if he is to stand a chance in his first meeting with Djokovic.“I think that it’s an advantage with my game style, playing someone who’s never played me before,” Shelton told reporters. “I think that I can bring some things to the table that maybe you don’t see in your normal match that you play on the ATP Tour.“So I’m definitely going to try to bring some things to the table that are different and hopefully disruptive on Friday.”But playing second seed Djokovic is never a normal match. The Serb, who is looking to match Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 major singles titles with a fourth Flushing Meadows crown, will be competing in a record 47th Grand Slam semi-final. Shelton will be playing in his first.“I think whenever you play somebody for the first time and someone who has been in this situation so many times and come out victorious so many times, that’s in the back of your head,” Shelton said.“You just know how rock solid the guy is and how mentally tough, how physically tough. So that’s definitely something that I have to game-plan for.”

Qatar’s head coach Carlos Queiroz speaks to his players at a training session on Tuesday, as the Asian champions prepare for the two friendly games against Kenya and Russia. Qatar take on Kenya tomorrow at the Al Janoub Stadium, before facing Russia on September 12 at the same venue. Queiroz has recalled senior players Hassan al-Haydos and Akram Afif in the 26-man squad after being snubbed for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb, defenders Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel besides midfielders Karim Boudiaf and Abdulaziz Hatem also returned to the side. The two friendlies are part of Qatar’s preparations for their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign to begin in November. Al Annabi will also defend their Asian Cup crown at home with the continental event set to take place from January 12 to February 10, 2024.

Novak Djokovic powered into a record 47th Grand Slam semi-final on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over American ninth seed Taylor Fritz at the US Open.Djokovic continues his push for a record-extending men’s 24th Grand Slam title in the last four against another home player, either 10th seed Frances Tiafoe or the up-and-coming Ben Shelton. The 36-year-old Djokovic is through to the semi-finals in New York for the 13th time and is now 12-0 against Americans at the US Open.Earlier, Coco Gauff thrashed Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets to reach the women’s semi-finals for the first time on Tuesday. American sixth seed Gauff dominated Latvia’s 20th seed Ostapenko from start to finish, winning 6-0, 6-2 in just 1hr 8min.Gauff, 19, will face either Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova or Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the last four tomorrow. Gauff, beaten in the quarter-finals last year, is the first American teenager to reach the US Open semi-finals since 2001.“It feels great, I’m so happy,” said Gauff. “Last year I lost in the quarter-finals stage and wanted to do better this year. I have a long way to go but I’m happy and will be ready for the next one. I didn’t feel comfortable at all the whole match, even at match point. She has the ability to come back no matter the scoreline so I was just trying to play every ball and hit it deep.”On Tuesday’s evidence, the American teenager will head into the last four brimming with confidence after producing a superb display to overwhelm Ostapenko.Ostapenko had produced the shock of the tournament in the last 16 on Sunday, ousting world number one and reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek in three sets. But amid furnace-like heat on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the inconsistent Latvian wilted in the face of a scorching performance from her American opponent.Former French Open champion Ostapenko hit out at US Open scheduling after her defeat, stating she had not been given enough time to recover properly following her gruelling late-night victory over Swiatek on Sunday.“I think it’s really hard to recover from those night matches, because after beating world No.1, I went to sleep at 5am,” Ostapenko said. “You sleep for maybe like seven, eight hours, but you don’t completely recover. “I think it’s a little bit crazy...If I play a match, a late-night session, then I suppose in one day I have to play at least at the same time or later on, because you don’t really have much time to recover.”Gauff broke Ostapenko’s serve three times in a lopsided first set which was over in 20 minutes, with the Latvian coughing 15 unforced errors to Gauff’s two. Ostapenko was soon in trouble in the second set, suffering a service break in the opening game when Gauff’s sublime drop shot left the Latvian scrambling to the net.However Ostapenko finally got on the board with a break of serve in the next game only to surrender that momentum in the next game when Gauff broke her for the fifth time for a 2-1 lead.The next three games went with serve before Gauff turned the screw to break for a 5-2 lead that left the teenager serving for the match. Although Ostapenko defiantly saved two match points, Gauff clinched victory with a forehand winner.Jabeur crashes out; Zverev faces Alcaraz in quartersOn Monday, upsets dominated the women’s draw with Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula becoming the latest highly ranked players to go crashing out. Tunisia’s fifth seed Jabeur – beaten in last year’s final – was ousted 6-2, 6-4 by China’s Zheng Qinwen after Pegual was was beaten by Madison Keys. Jabeur, who has been struggling with flu since arriving in New York, finally saw her luck run out after scrapping her way to three-set victories in her previous two games.The Tunisian simply had no answer to 23rd seed Zheng’s blend of power and precision, with the 20-year-old from Shiyan looking far sharper than her weary opponent.Zheng is China’s first US Open quarter-finalist since Wang Qiang in 2019. Two-time major champion Li Na reached the semi-finals in New York in 2013 and Peng Shuai did the same a year later.Zheng’s quarter-final assignment is a daunting date with second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who celebrated her rise to the pinnacle of women’s tennis by routing Russia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 to secure her last eight berth. Iga Swiatek’s exit on Sunday guarantees that the 25-year-old Belarusian will become the new world number one when the latest global rankings are released next week.Meanwhile, 12th seed Alexander Zverev will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz today’s quarter-finals after the 2020 US Open finalist from Germany defeated Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner in a five-set duel tinged with controversy. Zverev, who is returning to his best form after a gruesome injury at the French Open last year that forced a six-month layoff, downed Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.The 4hr 41min battle, which wrapped at 1.39am local time, saw an ugly incident in the fourth set when Zverev complained of a “Hitler phrase” being shouted from the stands as he prepared to serve. A male fan was subsequently identified as the alleged culprit and ejected from the arena before Zverev went on to seal victory. “In other men’s matches on Monday, eighth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Britain’s Jack Draper. Rublev will now face an all-Russian quarter-final against close friend Daniil Medvedev, the third-seeded 2021 US Open champion who punched his ticket to the last eight with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Australian 13th seed Alex de Minaur. Rublev, who has known Medvedev since childhood, is godfather to his quarter-final opponent’s daughter.

South Africa coach Rob Walter said on Tuesday that Quinton de Kock has “unfinished business” after it was announced that the wicketkeeper will retire from one-day international cricket after the World Cup, which starts in India on October 5.De Kock’s pending retirement was revealed during the announcement of South Africa’s 15-man squad in Bloemfontein, where South Africa start a five-match ODI series against Australia tomorrow.“Quinny has been a magnificent player for South Africa in 50-over cricket,” said Walter in backing De Kock, 30, to finish his ODI career in style.De Kock will play in Australia’s Big Bash League in December, which will clash with a one-day series against India.A former captain in all three international formats, De Kock retired from Test cricket in 2022.De Kock will remain available for T20 internationals.Walter said there was “still water to go under the bridge” regarding De Kock’s availability for a T20I series against India, which will precede the ODI series.“In the ever-changing world of cricket there is going to be an inevitable clash between leagues and international cricket,” said Walter.“If we aren’t flexible we are going to lose players from the international game.” Promising fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, 22, is one of eight players who will be playing in their first World Cup. He appeared emotional when his name was announced at a ceremony in his home town. “He’s got fire in his belly,” said Walter.Fellow fast bowler Sisanda Magala, who had not initially been named in an 18-man squad for the series against Australia, was selected after struggling with a left knee injury.South Africa named six fast bowlers in their squad and only two specialist spin bowlers.“Our strength has been in fast bowling and we want to be able to have four high-quality fast bowlers on the park in most situations,” said Walter. “That is why we have gone with extra fast bowlers.”South Africa’s first World Cup match will be against Sri Lanka in Delhi on October 7. Asked about South Africa’s prospects after a pattern of falling short in previous World Cups, captain Temba Bavuma said: “It’s about playing good cricket for a five to seven week period.” South Africa released four players from their initial 18-man squad for the series against Australia - young batters Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs, left-arm spin bowler Bjorn Fortuin and injured all-rounder Wayne Parnell.“People might see this series as a warm-up for the World Cup but it is an important series on its own,” said Bavuma. “Playing against Australia is always special.”SquadTemba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Title-holders Sri Lanka outlasted a rampaging Afghanistan by just two runs in a dramatic finish to reach the Asia Cup Super Four stage on Tuesday.Needing to overhaul a target of 292 in 37.1 overs to oust Sri Lanka on net run-rate, Afghanistan fell agonisingly short as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out with three needed from the first ball of the 38th over.They could still have qualified by reaching 295 within 37.4 overs but appeared to not be aware of that permutation as number 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi blocked out two deliveries before being dismissed while attempting another defensive shot with six needed to go through.Mohamed Nabi hit a blistering 32-ball 65 while skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi made a 66-ball 59.Rashid Khan hit three boundaries off Dunith Wellalage’s 37th over, but off the first ball of the next over Mujeeb was caught on the boundary.Sri Lanka were earlier guided to 291-8 by Kusal Mendis who scored a brilliant 84-ball 92.Pakistan and India had already qualified for the Super Four stage from Group A, with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh joining them from Group B.Pakistan face Bangladesh in Lahore today to start the Super Four stage.Afghanistan were struggling in the 20th over on 129-4 but Nabi started to hit out and the situation changed as they added 96 in the next 10 overs.Nabi, who put on 80 for the fifth wicket with Shahidi, cracked five sixes and six fours to help Afghanistan get back on track, hitting the fastest ODI half-century for his country off just 24 balls.Mujeeb had set the previous record against Pakistan in Sri Lanka last month off 26 deliveries.Nabi holed out off Maheesh Theekshana in the 27th over but Shahidi and Karim Janat (22) kept up the tempo, adding 33 before they both fell in the same over from Wellalage.Despite the double blow, Afghanistan did not give up as Najibullah Zadran (23) and Rashid (27 not out) kept them in contention.But in a dramatic finish, the Afghan camp did not realise their hopes were still alive once Mujeeb was dismissed and Sri Lanka progressed.Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted Nabi nearly took away the game.“It’s a tough one,” said Shanaka whose team has now won 12 consecutive ODIs. “The first target was a 37.1-over game and Nabi almost took the game away from us but we got wickets when needed.”Shahidi said: “It’s very disappointing to lose. We fought well and gave our best I am proud of the team, the way they played, and fought till the last ball.”Earlier, the 28-year-old Mendis played an attractive innings that included three sixes and six fours to anchor the Sri Lankan innings after they won the toss and batted first.Sri Lanka got off to a solid start of 63 for the first wicket between Pathum Nissanka (41) and Dimuth Karunaratne (32).Mendis took over and added 102 for the fourth wicket with Charith Asalanka, who made a 43-ball 36.But from 186-3 Sri Lanka had a middle-order stutter that saw them lose four wickets in the space of 41 runs, including that of Mendis who was unluckily run out. Rashid dropped a drive from Shanaka onto the stumps with Mendis short of his ground at the non-striker’s end. Wellalage, who scored an unbeaten 33, added an invaluable 64 runs for the eighth wicket with Theekshana (28).Gulbadin Naib dismissed Theekshana off the final delivery to finish with Afghanistan’s best figures of the innings with 4-60.BRIEF SCORESSri Lanka 291-8 in 50 overs (K. Mendis 92, P. Nissanka 41, C. Asalanka 36, D. Wellalage 33 not out, D. Karunaratne 32; Gulbadin Naib 4-60, Rashid Khan 2-63)Afghanistan 289 in 37.4 overs (Mohamed Nabi 65, Hashmatullah Shahidi 59, Rahmat Shah 45; K. Rajitha 4-79, D. Wellalage 2-36)Result: Sri Lanka won by two runsToss: Sri LankaSuper Four qualifiers: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri LankaTomorrow’s game: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Super Four, Lahore

The United States rebounded from their first defeat of the Basketball World Cup to demolish Italy on Tuesday and reach the semi-finals, while Serbia joined them after suffocating Lithuania.The Americans beat Italy 100-63 to put their second-round loss to Lithuania two days earlier firmly in their rearview mirror and set up a showdown with either Germany or Latvia on Friday.Mikal Bridges led the US in scoring with 24 points in Manila, and said the mantra heading into the game was to “set the tone”.“That’s what the coach has been preaching to us,” said the Brooklyn Nets forward, who also pulled down seven rebounds.“The bench has been doing a pretty good job but I think the starters have been letting them down a little bit with a slow start.“The coach got us prepared and we were just plain hungry.”The US stamped their authority on the game from the first tip, and were 10 points ahead by the end of the first quarter.Tyrese Haliburton was the winning team’s second-highest scorer with 18 points, followed by Austin Reaves on 12.The pair provided two of the highlights of the game, with crowd favourite Reaves stuffing in a huge rebound dunk in the first half.Haliburton conjured up another memorable moment in the second half, setting up Paolo Banchero for an alley-oop with a pass between his legs.“I thought he was going to hit it off the backboard, then he went between his legs,” said Banchero.US head coach Steve Kerr said he was not worried about his players letting their energy levels drop after such a high-octane performance.He likened his team to “the horse turning back to the barn”.“The horse starts picking up the pace when it senses it’s near the barn, and that’s what happening right now – our guys are sensing this is the end of the journey,” Kerr said.Italy were appearing in their first World Cup quarter-final since 1998. Power forward Nicolo Melli said there was “nothing this group could do more”.“We did everything we could do. This season we will work even harder and come back next year, and again and again and again,” he said.In the day’s first quarter-final, Serbia used their stifling defence to beat Lithuania 87-68. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 21 points for Serbia, who will play either Canada or Slovenia in the semi-finals on Friday. He paid tribute to teammate Borisa Simanic, who underwent surgery to remove a kidney after being hit by an opposition player’s elbow earlier in the tournament.Bogdanovic said Simanic addressed the squad before their quarter-final and gave them “amazing energy”.“He said ‘Guys, I’m good, don’t worry, let’s win tonight’,” said Bogdanovic, who finished as the game’s top scorer. “For him to think about us after everything that happened to him, he united us as a unit.“That’s an amazing guy and this is for him.”Bogdanovic put in an all-action performance as Serbia downed a previously unbeaten Lithuania team that went into the game fresh from their win over the US.The Serbians took control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring Lithuania 25-13 to open up a lead that they never gave back.Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdanovic had 18 points in the first half alone and said his team had to give “300 percent” to win the game.“It’s really important for us as athletes first and then for our country,” he said.“You know how much we love the game of basketball, so we’re happy that we’re there. We are ready to compete more.”Lithuania’s Tadas Sedekerskis, who led his team in scoring with 14 points, said the win over the US team did not take their minds off the prize.“We came here to win a medal,” he said.“The game against the United States, as you can see now, means nothing, just history.”

Britain’s triple Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty suffered a cut over his left eye in a fight with teammate Luke Greenbank at a training camp in England, British newspapers reported on Tuesday.The Sun said the 28-year-old 50 and 100 metres breaststroke world record holder angered Greenbank by slapping him on the backside and making a joke about his partner, Olympic gold medallist Anna Hopkin.Peaty and Hopkin were part of the team that won the 4x100 mixed medley relay gold in Tokyo in 2021 while Peaty and Greenbank won 4x100 medley relay silver at the same Games.British Swimming confirmed there had been an incident between the two at the camp in Loughborough that was “quickly and effectively resolved by the athletes involved and the staff present at the session”.Peaty did not require any stitches after what his representatives described as a “minor altercation”.The eight times world champion is working towards next year’s Paris Olympics, where he will try and win a third successive 100m breaststroke gold after taking time out to focus on his mental health.He has previously spoken about periods of depression and problems with alcohol.Peaty missed the 2022 world championships in Budapest after fracturing a bone in his foot and also missed the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka last July.He said in March that he was tired and not enjoying the sport as much as before.Russians, Belarusians allowed back into swimming eventsRussian and Belarusian swimmers will be permitted to take part in international competitions as neutrals following a decision by World Aquatics, the global swimming federation, to lift the current ban that has divided opinion.The swimmers had been excluded from competition since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 18 months ago.“Following extensive consultation and deliberations”, World Aquatics decided “unanimously” on a set of criteria allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to “participate in future World Aquatics competitions as neutral individual athletes”, the federation said in a statement.This position is consistent with the IOC’s recommendation, made in the spring, to reintegrate Russians and Belarusians into world sport under certain conditions, including that of the neutral flag, and as long as the athletes have not actively supported the war in Ukraine.Under the new guidelines, swimmers from the two countries will only be able to participate in individual events, with a maximum of one swimmer from each country per event, and will not be authorised to speak to the media present at the Games.The body said 67 percent of international athletes would support the reintegration of Russians and Belarusians who respect the established conditions.Since the IOC made clear its position, several international federations - fencing, gymnastics, archery, judo, climbing and badminton - have decided to reintegrate athletes from the two countries, enabling them to chase qualification for next year’s Olympics in Paris.

Shane Lowry has defended his controversial Ryder Cup selection by saying he is a “big event” golfer.The Irishman received one of Europe captain Luke Donald’s six wildcard picks in a 12-strong team that will look to regain the trophy from the United States when the biennial competition gets underway in Rome later this month.Lowry, 36, finished 11th on the European points list and eighth on the world points list, with only the top three on each qualifying automatically.The former British Open champion’s sole top-10 finish in 2023 came in February’s Honda Classic.As a result Donald’s decision to select Lowry sparked widespread criticism, with former British Masters winner Richard Bland among those arguing that the form of Adrian Meronk – who won May’s Italian Open at the Ryder Cup venue – should have seen the Pole selected “over an out-of-form Lowry”. “People have their opinion,” Lowry said on Tuesday ahead of the Irish Open at The K Club near Dublin. “Adrian has had a great year and obviously he’s unfortunate to miss out, but somebody has to miss out.“I’m not going to sit here and disagree with Luke Donald.“It was his decision at the end of the day, if he thinks that somebody else is better for this team than he (Meronk) was.”He added: “I personally think that’s the right way to go about it and I think we have the best 12 players from Europe coming to play this Ryder Cup, and I think we’re in form.”As for his own game, Lowry said: “I’m very confident in my own ability, and I know what I can bring.“My form probably has not been the greatest, but in some of the bigger events I’ve played some of my best golf and there’s nothing bigger than the Ryder Cup.“Hopefully I can go to Rome and show people what I’m made of.”Lowry will be playing in his second Ryder Cup after being part of the European team that suffered a 19-9 thrashing at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin two years ago.

Filippo Ganna won stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana on Tuesday, a 25.8 kilometre individual time trial in Valladolid, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel.Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) put down an early marker, but even the Italian knew it would all come down to the final riders out on the course, those at the top of the General Classification.“At the moment I’m happy, obviously. We’ll wait for the end when the big riders come,” Ganna said at the end of his ride.Evenepoel’s second place sees the defending champion move into third place and gain over one minute on overall leader Sepp Kuss.Kuss went into today’s stage with a 43 second lead over Marc Soler, with Evenepoel in fourth place more than two minutes adrift.The time trial was always going to see Evenepoel, wearing the rainbow jersey after winning the world road time trial in August, make a claim for the leader’s red jersey.More important than beating Ganna, was taking as much time as possible from Kuss. The American put in a great effort to finish 13th in the stage and hold onto the red jersey.“Let’s say that we have to be happy with the GC gaps I took today, and also coming quite closer to Sepp (Kuss) who did, actually, a super good time trial,” Evenepoel said after the race.Ganna, runner up to Evenepoel in the world road time trial, and one of the favourite’s for today’s stage, posted an impressive time of 27 minutes and 39 seconds.Nobody came close to Ganna’s time until Primoz Roglic hit the road. The Jumbo-Visma rider moved into second in the stage, 36 seconds down on the Italian, and ended the stage in third place after Evenepoel overtook his time.Ganna lost out on stage five in a sprint finish to Kaden Groves, but the time trial sees him finally achieve one of his ambitions.“I’m really happy, to win also here was my dream, my goal, so today I can say I did that,” the 27-year-old said once his stage win was confirmed.Roglic moves up into fourth place having started the day in sixth. Evenepoel is now one minute and nine seconds behind Kuss, with Soler 26 seconds off the leader.Today’s stage eleven is a mostly flat 163.5 kilometre ride with an uphill finish, from Lerma to La Laguna Negra.

New Zealand took a record beating by South Africa last month, but France are wary of the threat the All Blacks will pose when the two heavyweights face each other in the World Cup curtain raiser on Friday.Although they were hammered 35-7 by the Springboks in a warm-up test, New Zealand enter the tournament having lost none of their 32 matches in the opening phase of nine World Cups.“Playing a World Cup is a dream we’ve all had since we were kids, and starting against the All Blacks is a super exciting challenge. We can’t wait for it,” lock Thibaud Flament told a press conference on Tuesday.Les Bleus, who have rediscovered their touch since Fabien Galthie took over after a mediocre 2019 World Cup, beat New Zealand for the first time since 2009 in an impressive 40-25 win at the Stade de France two years ago.“This match was an important one. It was the first test with our fans after Covid and the stadium was boiling hot,” said assistant coach Karim Ghezal, in charge of the lineouts.“In the last four years, we wanted to beat all the teams, and we managed to do that.”Flament is also expecting a special night.“We’re expecting a lot of energy from the crowd, the atmosphere will be (an) electric atmosphere,” he said. “Everyone has been waiting for it. It will be a big battle, it’s the moment everyone will release all the energy they have accumulated.” France will feel no pressure, added Flament.“The game has a special flavour because the World Cup marks the end of a four-year cycle and it’s an opportunity to make history. It’s important for us (to win on Friday),” said Flament.

Qatar under-23 football team train in Changwon on Tuesday on the eve of their AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 Qualifiers against hosts South Korea. Qatar has already qualified for the tournament as host nation and all their fixtures will be considered as friendly matches, not to be taken into account when calculating the final group rankings. Coach Ilidio Vale said the qualifiers is an opportunity for him to figure out about the level of team and players. After playing against South Korea, Qatar will face Myanmar on September 9 and will play their last match against Kyrgyzstan on September 12.

Manchester United face another personnel headache following allegations of assault made against winger Antony just two weeks after the club decided to part ways with Mason Greenwood. The Brazil player has been dropped from the national squad for World Cup qualifying games following the allegations by an ex-girlfriend and all eyes are on how the Old Trafford club will react.The Red Devils announced last month that forward Greenwood, arrested in January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online, would leave the club by mutual agreement. The two cases add to an uneasy start to the Premier League season for United.Their form has been patchy while unpopular owners the Glazer family have reportedly taken the club off the market after failing to attract an offer that meets their asking price, compounding a feeling of uncertainty. But top of the in-tray for the club’s hierarchy in the immediate future will be deciding how to tackle the Antony case.The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said the player had been stood down in order to “preserve the alleged victim, the player, the Brazil team and the CBF”. The 23-year-old denied physically assaulting Gabriela Cavallin in a statement on Instagram on Monday, stating he was the “victim of false accusations.”It came after the Brazilian press published WhatsApp messages reputedly between Antony and Cavallin in which the player allegedly threatens his ex-partner. In one of the conversations cited by Brazilian media, Cavallin says he must apologise for “kicks and assaults”.Antony then appears to reply “sorry” in response. Cavallin is also shown in one photo with an apparent head wound. In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said they were “aware of the allegations made and enquiries remain ongoing”.Antony joined United last year for an initial fee of 95mn but has struggled to perform consistently, scoring just eight goals in 48 games. However, football considerations will likely take a back seat as United consider their options after coming under fire over their handling of the Greenwood case.The 21-year-old England striker had faced charges including attempted rape and assault, but prosecutors announced in February this year that the case had been dropped after key witnesses withdrew and new evidence came to light. Reports that the club were planning to retain the player following a six-month internal investigation were met by a public outcry and the club said in August he would rebuild his career elsewhere.Greenwood subsequently joined Spanish side Getafe on loan and trained with them for the first time on Tuesday. United are likely to come under intense pressure to drop Antony while investigations take place.United have some time on their side as they are not back in action until September 16, following the international break, but the Antony case is the last thing they would have wanted after a tumultuous start to the season.

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah believes his first England call-up has come at the right time as he stakes his claim to be Harry Kane’s deputy at Euro 2024. The 24-year-old is England’s all-time top goalscorer at under-21 level having netted 16 in 17 games. But after bursting onto the scene as an 18-year-old, Nketiah’s future at Arsenal looked in doubt until an injury to Gabriel Jesus gave him the opportunity to impress for Mikel Arteta’s men last season. Nketiah has also deputised for Jesus this season, scoring twice in four Premier League games, to earn his call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad.“I think I am a much better player now than I was two or three years ago. It is really nice and I am coming in at a good time,” said Nketiah yesterday. “I feel confident and I feel ready to continue to improve. That is the thing, I’m still young and humble enough to know I am not the finished article. Coming away with these players and being able to show my quality and learn from them is really good for me and (to) continue to take those steps in my career.” England travel to face Ukraine in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday looking to extend their perfect record from four games of Euro 2024 qualifying. The Three Lions then face Scotland in a friendly on Tuesday to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever international between the countries.Man City to face Club Leon or Urawa Reds at Club World CupEuropean champions Manchester City will face either Mexico’s Club Leon or Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup semi-finals in December after draw.The UEFA Champions League winners and Copa Libertadores winners enter the competition at the semi-final stage. This year’s edition is being held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and also features African champions Al Ahly of Egypt, Oceania champions Auckland City and home team Al Ittihad. The final of the Copa Libertadores is to be held on November 4.DrawFirst round: Al Ittihad (KSA) v Auckland City (NZL), December 12Quarter-finals: Al Ahly (EGY) v Al-Ittihad/Auckland City; Club Leon (MEX) v Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN), both December 15Semi-finals: Copa Libertadores winners v Al Ahly/Al Ittihad/Auckland City, December 18; Manchester City (ENG) v Club Leon/Urawa Red Diamonds, December 19Villarreal sack coach Setien after poor start to seasonVillarreal coach Quique Setien paid the price for a slow start to the season as the La Liga club announced his sacking. Setien’s side lost three of their opening four games and stand 15th in the table.Setien arrived at the end of October 2022 after Unai Emery quit suddenly to take over at Aston Villa. He responded by promoting a number of youngsters from the academy and qualifying for the Europa League after finishing fifth in La Liga. This season, however, has been more complicated as they slipped to home defeats against Barcelona and Real Betis as well as losing at Cadiz. The 64-year-old had an even shorter spell in charge of Barcelona, sacked just seven months in the job.

Spain’s football federation on Tuesday apologised for the “totally unacceptable behaviour” of Luis Rubiales over his World Cup kiss and fired the team’s controversial coach, appointing a woman in his place as part of an overhaul. The apology came more than two weeks after the 46-year-old RFEF boss sparked worldwide outrage when he forcibly kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain defeated England in the final on August 20.In a letter signed by its interim president Pedro Rocha, the RFEF offered its “most sincere apologies... for the totally unacceptable behaviour of its highest institutional representative during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and in the moments that followed”.Although the kiss drew condemnation from across the footballing world and beyond, prompting FIFA to suspend him, it was another eight days before the RFEF called for Rubiales to stand down as its president. But he has refused to resign, defending the kiss as “just a peck” which he claimed was consensual – which Hermoso completely denies.“The damage caused to Spanish football, Spanish sport, Spanish society and to the values of football and sport as a whole has been enormous,” the RFEF said, extending the apology to FIFA, UEFA “and especially the players of the Spanish national women’s team”.Shortly afterwards, the federation announced it was firing Jorge Vilda, 42, who had served as coach to the national team since 2015, and naming its first-ever woman to coach the World Cup-winning squad. “The RFEF... has decided to dispense with the services of Jorge Vilda as sports director and women’s national team coach,” the RFEF said in a statement, later naming Montse Tome as his replacement. “She will be the first woman to hold the position in Spain,” it said of Tome, a former player who has served as the team’s assistant coach since 2018.Vilda’s dismissal had been widely expected after he was seen applauding Rubiales after a belligerent speech in which he refused to resign and railed against “false feminism”. The pair were known to be close. The RFEF said his dismissal was “the first of a string of restructuring measures” aimed at improving the governance in the wake of the scandal, which has exposed what critics say is a deep-rooted misogyny within Spanish football.Vilda came under fire a year ago after 15 national players said they would not wear the La Roja shirt while he remained as coach, pointing to incidents under his leadership that were affecting their performance on the pitch. RFEF offered no criticism of Vilda, saying only he had been “key to the remarkable growth of women’s football that had left Spain as world champions and second in the FIFA rankings”.On the day of the final, the RFEF had initially put out a statement quoting Hermoso as saying the kiss was “a natural gesture of affection and gratitude”. Rubiales offered a cursory apology but later toughened his stance in his defiant speech to the RFEF on August 25, prompting Hermoso to issue her own statement saying the kiss was not consensual and had left her feeling “vulnerable” and like “the victim of an assault”.A day later, the federation accused her of “lies” over the incident, threatening legal action against her. Both RFEF statements were subsequently removed from the federation’s website. In its apology, the federation said Rubiales’ statements after the incident were “inappropriate and meaningless” and “not (the position) of the RFEF” which was “saddened and embarrassed” by the distress they had caused.“The actions of Mr. Rubiales do not represent the values defended by the Spanish federation... and must be attributed solely and exclusively to him, since he is the only one responsible for his actions before society, before the sporting bodies and, if applicable, before the courts.”The RFEF said it had opened an investigation into his actions in order “to ensure that such behaviour is not repeated”. It had also committed to conducting “a thorough review of all policies and procedures of the organisation”.And it pledged to present “in the coming days a whole set of actions to improve the governance of the Spanish football federation and to repair, as far as possible, the damage caused” – the first of which was the firing of Vilda.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee decided to choose the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) to host the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2024 during the first meeting held by the committee for the 2023-2027 session on Tuesday via videoconferencing.Scheduled to be held from April 17 to 28, the decision will see the Southeast Asian nation equal Uzbekistans record of staging the Continental showpiece on three occasions having previously hosted the 2000 and 2008 editions.As many as 31 contenders are expected to battle for the 15 spots to join Thailand ahead of next years Finals in the qualification campaign to be held across eight centralized venues from Oct. 7 to 11, 2023.The Committee was also updated on the latest developments in Futsal Club Licensing, the various AFC Futsal & Beach Soccer coaching and match official courses and assessment visits, as well as the online meetings conducted for the development of Member Associations (MAs) since the last meeting. (QNA)

Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Aspire Sports Excellence Academy signed a co-operation agreement at the QFA’s Al Bidda Tower headquarters yesterday. The two organisations hope to advance the coaching education system and increase their collective expertise through the partnership. Secretary-General of the Qatar Football Association Mansour al-Ansari and Director General of the Aspire Academy Ivan Bravo signed the agreement in the presence of Fahd Thani al-Zaraa, Director of Football Development Department of the QFA, and Professor Valter De Salvo, Director of Performance Development and Football Sciences at the Academy.Supporting and facilitating joint co-operation between the two parties and determining the framework for co-operation, the agreement hopes to significantly broaden the circle of knowledge that contributes to achieving the desired goals and invest in the expertise and capabilities available between the two parties to develop Qatari football.The two parties have come to an agreement whereby the Qatar Football Association will host coaching clinics and the Aspire Academy will provide expertise in areas such as football players’ physical fitness, psychology, physiology, nutrition, hospitalisation, and physiotherapy.Fahd Thani al-Zaraa, Director of the Football Development Department, said: “We at the Qatar Football Association seek to prepare and qualify coaches and raise the level of training programmes in clubs by spreading the culture of playing football throughout Qatar, and supporting partnership projects with institutions with common goals to improve the technical level of grassroots players in the country while crafting strategies for long-term sustainability”.Importantly, in November 2019, the Asian Football Confederation gave its stamp of approval to the Qatar Football Association’s coach education program all the way up to the “Pro Diploma” level.Qatar is the only Arab country with professional-level accreditation from the AFC.

Carlos Alcaraz swept into the quarter-finals of the US Open with a straight sets demolition of Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi yesterday as American third seed Jessica Pegula became the latest top-ranked player to exit.Defending champion Alcaraz, who has only dropped one set on his journey into the last eight, produced a dominant display to overwhelm world No 61 Arnaldi, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 57min. The 20-year-old Alcaraz is bidding to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to successfully defend the US Open after winning the title for the first time last year.The identity of the Spaniard’s quarter-final opponent will be confirmed later Monday, with Alcaraz due to face either Germany’s Alexander Zverev or Italy’s sixth seed Jannik Sinner in the last eight tomorrow.A match with Sinner would be a repeat of last year’s quarter-final classic between the two men, which set a record as the latest ever finish for a US Open game after wrapping up at 2.50am. “I think the intensity from the beginning until the last ball, I played a really solid match, less mistakes,” Alcaraz said after brisk victory. “I’m really happy with the performance in general.”Novak Djokovic continued his march towards a 24th Grand Slam crown on Sunday night. The 36-year-old took another confident step towards that objective , easing past Croatia’s Borna Gojo 6-2 7-5 6-4 to reach the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals for the 13th time.In the women’s draw meanwhile, Pegula joined world number one Iga Swiatek – upset in the fourth round on Sunday – in heading for the tournament exit, losing in straight sets to compatriot and close friend Madison Keys. Pegula had gone into the US Open dreaming of a first ever Grand Slam, buoyed by victory in last month’s WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal.But the 29-year-old’s campaign came to an abrupt halt in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium as 2017 US Open finalist Keys recorded a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win in just 61 minutes. Pegula was left with no answer as Keys unleashed a stream of 21 winners to her six.Keys also punished her friend’s shaky serve, breaking her five times on her way to wrapping up a comfortable victory. “It’s always tough having to play a friend but we’ve been doing it our whole lives at this point,” Keys, 28, said. “When we get on the court it’s all business and when we get off the court we go back to being friends.”The 17th-seeded Keys will now face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals tomorrow. Ninth seed Vondrousova booked her place in the last eight with a battling win over unseeded American Peyton Stearns, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.Vondrousova made history in July after becoming the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, her first Grand Slam title. The 24-year-old has never been past the fourth round at the US Open, and admitted after her win on Monday she had surprised herself by advancing to the last eight.Two other women’s quarter-finalists were to be decided late last night, with second seed Aryna Sabalenka - destined to be the new women’s world number one after Swiatek’s exit on Sunday – facing Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.Tunisia’s fifth-seeded Ons Jabeur was facing China’s Zheng Qinwen in the other women’s fourth round clash.Swiatek stumped by ‘loss ofcontrol’ in US Open exitMeanwhile, Swiatek said she was at a loss to describe the way in which her US Open title defence was left in ruins on Sunday in a last-16 defeat to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. The Pole lost for the fourth time in as many meetings with the talented but inconsistent Ostapenko, who roared back to clinch a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory after dominating the final two sets. “She plays well against me. I mean, I don’t have any comparison because she always did that,” said Swiatek.“But I’m just surprised that my level changed so drastically because usually when I play bad, I play bad at the beginning, then I kind of catch up or just problem solve. This time it was totally the opposite. I don’t really know what happened with my game. I felt no control suddenly. I just have to watch and see ‘cause, yeah, I didn’t really know why I started making so many mistakes.”The 22-year-old Swiatek will lose her status as world number one following the US Open, with Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus set to take over top spot. Swiatek had cruised into the fourth round in New York after not dropping a set in her first three matches, looking in prime form to defend the title she won last year.But Sunday’s defeat will snap her 75-week reign at the summit. “Usually I’m not looking at numbers, but overall I love them. I would love to, like, extend this record a little bit longer,” said Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion.“This is something that when I was younger, I actually kind of wanted to break some record or have something. I already did that ‘cause I already won a Slam as a first Polish player. Obviously being No. 1 as the third player in history is great.But for sure when it happens, when you lose it, there are some sad emotions. All these great players know it’s going to come back if you’re going to work hard, focus on the right things, just develop as a player.”

The Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) has announced the groupings of the 16 teams participating in the seventh edition of the Asian Basketball Championship for under 16 years.The championship will be hosted by Doha from September 17 to 24 and will be qualifier for the World Cup under 18 years.The teams have been divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) of four teams per group.Qatar national basketball team have been placed in Group B, alongside Saudi Arabia, Iran and Japan.The seventh edition of the championship will witness the participation of 16 teams, namely: Qatar (the host), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Iran, Malaysia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, India, and Sri Lanka.The local organising committee of the tournament has revealed that the matches of the seventh edition will be held in Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan halls.The committee has also issued the schedule of matches, where the Qatari team will face Saudi Arabia in the opening match on September 17 at 7:30pm. Al-Annabi will play the second match against Japan on September 18 at 7:00pm and will conclude its matches in the group stage on September 19 with a meeting with Iran at five in the evening. The Qatari team will play all three matches in the Al Gharafa Club hall.The tournament will be opened by a meeting between Australia and India at 11:30am in the Al Gharafa Club Hall for the matches of Group A, which includes Sri Lanka and Lebanon alongside them.Malaysia hosted the first edition of the Asian Championship in 2009, followed by the second edition in Vietnam in 2011, and the third edition in Iran in 2013. These three editions were titled by the Chinese national team.South Korea won the title of the fourth edition in 2015 in Indonesia, and Australia won the title of the fifth edition, which China hosted in 2017. The tournament was interrupted for about 5 years due to the Coronavirus pandemic before Qatar hosted the sixth edition in the summer of last year, during which Australia retained the title for the second time in a row.Qatar’s national under-16 basketball team won the Gulf Basketball Championship – Gulf Region, which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last month, accompanied by the teams of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. In the Asian Championship, the team will have the opportunity to qualify for the World Championship.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win away at Lyon on Sunday to leave their crisis-hit opponents bottom of Ligue 1. Mbappe’s two goals in the first half sandwiched strikes by Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio as PSG produced a ruthless performance that augurs well for the rest of the season.Corentin Tolisso pulled one back with a penalty for Lyon but the seven-time former French champions are enduring a miserable start to the campaign and are bottom with just one point from four games. Laurent Blanc’s side prop up the division on goal difference behind last season’s runners-up Lens and Clermont.PSG, meanwhile, are up to second, two points behind early league leaders Monaco, after a second straight win to follow draws in their opening two games. “It is a great result. It is not easy to come and win here, regardless of what the opposition are going through,” said PSG captain Marquinhos. “We are not yet playing exactly the way the coach wants us to but we are making great progress. He is very demanding, very hard with us. He has said there is still room for improvement.”Luis Enrique’s team are building towards the start of their Champions League campaign which will see them come up against Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United in the group stage.They still have Randal Kolo Muani to come into the team after the France striker joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in a reported 90 million-euro ($97m) deal just before the transfer window closed on Friday.This game came too soon for Kolo Muani to make his debut, but there was a first appearance for Bradley Barcola after he joined from Lyon on Thursday for a fee that could reach 50mn euros. Barcola came off the bench late on to a chorus of jeers and whistles from the home support, but the game was well and truly over by then.PSG went ahead in the fourth minute as Mbappe netted a penalty after Manuel Ugarte’s pressing led to him being brought down in the box by Tolisso. Hakimi made it 2-0 on 20 minutes, following in to score after Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had turned a low Ousmane Dembele cross out into his path.The visitors needed Gianluigi Donnarumma to make fine saves from Rayan Cherki and Tolisso, while in between that Hakimi hit the bar at the end of a lighting PSG counterattack. They scored again on 38 minutes in clinical fashion, Ugarte releasing Asensio for the former Real Madrid man to score his second goal in as many games.Asensio turned provider as PSG made it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time, sending Mbappe through to beat Lopes for his second of the night and his fifth in three games since returning to the team following a contract dispute. The final score could have been embarrassing for Lyon but Dembele hit the bar with a header early in the second half and the hosts then won a penalty in the 73rd minute.A lengthy VAR check deciphered a trip by Warren Zaire-Emery on Nicolas Tagliafico, and Tolisso tucked in the resulting spot kick. Yet Lyon’s dreadful start to the season on the pitch comes amid turbulence off it under new American owner John Textor, who was not able to make the summer signings he desired because of the club’s financial situation.The team’s results pile pressure on coach Blanc, the former PSG boss who took over less than a year ago. A banner unfurled by fans during the game called on him to resign.“The supporters are entitled to be disappointed, with the team and the coach,” he said. “But in our situation I don’t think there is only one person who is responsible. Everyone is responsible.”Lyon are bottom after Clermont claimed their first point of the season earlier on Sunday, equalising late on to draw 2-2 at Toulouse. There were also wins on Sunday for Le Havre, Lille and Nice. Monaco went clear at the summit with a 3-0 win over Lens on Saturday.

Unseeded American Ben Shelton took down 14th-seeded compatriot Tommy Paul in four sets on Sunday to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final of the year at the US Open.The 20-year-old Shelton avenged his loss to Paul in the last eight of the Australian Open, winning 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to become the youngest American to reach the men’s quarter-finals in New York since Andy Roddick in 2002.The world number 47 plays the winner between 10th seed Frances Tiafoe and Australian wild card Rinky Hijikata for a place in the semi-finals.Daniil Medvedev progressed to the fourth round of the US Open with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Sebastian Baez which snapped the Argentine’s 12-match winning streak.Third seed and 2021 champion Medvedev is through to the second week in New York for the fifth year in a row and will play Australian 13th seed Alex de Minaur for a spot in the quarter-finals.Medvedev closed out the victory with an ace on his fourth match point in the tie-break as he finished well past 1am for the second straight match.“I just want to go to sleep, that’s it. Nothing more,” said Medvedev.“When you go to play at 11pm it just feels tough. This time I decided not to sleep before and I ate, so I was feeling pretty bad on the court. That’s why I was nervous all the match.”World number 32 Baez came into the US Open bristling with confidence after titles at Kitzbuehel and Winston-Salem, reaching the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time here.However hard-court specialist Medvedev - winner of four titles on the surface this season -started quickly and rarely looked in trouble as he took the first two sets with minimal fuss.Baez refused to meekly accept his fate and threatened to force a fourth set. He led 5-2 only for Medvedev to break back and then save a set point on serve, the Russian finally getting through in the tie-break in the early hours of Sunday morning.“It was lucky and good play from me to stay in third set, and good not to finish at 4am.”In other action sixth seed Jannik Sinner took down 2017 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-3 2-6 6-4 6-2 to set up an intriguing fourth round meeting with 12th seeded German Alexander Zverev, who was a 6-7(2) 7-6(8) 6-1 6-1 winner over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Earlier, Ons Jabeur kept her dream of a first Grand Slam alive at the US Open, reaching the last 16 after finally overcoming injured opponent Marie Bouzkova in three sets.Tunisian fifth seed Jabeur, whose own US Open campaign has been disrupted by a flu virus, completed a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory to subdue Bouzkova in 2hr 56min.A contest of high drama on the Arthur Ashe Stadium saw Bouzkova play virtually half of the match on one leg after suffering a thigh injury midway through the second set. The 25-year-old Czech 31st seed left the court for a lengthy medical timeout after clutching her thigh in pain.She appeared to be close to tears when she returned, but somehow managed to battle bravely on despite severely limited mobility.Bouzkova was often seen grimacing and wincing in pain whenever she needed to push off her injured leg, but remarkably continued to complete the match.At one point she consulted her coaching staff in the stands and said simply: “I have to.”“Man it was a very tough match,” Jabeur said afterwards. “We both played really well. She didn’t want to stop. She’s a great player.“This is a tough sport. You always don’t want to give up. I really respect her for that. I think we both had a great battle tonight, and hopefully I’ll continue getting this ‘warrior’ symbol with me during this great tournament.”Jabeur admitted she had been incredulous at times as Bouzkova soldiered on despite her injury.“When I saw her struggling with her leg I tried to make her move as much as I can,” Jabeur said. “I know that’s not nice but I was trying to win the match.“At certain times I was like ‘Is she really injured?’ I wasn’t sure.”Jabeur, who also needed three sets in round two after a difficult opening match earlier this week, once again found herself in trouble early on against Bouzkova.But the injury changed the complexion of the match, even though the ailing Bouzkova took her to a tie-break in the second set.Jabeur grabbed an early break in the final set, and then served for the match in the ninth game.There was another twist as Bouzkova saved two match points after trailing 15-40, but Jabeur finally clinched victory on her third match point.Jabeur, who will now face China’s Zheng Qinwen in the last 16 on Monday, said her punishing training regimen in Tunisia had helped prepare her for the demands of the tournament.“It was super hot in Tunisia, super humid,” Jabeur said. “Honestly, I was fighting to just finish the practice. It would have been much easier to stop the practice, but we didn’t.“I was really fighting on those practices the same as during those matches.”Karolina Muchova also became the first woman into the quarter-finals, downing China’s Wang Xinyu in three sets to advance to the last eight. The 10th-seeded Czech, beaten in the final of this year’s French Open, overcame an error-strewn performance to win 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in 2hr 34min on the Louis Armstrong Stadium.The 27-year-old right-hander will face either Sorana Cirstea, the 30th seed from Romania or 15th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the last eight.Wang had been bidding to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time after an impressive run to the last 16 in New York.The 21-year-old from Shenzhen fought back to level after taking the second set, but wilted in the decider as Muchova broke twice to take a grip on the match before holding to clinch victory.