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Tunisian Ons Jabeur gained revenge for her defeat in last year’s Wimbledon final when she surged back from a set down to beat third-seeded defending champion Kazakh Elena Rybakina 6-7(5) 6-4 6-1 yesterday to reach the semi-finals.A year ago Jabeur looked on course to become the first Arabic and African female champion before fading to lose in three sets but the dream is still on in 2023 after the sixth seed mounted a spirited comeback having looked distraught after the first set tiebreak went against her.Jabeur upped her game after that, remaining positive and going for the big shots as Moscow-born Rybakina’s big serve faltered and the on-fire Tunisian won eight of the last nine games.She will play second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semis after the Belarusian beat American Madison Keys in straight sets earlier.“I wish we could exchange this match from the final last year,” Jabeur said.“I’m very happy with the performance. There was a lot of emotion out there, especially playing someone who serves really well. It’s frustrating to return but I’m glad I did everything, shouted, got angry then got calm and focused.“The first (set) should have gone my way. I honestly doubted a little bit. I kept yelling at my coach saying, ‘You told me to play like this and look what’s happening’.“Then I really tried to get back in the zone and believe this plan is the plan and kept going. I think I’m going to end up writing a book about my emotions because this is unbelievable.“Hopefully I can keep managing my emotions like this for the next few matches.”UNTIDY SETThere were two breaks apiece in an untidy first set before third seed Rybakina found her accuracy at the right time to come through the tiebreak.Jabeur said this week that it took her a long time to get over last year’s final defeat and she looked at her wit’s end after seeing the tiebreak slip away.If there were any demons, however, she put them back in their place.Though she failed to take advantage of three break points in the first game, she developed into the dominant player of the set, cutting down the errors, scrambling in defence and breaking in the 10th to level the match.Oddly the variety of pace and angle that she used to discombobulate Petra Kvitova in the fourth round was largely absent as she backed herself to take on the champion with weighty ground strokes while scrambling brilliantly in defence.With the crowd behind her, the 28-year-old Jabeur was bouncing around the court when she broke to love for a 2-0 lead.She held comfortably to make it five games in a row and sensed a sixth when she was 0-30 on Rybakina’s serve, only for the champion to save it. Rybakina had two break points in the next game but this time it was Jabeur’s turn to show her mettle as she blasted four successive points to break her rival’s spirit.Rybakina’s serve was still a powerful weapon when she landed it but in the third set she could barely got a first serve in, and paid the price when Jabeur broke again for 5-1 and served out for a joyous victory.Earlier in the day, Aryna Sabalenka powered into a second semi-final yesterday with a straight-sets win over Madison Keys of the United States.World number two Sabalenka from Belarus, a semi-finalist in 2021, came through 6-2, 6-4 and will Jabeur for a place in final.Along with all Russian and Belarusian players, Sabalenka was banned from the 2022 tournament following the invasion of Ukraine. Belarus is a key ally of Moscow.“It was an amazing battle and I’m so happy to be back in the semi-final. I just hope to do better than last time,” said Sabalenka. She was defeated in three sets by Karolina Pliskova in the last four in 2021.“Madison is a great player. I’m super happy that I came back when I was 2-4 down, 0-40 in the second set,” she said.“When I was a little girl I dreamed of winning Wimbledon. It’s something special here.”Sabalenka clinched a double break in the opening set, in the first and fifth games, with her American opponent not helped by 10 unforced errors, twice as many as the more accurate Belarusian.Keys, playing her second quarter-final at Wimbledon, also needed a quick courtside visit from the tournament doctor at 1-4 down in the opener.The world number 18 broke for a 4-2 lead in the second set and was 40-0 in the next game but immediately undid all her hard work.Sabalenka, 25, made the American pay by holding and breaking again for a 5-4 lead, which was converted into victory off a second match point after 87 minutes of action on Court One.

Al Sadd Club have announced the appointment of Portuguese Bruno Miguel as the coach succeeding Spaniard Juan Manuel Lillo ‘Juanma’, who desired to be relieved due to urgent personal circumstances and which was approved by the club management.Miguel will start his duties with the first team starting today at the team’s overseas outdoor camp which is currently being held in Austria in preparation for the new QSL season 2023-2024.Al Sadd continued preparations at the camp through technical and physical training and friendly matches, where the team has played two matches so far.Al Sadd first won their first friendly against Austrian team SVG Reichenau 4-0 while they lost the second game to Azerbaijani Sabah FC 3-1.

The most ambitious attempt yet to establish professional cricket in the United States gets under way today when wickets will be pitched for the start of the inaugural season of Major League Cricket.With backing from four franchises in the Indian Premier League, including the league’s most successful teams the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings, MLC has plenty of money and expertise behind it, unlike prior attempts to crack the American market.As well as financial muscle and television deals, MLC has also been sanctioned by USA Cricket and the International Cricket Council – rubber stamps that have been absent from short-lived private ventures in the past.Like the IPL, the league will play the shortest and most explosive version of cricket, Twenty20, and has recruited some experienced international players.England opening batsman Jason Roy, Australian batsman Aaron Finch, South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada and West Indies spinner Sunil Narine are among the foreign players drafted by the six teams.While cricket has long been played at a recreational level in the USA – the first-ever international game being between the USA and Canada at New York in 1844 – there remains a shortage of facilities for the sport in a country where baseball is beloved.A former baseball park in North Texas, Grand Prairie Stadium, has been transformed into a cricket-specific venue and will be the site of the opener when the Texas Super Kings face the Los Angeles Knight Riders.Other games will be played in Morrisville, North Carolina, before the playoffs and final return to Texas.While organisers expect good levels of support from fans with family backgrounds in cricket-loving countries, they aim to gradually win over the broader American public.“The goal is to grow the game of cricket and expose the sport in the USA,” tournament director Justin Geale, told AFP.“We’ve got some of the best players in the world that can actually represent the product, do it justice. So it’s going to be a good quality game of cricket that gives us the best chance to show existing fans and new fans the game.“We’ve got as far as anyone ever has. So after all the false starts, I think it’s finally here.”Part of the groundwork that MLC did was been the creation of Minor League Cricket, a 26-team competition which began in 2021 to spark domestic player development.The teams will feature a maximum of six foreign players and a minimum of five domestic players and Geale says developing a talent pool for the USA national team is a big part of the mission.“Building talent here domestically is one of our big pillars for sustainability,” he said.It will be a challenge for coaches and captains to manage teams with experienced international players alongside emerging domestic players but South African Robin Peterson, head coach of the Mumbai Indians-backed MI New York team, says it will work.“In my experience, I found that the local boys tend to learn quite a bit playing alongside these superstars,” he told AFP.“I’ve seen it firsthand in the SA20 and even if you look at the growth and trajectory of the Indian cricket since the inception of the IPL, it has just been amazing the amount of talent that they’re producing.“I see the league here playing a similar role for USA cricket.”As well as the involvement of IPL teams, Australia’s Cricket Victoria has a high-performance partnership with the San Francisco Unicorns and Cricket New South Wales has a similar role with the Washington Freedom.The league has broadcast deals with streaming service Willow TV, whose owners are also investors in MLC, and also with Viacom18 in India.Peterson is optimistic that T20, much more than longer forms of the game, has the ingredients to win eyeballs in the American market.“It’s becoming more entertainment,” he said. “It speaks to the American sporting psyche where the players are a lot more physical, fitter, stronger, hit the ball further.“It’s an exciting project. I think it’s about time people start taking cricket seriously in America.”

India yesterday controlled the proceedings against the West Indies by restricting the hosts to 146 for the loss of eights wickets at tea on the first day of the opening Test of the two-match series.Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, back in the playing XI after being left out for the World Test Championship final last month, was the pick of the bowlers with four scalps in the first four hours of the first day.At the tea break, tall West Indies spinner Rakheem Cornwall was batting on 17 while the other not out batter was Kemar Roach on zero.For India, Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets while Mohamed Siraj and Shardul Thakur got a wicket apiece.Earlier Ashwin made an immediate impact with two wickets on his return to Test cricket as India reduced the West Indies to 68 for four at lunch on the first day of the opening Test.Omitted for the World Test Championship final against Australia a month earlier, the 36-year-old spinner removed openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite having being brought into the attack after just 40 minutes’ play on what looked a placid pitch offering little assistance for the faster bowlers.However seam bowling all-rounder Thakur then had Raymon Reifer caught behind in his first over while Jermaine Blackwood’s luck ran out when he was brilliantly caught by a leaping Siraj at mid-off to the bowling of Ashwin’s spin partner Jadeja in what proved to be the final ball before the interval.Blackwood was dropped first ball off Ashwin by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, one of two debutants for the Indians, the other being 21-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, selected to open the batting with captain Rohit Sharma.Sharma’s opposite number, Brathwaite, will be regretting his decision to bat first at this stage as the home side resumes in the afternoon session with local boy and debutant, Alick Athanaze (13 not out) seeking to impress against a confident Indian side.SCOREBOARDWest Indies Ist InningsK. Brathwaite (c) c Sharma b Ashwin 20T. Chanderpaul b Ashwin 12R. Reifer c † Kishan b Thakur 2J. Blackwood c Siraj b Jadeja 14A. Athanaze c Thakur b Ashwin 47J. Da Silva † c † Kishan b Jadeja 2J. Holder c Thakur b Siraj 18A. Joseph c Unadkat b Ashwin 4R. Cornwall not out 17K. Roach not out 0Extras: (b 2, lb 5, nb 2, w 1) 10Total: (59.2 Overs) 146 for 8Yet to bat: Jomel WarricanFall of wickets: 1-31 (Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 12.5 ov), 2-38 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 16.3 ov), 3-47 (Raymon Reifer, 19.3 ov), 4-68 (Jermaine Blackwood, 27.6 ov), 5-76 (Joshua Da Silva, 31.5 ov), 6-117 (Jason Holder, 49.4 ov), 7-124 (Alzarri Joseph, 52.4 ov), 8-129 (Alick Athanaze, 54.6 ov) Bowling: Mohamed Siraj 12-2-25-1; Jaydev Unadkat 7-2-17-0; Ravichandran Ashwin 22-6-58-4; Shardul Thakur 7-3-15-1; Ravindra Jadeja 11.2-5-24-2Toss: West IndiesSecond Test: July 20-25

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has recommended limiting the number of one-day internationals after the 2027 World Cup to improve quality and create space in the calendar, as well as establishing a fund to help smaller nations play test cricket.The custodian of the game’s laws also called for more funds to be directed to women’s cricket, saying “significant transformation” was needed to protect the sport overall.“The suggestion is that a scarcity of ODI cricket would increase the quality, achieved by removing bilateral ODIs, other than in the one-year preceding each World Cup,” the MCC said in a statement yesterday.“This would, as a consequence, also create much-needed space in the global cricketing calendar.”The suggestions would only be able to be accommodated after cricket’s 2023-27 cycle.While the MCC’s World Cricket Committee (WCC) panel welcomed more money flowing into the game, it noted the financial disparity among members and voiced “particular concern” for the survival of test cricket outside India, Australia and England.The committee, which met during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, acknowledged the “growing unaffordability to host men’s Test match cricket in many nations” and recommended a financial audit.“This audit of operational costs versus commercial return would help the ICC identify nations in need of support in order to sustain a Test match programme,” it said.“This need could be subsequently addressed via a separate Test fund, established to protect the sanctity of Test match cricket.”It also recommended a strategic fund to aid growth of women’s cricket.“It’s time for the global game to reset,” panel chairman Mike Gatting said.“The WCC firmly believes that if we are to protect the game of cricket as a whole, immediate action must be taken to bring about significant transformation in the sport,” added the former England captain.The full list of committee members is as follows:Mike Gatting - ChairSuzie BatesClare ConnorKumar DharmasenaSourav GangulyJhulan GoswamiHeather KnightJustin LangerEoin MorganRamiz RajaKumar SangakkaraGraeme SmithRicky Skerritt

Jasper Philipsen cemented his status as this year’s sprinting star when he claimed his fourth stage win in the Tour de France on Wednesday.The Belgian was a cut above the rest in the 11th stage, a 180km ride from Clermont-Ferrand, beating Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen and German Phil Bauhaus to take his career tally of wins in the world’s greatest race to six.Although he did not benefit this time from the work of his top lead-out man Mathieu van der Poel, who struggled in the finale, Philipsen timed his effort to perfection to prevail by a bike length.He has now won six of the last seven bunch sprints on the Tour, having only been denied this year by Dane Mads Pedersen in Limoges last Saturday.The Alpecin Deceuninck rider became the first man to win four stages in the same Tour since Briton Mark Cavendish in 2021.Italian Daniel Oss was the last of a three-man breakaway group to be swallowed up by the peloton, 13.5km from the finish line, making way for the sprinters’ team in light rain.Philipsen can now bid to become the first rider to win five stages in a single edition of the Tour since German Marcel Kittel in 2017.He strengthened his grip on the green jersey for the points classification, taking his tally to 323 and widen the gap with second-placed Bryan Coquard to a massive 145 points.“Everything went well today, even if Mathieu (Van der Poel) was not here. He wasn’t feeling too well, he caught a little cold, but I think he might also have spared some energy for tomorrow’s stage,” Philipsen said.Groenewegen was dejected once again.“I thought today was the day, we did everything perfectly but in the end someone was faster.“We can only keep trying,” he told reporters.Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.He leads second-placed Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by 17 seconds with Australian Jai Hindley in third place, 2:40 off the pace as there was no major change in the top positions of the general classification.Thursday’s 12th stage is a 169km roller-coaster between Roanne and Belleville en Beaujolais.

PGA Tour officials painted a bleak outlook during a contentious Senate hearing on Tuesday, sharing they felt no other choice was left but to merge with Saudi-backed LIV Golf in order for the tour to survive.“The PGA Tour is not that big in terms of players,” PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne said during sworn testimony on Tuesday before the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in Washington, DC.“If (LIV) takes five players a year, in five years they can gut us. They’ve got a management team that wants to destroy the Tour. And even though (LIV) could take five or six players a year, they have an unlimited horizon and an unlimited amount of money.“So it isn’t like the (LIV) product is better. It’s just that there’s a lot more money that will make people move.”Dunne and Ron Price, the chief operating officer of the PGA Tour, testified on behalf of the tour with CEO Jay Monahan on medical leave. They said the framework of the planned merger is the best opportunity to allow the PGA Tour to continue to have some degree of control over the sport despite the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia’s involvement.When pressed on the details of the financial involvement of the Saudis, Price said: “There’s been discussions. It would be a significant amount. North of $1 billion.”Along with others, Senator Richard Blumenthal offered harsh criticism of the financial aspects of the decision to merge.“There is something that stinks about this path that you’re on right now,” Blumenthal said, “because it is a surrender, and it is all about the money and that’s the reason for the backlash that you see.”Blumenthal asked Price what his options are if the PGA Tour doesn’t execute the merger with LIV Golf.“We would still be facing a real threat that LIV Golf would continue to recruit our top players,” Price said.Blumenthal responded: “These players that stood by you are heroes.”The proposed merger could face blockage from the Justice Department, which has been investigating the PGA Tour for its attempt to keep its players from leaving for LIV, as well as a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a Treasury-led committee that assesses mergers for national security purposes.Price and Dunne stressed during Tuesday’s hearing that final details of the merger are undetermined. “We have no agreement,” Dunne testified. “We have an agreement to possibly get to an agreement.”British Open announces record prize moneyThe winner of this year’s British Open Championship will collect a record $3mn in prize money, the R&A announced yesterday. It will be the highest amount in the tournament’s history, with an 18% increase from 2022, which was won by Australian Cameron Smith.“Our aim is to ensure The Open remains at the pinnacle of world golf and we have almost doubled the prize fund since 2016,” the CEO of R&A Martin Slumbers said in a statement.“While we are seeing substantial increases in prize money across the men’s professional game, we are fulfilling our wider obligation to the sport by elevating the AIG Women’s Open, strengthening pathways in the elite amateur game and encouraging more people around the world to play golf.This year’s championship, the 151st, will be played at Royal Liverpool from July 16-23.

Jordan Spieth served as a player director on the PGA Tour board in the past. Based on the upheaval in the sport, he is just fine playing the role of vested observer.“You talk to a lot of other players, it’s been quite a shock from the get-go,” Spieth said of navigating uncertainty around the future of the Tour with little information about the planned merger with the DP World Tour and LIV Golf. “I wouldn’t say that there’s enough details to be able to really comment much on any concerns.”World No 1 Scottie Scheffler said he watched the US Senate hearings with PGA Tour officials along with fellow players on Tuesday but “didn’t learn anything.”“As a player on Tour, we still don’t really have a lot of clarity as to what’s going on and that’s a bit worrisome,” Scheffler said. “They keep saying it’s a player-run organization - and we don’t really have the information that we need.”Spieth wants more information, but not necessarily more of a say in the solution. He faced his own unique challenges as a board member during the Covid pandemic, attempting to help the Tour navigate everything from roommate assignments to fan policies at events.“That was enough time for me. I feel involved more than I was on the board before Covid, anyways, right now,” Spieth said yesterday at the Scottish Open. “I can’t say that I’m jealous of not being on the board right now.”But Spieth does expect more communication from Tour officials. He watched and read details of the PGA Tour testimony during senate hearings about the potential merger with LIV Golf, and was left with “not a great feeling” as officials described the overbearing threat of LIV poaching top players.Spieth said he expects far more information, and better communication, starting Monday when Jay Monahan returns to the job from medical leave.“It’s a member-run organisation with a voluntary board that’s supposed to look out for the interests of the PGA Tour players on the board. I don’t believe that these decisions had to be made without involving players on the board and other board members,” Spieth said.Monahan was on leave within days of the announced framework of the PGA-LIV agreement last month. Spieth said Monahan is returning to trust issues and more.“Just based on conversations I’ve had with players (trust issues exist), and I think he realises that,” Spieth said. “I’m sure he’s preparing for a plan to try and build it back.”

Daniel Ricciardo’s return to the Formula One starting grid with tail-enders AlphaTauri, from Hungary next week, has also raised more questions about Sergio Perez’s future at sister team Red Bull.Tuesday’s announcement that the 34-year-old Australian had replaced the axed Nyck de Vries should have rung alarm bells for the Mexican, whose contract alongside dominant double world champion Max Verstappen runs to the end of 2024.Perez is second overall but 99 points behind Verstappen after 10 of 22 races, and his form in the last six has been patchy.If fan favourite Ricciardo can show he has truly recovered his mojo, and is no longer the driver who was so out of sorts at McLaren in 2021-22, then champions Red Bull have an even more obvious replacement.Red Bull have a history of ruthlessly promoting and demoting drivers between their two teams, as well as discarding them entirely.AlphaTauri, who will have new bosses and a different name next year, can benefit from the experience of an eight-times race winner, although how long Ricciardo is prepared to be an also-ran remains to be seen.Either way, he needs to impress against Japanese team mate and Honda protege Yuki Tsunoda in a car struggling to score. That is the Australian’s gamble.The departure of De Vries after just 10 Grands Prix, without even getting the chance to race in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort next month, had been widely flagged and was surprising only in the timing.SIMILAR REJECTIONSome still jumped to his defence, notably drivers who experienced similar rejection.“Never expected it to be over so quickly for Nyck,” said compatriot and former Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde, who took legal action against Sauber in a 2015 contract dispute, on Twitter. “If you look back at it, the amount of time he was given to get used to the car and the progress he made (slowly but surely) it’s - in my opinion - been too soon.”Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, who had one season with Virgin Racing in 2010, added: “When you axe a driver after 10 races it shows the process of making the hiring decision is wrong.”It could be argued that 2021 Formula E champion De Vries, 28, had 11 races more than he looked like getting at this point last season. He impressed by taking points for Williams in a one-off appearance at Monza last year, replacing the unwell Alex Albon, but has not scored since.If a combination of circumstances handed him the seat, all triggered by McLaren deciding to part with Ricciardo, a similar alignment has sealed his fate.The problem for De Vries was that he could never count on the full support of Red Bull after being passed over by others.AlphaTauri had wanted to hire American Colton Herta but he lacked the necessary super-licence. Red Bull juniors, and notably New Zealander and official reserve Liam Lawson, were deemed not ready.Helmut Marko, who oversees Red Bull’s driver development programme, was asked last month whether he and Red Bull principal Christian Horner ever disagreed about drivers.“Not often, but sometimes we do. The last one... I would say De Vries,” he told ‘The Inside Line’ podcast. “He (Horner) was not a fan of De Vries.”

Paris Saint-Germain announced the arrival of Benfica teenager Cher Ndour on Wednesday on a five-year deal.The 18-year-old Italian midfielder is the French champion’s sixth signing since Luis Enrique replaced Christophe Galtier as coach last week. Ndour moves to the Parc des Princes after winning the Portuguese league title with Benfica, and is currently on duty for Italy at the Under-19 Euros in Malta. He joins Enrique’s other new recruits - Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Ugarte, Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio and Lee Kang - in at PSG. The Qatari-backed club is in a period of flux following the departure of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and with Kylian Mbappe’s future very much up in the air. PSG must sell their prize asset in the current transfer window or risk losing him for nothing when the France 2018 World Cup winner’s deal ends next season.

Team Qatar won two more bronze medals at the 15th Arab Games – Algeria 2023 on Wednesday. Qatar fencers (above) Meshaal al-Qahtani, Mohamed al-Awlan and Jaber al-Fadaaq claimed the men’s team Epee bronze medal of the Games. Qatar’s table tennis team (below) comprised of Ahmed Khalil, Mohamed Abdulwahab, Fahad al-Mughni, Ahmed al-Awlaqi and Abdullah Abdulwahab also claimed the men’s team bronze medal. Qatar’s handball team also qualified for the final after beating Iraq 24-23 yesterday. Qatar has won 17 medals, including six gold, two silver and nine bronze medals.

Argentina World Cup winning captain Lionel Messi says he has no idea when he will finally call time on his international career.“Even I don’t know when. It’ll happen when it happens,” the 36-year-old said in an interview broadcast on Argentine television yesterday.“After winning everything I want to enjoy the moment and wait for time to tell me when it’s the moment,” said the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.“Logically, given my age, one would expect it to be soon, but I don’t know for sure.“Now that we are American champions (Argentina won the 2021 Copa America) and world champions we have to enjoy that.”He reiterated earlier comments that he was unlikely to be in Argentina’s squad when they defend their World Cup title in 2026.The interview was conducted in China last month, when Messi scored the quickest goal of his career after just 79 seconds in a 2-0 friendly win against Australia in Beijing.On Tuesday, Messi arrived in Florida to put the final touches on his move to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain. He is expected to put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half year deal, reported to be worth $60mn a year, before being presented to fans at a stadium event on Sunday. Messi has no regrets about his decision to join Inter Miami and said he is eager to face a new challenge.“I’m happy with the decision we made. I’m ready and eager to face the new challenge,” Messi said in an interview with Argentinian TV on Tuesday.“My mentality and my head are not going to change and I will try, wherever I am, to give the maximum for myself and for the club, to continue to perform at the highest level.”“Fans will be able to enjoy an exciting night of entertainment, on-the-pitch speeches and more,” the club said in a statement, adding tickets would be free of charge for season ticket holders. The World Cup winner will be reunited with former Barcelona team mate Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami as well as former Argentina coach Gerardo Martino.Messi is expected to make his debut for the club on July 21 in a Leagues Cup clash against Mexican side Cruz Azul.

Carlos Alcaraz saw off Holger Rune in straight sets yesterday to stay on course for a Wimbledon title showdown against defending champion Novak Djokovic.The top seed won the key moments during the quarter-final on Centre Court to progress 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4 and will play Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.The Spaniard faced just one break point in the entire match, which he snuffed out, hitting 35 winners against 13 unforced errors.“Honestly, it is amazing for me,” said Alcaraz after beating his friend. “It’s been a dream since I started playing tennis.”The US Open champion, who now has 10 straight wins on grass, was delighted with his performance against his fellow 20-year-old.I am playing at a great level. I didn’t expect to play a great level on this surface,” he said.“For me, it is crazy.”He said he found it tough at the beginning of the match, especially with Rune on the other side of the net.“But once you get into the quarter-finals there’s no friends,” he added. “You have to be focused on yourself and I think I did great in that part.”There was just a single break point created in the first set, which almost inevitably went to a tie-break.The start of the breaker was tight but Rune’s double-fault gave Alcaraz a 4/3 lead and he won the next three points to take the first set.It was a similar story in the second set until Rune dumped a forehand smash into the net in the ninth game to give the Spaniard break point.Alcaraz made no mistake, smoking a backhand down the line to break and holding with ease to move two sets up.He broke again in the fifth game of the third set, giving Rune a mountain to climb. The Danish star saved one match point on his own serve but was powerless to stem the tide as Alcaraz served out to reach the last four at the All England Club for the first time.Alcaraz is the youngest semi-finalist at Wimbledon since Djokovic in 2007. The Serbian faces Italian eighth seed Jannik Sinner in tomorrow’s other semi-final.Alcaraz is aiming to become the third-youngest player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles crown in the Open Era. If he captures his second major at the All England Club, he is guaranteed to remain as world number one.Earlier, Medvedev battled back to defeat unseeded Christopher Eubanks in five sets and reach his first semi-final yesterday.The world number three from Russia triumphed 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.Former US Open champion Medvedev hit 52 winners compared to Eubanks’ 74 but crucially committed just a meagre 13 unforced errors to his opponent’s 55.Eubanks, who had shocked fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsistipas in the previous round, was attempting to become just the third man to reach the semi-finals on debut.However, the 27-year-old’s challenge fizzled out in the final set of a bruising, big-hitting contest.“After the first set, I didn’t want to go five sets but when I lost the third, I was happy to go five,” said Medvedev who fired 28 aces. “There were moments in the match when I was losing the game so to say and he was playing well.“I started to sink and make mistakes but after the third set I started to build something. I had more opportunities in the fourth set and after the tiebreak I played amazing.”Medvedev was untroubled in the opening set, carving out the only break in the third game before claiming the opener in which he committed just one unforced error to 11 for Eubanks.However, the American soon found his range with his one-handed backhand, pocketing a double break in the second set before levelling the quarter-final with his seventh ace.The world number 43 had his tail up and a break in the opening game of the third set was the platform as he moved towards a two sets to one lead.A frustrated Medvedev was handed a code violation for lobbing a ball that hit a courtside camera operator in the eighth game. An unreturned serve gave Eubanks the set.Serve dominated the fourth set as Eubanks passed 100 aces for the tournament but it was the more composed Medvedev who claimed the tiebreaker when the American buried a backhand volley into the net.Suddenly the spirit seeped out of Eubanks’ all-out attacking game as he slipped to a key double break down in the decider.

Paris Saint-Germain announced the arrival of Benfica teenager Cher Ndour on Wednesday on a five-year deal.The 18-year-old Italian midfielder is the French champion's sixth signing since Luis Enrique replaced Christophe Galtier as coach last week.Ndour moves to the Parc des Princes after winning the Portuguese league title with Benfica, and is currently on duty for Italy at the Under-19 Euros in Malta.He joins Enrique's other new recruits - Lucas Hernandez, Manuel Ugarte, Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio and Lee Kang-in at PSG.The Qatari-backed club is in a period of flux following the departure of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to US Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and with Kylian Mbappe's future very much up in the air.PSG must sell their prize asset in the current transfer window or risk losing him for nothing when the France 2018 World Cup winner's deal ends next season.

Al Sadd Club have announced the appointment of Portuguese coach Bruno Miguel as the coach succeeding Spaniard Juan Manuel Lillo ‘Juanma’, who desired to be relieved due to urgent personal circumstances and which was approved by the club management. Miguel coach will start his duties with the first team starting today at the team’s overseas outdoor camp which is currently being held in Austria in preparation for the new season 2023-2024. Al Sadd continued preparations at the camp through technical and physical training and friendly matches, where the team has played two matches so far. Al Sadd first won their first friendly against Austrian team SVG Reichenau 4-0 while they lost the second game to Azerbaijani Sabah team 3-1.

Qatar fencing men’s team members – Ali al-Athba, Abdullah Khalifa and Khalid Alyafi – celebrate with Qatar Olympic Committee first vice-president Mohamed bin Yousef al-Mana after winning the foil gold medal at the 15th Arab Games – Algeria 2023 on Tuesday. With the victory Qatar medal tally goes to 15 including six gold, two silver and seven bronze. Qatar’s volleyball and table-tennis teams have also reached semi-finals of the Games.

Novak Djokovic reached his 12th Wimbledon semi-final and record-equalling 46th at the Grand Slams with a four-set victory over Andrey Rublev on Tuesday.The Serb, chasing an eighth title at the All England Club and 24th career major, came through 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and will face Italy’s Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.Djokovic has now reached as many semi-finals at the Slams as the retired Roger Federer.The 36-year-old was playing in his 400th Grand Slam match and insisted he was enjoying being the man to beat.“I love it. Any player wants to be in the position where all the other players want to beat you,” he said after preserving his record of not being defeated on Centre Court since 2013.“The pressure never goes away every time I come on court.“They want to get a scalp and the win – but it ain’t happening!”Rublev, the world number seven, has now lost all eight quarter-finals he has played at the majors.However, he enjoyed a promising start against a player who allowed him just seven games when they met at the same stage of the Australian Open in January. Djokovic saw three break points come and go in the first set and was made to pay when Rublev broke for a 5-4 lead.The 25-year-old Russian claimed the opener in the next game when Djokovic netted a service return.That was the second set dropped by Djokovic at Wimbledon this year and he was suitably fired up in response.He raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set, allowing Rublev just six points in that stretch, before going on to level the quarter-final. In the third set, Djokovic saved two break points in the second game, broke in the fifth and moved to a two sets to one lead in the 10th game.It was not a smooth conversion, however, with the champion needing five set points to finish the job while at the same time saving three break points.The outcome was inevitable as he broke for a 2-1 lead in the fourth before wrapping up the match having fired 42 winners past Rublev.Earlier, Jannik Sinner beat unseeded Russian Roman Safiullin to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final. The Italian eighth seed recovered from a mid-match wobble to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 and will face either Novak Djokovic for a place in Sunday’s final.“It was obviously tough,” said the 21-year-old, who squandered a two-sets-to-love lead against Djokovic in last year’s quarter-final.“I was a break up in the second. I got down mentally a little bit so this is a part we are working on a lot and obviously I’m very happy how I reacted in the next couple of sets.”Earlier Elina Svitolina stunned world number one Iga Swiatek to reach the semi-finals, just three months after returning from maternity leave.The world number 76 came through 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 despite being a break down in both of the first two sets against the reigning US Open and French Open champion.Svitolina, also a semi-finalist in 2019, will take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who beat fourth seed Jessica Pegula in a topsy turvy match. The Czech player, ranked 42 in the world, recovered from 4-1 down in the deciding set to win 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. for a place in championship match.Svitolina has reached the last four by seeing off a quartet of Grand Slam title winners in Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, in a stormy last-16 clash, and now Swiatek.She said she intended to “enjoy the moment”.“In my head, I don’t know what’s happening. It’s an unbelievable moment. If you had told me before the tournament I would get to the semi-finals, I’d say you were crazy.”Svitolina, playing on a wild card, hailed Swiatek for her unwavering support of Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the country. “Iga is a great champion and an unbelievable person,” said Svitolina. “She was one of the first to help Ukraine people. It’s not easy to play against someone with whom you share great memories.”

Qatar’s Dahlan Jumaan al-Hamad was elected as the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) president for a third time, winning by acclamation it was announced at the AAA General Assembly in Bangkok on Tuesday. He will continue as the AAA president until 2027. His win for a third term came following two terms during which he achieved a paradigm shift in the AAA when he was first elected in 2013 in India. The 50th Anniversary AAA General Assembly convened in Bangkok yesterday had the participation of 44 associations from 45 ones forming Asia. The assembly in the presence of president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) Lord Sebastian Coe, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov, along with a host of heads of continental federations from Africa, North and South America and the Caribbean as well as a contingent of Asian sports figures of former athletes. The AAA General Assembly elected eight new members for its board amid a powerful electoral competition among 16 members who were nominated to join the board for the upcoming session that ends in 2027. Al-Hamad expressed his happiness for this win, adding that he appreciates the big confidence prioritised by Asia considering such confidence an absolute in the people of Qatar who work in sports at all levels. Al-Hamad affirmed that the big work in Asia would achieve success for the Asian Athletics Association in the present and future, adding that he is determined to achieve his vision in the run-up-to a new era for Asia. He applauded the efforts made by Asian associations in the past, along with their keenness to proceed with this work which achieved numerous successes for Asia both at the global and Olympic levels. He pointed out that the intention of associations to achieve the Asia vision 2030 had a consequential impact on Asian people’s successes to reap Olympic and global medals, underscoring that Asia has a bright future considering the exerted efforts. Al-Hamad said he will proceed with the work and keep up with the evolution in all AAA activities, prioritising women’s role and indicating that by 2027, Asia will have an administrative presence at the level of women’s engagement with 50 percent paving the way for them to upgrade the capabilities of women champions culminating in complete excellence for Asia. For his part, President of IAAF Lord Sebastian Coe congratulated Asia on al-Hamad’s election adding that his efforts were clear in Asian athletics’ growth over the years. He also lauded the high value of athletics in Asia considering it an indicator of excellence.

Liton Das top-scored with 53 not out as Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets to avoid a series whitewash in Tuesday’s third and final one-day international in Chittagong.The hosts raced to 129-3 in 23.3 overs after Shoriful Islam’s career best 4-21 helped them bowl out Afghanistan for 126 in 45.2 overs.Tail-ender Azmatullah Omarzai offered some late resistance for Afghanistan to top-score with 56, his maiden ODI fifty.Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi gave Afghanistan a glimmer of hope, bowling out Naim Sheikh for a duck and Najmul Hossain for 11.Liton and Shakib Al Hasan put on 61 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings and bring Bangladesh back into control. Shakib fell to Mohamed Nabi after making a run-a-ball 39, but Liton, who struck three fours and two sixes in his 60-ball innings, took Bangladesh home.Young Towhid Hridoy hit the winning boundary off Zia-ur-Rehman to stay unbeaten on 22.“There will be wins and losses... that’s what happened to us in the first two games. We tried to prove that we were the better team in the last game,” said Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam.“It feels good.... I was supported by the whole team so it was a good performance.”The tourists earlier won the toss and elected to bat first, but never managed to get their innings going.“The guys didn’t execute, they didn’t adjust to the conditions,” said Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott. Shoriful struck early after taking the field for the first time this series, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for one and Rahmat Shah for a duck in the third over.Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who smashed a career-best 145 in the previous match, saw one catch land in no man’s land but soon top-edged Taskin Ahmed to depart for six. Shoriful compounded Afghanistan’s woes by trapping Nabi leg-before to leave the tourists teetering at 15-4 inside nine overs.“They played bad shots, the mentality wasn’t right today – we kept losing wickets,” Trott added. “We never had a partnership – you need that big partnership when rebuilding your innings from 15 or 20 for four.”Hashmatullah Shahidi and Najibullah Zadran stemmed the rot, but Shakib sent back the latter for 10 to stop their partnership from developing.Shahidi dragged one off Taijul Islam onto his stumps to end his patient knock of 22 from 54 balls.Omarzai helped Afghanistan past the 100-run mark after the quick departure of debutants Abdul Rahman (four) and Zia (five).He was the last man dismissed, holing out a catch to Naim Sheikh at long-off off Taskin, who claimed 2-23.Afghanistan are already only the second team to win an ODI series in Bangladesh in the past seven years, with world champions England being the other.Victory in the match would have made them the first side to win all three matches of an ODI series in Bangladesh since Sri Lanka in 2014. Following the ODI series are two T20s in Bangladesh’s northeastern city of Sylhet on July 14 and 16.BRIEF SCORESAfghanistan 126 all out, 45.2 overs (Azmatullah Omarzai 56, Shoriful Islam 4-21)Bangladesh 129-3, 23.3 overs (Liton Das 53 not out, Shakib Al Hasan 39, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-26)Toss: BangladeshResult: Bangladesh won by seven wickets

Leeds, United Kingdom: England fast bowler Mark Wood has said he is ready to hit Australia with more “thunderbolts” in next week’s fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford following his impressive return to international duty at Headingley.Wood was named player-of-the-match in Leeds after a fine all-round display where the Durham express quick returned match figures of 7-100.He also hit a vital 40 runs off just 16 balls faced as England won the third Test by three wickets to revive their series hopes at 2-1 down with two to play.His extra speed gave England’s attack an added dimension and shook up several Australia batsmen who had faced nothing quite like it during the tourists’ wins at Edgbaston and Lord’s.Wood was clocked at 96.5mph at one stage during his Headingley heroics, with the paceman saying England captain and Durham teammate Ben Stokes had given him just one instruction prior to his first spell in Test cricket since December’s tour of Pakistan.“Ben just asked me, ‘Are you ready? Are you ready to bowl some thunderbolts?’ I said yes and that was it,” Wood told reporters.“He was ready to unleash me. I know him well and he knows me well. Having that relationship with someone makes it easier.”Wood, asked if he was ready for a repeat performance in Manchester next week, replied with a grin: “Absolutely. Lightning strikes twice, eh?”One of the fastest bowlers to play for England, the amiable Wood’s career has been blighted by injuries, notably ankle problems, with his body rebelling at the sheer strain of his job.Wood’s fitness problems are underlined by the fact that since his debut in 2015 he has appeared in just 29 out of a possible 109 Tests. Nevertheless, Wood remains confident he can feature throughout the remainder of the Ashes, even though there is a just a three-day gap between the fourth and fifth games of the series.“I did four (Tests) in Australia last time and three of them were in a row,” he said. “It’s a big ask, but one I’ve done before and I will lean on that experience to try to do it again.“This was my first game in a very, very long time, especially in Test cricket. I will let the body recover, get myself in a good space, let the wounds recover and get myself up for the next one.”In the meantime Wood was proud of his efforts in Leeds against world Test champions Australia.“It fills me with great pride to say I can do well against Australia,” he said. “It’s challenging because they are a top, top side. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had.“Look at facing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. One, it’s not easy. Two, it’s really intimidating.“They’re bowling fast, they get good bounce and more often than not they come out on top. Luckily this time it’s the one out of 100 I’ve managed to get through.”Wood added: “The 2005 Ashes (which England won 2-1) was the absolute pinnacle for me – I was at a great age, a teenager, and my hometown hero (fellow fast bowler Steve Harmison) was playing.“I don’t feel like it’s to that magnitude, but it’s great to have the support, which has been amazing everywhere we’ve been. You feel it on the street walking around, people messaging you.“It’s amazing as a nation that we can carry this weight of support with us.”