search

Microsoft’s new AI tool VASA-1, an AI image-to-video model that can generate videos from just one photo and a speech audio clip, has every potential of turning into a deepfake nightmare machine as feared by Daniel John, senior news editor at Creative Bloq in an article late last week. Precisely this realisation seems to have prompted Microsoft to state that “Our research focuses on generating visual affective skills for virtual AI avatars, aiming for positive applications. It is not intended to create content that is used to mislead or deceive. However, like other related content generation techniques, it could still potentially be misused for impersonating humans.”Critics might term that as anticipatory bail or standard disclaimer, but peering into the distant horizon where AI’s evolution is headed to, the IT leviathan has no option but to keep innovating, lest fall behind. VASA-1 is described by Microsoft as a framework for generating lifelike talking faces of virtual characters with appealing visual affective skills (VAS), given a single static image and a speech audio clip.The premiere model, VASA-1, “is capable of not only producing lip movements that are exquisitely synchronised with the audio, but also capturing a large spectrum of facial nuances and natural head motions that contribute to the perception of authenticity and liveliness.“The core innovations include a holistic facial dynamics and head movement generation model that works in a face latent space, and the development of such an expressive and disentangled face latent space using videos. Through extensive experiments including evaluation on a set of new metrics, we show that our method significantly outperforms previous methods along various dimensions comprehensively. Our method not only delivers high video quality with realistic facial and head dynamics but also supports the online generation of 512x512 videos at up to 40 FPS with negligible starting latency. It paves the way for real-time engagements with lifelike avatars that emulate human conversational behaviours.”Perusal of a sample of VASA-1 creations, based on virtual portrait images, prove it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell apart between fake and real pictures and videos. Hence Microsoft is saying that “We are opposed to any behaviour to create misleading or harmful contents of real persons, and are interested in applying our technique for advancing forgery detection. Currently, the videos generated by this method still contain identifiable artifacts, and the numerical analysis shows that there’s still a gap to achieve the authenticity of real videos.“While acknowledging the possibility of misuse, it’s imperative to recognise the substantial positive potential of our technique. The benefits – such as enhancing educational equity, improving accessibility for individuals with communication challenges, offering companionship or therapeutic support to those in need, among many others – underscore the importance of our research and other related explorations. We are dedicated to developing AI responsibly, with the goal of advancing human well-being. Given such context, we have no plans to release an online demo, API (Application Programming Interface), product, additional implementation details, or any related offerings until we are certain that the technology will be used responsibly and in accordance with proper regulations.”Coincidentally, TBD co-founder and COO Emily Chiu has said it’s going to get more and more difficult to tell the difference between AI and man-made content: “Now we have face and voice and video that’s mixed reality. ... It’s going to be increasingly hard for us to detect what’s real; what’s not; what’s fraudulent.” Speaking on Web Summit Rio’s Center Stage, also late last week, the investment banker turned entrepreneur said that AI’s imperfections are actually the fault of its human creators. But what happens when most of those imperfections are ironed out?

The Shura Council participated in the third plenary session of the fourth session of the third legislative term of the Arab Parliament that was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo on Saturday.The Council was represented at the session by its members: HE Shaikha bint Yousuf al-Jufairi, HE Essa bin Ahmad al-Nassr, HE Salem bin Rashid al-Muraikhi, and HE Hamad bin Abdulla al-Mulla, who are also members of the Arab Parliament.The session discussed Arab developments and issues, the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and the recent aggression against Gaza and the brotherly Palestinian people, as well as a number of topics related to strengthening joint Arab action.The attendees reviewed the reports of the permanent committees of the Arab Parliament, and the report of the Palestine Committee, which included the actions taken by the Arab Parliament since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, where members of Parliament condemned the brutal aggression, comprehensive genocidal war, and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians carried out by the Israeli forces.The session adopted a draft resolution on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, with a number of measures, including: that the Arab Parliament lead a diplomatic and parliamentary action with the aim of mobilising support for the brothers in Palestine, and calling on the international community to adopt a unified position that is different from the state of silence towards what the Palestinian territories are witnessing.Speaking during the session, HE Essa bin Ahmad Al Nassr condemned the failure of the international community to stop the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, denouncing the inability of the international system to establish international law and the application of double standards in dealing with the Israeli aggression.On the other hand, the attendees adopted the vision of the Arab Parliament regarding empowering Arab youth to contribute effectively to the development process.Speaking during the discussion, HE Shaikha bint Yousuf al-Jufairi stressed the importance of this document in addressing unemployment among Arab youth. She also pointed out that Qatar's support for youth extended to include the youth of the entire world, pointing to the initiatives launched by Her Highness Chairperson of Qatar Foundation Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

The Zakat Affairs Department at the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs distributed aid totalling QR 21.7mn in March, benefitting 3,161 eligible families inside Qatar, an official statement said.Mohamed Hassan al-Tamimi, head of the Zakat Banking Department, said the Zakat Affairs Department is keen to provide assistance to deserving families within Qatar. The assistance provided during March, was divided into periodic, lumpsum aid and Ramadan aid.The periodic aid, provided on a monthly basis to eligible families amounted to QR 7,660,394. The lumpsum aid, disbursed once as needed was with a value of QR 14,083,967. Ramadan aid of QR 8,197,800 was distributed to 2,625 families.The official stated that those eligible can submit a request for assistance through the Zakat Affairs Department app or the website www.zakat.gov.qa, supported by the required documents.The applicants are informed of the status of the requests via text messages. Individuals and companies can also pay their obligatory Zakat through the Zakat Affairs Department's website or collection offices and points across the country.

Australia exited the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 yesterday with Tony Vidmar’s side failing once again to find the back of the net as the Olyroos shared a 0-0 draw with group winners Qatar to limp out of the tournament and miss out on a place at the Olympic Games.The Australians had arrived in Doha targeting a second consecutive Olympic qualification after appearing in Tokyo three years ago, but one point from their opening Group A games against Jordan and Indonesia left their hopes hanging by the finest of threads.Needing to win and hope Jordan defeated Indonesia, the result at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium was academic with Indonesia’s 4-1 win ensuring Vidmar’s team could not progress even if a first victory of the competition had been secured.Qatar had already ensured their progress with back-to-back wins to start the tournament and when Mohamed Manai flicked his attempt towards goal in the fourth minute it appeared that Ilidio Vale’s side were in the mood to pick up a third win.Manai went closer still from distance in the 13th minute, curling his effort narrowly over the crossbar. But as the half wore on it was the Australians who looked the more likely to score as they increasingly dictating the tempo and dominated possession.Jacob Italiano powered through midfield from deep before laying possession off to Rhys Youlley, whose low right-foot shot was steered around the post by Ali Korayem. Four minutes later Jacob Farrell’s inviting ball across the six-yard box caught Jordan Courtney-Perkins and Mohamed Toure flat-footed while at the other end Ryan Teague stepped in to dispossess Lotfu Madjer as the home side made a rare foray forward.Italiano then wastefully fired over the bar with two minutes left in the half after Brook’s pass found the winger in space behind the Qatar defence before, in injury time, the captain delivered a cross from the right that Nicolas Milanovic headed across the face of goal.The Australians continued to dominate after the break, Brook bending his effort over the bar while Alexandar Popovic’s defensive header redirected Mahdi Salem al-Mejaba’s shot to safety. Brook again went close soon after, side-footing high over the Qatar goal.As the half wore on the Olyroos continued to be frustrated, never more than when Keegan Jelicic’s 75th minute attempt was pushed onto the post by a diving Korayem.That was as close as Vidmar’s side would come to a goal and the result means Australia head home frustrated.Indonesia’s adventure continuesA standout performance from Marselino Ferdinan helped Indonesia march into the knockout stage of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 yesterday after a superb 4-1 victory against Jordan at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.Having already collected their first ever win three days ago against Australia, the tournament debutants ensured that their dream run would continue in the quarter-finals by sealing progress from Group A in second place behind Qatar.Needing only a point to confirm their place in the last eight heading into this game, the red shirts of Indonesia signalled their intent by pouring forward from the get-go in front of a partisan crowd of 5,632. Leading the line, Rafael Struick was in the thick of the action early on and after testing Jordan goalkeeper Ahmad Juaidi twice in the fourth and 11th minutes, played a key role in the opening goal after being fouled by Amer Jamous in the box.Marselino, scorer of Indonesia’s first goal at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 just over three months ago and one of nine in this U-23 side that were in their squad at Asia’s crown jewel, stepped up to coolly send Juaidi the wrong way and find the bottom left corner in the 23rd minute.That was the start of a man-of-the-match display from the KMSK Deinze attacker, who went on to play a part in the second goal and added the third.For their part, Jordan struggled to test Ernando Ari in the Indonesian goal despite requiring nothing less than victory to avoid an early flight home, with Aref Haitham’s scuffed effort in the ninth minute their only shot on target in the first half. Indonesia were far more prolific and their lead was doubled in the 40th minute. Marselino drove at the Jordan defence before finding captain Rizky Ridho at the top of the box, whose deft first-time pass was caressed by Witan Sulaeman’s left foot into the far left corner.The third goal, in the 70th minute, was arguably even more pleasing on the eyes. Having played a one-two with Witan, Marselino finished off the move with a delightful touch past the onrushing Juaidi for his second of the night.To their credit, Jordan refused to give up and after Ibrahim Sabra had fluffed his lines from close range in the 66th minute, they pulled one back when Waseem Alriyalat’s shot from range was deflected past Ernando by Justin Hubner on 79 minutes.But Indonesia were not done yet and their three-goal advantage was restored seven minutes later. Pratama Arhan’s trademark long throws finally reaped dividends as his bullet delivery from the left was nodded in by Komang Teguh, who came off the bench to notch his second goal in as many games.•the-afc.com

Saudi Arabia are gunning to finish their AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 Group C challenge with a perfect record when they play Iraq at Khalifa International Stadium today. Six points from their earlier two matches mean Saudi Arabia should progress to the quarter-finals but head coach Saad al-Shehri wants the defending champions to maintain the momentum that saw them scoring nine goals past Tajikistan and Thailand.Finishing top will mean a quarter-final against the Group D runners-up but Saudi Arabia will face Iraq without the services of suspended midfielder Eid al-Muwallad and right-back Mohamed Waheeb. “We are confident in all 23 positions, whoever we select,” said al-Shehri. “It’s important that we finish top of the group.“The positioning is important for us and the selection will reflect that. We started rotating players (after getting into the lead against Thailand) and there’s a possibility we will do that again. We were at our absolute best (against Thailand), whether in offence or defence. Hopefully against Iraq, we can continue to do the same.”Iraq revived their knockout stage chances with a 4-2 win over Tajikistan on Friday but need victory against Saudi Arabia to advance. Head coach Radhi Shenaishil is keeping his cards close to his chest on how he will approach the match as he attempts to spring a surprise.“Our fate is in our hands now with the result against Saudi Arabia being key,” said the 57-year-old.“They are skillful and have been playing together for three years.”“And of course we will play with different players, formation and strategy. A lot of things will be different.”A win for Iraq will put them and Saudi Arabia on six points but progression will still be dependent on the result between Thailand and Tajikistan in the simultaneous.In the other Group C match, Thailand will take on Tajikistan.Head coach Ithsara Sritharo is committed to steering Thailand back to their strengths.Following their 5-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Thailand find themselves tied on three points with Iraq, who bounced back into knockout stage contention after beating Tajikistan 4-2.That means Thailand - if they want to advance to the quarter-finals for just the second time in history - must clinch all three points at the Al Janoub Stadium.Japan vs South KoreaSouth Korea head coach Hwang Sun-hong will take his team into their clash with rivals Japan today wary of the attacking talents of Go Oiwa’s side as the pair battle for top spot in Group B.A 2-0 victory over China for the Koreans and a win by the same scoreline over the United Arab Emirates by the Japanese mean the pair have already secured their places in the knockout rounds, with only the finishing order in the group to be determined.“We have to take all factors into consideration before playing against Japan,” said Hwang, who has injury concerns over several players including central defender Seo Myung-guan after he was substituted four minutes into the second half of the win over the Chinese.“It is very difficult but we have to find ways to get through. Japan have good team organisation, they are top class, very good at high pressing and possess a good build-up system.“They also have a variety of options available for every game and this makes them difficult to play against. We have to also be cautious of their pace.”Lee Young-jun scored both of Korea Republic’s goals against the Chinese to take his tally to three in two games so far and the next goal for the young Taeguk Warriors will be the country’s 50th in total in the six editions of the competition.With the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024 doubling up as the confederation’s qualifiers for the Olympic Games in July and August, both teams will be looking to further strengthen their case to be among the three guaranteed representatives in Paris.The pair have appeared at every Olympics since 1996 and the meeting at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium could be a precursor to the tournament’s decider with both among the favourites to lift the trophy. Japan won the last time the two countries faced off when the tournament was played in Qatar in 2016, with Takumi Asano coming off the bench in the final to score two late goals to help secure the title for the Samurai Blue.Like Hwang Sun-hong’s side, Oiwa’s team are unbeaten in their opening two games of the current campaign and the former Kashima Antlers coach stressed he is giving no consideration to his team’s position when they conclude their group commitments.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Richard Gordon, praised the humanitarian initiatives of Qatar in his country and various countries of the world and its efforts in promoting stability and global peace.In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he confirmed that the Philippines is looking forward to the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, pointing out that His Highness's visit will enhance the level of existing relations between the two countries and open the way for broader relations in the humanitarian fields.He praised the role of Qatari humanitarian institutions, including the Qatar Red Crescent Society, saying that it carries out distinguished humanitarian efforts as the main humanitarian institution in the state of Qatar.He also praised the pioneering role of the Qatar Red Crescent Society in the Philippines, noting its humanitarian initiatives over the past years, including the construction of hundreds of homes that were destroyed or damaged due to disasters, as well as various relief aid.He stressed that the humanitarian contributions of Qatar are very important for the Philippines which is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, adding that there is a strong partnership and compassion to help people and improve their lives."I have witnessed the Qatari humanitarian presence in many countries that have been exposed to disasters, including the Philippines which has witnessed many multiple natural disasters over the past years," he added, pointing out that Qatar provided a lot of assistance during those disasters, especially professional medical teams, and this was accompanied by an exchange of expertise and experiences in the field of disaster control and prevention, making Qatar one of the Philippines' closest partners.In a related context, he noted Qatar's role in promoting peace, stability, and development around the world in addition to its humanitarian role."Given Qatar's experience in the field of humanitarian aid, it is a matter of pride that they can help and achieve peace, whether in the humanitarian or economic aspects," he said.

Shahd Al Maraghi is one 500 volunteers playing a critical role in the delivery of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024. The 22-year-old Qatari volunteer recently graduated from Qatar University with a degree in Physiotherapy, but already has a robust volunteering portfolio in mega-sporting events. Al Maraghi was one of thousands of volunteers that successfully delivered the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as well as the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.“Volunteering gives me an opportunity to give back to Qatar. Our country has done so much for us, and I wanted to play a part in the success of all the major sporting events being hosted in Qatar,” said Al Maraghi, who is a volunteer with the media operations team. “My role is to make sure that journalists covering the tournament have all that they need. Knowing that I am supporting the work of storytellers from our stadiums is really special.”Qatar is hosting the AFC U23 Asian Cup for the second time, having previously organized it in 2016. This year, the biennial tournament will see the best 16 teams compete for a spot at the Summer Olympics in Paris. The top three teams qualify immediately, with the fourth-place team competing for the final spot in a play-off match against an African team.“Volunteering built my fondness for football. Watching our young athletes give their all for their country was so inspiring,” added Al Maraghi. “Watching Qatar lift the Asian Cup was an amazing experience, and now I love being in stadiums. Volunteering also allowed me to be more social, meet new people and work with other volunteers from different backgrounds.”Volunteering in Qatar has a long-standing tradition, one that has been bolstered by the country hosting mega sporting events. More than 20,000 volunteers took part in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 while an additional 6,000 volunteers helped in the delivery of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. Volunteers take part in a number of functional areas, ranging from spectator services to transportation.“I really encourage people to volunteer, to give back to our communities with their time and effort. Not only is volunteering a rewarding experience on so many levels, but it is also an enriching experience that allows you to learn new skills and be part of amazing sporting events,” added Al Maraghi.Prices for group stage match tickets start at 15QR and can be purchased online through the Hayya to Qatar mobile app. Spectators from outside Qatar can also purchase tickets from the same platform. Disabled spectators can apply to purchase accessible tickets through [email protected] more information about the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, follow @Qatar2023 on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and X.

Yazeed Al Rayyan of Al Saree Stud and Bidayat Ibn Salamah of Al Jaham Stud won gold in the Senior Stallions and Senior Mares Championship respectively at the 9th Qatar Peninsula Arabian Horse Show for Individual Owners organised by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) held over two days at the Longines Indoor Arena of Al Shaqab. The Senior Stallions silver went to Dhari Al Zubair of Fuwairit Stud while Shawaf Al Shaqab won the bronze. Maliha Al Waab of Al Sarah Stud won silver in the Senior Mares C’ship class wile Katharah Anayen of Anayen Stud picked up bronze. Among the other gold winners were Talal Al Waab (Colts 2-3 Years), Shgairah Al Doha (Fillies 2-3 Years), Mansour Al Arab (Yearling Colts), and Nour Al Nawaisi (Yearling Fillies).

Liverpool got back on track after their week from hell as a 3-1 win at Fulham keep their Premier League title bid alive, while Nottingham Forest launched an astonishing rant at the officiating in their 2-0 defeat against Everton yesterday.Jurgen Klopp’s side crashed out of the Europa League quarter-finals against Atalanta on Thursday after suffering a damaging Premier League defeat at home to Crystal Palace last weekend.The Reds’ hopes of giving Klopp a glorious farewell were dwindling but they climbed back into the title race with much-needed first win in three league games.Liverpool are now in second place, behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference and one point ahead of third placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand on their two title rivals.Next for Liverpool is the Merseyside derby at Everton on Wednesday, while Arsenal host Chelsea on Tuesday and City travel to Brighton on Thursday.Klopp responded to signs of fatigue from his team in recent weeks by dropping Mohamed Salah to the bench among five changes. And Liverpool took the hint with a more cohesive display by the banks of the River Thames in west London.Trent Alexander-Arnold put Liverpool ahead in the 32nd minute with a superb free-kick that flashed into the top corner.Fulham defender Timothy Castagne levelled from close-range after Liverpool failed to clear in first half stoppage-time.Ryan Gravenberch restored Liverpool’s advantage in the 53rd minute with a swerving blast from the edge of the area for his first Premier League goal.Diogo Jota wrapped up the points in the 72nd minute, drilling a clinical low finish into the far corner.Everton took a giant stride towards extending their 70-year stay in the English top-flight in a highly controversial victory over Forest. Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil scored the goals that took the Toffees five points clear of the relegation zone. Forest remain just one point above the bottom three and were left dismayed at being denied three strong penalty appeals.The club’s official account on social media platform X called into question the Premier League’s integrity by claiming the VAR official is a fan of relegation rivals Luton.“We warned the PGMOL (referees’ governing body) that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him,” Forest said in a statement said.“Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options.”Aston Villa tightened their grip on Champions League football next season with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth.Villa shrugged off the exertions of having to go to extra-time and penalties in midweek to book their place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals against Lille.Unai Emery’s men even had to come from behind after Dominic Solanke opened the scoring from the penalty spot. Morgan Rogers’ fine finish just before half-time proved to be the turning point.Moussa Diaby slotted in from Ollie Watkins’ pass to put Villa in front. Watkins was the provider once more for Leon Bailey to tapin to seal the points 12 minutes from time. Victory takes Villa six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham.Spurs have two games in hand but still have to play all of title challengers Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in their final six matches.David Moyes’ future as West Ham manager looks more uncertain after they were thrashed 5-2 at Crystal Palace.Fresh from their shock 1-0 win at Liverpool last weekend, the Eagles scored four times inside the first 31 minutes. Michael Olise headed in the opener before Eberechi Eze’s spectacular acrobatic effort found the roof of the net. Emerson Palmieri’s own goal made it 3-0 before Jean-Philippe Mateta struck twice for Palace either side of half-time.Michail Antonio’s strike and a Tyrick Mitchell own goal was scant consolation for West Ham as a miserable day rounded off a poor week after they were dumped out of the Europa League by Bayer Leverkusen.

Max Verstappen rounded off a dominant weekend with victory in the first Chinese Grand Prix for five years yesterday to extend his world championship lead, a day after romping to sprint victory.The three-time world champion was again in a league of his own as Formula One returned to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019.He finished 13.7 seconds ahead of Lando Norris with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez third, a further six seconds back.It looked odds-on that Red Bull would repeat their one-two in Japan a fortnight ago until two safety cars in quick succession mid-race.After multiple pit stops Perez emerged behind behind McLaren’s Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Verstappen was only denied a maximum 34 points for the weekend when Fernando Alonso pipped him to the fastest lap after a late tyre change.It was another masterful display from Verstappen, who was winning his fourth grand prix out of five in 2024 and the 58th of his career as he marches towards a fourth consecutive world title.“It felt amazing. The whole weekend we were incredibly quick,” said Verstappen.“We survived the restarts well and the car was basically on rails and I could do whatever I wanted with it.”He increased his lead over Perez at the top of the world championship to 25 points, with Red Bull now 44 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ fight.“Those kind of weekends are amazing to feel and to achieve what we did this weekend is fantastic,” added Verstappen, who won for the first time in China.Norris was delighted to finish second, his best result in 2024, having started from fourth on the grid.“Things came alive today. I don’t know why, it was not the race I was expecting, but just got comfortable,” said the Englishman.The consistent Perez finished on the podium for the fourth time in five rounds this season but said the safety car denied him a place.“It really cost us quite a bit. Fighting like that, the life of the tyre goes off dramatically,” said Perez.“But at least we got onto the podium. But it would have been good to be one and two. We were definitely lacking some pace.”The Ferrari pair of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were only fourth and fifth after a disappointing weekend where they had hoped to be closer to Red Bull.“I think it was the best we could have done,” said Leclerc, who started from sixth on the grid.Sainz, the only driver other than Verstappen to win a race this season, said: “It was a tough race, we had an issue at the start going wide. Then we had to stop very early and I had to nurse the tyres home.”George Russell came sixth for Mercedes with Alonso finishing seventh after a spectacular late charge through the field from 12th after a final tyre stop 13 laps from the end.“It was important to score some points and a bonus to get the fastest lap too,” said Alonso. “We didn’t have any more hard tyres available, so that’s why we made a switch to the soft.”McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was eighth, chased home by Lewis Hamilton who clawed his way up to ninth from 18th on the grid and Nico Hulkenberg in 10th for Haas.China’s first Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu was an enormous draw over the weekend as he made his home Grand Prix debut.He was allowed to park his car on the grid in front the grandstands after finishing 14th in the race and exited the cockpit in floods of tears to an ovation from the capacity crowd.“I drove my heart out today, unfortunately not enough for the points but we go again next time,” said an emotional Zhou.“I am just so happy to see the whole crowd. No words. A mixture of emotions and a day to remember. Hopefully in the future more drivers from my country will be stepping in here.”Seven-time world champion Hamilton won the last time a race was staged in Shanghai in 2019, one of a record six wins at the circuit, but was just “grateful to get into the points” yesterday after starting from 18th.“It was a tough race. Ultimately, I made a bad set-up change to the car yesterday and I paid the price for it,” said Hamilton.

World number six Casper Ruud defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 to win the Barcelona Open yesterday, the biggest title of his career. The Norwegian earned revenge after his defeat by the Greek world number seven in the Monte Carlo Masters final last weekend. Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, had won 10 titles at 250 level with the 500-ranked clay-court event in Barcelona his 11th career triumph. “For me it means a lot, this is my biggest title that I ever won in my career, it’s something I’ve chased for a long time already,” Ruud told Teledeporte. “I’ve never won a 500 before or a 1000, I’ve been to a few finals but always came up a little bit short. “I didn’t start great during the match but luckily I was able to come back in and play really well in the end of the first and the second set.” The 25-year-old leads the tour with 29 wins this year but had lost in three finals before wrapping up his first title of 2024 when Tsitsipas, who lacked his usual spark, went long. “The last six, seven months I’ve taken a few steps in the right direction in my game and I’m glad it’s paying off,” added Ruud. Ruud conceded a break in the opening game, which Tsitsipas consolidated for 2-0, giving the chance of a repeat of his first-set collapse in the Monte Carlo final. Ruud’s 91-minute victory ended a 10-match winning streak for Tsitsipas. “I wasn’t playing my best tennis this week in Barcelona... throughout the whole week I didn’t feel like my shots had the same effect as they did in Monte Carlo,” said Tsitsipas. “Today it felt like I didn’t have the mental capacity to even fight. Even if I wanted to push myself to fight, Casper was just too good today.” Struff beats Fritz in Munich for debut title German fourth seed Jan-Lennard Struff broke through for his debut ATP singles title in his 218th tournament yesterday, beating American third seed Taylor Fritz in the final in Munich. The 33-year-old Struff won in straight sets, beating Fritz 7-5, 6-3 in the rain in the Bavarian capital. Fritz, ranked 15th in the world, 13 places higher than the German, already had seven titles to his name before yesterday’s match. “It’s unbelievable, I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’m 33 years old,” the breathless Struff said a few moments after his triumph. I’ve been here for so long, now I’ve finally done it.” Struff played his first ATP tour match 11 years ago and has won four doubles titles, but had never lifted a singles crown. “Unbelievable – and to do it on home soil is just incredible. I waited so long,” Struff said. “I’ve been playing so long on tour so it’s just an amazing feeling to do it here in Germany.” In addition to a cash prize, winners of the BMW-sponsored tournament take home a car worth around $107,000 and a pair of traditional Bavarian lederhosen. Rybakina wins Stuttgart Open Kazakh fourth seed Elena Rybakina defeated Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in straight sets to win the WTA event in Stuttgart yesterday. 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina beat Kostyuk 6-2, 6-2 in one hour nine minutes, ending the 21-year-old Ukrainian’s giant-killing run at the tournament. The world number four broke Kostyuk twice in the first set and twice in the second, fighting off three break points from the world number 27 to lift her eighth career title. Rybakina how holds a 2-1 record against Kostyuk. “I want to congratulate Marta for a great tournament. You’re playing really well and hopefully we play many more finals,” Rybakina said. “The crowd, guys, it was an unbelievable week. It was nice to play every match here and fight. Your energy gives a lot during these tough matches.” The title is her third of 2024, having already won in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and it is the first time she has won three WTA titles in one year.

Shanghai: Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen has more depths to him and so could consider a move to rivals Mercedes, even though he is currently in the quickest Formula One car, Toto Wolff, the German team’s boss, said yesterday.Speculation that the Dutch 26-year-old might leave the current champions arose earlier this year after allegations against team principal Christian Horner of misconduct towards a female employee, which he was later cleared of although they stoked rumours of divisions within the team.Former champions Mercedes have a vacancy, with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton going to Ferrari in 2025.“There are so many factors that play a role for a driver joining. And clearly, when you look at it from the most rational point of view, you can say that it is the quickest car in the hands of the quickest driver,” Wolff said after the Chinese Grand Prix.“But I don’t think that this is the only reason you stay where you are,” he added. “Maybe there is some more depths to some people, that consider other factors too. I think Max has that.”Red Bull won 21 of 22 races last season with the most dominant car in the sport’s history and the team’s star driver won yesterday’s race in Shanghai from pole for his fourth win in five races this year.Wolff said that Mercedes had held conversations with many drivers over next year’s vacant race seat.“As for Max, no, we are not at the point where we would have discussed years or stuff,” Wolff said.Team boss Christian Horner described Verstappen as a man driving “on another planet” following the Chinese Grand Prix.“At the end of the day, we know (Verstappen) has a contract until the end of 2028,” Horner told reporters in response to Wolff’s remarks.“I don’t think Toto’s problems are his drivers. I think he’s got other elements that he needs to be focusing on rather than, you know, focusing on drivers that are unavailable,” he added.The Mercedes team principal said he felt his team would make a particularly attractive proposition from 2026, when new chassis and engine regulations will come into play.“If I was Max, I would stay at Red Bull in 2025, but I’m not Max,” Wolff said.“Because it’s the quickest car but there are other factors.”