Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the Indian Wells final for the first time as she sets her sights on back-to-back WTA 1000 titles.
After a tight first set, the 17-year-old Andreeva was flawless in the tiebreak, leaning over and letting out a roar when she enticed a forehand error from Swiatek on set point.
Continue reading...Nico Williams scored twice as Athletic Club advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-1 second-leg win over 10-man Roma on Thursday and Lazio progressed after a 1-1 home draw with Viktoria Plzen. Lazio will face Bodø/Glimt in the last eight after the Norwegian club continued their impressive European adventure despite losing 2-1 at Olympiakos, while Eintracht Frankfurt had little trouble finishing off Ajax with a 4-1 win.
Roma, 2-1 up from the first leg, were down to 10 men in the 11th minute after Mats Hummels saw red for taking down Maroan Sannadi who had intercepted his sloppy pass and Williams levelled the tie on aggregate in added time before the break. His shot took a deflection off Roma’s Angeliño before finding the net and Athletic went ahead on aggregate with 22 minutes left when Yuri Berchiche headed in from a corner.
Continue reading...After three years of post-Covid meandering and New Zealand domination, Super Rugby has sprung back into life in 2025 with signs that the southern hemisphere provincial championship is once again a genuine competition.
After a torrent of tries and entertaining but close games over the first three rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, round four marked a real sea-change with three of the four New Zealand teams in action beaten.
Continue reading...Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scored in the first half to give Real Madrid an easy 2-1 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday that helped them draw level at the top of the table in the battle to retain their La Liga crown.
Only one point separates Spain’s three biggest clubs in one of the closest title races in recent years with Barcelona leading the pack on 57 points, ahead of second-placed Real on goal difference with Atlético Madrid in third on 56 points after a 2-1 loss at Getafe earlier on Sunday. Barça, who will face Atlético next Sunday, have a game in hand after their match against Osasuna on Saturday was postponed due to the sudden death of their team doctor.
Continue reading...Formula One will have an 11th team on the grid next year after Cadillac’s long-anticipated entry was finally rubber-stamped by the sport’s bosses.
Cadillac, a division of American motoring giant General Motors, will be supported by TWG Motorsports and powered by Ferrari before it develops its own engines.
Continue reading...The former Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie labelled his successor Aaqib Javed a “clown” and accused the former fast bowler of undermining him and ex-white-ball coach Gary Kirsten in order to take charge of the national team across all formats.
Gillespie’s comments were in reply to a social media post containing quotes from Javed a few days after hosts Pakistan had crashed out of the Champions Trophy without a win. Javed told reporters on Tuesday that Pakistan had changed 16 coaches and 26 selectors in around two years, and that any side would struggle in such circumstances.
Continue reading...Raphinha struck a second-half winner to give Barcelona a lion-hearted 1-0 victory at Benfica on Wednesday as they overcame a red card for Pau Cubarsí early in the game to steal an advantage in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Barcelona’s teenage defender Cubarsí was given a straight red card for a last-man foul on Vangelis Pavlidis in the 22nd minute, but the visitors hung on with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny putting in a brilliant performance.
Continue reading...As Real Madrid prepare to host Atlético Madrid in a city derby in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, Carlo Ancelotti said he is looking forward to another battle against his rival Diego Simeone.
Heading into their 27th clash, with the two managers having faced each other more often than any other rival in their careers, they are tied at nine wins each along with eight draws.
Continue reading...Barcelona returned to the top of the La Liga table with a comfortable 4-0 home victory over 10-man Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Barça’s sixth straight league win moved them into first place with 57 points from 26 games, one ahead of Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid are third with 54 points after a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday.
Continue reading...India beat New Zealand by 44 runs in a low-scoring contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday to top Group A in the Champions Trophy.
Electing to field, New Zealand restricted India to 249 for nine with Matt Henry, who took five for 42, leading a fine team bowling display backed up by their characteristic sharp catching.
Continue reading...Marc Márquez continued his perfect start to life with factory Ducati as the six-time MotoGP champion completed a weekend double at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing ahead of his younger brother, Alex Márquez.
Marc Márquez, who won the sprint race on Saturday, got off to an electric start on pole in hot and humid conditions at the Buriram International Circuit but Alex, who had qualified second on the grid, managed to break free to take the lead in the seventh lap of the 26-lap race.
Continue reading...Real Madrid stumbled in the three-way race for the La Liga title as Isco guided Real Betis to a 2-1 comeback win over the defending champions on Saturday, enabling Atlético Madrid to overtake their neighbours by winning the late kick-off against Real Betis.
Atlético won thanks to a second-half strike from the substitute Julián Álvarez. Atletico came close to taking the lead in the first half through Alexander Sørloth, who missed a header from Antoine Griezmann’s pass. Álvarez, who came on for Sørloth just before the hour mark, gave Atlético the winner in the 66th minute with a precise left-foot shot after being played through by Marcos Llorente.
Continue reading...Bayern Munich fought back from a goal down to maintain their place at the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory at Stuttgart. The win keeps Bayern comfortably atop the Bundesliga with 61 points, 11 more than Bayer Leverkusen, though they have played one match more.
Stuttgart took the lead in the 34th minute through Angelo Stiller, who struck a left-footed shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. In first-half stoppage time, Bayern equalised as Michael Olise made a perfectly timed run and finished with ease.
Continue reading...Moise Kean has been discharged from hospital less than 24 hours after he collapsed during Fiorentina’s defeat by Hellas Verona on Sunday. The former Everton and Juventus forward appeared to pass out following an earlier blow to his head.
Italy international Kean had been involved in an accidental collision with Pawel Dawidowicz and Diego Coppola midway through the second half, taking a knee in the face which left him with a cut above his eye. Although Kean returned to the pitch following treatment with his head bandaged, the 24-year-old soon fell, initially appearing unresponsive, before being taken off on a stretcher in the 67th minute.
Continue reading...Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres came off the bench to rescue a 2-0 win for Barcelona at Las Palmas on Saturday that sent them back to the top of the La Liga table after a game that is unlikely to live long in the memory.
Barcelona now lead on 54 points, one ahead of Atlético Madrid. Real Madrid are third on 51 but have a game in hand and will host Girona on Sunday.
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