Sports

Serena wins first match since Wimbledon final, Osaka advances

Published

5 years ago

August 8, 2019

Eric

Serena Williams looked solid in her first match since losing the Wimbledon final, defeating 20th-ranked Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday at the WTA Toronto tournament.

The 37-year-old American, one crown shy of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, advanced in 75 minutes at her first US Open hardcourt tuneup event.

“I feel like my movement is great — been working on my fitness, so I felt like it really was able to shine through today,” Williams said.

“I’m loving going out there and I’m loving kind of running. So it’s a good thing.”

Also moving into the third round was Japan’s Naomi Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion. She won after taking the first set 6-2 when Germany’s Tatjana Maria retired with a left abdominal injury.

With Osaka’s triumph, Australian Ashleigh Barty was ensured of being dethroned next week as world number one, although it could be Czech Kristyna Pliskova instead of Osaka who swipes the top spot.

Williams, ranked 10th, seeks her fourth WTA Canada crown after 2001, 2011 and 2013 and improved her match record at the event to 31-4, winning half the 10 break points she earned against Mertens.

“Now that I’m just injury-free, I’m just enjoying being able to train, and I haven’t been able to do it since January, really,” Williams said.

“So I just think that the fact that I can train and practice and get in the gym is really going to be helpful for me.”

Mertens broke for a 2-1 lead but Williams answered in the sixth game to pull level at 3-3.

“I know when I got down one break I got real negative,” Williams said. “I don’t know what happened on the first time I got down. (She) just played really well. She’s obviously a really good player. I just needed to just double down and get more focused.”

Next, in the path of the former world number one will be Russian qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, who eliminated China’s Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-3.

Osaka had not played a match since losing to Yulia Putintseva in the first round at Wimbledon.

“I thought I played really well despite the fact that we only played one set,” Osaka said. “I was able to do what I wanted, which was going for the shots that I had the opportunity to.

“And, of course, there were a couple of unforced errors, but I think that’s part of the process.

“For me, I’m just happy that it was my first match in a while and I was able to get in the groove of things quickly.”

The victory gives Osaka the inside track on taking the top spot in Monday’s new rankings.

Sports

PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have kicked 10-man Barcelona out of the Champions League as they qualified for the semi-final after winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona had won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG won 6-4 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a brace in the encounter to see PSG through.

A Superb work from Lamine Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a brilliant shot into the bottom right corner to give Barcelona a 12th minute lead.

In the 29th minute, Ronald Araujo made an ugly tackle on his opponent and was sent off by the referee leaving the homers with 10 men to play the entire duration.

PSG capitalised on their advantage and equalised in the 40th minute. A former Barcelona player, Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors.

Bradley Barcola played the ball to Dembele, who showed great determination to get to the ball before a couple of defenders and from inside the box he shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-1.

PSG made it 1-2 in the 54th minute from a fantastic finish by Vitinha from just outside the box. He wasted little time in getting away a bullet of a shot that flew past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

Mbappe added another goal for PSG from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. He put the ball into the top left corner past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A minute to duration time, PSG made it 1-4. Mbappe fired the rebound into the bottom right corner after the ball broke to him in the box.

Sports

IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

Published

1 week ago

April 11, 2024

Eric

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, has commended the exceptional performances of the Police Athletes who distinguished themselves, as Nigeria’s ambassadors at the recently concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The IGP notes that their remarkable performances across various sporting events have brought immense pride to the Force and the country at large.

While receiving the athletes, the IGP, who was represented by the Force Director of Sports (FSO), CP Patrick A. Atayero, likened the African Games to a continental Olympics, and harped on the significance of young and talented Police Sports Men and Women showcasing their skills, passion, determination and courage on such a prestigious stage to emerge Medalists. He emphasized that the success of Police Athletes at the 13th African Games which held from 8th to 26th March, 2024, shortly after the 14th Biennial Police Games (Oluyole 2024) that concluded on 2nd March in Ibadan, is a veritable testament to the effectiveness of the sports development initiatives of the Force.

The medalists – Inspr. Aisha Adamu, Sgt. Mohammed Inuwa, Sgt. Emmanuel Bala, Sgt. Matthew Deshi, Corporal Chika Blessing, Corporal Nathaniel Samson, Corporal Victor Ikechukwu, Corporal Eweh Emmanuel, Corporal Collins Obi, Corporal Godwin Sunday, Corporal Emmanuel Ochayi, Corporal Aminu Garba, PC Olayiwola Zainab, PC Mabel David, PC Precious Joel, PC Esther Peter, and Bello Tunde Muiz (Education Officer II), demonstrated exceptional dexterity in Arm wrestling, Athletics, Badminton, Mixed Martial Arts, Swimming and Hockey. These Police Athletes garnered 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 5 Bronze totalling 8 Medals, for Nigeria at the Continental Sports Fiesta.

The Inspector General of Police appreciates all Police Athletes for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to sporting excellence, national unity and development in all spheres in Nigeria. He reiterates that their collective success serves as an inspiration to other Police Officers and fellow aspiring Athletes and inestimable potentials across the nation.

Sports

Super Falcons Draw Goalless with South Africa, Quality for Paris Olympics

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2024

Eric

Nigeria’s female national football team, Super Falcons have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Nigeria beat South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to reach the Summer Olympics.

Rasheedat Ajibade scored from the spot in the first leg of the qualifiers in Abuja on Friday.

That goal was enough for the Super Falcons to pick one of Africa’s tickets for the women’s football event of the Paris Olympics as the second leg tie ended goaless in South Africa.

The last time Nigeria’s Super Falcons reached the Olympics was 16 years ago.