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Saudi’s Al-Qahtani to headline PFL MENA postseason action in Riyadh

Saudi’s Al-Qahtani to headline PFL MENA postseason action in Riyadh
PFL MENA 3 playoffs will take place in Riyadh on Sept. 20. (PFL)
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Updated 28 August 2024
Arab News
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Saudi’s Al-Qahtani to headline PFL MENA postseason action in Riyadh

Saudi’s Al-Qahtani to headline PFL MENA postseason action in Riyadh
  • The Kingdom’s leading MMA fighter faces Abdelrahman Alhyasat in the Featherweight Semifinal Main Event
  • Jarrah Al-Selawe meets Omar El-Dafrawy in the welterweight semifinal co-main event
Updated 28 August 2024
Arab News
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RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League has announced the semifinal matchups set to take place at PFL MENA 3, which is being held at Boulevard City on Sept 20.

Fighters in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions will compete for a spot in the PFL MENA Finals and will look to move one win away from becoming among the inaugural PFL MENA champions.

In the main event, Saudi Arabia’s own Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-1) takes on Jordan’s Abdelrahman Alhyasat (4-0) in the featherweight semifinals. Meanwhile, the co-main event will feature PFL veteran and former two-division champion Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-6) of Jordan taking on Egypt’s Omar El Dafrawy (11-6) in a welterweight semifinal bout.

PFL MENA 3 will air live in primetime on MBC Action, with the free-to-air broadcasts accessible to fans across the region. In addition to PFL MENA, MBC Action will air the PFL Global Season, PFL Europe, Bellator Champions Series and PFL’s Pay-Per-View Superfight Division events.

Other semifinals matchup will feature Algeria’s Souhil Tairi (7-4-1) taking on Mohsen Mohammadseifi (5-1) of Iran in the lightweight division, while Iraq’s Ali Taleb (10-1) meets Jordan’s Jalal Al Daaja (11-8) in the bantamweight division.

Jerome Mazet, general manager of PFL MENA, said: “We’re very excited to be heading into the playoffs of the inaugural PFL MENA season. Fighters in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions are competing for a spot in the finals and are looking to become the first PFL MENA champions. We’re building stars here, and we can’t wait to see who makes it to the finale.”

The complete PFL MENA 2 fight card is as follows:

Featherweight semifinal bout:

Abdullah Al-Qahtani (9-1) vs. Abdelrahman Alhyasat (4-0)

Welterweight semifinal bout:

Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-6) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (11-6)

Welterweight semifinal bout:

Mohammad Alaqraa (6-0) vs. Badreddine Diani (8-3)

Lightweight semifinal bout:

Souhil Tairi (7-4-1) vs. Mohsen Mohammadseifi (5-1)

Bantamweight semifinal bout:

Ali Taleb (10-1) vs. Jalal Al Daaja (11-8)

Featherweight semifinal bout:

Islam Reda (11-1) vs. Marouaune Bellagouit (5-0)

Bantamweight semifinal bout:

Elias Boudegzdame (19-8) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (14-3)

Lightweight semifinal bout:

Georges Eid (9-4, 1NC) vs. Omar Reguigui (4-0, 1NC)

  • Georges Eid will face Omar Reguigui, replacing Abdullah Saleem who didn’t pass the in-competition drug test.

Alternate featherweight showcase bout:

Adam Meskini (8-3) vs. Yazeed Hasanain (3-1)

Topics: PFL MENA 3 Abdullah Al-Qahtani MBC Action

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Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time

Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time
Updated 5 sec ago
AP
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Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time

Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time
  • The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time
Updated 5 sec ago
AP
MELBOURNE: Elina Svitolina was 4-1 down before she went on a roll and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time. It’s her first time back in the quarterfinals in Australia since 2019.
“Feels like a lifetime ago,” Svitolina said. Since her last run this far at Melbourne Park, she married French player Gael Monfils in 2021 and the pair had a daughter, Skai, in 2022. “Many things happened and I’m really pleased with the performance throughout the tournament. Really enjoying this win today.”
After dropping two early service games, Svitolina said she her only goal “was just trying to fight.”
“It’s the only thing I can do when things are not going your way, put your head down and get back to work,” she said. “Really happy I could come (back) into the match and then win in straight sets.”
Svitolina, the No. 28 seed, wore a red dress, red shoes and a red cap for the match. People in the crowd waved the yellow and blue Ukraine flag.
Kudermetova took a medical timeout for on-court treatment on her abdomen after falling behind 5-4 the first set.
She left the court for treatment after losing the first set in 50 minutes. Svitolina held to open the second set and then had a breakpoint but Kudermetova saved and held for 1-1, following up a forehand winner down the line with a loud roar.
That was the end of her celebrating.
It wasn’t just power and pace from Svitolina that was the difference between the pair. After bringing Kudermetova to the net with a drop shot and then lobbing over her to start the next game, Svitolina punched the air.
There was no handshake at the net with Kudermeotva, a 27-year-old from Russia, but no animosity, either.
Svitolina will be playing in the quarterfinals against either 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or No. 19 Madison Keys.
Svitolina’s husband, Monfils, was playing later Monday against No. 21 seed Ben Shelton on Margaret Court Arena. The 38-year-old Frenchman reached the fourth round with an upset over fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz, the US Open runner-up last year.
Svitolina, who beat fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini in the third round, said she hoped to be courtside for Monfils’ match.
“Playing the way that he plays right now, it’s special,” she said.
Other quarterfinalists will be decided when defending champion Jannik Sinner and No. 13 seed Holger Rune meet in an afternoon match and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek takes on Eva Lys, the lucky loser from qualifying, in a night match.

Inter beat Empoli to keep pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli

Inter beat Empoli to keep pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli
Updated 20 January 2025
AFP
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Inter beat Empoli to keep pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli

Inter beat Empoli to keep pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli
Updated 20 January 2025
AFP

MILAN: Inter Milan kept in touch with Napoli after seeing off struggling Empoli 3-1 on Sunday and going three points behind the Serie A leaders.
Goals in the second half from Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram ensured a hard-fought win for champions Inter at the San Siro without their suspended coach Simone Inzaghi.
Napoli have become the team to beat thanks to their thrilling 3-2 win at Atalanta, who are seven points off the pace in third, on Saturday but Inter also have a game in hand.
However, Inter have a packed schedule due to their Champions League commitments while Napoli have no European football after their disastrous title defense last season.
As well as their final two league phase fixtures in the Champions League — against Sparta Prague and Monaco in consecutive weeks — Simone Inzaghi’s team have the Milan derby and trips to Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta between now and mid-March.
“We barely have time to think because we’re always playing,” said Inzaghi’s assistant Massimiliano Farris to DAZN.
“We’ve won 12 times and drawn three in our last 15 league matches and we’re in with a great chance of getting to the last 16 of the Champions League without having to go through the play-offs.”
Captain Martinez’s distance effort in the 55th minute took his league total to eight goals from 18 appearances, some way off the 24 he racked up on the way to guiding Inter to their 20th league title last term.
The Argentina striker hadn’t scored at home since early November before Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Bologna but his goal against Empoli was his second in as many matches at the San Siro.
Dumfries’ thumping header, from Kristjan Asllani’s 79th-minute corner, was key as Inter were far from their best and once Inter loanee Sebastiano Esposito halved the deficit for 14th-placed Empoli in the 83rd minute a wave of worry swept the stadium.
Fans breathed a collective sign of relief six minutes later when Thuram swept in his 13th league goal of the campaign to seal the points and keep Inter’s title defense rolling on.
Earlier, Lazio stayed in Serie A’s Champions League places after thumping struggling Verona 3-0.
Marco Baroni’s Lazio went ahead with just a minute on the clock through Samuel Gigot, and further strikes from Boulaye Dia and captain Mattia Zaccagni put them fourth, two points above Juventus who beat AC Milan on Saturday.
Sunday’s success ended a three-match winless streak for Lazio, which included derby defeat to rivals Roma, and left Verona in the relegation zone.
Verona slumped to their 14th defeat in 21 league fixtures in front of new chairman Italo Zanzi following the club’s acquisition by American private equity firm Presidio Investors on Wednesday.
The new owners have a job on their hands at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi as Verona are deep in the fight against the drop, sitting in 18th place and separated by goal difference from Como who are just outside the bottom three and host Udinese on Monday.
Verona are in the drop zone due to Cagliari’s 4-1 thumping of fellow strugglers Lecce which moved the Sardinian outfit up to 13th.
Just two points separate Cagliari and Verona, with Lecce, Parma — who drew 1-1 with second-from-bottom Venezia — and Empoli all on 20 points.
Verona, who finished the match with 10 men following Ondrej Duda’s late sending-off, make the short trip to regional rivals Venezia next week.

Topics: Inter Milan Serie A

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Hatton holds nerve to clinch Dubai title from Hillier

Hatton holds nerve to clinch Dubai title from Hillier
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP
AP
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Hatton holds nerve to clinch Dubai title from Hillier

Hatton holds nerve to clinch Dubai title from Hillier
  • English star makes a 7-footer to secure his eighth European tour title
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP AP

DUBAI: Tyrrell Hatton held his nerve to clinch the Dubai Desert Classic on the final hole from Daniel Hillier on Sunday.

The pair walked up to the 18th tee with Hatton leading by two shots, but the pressure was on when New Zealander Hillier sunk a birdie putt.

Hatton was up to the challenge, making a 7-footer to secure his eighth European tour title by two shots and lift him top of the Race to Dubai rankings.

“A dream come true,” smiled Hatton who equalled Jon Rahm’s record of five Rolex Series wins. He had started the day one behind Hillier.

Outgoing champion Rory McIlroy went down fighting with a final-round surge, the Northern Irishman signing for a six-under to finish fourth, one shot adrift of third-placed Laurie Canter.

Elsewhere, Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka by two strokes.

The 67-year-old Langer missed a chance to win for the 19th straight season on the 50-and-over tour. The German star won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship last year for his record-extending 47th senior title.

Els finished at 18-under 198 at Hualalai Golf Course. Playing alongside Els and Cejka in the final group, Langer parred the final four holes in a 66. Jimenez closed with a 64, and Cejka shot 68. Langer and Jimenez have each won the event three times.

“I’ve been trying to get my hands on that trophy for five years now,” Els said. “Came close my very first time and finally got it through the line. But what a battle it was. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to play golf and have basically a week’s holiday with a golf tournament. Wonderful week.”

Els and Langer broke out of a six-way tie for the lead with matching birdies on the par-5 14th, and Els moved ahead of Langer with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th.

Els saved par on par-4 16th with a 10-footer, then left a 25-foot birdie try an inch short on the par-3 17th. On the par-4 18th, after Langer’s long birdie try slid past, Els holed a 10-footer for the two-shot margin.

Els won three times last season. The 55-year-old South African is a four-time major champion, winning the US Open and British Open twice each.

“Getting it done under the gun, very tight race all day, all week really,” Els said. “I had to make some clutch putts. Even if you don’t believe in yourself as much, days like this when you make those putts like you used to, it gives you hope again.”

Defending champion Steven Alker and Jerry Kelly each shot 65 to tie for fifth at 15 under.

Steve Stricker tied for 19th at 10 under after a 69 in his first official PGA Tour Champions event since September.

Topics: dubai desert classic Tyrrell Hatton Daniel Hillier

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Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters

Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP
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Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters

Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters
  • Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic surged into an Australian Open quarterfinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz with a dominant straight-sets victory on Sunday while women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was a ruthless winner.

Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight.

On the hottest day of the tournament so far with temperatures hitting 34 degrees Celsius, Alcaraz went through when Britain’s Jack Draper retired injured.

The 37-year-old Djokovic then kept up his end of the bargain with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Czech 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the prime-time match on Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic appears to be growing into the tournament in an ominous sign for his rivals, as he pursues a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and historic 25th Grand Slam title.

He dropped a set in each of his opening two matches but has won the previous two in straight sets.

Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final.

But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success.

“When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again ... it’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape,” said Alcaraz, who has vowed to get a kangaroo tattoo if he wins the Australian Open for the first time.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in Melbourne, was leading 7-5, 6-1 when Draper pulled the plug.

Draper had come through all three of his previous matches in five sets, and all from 2-1 down, and it appeared to have taken its toll.

“It’s not the way I wanted to win, but obviously I’m happy to play another quarterfinal here in Australia,” said Alcaraz.

The 23-year-old Draper, whose rise has been held back by issues with his body, said his hip injury had been a “ticking time bomb” and he had “multiple areas really in pain.”

American 12th seed Tommy Paul destroyed Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the loss of just three games as he bids to match or better his semifinal appearance from 2023.

Paul will meet German second seed Alexander Zverev, who survived a mid-match wobble to oust France’s Ugo Humbert.

Zverev, who is zeroing in on a maiden Grand Slam title, won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a chilling warning to sweep into the quarterfinals.

The Belarusian was out on a roasting center court for only 62 minutes before registering an 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park.

“I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets,” said Sabalenka, who faces Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next.

Sabalenka struggled with her serve in colder conditions during the first week, but was untouchable as the mercury soared.

“The ball was flying like a rocket,” said Sabalenka.

A dangerous Gauff faces Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa after the American fought back to beat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Gauff dropped a set for the first time in 2025 but extended her unbeaten streak to 13 matches going back to last year’s WTA Tour Finals.

“Two out of three sets at this stage of my career is not that physically hard for me,” said the 20-year-old Gauff, who is chasing a first Melbourne title.

“The off-season I just put in so much work physically so I’m not worried at all about recovering emotionally or mentally.”

Badosa declared she “loves” Gauff — but said that will not prevent her looking for “revenge.”

The pair have a 3-3 head-to-head record but Gauff won both their meetings in 2024, with each going to three sets.

The last time was in the semifinals of the WTA China Open in Beijing, where Gauff won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on her way to lifting the title.

Topics: Australian Open Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz Aryna Sabalenka

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Masood defends Pakistan’s spin-spiced formula after West Indies win

Masood defends Pakistan’s spin-spiced formula after West Indies win
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP
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Masood defends Pakistan’s spin-spiced formula after West Indies win

Masood defends Pakistan’s spin-spiced formula after West Indies win
  • Pakistan completed the win before tea on the third day as spinners Sajid Khan grabbed 5-50 and Abrar Ahmed finished with 4-27
  • The Test lasted fewer than eight sessions on a dry, grassless Multan Stadium pitch, with spinners taking 34 of 40 wickets to fall
Updated 19 January 2025
AFP

MULTAN: Skipper Shan Masood defended Pakistan’s formula of using spin-friendly pitches to win home Test matches after a 127-run victory over the West Indies in Multan on Sunday.
Pakistan completed the win before tea on the third day as spinners Sajid Khan grabbed 5-50 and Abrar Ahmed finished with 4-27 to dismiss the West Indies for 123 after setting a 251-run target.
The Test lasted fewer than eight sessions on a dry and grassless Multan Stadium pitch, with spinners taking 34 of the 40 wickets to fall.
Sajid finished with nine wickets, fellow spinner Noman Ali six and the West Indian left-armer Jomel Warrican took a maiden 10-wicket haul.
Pakistan bowled just one over of pace in the match.
“If we want to be a top side in the World Test Championship then we have to sacrifice some things, like we did with the fast bowling in this Test,” Masood said.
Pakistan made drastic changes after going winless in 11 home Tests since 2021, using industrial fans and patio heaters to dry the Multan pitch against England last year.
Sajid and Noman took 39 of the 40 wickets to give Pakistan a come-from-behind 2-1 series win against England, repeating the same ploy against the West Indies.
Masood’s captain counterpart Kraigg Brathwaite had no issue with it.
They will play the second Test from January 25 at the same venue.
“They’re at home so they got their decision how they want the pitch to behave,” said Brathwaite.
“It was a difficult pitch to bat on for sure.
“We expect the same type of pitch in the second Test so we got to come better with bravery and belief.”
Left-hander Alick Athanaze hit the only half-century for the tourists in the match with 55, an innings Brathwaite wants his batters to learn from.
“He swept it on both sides so we just have to be brave,” said Brathwaite.
“We have got one more Test and we have to believe in ourselves.”

Topics: Pakistan vs West Indies Multan Test Shan Masood Pakistan cricket team

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