Sports

Ons Jabeur beats Yuliia Starodubtseva to progress to Australian Open second round

Published

10 months ago

January 15, 2024

It took Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur, only 63 minutes to secure her passage into the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-3 6-1 win against Yuliia Starodubtseva on Margaret Court Arena.

The Tunisian sensation, who is looking to better her 2020 quarter-final placing at Melbourne Park, was in such dominant form, only broken in the first game of the match before storming to the emphatic victory.

Starodubtseva, who is ranked 150 in the WTP, showed no signs of nerves as she opened up her first match against a top 10 player, and only her second against a player in the top 100, with a break of serve.

However, Jabeur, the world number 6 ranked player, was in her elements as she unleashed her full arsenal of shots as three breaks of her opponent’s serves saw her collect the first set and an early break to put her in total control.

“It is very, very special to come back here again,” Jabeur said after the match.

“I decided to rest a bit before coming to the Australian Open and just play this tournament. But the crowd really helped today and hopefully it will be a much better match for the next round.”

“It’s been a year. Especially last year wasn’t so great here. Coming back here, I was a little bit stressed but seeing the crowd made me less stressed. I saw some guys I’ve known from 2016 cheering for me when I was playing qualifying.”

“They’ve been following me since qualifying; that is really something. Thank you for coming and supporting me for so many years,” she said.

Click to comment

Sports

TP Mazembe pip AS FAR to win African Women’s Champions League

Published

11 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) became the third team to win the 2024 African Women’s Champions League after narrowly defeating AS FAR of Morocco 1-0 in the final played on Sunday at the El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi Stadium.

TP Mazembe claimed the title for the first time courtesy of a 10th minute penalty which was converted by Marlene Kasaj after AS FAR captain Aziza Rabbah handled the ball in the box.

The Congolese side should have doubled their lead six minutes later when an unmarked Merveille Kanjinga fired wide from seven yards out before the more fancied home team gradually grew into the match and looked to cancel the deficit and add to their continental triumph in 2022.

But AS FAR put in a subdued display and failed to test Mazembe’s goalkeeper Fideline Ngoy, with tournament top scorer Doha El Madani who had netted six goals in their run to the final, wasting their best chance as she sliced a first-half free-kick wide.

With the triumph, TP Mazembe carted home the giant trophy and a cheque for $600,000 (£479,000) after the prize money was increased for the fourth edition of the tournament, while the AS FAR went home with $400,000 (£319,000).

Sports

Wafcon 2024 draw throws up interesting pairings

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The draw for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) holding in Morocco from July 5 to 26 next year which was held on Friday, threw up some interesting match-ups to look forward to as hosts Morocco found themselves in what has been described as the group of death.

The Atlas Lionesses will have to contend with Zambia, DR Congo and Senegal in Group A, while Group B has record 11-time continental champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria slugging it out with Tunisia, Algeria and Botswana, just as current defending champions, Banyana Banyana of South Africa will do battle with Ghana, Mali and Tanzania in Group C.

The top two sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals, alongside the two best third-placed finishers.

Though qualification for the 2024 Wafcon was completed in December last year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was forced to push the finals into 2025 because of international football’s congested calendar, which included the participation of Nigeria and Zambia at the Olympics.

Morocco also staged the 2022 edition of Wafcon, ending as runners-up, and former international Fatiha Laassiri believes home support will provide “a real advantage” next year.

Wafcon 2024 group draw with world ranking in brackets:

Group A: Morocco (hosts, 59), Zambia (62), Senegal (83), DR Congo (102).

Group B: Nigeria (36), Tunisia (78), Algeria (84), Botswana (153).

Group C: South Africa (holders, 50), Ghana (66), Mali (81), Tanzania (145).