Sports

Ons Jabeur crashes out of French Open after loss to Coco Gauff

Published

6 months ago

June 5, 2024

The quest for a maiden Grand Slam title by Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur, took another hit on Tuesday night as she was knocked out of the French Open quarter finals by American third seed, Coco Gauff, in what turned out to be an absorbing contest.

Gauf who is the current US Open champion, showed her maturity and mentality at Roland Garros to defeat the 8th seeded Jabeur win 4-6 6-2 6-3 and will play Polish top seed Iga Swiatek, who beat her in the 2022 final, in the last four on Thursday.

Court side reports on the match say after a superb opening set which was dominated by Jabeur, the “20-year-old Gauff continued to believe in her game and took advantage of her opponent’s level dipping.”

“Gauff was unable to convert a match point on Jabeur’s serve at 5-2 in the decider, and survived a break point at 5-3, before getting over the line when her opponent dumped an overhead long,” the report said.

“A passionate roar as Gauff celebrated in the middle of the court indicated the magnitude of the test she had come through.”

After the pulsating match, Gauff, however, gave credit to her opponent.

“She’s a tough opponent. I was trying to be more aggressive, she was playing really well and hitting a lot of winners – which I’m not used to.

“I got a little bit tight but I did what I needed to do.

“Whenever I’m not playing, I cheer for Ons too, so thank you guys for making it a great atmosphere. I like playing in atmospheres like this.

“I know you wanted her to win, but even when I was in the bathroom after the first set, I was thinking ‘this is really fun, win or lose’,” she told the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Jabeur who is a three-time major finalist, has endured a tough season because of a niggling knee injury and struggled for form before rediscovering her level at Roland Garros.

However, the 29-year-old was unable to sustain the pressure she put Gauff under after struggling to land as many first serves, and beginning to make rash decisions in her returning, was costly as Gauff turned the match around.

“The quarter-finals is not bad. I’ll take it,” said Jabeur.

“I’m trying to be less hard with myself and be proud with the way I was fighting.”

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Sports

FIFA officially confirms Morocco 2030 World Cup co-host

Published

2 hours ago

December 11, 2024

Isaac Dachen

World football governing body, FIFA, has officially confirmed Morocco as the co-host of the 2030 world cup along with Spain and Portugal, which will make the north African country the second nation in the continent to host the tournament after South Africa in 2010.

The announcement, which was made on Wednesday by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during FIFA’s virtual extraordinary Congress, also awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.

The Spain, Portugal and Morocco
joint bid code-named “Yalla Vamos,” represents the collaborative effort between the three countries aimed at uniting different continents through sport’s universal language.

President of Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa who spoke on the development, emphasized the importance of the bid, extending his thanks to FIFA and the football community for contributing to making Morocco’s hosting the event possible.

Lekjaa stressed that the decision is a testament to the three countries’ commitment to growth and development, noting that sports, especially football serve as a powerful leverage for socio-economic progress and the betterment of humanity.

The bid which was presented with a captivating visual presentation, showcasing iconic football players who represent the three countries, including Portugal’s Luis Figo and Morocco’s Nordin Naybet.

The presentation underlined the unique strengths of each host nation, spotlighting their football legacy alongside touristic landmarks, culinary traditions, and cultural heritage.

One of the key infrastructure highlights is the planned 5,000-kilometer railway network that aims to connect Lisbon, Madrid, and Casablanca in just three hours.

The World Cup tournament carries special significance as it marks exactly 100 years since Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and in this sense, the 2030 edition will feature a unique format, beginning with three opening matches in South America before moving to the main hosts for the remaining 101 matches scheduled between June 13 and July 21, 2030.

Six Moroccan cities, Rabat, Casablanca, Fez, Tangier, Marrakech, and Agadir, will host matches, requiring significant infrastructure upgrades.

The 2030 World Cup marks a significant achievement for Morocco after five unsuccessful bids spanning three decades.

The tournament will begin with symbolic matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay on June 8 and 9, 2030, commemorating the centenary of the first World Cup, before moving to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal for the remainder of the competition.

Sports

For swearing during news conference, Verstappen to do ‘public interest’ work in Rwanda

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Formula 1 world champion, Max Verstappen, has been mandated to do an activity with junior competitors in Rwanda after swearing in a news conference at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The punishment was slammed on Verstappen by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), or International Automobile Federation, the governing body for many international motor sports, including Formula 1.

According to reports, the world champion was ordered to complete some “work of public interest” for the transgression, a punishment he described as “ridiculous” at the time.

The FIA said after the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that Verstappen’s duty would coincide with its prize-giving in the African country’s capital next week.

The top three drivers in the F1 world championship are required by regulation to attend the end-of-season FIA prize-giving ceremony with Verstappen’s punishment tagged on to the mandatory trip.

“While in Kigali, Verstappen will undertake some work with junior competitors as part of the grassroots development programme organised by the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC),” the FIA said in a statement.

“The activity will involve an FIA affordable cross car which was built locally in Rwanda by the RAC from blueprints provided by the FIA,” it added.

Verstappen’s penalty is along with a fine for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for a similar offence at the Mexico City Grand Prix, led the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association to publish an open letter asking the FIA to treat them like adults.

The letter also criticised the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has caused widespread dismay in F1 at his actions this year, for his tone and language when addressing the topic.