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World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at Indian Wells, beating Norway's Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6(2), while Jack Draper upset world number three Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) on Wednesday to reach the
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Al Gharafa’s Qatar Stars League title ambitions suffered a setback after a 0-2 defeat to Qatar SC, while Al Shamal climbed into joint second place with a dramatic late win over Al Wakrah as the league resumed Thursday following a short suspension due to regional tensions.In the third match of the night, Al Duhail returned to winning ways with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Al Sailiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.The results left Al Shamal and Al Gharafa level on 34 points, four behind leaders Al Sadd, who are in action today. Qatar SC moved up to 27 points, while Al Duhail climbed to sixth place with 24 points.At Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Shamal secured a hard-fought over Al Wakrah thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Pau Prim. The two sides battled evenly for most of the match, struggling to find a breakthrough despite creating several chances.Neither side was able to score in regulation time, though the crossbar denied both teams once during the contest. Wakrah’s task became more difficult in the closing stages when Radwan Berkane was shown a red card around 10 minutes from time.Shamal eventually found the decisive moment deep into stoppage time when Spanish midfielder Prim struck from the centre of the box following a corner kick to secure three valuable points for the visitors.At Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar SC delivered a strong performance to defeat Al Gharafa and deal a blow to the Cheetahs’ pursuit of the title. Musab Battat gave Qatar SC the lead in the 26th minute, beating goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar with a shot that deflected slightly off a defender after a through cross.Gharafa’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dented early in the second half when Seydou Sano was sent off in the 47th minute following a VAR review. The defender had brought down a charging Faiz Selemani outside the box, leaving the referee with little choice but to show a red card.With the numerical advantage, Qatar SC maintained control and doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Joao Pedro. The Brazilian forward sprinted onto a long ball and calmly finished past the advancing Ababacar to seal the victory. The crucial win lifted Qatar SC to 27 points, strengthening their push for a top-four finish.Meanwhile, Al Duhail produced one of their most convincing displays of the season as they thrashed Al Sailiya. Benjamin Bourigeaud was instrumental in the victory, contributing a goal and three assists, while Krzysztof Piatek scored twice as the Red Knights ended a difficult run of results.Piatek opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a powerful header from a Bourigeaud corner before doubling the lead just three minutes later, again heading home from another precise delivery by the French midfielder.The Polish striker then turned provider in the 63rd minute, setting up Bourigeaud to make it 3-0 with a composed finish. Ibrahima Bamba completed the scoring in the 78th minute to put the result beyond doubt.The win moved Al Duhail to 24 points and temporarily into sixth place, while Al Sailiya remained 10th with 15 points as they continue to battle near the bottom of the standings.Three more matches are scheduled today, including leaders Al Sadd hosting Umm Salal at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Al Ahli will face Al Arabi at Al Thumama Stadium, while Al Rayyan take on Al Shahania at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Related Story
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Jack Draper of Great Britain is congratulated by Novak Djokovic of Serbia after winning the Indian Wells Open match. (AFP) Novak Djokovic was dumped out by Jack Draper in a slugfest Wednesday as the defending champion won 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the quarter-finals at Indian Wells.World number one Carlos Alcaraz sailed into the last eight of the Masters 1000 event for the fifth straight year and there were straight-sets wins for Daniil Medvedev and Cameron Norrie.But Britain's Draper did it the hard way, wearing down 38-year-old Djokovic in a punishing third set to deny the Serb superstar his first return to the quarter-finals since he won his fifth Indian Wells title in 2016."I came out here tonight and I won that match through determination and trying to problem-solve and do my best and have a great attitude," said Draper, who kept the former world number one on the move with multiple drop shots.The margins were razor-thin over the first two sets. The tide turned on an epic point in the opening game of the third that saw both players chasing down drop shots and scrambling for lobs before Djokovic sealed it with an overhead for a 40-30 lead.He flopped on the court exhausted and was on his knees again after Draper won the next point. Djokovic would go on to hold serve, but he said it was the difference in the match for him."One point," he said. "It was great winning that point in that game, but I just ran completely out of gas."Draper broke Djokovic in his next service game, but couldn't close it out when he served for the match at 5-4.The reprieve wasn't enough for Djokovic, who led 4-3 in the tiebreaker but couldn't hang on."He played a sloppy game to close it out 5-4, and, you know, I got the crowd, you know, backing me, and I felt the energy," Djokovic said. "It was, like, maybe I'm gonna take this one. It was so, so close."Draper, playing just his second tournament since missing the better part of six months with an arm injury, was delighted."To come out here against Novak, for me the greatest tennis player there is, I'm just incredibly proud of myself," he said.He won't have long to savor the victory, with a quarter-final against two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev coming up on Thursday.Medvedev beat American Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz shinesAlcaraz advanced with a sparkling 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Casper Ruud, extending his perfect start to 2026.Alcaraz, who lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2023 and 2024, was untouchable in the first set, conjuring winners from every angle of the court."My first set, I think I was unplayable to be honest," Alcaraz said. "I was really, really happy about playing at that level."Ruud stepped it up in the second set, but even he could only smile when Alcaraz seized a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker with another leaping volley, the Spaniard closing proceedings fittingly with a backhand winner.Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his victory at the Australian Open.He followed that up with the Qatar Open title and with three wins under his belt in Indian Wells is now 15-0 on the season.He next faces 29th-ranked Briton Norrie, who beat Australian qualifier Rinki Hijikata 6-4, 6-2.Norrie, the 2021 Indian Wells champion, beat Alcaraz in the second round of the Paris Masters 1000 last year. Related Story
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Al Rayyan coach Artur Jorge Al Rayyan's Portuguese coach Artur Jorge has expressed relief on the resumption of Qatar Stars League in difficult times with ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Fourth-placed Rayyan face Al Shahania in their round 18 match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium today.Speaking to the media on eve of the match Al Shahania, Jorge said: "We are happy the league is back after a break. We feel safe in Qatar and we thank the country for the security and safety it has been providing to all."He added: "Our focus now is on finishing the league in a position befitting Al Rayyan's ambition and those of the club's fans. The team's preparations for the Al Shahania match have been good and the upcoming game represents an important opportunity for us to continue working and achieve a positive result."Al Rayyan goalkeeper Sami Baldi emphasised on the team's readiness. "We are excited to return to competition after the recent break, and the players are ready. We have worked as a team during this period, and we strive to perform well in the next stage."Among the other matches today, Al Ahli will face Al Arabi at the Al Thumama Stadium while table toppers and defending champions Al Sadd will meet Umm Salal at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.Al Arabi's Romanian coach Cosmin Contra also expressed his gratitude to Qatar for the well-being. “Aside from football, we would like to express our deep gratitude to Qatar. The security situation and the calmness we are experiencing reflect a high level of professionalism in dealing with such situations. We extend our sincere thanks to those responsible for protecting the country and ensuring everyone’s safety, which allows us to carry out our work in a completely secure environment." he said.Al Sadd wary of Umm SalalAl Sadd's assistant coach Sergio Allegri said the match against Umm Salal will be tough and intense. "The match against Umm Salal will certainly be difficult and we will need have to give our 100% to get the three points. We need to continue with our top efforts to continue winning and extend our lead at the top of the league,” he said.Al Sadd star Akram Afif added: "From now on, every remaining match in the league is crucial; we have to win every single one of them. We are ready to face Umm Salal. Our focus is on achieving the three to maintain our lead and retain the title.”Umm Salal coach Ruben Albes said his side will try to bet at their best against Sadd. "We know it's a big match against the league leaders but we will go in aiming for a positive result. We shall try to maintain our performance from the previous matches and put on a good show that will benefit the team in its league campaign." Related Story
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Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning against Karolina Muchova in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images) Two-time champion Iga Swiatek barreled into the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Wednesday, beating in-form Czech Karolina Muchova 6-2, 6-0.World number two Swiatek, who lifted the trophy in the prestigious ATP and WTA Masters 1000 in 2022 and 2024, won the last 10 games to halt Muchova's eight-match winning streak, which included her first title since 2019 in the Qatar Open last month."I felt great," Swiatek said after reaching her fifth straight Indian Wells quarter-final."I felt really solid and like I could really, from the beginning till the end, play my kind of game and just play how I wanted to."That included being "proactive" with her forehand."I just chose the right balls to go forward or stay back and grind a bit more," she said."I think the decision-making was good today. I didn't rush and I had comfortable situations to do what I wanted to."Swiatek next faces ninth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who advanced when 44th-ranked Czech Katerina Siniakova retired with a right hip injury while trailing 6-1, 1-1."Of course very unlucky for her to finish a tournament like this," Svitolina said of Siniakova, a former doubles number one who ousted defending champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round."For me, it's a little bit more time to recover for tomorrow's big match," said the 31-year-old who has lost four of five prior encounters with Swiatek.Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, the 2023 Indian Wells winner, also advanced by retirement, with unseeded Briton Sonay Kartal calling it a day as she trailed 6-4, 4-3.Kartal had received treatment for a lower back injury during a medical timeout late in the first set.She continued to receive massages on the changeovers in the second before finally calling a halt after going down a break."Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," Rybakina said. "It's not easy, this kind of injury."Over the humpRybakina next faces fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, whose 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Belinda Bencic marked her first victory over the Swiss veteran after four defeats."Really happy being able to turn around my pretty poor record against Belinda," Pegula said."When you're able to figure that out and get over that hump it's always a good feeling."Up 5-3 in the second set, Pegula thwarted a late comeback bid from Bencic, who produced a love service game then broke Pegula as she served for the match at 5-4.Bencic then held serve to force the tiebreaker, saving a pair of match points before Pegula closed out the win on her third opportunity."She made me have to earn it today," Pegula said."I felt like in the second set, when I got up there, I had a little bit of a lull where I had a couple of game points and I could have maybe finished the match."But she's a really good player and when you don't quite finish those off that's where she can come in, and that's what she did." Related Story
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World number two Jannik Sinner survived a stern test from Joao Fonseca on Tuesday to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals, while women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka eased past 16th seed Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-4
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Lamine Yamal’s last-gasp penalty earned Barcelona a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, while Liverpool lost 1-0 to Galatasaray in Istanbul for the second
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Pakistan awarded ODI debuts to four players and Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field Wednesday to open the three-match series.Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Shamyl Hussain and Abdul Samad formed the new-look Pakistan top
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US President Donald Trump has said that Iran is "welcome" to participate in the upcoming World Cup in North America, despite the ongoing Middle East war, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.The war, triggered
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India head coach Gautam Gambhir credited Sanju Samson’s crucial 97 against the West Indies as the turning point in India’s triumphant campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which concluded with the hosts lifting
