MIAMI-- Maria Sakkari was back to her winning ways just days after losing the Indian Wells final as she demolished China's Yue Yuan 6-2 6-2 on Thursday to ease into the third round of the Miami Open. Putting the 6-4 6-0 California drubbing at the hands of world number one Iga Swiatek in Sunday's final in the rearview mirror, the eighth seeded Greek was all business after having failed at the first hurdle in her last two visits to Miami. Having collected her first WTA Tour title in Austin last month and following that up with a quarter-final run at Indian Wells, Yue represented a potentially tricky first test for Sakkari. But the 28-year-old passed with flying colours, breaking her Chinese opponent five times in the 79-minute masterclass. In other second round action, Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina saved match point and came back from a set down to topple former-world number one Caroline Wozniacki 5-7 7-5 6-4. Trailing 2-5 in the second set, Kalinina appeared to be heading for the exit but with nothing to lose, she came out swinging her racket to break the Dane as she served for the match. The danger was far from over for the Ukrainian who faced match point on her own serve but stayed alive with a fearless forehand winner to cut the deficit to 5-4. Kalinina ended up winning five games in a row to bag the second set. With the momentum now in Kalinina's corner, the 27-year-old poured on the pressure in the third set as she nosed ahead 5-3. The Dane would also not go down without a fight as she survived three match points for the hold, leaving Kalinina to serve for the match. Kalinina would need four match points to complete the comeback, securing victory on her third ace of the contest. Next up for Kalinina is world number two Aryna Sabalenka or Paula Badosa. All eyes will be on Hard Rock Stadium court for the first match on Friday as Sabalenka plays for the first time since the tragic news on Monday that her former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov had died. The former professional ice hockey player's death sent a shockwave through the Miami Open with players rallying to support Sabalenka. Adding more drama to the second round match, Sabalenka will be going up against Badosa, one of her best friends on the Tour.
MIAMI-- Only 11 players have completed the "Sunshine Double", winning Indian Wells and the Miami Open back-to-back, but world number one Iga Swiatek comes to Florida looking to join an even more exclusive club of those that have managed a double-double.
BBC ENGLAND- - The Women's Super League set a new cumulative attendance record of 717,721 fans with six rounds to go this season, the BBC reported on Monday. The current campaign figure surpassed the previous record of 689,297 fans from the 2022-23 season after Chelsea Women's record 32,970 fans watched their 3-1 win over Arsenal on Friday. This season also saw a new attendance record set for a WSL match in Arsenal's victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium last month. All WSL teams except West Ham United will have played at least one match in their main stadium this season by the conclusion of the next round of matches at the weekend.
AMSTERDAM --Ajax women’s team was outclassed by Chelsea in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday. The London side was a level above their opponents, winning 0-3 in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Ajax was missing their captain, Sherida Spitse, for the match due to a suspension. Left-back Daliyah de Klonia replaced her. It was a very young Ajax side with just two starting players older than 23.
Almost 36,000 fans came to the Johan Cruijff ArenA to watch the match. It was a new record for most fans at a women’s football match. Ajax hit the post in the early stages through Romee Leuchter with a shot from outside the box. However, the rest of the first half will not have brought much joy to the crowd. The London side took the lead in the 19th minute. A deflection brought the ball to Lauren James, who calmly dribbled around Ajax goalkeeper Regina van Eijk before rolling it in. James did it with the calmness of somebody who probably thought she was offside, which was the on-field decision.
However, a VAR review showed that James was onside before the deflection, so the goal stood. Guro Reiten thought she had doubled the London side tally before halftime, but her goal was disallowed for an offside of a teammate. However, it did not last long as Emma Hayes’s side made it 2-0 just a minute later. Sjoeke Nusken, who was the reason for the goal being disallowed a minute earlier, slid the ball home from close range after a cross from Reiten right before halftime. Ajax were desperate for the whistle and were fortunate to go into the break two goals down as opposed to three. Erin Cuthbert laid the ball off to Nusken in the box, but the striker placed her shot wide. Nusken scored her second goal in the second half of the match. A cross from substitute Catarina Macario found Nusken, who headed in from close range, unmarked in the box. Both teams made substitutions, but the difference in class was too evident as Chelsea calmly played out the rest of the match.
MANCHESTER, England-- Amad Diallo scored deep in extra time after Marcus Rashford made amends for a bad miss to lift Manchester United to a breathless 4-3 victory over north west rivals Liverpool and into the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
United's victory at Old Trafford kept alive their only hope of silverware this season and spoiled Liverpool's dreams of hoisting four trophies in manager Juergen Klopp's final campaign with the team. Erik ten Hag's side will face Championship (second-tier) outfit Coventry City in the semis after they upset Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 on Saturday. "Listen to the noise, you can tell what a big game it is, a huge occasion," Rashford told ITV. "I haven't had the season I wanted but nights like this at Old Trafford are what it's all about. "We have to get something out of this season... it's a massive game in the history of Manchester United." Scott McTominay gave United a 10th-minute lead but Liverpool turned the game on its head with goals three minutes apart from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah before halftime. Liverpool dominated the second half and should have put the game to bed, but United poured on the pressure late in normal time and Antony spun in the box before slotting home past two Liverpool players in the 87th minute -- the Brazilian's first goal at Old Trafford in over a year -- to force extra time. Harvey Elliott brought the 9,000 travelling Liverpool fans to their feet in the 105th minute when his long-range rocket deflected off Christian Eriksen's foot and between Harry Maguire's legs into the bottom corner. But once again 12-times FA Cup winners United -- who are four places below Liverpool in a Premier League season to forget for Ten Hag's side -- kept their foot on the gas. "Super intense," Klopp said. "We used the time and adapted well.
We were outstanding but we had to finish the game off and we didn't." Rashford, who had missed a sitter late in normal time, made it 3-3 in the 112th minute, calmly slotting a picture-perfect pass from McTominay into the bottom corner before running to United's fans, where he was mobbed. "Rashford is resilient, he keeps going, normally he finishes those moments but he kept going for another chance. That inspired the other players," Ten Hag said. Then Alejandro Garnacho and Diallo charged up the field on a breakaway after a Liverpool cornerwith Diallo firing home the winner in the 120th minute to a deafening roar from the Old Trafford faithful, leaving Klopp looking stunned on the sideline. "We deserved this win, we played very good, it was one of the best games of the season.
It's the best goal of my life it's a really important moment," Diallo said. "You need to believe in every single moment, this is football." Diallo was then sent off after receiving a second yellow card for his celebrations. "We always have belief, the problem is we have not been consistent with our performances," United captain Bruno Fernandes told ITV. "We give 100% we always give everything but at this club we always have to have high standards. It's a part of the game to be criticised, that's why you play for Manchester United. "This season has not been at the level we want but we want to improve.
We have always said our goal was to get into the top four and try to win the FA Cup, we will do all we can for those goals. The FA Cup is a big trophy for this club."
