Category: Other Sports

World number one Aryna Sabalenka took down fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets in Monday’s night-session match to reach the French Open quarter-finals.

Sabalenka produced an impressive display, hitting 39 winners and 12 aces, against a battling Osaka to win 7-5, 6-3 and reach the last eight for a 14th consecutive major tournament.

The Belarusian is the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros.

She made it three straight wins against Osaka this year, having lost their only previous meeting at the 2018 US Open.

Sabalenka will next take on Russian Diana Shnaider as she continues her bid for a maiden French Open crown and to banish the memories of her painful final defeat last year by Coco Gauff.

Japanese star Osaka, again sporting the sequined gold dress she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, has to make do with her best-ever run in Paris, ending in the last 16.

It was the first women’s match to feature in the French Open night session since 2023, after a run of 32 consecutive men’s ties which drew repeated criticism of tournament organisers.

Aryna Sabalenka has previously criticised the lack of women’s matches under the lights, saying last year that the WTA stars “deserve equal treatment” to the men.

“I hope that this is the beginning, today’s match. It’s like we open up that door for woman night sessions,” she said Monday.

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The players traded early breaks in a power-packed opening, before Sabalenka levelled the first set at 2-2 with a service hold featuring three aces, the last with a second serve.

The set stayed on serve until the 11th game, when Sabalenka made her move with a blistering backhand winner to bring up two break points, with Osaka netting on the first.

The top seed closed it out in style with a ruthless hold to love.

Osaka gamely managed to hang onto her serve early in the second set, staving off a break point in a marathon game to lead 3-2.

Sabalenka had only dropped six points in her previous seven service games, but was pushed hard by Osaka in game six before eventually holding with a clever drop-shot.

That proved to be a crucial moment, as Osaka’s resistance was finally broken in the next game, a brilliant low volley at the net helping Sabalenka put one foot into the quarters.

An Osaka double-fault brought up match point two games later, and Sabalenka sealed victory with a brutal return.

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DA NANG: Pakistan Wrestlers delivered impressive performances to secure gold and silver medals at the U-17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championship 2026 held in Vietnam.

The achievement significantly improved Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, set to be held in Dakar.

In the 90kg category, Pakistan’s Muhammad Usman Laghari showcased exceptional skill and determination to claim the gold medal and the title of Asian Champion.

He remained undefeated throughout the event, defeating competitors from the host nation, Vietnam, in his opening bout, followed by victories against Mongolia and China.

Usman went on to defeat Kazakhstan in the semi-final and once again overcame Vietnam in the final to secure the top podium position.

In the 70kg category, Pakistan’s Hassan Ali Bhola earned the silver medal after an impressive run. He defeated two wrestlers from Jordan, one from Saudi Arabia, and two from Vietnam during the competition.

Hassan advanced to the final after overcoming a strong opponent from China in the semi-final, ultimately finishing with a well-earned silver medal for Pakistan.

Team official and coach Ghulam Farid credited the success to consistent hard work, high-quality training, and strong national spirit.

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The national team underwent a three-month intensive training camp in Lahore and Gujranwala prior to the championship, which played a key role in their international success.

Secretary General of the Pakistan Wrestling Federation, Muhammad Inam Butt, congratulated the athletes, coaching staff, and parents, stating that the young wrestlers have proven Pakistan’s ability to produce world-class talent.

He added that these Asian-level results will serve as a foundation for future international achievements.

President Arshad Sattar described the results at the U-17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championship as highly encouraging for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

He noted that the gold and silver medalists have demonstrated exceptional ability, and based on their current form, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games have significantly improved.

The Pakistan Wrestling Federation termed this achievement a major milestone for the development of wrestling in the country and expressed hope that young athletes will continue to bring further honors to Pakistan in future international events.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka eased into the third round at the French Open on Thursday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over France’s Elsa Jacquemot.

Sabalenka snatched a tight opening set with a break in the final game and then swept Jacquemot aside to set up a meeting with Australia’s Daria Kasatkina.

The Belarusian has reached the final at five of the past six Grand Slams. She finished runner-up to Coco Gauff at last year’s French Open.

The 67th-ranked home hope Jacquemot pushed Sabalenka for long periods on Chatrier but ultimately could not live with the Belarusian’s power.

Sabalenka, chasing a fifth Grand Slam title and first at Roland Garros, will next take on Daria Kasatkina.

“She’s a fighter. She’s putting all of the balls back. You have to really work for each point, especially on the clay court,” Sabalenka said of Kasatkina.

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Reigning champion Coco Gauff also booked her place in the last 32, seeing off Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2.

The American, who could face Sabalenka in the semis in a rematch of last year’s final, got the better of a scrappy match featuring 11 breaks of serve.

“It was a physical match, a tough match, my patience was really tested today,” said Gauff.

Naomi Osaka edged closer to a possible last-16 meeting with Sabalenka after reaching the third round for the first time in seven years by beating Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.

The four-time Grand Slam champion will face a tough test from American teenager Iva Jovic on Saturday after the 17th seed thrashed compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0, 6-3.

Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova, who lost the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year, progressed when her opponent Julia Grabher retired after losing the first set 6-0.

READ: Jannik Sinner ‘hits wall’ as French Open bid collapses

Jannik Sinner said he ran out of energy and “hit the wall” as his 30-match winning run came to an abrupt halt in the second round of the French Open on Thursday.

World number one Sinner, the red-hot favourite at Roland Garros this year, suffered a dramatic five-set defeat by Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo after a sudden collapse on another sweltering day in Paris.

Sinner appeared to be cruising to victory, holding a two-set lead and a commanding 5–1 advantage in the third, before completely unravelling and sliding to a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss.

“I had no energy today. That can happen. Nobody is a robot,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion, who complained of dehydration and dizziness, saying he felt as though he might vomit.

The Italian left Court Philippe Chatrier to receive medical treatment while serving for the match. He returned minutes later, but Cerundolo sensed his opportunity against an ailing opponent.

“I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy,” added the 24-year-old Sinner. “I was very, very flat, you know, the whole body. I don’t remember [the] last time I felt this weak.”

“I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short. In the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall.”

Sinner revealed he began to fade halfway through the third set as temperatures once again climbed above 30C during a record-breaking heatwave in France.

But he refused to blame the conditions for his unexpected exit, his earliest at a Grand Slam since he lost at the same stage here in 2023.

“It was warm, but not crazy warm,” said Sinner. “Really, it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.

“I don’t want to take anything away from him (Cerundolo). He played a very solid match.”

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Jannik Sinner arrived in Paris on the back of winning all three of the clay-court Masters titles, with his odds of completing a career Grand Slam enhanced further by the absence of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Instead, it was another bitterly disappointing ending at Roland Garros for last year’s runner-up, who held three championship points 12 months ago before losing to Alcaraz.

“It’s tough to accept because of the position I’ve been in and everything considered, but yeah, now I have a lot of time to recover,” said Sinner.

“I won’t play any tournament on grass before (Wimbledon). Now I really need some time off, recover completely, also mentally, and then be ready to go again.

“As I said, at the beginning of the year, this (the French Open) is my main goal here. A very early exit it was not what I was looking for.”

For Cerundolo, who goes on to play Martin Landaluce in the last 32, it was just the third Grand Slam match win of his career.

The Buenos Aires native didn’t blink as Sinner tried to gamely hang on, Cerundolo putting away the struggling top seed to pull off a monumental upset.

“It’s tough for him (Sinner). I think I was a little bit lucky,” said Cerundolo. “The match was almost lost.”

“I started to notice that something wasn’t good, because I mean, he was beating me pretty easy,” he added.

“Tennis is about being in the present day and being better in that match. He’s number one in the world because he’s the best every day. (It) just happened this day. I was better this day.”

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Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 and book his spot in the second round of the French Open on Sunday.

The 24-time major champion Djokovic is seeking to win a fourth Roland Garros crown, which would send him beyond Margaret Court as the player with the most Grand Slam titles in the history of the sport.

“His service is practically impossible to see… Only once or twice in my career (have I seen a serve like it),” Djokovic said on-court of his big-serving opponent.

It was a first victory on the red dirt of the season for the 39-year-old after he skipped the vast majority of the clay-court swing due to a shoulder issue.

Djokovic showed his rustiness by blinking first in the opening set as Mpetshi Perricard got the Parisian crowd on their feet with a break of serve in the 11th game, before holding comfortably to get his nose in front.

Djokovic managed to engineer his first two break points of the match in the sixth game of the second frame but failed to convert as the 22-year-old roared back to ensure the set stayed level at 3-3.

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But the Serb, one of tennis’ all-time great returners, was starting to get the measure of the 2.01-metre Mpetshi Perricard’s bullet serve and eventually got the break he so desperately craved in the 12th game of the second set to level the match.

When Mpetshi Perricard sent a wide stretched forehand after chasing down a Djokovic drop shot, it was the first break point converted by the former world number one out of 10 across the set.

With his eye now firmly in, Djokovic wasted no time in getting ahead in the third frame as he broke the former world number 29 in the second game to race into a 3-0 lead.

The unrelenting Djokovic then won three of the next four games to claim a rapid-fire third set. The pair exchanged breaks right at the start of the fourth set before the match settled back into its earlier ebb and flow.

Djokovic struck again to get 4-3 ahead, this time serving out to book his spot in the round of 64, where he will face another Frenchman, Valentin Royer.

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An Australian climber, Oliver Foran, has made the fastest “sea-to-summit” ascent of Mount Everest, his expedition organizer said Friday, reaching the top in 50 days after he set off from India.

Foran, 27, began his journey in the beginning of April, hoping to break the current verified record of 67 days and raise funds for mental health.

“He summited on May 20… He broke the record summiting Everest from sea to summit in 50 days,” Adriana Brownlee from expedition organiser AGA Adventures told AFP.

The previous record was held by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho, who walked and then kayaked the Ganges river and cycled to Nepal before trekking up to the base camp in 2013.

 

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“We have just summited Mount Everest… Just set a new sea-to-summit world record, 50 days, all for youth mental health and my mum,” Foran said in a video posted from the summit on his Instagram account Friday.

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“We’ve just made history. I am so tired.”

The Australian climber first cycled 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) from India’s Bay of Bengal coast to Nepal, trekking up to the base camp and eventually climbing up the icy 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak.

The sea-to-summit is a rare feat, first completed by another Australian, Tim Macartney-Snape, in 1990.

Macartney-Snape spent three months walking from sea level to Everest’s summit, and it was his documentary that motivated Foran.

In an interview with AFP last month, Foran said he was driven by “something bigger” than himself, recalling his teenage grief when his mother died of brain cancer.

The unresolved grief reached a breaking point seven years later, Foran said, but a call to a friend proved life-saving.

“I made the decision then that… if I ever got the opportunity to stop somebody else from getting to that point or to give them another way, I would,” he said.

Foran partnered with the Australian organization Youturn with a target to raise $200,000 to build a youth mental health support center back home.

They have collected $57,064 so far.

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British climber Kenton Cool reached the top of Mount Everest for the 20th time on Friday, extending his own record for the most ascents of the world’s highest peak by a non-Nepali.

More than 600 climbers have reached the peak since the spring season summits kicked off this month, taking advantage of a brief spell of good weather and typically calmer winds.

“It was reported that he summited Mt Everest today early morning,” Khim Lal Gautam, a government official at the base camp, told AFP.

Mountain guide Cool, 52, first climbed Everest in 2004 and has since had an expedition almost every year, taking clients up the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak.

His 15th summit in 2021 tied him with American Dave Hahn for the most ascents by a non-Nepali climber, and his effort the following year gave him a solo title.

Cool was once told he would not be able to walk unaided again after a rock-climbing accident in 1996 that broke both his heel bones.

He told AFP in a 2022 interview after his 16th ascent that his Everest record was “not that amazing” in the context of achievements by Nepali climbers.

At least seven Nepali climbers have more than 20 summits under their belts.

“I’m really surprised by the interest… considering that so many of the Sherpas have so many more ascents,” he said then.

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Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, dubbed the “Everest Man”, broke his own world record with a 32nd summit of Everest on Sunday.

Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, also broke her own women’s record with her 11th summit the same day.

Nepal has issued a record 492 permits to mountaineers this season, and a city of tents hosting foreign climbers and support staff has been set up at the foot of Everest.

The high numbers have rekindled concerns about overcrowding on the mountain, especially if poor weather shortens the climbing window.

On Wednesday, an estimated 275 people reached the summit in a record-breaking day on the southern face of the peak.

Three Nepali climbers involved in Everest expeditions have died so far this season.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring.

A climbing boom has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa made the first ascent in 1953.

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Novak Djokovic arrives at Roland Garros this year facing a familiar opponent, but one that cannot be outmanoeuvred even by the record 24-time Grand Slam champion: time.

The Serbian, who turns 39 this week, is no longer the immovable presence he once was, his famed durability now increasingly a concern in a sport shaped by younger, physically explosive rivals.

The question is not simply whether he can win another French Open, but how he continues to adjust his game and mindset to defy the natural erosion that comes with advancing years.

While his scheduling is more selective and his approach more pragmatic, Djokovic conceded he would have liked more time on clay before coming to Paris.

He has played in just three tournaments in 2026, and lost his only match on clay to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic at this month’s Italian Open.

Djokovic pulled out of tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid while dealing with a shoulder injury — with strapping visible during his brief stay in Rome.

“It’s not an ideal preparation, to be honest,” said Djokovic, who will be seeded third at Roland Garros.

“I don’t recall the last time I had in the last couple of years where I didn’t have any kind of physical issues or health issues in the last couple of years, coming into the tournament. There’s always something. Kind of a new reality that I have to deal with.”

It is a candid admission from a player who has built his career on meticulous planning and physical resilience, but who is confronting the realities of an ageing body.

“It is frustrating,” he said. “At the same time it’s my decision to still perform in that kind of state and conditions.”

Djokovic’s record at Roland Garros underlines why he cannot be discounted. The absence of defending two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz is another factor in his favour.

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A three-time French Open champion and one of the few players to consistently trouble Rafael Nadal on the surface, Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals or better at each edition since a third-round loss in 2009.

But the physical demands of clay are unforgiving, and Djokovic is acutely aware of the marginal losses that come with age.

“I see what I’m missing,” he said. “Late half a step. I’m not definitely where I want to be for the highest level, to compete at the highest level and to be able to get far.”

Recent seasons have also shown the growing challenge of sustaining peak performance over the two-week grind of a Grand Slam. Matches that once tilted towards him now demand sustained excellence from first point to last.

His preparation, as he openly acknowledges, has limits. “I train hard. I train as much as the body allows me to,” he said. “Then how it turns out on the court, that’s really unpredictable.”

However, Djokovic is one of just two men to beat red-hot title favourite Jannik Sinner this season, having ended his Australian Open reign.

Djokovic delivered what he called one of his best performances in a decade to outlast the Italian in five sets in the semi-finals in January, fired up by those who had written him off.

“I never stopped doubting. I never stopped believing in myself,” said the former world number one at the time.

“There’s a lot of people that doubt me. I see there is a lot of experts all of a sudden that wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years.

“I want to thank them all because they gave me strength. They gave me motivation to prove them wrong.”

Djokovic would go on to lose to Alcaraz in the final, and has not added to his Grand Slam haul since the 2023 US Open, but it would be foolish to dismiss him again, as he has proved many times over.

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Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open on Sunday after beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to claim a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victory.

World number one Sinner has now completed the ‘Golden Masters’ by winning all of the ATP’s top-ranked events after becoming the first Italian champion at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.

Only Novak Djokovic had previously won all nine Masters 1000 events before Sunday, but there was little doubt about Sinner triumphing over the last 10 days.

Sinner heads into Roland Garros, which starts next weekend, on a 29-match winning streak after beating Ruud for a fifth time in as many meetings.

And his run of match wins is even longer, 34, in Masters 1000 tournaments, another record he has established in a season in which he has dominated the men’s tour.

Jannik Sinner can complete his collection of Grand Slams at Roland Garros, and with his great rival Carlos Alcaraz out of action, few would bet against him securing a first title on Paris clay.

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Ruud has won more matches and tournaments on clay than anyone else on the men’s tour since the start of 2020 — last winning a Masters 1000 event at Madrid last year, but he couldn’t beat Sinner for the first time.

Norwegian Ruud had never won a set against Sinner in any of their previous four meetings, but immediately improved on the fearful hammering he received here from the Italian last year by winning the first two games.

But Sinner broke straight back and took the lead in the match after an opening set in which world number 25 held his own against a player he’d previously said, “cannot lose”.

Sinner then broke Ruud again at the start of the second set, and from there it was just a matter of time before he won the championship, even though Ruud performed with credit in front of a packed centre court crowd.

It was a good day for Italian tennis as Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori also won the men’s doubles title, beating second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (3/7), 10-3.

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KARACHI: Karachi is set to host the ‘One Run International Half-Marathon’ on May 23, 2026, with more than 1,500 participants expected to take part in the city’s largest running event of the year.

According to the details, runners of all ages and abilities can choose from four distances – 1 km, 5 km, 10 km, and the full 21.1 km half-marathon – along the Abdul Sattar Edhi Road (Seaview), starting and finishing at Emaar Ocean Front.

The One Run offers a unique opportunity for families, friends, and fitness enthusiasts to embrace an active lifestyle and set personal milestones within a global community.

On the same day, over 245,000 runners worldwide from countries including Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, UAE, Qatar, Venezuela, Serbia, Tanzania, Malaysia, Thailand, and more will take part, making it a truly global celebration of running.

 

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Shoaib Nizami, the event organizer, highlighted the importance of marathons, saying that Karachi’s running culture was growing rapidly, with an increasing number of people from all walks of life participating every year.

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He added that while the city was widely known for its food, Karachiites should also take pride in their active lifestyle and involvement in international events.

“Karachi’s running culture is growing rapidly, with more people from all walks of life taking part every year. While the city is famous for its food, Karachiites should also take pride in their active lifestyle and participation in international events. This is another opportunity to showcase the healthy, dynamic side of our city to the world,” he said.

It’s worth noting that the One Run concept was first introduced in 2017 in Russia, with simultaneous events held in 10 cities.

The event rapidly expanded and, by 2020, made history with a synchronized start across all Russian regions, setting two Guinness World Records for uniting the most cities in a half-marathon.

By 2023, One Run had gone global, with five countries — including China, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Belarus — joining the movement.

Now, in 2026, with Karachi once again on the map, Pakistan continues to stride forward on the global fitness calendar.

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