Rybakina rallies to beat Gauff, book US Open final with Sabalenka

New York, USA: Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday and book a US Open championship showdown with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

In Saturday's final Rybakina will try to deal another blow to Sabalenka, having knocked her out of the number one world ranking just by reaching the semi-finals. sport-tr.bet

"I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive," Rybakina said of her looming clash with Sabalenka.

Gauff's bid to return to the final for the first time since she defeated Sabalenka for the 2023 title had got off to a smooth start, with the American seizing the initiative in the opening set with a break to go 4-2 up.

She held to love to take a 5-2 lead and then held in the ninth game to take a one set lead.

But Rybakina hit back with an early break of serve in the second set for a 3-1 lead and held to go 4-1 up.

Gauff responded superbly to claw her way back into contention with a break to make it 4-3 before holding to square it a 4-4.

Yet she was unable to make the most of her fightback and double-faulted in the 10th game to hand two set points to Rybakina at 15-40. Rybakina pounced on that chance to take the match to a third set.

The decisive set followed a similar pattern.

Gauff conceded a break to trail 5-3 and leave Rybakina serving for the match.

But the American broke back immediately to make it 5-4 to get it back on serve.

Again though Gauff was unable to capitalise, and a deft volley from Rybakina left her with two match points at 15-40, before Gauff then hit a wide open smash long to hand her opponent victory.

"It was such a cool third set -- I feel like I was a little bit lucky on her serve," Rybakina said. "A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, it went quickly my way...it was a real battle."

Berlin: Qatar has highlighted its plans to build a lasting basketball legacy ahead of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, due to be held in Doha.

Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, HE Jassem bin Rashid Al Buainain, who is also the deputy chairman of the organizing committee for the tournament, spoke during a women's basketball forum in Berlin on building a legacy for the next generation.

He said hosting the tournament was an opportunity not only to stage a major international event but also to expand participation in basketball and encourage more young people to take up the sport.

Al Buainain said Qatar's focus was on using its infrastructure, expertise and innovation to create a sustainable legacy for basketball in Qatar and the wider region.

The session also examined ways to increase the participation of women and girls in sport and the role of major events in supporting the long-term development of women's basketball.

The Women in Basketball Forum, organized by FIBA in Berlin, brought together sports, media and business leaders to discuss the future of the women's game, including investment, media, fan engagement and commercial innovation.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Under-23 national football team is stepping up preparations for their Asian Games campaign, with coach Jose Angel Lacunza also using domestic competition to give his young players valuable match experience.

Qatar will open their Asian Games campaign against Republic of Korea on September 15 before taking on Saudi Arabia three days later on September 18.

With the tournament fast approaching, Lacunza believes the team’s participation in the Jetour League is providing an important platform for the players to develop and gain experience against senior opposition.

The Spanish coach has welcomed the opportunity to compete in the Second Division, saying the regular matches are helping both the coaching staff and players prepare for the challenges ahead.

The Asian Games men’s football tournament will feature 15 teams, with the competition running from September 14 to October 3 across venues in Japan’s Chubu and Kansai regions.

The tournament will be played by Under-23 national teams, with squads allowed to include up to three overage players.

Qatar were drawn in Group D with Republic of Korea and Saudi Arabia. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Republic of Korea enter the tournament as defending men’s champions.

For Qatar, the immediate focus will be on building rhythm and ensuring the players are ready for the two group matches, with the Jetour League providing Lacunza with another opportunity to assess his squad before the Asian Games.

Berlin: H.E. Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Vice Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, participated in the Women in Basketball Forum, hosted by FIBA in the German capital Berlin on Friday, bringing together leading figures, decision-makers and representatives from the sports, media and business sectors.

Al Buenain took part in a panel discussion titled “Beyond the Game: Building a Legacy for the Next Generation,” which explored future opportunities for basketball, ways to expand opportunities for women and girls in sport, and the role Qatar’s hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 can play in supporting the development of the game and creating a sustainable legacy in Qatar and across the region.

During the session, Al Buenain stressed that hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 represents an opportunity that goes beyond staging a major global sporting event, contributing to the growth of the game, encouraging future generations to take up basketball and broadening participation in Qatar and across the region.

He said: “Qatar 2027 is not about proving that Qatar can host another major sporting event; Qatar has already demonstrated that, repeatedly, over the past two decades. The real opportunity now is to show what happens when world-class infrastructure, experience and innovation come together, and stay together, long enough to become a lasting, mainstream legacy for basketball, for this region, and for the next generation.”

He also stressed that the true measure of the tournament’s success goes beyond the event itself to what it leaves behind once the final buzzer sounds. He highlighted the importance of building on Qatar’s world-class infrastructure, experience and capabilities, and leveraging the hosting of the tournament to support the long-term development of basketball, broaden opportunities for participation, and establish a lasting legacy for the game in Qatar, across the region and for future generations.

The Women in Basketball Forum explores the opportunities shaping the future of women’s basketball through a series of sessions and discussions addressing key drivers of growth across the sports ecosystem, including investment, leadership, media, fan engagement and commercial innovation, while highlighting the growing role of women’s basketball in shaping the future of sport.