Two-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka has now won two WTA titles this season. Naomi Osaka has hailed her first Pan Pacific Open title win in her hometown as “special” after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. Osaka, 21, who had finished runner-up on two previous occasions at the tournament, beat the Russian 6-2 6-3. The Osaka-born world number four ...

Worcestershire 145-9 (20 overs): Moeen 32, Wessels 31; Harmer 3-16 Essex 148-6 (20 overs): Bopara 36*, Westley 36; Moeen 2-22 Essex beat Worcestershire by four wickets Scorecard Essex captain Simon Harmer came in to play a cameo captain’s innings at the end to lead the Eagles to their first T20 title with a stunning final-ball victory over holders Worcestershire. Chasing ...

A thrilling summer of cricket is set for one more dramatic plot line on Monday when the County Championship title goes to a head-to-head decider. By quirk of the fixtures, Division One’s top two – Somerset and Essex – meet at Taunton in the final match this season to decide which of them ends up with two trophies. T20 Blast ...

Two new teams – Qalandars and Bangla Tigers – will take part in this year’s T10 League in Abu Dhabi. The latest team, Qalandars, was unveiled on Sunday, with Shahid Afridi signing on as the franchise’s icon player. Qalandars have close links with their Pakistan Super League (PSL) namesake Lahore Qalandars, with the Pakistani businessman Fawad Rana serving as chairman ...

MADRID: Zinedine Zidane believes he has the backing of Real Madrid but admits he would leave if he ever felt he had lost the club´s support. Zidane has come under scrutiny after enduring his worst ever defeat as Madrid coach on Wednesday, a 3-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The result also followed an underwhelming start in ...

Waqar Younis will be travelling to Sydney to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony. Photo: Pakistan Cricket Board LAHORE: Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis will Pakistan’s first one-day international against Sri Lanka in Karachi on September 27 as he will be travelling to Sydney to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony. Younis will return in time for the second ODI on September ...

WUHAN, China: Venus Williams´ first visit to Asia since 2017 was cut short as she crashed out of the Wuhan Open first round on Sunday 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) to fellow American Danielle Collins. The 39-year-old Williams, a 2015 Wuhan champion now 59th in the world rankings, squandered a lead in the first set before eventually losing to Collins, who recorded ...

LONDON: Manchester City powered to their record Premier League win as the champions scored five times within 18 first-half minutes of an incredible 8-0 thrashing of Watford, while Leicester enjoyed a VAR-assisted 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday. Inspired by Bernardo Silva’s hat-trick, Pep Guardiola’s side ripped woeful Watford to pieces at the Etihad Stadium, eclipsing a 7-0 success against ...

ISLAMABAD: Former skipper Ramiz Raja believes the upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be ideal for the Pakistan team to gain confidence. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play three ODIs and as many T20s in Karachi and Lahore later this month. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three ODIs in Karachi on September 27, September 29 and October ...

Iran’s authorities have “assured” FIFA that women will be able to attend a World Cup qualifier in Tehran next month, the president of the world’s football governing body, Gianni Infantino, said on Sunday. The FIFA had earlier today demanded Iran allow women free unlimited access to stadiums following the ‘Blue Girl’ incident where a woman football fan died of self-immolation ...