Sports
Serena Williams loses at French Open; Federer withdraws
Serena Williams turns 40 in September. Roger Federer hits that milestone the month before. No one knows how many more French Open appearances each will make, and this year’s tournament ended for both on Sunday.
Williams fell way behind and could not put together a comeback against a much younger and less-experienced opponent in the fourth round at Roland Garros, losing 6-3, 7-5 to Elena Rybakina — who wasn’t even born when the American made her tournament debut in 1998.
Asked whether that might have been her last match at the clay-court major, Williams responded: “Yeah, I’m definitely not thinking about it at all. I’m definitely thinking just about other things, but not about that.”
Her defeat came hours after Federer withdrew, saying he needed to let his body recover ahead of Wimbledon after a long third-round victory that ended at nearly 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Wimbledon — which Federer has won eight times and Williams seven — begins June 28.
“I’m kind of excited to switch surfaces,” Williams said. “Historically I have done pretty well on grass.”
She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles; Federer has won 20. They are two of the sport’s greatest and most popular players, so it was quite a blow to the tournament, its TV partners and tennis fans to see both gone from the French Open field one after the other — and a week after Naomi Osaka pulled out, citing a need for a mental health break.
Williams has won the French Open three times. But the American hasn’t been past the fourth round in Paris since she was the runner-up in 2016.
Also read: Just 19, ranked 54th, Swiatek wins French Open for 1st Slam
Rybakina is a 21-year-old from Kazakhstan who is ranked 22nd. This was just the seventh Grand Slam appearance for Rybakina — and the first time she ever made it so much as past the second round.
Against Williams, whose right thigh carried a heavy tape job, Rybakina hit big, flat serves. She dealt with, but managed to steady, her nerves. She even produced the occasional return winner off Williams’ speedy and spectacularly gifted serve, breaking her five times, including in the next-to-last game.
“I am so happy with my match today. It was amazing,” Rybakina said.
As for the final game, when she served out by far the biggest win of her nascent career, Rybakina said: “Of course I was nervous. I was not serving that well before. But I’m just happy that I just managed.”
Every time Williams appeared as if she might turn things around, she could not quite get the momentum fully in her favor.
Down a quick break in the second set, she got to 2-all. Williams then was down 4-3 in the second set but pulled even again when Rybakina sailed a forehand well wide to get broken.
In the next game, Williams gave away the opening point when, near the baseline, she failed to get out of the way of a shot from Rybakina that was flying long. Williams smiled ruefully and leaned over, resting and propping herself up with her racket.
Repeatedly one sort of mistake or another undid Williams. She ended up with 19 unforced errors and only 15 winners.
“I’m so close. There is literally a point here, a point there, that could change the whole course of the match,” Williams said. “I’m not winning those points. That, like, literally could just change everything.”
Also read: Dirty dozen: Nadal wins 12th French Open for 18th Slam title
Since winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant for her most recent major singles title — No. 23 set a record for the professional era — Williams has come close to tying Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24. That includes four runner-up finishes at Grand Slam tournaments, most recently against Bianca Andreescu at the 2019 U.S. Open.
But since then, Williams has been beaten twice in semifinals, and once each in the third and fourth rounds. Last year at the French Open, she withdrew before the second round, citing an injured left Achilles.
Federer, meanwhile, never had pulled out of a Grand Slam tournament once he had started competing in it until now.
Rybakina next will meet Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a semifinal berth on the line. Pavlyuchenkova advanced with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory over two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.
The other quarterfinal on that side of the women’s draw is going to be Paula Badosa against Tamara Zidansek. Neither has been this far at a major tournament, either.
One of those four players will become a first-time Grand Slam finalist next weekend.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is still looking for his first major final, too, and he reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the second year in a row by eliminating 12th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.
Tsitsipas next faces No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who has won six of their previous seven meetings.
Medvedev is a two-time Grand Slam finalist — at the 2019 U.S. Open and this year’s Australian Open — but was 0-4 for his career in Paris until now. He advanced Sunday by eliminating No. 22 Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 7-5.
FIFA, AFC qualifiers: Bangladesh face India Monday
Bangladesh will face India in a crucial Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifier at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar's Doha Monday.
The match will kick off at 8pm Bangladesh time; GTV and T-Sports will telecast it live.
In their last Group E match, Bangladesh will play against stronger Oman on June 15 at 11pm at the same venue.
Earlier, Bangladesh played out a 1-1 draw against host India in their first-round group match in Kolkata. India won 15 of the last 29 matches between the two sides while Bangladesh could secure only three victories.
Also read: FIFA, AFC Qualifiers: Shohel Rana to miss remaining matches due to injury
Bangladesh remained at the bottom of the five-team Group E, securing two points from six matches while India stayed at the fourth slot securing three points from six matches.
In their previous group match in Doha Thursday, Bangladesh drew 1-1 with Afghanistan while India conceded a 0-1 defeat against host Qatar.
Qatar is now leading the points table, securing 19 points from seven matches while Oman have secured 12 and Afghanistan five points.
India and Bangladesh are already out of the FIFA World Cup qualifying race but have a slim chance to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup if they can win the remaining two group matches.
Also read: FIFA, AFC Qualifiers: Bangladesh play 1-1 draw with Afghanistan
In a pre-match press conference in Doha Sunday, Bangladesh coach Jamie Day said, "The confidence level of the team is now high after settling for a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan. We are now looking for a point against India."
All the players of the Bangladesh team, except Abahani midfielder Shohel Rana, are ready and fully fit to face India Monday.
Earlier, Bangladesh were unable to consider three vital players – Saaduddin, Ashraful Islam Rana and Bishwanath Ghosh – for the Qatar-bound squad due to injuries.
What can Bangladesh Achieve in remaining World Cup 2022 Qualifiers?
Bangladesh's national football team is currently competing in the Asia section of the 2022 World Cup qualifications. As usual, Bangladesh have no chance of qualifying for the World Cup final because they have yet to win a match in the second round. Bangladesh have lost four out of six matches in this World Cup qualifying round thus far. The remaining two World Cup qualifiers are crucial for Bangladesh. The outcome of the two matches will determine whether Bangladesh will be able to compete in the next Asia Cup. What Bangladesh football team can achieve in World Cup 2022 qualifiers is discussed in this article.
Bangladesh's current standings in the AFC World Cup qualifying round
The Bangladesh national team are currently in the fifth position in Group E of the second round of World Cup 2022 qualifiers, meaning they are at the bottom of the points table with only two points. India are in fourth place with only one point ahead of Bangladesh. Afghanistan (5) are in the third position, Oman (12) in second, and Qatar are topping the Group E points table.
Read Ballon d'Or 2021: Who Will Win the Prestigious Award?
Bangladesh drew one match against two neighbors, India and Afghanistan in the group stage. On the other side, Bangladesh have lost two matches to Qatar, one match to Afghanistan, and one match to Oman. Bangladesh only have two more matches to play in the World Cup qualifiers.
So, Bangladesh will not be able to advance to the next round. Qatar have secured the next round with 19 points. While Oman, who are in the second position with 12 points, are already on the verge of clinching a spot in the next round. As a result, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and India are battling for a place in the third round of Asia Cup 2023 qualification.
The outcome of the last two round matches will determine which team will play directly in the next round of the Asian Cup 2023. Bangladesh's next two matches are crucial in this regard.
Read FIFA, AFC qualifiers: Bangladesh face India Monday
Bangladesh's chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup 2023
There are a total of eight groups in the AFC World Cup second round qualifiers. The best team from each group will play in the Asian Cup 2023. Besides, the top four runner-up teams across all groups of the second round will be guaranteed a spot in the Asian Cup in 2023.
In addition, the remaining four runner-up teams and third-place teams in each group will advance to the Asian Cup 2023 third qualifying round.
On the other hand, the top four fourth-place teams from each group will advance to the Asian Cup's third qualifying round. The four fourth-place teams and the bottom teams in each group will advance to the third qualifying round of the Asian Cup 2023.
Read BCL Football: Swadinata KS beat Farashganj 2-1
Bangladesh will need to win both of their remaining matches to finish in the top three of Group E. Bangladesh will face India on Monday (June 7) and Oman on Tuesday (June 15). Bangladesh will have 8 points if they win these two games. In that case, Bangladesh's chances of finishing in the top three will increase apart from securing a spot in the top four of the group.
Furthermore, Bangladesh will rise to the top of the points table if they lose one match and India lose their final two matches. They must finish in the top three in order to directly qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 third qualifying round. Otherwise, Bangladesh will be forced to compete in the Asia Cup qualifying play-off round.
Verdict
Bangladesh have yet to show that they are capable of competing in a major tournament like the World Cup. However, Bangladesh's national football team is considerably more matured and capable of battling now than it was before. The Bengal Tigers are able to put up a strong resistance against the big oppositions in Asia if they can play with their best. Bangladesh will keep their chances of playing in the Asia Cup if they win their last two matches of the second round of World Cup 2022 qualifiers. So the team tigers will need to perform well in the remaining group stage matches.
Read Women's Football: Ataur Rahman College thump Suddopuskorini 6-0
Taskin, Abu Jayed overshadow Mustafizur’s five-for
Mustafizur Rahman’s second five-for in T20s went in vain as his team Prime Bank Cricket Club lost by 27 runs to Mohammedan Sporting Club in the ongoing Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League on Saturday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Superb efforts of Mustafizur during the death overs helped Prime Bank restrict Mohammedan for 150 for eight.
But in reply, Prime Bank tumbled for 123 all wickets in 19.3 overs with Abu Jayed and Taskin Ahmed bagging three wickets each for Mohammedan.
Mohammedan won the toss and opted to bat first. They had a decent start riding on the bat of Parvez Hossain Emon who stuck a 37-ball fifty with three fours and four sixes.
Also read: Mushfiqur, Naim guide Abahani to easy win
When Emon was removed, Mohammedan were batting at 98 for two in 13.1 overs. They had a great chance to post a bigger total. But in the last five overs, Mohammedan lost five wickets just for 35 runs.
Mustafizur ended up taking five wickets for 22 runs, which is jointly his best bowling figures in T20 cricket. He previously bagged five wickets against New Zealand in T20 World Cup in 2016.
In reply, Prime Bank kept losing wickets on a regular basis. Anamul Haque Bijoy, the captain of Prime Bank, failed to do well for the third time in the league. Scoring five in the two previous games, he posted only three this time.
Mohammad Mithun was the highest run-getter for Prime Bank scoring 25 while Tamim Iqbal scored 20. The other batsmen including Rony Talukdar, Alok Kapali, Nahidul Islam and Raqibul Hasan failed to impress.
Also read: Shahadat returns to competitive cricket as BCB accepts his appeal
For Mohammedan, Taskin and Abu Jayed bagged three wickets each conceding 15 and 33 runs respectively.
With this match, the first three rounds of the league ended. Abahani is leading the points table with six points from three wins while Mohammedan also secured six points from as many matches. However, Abahani are slightly ahead of Mohammedan for their better run rate.
The next four teams in the table, in order, are Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club, Prime Bank Cricket Club, Brothers Union and Old DOHS Sports Club.
Women's Football: Ataur Rahman College thump Suddopuskorini 6-0
Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College SC crushed Suddopuskorini Jubo SC 6-0 in the Women's Football League 2020-21 at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium Saturday.
They led the first half 3-0. Mogini scored twice in the 34th and 78th minutes; Tanjum also scored two goals in the 71st and 72nd minutes while Ripa and Marzia added two more in the 23rd and 42nd minutes.
Also read: Women's Football: Kanchijhuli SC beat Suddopuskorini JSC 3-1
However, the day's other match between FC Brahmanbaria and Kanchijhuli SC ended in a 1-1 draw at the same venue in the afternoon.
After a barren first half, Munmun Akter scored for FC Brahmanbaria in the 49th minute (1-0) while Sabrina levelled the margin for Kanchijhuli SC in the stoppage time (90+3 minute).
Also read: Women's Football: Bashundhara crush Cumilla 9-0
BCB to investigate MSC's potential breach of bio-bubble
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday said a potential breach of the bio-secure bubble took place in the ongoing Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League when Mohammedan Sporting Club hosted a practice session on Friday.
The board will now investigate the matter, confirmed Kazi Inam Ahmed, the chairman of the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM).
“We are disappointed to note this incident. Both the CCDM and the BCB have taken this very seriously. The health and safety of our teams, players and officials are most important to us,” Inam said in a statement circulated by the BCB.
Also read: Mushfiqur, Naim guide Abahani to easy win
“We have invested a significant amount of finances and efforts to make sure the BSE protocols are in place including the best possible accommodation and logistics. This incident is being looked into and necessary actions and further precautionary measures will be taken,” the statement further reads.
However, BCB didn’t disclose details of the alleged incident.
The players of Mohammedan joined a practice session on June 4 at the BCB national academy ground. Mohammedan captain Shakib Al Hasan batted at the Mirpur indoor facility as well.
Also read: Shahadat returns to competitive cricket as BCB accepts his appeal
Shakib was accompanied by the Mohammedan coaching staff member, Mehrab Hossain, and team manager Sazzad Ahmed and a couple of net bowlers.
UNB learned that the net bowlers were brought in by Nasir Hossain, who works as a teamboy for the national team. Neither Nasir nor the net bowlers are part of the bio-secure bubble.
BCL Football: Swadinata KS beat Farashganj 2-1
Swadinata Krira Sangha earned a 2-1 victory over Farashganj Sporting Club in the 12-team Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football 2020-21 at the Kamalapur Stadium Saturday.
All three goals were scored in the first half of the match.
Also read: BCL Football: Wari beat Dhaka 2-0; Pragati overpower Youngmen's 2-1
Bakar put Swadinata KS ahead in the 29th minute (1-0) while Sajal doubled the victory margin in the 37th minute from a penalty (2-0).
Jibon reduced the deficit for Farashganj SC in the 42nd minute (2-1).
Also read: BCL Football: Wanderers beat Agrani 3-1; Swadhinata crush Victoria 3-0
Victoria SC will play Dhaka Wanderers Club at 4pm at the Bangabandhu National Stadium while Agrani Bank SC will face Kawran Bazar Pragati Sangha at 4pm at the Kamalapur Stadium Sunday.
Mushfiqur, Naim guide Abahani to easy win
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Naim guided Abahani to an easy win over Brothers Union in the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier Division Twenty20 Cricket League Saturday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
In the rain-curtailed match, Brothers batted first after losing the toss and posted 101 runs for five wickets in 11 overs. Zahiduzzaman became the highest run-getter for them, scoring 25 off 10 with two fours and as many sixes.
Also, Alauddin Babu, Mizanur Rahman and Junaid Siddique batted well. They posted 24, 20 and 20.
For Abahani, Tanzim Hasan Sakib took three wickets conceding nine runs in two overs while Arafat Sunny bagged two.
They chased down the target of 102 runs in 9.5 overs, riding on Naim and Mushfiqur. Munim Shahriar also did well, scoring 25 off 12 balls with four fours and one six.
Naim and Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 36 off 26 and 37 off 21 and Abahani won the game by nine wickets.
For Brothers, Habibur Rahman was the only bowler to take a wicket.
In the first match of the day, Old DOHS Sports Club beat Partex Sporting Club by 10 wickets at the same venue. This match was also reduced to a 15-over-a-side due to rain.
Partex batted first and posted only 77 runs for four wickets in 15 overs. In reply, Anisur Rahman and Raki Ahmed remained unbeaten for 33 and 43 and guided the team home.
Shahadat returns to competitive cricket as BCB accepts his appeal
Bangladesh right-arm pacer Shahadat Hossain made a comeback to competitive cricket after serving a ban of 18 months.
On Saturday, Shahadat played for Partex Sporting Club and bowled two overs but failed to scalp any wicket.
He was originally banned for five years, with two years suspension, in November 2019 for slapping a teammate during a National Cricket League Game in Khulna. He was also fined BDT 100,000.
In March this year, Shahadat submit an appeal to BCB to reduce his punishment and allow him to play domestic cricket so that he can help his family and his ailing mother.
Akram Khan, the cricket operation chairman of BCB, told the media in March that the board is considering allowing him to resume his career.
“His mother is diagnosed with cancer, and he has more problems in his family. We have forwarded his appeal to the disciplinary committee of the board. I think he will be eligible to resume his career soon,” Akram had told the media in March this year.
Shahadat got his international caps in 2005-2006. He represented Bangladesh in 38 Tests, 51 ODIs and 6 T20Is. He enjoyed more success in Tests cricket where he bagged 72 wickets with four five-wicket hauls. In ODIs, he bagged 47 wickets with a hattrick and in T20Is, he has six scalps under his belt.
Shahadat, a 34-year-old right-arm pacer, had played his last international game in 2015 against Pakistan in Dhaka.
FIFA, AFC Qualifiers: Shohel Rana to miss remaining matches due to injury
Bangladesh midfielder Sohel Rana, now in Qatar to play the 2nd round Group E Joint Qualification matches of FIFA World Cup Qatar' 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023, will miss remaining two matches due to injury.
He left the field in 57th minute of the Bangladesh-Afghanistan 1-1 draw match in Doha on Thursday after suffering injury in his left hand.
A fracture was traced in his hand when MRI and X-Ray done at the hospital after the Thursday's match to be out of the tournament for remaining two matches.
Dhaka Abahani's Sohel Rana wins AFC Cup 2019 Goal of the week
However, the Abahani medio Shohel Rana will meet the physician again on Sunday to know how long he will out of the field.
Earlier, three key players of Bangladesh team -- Saaduddin, Ashraful Islam Rana and Bishwanath Ghose--missed Qatar trip before the team's departure, also for injuries.
Bangladesh play neighboring India on June 7 at 8 pm (Bangladesh time) and Oman on June 15 at 11 pm (BST) in their remaining two Group E qualification matches, both at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh team did not practice in Doha on Friday.
Thursday's playing eleven of the team had a swimming session at the team hotel Friday morning while the rest of the booters had a gym session in the afternoon.
Bangladesh team is scheduled to take part in a gym session Saturday morning and will go for practice at the Qatar University ground in the afternoon.
Bangladesh remained at bottom of the five-team Group E securing two points from six matches while Afghanistan also remained at the 3rd slot with five points from six matches.
Qatar is now comfortably leading the point table as the lone unbeaten team securing 16 points from six matches while Oman secured 12 and India bagged three 3 points, playing five matches each.