sports
Iga Swiatek becomes 1st Polish tennis player ranked No. 1
Iga Swiatek moved up one spot to the top of the WTA rankings on Monday, becoming the first tennis player from Poland to be No. 1 in the sport.
The 20-year-old Swiatek — pronounced shvee-ON-tek — takes over from Ash Barty, who announced last month she would be retiring at the age of 25 after more than two years at No. 1.
Swiatek won the 2020 French Open and is currently on a 17-match winning streak that includes the title at the hard-court Miami Open, where she defeated Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-0 in the final on Saturday. That followed Swiatek's triumph at Indian Wells, California, last month, making her only the fourth woman to complete what's known as the “Sunshine Double,” and another trophy in Doha, Qatar, in February, so she is the first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events in a year.
“I felt like everything clicked this season,” Swiatek said in a video interview with The Associated Press.
READ: Spanish Tennis Maestro Rafael Nadal Wins Record 21 Grand Slam Titles
She is the 28th woman to lead the rankings.
Osaka is a former No. 1 whose run to her first tour final in more than a year allowed her to go all the way from No. 77 to No. 35 on Monday.
Miami Open men's champion Carlos Alcaraz, an 18-year-old Spaniard, jumped five spots to No. 11 in the ATP rankings, his highest showing so far.
The player he beat 7-5, 6-4 in the final Sunday, Casper Ruud, also got to his best ranking, rising one place to No. 7.
Novak Djokovic remained at No. 1 despite not having played at Indian Wells or Miami because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and couldn't travel to the United States.
Daniil Medvedev briefly held the top spot this year and could have returned there depending on his performance in Miami, but his quarterfinal loss meant he stayed at No. 2. He announced Saturday he would be sidelined for a month or two after having hernia surgery.
Reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova rose two places to No. 2 in the WTA rankings, equaling her best. Paula Badosa moved up three spots to No. 3 to set a career high.
Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins, an American who beat Swiatek in the semifinals at Melbourne Park, went from No. 11 to No. 8, her highest placing.
Jessica Pegula, who made it to the semifinals in Miami before losing to Swiatek, soared from No. 21 to No. 13, the best ranking of the American's career.
BPL Football: Police force Mohammedan to play out goalless draw
Bangladesh Police FC forced traditional giants Dhaka Mohammedan SC to play out a goalless draw in the 12-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football '2021-22 at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Monday.
After the day's match, Bangladesh Police FC remain 5th in the league table securing 16 points fron 10 encounters while Mohammedan SC are struggling at the 7th place securing 14 points from 1O matches.
Last two times champions Bashundhara Kings comfortably dominate the league table securing 25 points from 10 matches while two former champions Sheikh Jamal DC and Dhaka Abahani follow the leader with 20 and 19 points respectively, playing 10 matches each.
In the day's other league match, Sheikh Russel KC play 1-1 draw with Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society at their home venue --Bashundhara Sports Complex here.
READ: BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings play out 2-2 with Dhaka Abahani
Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba, a well known face in the Dhaka league put the old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj ahead in very 4th minute of the match (1-0).
But, their lead was very shortlived as Mohammad Jewel leveled the margin for Sheikh Russel KC in the following minute (1-1).
After the match, Rahmatganj MFS remained at the 8th slot securing nine points from 10 matches while former champions Sheikh Russel KC remained at the 10 slot with seven points, also playing 10 matches.
Mominul complains of ‘abuse’ by South African players
After losing the first Test on the back of a miserable batting display in their second innings in Durban, Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque said they were abused by their South African counterparts on the field. He however did not disclose the terms of abuse.
In the final innings of the Test, Bangladesh needed 274 runs to win the match or bat for just over a day to save the match. But the visitors lasted just 19 overs.
Bangladesh tumbled for 53 in 19 overs, their second-lowest total in Tests, and lost the match by 220 runs. Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner of the hosts, scalped seven wickets in the last innings of the match.
READ: Durban Test: Tigers fold inside an hour on day 5
“Sledging is common in the cricket field. We don't mind if somebody sledges us, but what they did in this Test was abusive. The umpires did not notice the abuse,” Mominul said in the post-match conference.
Mominul did not disclose what actually South African cricketers told them or what they have done with them.
“We cannot share those things, and we did not lodge any complaint to the match-referee. One thing I can say is that the ICC should bring neutral umpires in Tests. As the Covid-19 situation improved, I think the tradition of deploying neutral umpires in Tests should be back on the field,” the Bangladesh captain added.
Adrian Holdstock and Marais Erasmus were the umpires of this match. Both are South African.
Bangladesh were charged up ahead of the Test series as they won the ODI series right before this series. It was the first time that Bangladesh won an ODI and an ODI series on the soil of South Africa.
Durban Test: Tigers fold inside an hour on day 5
Bangladesh were dismissed for their second lowest score in Test cricket on the last day of the first Test against South Africa on Monday, losing the match by 220 runs.
Bangladesh needed to score 274 to win this match. But they were all out for 53 in just 19 overs. Keshav Maharaj scalped seven wickets conceding 32 runs while the other spinner Simon Harmer took three wickets.
At the end of day four, Bangladesh were at 11 for three in six overs. For the first time in their history, South Africa opened the bowling with spinners in the Test at home, and they got a good result from both ends. While Harmer removed Shadman Islam as the first wicket, Keshav scalped the second and third wickets— Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque.
South Africa did not require any other bowler to dismantle the Tigers. Keshav bowled 10 overs and Harmer bowled nine to wipe out all Bangladeshi batters.
The two unbeaten batters were Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto, both failed to take up the onus. Shanto scored 26, but Mushfiqur failed to add anything on the board. Apart from Shanto, Taskin Ahmed was the other batter to reach a double digit total— 14.
READ: South Africa win 1st test as Bangladesh all out for 53
Bangladesh lost all of their last seven wickets in just 16 overs with Keshav taking five of them.
“We tried to play according to the merit of the ball. We wanted to play till the final session. Unfortunately we lost three wickets last night, that was crucial. We are used to playing spin. We also know that Durban spins from 3rd-4th day, we didn't capitalise well with the bat,” Bangladesh captain told the broadcasters.
Earlier, South Africa ended their second innings on 204 in 74 overs. Captain Dean Elgar posted the highest 64 while Keegan Petersen and Ryan Rickelton posted 36 and 39 respectively.
For Bangladesh, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Ebadot Hossain bagged three wickets each. Taskin Ahmed also scalped two wickets.
In the first innings of this Test, South Africa posted 367 with Elgar and Temba Bavuma leading their batting line-up scoring 67 and 93.
Khaled Ahmed led Bangladesh’s bowling, taking four wickets— his best in the format, while Mehidy Hasan took three.
In reply, Bangladesh’s first innings was a heroic show by Joy who hit a ton in his first Test in South Africa. Riding on his century, Bangladesh ended up on 298. Joy fell as the last batter scoring 137.
Harmer bagged four for South Africa in Bangladesh’s first innings.
Before this series, Bangladesh played 12 Tests against South Africa but failed to win any of them.
However, the Tigers won the ODI series right before the ongoing Test series which was Bangladesh’s maiden ODI series win on the soil of South Africa.
The second Test of the series will be played from April 8. Bangladesh will miss the service of Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam in the second Test as both the Pacers are set to return home on April 5 due to injuries.
International Rating Chess tournament underway in Dhaka
The Walton International Rating Chess Tournament-2022, sponsored by Walton Hi-Tech Industries and organised by Bangladesh Chess Federation, began on Monday at Bangladesh Chess Federation hall-room and the conference room of National Sports council here.
Earlier, Senior Executive Director of Walton Hi-Tech Industries FM Iqbal Bin Anwar inaugurated the event as chief guest.
Vice-President of Bangladesh Chess Federation KM Shahidullah presided over the ceremony where Syed Shahab Uddin Shamim, General Secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation was present as special guest. International Arbiter Md Haroon Or Rashid and Sajol Mahmud, Executive Member of Bangladesh Chess Federation also spoke on the occasion.
A total of 137 players including GM Ziaur Rahman, GM Enamul Hossain Razib, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman, IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin, FM Mehdi Hasan Parag, FM Khandekar Aminul Islam, FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed, FM Syed Mahfuzur Rahman, FM Mohammad Javed and FM Md Saif Uddin are taking part in the meet.
READ: Bangabandhu's birthday: BCF to organise rapid chess competition for children Thursday
Sixty Six players won their 1st round game and earned one point each.
In the 1st round matches, GM Zia beat Al Shahid, GM Razib beat Saif, IM Fahad beat Maleq, IM Minhaz beat Monir, FM Parag beat Alo, CM Sharif beat Mridul, FM Nasir beat Faruk, CM Dihan beat Osman, CM Neer beat Rezwan, WFM Noshin beat Rashid and Khushbu drew with Abzid.
The event is being held on a 9- round Swiss League system. The winners of the event will be awarded a total two lac taka cash prize money and Walton gift hampers.
The 2nd round games will be tomorrow (Tuesday) from 2:00 PM at the same both venues.
UEFA Champions League 2022: Top favourites to reach the semi-finals
The majority of the expected teams advanced to the quarter-finals after overcoming some difficult matches in both legs of the Round of 16. As per the draw, the quarter-final matchups between Real Madrid and Chelsea will be the most entertaining. Chelsea are the current European champion, whereas Real Madrid are one of Europe's traditional powerhouses. The remainder of the quarter-final matches will be enthralling as well. Let's have a look at the teams with the best possibilities of reaching the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals.
2022 Champions League: Quarter-Finals Fixtures and Favourites
The first quarter-final matches of the UEFA Champions League 2022 will take place on April 5 and 6. This knockout round's second tie will be staged on April 12 and 13, respectively. Eight matches will be played in the quarter-final phase, with the winners determined by the aggregate goals scored. If the aggregate goals aren't enough to determine the winner, a penalty shootout will be held. Let's have a look at the favorites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 semi-finals.
Benfica vs Liverpool
First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Estadio da Luz
Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Anfield
Liverpool had a tough fight against Inter Milan in the Round of 16 fixtures. They eventually came out as winners, with a 2-1 aggregate. On the other hand, Benfica overcame Ajax in the last round. Liverpool have a better squad and higher-quality players than Benfica. That is why Liverpool will start as favorites in their quarter-final ties.
Verdict: Liverpool
Read Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid
First Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 6/1 a.m.) | Venue: Etihad Stadium
Second Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 14/1 a.m.) | Venue: Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
Manchester City thrashed Sporting CP in the Round of 16 with a resounding victory. On the other side, Atletico Madrid fought hard to defeat Manchester United and proceed to the quarter-finals. Manchester City will start as the favourites in the quarter-final match against Atletico Madrid. Oppositely, Atletico Madrid have the potential to upset Manchester City if they can formulate an effective plan.
Verdict: Manchester City.
Read Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
Villarreal vs Bayern Munich
First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: El Madrigal
Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Allianz Arena
Villarreal won 4-1 on aggregate against Juventus in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Villarreal's quarter-final opponent, Bayern Munich were merciless against Red Bull Salzburg in the previous round. Though Villarreal will give Bayern Munich a strong fight, the Bavarians will be the favourites to proceed to the semi-finals.
Verdict: Bayern Munich.
Read FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
Chelsea vs Real Madrid
First Leg Fixture: Thursday (April 7/1 a.m.) | Venue: Stamford Bridge
Second Leg Fixture: Wednesday (April 13/1 a.m.) | Venue: Santiago Bernabeu
Both Chelsea and Real Madrid have some genuine world-class players. So there will be no clear favorites in these quarter-final matches. Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti will use their own strategies to attempt to stop each other. Therefore it could be a tactical match. Whoever execute their game plan well has the best chance of making it to the semifinals.
Verdict: Chelsea.
Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Peru, Colombia, Chile vying for playoff spot
Bottom Line
One thing is clear after the quarter-finals: players from squads with good teamwork are more likely to do well in this event. As a result, the best eight teams from the Round of 16 have advanced to the quarter-finals. Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Chelsea are among them. With the exception of Chelsea, the rest of the clubs will be in a better position to proceed to the semi-finals in their respective quarter-final matches. Chelsea must defeat Real Madrid to advance to the semi-finals, which will be a challenging task. On the whole, it is expected that the UEFA Champions League 2022 quarter-finals will be fascinating.
Ross Taylor plays last innings for New Zealand cricket team
Ross Taylor made 14 for New Zealand against the Netherlands in the third one-day cricket international on Monday, coming to the crease and leaving it to a standing ovation.
The match was Taylor’s 450th and last for New Zealand before he retires at the end of a 16-year international career. The 38-year-old batsman played his last test against South Africa this year but decided to make this match on his home ground at Seddon Park his final bow.
His children, MacKenzie, Jonty and Adelaide, stood beside him during the national anthems and he went through an honor guard formed by Netherlands players.
Taylor played his first one-day international for New Zealand in 2006 and his first test the following year. He went on to play 112 tests, scoring 7,683 runs, including 19 centuries, and 236 one-day internationals in which he made 8,593 runs. He also scored 1,909 runs in 102 Twenty20 internationals.
Taylor had a long wait for his last innings Monday. New Zealand batted first after winning the toss and a 203-run partnership for the second wicket between Martin Guptill and Will Young delayed his appearance until the 39th over.
Guptill made 106 and Young went on to 120 as New Zealand made 333-8. Matt Henry then took 4-36 as New Zealand bowled out the Netherlands for 218 to win the match by 115 runs and sweep the three-match series.
As soon as he appeared the crowd rose to its feet. Taylor hit a six among his 14 runs before mistiming a ball from Logan van Beek and offering the bowler a simple return catch.
He turned toward the changing room for the last time with a faint smile on his face. The opposing players formed up on either side as he walked slowly from the field, acknowledging the long ovation of the crowd.
Taylor has long been a fan favorite for his steadiness, reliability and his ready smile.
“For me it was just being a player that tries fight in as many situations as possible, gave it my all, played with a smile on my face and hopefully represented my country proudly and with a lot of respect,” Taylor told Radio New Zealand. “That’s always what I wanted to do — play for my country. And hopefully that’s something it’ll be cool to be remembered for.”
South Africa win 1st test as Bangladesh all out for 53
South Africa raced to a 220-run victory in the first test after Bangladesh’s collapse to 53 all out on the morning of the final day on Monday.
Bangladesh lasted only 19 overs in its second innings and South Africa needed only two bowlers to roll the tourists out.
Read: Taskin, Shoriful out of 2nd South Africa Test
They were both spinners, with left-armer Keshav Maharaj collecting 7-32 and offspinner Simon Harmer 3-21.
It was a surprisingly sudden end to the match after Bangladesh had hopes of possibly pulling off its first test victory over South Africa by needing 274 runs in the final innings.
But the tourists slumped to 11-3 at the close of play on Day 4 and the wickets continued to tumble dramatically on the morning of Day 5.
Read: Australia Clinch ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Alyssa Healy Sets New Record
Najmul Hossain Shanto (26) and tailender Taskin Ahmed (14) were the only Bangladesh batters to reach double figures and South Africa needed less than an hour of play on Monday to take those remaining seven wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-test series.
Australia Clinch ICC Women's World Cup 2022: Alyssa Healy Sets New Record
The Australian team won the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 after beating arch-rivals England by 71 runs in the final on Sunday at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. The Baggy Green women’s side was the undefeated champion after winning all of their nine matches in the tournament. It was the seventh World Cup victory for Australia’s women's team. The Aussie keeper, Alyssa Healy shattered a new batting record with an aggressive performance during the final. Let's have a look at how the Australian women’s side defeated England women’s team in the final match.
ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 Final Match Report: Australia vs England
England offered Australia the chance to bat first at Hagley Oval. The pitch was suited to the batters, and the Australian top order didn’t miss out on batting properly on this batting-friendly surface. Two Aussie openers, Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes gave Australia a perfect platform by putting up 160 runs between them. After Rachael’s (68) departure, Alyssa Healy made a 156-run stand with Beth Mooney (62) for the second wicket and carried the total to 316 in the 46th over. Healy eventually departed after playing a magnificent 170-run knock, featuring 26 boundaries. Australia finished their innings with 356/5 in their allotted 50 overs. Anya Shrubsole picked up the most wickets for England with 3.
Read Taskin, Shoriful out of 2nd South Africa Test
England lost two early wickets in reply, but Nat Sciver sought to chase down the target with some effective middle-order partnerships. On the other hand, Nat was England's lone fighter in the final against Australia. She stayed unbeaten with a superb 148* off 121 balls. Except for her, the rest of the English players were dismantled with the bat. England were bowled out for 285 runs in 43.4 overs. Alana King led Australia in bowling with three wickets.
Alyssa Healy’s Record in the Championship Match
Australia's standout opening batter, Alyssa Healy, set a new record in the Women's World Cup final against England on Sunday. She became the highest individual scorer in a World Cup final for any batter (men or women). Healy surpassed former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist's 149 in the 2007 ICC Men's World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
Surprisingly, Australian players have dominated the top scorers in the World Cup final list. The English opener, Nat Sciver, who also struck a century in the 2022 women's World Cup final against Australia, has also made it into the top five highest scorers list.
Read Bangladesh slump to 11-3 chasing 274 vs South Africa
Highest Individual Scores in the ICC One-Day International World Cup Finals
Player
Score
Opposition
Alyssa Healy
170
England, 2022
Adam Gilchrist
149
Sri Lanka, 2007
Nat Sciver
148*
Australia, 2022
Ricky Ponting
140*
India, 2003
Viv Richards
138*
England, 1979
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read SA vs BAN Series 2022: Joy's Joyful knock is an Inspiration to Bangladeshi Players
Alyssa Healy scored 509 runs in this year's World Cup, the first time a player has scored more than 500 runs in a women's World Cup. Australia's 356/5 was the first time a women's world cup final had a score of 300 or more.
Player of the Match
Alyssa Healy of Australia was awarded player of the final after hitting 170 runs off 138 balls. She was also named Player of the Series after scoring 509 runs in 9 innings with a 56.55 batting average. Healy had two hundred and two half-centuries in the competition.
Read Tigers to host Lankan Lions in May for two Tests
Bottom Line
Prior to the final match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022, Australia's women's team was the favourite against England’s women's team. Australia had shown some ruthless performances in the group stage and semi-final encounter against the West Indies. Therefore, the expectation was high from Australia. On the other hand, the England women's team made a remarkable comeback in the middle of the competition to reach the final. England felt confident about beating the Australian side in the final, given their growing confidence following a lopsided semifinal victory against South Africa. However, the Aussie opener Alyssa Healy was merciless in the final, and her batting performance was the deciding factor between the two teams.
Read PAK vs AUS Series 2022: Australia Eye Third Spot in ICC CWC Super league
Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient
Kylian Mbappe notched two goals and three assists as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lorient 5-1 and maintained its 12-point lead over Marseille to move ever closer to a record 10th French league title on Sunday.
There are eight rounds left.
Mbappe provided the spark in the final third from the fourth minute with a dribbling run and low shot that goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer palmed away. Soon after, the France striker fed Neymar, who opened the scoring.
Read:Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
The lead doubled in the 28th when Mbappe scored with his signature move, faking a curler into the far corner before drilling into the near corner.
When Lorient forward Terem Moffi cut the lead in the 56th by pouncing on a sloppy back pass from Achraf Hakimi to knock the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG supporters loudly booed their team's lapse in concentration.
Mbappe dashed Lorient’s hopes of a comeback by raising his league tally to 17 goals, dribbling past Julien Laporte to bury the ball into the bottom corner in the 67th.
Six minutes later, Mbappe squared the ball back for Lionel Messi, who shot under the crossbar for 4-1. Mbappe made his league-leading 13th assist by playing Neymar in for the final goal in the 90th.
“We must bring back that 10th league title for the supporters, for the club. It’s important,” Mbappe said. “We have an opportunity to make history.”
PSG has relied heavily on Mbappe’s brilliance this season. However, his contract runs out this summer and Mbappe hasn’t committed to any club yet.
“I haven’t made any decision yet,” Mbappe said. “I’m still thinking because there are new factors (...) I don’t want to get it wrong. I want to make the right choice.”
Marseille consolidated second place by rallying past relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne 4-2 in a game full of blunders.
Gabon striker Denis Bouanga gave Saint-Etienne the lead in the ninth minute by shooting past goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who made an embarrassing handling mistake.
But Saint-Etienne self-destructed by conceding two penalties and scoring an own goal.
Marseille's third straight league win opened a three-point gap on third-placed Rennes, while Saint-Etienne remained in the relegation zone, one point from safety.
The top two clubs qualify for the Champions League while the third-placed club goes to qualifying.
Strasbourg emerged as a surprise contender in the race for European spots after edging Lens 1-0 to climb up to fourth place.
Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16
Strasbourg stretched its unbeaten run to eight games to go level on points with Nice and just two points behind Rennes. The team’s best finish in the past 20 seasons was 10th in 2020.
“The ambition is to do as best as we can until the end of the season,” Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan said. “We’ve never put pressure on ourselves. I don’t see why we should put more pressure on ourselves today. We just want to have fun.”
Monaco edged lowly Metz 2-1 and France international Wissam Ben Yedder extended his league-leading goal tally to 18.
In his French league debut, Brazilian winger Tete kept Lyon’s slim European hopes alive in a 3-2 victory over Angers. Lyon blew the lead twice despite two goals from striker Moussa Dembele.
Nantes handed Clermont a fourth straight loss, 3-2, Brest won at mid-table Montpellier 2-1, and Troyes beat Reims 1-0 in injury time to move away from the relegation zone.