David Nalbandian of Argentina and home hero Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will contest yesterday’s Paris Masters final with the winner grabbing the final spot in the Masters Cup in Shanghai later this month. Nalbandian, the defending champion here, defeated Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in a topsy-turvy contest. Tsonga had too much power and panache for American James Blake winning at a canter 6-4, 6-3.
That result ended Blake’s Masters Cup hopes, made sure of qualification for seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro and means that the winner of yesterday’s final between Nalbandian and Tsonga will complete the eight-man line-up in China. The six others already qualified before Saturday were Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Davydenko, and Andy Roddick. Nalbandian’s win confirmed the fine vein of form that the eighth seed has struck as he gets ready for his ultimate goal, leading Argentina to their first Davis Cup title against Spain in Mar del Plata later this month.
The muscular South American took up where he left off on Friday in his outstanding quarter-final win against Andy Murray by peppering Davydenko off both flanks.
■BELL CHALLENGE
AFP, QUEBEC CITY, CANADA
American Bethanie Mattek spoiled Aleksandra Wozniak’s bid to become the first Canadian to reach the final of the WTA’s Bell Challenge on Saturday and booked her own first WTA Tour final berth in the bargain. Mattek, the sixth seed, defeated the fifth-seeded Canadian 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to reach the final of the US$175,000 Tier Three event.
The American faced a tough task in yesterday’s final, taking on top-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova. Petrova, a former world No. 3 now ranked 11th in the world, encountered little resistance in a 6-1, 6-3 victory over US lucky loser Angela Haynes.
The 2025 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Mr Universe Chinese Taipei competition began yesterday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, with more than 150 athletes showcasing their physiques. It is the first time in 16 years that the IFBB has held a competition in Taiwan, the last being the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. The professional bodybuilding contest is bringing together athletes from Taiwan and 16 other countries, including Malaysia, Japan, the US, France and Mexico. IFBB Chinese Taipei president Hsu An-chin said in an interview yesterday that the event came to Taiwan thanks to his lobbying efforts at last
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday. The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish. Ferrand-Prevot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600m and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line. Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prevot, the Paris-Roubaix winner. “I didn’t know if
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
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