28/03/2025

SPORTS

FRIDAY | MAR 28, 2025

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SPORTS

Philippine wildcard stuns Swiatek Teen Eala takes care of business with little drama in Miami I F tennis’s broadcasters were hoping for emotional scenes of tears from teenager Alexandra Eala after she secured one of the biggest upsets of the WTA season, they were In the biggest game of her career on the WTA Tour, Eala played with a poise that belied her inexperience but underscored an impressive level of preparation for such a moment.

family has guided me through, it’s part of my family’s values,” she said. “They are successful people in business, they are successful in their own fields and people I look up to. I think they lead by example when it comes to that.” The twin influences on her career were evident in her box – her parents had flown in from the Philippines for the game as had an uncle and cousin based in Seattle but sat with them was Toni Nadal, the Spanish great’s uncle and former coach, representing the academy. “So a lot of extra motivation for my match today. I really wanted to have my family see me winning, but I know they’d be happy just to see me compete in this setting. “And Toni also came in to Miami. That did mean a lot, because I have been working closely with him for so long, alongside my main coaches from the academy, it showed a lot about the confidence and the pride the academy has in me,” she added. – AFP SHORTS Extra security for world No. 2 POLISH world No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been given extra security after a spectator at the Miami Open verbally abused the five-times major champion during a practice session last weekend, the BBC reported yesterday. The man shouted personal insults about Swiatek’s family and had previously sent abusive online messages to her through social media. “The Miami incident appears to be a direct transition from verbal aggression online to harassment in the real world,” Swiatek’s representatives said. “He was aggressive and taunting.” The BBC said Swiatek’s team reported the incident and that tournament organisers and the WTA put extra security measures in place around the Pole, ahead of fer match against Philippine wildcard Alexandra Eala. “Security is a top priority. We monitor the network to catch these types of issues,” Swiatek’s spokesperson said. “Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another – this cannot be condoned.” TGL good for the game, say Mickelson DESPITE a history of acrimony between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, one of the original defectors to the rival league made supportive comments at the conclusion of the inaugural Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) season yesterday. Phil Mickelson, who left the PGA Tour in June 2022 for upstart LIV Golf, responded to a post on X praising TGL, an indoor simulator golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that also features other PGA Tour stars. “That’s great news! It would be great for golf if this were to succeed,” Mickelson wrote. “The golf fan is the most loyal fan in sports. “Buy a ticket, walk miles and see a fraction of the action,” he continued, “but this could allow the golf fan to buy a ticket, sit down and watch 100% of the action just like other sports. It could really be good for the game if it’s compelling.” Atlanta Drive GC won the first TGL championship, 4-3 over New York Golf Club on Wednesday in Florida. The winners – Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel and Patrick Cantlay – split a purse of US$9 million (RM41m), with New York receiving half that amount. Alexandra Eala reacts at match point after defeating Poland’s Iga Swiatek (not pictured) yesterday. – AFPPIC

“I don’t have a lot of experience on the WTA Tour, that’s for sure, but I do have experience with compartmentalising. I have experience with being professional,” she said. “I have no hesitation to bring that part of me out when I’m on court and when I’m in a setting that calls for professionalism,” she added. Of course, Eala has been in a professional setting since she was 13, when she left her homeland to join Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca. For the past six years, she has lived and breathed tennis alongside top coaches and a group of players all hoping to make the journey onto the tour. But she says her noticeably businesslike approach was gained more from her family rather than the daily regime in Spain. “It’s not something I learned in the academy. It’s something I’ve gotten from, I guess, from my experience as the things I have been through leading up to this moment. It’s also something my

left disappointed. But the final point, as she broke the serve of world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, for the eighth time, revealed much more about the Filipina than any waterworks would have. Eala’s face quivered, on the edge of tears, as she began to process the magnitude of her victory which sent her into the semifinals of the Miami Open, but she kept her emotions in check, composed herself and celebrated in a controlled manner before calmly and diligently undertaking her post-match duties. “I think I was so in the moment, and I made it a point to be in the moment every point that it’s hard to realise what just happened. “It’s hard to realise that you won the match,” she explained, when asked about her immediate emotions to beating the five-time grand slam winner. “I really tried to soak it all in, because this has never happened to me before, and that’s why I was looking at the screen. You know, I really wanted to keep that moment in my mind,” she added.

Fils upsets Zverev, Dimitrov into semis

Notices

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DALAM MAHKAMAH TINGGI MALAYA DI KUALA LUMPUR DALAM WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA PENGGULUNGAN SYARIKAT NO.: WA-28NCC-320-03/2025 Dalam perkara Seksyen 465 (1) (e) Akta Syarikat 2016, peruntukan peruntukan dalam Akta Syarikat 2016 dan Kaedah-Kaedah (Penggulungan) Syarikat 1972 DAN Dalam perkara CX Paint Sdn. Bhd. [No. Syarikat: 201801015154 (1277170-U)] ANTARA BANK KERJASAMA RAKYAT MALAYSIA BERHAD [NO. PENDAFTARAN KOPERASI: 2192] PEMPETISYEN DAN NOTIS adalah dengan ini diberi bahawa Petisyen Penggulungan Syarikat yang dinamakan di atas oleh Mahkamah Tinggi di Kuala Lumpur adalah pada 24hb Mac 2025 dikemukakan kepada Mahkamah tersebut oleh Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad. Dan bahawa Petisyen tersebut diarah untuk didengar di hadapan Mahkamah Tinggi Insolvensi yang bersidang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 26hb Jun 2025 pada pukul 9:00 pagi dan mana-mana pemiutang atau penyumbang syarikat tersebut yang ingin menyokong atau menentang pembuatan perintah ke atas Petisyen tersebut boleh hadir pada masa pendengaran oleh beliau sendiri atau Peguamcaranya untuk tujuan itu dan salinan Petisyen akan diberikan kepada mana-mana Pemiutang atau penyumbang Syarikat tersebut yang memerlukannya oleh penandatangan di bawah (‘undersigned’) atas pembayaran caj terkawal untuk yang sama. Alamat Pempetisyen adalah di Menara 1, Menara Kembar Bank Rakyat, No. 33, Jalan Rakyat, 50470 Kuala Lumpur. Peguamcara Pempetisyen ialah Tetuan Kama & Wan, yang beralamat Tetuan. Kama & Wan, yang beralamat di 5-1-1, Jalan Medan PB 4A, Seksyen 9, 43650 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan. ………………………………………. Tetuan Kama & Wan Peguamcara bagi Pempetisyen NOTA: Mana-mana orang yang berhasrat untuk hadir pada pendengaran Petisyen tersebut hendaklah menyampaikan atau menghantar melalui pos kepada Tetuan Kama & Wan yang dinamakan di atas, notis bertulis tentang hasratnya berbuat demikian. Notis itu mesti menyatakan nama dan alamat orang itu, atau, jika firma, nama dan alamat firma itu dan mesti ditandatangani oleh orang atau firma itu atau Peguamcaranya (jika ada) dan mesti disampaikan, atau jika dipos, mesti dihantar melalui pos dalam masa yang mencukupi untuk sampai kepada yang dinamakan di atas tidak lewat pada pukul 12:00 tengah hari 25hb Jun 2025. Iklan Petisyen ini difailkan oleh Tetuan Kama & Wan, Peguambela & Peguamcara bagi pihak Pempetisyen No. 5-1-1, Jalan Medan PB 4A, Seksyen 9, 43650 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan. (Tel: 03 89221485) (No. Ruj: WS/BR/CXPSB/2123(L)(FP)) CX PAINT SDN. BHD. [NO. SYARIKAT.: 201801015154 (1277170-U)] RESPONDEN IKLAN PETISYEN

McIlroy, who won the Players two weeks ago after taking the Pebble Beach crown last month, is making his first Houston trip in 11 years and playing the course for the first time. “It has been a great start to the season for me and I want to continue it,“ McIlroy said. But the 35-year-old from Northern Ireland visited Augusta National this week to start preparations for the Masters, the only major title he needs to complete a career Grand Slam. “I use those trips just to refamiliarise myself with the place, clubs off tees, looking to see if they changed any greens,“ McIlroy said. “There are four greens that are FRANCE’S Arthur Fils upset top-seed Alexander Zverev with an outstanding display earning him a 3 6, 6-3, 6-4 win over the German in the fourth round of the Miami Open yesterday. The 20-year-old Frenchman will face 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals with both players chasing their first Masters 1000 semifinal spot. Rallying from a set down, Fils showed great determination to fight his way back and go 4-1 up in the second set. Zverev responded to take a 3-1 lead early in the third but again Fils refused to let the match slip from his grasp. Fils, using his athleticism and his powerful forehand, broke back to 3-2 and then when Zverev went long on a return took a 4-3 lead. Zverev held when serving to stay in the game at 5-4 down but Fils kept his composure to serve out for one of

“Feeling pretty good. Excited about the stuff we’re working on right now and game feels like it’s in a good spot. Definitely excited to get the season going this week,“ he said. He finds Houston’s Memorial Park course a worthy place to prepare for the challenge of winning a third Masters in four seasons. “With it being rye grass in the fairways now I think definitely improves the prep for the Masters, it’s a similar grass to what we see at Augusta,“ Scheffler said. “It’s also a big golf course. You’ve got to hit it far out here, so there is definitely some similarities and good preparation between here and Augusta.” – AFP In the opening quarter-final, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov battled back from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in a riveting duel. After Cerundolo edged the first, the 33-year-old Dimitrov found his rhythm and was relentless in forcing Cerundolo to work on the baseline for every point. Cerundolo was 6-5 up in the third set and had one match point but Dimitrov showed his grit again and was able to hold and force the contest to a tie-break. Dimitrov raced out to a 3-0 lead and never looked in danger as he ran out the winner to book his place in the semifinals where he will face the winner of Wednesday’s later match between Novak Djokovic and American Sebastian Korda. An exhausted Dimitrov needed medical attention at the conclusion of the match, skipping the on-court interview. – AFP

“Honestly for me, it’s nice to play a practice round without people around and it sort of takes the pressure off the start of the (Masters) week for me.” His time in Houston, however, is about competing and trying to add another title to his season before his quest for a green jacket resumes. “I just want to get a card in my hand and shoot scores and hopefully get myself in contention and try to win another golf tournament,“ McIlroy said. “It’s not as if I’m playing here this week and thinking about two weeks’ time. I’m here, I’m in the present, I’m trying to do my best this week and trying to win this golf tournament.” Scheffler was the runner-up in Houston last year, a season in which the biggest wins of his career. The victory was all the more impressive given that Fils later revealed he was suffering from back pain. “I was feeling not great in the rallies. I’ve had a little problem in my back since I was young, so sometimes it hurts me a little bit,” explained Fils. “I had to find a rhythm, (be) more aggressive and come into the court to play my game and not let him play, because when you let him play he is one of the best tennis players in the world. I’m really happy about the way I did it,” he added. The fourth round contest was postponed to yesterday after rain forced a change to the schedule. Fils had also reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells earlier this month and he becomes the first Frenchman to make the last eight in both legs of the “Sunshine Double” since Gael Monfils in 2016.

Scheffler, McIlroy focus on Houston ahead of Masters TOP-RANKED Scottie Scheffler and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy play their final tuneups for the Masters at this week’s PGA Houston Open, seeking a title while preparing for Augusta National. new this year that they’ve redone. You have a look at those and see if there’s any new hole positions they give you, stuff like that. he won nine titles include Olympic gold and his second Masters title. But Scheffler missed the first month of this season with a hand injury and is only now getting back to normal form.