07/08/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | AUG 7, 2025

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Fritz, Shelton set up all-American Toronto semis

SHORTS Online abusers were angry gamblers: Svitolina FORMER world No. 3 Elina Svitolina said she was flooded with online abuse, including death threats, after her Canadian Open defeat to Naomi Osaka yesterday and blamed the “shameful” behaviour on disgruntled bettors. Tennis players, like many athletes, often have to deal with the wrath of gamblers online despite the efforts of authorities to tackle the issue with measures that include the blocking of social media accounts. “To all the bettors: I’m a mom before I’m an athlete,” Svitolina, 30, wrote in an Instagram story in which she attached screenshots of the messages that included death threats. “The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they’d be disgusted.” Some of the abusive messages Svitolina shared referenced the ongoing war in her country Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia said after her loss at last year’s US Open that “unhealthy betting” was one of the top reasons players were targeted and took aim at social media platforms for not doing enough to filter the abuse. She had said that it hurt players, especially after tough losses when they were “emotionally destroyed” and she worried about how younger players would be affected. Reuters has contacted the WTA for comment and details of their latest efforts to combat the issue. Sinner, Alcaraz pulled apart A FINAL between the world’s top two players is on the cards in Cincinnati with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on opposite sides of the draw. Both players took a break from competitive action following their clash at Wimbledon, which world No. 1 Sinner won to claim his first crown at SW19. The pair opted to skip the National Bank Open in Canada. However, they will not return to action in America as they build towards this month’s US Open. Due to their seedings, both players have been handed a bye first up and will instead play in the round of 64 on the weekend. Sinner, 23, isn’t likely to be troubled first up. He’s in line to face Czech player Vít Kopriva, providing the world No. 80 can beat a qualifier in his first-round match. It is not until the last-16 that things potentially get tricky for the Italian, where he is in line to play 13th seed Tommy Paul. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz is also on his side of the draw, although the pair cannot meet until the semifinals. Alcaraz will return against the winner of Italian Mattia Bellucci or Ukraine’s Damir Dzumhur. If he wants to gain a measure of revenge on Sinner, the 22-year-old will need to overcome Alexander Zverev if the two rivals make the semifinal stage. The Spaniard won the title in Cincinnati 2023, before Sinner prevailed 12 months ago.

US second seed Taylor Fritz overcame a late niggle while serving for the match yesterday to beat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) and reach the ATP Toronto Masters semifinals. The American claimed his place in a fifth semifinal of the season after losing serve while trying to close out what had been looking like a quick win, finally coming through into the last four at this level for the first time after 83 minutes. The Californian will play for a spot in the Thursday final when he takes on fourth seed Ben Shelton, who won a Masters quarterfinal on his fourth attempt, defeating Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4. Shelton laid down 11 aces in his 91-minute victory and dominated on rallies longer than nine shots. The result ended a seven-match win streak for last week’s Washington champion de Minaur. “I’m really happy with that performance. It showed mental toughness from start to finish,”

into the net for 5-all as Rublev held on. “That game was so shaky for me, we had both been holding serve easily, everything felt calm and chill,” he said. “It came out of nowhere, the pressure of that game. It was tight and my brain just turned off.

Shelton said. “This win gives me a lot of confidence, I’m excited about the semifinal. “People often just see me as a server, not much of a grinder, but when I go into lockdown mode and put a lot of balls onto the court, it surprises guys sometimes. “Winning longer rallies is all part of my evolution.” Shelton set up three

“The only thing to do is to come back and try to win the set. That’s what is able to make it all feel not as bad.” Fritz did just that, closing out the win 15 minutes later in the second set tiebreaker with a serve winner. Fritz struck a personal-best 20 aces (for three-set matches) among his 29 winners. He now stands 6-4 over Rublev.

match points with his final ace and needed only one chance to emerge the winner. Fritz admitted he was struck by brain freeze as he served for victory leading a set and 5-4. After saving three break points he put a return

The American has now won 19 of his last 22 matches including reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. – AFP

Taylor Fritz. – REUTERSPIC

Sizzling Osaka Former world No. 1 sails into Canadian Open semis

F OUR-TIME Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the semifi nals of the WTA Canadian Open yester day with a comprhensive 6-2, 6-2 tri umph over 10th seed Elina Svitolina. Osaka, chasing her first WTA Tour level title since the 2021 Australian Open, needed only 68 minutes to dispatch the Ukraine star and booked a semifinal match against Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson, who stunned reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4.

Polish second seed Iga Swiatek, who won her sixth Grand Slam title last month at Wimbledon. “Two days ago, my grandfather unfortu nately passed away so I really wanted to win for him today,” a tearful Tauson said after beating US sixth seed Keys. “I was told the day after I beat Iga so I really wanted to come out and show my best tennis for him. Hopefully he’s watching.” The US Open hardcourt tuneup in Montreal is the first event where Tauson has beaten two top-10 foes, with Swiatek and Keys exiting at her hand. Tauson dominated the opening set and took full advantage of Keys giving up a break on a double fault to open the second. The Dane won 12 of 19 points on her second serves and kept Keys at bay most of the night. Keys joined a scrap heap of Montreal seeds, with the top five seeds and seven of the top 10 seeds ousted before the quarterfinals. Tauson, 22, seeks her fourth career WTA title after the 2021 Lyon and Luxenbourg Opens and this year’s Auckland Open, where Osaka retired after winning the first set of the final in their only WTA meeting.

“I’m just having a lot of fun playing. I’m glad to be here,” Osaka said. “I think I’ll be seeded in the US Open because I won my match. That

was a really good goal for me. I’m just r e a l l y excited.” Tauson

dedicated her victory to her

Japan’s Naomi Osakareturns the ball to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina (not pictured) in the quarterfinal of the Candian Open at

“She’s really tough,” Osaka said of Tauson. “I played her in Auckland this year. I had to stop halfway because I was injured. So I’m really excited that I’m healthy.” Osaka seeks her eighth WTA level title, and her first since a maternity leave comeback last year. She last won a WTA-level title below the Grand Slams at the 2019 China Open. Tauson is one win away from her

IGA Stadium. – REUTERSPIC

late grandfa ther, who died on Sunday as the Dane was dispatching

second WTA 1000 final, having lost the first in February at Dubai to Mirra Andreeva. – AFP

Raducanu handed nightmare Cincinnati draw EMMA RADUCANU has been handed a nightmare draw at the Cincinnati Open as the star is scheduled to face Aryna Sabalenka if she makes it through her first match. The Briton is heading to the Ohio tournament for the first time since 2022, with her only other appearance at the event resulting in a defeat to Jessica Pegula in the last 16. Raducanu is heading to the USA off the back of a third round appearance at the Canadian Open, where she was thrashed 6-2, 6-1 by Amanda Anisimova. heartache at the hands of Anna Kalinskaya and she will need to be in top form in Cincinnati if she intends to reach the latter stages of the event. Raducanu will face either Olga Danilovic or fellow Briton Katie Boulter in her opening match after being given a bye in round one and if she comes out victorious, she is likely to face three time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka. The two players went head-to-head in the third round of Wimbledon in July, with Raducanu aiming to reach the fourth round at SW19 for the second consecutive year.

Jaqueline Cristian in her opener in Cincinnati, triumphed 7-6, 6-4 on the All England Club grass. Liudmila Samsonova could lay in wait for Raducanu in the fourth round in Cincinnati should the Briton get revenge on Sabalenka. And Raducanu may then be faced with the prospect of going up against either Madison Keys or Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Iga Swiatek or Amanda Anisimova would potentially be standing at the other end of the court should Raducanu progress to the semis, while one of Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula or Emma Navarro could be an opponent in the final. – Express Newspapers

The 2021 US Open champion also featured in the Washington Open at the end of last month and reached the semifinals before suffering

But Sabalenka, who faces the winner of the match between Marketa Vondrousova and