17/09/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | SEPT 17, 2025

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Sivasangari storms in Egyptian Open quarters

RESULTS & STANDINGS

SPANISH LA LIGA: Espanyol 3 (Milla 20, Fernandez 34, Garcia 81-pen) Mallorca 2 (Muriqi 45-pen, 65) . TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Real Madrid 4 4 0 0 8 2 12 Barcelona 4 3 1 0 13 3 10 Espanyol 4 3 1 0 8 5 10 Getafe 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 Athletic 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 Villarreal 4 2 1 1 8 3 7 Alavés 4 2 1 1 4 3 7 Elche 4 1 3 0 6 4 6 Osasuna 4 2 0 2 3 2 6 Betis 5 1 3 1 6 6 6 ITALIAN SERIE A: Como 1 (Paz 13) Genoa 1 (Ekuban 90+2) , Verona 0 Cremonese 0. TOP 10 P W D L F A Pts Napoli 3 3 0 0 6 1 9 Juventus 3 3 0 0 7 3 9 Cremonese 3 2 1 0 5 3 7 Udinese 3 2 1 0 4 2 7 AC Milan 3 2 0 1 4 2 6 Roma 3 2 0 1 2 1 6 Atalanta 3 1 2 0 6 3 5 Cagliari 3 1 1 1 3 2 4 Como 3 1 1 1 3 2 4 Torino 3 1 1 1 1 5 4 Late goals earn Al-Ahli opening victory in ACL DEFENDING champions Al-Ahli fought back from two goals down to secure a 4-2 win over Uzbekistan’s Nasaf in the Asian Champions League Elite in Jeddah yester day thanks to stoppage-time goals from Riyad Mahrez and Mohammed Sulaiman for the Saudi side. Husain Norchaev scored twice to give Nasaf a two-goal lead at half-time but Al Ahli’s recent signing Enzo Millot struck twice in three second-half minutes to pull Matthias Jaissle’s side level. The Frenchman punished a mistake by goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov in the 65th minute to slot into an empty goal from distance and capitalised on hesitant defending to quickly score again. Mahrez slotted home four minutes into added time and Sulaiman scored from close range 11 minutes later with Nasaf down to 10 men following Alibek Davronov’s late sending-off. “Everybody had to give 100% in the sec ond half, we had to do more and attack the box to score goals and we did it,“ said Millot, who joined Al-Ahli from Stuttgart. The win earned Al-Ahli an opening three points in the western league phase, in which the 12 teams play eight matches and the top eight finishers will advance to March’s knockout rounds. Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Al-Wahda from the United Arab Emirates with defender Lucas Pimenta scoring the winner deep into added time. Steven Berwijn had given Laurent Blanc’s side the lead with a powerfully hit swerving strike from distance in the 21st minute but Muhannad Al-Shanqiti’s send ing-off for a reckless challenge on Facundo Kruspzky changed the game. Caio Canedo levelled from close range in the 62nd minute and, deep into added time, Pimenta pounced after Pedrag Rajkovic blocked Ala Zouhir’s header. Sharjah of the UAE also picked up a win with two stoppage-time goals against 10 man Al-Gharafa earning a 4-3 victory for last season’s Asian Champions League Two winners. Qatar’s Al-Sadd fought back to draw 1-1 with Iraq’s Al-Shorta in Baghdad, Hassan Al Haydos scoring in the 62nd minute to can cel out Dominique Mendy’s deflected 28th minute opener for the hosts. – Reuters

NATIONAL top women’s squash player S. Sivasangari secured her place in the quarterfinals of the Egyptian Open 2025 after defeating England’s Jasmine Hutton in Giza on Monday. The world No. 8 overcame the 16th seed 3-1 (12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5) in a 47-minute in the round of 16 battle. “It’s a completely different game from last week, I played her in London, a different format – best of 3 – different court, the glass court. And that makes a difference. And I think she played better today, her accuracy particularly,” Sivasangari said as per cibegyptiansquashopen . “She is a fighter, she fights for every point, and

a hit on that court, trying to adapt as quick as I can. “It’s different, it’s outdoor, other external factors as well. I’ll try to rest, recover. I try to progress at every tournament, to improve, and I’m happy to come through today.” Sivasangari will face Amina Orfi in the last eight today after the Egyptian defeated compatriot Farida Mohamed 11-5, 11-7, 12-10. For the record, Sivasangari is the only Malaysian representative left at the tournament following the exits of Rachel Arnold, Aira Azman and national men’s number one Ng Eain Yow, who were all eliminated in the second round. – Bernama

I had to stick in. I don’t think I played too well in the first and second game. “Not getting my length how I wanted it. Just rushing everything, playing without much purpose. “So I tried and calmed down a bit. The third was tight. I managed to squeeze that in, and I felt a bit more like myself in the 4th, playing better squash. “I played once already at the Pyramids, Nour or Nouran, one of the two top girls. It’s a great venue, but completely different set up, completely different tournament from the one I have been playing for the past few days. “Tomorrow I have a rest day, hopefully I can get

Panthers get timely lift

Penang FC advance to FA Cup last eight after win over Melaka

Penang FC’s Stefano Brundo (right) scored the first goal during the FA Cup match against Melaka FC at the Bandaraya Stadium. – BERNAMAPIC 3 0

P ENANG FC’S emphatic 3-0 victory over Melaka FC in the FA Cup round of 16 sec ond leg at the City Stadium has given the Panthers a much-needed lift after a diffi cult spell in the league. The win sealed a 5-0 aggregate scoreline and a place in the quarterfinals. Head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail admit ted morale had been low after a run of poor league results, but said the performance against Melaka showed his players’ determination to bounce back, describing the result as a “turning point” for the team. “After the (Super League) JDT match, we car ried out a thorough review and promised our selves to prove our real strength. “Tonight, the players kept that promise, and I hope this momentum continues,” Wan Rohaimi said. He said consistency will now be the key as the Panthers prepare to face Negeri Sembilan FC in their next league match on Oct 4.

hosts went into the break comfortably leading 2-0. In the second half, Penang maintained their attacking rhythm with several attempts from Kipre and Dylan Wenzel-Halls, but their lack of clinical finishing denied them further goals. The visitors launched occasional counter attacks, but the hosts’ defence stood firm to close down the spaces. In the 78th minute, Penang were reduced to 10 men when Jose Porteria was sent off by referee S. Logeswaran for a foul. However, the dismissal did not dampen the home side’s spirit, as Kipre redeemed his earlier misses by netting the third goal in the 80th minute to seal the game. “We wanted an early goal, but it didn’t hap pen,” Melaka head coach Devan said, pointing to injuries to key attackers as a major setback, which forced adjustments to his team’s game plan. “When Penang scored first, the situation became much harder. Their advantage gave them control of the match,” he said. – Bernama He stressed that while fluctuations in form are part and parcel of an athlete’s career, both players and coaches must act decisively during such down turns. “Every player goes through highs and lows, but when things are not working, you must adjust,” he added. “The coach has to identify what went wrong and guide them towards the right strategy.” In other matches, it was the end of the road for another men’s doubles pair – Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong – who went down 12-21, 21 18, 12-21 to Taiwan’s Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen. In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat Shevon Lai Jemie outclassed compatriots Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien 21-17, 21-12 to set up a sec ond-round clash against Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei– Nicole Gonzales Chan. – Bernama/Agencies

With a two-goal advantage from the first leg, the Panthers came out fired up in front of their home fans and immediately took control of the game from the first whistle. Team captain Stefano Brundo delighted the home supporters in the 11th minute when he calmly slotted home a rebound from Danilo Sipovac’s header, which had initially struck the crossbar. Foreign striker Tchetche Kipre almost doubled the score five minutes later, but his header went narrowly wide of the post. Melaka attempted a fightback through Muhammad Sharel Fikri Md Fauzi in the 22nd minute, but the 31-year-old striker’s weak shot drifted past the Penang FC goal. Penang widened the gap in the 39th minute through U-23 player Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba, who fired home the team’s second goal, piling the pressure on the visitors. Shaken by the strike, K. Devan’s men tried to organise an attack but failed to find the net, as the

Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin overcome nerves to progress NATIONAL men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani pulled off a gutsy comeback to advance to the second round of the China Masters 2025 at the Shenzhen Arena yesterday. The duo have been on a poor run, suffering three consecutive early exits at the China Open (first round), Paris World Championships (third round) and the Hong Kong Open (second round) last week.

The world No. 3 fought back from a game down to edge Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Ardianto Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan 12-21, 21-11, 22-20 in a thrilling 43-minute first-round clash. The Malaysians, who showed nerves of steel in the decider, will face Kittinupong Kedren Dechapol Puavaranukroheither for a place in the quarterfinals after the Thai pair defeated Taiwan’s Lee Jhe Huei-Yang Po Hsuan 21-5, 21-10. After yesterday’s unconvincing performance, former national shuttler Datuk James Selvaraj believes the pair must sharpen their tactics if they are to reclaim their reputation as one of the most feared men’s doubles pairs on the World Tour.

“Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin have been losing too often and even when they win, they struggle,” said Selvaraj. “That shows something is not right with their overall strategy. They must change their tactics, regroup, and let the coaches help them find solu tions.” Selvaraj also warned that a prolonged slump could damage the pair’s morale and long-term prospects if not addressed quickly. “When you keep losing, the difference becomes very bad. They must rebuild their confidence or it will be difficult to recover,” he said.