World number one Sabalenka ousted in Toronto by Alexandrova

Toronto, Canada: World number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated by Russian 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday in a fourth-round match at the WTA Toronto Masters tournament.

Alexandrova defeated the four-time Grand Slam winner from Belarus 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 in 2hr 29min to book a berth in the quarter-finals. sport-newz.biz

Sabalenka, who will seek her third consecutive US Open title next month, fell to 5-5 in her career WTA rivalry with Alexandrova, who will face either American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Ukraine's ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

Sabalenka broke for a 2-0 lead in the opening set, dropped the next four games, then held and broke back to 4-4 on a forehand drop volley winner.

Double faults by Sabalenka in the 11th game and Alexandrova in the 12th surrendered breaks leading to a tie-break.

The Russian took five of the last six points to seal the first set when Sabalenka swatted a crosscourt forehand wide.

In the second set, Alexandrova hit a forehand long to surrender a break and give Sabalenka a 4-3 lead. The top seed then held serve twice to force a decider.

Sabalenka was broken when she netted a forehand to give Alexandrova a 3-1 edge, but the Russian double-faulted away a break in the seventh game.

In the 10th game, Sabalenka made three unforced errors to give Alexandrova break and match points.

Sabalenka saved the first on a service winner and the second on an ace.

But after sending a backhand beyond the baseline, the Belarusian made her sixth and final double fault to lose the match.

"I didn't have any expectations before the match," Alexandrova said. "I knew it was going to be super difficult when I walked on the court.

"I was trying to risk as much as possible because it felt like it was the only way to create some chances. It caused many more mistakes but at the same time I created many more opportunities."

Vancouver, Canada: The Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Canada HE Tariq Ali Faraj Al Ansari affirmed that the Qatari diplomatic mission secured all its logistical and service capabilities to provide comprehensive support to the Qatari national football team and the Qatari fans who will travel to Vancouver for the anticipated match between Qatar and Canada on Friday morning (Qatar time), which comes as part of the second round of Group B matches.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency, His Excellency explained that the embassy made intensive efforts around the clock to ensure the best experience for Qatari fans. He stressed that the main goal was to ensure everyone's smooth arrival in Vancouver and to provide full support to the national team for this important upcoming match.

HE Ambassador pointed out that facilitating the entry procedures for official delegations and Qatari fans was done through high-level protocol and security coordination. Extensive and important discussions were held with the Canadian Minister of Immigration in Ottawa, as well as direct meetings with the Minister of the Interior responsible for the security and safety sector. The aim of these meetings was to ensure the smooth entry of Qatari fans and official delegations, and to overcome all procedural obstacles.

Coordination has been made to provide all necessary facilities, whether for those arriving via dedicated flights or for fans arriving via land borders from the US through Seattle, His Excellency added. In addition, direct communication lines have been established with local authorities in Vancouver to ensure the smooth movement of fans within the city.

Regarding fieldwork and consular services, HE Ambassador indicated that the embassy had taken proactive steps to ensure the comfort of fans. He pointed out that the embassy sent a team to Vancouver two weeks prior for on-the-ground preparations, and that HE the Ambassador was present to follow up directly. The embassy also opened permanent communication channels with the Qatar Football Association to coordinate all procedures related to the fans.

Regarding the presence of Qatari personnel within the organizational and security teams for the 2026 World Cup, following the exceptional success of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, His Excellency expressed pride to be the only country providing direct and on-the-ground security support for this tournament, benefiting from the extensive experience gained in organizing the 2022 edition, in close cooperation with the federal and local authorities in Canada.

The Qatari Ministry of Interior and the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) are participating with highly trained personnel at the highest international levels, supported by all advanced technical mechanisms and equipment, and their field duties extend from the start of the tournament until its conclusion, HE pointed out.

HE Ambassador expressed pride and appreciation for the historic performance of the national team for achieving its first ever point in the World Cup in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland. He said that the players' performances provide great optimism about the possibility of following the same pattern and achieving a satisfactory result in the match against Canada.

Concluding his interview with QNA, His Excellency praised the pioneering initiative of the Qatar Football Association, funded by the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) to secure the presence of a thousand fans behind the national team and support it during its participation in the World Cup. He expressed belief that the presence of the fans will motivate the players and push them to perform at their best possible level.

تبدأ إدارة التحكيم بالاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم مرحلة جديدة من الاستعدادات للموسم الرياضي 2026-2027، من خلال تنظيم سلسلة من الاجتماعات التوعوية مع ممثلي الأندية المشاركة في دوري نجوم بنك الدوحة ودوري QSL2، وذلك بهدف شرح التعديلات الأخيرة على مواد قانون اللعبة، وتوحيد آلية تطبيقها قبل انطلاق المنافسات الرسمية.
وتقام الاجتماعات خلال الفترة من 8 إلى 17 أغسطس الجاري، حيث تستعرض إدارة التحكيم أبرز التعديلات التي أقرها مجلس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، إلى جانب توضيح آليات تطبيقها داخل الملعب، والإجابة عن استفسارات الأجهزة الفنية والإدارية وممثلي الأندية، بما يضمن وضوح الرؤية لدى جميع الأطراف مع بداية الموسم.
وتأتي هذه الخطوة في إطار حرص إدارة التحكيم على تعزيز تواصلها مع الأندية، ونشر الثقافة القانونية المتعلقة بقانون اللعبة، بما يسهم في الحد من سوء الفهم والاعتراضات، ويعزز من انطلاقة سلسة للموسم الجديد، خاصة مع التعديلات التي تشهدها المسابقات المحلية، وفي مقدمتها انطلاق النسخة الأولى من دوري QSL2.
وبالتزامن مع تلك الاجتماعات، ينتظم حكام النخبة في معسكر داخلي خلال الفترة من 7 إلى 18 أغسطس، ضمن البرنامج السنوي لإعداد الحكام، حيث يتضمن المعسكر تدريبات بدنية مكثفة، ومحاضرات نظرية، إلى جانب تدريبات عملية تعتمد على تحليل الحالات التحكيمية ومراجعة أبرز التعديلات على قانون اللعبة، لضمان جاهزية الحكام قبل انطلاق البطولات المحلية والخارجية.
ويهدف البرنامج إلى رفع الكفاءة الفنية والبدنية للحكام، وتوحيد آليات اتخاذ القرار داخل الملعب وغرفة تقنية الفيديو، بما ينسجم مع أحدث التعليمات الصادرة عن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، ويضمن تقديم أفضل مستوى تحكيمي.