Sports
Elliott: Iga Swiatek adds to her impressive season by winning Indian Wells title
Iga Swiatek’s first try at lifting the BNP Paribas Open trophy was a no-go. The crystal sculpture was too heavy, its form too cumbersome for her to boost it off the desk the place it sat gleaming within the Sunday afternoon solar.
Swiatek raised her index finger to the gang, as if to inform the followers who had been celebrating her overcome Maria Sakkari to attend a second, she’d give it one other strive. It required a full-body effort, however the 20-year-old from Poland ultimately obtained a great grip and held up the winner’s prize, a scene that’s positive to play out many times over the subsequent decade or extra.
“My thoughts is blown,” she mentioned of her 6-4, 6-1 victory, however it made excellent sense for the lady who has studiously improved her recreation and relied on a sports activities psychologist to assist fortify her psychological method since she shocked the tennis world by profitable the 2020 French Open as an unseeded entry.
Swiatek, who will earn $1,231,245 for her work at a match that’s thought-about a notch under the 4 Slam occasions, has gained 11 straight matches. She’s 20-3 this season, essentially the most wins on the ladies’s tour. That features incomes a title at Doha, Qatar final month earlier than she got here right here, the place she defeated three-time Grand Slam singles champion Angelique Kerber within the spherical of 16 and two-time Slam singles champion Simona Halep within the semifinals earlier than she prevailed over a below-peak Sakkari.
“Properly performed. You’re an ideal champion, an ideal particular person,” Sakkari informed Swiatek throughout the trophy ceremony. “You deserve this — you deserve extra.”
Swiatek will rise to No. 2 on the earth rankings Monday behind Ashleigh Barty of Australia, matching Agnieszka Radwanska for the very best rating achieved by a Polish participant. She appears the one particular person shocked by that.
“Initially of the match, I wouldn’t even take into consideration profitable, truthfully. In fact, it’s a must to consider in your self, however I’m a sensible particular person, so,” she mentioned, leaving her thought unfinished.
Iga Swiatek serves to Maria Sakkari at Indian Wells on Sunday.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Related Press)
“Yeah, for positive, particularly profitable after enjoying so nicely in Doha is giving me a number of confidence and sort of perception that I can do it as a result of, I wouldn’t consider myself as somebody who’s able to play two tournaments in a row and win it. For positive onerous work is paying off. Yeah, I imply, I felt for the couple of days the strain on my shoulders somewhat bit extra due to the stage of the match, and clearly how massive it’s. As you’re saying, it’s the most important match after Grand Slams. The final couple of days have been actually tense for me. That’s one more reason why I’m pleased with myself that I made it.”
Although Indian Wells is named tennis paradise for its lush environment and relaxed ambiance, the gusty winds Sunday created situations that had been lower than blissful.
Each ladies struggled to carry serve within the first set, exchanging breaks till Swiatek held for 3-2. Swiatek broke Sakkari’s serve within the subsequent recreation, capped by a double fault by Sakkari, and took a 4-2 lead. Sakkari broke Swiatek and held serve for the primary time to make it 4-4, however Swiatek gained the subsequent recreation when Sakkari netted a return. Swiatek gained the set on her third likelihood, when Sakkari hit a backhand into the online.
Sakkari saved two break factors within the second recreation of the second set however couldn’t maintain off Swiatek within the fourth recreation. Sakkari sabotaged her personal probabilities by double faulting twice in that recreation to permit Swiatek to take a 3-1 lead. Swiatek, hitting a snug stride, gained one other break for 5-1 and clinched the match on a forehand winner.
“I actually consider I took a step ahead this week, regardless that I misplaced at this time,” mentioned Sakkari, the highest-ranked Greek girl within the historical past of the ladies’s tour. “It was per week that can have a particular place in my coronary heart. I do know it sounds sort of bizarre as a result of I didn’t win the match, however I felt like I improved.”
Swiatek’s subsequent problem — apart from lifting the lighter reproduction trophy she’s going to obtain — is to do that over again. She’s entered within the Miami Open this week, and expectations might be excessive. “Each match is a distinct story,” she mentioned.
Most of hers have had comfortable endings. Many extra will sooner or later.
Boxer Cindy Ngamba clinched the first medal of any kind for the Olympic refugee team Sunday at North Paris Arena, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze with a win against France’s Davina Michel in the women’s 75-kilogram quarterfinals.
The Olympics do not hold bronze medal bouts in boxing, so Ngamba will receive a medal win or lose in the semifinals. She fights Panama’s Atheyna Bibeichi Bylon next on Thursday, when boxing moves to Roland Garros.
“It means the world to me to be the first refugee team member to win a medal,” Ngamba said. “I’m just human, like any other refugee. There are refugees all around the world.”
Ngamba, 25, was born in Cameroon and moved to the United Kingdom when she was 11. Ngamba, who is gay, cannot return home because homosexuality is outlawed in Cameroon. She now lives in Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester, England, and trains with Great Britain boxing.
With her win over Davina Michel (FRA), boxer @CindyNgamba (EOR) has just made history by guaranteeing a first-ever Olympic medal for the IOC @RefugeesOlympic Team! #Paris2024 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/lmN0fhdqA5
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) August 4, 2024
Ngamba served as the flag bearer for the refugee team, which was created in 2015 and debuted at the 2016 Rio Games, at the opening ceremony along with taekwondo athlete Yahya Al Ghotany.
GO DEEPER
Refugee boxer Cindy Ngamba wins Olympic medal – ‘She’s an inspiration to us all’
Ngamba is part of the 37-athlete refugee team in Paris after being introduced to the International Olympic Committee’s refugee program during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has repeatedly been denied British citizenship despite claiming three national titles in separate weight classes and receiving support from GB Boxing, the sport’s governing body, in her applications to the Home Office.
“I want to say to all the refugees all around the world and refugees that are not athletes and mainly humans around the world that you have to keep on working hard, keep on believing in yourself,” Ngamba said. “You can achieve whatever you put your mind to.”
China’s Qian Li and Australia’s Caitlin Parker will fight in the other semifinal bout.
Required reading
(Photo: Richard Pelham / Getty Images)
Sports
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore could face suspension as sign-stealing scandal looms, NOA says: reports
There is a chance that the reigning college football champions could begin the season without their head coach for the second year in a row.
According to reports, a notice of allegations (NOA) says Michigan’s new head coach, Sherrone Moore, violated NCAA rules related to the investigation into the football program’s sign-stealing scandal.
Moore, who replaced Jim Harbaugh after he went to the Los Angeles Chargers, is reportedly accused of deleting more than 50 text messages with Connor Stalions – the former low-level recruiting staffer who coordinated an off-campus, advanced-scouting operation – around the time the investigation was opened.
Sherrone Moore (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images/File)
The reported NOA says Moore is accused of committing a Level 2 violation; Level 1 is the most serious.
“Our athletic department and university continue to cooperate with the NCAA regarding our ongoing investigation,” Michigan said in a statement to the Associated Press. “We do not have an update to share regarding its status at this time.”
Moore, 38, was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach when Harbaugh left Michigan for Los Angeles to become coach of the Chargers shortly after leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1997.
Moore filled in as acting head coach four times last season while Harbaugh served suspensions, winning all four games, including the season finale against rival Ohio State.
Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of impermissible scouting while he was with the program, though he could face Level 1 violations.
Jim Harbaugh (Justin Casterline/Getty Images/File)
NCAA RELEASES DETAILS OF PROPOSED $2.78 BILLION SETTLEMENT WITH FORMER ATHLETES
Stalions resigned from his role in November, roughly a month after the investigation opened. He was initially suspended with pay by the school. He was an off-field analyst with the football team, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Despite the suspensions and ordeals, Michigan won the College Football Playoff over Washington, 34-13.
Shortly after scoring two touchdowns in the title game, running back Blake Corum (now with the Los Angeles Rams) fought against those who say the title is illegitimate.
“At the end of the day, what else do you want us to prove, man? Whatever came out in the beginning of the season, after that, you say we stole signals,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital at the time. “We went on the road and beat Penn State, beat Ohio State, beat Iowa, beat Alabama, beat Washington. All of these teams are top 10 in each category, offense and defense. We handled business.”
Blake Corum of the Michigan Wolverines scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies during the CFP National Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8, 2024. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Michigan begins its title defense on Aug. 31 against Fresno State; they visit Washington in a title game rematch on Oct. 5, as the two are now Big Ten rivals after the dismantling of the Pac-12.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Noah Lyles has made no secret of what he wants out of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Medals. Gold medals. Three of them.
2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games
The American sprint star took the first step toward that goal on Sunday night, winning the men’s 100 meters at Stade de France by the slimmest of margins. It required video review to confirm Lyles won by five-thousandths of a second over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.
Lyles’ time was 9.784 and Thompson had 9.789 to take silver. The photo finish was decided based on when Lyle’s torso crossed the finish, not the sprinters’ feet. American Fred Kerley finished third with a time of 9.81.
This was the closest 100-meter race since at least Moscow in 1980 — or maybe even ever. Back then, Britain’s Allan Wells narrowly beat Silvio Leonard in an era when timing didn’t go down into the thousandths of a second.
Lyles is the first American to win the celebrated race since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
After a disappointing performance three years ago at the Tokyo Games, where he struggled with depression and finished third in his specialty, the 200 meters, Lyles arrived in Paris with a bigger goal — the coveted 100, 200 and 4×100-relay sprint triple — in mind.
“Now, here I am, stronger than before,” he said. “And when Noah Lyles is being Noah Lyles, there is nobody else.”
He will have his next chance to prove it in the 200 on Thursday. The relay is scheduled for Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/T3IS6EXTMRGLHCRN2KKW5POCZY.jpg "Alaska child care study shows sizable state subsidy gap")
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