China's Wang Xinyu stuns French Open champion Gauff in Berlin
BERLIN, June 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Wang Xinyu advanced to her first grass court quarterfinal at the WTA 500 Berlin Open on Thursday, defeating French Open champion and second seed Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3.
The win also served as a measure of revenge for Wang, who lost to Gauff 6-0, 6-4 in their only previous meeting at the same event in 2022.
"It was a tough match, I am happy that I hang in there on all these tough moments," said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the next match. "She [Badosa] is playing great tennis now. For me, I am just really happy to get a chance to play another match here in front of you guys, especially lots of Chinese fans."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
27 minutes ago
- The Star
Over 50s are increasingly turning to streaming to watch sports
Sports streaming is increasingly appealing to viewers aged 50 and over. — AFP Relaxnews Often considered diehard fans of linear television, viewers over the age of 50 are quietly but decisively shifting toward streaming. Between 2022 and 2024, their consumption of streaming sports content reportedly increased by 21%, according to Nielsen. This shift is forcing sports and media companies to rethink the digital experience for a wider, more mature, and increasingly online audience. Some stereotypes die hard. People typically assume that young people are addicted to streaming services, while older people are loyal to their TV sets. However, a new study challenges this preconception. According to the "2025 Global Sports Report,' published by Nielsen, streaming consumption of sports content has grown significantly among sports fans aged 50 and over, with a 21% increase recorded between 2022 and 2024. This is significant growth, reflecting a cultural shift. While streaming platforms have long been popular primarily with younger generations, they are now extending their influence to a more mature audience that has historically been loyal to traditional TV channels. "Live sports remain a powerful driver of fan engagement," the report points out. And it is precisely this lever that has prompted platforms to invest heavily in broadcasting rights, thereby attracting a new audience. Recently, YouTube achieved a symbolic milestone by announcing that it would livestream an NFL game for free, a historic first for both the video platform and the sports league. But the Google subsidiary is not alone in investing in sports streaming. Netflix already made a notable foray into the field at the end of 2024 by livestreaming two games, while Amazon Prime Video plans to make a splash with "Thursday Night Football,' scheduled for December 25, 2025. The e-commerce giant is no stranger to this field: it already screens several soccer matches as well as French Open tennis tournament matches. Meanwhile, linear television is trying to reinvent itself to stay relevant. In the United States, the new TGL golf league, which is interactive, high-tech, and tailored for the screen, is a perfect example of this. Since the end of 2024, its fan base has grown by 17%, and each game in its first season attracted an average of 513,000 viewers on ESPN channels, more than college basketball at the same time last year, according to Nielsen. Designed to appeal to young people, the formula appears to be working, since 32% of viewers aged 18 to 34 were not regular PGA Tour viewers. This demonstrates that innovation in formats can revitalize traditional sports... and open them up to new audiences that have previously been largely untapped. – AFP Relaxnews
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Alcaraz overcomes Munar marathon to reach Queen's quarters
LONDON: Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was pushed all the way by fellow-Spaniard Jaume Munar in a thrilling contest before clinching a 6-4 6-7(7) 7-5 win and advanced to the Queen's Club Championships quarter-finals on Thursday. Alcaraz recently came out on top in an epic French Open final against Jannik Sinner, and while this second round clash in London may not have reached those same dizzying heights, the British crowd were served up an enthralling battle. The world number two was a break down in the deciding set but showed his strength once more as Alcaraz stretched his winning run to 15 matches, the longest streak of his career. "It was a really tough battle that we had today," Alcaraz said after more than three hours on court. "He's a great competitor and he showed how difficult it is to beat him." Alcaraz, the 2023 champion, looked well in control as he eased to take the opening set, and after saving four break and set points at 5-4 down in the second he forced Munar to a tiebreaker. The pair traded early breaks with neither player holding serve over the first four points, before a Munar double fault allowed Alcaraz to take a 5-4 lead. He smashed an ace but then hit a double fault of his own on match point. Munar made him pay this time to force a deciding set. After Alcaraz went 2-0 up, the French Open champion was broken in his next two service games and Munar went into a 4-2 lead. Alcaraz, however, was not done yet, and two more breaks of serve sealed a hard-earned victory as he continued his preparations for Wimbledon, where the Spaniard will be aiming to complete a hat-trick of triumphs. "I'm proud of the level I showed today. It's my second match on grass this year," Alcaraz said. "There were moments I struggled a lot mentally and physically. I still don't know how I'm standing here. But I'm really happy I've given myself another chance in the quarter-finals." Alcaraz will face French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech after his 7-5 7-6(3) win over American Reilly Opelka. Rinderknech has lost both previous meetings with Alcaraz, the last loss coming at Queen's in 2023. FEARNLEY ADVANCES British number two Jacob Fearnley reached his first ATP Tour quarter-final with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet. "I'm very happy to be in my first quarter-final, it's even better to do it here in the UK," Fearnley said. "I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself." Fearnley raced into a 3-0 lead, and while Moutet broke back, the Briton responded immediately with another break of his own to ease through the first set. Moutet did likewise in the second, sailing 3-0 ahead before breaking for a second time to clinch the set and force the decider, where Fearnley broke twice before holding serve to love to clinch victory in style. The 23-year-old will now face Jiri Lehecka after the Czech beat Canada's Gabriel Diallo 6-4 6-2. — AFP
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik
HALLE WESTFALEN, Germany: Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the Italian's first tournament since his French Open final defeat. The world number one fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old's first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023. A few days before his defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the title match at the French Open, Sinner had easily dispatched Bublik in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, dropping only six games. On Thursday, ten days before Wimbledon, Bublik claimed his second victory in six ties against Sinner. "We are tennis players and we try to win every match we play but it is a special one," Bublik said. "I had never beaten a No. 1 in the world. It is an accomplishment." Sinner, who had beaten Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets in the first round, cruised through the first set against Bublik without facing a break point. Sinner had three break points at the start of the second set but Bublik held and then went on the attack, hitting 20 winners in the set and gaining the break he needed in the sixth game. The 28-year-old broke Sinner's serve in the third with a flashing forehand. "I had an amazing forehand to break in the third set and then I kept serving," Bublik said. "On grass, if you lose your serve, it is maybe tough and I am a guy who doesn't lose a lot of serves. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions and it worked well." "He is an unbelievable player and I was not thinking that I could beat him," said Bublik. "But I had a few chances and executed them well." The Kazakh will play Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-3. Earlier world number three Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy's Lorenzo Sonego. The 28-year-old German won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) against the 46th-ranked Sonego and next plays another Italian, Flavio Cobolli for a place in the semi-finals. A finalist in Halle in 2016 and 2017, Zverev recorded his fifth victory in as many meetings with Sonego, a year after beating him at the same stage of the same competition. Sonego took advantage of his only chance to break in the first set at 4-3. The German struggled throughout to break his opponent's serve. Zverev dug deep in the second set, leading 5-4, to win the set before dominating the tiebreak in the final set. Argentina's 63rd ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry also reached the quarter-finals after a three-hour duel against fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6).
