Spanish GP 2025
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen finished the race fifth but was given a 10-second penalty for colliding with George Russell's Mercedes and ended up 10th. AP
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Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Boisson lights up French Open, Sinner advances to semis
Wildcard Lois Boisson lit up the French Open on Wednesday when the home hope toppled sixth-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to reach the last four, overshadowing men's world number one Jannik Sinner who cruised past Alexander Bublik. While Sinner stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches after earning back-to-back titles at the US Open last year and the Australian Open in January, Boisson, ranked 361st at the start of the tournament, thrilled the home crowd with a dazzling performance. Sinner will face the winner between three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic, hunting a record-breaking 25th singles Grand Slam, and Germany's third seed Alexander Zverev in the last four. Sinner, who beat Bublik in straight sets, is the first Italian man to reach six Grand Slam semi-finals. The 23-year-old, who served a three-month doping ban before returning to action in Rome last month, raced through the first set after twice breaking the Kazakh, who had stunned fifth seed Jack Draper in the previous round. Looking to become the first man representing Kazakhstan to defeat a world number one, Bublik, who hit 37 drop shots against Draper, pulled out this weapon again in the second set. But Sinner broke and held to take it. Ever the entertainer, the 27-year-old Bublik delighted the crowd with an underarm serve but ultimately could do nothing to stop the Italian's march into the last four. Earlier Boisson became the toast of France after staging the tournament's biggest upset with a 7-6(6) 6-3 win over Andreeva, who had been tipped as a title contender, in an electrifying match that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats. The 22-year-old had stunned third seed Jessica Pegula in round four, but on Wednesday pulled off another major shock, beating Andreeva, who had not lost a set in the tournament. "Every tennis player dreams of winning a Slam - and for a French player, Roland Garros even more so. I'll go for it because my dream is to win the final, not the semi-final,' Boisson said. Andreeva, the 18-year-old sixth seed who was bidding to become the youngest female player to reach back-to-back French Open semifinals in nearly three decades, quickly found herself chasing Boisson's fierce forehand. The underdog, who has been a breath of fresh air in the tournament with her no-nonsense power game and down-to-earth approach, looked to have run out of steam as Andreeva went 3-0 up but she proceeded to win the next six consecutive games. Andreeva repeatedly lost her temper and was handed a warning when she fired a ball into the stands in frustration. With the home crowd the loudest it had been since the start, chants of 'Lois, Lois' echoed across the Philippe Chatrier court, with the decibel level lifted even further because the roof was closed due to rain. Boisson, who will jump almost 300 places in the rankings next week, will face 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who came out on top in an error-ridden quarter-final against Australian Open champion Madison Keys with the pair littering the court with 101 unforced errors. With a total of 49 unforced errors in the first set alone they both struggled to hold serve and Gauff, a semifinalist in Paris last year, wasted a set point before Keys, who reached the French Open last four in 2018, edged ahead with a tiebreak win. Gauff, who reached the final here in 2022 and is the youngest woman to claim 25 main-draw wins at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis (1995-2000), bounced back to win the next two sets. "So many unforced errors," Gauff, who also had 10 double faults, said to herself after sinking another easy baseline shot into the net. "I was just trying to be aggressive," the 21-year-old Gauff said. "Usually if you're playing too passive, in the end the more aggressive player is going to win. I knew in the second and the third that I had to try my best."
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
Attempts to silence free and independent journalism are a real danger to sports
We are living in a very delicate, dangerous and confusing moment in the world, and this uncertainty has also filtered into the cosmos of sport, which exudes tension and absorbs only the worst aspects of politics. THE GHETTO Some international federations, or at least some of their leaders, are trying, not very kindly, to throw us out, to lock us in a sort of ghetto where we should accept and be satisfied with the information that they kindly provide us, without any critical analysis. CANCELLED They have cancelled press conferences, because in their opinion, only mixed zones, which are becoming similar to Dante's circles, where it is not possible to work as we would like, would be sufficient for us. Some, with a kind smile, invite us to follow the competitions on TV and listen to the interviews that are broadcast on the channels, which pay for the television rights. The plurality of information? It is blasphemy. THE DANGERS The leaders themselves do not realise - fortunately not all of them, because there are still some enlightened minds - that the cancellation of the free circulation of ideas will push the current world of sport towards the abyss, because criminal organisations want to take over and have already occupied some of it. CORRUPTION When we underline that the fight against corruption is fundamental, we do so to preserve the future of the new generations of athletes. WE FIGHT We will continue this fight by creating working groups, which will analyse the situation and suggest countermeasures to stem the negative tide that is trying to submerge our profession and the educational reality of sport. Of course, we must also do some self-criticism, because often we do not go in depth in the analyses, and we only stop at the surface of a fact. However, we continue to believe in the importance of sport as a means of communication and openness between people. Some say that we are deluded, but I believe that it is important to fight for a better world than the one we are living in at the moment. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
Khaleej Times
10 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Car review: Bentley's Continental GT Speed Hybrid commands serious road presence
Bentley ranks high among automotive nobility. Once a racing marque with notable victories, it later merged with Rolls-Royce before being reborn. Since its acquisition by the VW Group, it has thrived, thanks to the Continental GT, which blends charismatic styling, strong performance, and enduring craftsmanship. Now in its fourth generation, we were invited to experience the art of 'fine driving' in the exclusive Bentley Continental GT Speed Hybrid First Edition — and here's what went down. DESIGN & AESTHETICS Bentley calls this an all-new generation, but it feels more like a visual facelift — and that's alright. Why fix what isn't broken? Since its 2003 debut as a hunky-yet-elegant grand tourer, it has grown slimmer and more athletic with each generation. Still, at 4,895mm in length and 1,966mm in width, it commands serious road presence. Its face features single headlamps inspired by the limited-run Bacalar — the first of their kind since the 1950s — slit by an LED strip. The rest is all grille and air intakes, purposeful but not aggressive. The body, sculpted from superformed aluminium, is pinched with precise creases to create a muscular-but-restrained form, while the massive 22-inch directional turbine wheels make it look like a concept car come to life, and over them is a graceful fastback roofline. The only flaw is the overly stretched oval tail lamps on an otherwise perfectly executed rear design. Still, without a shadow of doubt, this is one of the most beautiful, artfully designed coupés — and perhaps the finest extrusion of human imagination. Adding to the luxury experience are colourful animated puddle lamps that project the Bentley emblem onto the ground and effortless soft-closing doors. Inside, the cabin feels as rich as it looks — blending masculine architecture that uses structured elements with feminine touches through the finest materials, some found in luxury handbags. Eye-grabbing highlights include 3D diamond-stitched leather upholstery, real stainless steel circular air vents with organ pulls, and a Bentley 'B' on the brake pedal — showcasing Bentley's staggering attention to detail. Modern tech includes a customisable instrument display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen backed by physical buttons for essentials like radio, phone, and navigation. The party piece, though, is the rotating display, which elegantly flips between the touchscreen, three analogue gauges, and unbroken dashboard veneer. As for gripes, the plastic centre console piece would feel more in place finished in wood or glass; and the steering column could use just an inch more extension for an ideal driving position. And there's no graceful way to enter the rear cabin, but your pride is salvaged in knowing you're stepping into a Bentley. POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE The smooth twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 has now been relegated to history. This new hybrid version retains the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and adds a 190 PS electric motor, delivering nearly 800 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque — enough to pull an 18-wheeler. It starts silently in electric vehicle (EV) mode, with a claimed 81km range, and glides like a limousine unless provoked. It also claims to reach 859km before the tank empties out, which may be closer to 650km in the real world. One can top up the 25.9 kWh battery in 2h45m with an 11 kW charger, or 8h30m via a household socket. In Sport mode, the V8 burble awakens, and with launch control activated, it hurls itself from a standstill to 100kmph in just 3.1 seconds with no drama, tyre smoke, or rear-end shimmy, thanks to all-wheel drive traction. And you'll love the satisfying crackles between shifts. For something that weighs 2,459kg, this car is unbelievably fast, which is a thought sure to upend the scientific mind. The air suspension with twin-valve dampers offers a composed ride — more refined than a 911, more involving than a Rolls-Royce Spectre. Electronic all-wheel steering aids manoeuvrability with an 11.3-metre turning radius, while the electronic limited-slip differential and massive tyres ensure confidence-inspiring cornering. And it comes with some of the largest production brakes, too. Without a shadow of doubt, this is one of the most beautiful, artfully designed coupés — and perhaps the finest extrusion of human imagination" FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY The 260-litre boot is sizeable for a coupe and fits the mandatory golf bag, but the spare tyre and charging cables reduce it to grocery-bag capacity. The standard 650W 10-speaker audio is home-theatre loud, but our test car's 2,200W 18-speaker Naim system delivers orchestral-quality sound, though Bluetooth playback was occasionally distorted. The car's wireless Android Auto worked seamlessly for navigation and apps. You can also say 'Hey Bentley' to access various functions, though the system is sluggish and doesn't support UAE points of interest. Thankfully, handwritten input, though slow, worked. Also, the wireless phone charger is a tad inaccessible, being in the centre cubby. Keeping you cool is an excellent air conditioning system aided by seat ventilation and enhanced air ionisation. Safety features include advanced emergency braking, swerve and turn assist, adaptive cruise control, lane guidance, and a 3D surround-view camera — though lane-keeping assist occasionally wandered. VERDICT The 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed is timeless beauty manifested as a two-door coupe. It features a cossetting cabin crafted from exotic materials — a designer's playground that speaks to the moneyed elite. The electric drive and air suspension deliver a soft and silent refinement, while the ability to instantly summon all 800 horses through brilliant engineering turns this grand tourer into a mad, but still refined, sports car. Minor faults can be swept under the rug, unless you're opting for long-haul staycations with friends and luggage. GOOD: Gorgeous bodywork; exquisite materials; superfluous power and comfort; 81km pure electric range BAD: Steering column could use more adjustment; limited trunk space; cramped rear seats; pricey SPECIFICATIONS Body type — 2+2-seater; 2-door premium high-performance luxury coupe Engine — Front-engine; twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 + e-motor w/ 25.9 kWh battery; all-wheel drive Transmission — 8-speed DCT (automated manual) Peak output — 782 PS (system total); 600 PS @ 6,000 rpm (ICE) + 190 PS (e-motor) - 1,000 Nm (system total); 800 Nm @ 2,000 - 4,500 rpm + 450 Nm (e-motor) 0 to 100kmph — 3.2 seconds (claimed) Top speed — 335kmph (drag limited; claimed) Price — Starting at Dh1,750,000 approx. EDITOR'S RATING - 8.5/10 stars
