United News of Bangladesh

Host Germany reached the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup semifinals for the first time with a 93-74 victory over Belgium, while the United States overwhelmed Hungary 108-56 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Germany recovered from an early five-point deficit and took control across the end of the opening quarter and start of the second, turning a 19-18 deficit into a 29-19 advantage with an 11-0 run. Belgium cut the deficit to 36-34 in the second quarter but could not regain the lead. Leonie Fiebich led Germany with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Nyara Sabally added 16 points and 12 boards. Alexis Peterson contributed 13 points and six assists without a turnover as Germany led for more than 31 minutes. Belgium power forward Emma Meesseman finished with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds. The United States raced to a 36-12 first-quarter lead against Hungary and never looked back. Napheesa Collier scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in just over 15 minutes, while Rhyne Howard added 15 points and four steals. Caitlin Clark recorded 10 points and nine assists as the Americans, who led for more than 39 minutes, built its largest advantage of 55 points before completing a 52-point victory. France ended China's campaign with a 90-61 win after breaking away late in the opening quarter. Janelle Salaun and Marine Johannes scored 15 points apiece, with Johannes also handing out seven assists. Gabby Williams contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Han Xu led China with 21 points and nine rebounds. Spain completed the semifinal lineup by defeating Australia 89-66. Spain established a 31-17 advantage in the opening quarter and led 58-37 at halftime. Megan Gustafson paced Spain with 16 points, while Iyana Martin added 14. Alex Wilson and Chloe Bibby scored 13 each for Australia. In Saturday's semifinals, Spain faces the United States, while Germany takes on France.

ESPN recorded its highest viewership through the first three rounds of the US Open since Serena Williams last competed in the tournament in 2022, helped by the return of Serena and Venus Williams to doubles action. The network said Wednesday that its coverage on Friday, when the Williams sisters played a night match, averaged 1.1 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2. Viewership peaked at 2.2 million between 10 and 10:15 p.m. EDT as Serena and Venus lost to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a match tiebreaker. Friday’s coverage marked a 17 percent increase from the same day last year. ESPN2 also averaged 1.1 million viewers on Saturday, up 37 percent from last year. Overall, the tournament averaged 846,000 viewers through the third round, making it the most-watched US Open at that stage since 2022.

Aryna Sabalenka survived a dramatic battle against Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova on Tuesday, winning 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) to reach the US Open semifinals and keep her bid for a third consecutive title alive. The world No. 1 was pushed to the limit by the sixth-seeded Czech before securing victory in a deciding-set match tiebreak. Sabalenka will next face third-seeded Jessica Pegula, who came from a set down to defeat No. 26 Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka defeated Pegula in the 2024 US Open final and also beat her in last year's semifinals after losing the opening set. The Belarusian sealed Tuesday's quarterfinal with an ace on her second serve, reaching the US Open semifinals for a sixth consecutive year. Noskova came close to completing an impressive run after winning her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. She would have become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to follow a grass-court major title by reaching the US Open semifinals. Sabalenka appeared close to an early exit when Noskova broke in the third set to move 4-2 ahead. But the top seed immediately responded, breaking back at love to level the set at 4-4. The match went to a deciding tiebreak, where Noskova initially moved ahead 2-0. Sabalenka recovered after a double fault by Noskova gave her a 4-3 lead and then won the next two points to establish control. Noskova finished with 46 winners and 18 aces, compared with Sabalenka's 42 winners and 12 aces. Sabalenka had entered the tournament struggling for form on hard courts, losing in the fourth round in both Toronto and Cincinnati. She had also been eliminated at the same stage at Wimbledon. However, she had not dropped a set before Tuesday's quarterfinal. The result also kept alive Sabalenka's hopes of retaining the world No. 1 ranking, which she has held for 99 consecutive weeks. She will lose the top spot if second-ranked Elena Rybakina defeats Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday to reach the semifinals. If Rybakina loses, Sabalenka can retain the ranking by winning the US Open title. Tiafoe reaches men's semifinals In the men's quarterfinals, No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6). Tiafoe will meet either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or eighth-seeded Ben Shelton in the semifinals. Their quarterfinal began shortly after 11 p.m. following a long day of matches. Pegula rallies past Navarro Pegula overcame a slow start against Navarro, who broke her twice in the opening set to take control. But the third-seeded American recovered in the final stages, winning four consecutive games after Navarro had taken a 2-1 lead in the deciding set. Pegula's victory set up another US Open meeting with Sabalenka, who will be seeking to maintain her dominance in New York. For Noskova, the defeat ended her best-ever US Open campaign. Before this year, her best Grand Slam performance was a quarterfinal appearance at the 2024 Australian Open.

Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the US Open quarterfinals in straight sets on Sunday, maintaining their bids to retain their titles. World No. 1 Sabalenka overcame an early challenge from Taylor Townsend before winning 6-4, 6-3. Alcaraz followed with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Tommy Paul at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Townsend broke Sabalenka three times in her first four service games, but the top seed gradually found her rhythm and took control. She did not drop another point after falling 3-1 behind in the second set. “I love matches like that because it was really challenging,” Sabalenka said, adding that overcoming difficult moments strengthened her confidence. Sabalenka will next face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who defeated Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4. Alcaraz, meanwhile, continued his impressive return from a four-month absence caused by a right wrist injury. The 23-year-old Spaniard has dropped only one set in four rounds and extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 18 matches. “I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the court,” Alcaraz said. “Every time that I come here, I play my best.” Alcaraz will meet eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton in Tuesday's quarterfinal. Shelton advanced after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.  

Serena and Venus Williams' much-anticipated return to the US Open ended in a dramatic first-round defeat Friday night as the sisters lost to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a match tiebreaker. The Williams sisters fought back from 4-1 down in the third set and appeared in control after taking a 5-0 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker. But Chan and Joint rallied to win 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was the sisters' first US Open appearance since 2022 at the Grand Slam event they won together in 1999 and 2009. The loss marked another heartbreaking doubles defeat for the Williams sisters after they also fell in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open earlier this summer. Serena, 44, returned to competitive tennis this year after stepping away from the sport in 2022 following a career that included 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Venus, 46, has continued competing on tour. The sisters appeared to struggle in the decisive tiebreaker, with both committing double faults after playing strongly during the closing stages of the third set. The US Open was a special stage for the Williams sisters, who won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and three Olympic gold medals. They also shared the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles for eight weeks. Serena had already lost to Joint at Wimbledon earlier this summer in her return to singles competition. She and Venus later withdrew from their Wimbledon doubles match after Serena suffered a knee injury. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Wu Yibing. The defending men's champion, who missed four months because of a right wrist injury, will next meet No. 20 seed Tommy Paul. Two-time defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka also reached the fourth round, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka, the top seed, was briefly distracted during the match by the smell of marijuana and asked the chair umpire for help. She is bidding to become the first player since Serena Williams in 2012-14 to win three consecutive US Open titles. Sabalenka will face American Taylor Townsend in the fourth round. Third-seeded Jessica Pegula recovered from a poor start to beat 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Pegula will next play Romania's Sorana Cirstea. Other players advancing included Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, Marta Kostyuk, Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 and will face Tiafoe, while Tsitsipas reached the fourth round at the US Open for the first time after defeating No. 18 seed Jiri Lehecka.

Seventeen-year-old Thea Frodin is set to play one of the biggest matches of her young career when she takes on world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in her first US Open singles appearance. It is a huge challenge for the Los Angeles teenager, who once had another connection with one of tennis’ greatest stars — Serena Williams. Frodin served as the on-court body double for Serena’s character in the 2021 film King Richard. Actor Demi Singleton played the younger Serena Williams, while Frodin performed the tennis scenes. Now, instead of copying Serena’s game for a movie, Frodin will step onto the court as herself. “I've worked so hard to try and get to this level, and to have an opportunity like this is just really special for me,” Frodin said. She earned a wild card into the US Open after winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championships. Her journey into Hollywood also began through tennis. As a young player in California, Frodin won sectional titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the 10-and-under level. Her success later led to an audition for King Richard. Frodin spent six months on the film set, working alongside several actors, including Will Smith, who won an Oscar for playing Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. Having watched Serena throughout her career, Frodin found it relatively easy to copy the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s strokes. However, she said playing Serena for so long briefly affected her own technique. “After I was done with the movie, I got into the habit of playing with her strokes, and I couldn't switch back to mine,” she said, adding that it took time to return to her natural style. Frodin played in the US Open doubles last year but has never met Serena or Venus Williams. Wednesday’s match against Rybakina will be her first at the WTA Tour level. Earlier this year, she lost in the qualifying round in Miami during her previous attempt to reach a top-level tournament. With one year of high school still remaining, Frodin has not yet decided what comes next. But if Hollywood offers another opportunity, she would be open to balancing acting with tennis. “Tennis has always been my No. 1 focus,” she said. “But I loved being in that acting environment. If it’s possible to balance both, I’d definitely be interested.”

City officials on Thursday approved a $2.3 billion deal for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark funded by public and private money. The 4-3 vote by the Tampa City Council came three months after a tentative agreement was reached for a stadium, which would include $967 million in tax money. Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby said in a statement that the stadium project will “deliver lasting benefits” for the region. “The Tampa Bay Rays are grateful for the leadership and support of the City Council members to approve an investment that, when accompanied by the private funding guaranteed by the Rays, will secure the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay while creating a landmark destination neighborhood that will serve our region for generations,” Babby said Thursday. Hillsborough County Commissioners will vote on the project Friday morning. The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school’s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rays have said they hope to have the new stadium built within three years.

Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla, Vice President of Bangladesh Olympic Association and President of Bangladesh Mohila Krira Parishad, said on Saturday that there is no shortage of talent in our country, but our sports sector is not developing properly because there is no proper connection between talent and opportunity. She made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Solidarity Administrators' Sports Course, according to a press release. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, "The sports talents are scattered all over the Bangladesh. But they are not getting the right families, educational institutions, and the right opportunities and conditions to bring them up and take them to the right place.” “Simply put, opportunities are not being connected with talent. For this, the administrators, trainers and concerned people of sports fields need to be more sincere, skilled and prudent," she added. She said, "The biggest challenge for our sports, especially for girls, is bigotry and child marriage." She called for a stronger role from the government to remove these obstacles. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, there is a special need for women's safety in sports. And for this, it is essential for every federation to appoint 'security officers'. In addition, to bring women back to the sports arena, they need to be given courage and support mentally and financially. This course was held for 4 days from August 19 to August 22 at the initiative of the Bangladesh Olympic Association. On the closing day, certificates were distributed among the course participants at the Dutch Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association on Saturday afternoon. Administrators of a total of 41 units, including the National Sports Council, various national sports federations and various service federations, participated in this training course.

Bangladeshi women can enter the 2027 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, with international entries opening on August 11 for the race to be held on March 14, 2027 in Japan. The Nagoya Women’s Marathon is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest women-only marathon. Organisers have raised the race capacity to 22,000 runners for 2027, 2,000 more than the previous limit.The race is open to women of all levels, from those running their first marathon to experienced runners chasing a personal best. All participants will run the same 42.195-kilometre course, with seven hours to finish. For those who complete the race, there is a more unusual reward – a crystal tumbler made by French luxury brand Baccarat. The design of the 2027 tumbler will be shown at the Marathon EXPO on the day before the race. The organisers have also designed the race around runners who may not have elite-level experience. The course is relatively flat, the time limit is generous and both the start and finish are at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, a covered baseball stadium. Medical support, changing facilities and toilets will be available for runners. The arrangements appear to have helped produce a high completion rate. In the 2026 race, 96.6 percent of participants reached the finish line. The marathon is part of a wider race weekend in Nagoya. The Marathon EXPO begins Friday and will feature events including the “GO RUNWAY” fashion show and a live performance. Men can also compete on race day in events held alongside the women’s marathon. The Nagoya City Marathon offers a half marathon and the 8.5-kilometre Nagoya RUN. International entries for the 2027 Nagoya Women’s Marathon opened on August 11.

A jury in Alabama on Thursday awarded $9.25 million in damages to a college basketball player after finding that The New York Times defamed him by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa. Kai Spears, a former player for the University of Alabama men's basketball team, sued the newspaper in 2023 over a report that said he was a passenger in a car linked to the shooting. The report cited a person familiar with the investigation who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the case. The Times acknowledged the mistake several days later, publishing an editor's note and correcting the report. The eight-member jury reached its verdict after a nine-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Matt Glover, an attorney for Spears, welcomed the verdict, saying he believed it would help improve journalism across the country. The Times said it was reviewing its legal options following the verdict. "We're disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake," spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said in a statement Thursday. "We thank the jury for its service, but believe the verdict and award of damages are contrary to law and not supported by the evidence." Three other Alabama basketball players were at the January 2023 shooting, in which a 23-year-old mother was killed. Spears said in his lawsuit that the inaccurate report caused him emotional distress and permanently associated him with the killing. In a report on Thursday's verdict, The Times said it had not lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States over one of its articles in more than 50 years.