Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    2- month jail and SR40000 in fine for woman citizen convicted of commercial cover-up    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    Spanish flood rescuers focus search on underground car parks    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Slavery reparations not about transfer of cash, says UK's Lammy    Pro-EU leader claims Moldova victory despite alleged Russian meddling    Domestic violence should not be taboo subject, says Queen Camilla    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Riyad Mahrez admits he's no longer the dribbler he once was    Al-Ahli coach Jaissle understands fans' frustration, vows to improve team's performance    MBC Group announces sale of Istedamah's 54% stake to Public Investment Fund for SR7.4 billion    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Kvitova downs Halep to reach Wuhan final
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 01 - 10 - 2016

Former champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic overpowered fourth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania 6-1, 6-2 Friday to advance to the final of the Wuhan Open.
Kvitova hit four aces and saved all three break points she faced to set up a final with Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova outlasted Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Kvitova, who ousted reigning No. 1 Angelique Kerber in the third round, will be bidding for her first title of the year in Saturday's final. She won the inaugural Wuhan Open in 2014.
Cibulkova is seeking her third title of the year following wins in Eastbourne and Katowice.
In reaching her fifth final of the season, Cibulkova guaranteed herself a return to the Top 10 and boosted her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Rain delays meant that Cibulkova played both her forth round and quarterfinals matches Thursday, claiming the scalp of US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova en route.
Her strong run at Wuhan marks an impressive return for the 27-year-old who missed four months of the season in 2015 after having surgery on her left foot.
A left calf injury also forced her to withdraw from the Rio Olympics.
But the Wimbledon quarterfinalist is now just points away from qualifying for the eight-player WTA Finals in Singapore for the first time.
Despite the semifinal loss, 31-year-old Kuznetsova — who reached world No. 2 in 2007 — is enjoying a late-career resurgence and will likely reach her highest ranking in six years when next week's leaderboard is released.
"I lost little bit my way when I got broken in second set because I felt like I was on top of the game after I won first set," Kuznetsova told reporters after the match.
Berdych beats Vesely
In Shenzhen, China, defending champion Tomas Berdych defeated Czech countryman Jiri Vesely 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-2 in the Shenzhen Open quarterfinals Friday.
Berdych dropped his serve in the opening game but rallied to win the set in a lopsided tiebreaker.
Vesely made the crucial service break in the fourth game of the second set to level the set score, but Berdych broke Vesely three times in the deciding set to win in just over two hours.
Top-seeded Berdych will take on unseeded Thomaz Bellucci in the semifinals, after the Brazilian upset Bernard Tomic of Australia 6-2, 6-2.
Third-seeded Richard Gasquet ended German qualifier Mischa Zverev's run in the tournament 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), and set up a semifinal against Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, who beat Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 7-6 (6), 6-2.
Thiem falls at Chengdu
In Beijing, top seed Dominic Thiem of Austria was upset in less than an hour by Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the ATP Chengdu Open Friday, as the Spaniard sailed to a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
Ramos-Vinolas got off to a commanding start in the first set and never looked back, winning 84 percent of his first serve points and scoring his first ATP head-to-head win over the world number 10.
Third seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, meanwhile, bounced back from a first-set loss to prevail in a two-hour, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 clash with Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, aided by 8 aces to Schwartzman's two.
Rising Russian star Karen Khachanov took 73 minutes to fell fourth-seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4, conceding only six of his first-serve points and dropping 10 aces against the Spaniard.
The 20-year-old, 1.98m (6'6") Russian advances to his first ATP World Tour semifinal, where he will face sixth-seed Viktor Troicki, who notched a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
Tennis officials banned for life
The International Tennis Federation has banned two Turkish officials for life for manipulating scores of matches, assisting fraudulent betting.
The ITF says Serkan Aslan and Mehmet Ulker had their officiating certifications permanently revoked after being found guilty of ethics violations while working on matches in the lower-tier Futures circuit.
The federation says Ulker delayed inputting scores into a device at an event in Turkey, giving third parties an advantage when placing bets.
The ITF also found that Aslan and Ulker manipulated scores by inputting fictitious deuce games into their devices while officiating matches last year. — Agencies


Clic here to read the story from its source.