CELEBRITY
SERENA WILLIAMS EYES US OPEN FINAL
Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka renew their rivalry on Thursday (Sept 10) when they go head-to-head in the semi-finals to determine who is mother superior at the 2020 US Open.
Williams, chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, takes on unranked Azarenka, seeking a first tennis major trophy in seven years, for a spot in Saturday’s final.
“Can it get any better?” Azarenka asked Wednesday after booking her place in the last four with a 6-1, 6-0 demolition of 16th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens.
“For me, it can’t. I’m so excited about this. It’s an amazing opportunity to play against a champion, somebody who I respect a lot, who is my friend,” added the two-time Slam winner.
Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-2 US Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday.
Williams, a six-times champion in New York, struggled with Pironkova’s slice forehand early and was at risk of her earliest US Open exit in 14 years until she used her experience to find a way back against a resurgent Pironkova.
“I’m happy to be standing here… because at one point I was pretty close to not being here,” Williams said during the on-court winner’s interview. “I keep fighting and that’s one thing that I am super excited about is I never give up.”
Williams defeated Azarenka in the final of the US Open in 2012 and 2013. Azarenka’s last Slam title came at the 2013 Australian Open, when she retained the crown she had won a year earlier.
Her last appearance in the final of a tennis major was her US Open defeat to Williams that same year, which she lost in three sets.
Azarenka also suffered an agonising loss in 2012, when she served for the match at 5-3 in the third set only to lose 7-5.
The 31-year-old Belarusian is enjoying a fairytale run at the US Open after claiming last month’s Western and Southern Open tune-up event in New York.
Both Azarenka and Williams are looking to win their first Slam since becoming mothers.
It has been more than three years since Williams won her 23rd title at the 2017 Australian Open – when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia.
Williams has come close since, reaching four major finals only to come away empty handed, and needs one more to match Margaret Court’s record of 24.
Azarenka became a mother in December 2016. A custody battle over her son has disrupted her career in recent years but she is up to 27th in the world rankings.
Williams and Azarenka are the last remaining mothers in the draw after nine started the tournament.
Only three women – Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, Court and fellow Australian Evonne Goolagong – have won Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era after having children.
In Thursday’s other semi-final, fourth seed Naomi Osaka takes on 28th-seeded American Jennifer Brady.
Japan’s Osaka, 22 is hunting her second US Open after lifting the trophy in 2018. Brady, 25, is competing in her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese heritage, has been wearing different masks honoring victims of racial injustice and police brutality throughout the tournament.
She has already donned face coverings bearing the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.
On Tuesday during an appearance on ESPN, Osaka was played video messages from the mother of Martin and the father of Arbery, who thanked the tennis star for her activism. She later revealed the words of gratitude had moved her to tears.
“I often wonder if what I’m doing is resonating and reaching as many people as I hope,” she wrote on Twitter.
“That being said, I tried to hold it in on set but after watching these back I cried so much. The strength and the character both of these parents have is beyond me. Love you both, thank you.
- AFP, REUTERS
ADWAIDH RAJAN, BBC
He’s better known as a Premier League and international footballer, but Alex Iwobi wants his music – as well as his on-pitch exploits – to inspire young people.
After starting his rap career earlier this year, the Fulham and Nigeria midfielder has released his second single, titled What’s Luv?.
Iwobi’s debut offering was Don’t Shoot in June, which has been streamed almost 60,000 times on Spotify.
The 28-year-old, who goes by the name ’17’, collaborated with his former Arsenal team-mate Chuba Akpom (performing as Skoli) and former England youth international Medy Elito (Don-EE) for his first release.
Iwobi’s debut song was aimed at deterring youngsters from street violence, while his latest release is a “celebration of his African roots”.
“Growing up in an area of London that is challenging for some people, I know how hard it can be and I’m grateful to have a platform to try and make a difference,” Iwobi said.
“I hope that my music is another way of proving that young people do not have to feel they have to fit in just one box. I want them to be encouraged to achieve their dreams, to put their focus into positive things.”
Iwobi has started all nine Premier League matches for Marco Silva’s Fulham this season and scored his second goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw against his old club Everton last week.
“Creating music doesn’t take anything away from my football, it helps me switch off. I will always work hard and try to improve in my sport, but this is a good use of my spare time,” he said.
Footballer forays into music
Iwobi, however, is not the first footballer to go into music.
A reworked version of folk rock band Lindisfarne’s track Fog on the Tyne, with vocals by Paul Gascoigne, reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1990.
Former England striker Andy Cole’s cover of the Gap Bands’ song Outstanding peaked at number 68 while then Tottenham and Three Lions team-mates Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle released Diamond Lights, which reached number 12 in 1987.
Kevin Keegan’s 1979 song Head over Heels in Love made it to 31 in the charts.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is an accomplished drummer, while former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin invented his own musical instrument which he called the Dube.
A masked rapper named ‘Dide’ rose to fame last year, claiming to be a Premier League footballer.
-BBC
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
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