Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Yarra Valley Classic ahead of her semi-final match with world No 1 Ashleigh Barty due to a shoulder injury, the WTA announced.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, had booked a showdown with home favourite Barty by beating fellow American Danielle Collins on Friday.
Williams, 39, had been in ominous form but needed to overcome a mid-match wobble to oust Collins 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 in 96 minutes. Hours after the win, the WTA revealed her withdrawal on Twitter, sending Barty straight through to the final.
"Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Yarra Valley Classic singles draw due to a right shoulder injury," the WTA wrote. "Ashleigh Barty advances to the final by walkover."
Williams is aiming for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and her withdrawal from the warm-up event is thought to be a precaution ahead of the start of the season's first major on Monday.
Six build-up tournaments for next week's Australian Open have returned to action after a coronavirus case at a designated tournament hotel halted play on Thursday and forced hundreds of players and officials into isolation.
Storms forecast for Friday threatened to increase the backlog, but to ease the congestion WTA clashes were reduced to two sets and a 10-point super tiebreaker instead of the traditional three sets.
World No 15 Garbine Muguruza has been in aggressive form in Melbourne, dropping just four games in two matches prior, and impressively hit the lines to run reigning Australian Open Sofia Kenin ragged 6-2, 6-2.
"It's always better to know that you've played well here ... and this is definitely the Happy Slam," said the Spaniard, using the Australian Open's nickname.
The two-time Grand Slam champion is showing the form that saw her rise to the top of the rankings in 2017 but it's a different story for defending Australian Open champion Kenin.
The 22-year-old's return to the scene of her stunning breakthrough last year has been rocky, after playing just one set in her opener against Camila Giorgi, who retired hurt, and then surviving a three-set scare against fellow American Jessica Pegula.
Her struggles continued with 28 unforced errors as the flummoxed American departed in tears.
Muguruza will face Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova, who defeated Argentine Nadia Podoroska 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 in the last quarter-final.
Earlier Barty, who has yet to rediscover her best after a long layoff, prevailed 7-5, 2-6, 10-4 in 92 minutes.
The 24-year-old Barty, competing in her first tournament in 11 months, appeared fresh after Thursday's unexpected stoppage having played two singles matches within 20 hours earlier in the week.
Barty, playing with the roof shut on Margaret Court Arena, overcame a second-set stutter with a ruthless performance in the super tiebreaker.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka saved two match points to beat Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 1-6, 11-9 and move into the quarter-finals of the Grampians Trophy in her season debut.
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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