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US Open: Caroline Garcia ends Coco Gauff’s hopes to set up Ons Jabeur semi-final

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Caroline Garcia will meet Ons Jabeur for a place in the US Open final after ending American teenager Coco Gauff’s hopes in New York.

French 17th seed Garcia, 28, produced a clinical display to reach her first major semi-final with a 6-3 6-4 victory against the 18-year-old 12th seed.

Tunisian Jabeur awaits after the fifth seed defeated Ajla Tomljanovic.

Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon in July, secured her first US Open semi-final with a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win.

The 28-year-old is the first African woman in the Open era to reach the last four in singles at Flushing Meadows after coming through the scrappy encounter against the Australian.

The in-form Garcia is still yet to drop a set in New York, with this her 13th successive win in a streak that included her claiming her first WTA 1000 win in five years at Cincinnati.

In only her second major quarter-final – and first since the 2017 French Open – Garcia immediately put Gauff on the back foot on Arthur Ashe Stadium and rarely relented.

Making her 42nd Grand Slam appearance, Garcia unsettled her opponent and subdued the home crowd with a fast start in which she quickly established a 4-0 lead with a second break of serve.

Contesting her first quarter-final at her home Slam, Gauff hit back in the fifth game but the damage had already been done. Garcia punched the air as she went on to clinch her first set point on serve after 45 minutes.

The teenager was bidding to become the youngest American woman to reach the last four in New York since Serena Williams did so aged 17 in 1999.

However, her task was made even tougher as she lost her serve in the opening game of the second set.

Willed on by the crowd, Gauff – set to make her top-10 debut after the tournament – saved two break points when trailing 3-1 but crucially she was unable to take an opportunity of her own in the following game.

Garcia dropped her racquet and held her hands up in disbelief as Gauff netted on the first match point to make her the first Frenchwoman to reach the last four since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006.

Jabeur, nicknamed the Minister of Happiness in her home country, often looked down on herself against the in-form Tomljanovic, who beat Serena Williams in a thrilling third-round match.

She apologised for her negativity afterwards, joking: “I think I am going to be fired as Minister of Happiness.

“It is tough to manage the frustration and I apologise for my behaviour.

“I wanted to stay calm but the racquet kept slipping away from my hands.”

Jabeur and Tomljanovic traded breaks in the opening set before the fifth seed took the lead with an outrageous reflex volley that landed just on the baseline

After closing out the first set on a long Tomljanovic strike, Jabeur instantly broke to start the second, but neither player could find any rhythm.

There were six breaks of serve in the first nine games, including when Tomljanovic served for the set at 5-3, before Jabeur eventually held for 5-5.

Despite rescuing the set and forcing a tie-break Jabeur cut a frustrated figure and was jeered by the crowd when she twice threw her racquet to the ground.

However, she was able to find her serve when she needed it most to keep alive her hopes of a maiden Grand Slam title.

“I know that I have it in me to win a Grand Slam – I had to keep working hard [after Wimbledon] and here I am in the semi-finals,” she said.

Source: BBC Sports

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Dani Alves released after paying €1 million bail for rape conviction

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Sources had informed ESPN last week that Alves was considering alternative options to raise the €1m, including freeing up some of his assets and asking money due to him by the Spanish tax office. Alves paid the payment on Friday, according to Spanish news agency EFE, citing judicial sources. On Monday, the court verified receipt of Alves' bail money and indicated he would be released within hours. To be released, Alves must surrender his Brazilian and Spanish passports, pay bond, and not leave the country. He still has a home near Barcelona.

Former Brazil player Dani Alves was freed from prison on Monday after paying the €1 million ($1.08 million) bail necessary while awaiting the outcome of an appeal to his rape conviction, according to Reuters and Spanish court records.

On February 22, Catalonia’s top court convicted Alves of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022 and sentenced him to 4½ years in jail. He was granted bail on Wednesday but stayed in prison for the rest of the week after failing to come up with the funds on time.

Alves, accompanied by his lawyer, left the Brians 2 jail northwest of Barcelona soon before 4:30 p.m. local time, wearing a grey jacket over a white turtleneck, according to a Reuters videographer.

Sources informed ESPN last week that Alves was considering alternative options to raise the €1m, including freeing up some of his assets and asking for money due to him by the Spanish tax office.

Alves paid the payment on Friday, according to Spanish news agency EFE, citing judicial sources. On Monday, the court verified receipt of Alves’ bail money and indicated he would be released within hours.

To be released, Alves must surrender his Brazilian and Spanish passports, pay bond, and not leave the country. He still has a home near Barcelona.

Alves is also prohibited from approaching or communicating with the victim within 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), and he is required to visit the courts once a week.

Ester García, the victim’s lawyer, criticised the decision to give Alves bail until his appeal, calling it “scandalous”.

“It is justice for the rich,” she stated.

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Ghana’s Evans Yamoah wins gold in men’s high jump at the African Games

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Despite facing great opposition from competitors like as South Africa's Mpho Benjamin and Hammouda Saad, Yamoah's outstanding performance catapulted him to victory, attracting viewers' attention and solidifying his image as a rising star in the world of athletics. Notably, this historic victory marks the first time Ghana has won gold in both the Men's and Women's High Jump events at the African Games, with Rose Yeboah successfully defending her Women's title. Ghana's athletics delegation has considerably contributed to the country's total medal tally in the Games, with Yamoah winning the gold medal and Joseph Paul Amoah winning the Men's 200m final.

Evans Yamoah Cadman created history in the 2023 African Games by winning the gold medal in the Men’s High Jump for Ghana, demonstrating his exceptional leaping abilities and culminating in an excellent performance in the continental arena.

Yamoah, along with fellow Ghanaians Ebenezer Gyimah and Kennedy Ocansey, exhibited exceptional talent, outperforming countless opponents to cement his place in Ghanaian and African sports history.

Throughout the competition, Yamoah had exceptional consistency, clearing nearly every height on his first try. Even at the difficult height of 2.16 metres, he persevered, finally succeeding on his second attempt. Surprisingly, he was the only participant to surpass the height of 2.23 metres, earning his well-deserved gold medal.

Despite facing great opposition from competitors like South Africa’s Mpho Benjamin and Hammouda Saad, Yamoah’s outstanding performance catapulted him to victory, attracting viewers’ attention and solidifying his image as a rising star in the world of athletics.

Notably, this historic victory marks the first time Ghana has won gold in both the Men’s and Women’s High Jump events at the African Games, with Rose Yeboah successfully defending her Women’s title.

Ghana’s athletics delegation has considerably contributed to the country’s total medal tally in the Games, with Yamoah winning the gold medal and Joseph Paul Amoah winning the Men’s 200m final.

Ghana’s excellent athletic performance has increased its medal count to 54, including 14 gold, 24 silver, and 17 bronze.

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2023 African Games: Joseph Paul Amoah wins gold in 200m

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Consider Emmanuel of Nigeria finished third, clocking 20.80 seconds. Amoah's compatriot, Ibrahim Fuseini, also displayed his abilities by finishing fourth in the extremely tough race.

Ghanaian sprinter Joseph Paul Amoah electrified the track after winning the gold medal in the men’s 200m final on Friday at the University of Ghana Stadium.

Amoah, who had previously won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, showed impressive form in both the heats and the semifinals, establishing himself as a strong contender for the final. With drive and skill, he executed a magnificent performance to win the coveted gold medal.

Amoah crossed the finish line in 20.70 seconds, securing first place on the podium. Following closely after was Cameroon’s Claude Emmanuel Itoungue Bogognie, who won silver in 20.74 seconds.

Consider Emmanuel of Nigeria finished third, clocking 20.80 seconds.

Amoah’s compatriot, Ibrahim Fuseini, also displayed his abilities by finishing fourth in the extremely tough race.

The victory in the men’s 200m follows Ghana’s earlier success in the day, when the women’s hockey team defeated Nigeria in the final. William Amponsah also added to Ghana’s medal count, winning a silver medal in the marathon event.

Joseph Paul Amoah’s amazing performance not only earned him a well-deserved gold medal, but it also cemented his reputation as one of Ghana’s top athletes on the world scene.

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