World number five Rafael Nadal has been knocked out of the Australian Open first round by fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The epic five-set match ended 7-6, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 in four hours, 41 minutes. It’s only Nadal’s second ever opening round defeat at a major tournament. Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, former world number one Ana Ivanovic beat the unseeded Tammi Patterson 6-2, 6-3.
Zimbabwe stun Australia to stay unbeaten in T20 World Cup
Australia were dealt an early blow in their quest to reach the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after the depleted former champions crashed to a 23-run defeat by Zimbabwe in Colombo on Friday.
Arsenal miss chance to go six points clear with draw at Brentford
Arsenal has wasted the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday, with Noni Madueke's second-half header cancelled out by Keane Lewis-Potter.
India thump Namibia ahead of Pakistan clash
Defending champions India continued their march towards the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a 93-run win over Namibia in a group A contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
Italy crush Nepal in maiden T20 World Cup victory
Brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca guided Twenty20 World Cup debutants Italy to their first win in the tournament, as their unbeaten half-centuries secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal in a Group C clash on Thursday.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reveals major expansion plan
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will usher in the start of a new era for one of the Middle East’s most iconic sporting events with plans revealed for an extensive two-phase redevelopment that will transform the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and surrounding Aviation Club Tennis Complex.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the 11.5: Edge of Life Ramadan campaign to rescue 5 million children around the world from hunger.
Teams from Dubai Police and Kuwait have successfully dismantled an international drug trafficking network and foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 14 million Captagon pills inside sacks of corn grains.
The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced that public school students will switch to remote learning on Fridays during the holy month of Ramadan, marking the second consecutive year of the initiative.
