Forest edge Sheffield Utd in first leg
SHEFfiElD UtD ....... 1
N. ForEst .............. 2 LONDON - Nottingham Forest established a narrow lead in their English Championship playoff semifinal with Sheffield United following a 2-1 win in the first leg at Bramall Lane yesterday.
Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson scored for the visitors, with the two-time former European champions looking to return to the Premier League after an absence of 23 years.
But Sander Berge’s header late on got United back into the tie ahead of Tuesday’s second leg at the City Ground. Forest went ahead in the 10th minute, scoring from their opening attack when Colback pounced
ROME - Ons Jabeur will face Iga Swiatek in the Italian Open final after winning yesterday’s thrilling last four clash with Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Tunisia’s Jabeur became the first Arab or African player to claim a WTA 1000 title with her stunning victory in Madrid, and now she has the chance to make more history against Swiatek, after another glorious comeback win on centre court in Rome.
Having won the first set in fairly comfortable fashion, world No.7 Jabeur was clattered from pillar to post by unseeded Russian Kasatkina.
Having levelled the match, Kasatkina then looked a certain winner and had match point on on a rebound after Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham saved well from Philip Zinckernagel.
The Midlands club dominated without adding to their tally until the 71st minute, when substitute Joe Lolley squared the ball to Johnson, who gave Foderingham no chance with a powerful shot into the top-right corner. United, however, changed the balance of the tie with a goal in stoppage time when Berge headed home after Forest keeper Brice Samba was stranded out of position.
The winners of this tie will face either Luton or Huddersfield, all square in their playoff after a goalless leg, in the Wembley final – a match billed as the richest game in football, given a place in the lucrative Premier League is at stake. her own serve in game 10 of the third set.
However, Jabeur saved the point and won that and the next two games to book her place in the final alongside Swiatek, who looked in unstoppable form in beating Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. The win was similar to her quarterfinal win over Maria Sakkari, where she came back from being a set down and behind 5-2 in the second to make the semis.
World No.1 Swiatek is gunning for a fifth consecutive tournament win and swatted Sabalenka aside in one hour, 16 minutes to claim her 27th win on the bounce, a tally last reached by Serena Williams in 2015. “I’m just constantly surprising myself that I can do better and better,” Swiatek told reporters.