ELENA RYBAKINA RETAINS NINGBO TITLE, WINS FIRST TROPHY AS WORLD NUMBER ONE

The victory helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking.

Rybakina's latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week. [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]

Elena Rybakina blazed past unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final to retain her title and lift her first trophy as the world number one ahead of the WTA Finals next month.

The victory on Sunday also helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which she won the Australian Open title before adding the US Open crown to reach the summit.

Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set in only 38 minutes.

World number 30 Fernandez made a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-time Grand Slam champion breezing to victory from there.

Rybakina’s latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before launching her title defence at the season finale in Indian Wells from November 8.

- Reuters 

CONTROVERSY HITS CANELO VS. CRAWFORD CARD WITH HORRIFIC HEAVYWEIGHT VERDICT

Jermaine Franklin Jr. got a decision that stunned the boxing world as Ivan Dychko saw his undefeated record ripped away in a highly controversial fashion on the Canelo vs. Crawford undercard at Allegiant Stadium.

The heavyweight clash, fought over ten sluggish rounds, produced a verdict few could agree with, casting a shadow over what should have been a showcase night for the sport.

One-way traffic through six rounds

From the outset, the story looked straightforward. Dychko, a decorated two-time Olympic bronze medalist, dictated with his jab and superior reach. Using footwork to offset Franklin, the Kazakh kept control while the American, remembered for his loss to Anthony Joshua, looked sluggish, out of condition, and without rhythm.

Franklin never found consistency, often plodding forward without ideas, as Dychko picked him off with ease.

Across the first six rounds, Dychko built a clear lead, jabbing, moving, and frustrating Franklin. He controlled distance, tempo, and the quality of work, piling up points as Franklin’s corner searched in vain for answers.

Across the first six rounds, Dychko built a clear lead, jabbing, moving, and frustrating Franklin. He controlled distance, tempo, and the quality of work, piling up points as Franklin’s corner searched in vain for answers.

The second half brought flashes of aggression from Franklin, but they were brief and ineffective. At one point, he did look close to troubling Dychko, but couldn’t, leaving more doubts than ever about his credentials at the top end of the division.

The Scorecards That Stunned Las Vegas

When the final bell rang, the consensus was simple: Dychko had won comfortably. Unofficial tallies had the Kazakh well ahead. Then came the shock. Judges Kermit Bayless (96-93), Chris Migliore (95-94), and Don Trella (97-92) all inexplicably sided with Franklin.

How all three carded for Franklin is a mystery. Fans instantly branded the unanimous verdict a robbery, with Franklin having done nothing to deserve the win.

For Dychko, dropping to 15-1 under these circumstances is a bitter blow. He did more than enough to keep his perfect record intact, only to see it stripped away by baffling scoring.

Franklin, now 24-2, escapes Las Vegas with a victory many view as hollow, a win that brings scrutiny rather than credibility.

The controversy adds yet another layer to the ongoing debate about judging standards, with this decision sure to be a topic of discussion for days to come.

- Phil Jay

IN-FORM HUMBERT EASES PAST BUBLIK TO CAPTURE

 

Reuters 

Fifth seed Ugo Humbert produced a near-flawless performance to outclass Kazakh Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-3 and capture the Dubai Tennis Championships title on Saturday for his second trophy this season.

By lifting the title, the 25-year-old Frenchman became only the third player in the professional era to win his first six tour-level finals, matching the achievement of Latvia's Ernests Gulbis and Slovakia's Martin Klizan.

"I really don't know, but I have a good statistic," Humbert said about his ability to rise to the occasion in title clashes. "I have a really good team around me."

The in-form Marseille champion edged a tight opening set when seventh seed Bublik fired a double fault in the 10th game as he chanced his arm and attempted a big second serve in a desperate bid to hold.

"It's not easy to play against Bublik," said Humbert, who will climb four places to a career-high world ranking of number 14 when the list is updated on Monday.

"I stayed really calm and really focused. He had some opportunities to break me in the first set but I knew exactly what I had to do."

BOXING: GENADY GOLOVKIN GETTING READY FOR DANIEL JACOBS FOR AN INTERESTING BOUT ON SATURDAY AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin is set to face Daniel Jacobs inside Madison Square Garden in New York this coming Saturday...