Days after beating Iga Swiatek to win the Madrid Open title, world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka crashed within the first spherical of the Italian Open in Rome. Sabalenka misplaced in straight units to world no 134 Sofia Kenin.

Roma took a slender benefit of their Europa League semi-finals after beating Bayer Leverkusen 1-0. Juventus snatched a late draw in opposition to Sevilla within the different semi-final.

In the Conference League semi-finals, West Ham United and FC Basel received their respective first legs 2-1.

Here’s a have a look at the important thing tales from worldwide sporting occasions via the day for 12 May, 2023:

Sabalenka crashes in Rome

Women’s world quantity two Aryna Sabalenka’s hopes of a primary Italian Open crown have been crushed on Thursday.

The Australian Open champion, recent from a clay courtroom title in Madrid final weekend, misplaced 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to US world quantity 134 Sofia Kenin.

Kenin’s victory was her first in opposition to a top-10 rival since stunning world primary Ashleigh Barty on her option to her shock Australian Open title three years in the past.

Sabalenka had not been defeated earlier than the quarter-finals of any occasion this yr and got here into Rome because the match-win chief in 2023 with 29 match wins.

Novak Djokovic stated that Carlos Alcaraz is the person to beat within the Italian capital, however reassured followers that he “feels good” after his current elbow damage.

Top seed Djokovic comes into the clay-court event, the place he has been champion six instances, braced to lose prime spot on this planet rankings to Alcaraz.

The flamboyant Spaniard, recent from back-to-back clay titles in Barcelona and Madrid, simply must play a match within the Italian capital to return to the summit forward of the French Open which begins later this month.

“He’s going to be number one after this tournament and if it happens it will be deservedly so. He plays very impressive tennis, a great level. He’s the player to beat on this surface no doubt,” stated Djokovic, who begins his title defence in opposition to Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry on Friday.

Djokovic received a record-equalling twenty second Grand Slam on the Australian Open in January however missed the American hard-court swing in March as a result of his refusal to be vaccinated in opposition to Covid.

The 35-year-old has endured a tricky begin to the European clay-court season, being eradicated within the final 16 on the Monte Carlo Masters, within the quarter-finals at Banja Luka after which pulling out of Madrid together with his elbow drawback.

However Djokovic stated that he had overcome the bodily issues which have blighted this a part of his season.

In one other shock, Taylor Townsend, ranked a lowly 168, shocked third-ranked Jessica Pegula 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to additionally make the third spherical.

Townsend’s solely earlier top-10 victory got here throughout a fourth-round run on the 2019 US Open, the place she beat Simona Halep, then ranked fourth on this planet. She subsequent faces China’s Wang Xiyu.

World quantity 5 Coco Gauff eased into the third spherical with a 6-0, 6-1 defeat of Yulia Putintseva in just below an hour.

Former world primary Victoria Azarenka ended Sloane Stephens’ six-match profitable streak 6-4, 6-3 in a tie which featured 10 breaks of serve.

Results on Thursday from the ATP/WTA Italian Open in Rome (x denotes seeding, gamers representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing below the title or flag of their nations):

Men

1st rd

Alex Molcan (SVK) bt Stefano Napolitano (ITA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1)

Guido Pella (ARG) bt Maxime Cressy (USA) 6-3, 6-4

Marco Cecchinato (ITA) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 6-3, 7-5

Yannick Hanfmann (GER) bt Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-4, 6-4

J.J. Wolf (USA) bt Hugo Grenier (FRA) 7-5, 7-5

David Goffin (BEL) bt Luca Nardi (ITA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Jason Kubler (AUS) bt Marc-Andrea Huesler (SUI) 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-2

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6)

Nuno Borges (POR) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-1

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-2, 6-1

Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

Daniel Altmaier (GER) bt Giulio Zeppieri (ITA) 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-0

Thiago Monteiro (BRA) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-1, 6-2

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-2, 6-3

Fabian Marozsan (HUN) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-0, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) bt Francesco Passaro (ITA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4

Women

2nd rd

Coco Gauff (USA x6) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-0, 6-1

Marie Bouzkova (CZE x27) bt Caty McNally (USA) 6-4, 6-3

Anastasia Potapova (x23) bt Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) 6-4, 6-4

Veronika Kudermetova (x11) bt Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 7-5, 6-2

Anna Bondar (HUN) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x13) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2

Zheng Qinwen (CHN x22) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)

Wang Xiyu (CHN) bt Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM x31) 6-4, 7-5

Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Jessica Pegula (USA x3) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Caroline Garcia (FRA x5) bt Ana Bogdan (ROM) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Camila Osorio (COL) bt Petra Martic (CRO x29) 6-4, 6-2

Magda Linette (POL x17) bt Linda Noskova (CZE) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1

Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA x12) bt Gabriela Ruse (ROM) 6-2, 6-3

Victoria Azarenka (x14) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-4, 6-3

Madison Keys (USA x19) bt Magdalena Frech (POL) 6-3, 6-2

Anhelina Kalinina (UKR x30) bt Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-2

Sofia Kenin (USA) bt Aryna Sabalenka (x2) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Roma win, Juventus attract Europa League

Edoardo Bove fired Roma to a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a decent first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Bove scored the one objective of the sport within the 63rd minute on the Stadio Olimpico, permitting Jose Mourinho’s aspect to take a slender lead into subsequent week’s second leg in Germany.

The win offers Mourinho the prospect to succeed in his second European remaining in as a few years as Roma coach after profitable the Europa Conference League final season.

tonight and the boys responded with the need to make them completely happy.”

Roma took the win regardless of having a number of gamers both out or barely match to play, with stars Paulo Dybala and Georginio Wijnaldum solely approaching within the remaining quarter-hour to assist out an exhausted, largely second-string staff.

Federico Gatti headed residence within the 97th minute to earn Juventus a 1-1 draw in opposition to Sevilla of their Europa League semi-final first leg.

Youssef En-Nesyri gave the document six-time champions the lead within the first half and so they appeared set to take that benefit again to Seville earlier than Gatti’s late intervention.

Moroccan worldwide En-Nesyri completed a pointy counter-attack within the twenty sixth minute to interrupt the impasse in Turin.

Jose Luis Mendilibar’s aspect deserved their lead on the break and though Juventus improved, the Andalucians shut them out effectively of their bid to take their benefit again to the rowdy Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan subsequent week.

However Gatti nodded residence from level clean vary after substitute Paul Pogba headed the ball again into his path from a nook.

West Ham, FC Basel win in Europa Conference League semis

West Ham moved a step nearer to a primary European remaining for 47 years as Michail Antonio sealed a 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar within the Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

While West Ham eye a landmark remaining look, FC Basel are chasing historical past of their very own after seizing management of the opposite semi-final with a dramatic 2-1 victory in opposition to Fiorentina.

At the London Stadium, David Moyes’ aspect trailed to Tijjani Reijnders’ first-half objective earlier than combating again with a stirring show after the interval.

Said Benrahma equalised with a penalty earlier than Antonio bagged the late winner to place West Ham in command of the tie forward of the second leg within the Netherlands on May 18.

West Ham have received 12 of their 13 video games within the competitors this season, taking them to the brink of a primary main trophy for the reason that 1980 FA Cup.

Last season, the Hammers misplaced within the Europa League semi-finals in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt, however they’re in place to go additional this time period.

Swiss membership FC Basel have even much less European pedigree than West Ham, however that may very well be about to alter after they shocked Serie A aspect Fiorentina.

Fiorentina took the lead within the twenty fifth minute on the Stadio Artemio Franchi when Cristiano Biraghi’s nook was flicked on by Lucas Martinez Quarta and Arthur Cabral pounced with a superbly positioned header.

At the expense of his former membership, the Brazilian ahead’s seventh Europa Conference League objective this time period made him the event’s main scorer.

Basel are a disappointing fifth within the Swiss Super League and have by no means reached a European remaining.

But they snatched an equaliser within the 71st minute as a flowing transfer culminated with Andy Diouf’s medical end into the far nook from the sting of the realm.

In the third minute of stoppage time, on-loan Inter Milan ahead Darian Males teed up Zeki Amdouni for a predatory end that leaves Basel on the verge of turning into the primary Swiss membership to succeed in a European remaining.

With textual content inputs from AFP

Updated via the day