HOBART: Venus Williams was dumped out of the Hobart International in straight sets by Tatjana Maria on Tuesday to dent her Australian Open preparations in a historic clash between two players with a combined age of 83. It was the second consecutive tournament in which the 45-year-old Williams had crashed at the first hurdle after last week&#39;s Auckland Classic. She survived 87 minutes in Hobart against German world number 42 Maria, who is 38, before slumping 6-4, 6-3, having gamely saved six of nine break points. The first meeting between the pair set a new record for the highest combined age for a main draw match since the WTA Tour was founded in 1973. Maria said her daughters Charlotte, 12, and Cecilia, four, were probably cheering for Williams, one of their favorite players. &quot;Everybody loves Venus. I love her too,&quot; said Maria. &quot;For me, to play her was such an honor because I never played her before. It was not easy with all the wind, but it was amazing.&quot; Maria became the oldest WTA Tour singles winner since Serena Williams in 2020, winning at Queen&#39;s Club in London last year. She moves on to a last-16 clash with Hungary&#39;s Anna Bondar. American seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams will now head to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where she has been handed a wildcard five years after she last played there. Williams, who has played only sporadically in recent years, will be the oldest woman ever at the opening Grand Slam of the year, which begins on Sunday. Two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova also lost in the first round, needing treatment and strapping on her knee before tumbling out 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) to American Peyton Stearns. The Czech former world number two, now ranked 55, ended her season early last year because of a knee injury, but successfully got through three matches in the United Cup last week, winning two. Krejcikova, who won the French Open in 2021 and Wimbledon in 2024, missed last year&#39;s Australian Open with a back injury. Stearns will meet Olga Danilovic next after the unseeded Serb beat American defending champion McCartney Kessler in three sets.

Tennis

Survives 87 minutes in Hobart against German world number 42 Maria, who is 38, before slumping 6-4, 6-3, having gamely saved six of nine break points.

Maria beats Williams in ‘golden oldies’ final at Australian Open warm-up

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Italy have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening international cricket cooperation and expanding technical and competitive support for the sport, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Friday.&nbsp;According to a PCB press release, the agreement will help advance men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s cricket in Italy, following the Italian national team&rsquo;s qualification for the upcoming ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup.&nbsp;&ldquo;The MoU was formally signed by Mr. Sumair Ahmad Syed, Chief Operating Officer, PCB and Madame Maria Lorena Haz Paz, President of the FCRI,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The collaboration covers a wide range of development initiatives, including expert exchanges, joint training programmes, friendly and bilateral matches, and support for cricket infrastructure and youth pathways across Italy.&nbsp;Paz welcomed the partnership as part of Italy&rsquo;s broader strategy to raise competitive standards. She noted that the federation is also pursuing additional bilateral agreements to accelerate cricket growth.&nbsp;Syed underscored the PCB&rsquo;s commitment to supporting the global advancement of the sport. The statement quoted him as saying the partnership &ldquo;represents an important opportunity to strengthen sporting and cultural ties between Pakistan and Italy.&rdquo;

Cricket

The Pakistan Cricket Board signed a historic MoU with Italy’s Cricket Federation to develop men’s and women’s cricket through training, expert exchanges, matches, and infrastructure support, strengthening global cricket cooperation and sporting ties between both nations.

Articles tagged with "Madame Maria Lorena Haz Paz"

Maria beats Williams in ‘golden oldies’ final at Australian Open warm-up

Pakistan, Italy seal MoU to boost global cricket development efforts