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CINCINNATI: Iga Swiatek filled in a piece of her career tennis puzzle on Monday as she won the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open for the first time with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Jasmine Paolini.
The final lasting for just under two hours featured 16 break-point chances, with the Polish winner converting on six of 10 while Paolini struggled to make the most of her break opportunities.
The six-time Grand Slam singles champion’s 11th career win at the WTA 1000 level has left her within striking distance of the all-time record of 13 titles held by Serena Williams. Swiatek won the Cincinnati without dropping a set.
The 24-year-old backed up her breakthrough Wimbledon trophy with the Midwest honors and now heads to the last Grand Slam of the season at the US Open with a major confidence boost after the 24th title of her career.
Swiatek also climbed to within 500 points of current WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka, with the lead at the top of the table likely to be in play at the Open when it begins on Sunday.
Swiatek had stalled twice at the last two editions at the semifinal stage and now has only the Canadian tournament where she has not reached the final at a 1000 event.
Swiatek began on the wrong foot as she lost serve to trail 0-3. But the situation was only temporary as the former number one immediately began her turnaround.
The Pole answered immediately with two breaks of serve and moved to a 5-3 lead
But Paolini earned another break in the 10th game, saving a Swiatek set point to square the final at five-all.
Paolini dropped serve for 5-6, giving her opponent the chance to produce a love game and claim the opener 7-5 after just under an hour on court.
The second set was a roller coaster, with the pair twice swapping breaks of serve before Swiatek salvaged a pair of break points to lead 5-3 and then serving out the winner two games later.

Riyadh: French esports powerhouse Karmine Corp secured their second major tournament victory of the year by dominating the Rocket League competition at the Esports World Cup 2025.

The team convincingly beat Geekay Esports 4-1 in the grand final to claim the lion’s share of the $1 million prize pool, pocketing $400,000.

Following their Birmingham Major triumph in March, Karmine Corp’s performance in Riyadh firmly establishes them as one of the leading contenders in Rocket League this season. The win was a strong comeback after a setback at the RLCS Raleigh Major, demonstrating their resilience and elite form heading into the RLCS 2025 World Championship.

Karmine Corp set the tone early in the grand final, racing to a 3-0 lead without conceding a single goal. Although Geekay Esports managed to respond with a match win to stave off defeat, the French club closed out the series decisively on their second match point opportunity, sealing a dominant championship win.

Geekay Esports reached the final after a thrilling semifinal clash against Team Vitality. The closely fought encounter went down to a Game 7 overtime, where Geekay scored a golden goal to secure their spot in the final.

On their road to the title, Karmine Corp defeated Team Falcons, a result that further boosts their reputation as frontrunners ahead of the RLCS World Championship. Their consistent and commanding performances earned them 1,000 Club Championship points, propelling them 34 places up the rankings to joint-11th overall.

Reflecting on the win, Karmine Corp’s Axel Touret expressed his pride: “I’m feeling great, it was a good match, we played really well. I love my team. It means a lot [to win], the team will have more money now, so that’s great. I’m really happy to be in Karmine Corp, we just won, so I’m really proud of everyone.”

Samy Hajji was named Sony MVP for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament. After his third major Rocket League title and second consecutive Esports World Cup win (having previously done so in 2024 with Team BDS), Hajji praised the Saudi tournament scene, saying: “I always play really well in ��������, I think it’s the hospitality, and even the tournaments. I love them, they are incredible.”

Meanwhile, Team Falcons secured third place after edging out Team Vitality in the decider, earning 500 Club Championship points. Although they missed out on the title, Team Falcons extended their lead in the Club Championship standings, holding a 500-point advantage over second-placed Team Liquid with three events remaining.

The Esports World Cup 2025 continues until Aug. 24, featuring tournaments in Crossfire, Counter-Strike 2, and Street Fighter 6. 

The event will culminate with the New Global Sport Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh from Aug. 23-24 — a premier B2B platform bringing together key figures from gaming, esports, sports, and entertainment to discuss the future of competitive entertainment.