Mayar Sharif from Egypt won the women's singles final of the Iasi Open tournament in Yasii, Romania, on July 20, 2026, securing her second WTA title. The victory was achieved after Paula Badosa from Spain was forced to leave the match due to an injury during the second set of the final.
The match, which was postponed for a day due to rain, concluded with Sharif winning 6-4, 4-0 after one hour and twelve minutes of play. In the first set, the Egyptian player broke her opponent's serve three times, and in the second set, she took a confident lead before Badosa announced her inability to continue the fight.
This triumph marks Sharif's second singles title on the WTA Tour, having won her first such title in Parma in 2022. This victory also concluded an impressive run on clay, during which she extended her winning streak to 15 matches after winning WTA 125 titles in Brescia and Contrezeville, and then reached the podium in Yasii. Furthermore, the 30-year-old athlete improved her head-to-head record against Badosa to 2-1.
Badosa entered the final in good form, boasting a nine-match winning streak after winning the WTA 125 title in Bastad and reaching the final in Yasii. The Spaniard aimed for her fifth WTA Tour trophy but finished as a silver medalist for the first time, having previously won all four of her previous finals. The result brought a significant rise in Sharif's updated WTA ranking: she climbed 42 positions to secure 55th place in the world. Badosa, by reaching the final, rose 22 positions to rank 93rd.
Three football matches are scheduled for today as part of the 13th round of the Uzbekistan Super League. The matches are planned for July 22nd.
The team 'Mashal', which is an underdog in the Super League, will host the team 'Nasaf' from Karshina at their home ground. 'Mashal' aims to secure its first points this season after previously achieving success against 'Kokkon-1912'. 'Ajdarlar' (Dragons) reached this confrontation by defeating 'Bunyodkor' in Tashkent. According to the league table, 'Nasaf' is in 8th place with 16 points after 12 matches, while 'Yolbarlar' has only 3 points and occupies the last place in the table. This match is set to begin at 20:00.
The teams 'Lokomotiv' and 'Andijan', who are close in the standings, will play a match as part of the 13th round. The 'Railmen' have accumulated important points leading up to this game. Previously, they played away against 'Pakhtakor' in Tashkent and drew 1-1. 'Berkutlar' (Eagles) suffered a painful home defeat to 'Surkhon' with a score of 1-2. This was 'Andijan's' first defeat under the management of Islam Akhmedov. According to the table, 'Lokomotiv' is in 7th place with 18 points after 12 games, and 'Andijan' is in 9th place with 16 points. The game will start at the 'Lokomotiv' stadium at 20:00.
The OKMK team from Olmalik, which previously defeated 'Navbahor', will now travel to face the team 'Kokkon-1912' in Kokkon. 'Kokkon-1912', one of the underdogs of the Super League, previously lost to 'Mashal'. Serious competition for victory is expected in this match. In the league table, 'Konchilar' (Birds) are in 6th place with 19 points, while 'Kokkon-1912' is in 15th place with 11 points. The match will take place at the central stadium of Kokkon at 20:00.
The Istanbul prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into illegal betting related to the Turkish Football Federation and involving 19 club managers.
Investigators analyzed data obtained from betting platforms for the period from 2020 to 2026.
According to Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek, 17 people have been arrested as part of the investigation, and checks have been conducted in ten provinces across the country. Approximately 3700 footballers from various leagues in the country are suspected, including 25 players from the top division. Most of them have been disqualified for up to one year.
Furthermore, the Turkish Football Federation has temporarily suspended about 150 referees. According to investigators, some of them placed bets on matches hundreds of times, including games involving their own teams.
The library in Mitchells Plain hosted a lively chess tournament for young participants. Many young chess players gathered at the Town Centre library during the event, competing in their ability to outmaneuver each other through moves.
The tournament, which took place during the holidays in the competition room, brought together novice players from the Town Centre, Rocklands, and Lentegeur libraries. The room was filled with an active atmosphere as children carefully considered their next moves, while proud parents and coaches observed the process from the sidelines.
Reggie Sinden, chairman of the Mitchells Plain Chess Club, noted that the large turnout is another sign of the growing popularity of chess in the area. He emphasized that libraries have become important partners in the development of the game, as the Mitchells Plain Chess Club is the only one in Mitchells Plain.
The tournament concluded the festive program of the Mitchells Plain Chess Club, held at the Town Centre library last week. Sinden, who has nearly fifty years of experience in chess, believes that the game offers much more than just trophies and medals. He stated that you cannot lose at chess because the game teaches discipline, patience, and problem-solving skills, helping young people realize their potential in society.
A coach from Rocklands, Chesherly Zister, reported that he regularly conducts training sessions in schools and libraries, teaching youth the basics before they participate in larger tournaments. He added that this tournament serves as good preparation, as they will later compete with libraries from all over the Western Cape and also participate in school tournaments.
Basil Adams, head chess coach from the Rocklands library, explained that for him, this day was not only about results on the score sheet. Although many children play individually in different schools, this was the first time they competed together as one team. Adams noted that ups and downs in results are part of the learning process, and the most important thing is gaining experience playing in a real tournament setting, as the more they play, the better they become.
Despite having winners and losers, after the final games, no one showed particular desire to put away the chess pieces. Judging by the fullness of the venue, chess is quietly but surely advancing in Mitchells Plain, step by step.
