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☆ Best of the rest: Another surprise in store in U.S. Open women's draw?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Aadi Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While her greatest success has come on grass, 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina's style can be devastating on hard courts, as she showed in some key clashes with major rivals on the surface this year. The 24-year-old beat Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final and got the better of Swiatek in straight sets at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Muchova will be feeling particularly confident, having reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters with wins over two top-10 ranked players -- Sabalenka and Sakkari. Muchova's compatriot Vondrousova will be hoping to build on her title-winning Wimbledon run, while two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova is one of the most experienced players in the draw and will prove a tough test for any opponent. The presence of former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, who have been given wild cards by organisers, adds another layer of unpredictability to the draw.

Persons: Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Daria Kasatkina, David Kirouac, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, it's, Caroline Garcia, Garcia, Sloane Stephens, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa, Muchova, Vondrousova, Kvitova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Wozniacki, Williams, Veronika Kudermetova, Aadi Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: IGA, U.S, Wimbledon, Sabalenka, Indian Wells, Australian, Cincinnati, Kazakh, Washington, U.S ., WTA, Tennis, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Flushing Meadows, Indian, Indian Wells, Washington, Cincinnati, Czech Republic, Bengaluru

France, which widened its heatwave red alert in the south of the country, said it would scale back production at a nuclear power plant as high temperatures curbed cooling water supply. The strait, linking the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, is a major shipping route for commodities such as oil and grains. It said some areas of southern France would experience temperatures of 42 degree Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). The authorities widened a heatwave red alert for the south of the country, while officials urged some mountain climbers to postpone their activities and told grape pickers to work in the morning to avoid the extreme heat. Italy issued heatwave red alerts about "emergency conditions" that the health ministry says could endanger the healthy as well as the frail in 17 of its 27 main cities for Wednesday and Thursday, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice.

Persons: Firefighters, Vassilis Kikilias, herder, Saint Alban, Karolina Tagaris, Alexandros Avramidis, Ezgi, Zhifan Liu, Forrest Crellin, Nacho Doce, Violeta Santos Moura, Crispian Balmer, Charlie Devereux, Edmund Blair Organizations: Migration Ministry, Residents, Civil, European Union, EDF, Saint, Fundacion Madrina, Firefighters, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Athens, Turkey, Dardanelles, France, Italy, ATHENS, ISTANBUL, Europe, Greece, Menidi, Amygdaleza, Fyli, Alexandroupolis, Evros, East, Asia, Turkey's, Canakkale, Meteo, Spain, Tenerife, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice

☆ Wildfire rages near Athens for second day, forcing more evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ATHENS, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Hundreds of firefighters struggled overnight to contain a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens, forcing more evacuations as authorities warned the risk of new blazes was high across the country on Wednesday. Twenty people have been killed since fires erupted in northern Greece on Saturday and quickly spread, fanned by gale force winds in the second major outbreak of the summer. A fire near the village of Fyli on the foothills of Mount Parnitha, some 25 km (15 miles) north of Athens, spread towards the town of Menidi, where about 150 people had to be evacuated from three nursing homes, a local official said. "We kept the fire away from homes," Stathis Topalidis, deputy mayor of Menidi, told state broadcaster ERT on Wednesday. [1/5]A satellite image shows an overview of wildfires in Alexandroupolis, Greece, August 21, 2023.

Persons: Topalidis, Karolina Tagaris, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: ERT, Maxar Technologies, REUTERS Acquire, Volunteers, European Union, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Athens, Greece, Fyli, Mount Parnitha, Menidi, Alexandroupolis, Turkey, East, Asia, Italy, Rhodes

☆ U.S. Open 2023: dates, schedule, seeds and how to watch on TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* The three main showcourts at the U.S. Open are Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand. * Arthur Ashe Stadium (capacity: 23,771) is named after the only Black man to claim singles titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. * Louis Armstrong Stadium (capacity: 14,053) was named after jazz great Armstrong who lived a few blocks from the venue until he died in 1971. * Poland's Iga Swiatek, the French Open champion, is the women's world number one and will defend her New York crown. * Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Latin America (North and South), TV Globo.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Norway's Casper Ruud, Violeta Santos Moura, Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, Armstrong, Holder Carlos Alcaraz, Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia, Maria Sakkari, Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Stan Sport, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: U.S, United States Tennis Association, National, OPEN, U.S ., Louis, Wimbledon, Australian, Open, WHO, TOP, MEN, Sports, SuperSport, Eurosport, Sky Sports, Telefonica, Oceania, Digicel, MIGU, TVNZ, Sony Sports Network, Caribbean, ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN, America, TV Globo, beIN, TSN, Thomson Locations: Murcia, Spain, New York, Serbia, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Greece, United States, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Jabeur, Tunisia, France, Czech Republic, Africa, Europe, SuperTennis, India, Bengaluru

☆ Ukrainian Children Brought to Camps in Belarus, Exposed to Pro-Kremlin Propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Karolina Jeznach | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Videos and photos posted by authorities in occupied Ukrainian regions show children waving Russian flags, studying Russian history and dancing to patriotic Russian songs. WSJ’s Ian Lovett explains the Kremlin’s efforts to re-educate Ukrainian children. Photo composite: Kalvin NgWARSAW—Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia, has transported thousands of Ukrainian children—some of them orphans—to the country, where they were exposed to pro-Kremlin propaganda, an effort that underscores the former Soviet nation’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 children have been brought by rail from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to Belarus as part of an agreement between Russia and Belarus, according to a publicly available document from the Belarusian government as well as leaked documents from Russian Railways and Belaruskali, a Belarus company funding the effort.

Persons: WSJ’s Ian Lovett, Ng, — Organizations: Kremlin, Russian Railways Locations: Ukrainian, Ng WARSAW, Belarus, Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Dozens of patients evacuated as Greece wildfires burn for fourth day
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Patients of a chronic diseases management foundation get evacuated as a wildfire burns near Alexandroupolis, in the region of Evros, Greece, August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis Acquire Licensing RightsALEXANDROUPOLIS, Greece, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Dozens of hospital patients were evacuated onto a ferry in the Greek port city of Alexandroupolis early on Tuesday, the fire brigade said, as wildfires in the area raged uncontrolled for the fourth day, killing one person. Authorities said 65 patients at the University Hospital of Alexandroupolis had been evacuated by early Tuesday as a precaution onto a ferry in the port. More than 20,000 foreign tourists had to be evacuated from the holiday island of Rhodes in July as wildfires burned for a week, destroying hotels and resorts. Fires were also burned on the island of Evia near Athens, as well as on the island of Kythnos and in Viotia in central Greece.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Ioannis Artopios, Karolina Tagaris, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Reuters, European Union, Firefighters, Thomson Locations: Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece, Makri, Turkey, Lefkimi, East, Asia, Rhodes, Spain, Tenerife, Kavala, Dialekto, Evia, Athens, Kythnos, Viotia

☆ Eighteen burned bodies, possibly of migrants, found in Greece fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ATHENS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Eighteen burned bodies, possibly of migrants, were found in a remote, rural area south of the village of Avantas in northern Greece on Tuesday where wildfires have been burning for days, the fire brigade said. "Given that there have been no reports of disappearances or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility that these are people who entered the country illegally is being investigated," the fire brigade said. The broader Evros region is a popular route for migrants crossing the river by the same name from Turkey into Greece. "Searches throughout the entire area where the fire broke out are ongoing," the fire brigade said. Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lefteris Papadimas, Karolina Tagaris, Alison Williams Organizations: Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Avantas, Greece, Turkey

☆ Wildfires rage in Greece, Spain and Italy as heatwave spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Flames burn a tree as a wildfire rages in Alexandroupolis, on the region of Evros, Greece. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change. WILDFIRES IN SPAIN, ITALYThe blaze has burned through 15,000 hectares in 12 municipalities forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. In France, four southern regions - the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire - were placed under red alert, the most serious warning. Grape-pickers in wine-producing regions of southern France have been advised to start work on the harvest in the early hours of the morning to avoid sweltering in a late summer heatwave.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, I've, Nikos Gioktsidis, Vassilis Varthakogiannis, AEMET, Alessandro Vitaliano, ANSA, Karolina Tagaris, Dominique Vidalon, Gisela Vignoni, Crispian Balmer, Ingrid Melander, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Flames, REUTERS, Greece Firefighters, heatwave, University Hospital, ERT, Rio Marina, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece, Spain, Italy, Europe, France, Turkey, Tenerife, SPAIN, ITALY, Elba, Rio, Rome, Milan, Florence, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Rhone, Alexandropoulis, Athens, Paris

☆ Coco Gauff continues excellent preparation for US Open with third title victory of the season
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Coco Gauff continued her excellent preparation for this month’s US Open with victory at the Western & Southern Open on Sunday. “I’m really happy with how I was able to manage this week,” Gauff said after becoming the tournament’s youngest ever winner. I wasn’t really serving as good as I did against Iga. I’m glad I was able to push through.”Gauff is still searching for her maiden grand slam title having reached the final of the French Open last year. She won in Auckland in January and Washington two weeks ago, and victory in Cincinnati on Sunday was her fifth career title.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Karolína, “ I’m, ” Gauff, “, she’s, It’s, I’m, Gauff, Matthew Stockman, Muchová, Bianca Andreescu, Caroline Wozniacki, Gauff –, – Organizations: CNN, & Southern, Sunday, Western & Southern, Women’s Tennis Association, Wimbledon Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, Auckland, Washington, Cincinnati, Czech

☆ Gauff beats Muchova to win Cincinnati Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Aug 19, 2023; Mason, OH, USA; Coco Gauff, of the United States, celebrates after defeating Iga Swiątek, of Poland, in their semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsAug 20 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff beat Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-4 to win the biggest title of her young career at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday and extend her outstanding run of form on North American hard courts ahead of the U.S. Open. Gauff had some trouble getting over the finish line, failing to convert three match point opportunities while serving at 5-2 thanks to some tentative groundstrokes. But on her next chance to serve for the title she did not falter, Muchova's return landing wide as Gauff jumped up and down in jubilation. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Iga Swiątek, Albert Cesare, Karolina Muchova, Muchova, Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Rory Carroll, Toby Davis Organizations: & Southern, Lindner, Tennis Center, Cincinnati, U.S ., Wimbledon, Flushing, Washington D.C, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, United States, Poland, Czech, Ohio, jubilation, New York, Flushing Meadows, Washington, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Gauff stuns Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsAug 19 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff beat world number one Iga Swiatek for the first time in eight meetings on Saturday to advance to the Cincinnati Open final as the American teenager's level continues to rise ahead of the upcoming U.S. Open. Gauff served big and played sensational defense en route to a 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4 win over the 22-year-old Pole and will face either world number two Aryna Sabalenka or Czech Karolina Muchova in Sunday's final. Gauff leapt into the air and pounded her chest as the crowd erupted after she secured the hard-fought victory. "I knew playing her was going to be tough, nothing was going to be given to me today," she told Tennis Channel. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Iga Swiątek, Albert Cesare, Gauff, Czech Karolina Muchova, Rory Carroll, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: & Southern, Lindner, Tennis Center, Cincinnati, Tennis, Wimbledon, Washington DC, Canadian, WTA, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, United States, Poland, Czech, U.S, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ Swiatek powers by Vondrousova to reach Cincinnati semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Carter Skaggs-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek overcame a tricky opening set before racing to a 7-6(3) 6-1 victory over Czech 10th seed Marketa Vondrousova on Friday in a clash between the last two Grand Slam winners to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals. "It wasn't easy to adjust to her spin because she's a lefty," French Open champion Swiatek said during her on-court interview. But she was denied both times by Swiatek before the Pole ran away with the tiebreaker. "I tried to learn from that first set, and in the second set I knew exactly what to do and I think that's why it was such a good performance," Swiatek said. Muchova now awaits the winner of the quarter-final clash between Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur and Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Danielle Collins, Carter Skaggs, Marketa Vondrousova, Swiatek, Vondrousova, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Czech Karolina Muchova, Marie Bouzkova, Muchova, Aryna, Frank Pingue, Hugh Lawson Organizations: & Southern, Lindner, Tennis Center, USA, Czech, Cincinnati, Wimbledon, Swiatek, ., Aryna Sabalenka, Thomson Locations: Mason, OH, USA, Poland, United States, Czech, Belarusian, Toronto

☆ Swiatek survives Zheng scare to reach Cincinnati quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek used an outfit change to help her reset after a poor start and beat China's Zheng Qinwen 3-6 6-1 6-1 on Thursday and set up a Cincinnati Open quarter-final clash with Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. "Honestly, it's because of my coach," Swiatek said about her outfit change. "I thought this was a bad (idea) but I tried this time and it worked, so thank you coach." Awaiting Swiatek in the next round will be Vondrousova, who converted four of five break points during a 7-5 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens. Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari also advanced with a 3-6 6-2 6-3 win over Czech Karolina Muchova.

Persons: Swiatek, China's Zheng Qinwen, Marketa Vondrousova, Zheng, Sloane Stephens, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Czech Karolina Muchova, Frank Pingue, Ed Osmond Organizations: Cincinnati, Wimbledon, U.S, Czech, Thomson Locations: Toronto

☆ Azarenka upsets Krejcikova, Wozniacki loses Cincinnati opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Twice champion Victoria Azarenka upset Czech 11th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the Cincinnati Open second round while Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki, in her second tournament out of retirement, lost her opening match. The 34-year-old unseeded Belarusian Azarenka broke Krejcikova four times, saved three of five break points and won the final five games of a match lasting one hour 45 minutes. Krejcikova battled to get the opener back on serve but Azarenka broke right back and then went on to serve out the first set in the following game on her second set point. Former world number one Wozniacki had her chances but failed to convert any of her nine break points while Gracheva's backhand proved too much for the Dane to handle. Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, a Cincinnati finalist last year, also booked her spot in the second round with a 7-6(2) 6-0 win over Russian Anna Blinkova.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Belarusian Azarenka, Krejcikova, Azarenka, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Dane, Petra Kvitova, Anna Blinkova, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Pliskova, Elena Rybakina, Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, Holder Carolina Garcia of, Sloane Stephens, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cincinnati, Belarusian, Wimbledon, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: Czech, Montreal, France, Tunisian, Toronto

☆ Swiatek reaches Montreal quarters, will stay world No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Aug 10, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Iga Swiatek (POL) serves against Karolina Muchova (CZE) (not pictured) during third round play at IGA Stadium. Just as play was about to begin in the third, rain swept across Montreal sending players to the locker room. They returned and Swiatek broke to open the deciding set but rain once again forced a delay. With the win, Swiatek guaranteed that Aryna Sabalenka, whose round of 16 match was postponed until Friday due to the weather, will not overtake her at the top of the rankings come Monday. Pegula will battle her doubles partner and compatriot Coco Gauff in the quarters after the teenager crushed Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-0 under the lights in Montreal.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Karolina Muchova, Eric Bolte, Swiatek, we've, I've, Danielle Collins, Leylah Fernandez, Jessica Pegula romped, Jasmine Paolini, Pegula, Coco Gauff, Marketa, Rory Carroll, Robert Birsel Organizations: IGA, U.S, Montreal, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Warsaw, Czech, Canadian, Los Angeles

☆ Swiatek solves Pliskova test to reach third round in Montreal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Aug 9, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Iga Swiatek (POL) hits a forehand against Karolina Pliskova (CZE) (not pictured) during second round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAug 9 (Reuters) - World number one Iga Swiatek overcame an early test before running away with a 7-6(6) 6-2 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova in Montreal on Wednesday to reach the third round of the Canadian Open. "This first match was a challenge, it's always a challenge especially against a player like that," Swiatek said during her on-court interview. In the second set, Swiatek found a new gear and followed an early break with a hold to love to grab control and never looked back as her mix of power and control proved to much for Pliskova to overcome. While serving for the match, Swiatek handed a break to Pliskova with her first double fault of the set but the Pole immediately broke back in the next game to seal the win.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Karolina Pliskova, Eric Bolte, Czech Karolina Pliskova, it's, Swiatek, Pliskova, Karolina Muchova, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Liudmila Samsonova, Belinda Bencic, Frank Pingue, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: IGA, Czech, Canadian, U.S, Alycia Parks, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Pliskova, Czech, Toronto

☆ WTA roundup: Nao Hibino upsets Linda Noskova for Prague title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Venus Williams (USA) waves to the crowd after her loss against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAugust 8 - Japan's Nao Hibino ended a four-year title drought Monday with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of No. 4 seed and home favorite Linda Noskova at the Livesport Prague Open in the Czech Republic. After taking the opening set rather easily, Keys needed nine match points to put Williams away. "You have to find that balance between playing risky, aggressive, but not too risky, not too much, because then (Swiatek's) not going to give you many points," Pliskova said.

Persons: Venus Williams, Eric Bolte, Nao Hibino, Linda Noskova, Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, Hibino, Noskova, Keys, Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Lin Zhu of, Pliskova, Katie Boulter, Belinda Bencic, Cirstea, Victoria, Italy's Jamine Paolini, Marie Bouzkova, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady Organizations: Madison Keys, IGA, Livesport, WTA, Hiroshima, Omnium Banque, Venus, Iga, Victoria Azarenka of, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Tashkent, Omnium, Czech, Lin Zhu of China, Switzerland, Romanian, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus

☆ Azarenka and Pliskova slog way into second round of rainy Canadian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Victoria Azarenka serves against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Azarenka was unfazed by the rain, charging ahead 5-2 in the opening set before closing it out with a break just before play was stopped a second time. She romped through the second set, winning 24 of 31 points and breaking Poland's Linette three times. When play restarted, Zhu pounced, winning two points to clinch the tie-break 10-8. But the 31-year-old Czech quickly refocused in the decider, applying pressure and breaking Zhu three times to move onto the second round and a meeting with Polish world number one and reigning US Open champion Iga Swiatek.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Magda Linette, Eric Bolte, Karolina Pliskova, Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Ukraine's, Pliskova, Zhu Lin, Sascha Bajin, Zhu, Zhu pounced, Iga Swiatek, Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Steve Keating, Jamie Freed Organizations: Victoria, IGA, Canadian, Warsaw, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Stuttgart, Pliskova, Czech, Toronto

☆ Rights groups seek 'credible' probe into Greece migrant shipwreck that killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for a "credible" probe into a migrant shipwreck off Greece in June in which hundreds died, saying that contrasting accounts by the Greek coastguard and survivors "were extremely concerning". Survivors have recounted a doomed attempt by the Greek coast guard to tow the trawler that caused the vessel to capsize, according to interviews and evidence seen by Reuters. The Greek coastguard and government have said no attempt was made to tow the boat and that it overturned when the coastguard was about 70 metres away. The acts of the coast guard are also under investigation.

Persons: Adriana, Judith Sunderland, Karolina Tagaris, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Amnesty, Human Rights, Greek coastguard, Reuters, coastguard, HRW, UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Europe, Central Asia, EU, Thomson Locations: Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Libya

☆ Christine Sinclair: the making of soccer’s most lethal striker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And the 40-year-old has a chance to add further records to her name as she leads Canada at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. From becoming Canada’s young-ever player when she made her debut aged 16 to arguably soccer’s greatest ever goal scorer, Sinclair has led quite the life. With this likely her last World Cup, she has one final opportunity to add ‘world champion’ to her long list of achievements. Sinclair dribbles against Sweden's Karolina Westberg during the semifinals of the 2003 Women's World Cup. The Canadians finished fourth at the 2003 World Cup – Sinclair scoring three goals along the way – as well as back-to-back bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics Games.

Persons: Diana Matheson, Matheson, Christine Sinclair, ” Matheson –, Canada –, Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marta, Ronaldo, Sinclair, ’, Naomi Baker, ’ Matheson, ‘, Sinc, ”, – Sinclair, Sweden's Karolina Westberg, Ben Radford, isn’t, Kenneth Heiner, Møller, ” Heiner, Møller –, –, “, ” Sinclair, Scott Heavey, Heiner, Christine, Atsushi Tomura, ” Møller, they’re Organizations: CNN, St, Canadian, Canada Soccer, soccer, Getty, University of Portland, Portland Pilots, Canadian women’s, FIFA, Canadians, Brazil, Australia Locations: Edinburg , Texas, Kitts, Nevis, Canada, Sinclair’s, Australia, New Zealand, Tokyo, Sinc, Portland –, Nigeria, Sweden

☆ How the ghost of 1990s property crash returned to haunt Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( John O'Donnell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummaryCompanies Swedish house market tumbles as rates riseSwedes dusting down 1990s blueprint to contain crisisBanks say willing to seize collateralFRANKFURT, July 28 (Reuters) - Long before Europe faced its debt crisis, Sweden struggled through its own 1990s property crash. At the centre of the fallout is a $13 billion property group, SBB, which borrowed to buy public property including social housing, government offices, schools, hospitals and police stations. While property doubled in value in the five years leading up to the 1990s crash, prices have since risen five-fold. Sweden's bruising experience in the 1990s, when banks seized swathes of property underpinning loans, hardened its approach and gave it a blueprint for coping with crises. Swedbank has 1 trillion crowns ($97 billion) in mortgages and loans to tenant owner associations and a further 240 billion crowns in loans to property management companies.

Persons: Jens Henriksson, Price, Karolina Ekholm, Swedbank's, Swedbank, Carl Cederschiold, Masih Yazdi, Bo Lundgren, Lundgren, John O'Donnell, Marie, Alison Williams Organizations: SBB, Sweden's, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Europe, Sweden, rocketed, Stockholm, Swedish

[1/3] Destroyed truck carriages are seen in a factory yard as a wildfire burns at the city of Volos, in central Greece, July 27, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros AvramidisVOLOS, Greece, July 27 (Reuters) - Firefighters in Greece battled flames burning for the 10th day on the island of Rhodes, while new blazes erupted on the mainland that destroyed farms and factories overnight and left farmers rushing to evacuate their animals. Officials ordered the evacuation of several communities in the hard-hit area of Magnesia, a coastal area north of Athens. The body of a 45-year old shepherd was found in a rural area on Wednesday evening, the fire brigade said. The fire brigade said more that 500 wildfires have burned in Greece so far this year.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Kostas Koukouvinos, Rhodes, Vassilis Kikilias, Karolina Tagaris, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, ERT, Civil, Thomson Locations: Volos, Greece, Alexandros Avramidis VOLOS, Rhodes, Magnesia, Athens, Lamia, Kymi, Evia, Portugal, Sicily, Algeria

STOCKHOLM/FRANKFURT, July 27 (Reuters) - Sweden has the financial muscle to intervene to stem any fire sale of property from companies rushing to sell out, the head of the country's debt agency told Reuters on Thursday. Karolina Ekholm, Director General at the Debt Office, said the government had a light debt load and could afford to borrow more to intervene to buoy the property sector should a threat emerge to wider financial stability. High debts, rising interest rates and a wilting economy has produced a toxic cocktail for Sweden's commercial property companies, with several cut to junk by rating agencies. The former central bank official pointed to the government's financial clout and that it could issue debt in either euros or U.S. dollars. "It would have to be something that threatens financial stability in Sweden and so far we haven't seen any of that."

Persons: Karolina Ekholm, Ekholm, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, AAA, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, FRANKFURT, Sweden

☆ 'My life stopped': local people say they lost all in Greece wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Fedja Grulovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inside his destroyed business in the coastal village of Gennadi, stacks of plates are covered in ash and debris near a burned-down kitchen. For the residents of Rhodes, which like most Greek islands depends heavily on tourism for jobs and income, the scars run deep. [1/2]The destroyed restaurant of Dimitris Hajifotis is seen, as a wildfire burns on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 26. Summer wildfires are common in Greece but a record temperatures in recent weeks have worsened conditions. A heatwave is forecast to persist this week with temperatures set to exceed 44 Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) in some areas.

Persons: RHODES, Dimitris Hajifotis, Nicolas Economou, Hadjifotis, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Laoudikos, Karolina Tagaris, Aurora Ellis Organizations: ERT, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Greece, Rhodes, Gennadi, Kiotari

☆ Russian tourists need to cross active war zones in Ukraine to get to their summer vacations in occupied Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian tourists need to cross through occupied Ukraine to get to their summer holidays in Crimea. An expert told Insider that Russian tourism in Crimea is a priority for Putin and the Kremlin. "There's been a huge push on the part of Russian authorities to really sustain and even increase tourism in occupied Crimea for economic reasons, and for an integration of occupied Crimea into the larger Russian system," Hird said. Crimea is a legitimate military target for Kyiv and among the most important territories Ukraine hopes to reclaim in this war. Since the Kerch Bridge's shut down, Russian media released an instruction guide for Russian tourists traveling through occupied Ukrainian territories, Anton Gerashchenko, the advisor to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, tweeted.

Persons: Putin, Ukraine didn't, Karolina Hird, Evans Hanson, Vladimir Putin, There's, " Hird, We've, Hird, Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Security, CNN, Institute for, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kerch, Wall, Silicon, Russia, It's, Moscow, Kherson, Melitopol, Donetsk Oblast, Russian

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