Around the Betting Planet: Osaka wins third major title

US

Osaka wins US Open women’s final

Naomi Osaka won her third Grand Slam title on Saturday, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the 2020 US Open final. The Japanese star had a difficult start and went a set down, but she turned it around with a superb performance. 

It was Azarenka’s first time in a final since 2013. Her relentless battling performance wasn’t quite enough to bring her the crown this year, as Osaka responded powerfully to win the match 1-6 6-3 6-3.

The win is Osaka’s second US Open title in three years. She won in 2018 after emerging victorious against Serena Williams, who lost to Azarenka in the semi-finals this year. 

UK

EPL starts with a bang: Liverpool vs Leeds

Leeds United brought their A-game to their opening English Premier League game at Anfield. Although the newly promoted side put three goals past the defending champions, Liverpool did just enough to claim a 4-3 win in one of the most memorable EPL Matchweek 1 clashes in years.

Mohamed Salah won the day with a hat-trick for the Reds, with two of those strikes coming from penalties. Virgil van Dijk also struck for the home side, but he was then guilty of a critical error when Patrick Bamford made it 2-2 on the half-hour mark.

In the three remaining matches on Saturday, Arsenal thrashed Fulham 3-0, Crystal Palace defeated Southampton 1-0, and Newcastle United beat West Ham United 2-0.

Africa

Morocco to host CAF presidential election

Ahmad Ahmad, the Confederation of African Football’s current president, has remained silent about whether he’ll run for a second term. However, candidates may apply between now and November 12 for the top position. The election is scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 12, 2021.

In the meantime, the CAF have had to make adjustments to the events calendar due to the pandemic. This year’s Champions League and Confederations Cup have both been moved to the second half of October. The African Nations Championship is still scheduled for January next year, but changes may occur as the continent progresses from COVID-19.

Europe

Messi makes first appearance since transfer row

Last week, Messi admitted to wanting to leave Barcelona, but his attempt was unsuccessful. He has since made his first appearance for the team since the news broke, and he still captained the side.

Barcelona played a friendly against Gimnastic de Tarragona, where they won 3-1. Messi starred in the first half but was replaced in the second along with several other starters. 

South America

More COVID positives in Argentina rugby camp

The Argentine Rugby Union have announced that five more players and several members of staff have tested positive for COVID-19, including head coach Mario Ledesma. However, everyone is asymptomatic and has gone into self-isolation. 

The virus’s impact may cause rescheduling of the upcoming Rugby Championship, which is supposed to begin in November.

Australia

Oscar Piastri wins F3 drivers’ title

Melbourne teen Oscar Piastri is the Formula 3 Championship drivers’ champion for 2020, becoming the first Australian to claim the title. The youngster placed seventh this weekend in the final race of the season, which earned him enough points to finish ahead of Theo Pourchaire in the final standings.

Piastri’s teammate, Logan Sargeant, was the favorite to win but had a bad crash in the first lap. While Oscar celebrated his win, he sympathized with Sargeant.

New Zealand

Wallabies coach slams NZ government

Dave Rennie, coach of the Wallabies rugby team, has slammed the New Zealand government for the strict isolation protocols that they want players to abide by when entering the country. The Aussies are set to visit in October for the first two legs of the four-game Bledisloe Cup series.

The quarantine measures will prevent the squad from training together and preparing for the upcoming matches. If they don’t budge, it’s likely that Australia won’t compete this year.