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PARIS — Top seed Simona Halep fought back to triumph in a bruising French Open quarter-final battle against Germany's Angelique Kerber to stand two wins away from her first Grand Slam title.

The Romanian, who lost in last year's final at Roland Garros, defeated Kerber 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2, to book a place against Garbine Muguruza in the semis.

World No. 1 Halep made a slow start, misfiring on her first serve and spraying her groundshots wide early on in a duel that lasted more than two hours, before steadily breaking down her opponent.

"It's always a tough match when I play against her. After the first set I just stayed strong and didn't give up," Halep told the court Suzanne Lenglen crowd in a post-match interview.

"I missed a lot in the beginning. I tried to do too much. I changed the tactics a bit and it worked."

Halep had arrived in Paris on a hot streak, reaching at least the quarter-finals in her last nine clay-court tournaments and losing only one set on her path to facing Kerber in Paris.

But it was the German who started the stronger, out-hitting her rival, and with lethal accuracy, to win the first four games as Halep struggled to find her serving rhythm and peppered the tramlines with unforced errors.

Slowly the normally aggressive baseliner clawed her way back into the contest, winning three straight games as both players struggled to hold on to their serves in a monster opening set.

Kerber eventually prevailed in a tiebreak, but Halep came out all guns blazing in the second, firing baseline bullets at her opponent, who tried to cling on against the onslaught.

But by the third set Halep had broken the German's defences — and her resolve — as she banged in 76 per cent of her first serves, with only half the unforced errors of her opponent.

Halep's win knocks Caroline Wozniacki out of the race to No. 1 in next week's rankings, and sets up a winner-takes-all contest between herself and Spain's Muguruza in Thursday's semifinal.

A Grand Slam win in Paris would bring redemption for Halep, who lost in the 2017 French Open final against Jelena Ostapenko after leading by a set and three games.

Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova to reach the French Open semifinals on Wednesday as a second top-of-the-bill showdown in three days failed to materialse at Roland Garros.

Sharapova's eagerly-awaited fourth-round clash with Serena Williams never even made it on court on Monday, as her American nemesis pulled out an hour before the scheduled start with a pectoral injury.

This time the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd — at least the ones that could be prised away from their luncheon — got a match, if not a contest, as Muguruza roared to a 6-2, 6-1 victory and on to a semifinal against top seed Simona Halep in which the World No. 1 ranking will also be on the line.

Sharapova, back at the claycourt slam for the first time since 2015 following a doping-ban, walked on court with two French Open crowns to Muguruza's one and a 3-0 head-to-head record against the reigning Wimbledon champion.

An hour and ten minutes later the 31-year-old was walking off after her worst French Open spanking since she managed only two games against Dominika Cibulkova at the same stage in 2009.

"I just didn't feel free, and I felt there was a lot of force behind all the shots and that it wasn't coming natural to me — didn't have the rhythm," Sharapova told reporters.

The signs were ominous when the five-times Grand Slam champion coughed up three nervy double-faults in the opening game. Muguruza sensed weakness and pounced for a 4-0 lead.

Sharapova did finally settle, holding serve to love, but Muguruza clumped down an ace to make it 5-1.

The former World No. 1 drilled a backhand winner down the line to hold again in the next game, the 28th seed clenching her fist as she walked to the chair.

But Muguruza was relentless and brought up two set points with a scorching backhand winner before sealing the opening set with a clubbing forehand that Sharapova fended into the net.

The only hope for the Russian was that her 2014 French Open quarter-final defeat of Muguruza, when she also got steamrollered in the first set before coming back, might play on her opponent's mind.

Service breaks were exchanged at the start of the second set but Muguruza is a far steelier player than four years ago and Sharapova did not get a sniff in the next five games as the Spaniard reached her fourth Grand Slam semifinal.

An anti-climactic match ended predictably, with a Sharapova backhand nestling in the net — her 27th unforced error.

There was no great show of elation from Muguruza at the end. She clearly still has business to attend to as she eyes a follow-up to her 2016 title on the Parisian clay.

"I think I did a good performance today, a very serious, solid match. I'm happy with that," the 24-year-old said.

"Four years ago my experience was different. I think I've developed a lot as a tennis player."

Muguruza is yet to drop a set in the tournament but she is expecting a tougher test against last year's runner-up Halep.

"I think she's right now probably the best player. Well, she's No. 1," she said. "I'm excited to play a good semifinals and it's good that it's tomorrow."

ZURICH — The 2022 World Cup is unlikely to be increased to 48 teams, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said late Monday, although if it were enlarged, the possibility of co-hosting would have to be examined.

Infantino told reporters from news agencies that it was premature to talk of a 48-team tournament in Qatar, which he stressed would have to be consulted first, and said he had no idea whether Iran could be a co-host.

The World Cup will be increased from 32 to 48 teams from 2026 but the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) proposed in April that the change be introduced in 2022.

Infantino said the proposal would be put to the FIFA Congress in Moscow on June 10 and a decision would be needed within one year.

“For the moment, we have a World Cup with 32 teams which will be played in Qatar, that is the current situation,” said Infantino. 

“CONMEBOL made an interesting request... so we will have to look into it.”

Infantino said that, if it were to be enlarged, “more teams means more stadiums, more venues, more hotels, more transportation. Whether this is possible only in Qatar is a question mark and this should be looked into”.

He added: “You need many people to agree on going down that road and I think it’s premature. 

“It’s not likely it could change but I don’t think we should be worried of discussing proposals. Obviously Qatar will have to agree.”

“We have a contract with the Qataris, they have been awarded the World Cup with 32 teams,” he said. “Contracts are there to be respected but there is nothing wrong in discussing.”

Asked directly if Iran could co-host, he said: “I have no idea. Of course, everything is open... let’s go step by step.”

Qatar, which plans to use eight stadiums for the tournament, has been in the middle of a diplomatic standoff after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed travel and trade ties with it last June, alleging it was backing Iran and supporting terrorism. 

Qatar denies this and says the boycott is an attempt to impinge on its sovereignty and rein in its support for reform.

Welcoming Russia

With the 2018 World Cup starting in Russia on June 14, Infantino said he was confident the tournament would be impeccably organised and played down hooliganism fears.

“I have rarely been so relaxed about the organisation of an event,” he said. 

“Russia wants to show to the world that it is a welcoming country where people can come to celebrate and enjoy football... I have never seen a country that has done so much for the welcoming of fans as Russia is doing.” 

Referring to the hooligan threat, he said: “Everything is being done to ensure Russia will offer a safe environment.” 

Infantino defended his decision to consider a $25 billion offer from unnamed investors for two new tournaments — a revamped version of the Club World Cup and a global Nations League for national teams.

European football leaders have criticised FIFA, saying they have not being given enough information.

“I cannot disclose [details] in that $25 billion,” said Infantino, who was not concerned about which country the investment originated from. 

“I wouldn’t have any issue it if was [from] Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Russia, the United States, China, Japan... the more, the better.”

“We need to develop football with new ideas, new development funds,” he added. “We need to get away from having just one tournament one month every four years and thinking this is enough to develop football in the world.”

PARIS  — American Serena Williams' audacious attempt to win the French Open for a fourth time ended in crushing anti-climax on Monday as injury, rather than an old foe, forced the 36-year-old to admit defeat at Roland Garros.

The scene had been set for Williams in her “superhero” catsuit to take on Russian ice queen Maria Sharapova in a fourth-round clash that had assumed top-billing.

But shortly before the two old warriors were due on court, the 23-times Grand Slam champion instead stepped into a news conference room to announce she was pulling out.

Williams, playing in her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last September, said she had suffered a pectoral muscle injury in her impressive third round victory against Germany's Julia Goerges.

"Unfortunately I'm having some issues with my pec muscle. Right now I can't actually serve it's kind of hard to play," she told a room packed with reporters.

"I'm having an MRI [scan] tomorrow, I'm going to stay here to see the doctors and see as many specialists as I can. I won't know [how serious the injury is] until I get those results."

Williams had worked hard to get back in shape and, despite starting the tournament with a notional ranking of 451 and having played only four matches this year, she actually looked capable of going all the way.

Dressed in the black bodysuit with a red band around the waist she resembled a superhero — not just a supermum — and was playing as if she had never been away.

Williams beat Australian 17th seed Ashleigh Barty in the second round and turned on the style against 11th seed Goerges.

However, on Sunday she took part in a third round doubles match with sister Venus, losing 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 to Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and apparently aggravated an injury she had first felt the previous day.

With an 18-match winning streak against twice French champion Sharapova in her favour, Williams said she was "beyond disappointed" not to be able to play on Monday.

"I gave up so much to time with my daughter and my family and put everything on court for this moment," she said.

"It's really difficult to be in this situation, but... for now in my life, I just always try to think positively and just think of the bigger picture and hopefully [I can play in] the next events and the rest of the year.

"I'm going to continue to get better. I had such a wonderful performance in my first Grand Slam back."

Five-times Grand Slam champion Sharapova, who despite her long run of defeats by Williams is still considered an arch-rival, wished her nemesis a "speedy recovery".

"I was looking forward to my match against Serena today and am disappointed that she had to withdraw," the 28th seed said.

Sharapova, herself making a French Open comeback after missing the last two editions following a doping ban, will face either Garbine Muguruza or Lesia Tsurenko in the last eight.

Williams said she would have to wait to find out the extent of the injury before deciding whether she can play at Wimbledon.

But former World No.1 Kim Clijsters, who returned from having a baby to win the US Open in 2009, said injuries of this nature are only to be expected for new mums returning to the top tier of sport.

"We were all looking forward to this match and excited to see what the outcome would be," she told Eurosport.

"Pregnancy and birth is physically very demanding and you deal with new injuries that you are not used to. In the first part of my career I'd have recurring injuries and then after I had [daughter] Jada I had new injuries."

The Belgian believes Williams can still add to her Grand Slam collection, though.

"I think Serena can get close to winning another Grand Slam. I think it's these kind of new situations that she'll go home and learn a lot about how she is feeling," Clijsters added.

PARIS — Juan Martin del Potro fired a menacing warning to those already writing Rafael Nadal’s name on the French Open trophy with a bludgeoning 7-5, 6-4, 6-1 third-round defeat of Spanish claycourter Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday.

The seemingly unstoppable Nadal might be the red-hot favourite to claim an 11th title at Roland Garros next weekend, but Argentine powerhouse Del Potro could prove a significant obstacle in the semifinals.

The way the fifth seed overwhelmed Ramos-Vinolas on Court Philippe Chatrier with his serve and forehand working like clockwork will not have gone unnoticed in the Nadal camp.

“I think I was a bit lucky in the first set because Albert made me run a lot, but I had control of the match in the end and played well in the right moments,” Del Potro said.

“I’m playing better every day. Claycourt is not my favourite but I’m enjoying playing here.”

Del Potro was given a fight in the first set but after squandering a 5-3 lead he broke Ramos-Vinolas in the 12th game to move ahead.

There was still plenty of resistance in the second set but Del Potro piled on the pressure as Ramos-Vinolas served at 4-5 and pulled two sets clear.

The third was a formality as del Potro moved into the last 16 on the Paris clay for the first time since 2012.

He will face American John Isner on Monday and says he feels strong enough to keep going having suffered an injury scare in the build-up to the French Open.

“I think I’m strong enough to keep doing well. [It] Has been three difficult matches to me, but I played well and I know I could play even better in my next round,” he said.

“All the guys who are still alive in this tournament has big chance to go far, so now the tournament becomes more interesting to watch and to play.”

Nadal, who turned 32 on Sunday, continued his bid for an 11th French Open title and 17th major by brushing aside Gasquet to claim a 16th consecutive win over his childhood friend.

The World No. 1’s record at Roland Garros now stands at 82 wins and just two losses.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion eased to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Chatrier to reach his 40th last-16 at a Slam.

He also took his run of consecutive completed sets at the French Open to 34, just seven shy of the record held by Bjorn Borg between 1979 and 1981.

Nadal, who lost only two points in the first five games, will next play Germany’s World No. 70 Maximilian Marterer.

Nadal played down thoughts that he is unbeatable on clay — Austrian Dominic Thiem is the only player to win against him on the surface this year in Madrid.

“What I know is I go to the court, and I know that I can win, I can lose. I don’t come here saying, ‘You can’t win against me’.”

Meanwhile, third seed Marin Cilic reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 20th time with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Steve Johnson of the United States.

Former US Open champion Cilic will face Italian 18th seed Fabio Fognini for a place in the quarter-finals.

Argentine tennis player Diego Schwartzman beat Croatia’s Borna Coric 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the championship’s round of 16 for the first time in his career. 

His next opponent is to be South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, world No. 7, who beat Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-1, 6-7 (7-3), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

PARIS — For the second time in three days Alexander Zverev found himself two-sets-to-one down at the French Open and his poor run at the Grand Slams looked set to continue as he put his nearest and dearest through the wringer for more than three hours.

So when it seemed like the German was about to bow out at Roland Garros as he stood match point down at 4-5, 30-40 in the fifth set of his third round tussle with Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, what kind of turmoil was buzzing through his mind?

“None. Mainly I was thinking what I was going to have for lunch,” said a deadpan Zverev after completing his 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 great escape.

“When you’re down a match point, you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, how am I going to turn this match around?’ You’re trying to win that exact point to be able to continue the match. That’s what’s going on in your head.”

Staying in the moment, rather then getting tangled up in possible scenarios that may crop up during the nerve-shredding battle, allowed Zverev to get over some humps yesterday.

For the first time at a Grand Slam he beat a top 50 player.

For the first time at the French Open he reached the fourth round.

For the first time in his career he won a contest on the main Philippe Chatrier Court.

“It was a very tight match. It’s normal there were a lot of nerves involved. In that moment, it’s all about finding a way,” said the second seed, who was also taken the distance by Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in the second round.

“Even if you’re not playing your best, it’s all about finding a way to win and finding the right solution to the right moment.

“I’m trying to win matches. If it takes me three sets, great. If it takes me five sets, that’s also great,” added the 21-year-old who now has a 6-5 win-loss record in five setters.

“I’m trying to win. That’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter how long it goes. It doesn’t matter how much time I’ll spend on court. It doesn’t matter if it goes 9-7 in the fifth or it goes 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. I’m in the next round and that’s all that matters.”

With only one fourth round appearance to show for his 11 previous visits to the majors, the two five-set thrillers he has survived in Paris might turn into his coming-of-age moment.

It also answered a lot of questions Zverev had about his own ability to emerge unscathed from such bruising encounters.

“It was important to see for myself that I can win back-to-back five-set matches and both very difficult physical matches,” he said.

“I was feeling fine physically, so for me that gives me a lot of confidence going deep into the fifth set, going long matches on this kind of surface. And knowing that I’m fit enough to last as long as I want.

“So this gives me a lot of confidence. It was an important point to prove to myself as well.”

MADRID — Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane made the surprise announcement on Thursday that he was leaving the European champions after winning an unprecedented third straight Champions League title.

“I think it’s the moment, both for me, the team and the club [to step down]. It’s a strange moment to do so, I know, but an important one too. I had to do this for everyone,” he said. 

The Frenchman clearly feels that after such a successful period at the Bernabeu the only way forward for the club to continue its success is via a change at the top. 

“This side should carry on winning and needs a change for this. After three years it needs another voice, another method of work, for this I took this decision,” said Zidane. 

“The players need a change. I want to thank them because it’s they who fight on the pitch. 

“This club’s history is huge, we always ask a lot of players, but there comes a moment when you think ‘What more can I ask of them, after what they’ve done for me?’ For this I think they need another discourse.” 

Zidane became the first coach to win a third straight European Cup when Real beat Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday, capping a remarkable period in his first job in senior club management. 

“I love this club a lot, the president, who gave me everything — to play first at this great club. I’ll always be thankful. Today I need to change, for me, for everyone, for this I’ve taken the decision,” Zidane added. 

“After three years, it’s my decision and perhaps I can get it wrong, but I think that after such time it is the moment. 

“If I don’t see that I think we’re going to carry on winning, if I don’t see things as I want them to be, a moment arrives where you say it’s better to change.” 

The Frenchman took over a divided dressing room after the sacking of Rafael Benitez in January, 2016 and immediately set about uniting the squad. 

He claimed the first of his hat-trick of European triumphs two years ago when Real defeated local rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in the final. A year later he led Real to their first European Cup and La Liga double in 59 years. 

Real finished three points ahead of Barcelona as they won their first league title since 2012 before crushing Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final to become the first side to win the competition in its current format in back-to-back seasons. 

Zidane won nine major honours as Real coach and the 46-year-old’s crowning glory came last Saturday as he joined an elite group of managers including Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti by lifting the European Cup for the third time as coach. 

The club have not named a successor, however local media reports suggest Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino, who signed a new five-year contract with the London club last week, is their first choice to replace the Frenchman. 

Carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers to this year’s NBA finals is among the most impressive feats of LeBron James’ career but the challenge that now awaits the game’s greatest player may be more than even he can handle.

Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, who are part of the ABC/ESPN broadcast team for the NBA finals that start on Thursday at the home of the defending champion Golden States Warriors, are not convinced Cleveland can even win a game in the series.

“It will be interesting to see how competitive LeBron James can make this Finals, but any game they get in this finals would be a huge upset,” former NBA coach Van Gundy told a conference call on Tuesday.

“This is the biggest difference that I remember between two teams heading into the finals in my time in the NBA. I can’t think of a bigger gap from a team perspective.”

The Cavs are the lowest play-off seed, No. 4, for a James-led team in a decade. They barely escaped a seven-game, first-round series against Indiana and then, after cruising past Toronto in four games, upset Boston in seven.

Next up is a Warriors team that have won two of the last three NBA finals and boast riches few teams have ever claimed and can shoot the lights out most any night.

“The Warriors make you pay the price for making mistakes,” said former coach and player Jackson.

“So if you are to have any chance of beating them at all, you have to make sure that defensively you’re one accord.

“But they are clearly the favourite, without question, but the luxury of having the best player in the world in that situation, anything can happen.”

The Cavs and Warriors are meeting for the fourth straight year for the right to be crowned NBA champions while it marks the eighth consecutive finals appearance for James as part of a stretch that dates back to his stint in Miami.

When the two teams met for the title in 2016, James used a superhuman effort to lead Cleveland back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship, marking the first time an NBA team had pulled off such a comeback.

James is playing some of the best basketball of his 15-year NBA career, but that might not be enough considering he does not have much of a supporting cast going up against a perennial powerhouse like Golden State in a best-of-seven series.

“Obviously James is going to have to be great... and they are going to have to be lights out from the three-point line to have a chance to win a game,” said Van Gundy.

He added that the only chance the Cavaliers have is if they can keep the high-scoring Warriors from reaching 100 points. That is a tall order considering the defending champions have scored at least 100 points in 13 of their 17 play-off games.

“I just don’t think Cleveland has the firepower to win shootouts,” said Van Gundy. “So it’s going to have to be grind-it-out games where the tempo is controlled and to do that you have got to have smart, tough guys on the floor.”

AMMAN — Just four points separate the top three drivers as the Jordan Drift Championship heads into an exhilarating third round on Thursday night at the Dead Sea Service Park, opposite the hotels area, according to the Jordan Motorsport Media Service.

After two thrilling rounds, Mohammed Noufal holds on to the top spot despite a fifth place finish last time out, but he leads the standings by a simple point from Mohammad Al Foqahaa. And breathing down their necks is round two winner Omar Al Kukhun who is just four points off the summit.

“We have enjoyed two action packed opening rounds of the Drift Championship so the scene is set for another gripping night of action on Thursday,” said Othman Nassif, CEO of Jordan Motorsport who organise national motorsports championships in the Kingdom. Up to 50 drivers are expected to enter round three which will be get into gear after Iftar.