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Raducanu targeted by man 'exhibiting fixated behaviour'
Emma Raducanu was targeted by a man who "exhibited fixated behaviour" during her second-round loss to Karolina Muchova at the Dubai Tennis Championships, the WTA said.
An emotional Raducanu, 22, was seen hiding behind the umpire's chair two games into her second round loss to Karolina Muchova.
"On Monday, February 17, Emma Raducanu was approached in a public area by a man who exhibited fixated behaviour," the WTA said.
"This same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma's match on Tuesday and subsequently ejected."
The man has been banned from all WTA events, "pending a threat assessment".
Raducanu alerted the chair umpire to the situation and was comforted by 14th seed Muchova as the individual was removed from court three.
The Briton returned to the court to applause from the crowd and continued playing, but fell to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
In 2022, a man who walked 23 miles to the London home of Raducanu was given a five-year restraining order.
The WTA said: "Player safety is our top priority, and tournaments are advised on security best practices for international sporting events.
"The WTA is actively working with Emma and her team to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.
"We remain committed to collaborating with tournaments and their security teams worldwide to maintain a safe environment for all players."
Robbie Henshaw believes competition for places is helping Ireland's players get "the best out of each other" in their Six Nations campaign.
Led by interim head coach Simon Easterby, the back-to-back champions remain on course for a third title in succession after opening wins over England and Scotland and will secure the Triple Crown with victory over Wales on Saturday.
Henshaw started against Scotland after coming off the bench against England with Easterby also able to call upon Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose for his midfield spots.
The trio have rarely all been fit for the duration of the same Test window but the 31-year-old says the switches in personnel have been "seamless" so far.
"We know each others' strengths inside out at this stage," he said.
"A lot of work goes on to make sure everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet.
"Everyone is delighted to have contributed in the first games. We're always pushing the bar to keep improving each other and keep getting the best out of each other."
Ireland will be without captain Caelan Doris due to a knee injury, but Henshaw thinks the side have an able replacement in the shape of Jack Conan who excelled off the bench in the first two games.
"It's unfortunate for Caelan to be missing this week, hopefully he'll be back soon," said Henshaw.
"To have someone like Jack coming in, it goes to show the talent we have across the board in terms of the competition for places, the strength and depth.
"It's great that we have people of that talent to step in."
'England a different side to one beaten by Scots'
Head coach Steve Borthwick says England are a "very different" side to the one which was beaten by Scotland in last year's Calcutta Cup meeting.
Scotland claimed their fourth consecutive win over England with a 30-21 victory at Murrayfield in the 2024 Six Nations, but Borthwick says his class of 2025 are "not looking to the past" as they prepare to welcome their northerly neighbours to Allianz Stadium.
Only seven starters from the defeat in Edinburgh have retained their place in England's XV 12 months on.
Both sides have won one game and lost to Ireland in this year's Six Nations but defeat is likely to curtail their chances of competing for the title.
"As part of the preparation of any game, I always look back at the most recent matches against the opponent," Borthwick told BBC Rugby Union Weekly.
"What we also have to acknowledge is this [England] team is a very different team to the one that played last year.
"Danny Care started at scrum-half last year and he has retired from Test duty so you have to be conscious of drawing parallels.
"In comparison to previous England teams, the strengths of this one are wider than they used to be.
"There are different distribution strengths and there is an athleticism to this team which is different to 12 months ago.
"We are not looking at the past and the focus is on this weekend. The atmosphere is going to be phenomenal and I think it will be a brilliant Test match."
Despite Scotland's recent dominance, the past seven meetings have been largely tight affairs.
The average final score across those matches is 23-19 in Scotland's favour. Five of the seven meetings have been decided by a score or less.
Crucially, Scotland lead the combined try count 19-13 and only once in the sequence have England managed to score 25 points or more - in the extraordinary 38-38 draw at Twickenham in 2019.
"It's almost like Scotland have very much looked forward to this game more than England have in the last number of years," Laidlaw said.
"Scotland have been on the front foot and it's almost like England have just tried to defend their way to a win rather than using their attack."
BBC pundit and former England international Chris Ashton - who won four from four against Scotland during his Test career - says Steve Borthwick's current side will be desperate to avoid a record fifth consecutive defeat.
"I can't really comprehend being beaten by Scotland four times in a row," Ashton told the BBC's Scotland Rugby Podcast.
"That is not something I would want hanging over my head. But there's not too many in this England team who have experienced all that - maybe three or four.
"So I don't know how transferable it is. But, no matter what, if they get beat, it's a hell of a tag to have against your name, isn't it?"
Yamal: I love Barça, it's 'impossible' to leave
Lamine Yamal has said it would be "impossible" for him to leave Barcelona and that he never hears about offers from other clubs.
Barça president Joan Laporta previously claimed the club turned down a bid of 250 million (260m) for the 17-year-old last summer, with club official Enric Masip later suggesting the offer came from Paris Saint-Germain.
"I don't hear about it," Yamal told Mundo Deportivo when asked if PSG's offer or interest from any other club had been relayed to him.
"If someone in my camp does, they wouldn't have told me, either. Firstly, and above all, because I have a contract and then because I think it's impossible that I would go to another club."
Yamal's current terms expire in 2026, but ESPN have previously revealed there is a verbal agreement to extend his deal until 2030 when he turns 18.
"I don't think anyone doubts how much I love this club," he added of his contract situation. "I have said as much since I made my debut and everything will be resolved in the end.
"If both parties want something to happen, it will happen. In July [when he turns 18 and can sign a longer-term deal], when the next season starts, everything will be resolved and everyone will see.
"But right now I am focused on LaLiga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey."
In LaLiga, Yamal's five goals and league-high 11 assists have helped Barça into first place with 14 games to be played.
"Being favourites or not doesn't give you anything," he added of the title race with just one point separating Barça, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid at the top of the table.
"We have to think that we're the best team and the side that play the best football, and I think we are. We play the best football and we want to win LaLiga."
As the battle to win the league has intensified, refereeing in Spain has been under increased scrutiny, with Madrid this month complaining about decisions and even claiming match officials are "adulterating" the competition.
Yamal said he has empathy for the job referees have to do and that none of the teams in the title race -- Barça, Madrid or Atlético -- can complain.
"Recently everything is being put in doubt," he said. "A referee's job is really difficult. If you whistle one way, the other team will complain. And if neither complains, another team that's not playing does.
"I don't think we can complain, Madrid, Barça and Atlético. Referees try to do the best possible. Games between teams like Alavés and Leganés aren't spoken about as much and maybe there are more controversial moments. It's a hard job and someone will always complain."
Fanning misses maiden ton but helps keep Western Australia on top
Queensland 147 for 39 for 1 trail Western Australia 312 (Fanning 95, Whiteman 67, Neser 4-34) by 126 runs
Fanning made 95 as WA posted 312 all out on Wednesday at The Gabba in reply to Queensland's first innings of 147. At stumps, Queensland were 39 for 1 in their second innings, still 126 runs behind the visitors.
The New Zealand-born left hander struck five fours and two sixes in his 229-ball knock and featured in two telling partnerships. He put on 108 with his opening partner Sam Whiteman, who was dismissed for 67 late on Tuesday. Fanning also combined with Jayden Goodwin for a 103-run partnership for the third wicket.
Goodwin made 40 before missing an attempted sweep from legspinner Mitch Swepson. Goodwin's dismissal triggered a slide of 5 for 27 as Queensland stalwart Neser ripped through the middle order.
Neser finished with 4 for 34 from 21 overs. He had nightwatchman Corey Rocchiccioli caught at mid-off for 2 early on the second day's play and later removed Fanning, Ashton Turner and Keaton Critchell, with fellow quick Xavier Bartlett dismissing Joel Curtis as WA lost five wickets in a 10-over span.
WA allrounder Hilton Cartwright then rallied his side with a handy 48 not out, steering the visitors to a 165-run innings lead.
WA then achieved a key breakthrough when Rocchiccioli snared his eighth wicket in the match. The offspinner, who claimed a career-best 7 for 52 in the first innings, removed Matt Renshaw for 10 in his first over of the innings.
Konstas calms himself but can't cash in as New South Wales take control
New South Wales 238 and 134 for 4 (Gilkes 43*, Phillipe 31, Boland 2-29) lead Victoria 182 (Bird 3-24, Jacobs 3-60) by 190 runs
Overall batting was tricky and NSW closed in a healthy position with a lead of 190 and six wickets in hand as both teams pushed for a victory that will be vital to their hopes of a place in the Sheffield Shield final.
NSW head coach Greg Shipperd and batting coach Nick Larkin watched intently from the boundary edge for the duration of Konstas' stay which ended shortly before tea when he square drove a short delivery from Boland to point.
Until then, Konstas had shaped up solidly against some demanding new-ball bowling from Boland and Fergus O'Neill. He had taken until his 13th delivery to get off the mark, showing a clear intent to leave deliveries outside off, and defended largely with a straight bat although was troubled by Boland.
It wasn't until the 11th over that he found the boundary, collecting back-to-back fours off Will Sutherland, before carving another just over point against Boland. It was an attempted repeat of that stroke which brought his downfall.
"I'm all for entertainment and good batting, but that wasn't good batting on day one. It was good fun for five minutes," Phil Jaques, the former NSW coach, said on commentary. "It was better application from Konstas today, he was really patient and gave himself a chance to get in. It was a better innings, but unfortunately not much to show for it."
Nic Maddinson, who hit 20 off the second of the game yesterday, had fallen early to a pearler from O'Neill while Kurtis Patterson was pinned lbw by Sutherland having worked hard for 28.
When Sutherland fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were still more than 100 adrift but nightwatchman Perry, who was given a life at cover by Gilkes, and No. 9 O'Neill eked out 34 in 16 overs until O'Neill was well held at long leg by Jacobs when he top-edged what became the last ball before lunch.
NSW were frustrated for nine overs by the last-wicket pair with Boland making a handy contribution before Perry was last out, driving to mid-off, have faced 122 balls for 29.
Kuhnemann undergoes ICC testing, awaits fate on action
Just a week after being reported during Australia's 2-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka, Kuhnemann has now completed tests on his suspect action.
"Matthew has completed the assessment which was performed at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane," CA said in a statement on Wednesday. "The ICC will make a determination in due course. Neither Cricket Australia nor Matthew will be making any public comment at this time."
The 28-year-old was put through his paces during a session that lasted more than one hour in Brisbane, asked to bowl at a similar speed and with similar revolutions to what he did in Galle.
International Cricket Council (ICC) experts watched on, with Kuhnemann wearing markers on his body and being surrounded by several high-speed cameras, and a 3D motion analysis system.
The results of those tests will be assessed over the next week, before a determination is made by the ICC on Kuhnemann's action. If he is found to extend his elbow by more than 15 degrees on his stock ball, Kuhnemann will be banned from bowling until he can prove he has remedied the issue.
Otherwise, the spinner will be cleared to continue bowling for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield and be available for Australia's tour of West Indies in June.
The ICC also has the power to determine if a bowler's action is only problematic on certain types of deliveries. In that case, a player would be able to continue bowling in matches without those variations until cleared.
Australia's players are no stranger to biomechanical testing, with high performance staff often using the same facilities to help streamline or improve the bowling actions of quicks.
Kuhnemann also played through the pain to be the leading wicket-taker of the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy with 16 wickets at 17.18 in the two Tests in Sri Lanka. It was after the second Test that Kuhnemann was told his action had been reported, for the first time in eight years of professional cricket.
Australia's players have backed Kuhnemann in the bid to have his action cleared, with stand-in captain Steven Smith expecting him to have no issue.
"It's come as a bit of a surprise to me," Smith, who captained Australia against Sri Lanka, said last Friday. "He has been playing for eight years in professional cricket and nothing has been said in that amount of time.
"I am thinking of him, at present, he has to go through the process. We're confident he will pass. He will go through that process back home, we wish him all the best."
Fakhar Zaman being examined for 'muscular sprain'; Ravindra not yet ready
New Zealand opener Will Young drove Shaheen Afridi through the covers to beat the infield, with Zaman setting off in pursuit. He cut it off before palming it over to Babar Azam to throw it back to the keeper, but immediately appeared to feel discomfort in his lower back. He signalled that he needed to be replaced, and went off the field with the physio, though he walked unaided back to the dressing room.
"Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain and further updates will be provided in due course," the PCB said in a statement.
Pakistan had been hampered by an injury to Saim Ayub in similar circumstances, one that ultimately kept him out of the Champions Trophy. In a Test against South Africa, he set off in pursuit of a ball to the boundary and ended up twisting his ankle. It resulted in a fracture that will keep him out until at least the middle of March. Fakhar, who until then wasn't part of Pakistan's ODI plans, came back into the side as Ayub's replacement, and made an impressive return, scoring 84 off 69 and 41 off 28 in his first two matches back in the side.
The game marks the return of ICC tournament cricket to Pakistan after 1996, with huge crowds building up outside the National Stadium in Karachi in the hours before the start. The opening ceremony was attended by Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari and had an air force fly-past parade after the toss, which Pakistan won and asked New Zealand to bat.
For Maharaj, it's about 'building pressure and limiting boundary balls' on Pakistan belters
South Africa's bowlers are looking forward to the chance to test themselves on batter-friendly surfaces in Pakistan, where high scores are expected to define the Champions Trophy.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to see the class within our bowling line-up stand up and sort of defend these scores," Maharaj said from Karachi, where South Africa will play Afghanistan in their tournament opener on Friday. "Although the totals might seem high in the context of cricket it's probably on par to get 320 these days when batting first and chasing it down in the 44th or 46th over.
"It's a nice test. As cricketers, if you're not tested in your chosen skill, then you're not going to challenge yourself to get better. I think it's a wonderful advert to see the high scores and when the bowler does come out on the right side of things, it shows his class and worth within the team and the world line-up."
Maharaj recognised that this may mean a return to a more traditional containing role for him with the seamers expected to attack.
"They're quite happy with the conditions, but they understand that it's not just rock up and score runs. It's still a process and method"
Keshav Maharaj on the South Africa batters
"In order to get success, it's about building pressure and just limiting the boundary balls in between," he said. "It's probably more of that holding role that one's accustomed to seeing in South Africa. It's not about changing the way I bowl, it's just about changing the field sets that we have. I'm still trying to bowl my best ball to create opportunity, but with probably a more defensive type of field, maybe not carrying a slip for so long. That's basically the sort of mindset."
On the evidence of the only ODI Maharaj has played in Pakistan, which was just last week, he has taken to the task well. He was South Africa's most economical bowler on a difficult day as Pakistan chased down 353 with an over to go - going wicketless but conceding just five fours and a six in his ten overs, which included 30 dot balls. And his economy of 5.40 was a result of experimenting with ways to limit run-scoring in a place where he has found that "it doesn't turn as much as one would think".
So Maharaj has had to rely on changes of pace instead. "You still want to try to spin the ball because the more revolutions you get on the ball, you create flight and drift," he said. "For me, it's about trying to play with the overspin and the sidespin and it's more about the paces that I bowl at so that the batters can't really line you up in terms of using their feet or getting them caught on the crease."
South Africa's approach of using their spinners as holding bowlers and loading their squad with seamers - there are five seamers and two specialist spinners in the squad - is in keeping with what the statistics say about what kinds of bowlers have success in Pakistan. Since 2021, pace bowlers have taken 180 wickets in 44 innings at 36.02, a better average than the spinners' 43.98, though spinners have had an economy of 5.49 to the seamers' 6.02. That may mean the quicks can expect to get hit, which Roux said needed "critical real good planning and execution" to prevent.
It also means that the batters, especially those that like the ball coming on to the bat like South Africans tend to, would be licking their lips at the prospect of big runs. Asked if the likes of Temba Bavuma, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller have just been walking around smiling, Maharaj indicated that they were not complaining but were being careful not to count their chickens.
"They're quite happy with the conditions, but they understand that it's not just rock up and score runs. It's still a process and method," Maharaj said. "When wickets are in your favour, you train that much harder because you want to make the most of the opportunity that you're presented with. I don't think there's any sense of complacency even though conditions are deemed to be in the batters' favour. You're going to see a supercharged outfit."
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket
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