AsiaLogue - Women's Sports

Haaland stars in Man City win, Liverpool beat Brentford

Oct 17, 2026

LONDON - Erling Haaland starred with a double as Premier League leaders Manchester City beat Ipswich 3-2, while Liverpool came from behind to seal a 2-1 win at Brentford on Saturday.

Oct 17, 2026

PVL: Nxled survives Farm Fresh in five-set duel for 2-0 start

MANILA, Philippines — Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo kept Nxled unbeaten in two games after fending off Farm Fresh in a five-set thriller, 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 20-25, 15-12, in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Saturday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Van Sickle continued to show her MVP form in return

Oct 17, 2026

Rafael Jodar says ‘still learning’ after swearing at ballboy

SHANGHAI–Rising Spanish tennis star Rafael Jodar said he was still “learning how to behave on court” after swearing at a ballboy at the Shanghai Masters, where he reached the semi-finals on Friday to make history. The 20-year-old recovered from a set down to beat Norway’s Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and become the youngest player

Oct 17, 2026

Yulo brothers kick off campaign at Worlds

FRESH off a successful stint at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Philippine gymnastics brothers Carlos and Eldrew Yulo launch their historic campaign together at the FIG Artistic World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam on Sunday. The duo will jump straight into the men’s individual all-around qualification round starting at 4 p.m., Philippine time, marking the first time the siblings are competing side-by-side at the world championships level. “Competing together [with Eldrew] is really natural for me, and our dynamics are like a balance of him not focusing and myself being focused, but in my mind, I’m neutral, but he’s having fun, for me, it’s a good balance,” Carlos told Inside Gymnastics in an interview video posted on Thursday. Eldrew, on the other hand, said he is happy to earn his spot in the tournament. “I’m just happy to be earning that spot. I’m just happy to be here competing beside him and competing alongside Olympians. Of course, it really inspires me so much and he (Carlos) inspires me because I looked up to him when I was little, before he became an Olympian and later an Olympic champion, and he inspired me so much,” he said. Carlos, who won gold medals in the Olympic, Asian and Southeast Asian Games, said he continues to aim for the all-around title. “I’m still aiming for all-around, I know it’s [a] really, really tough goal for me, and there’s a lot of good gymnasts, but for me, I’m gonna focus on what I can, and I’m hoping and praying [to] get at least second or third, I don’t know ... Who knows, in the finals, anything can happen. I’m hoping for the best,” he said. In last year’s World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Carlos won a gold medal in the men’s vault and a bronze medal in the men’s floor exercise. Eldrew, on the other hand, won two bronze medals in the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held on home soil in Pasay City, in the boys’ floor exercise and horizontal bar. In June, three months before the Asian Games, both brothers shared the podium in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Zunyi, China, with Carlos winning gold and Eldrew winning bronze in the men’s floor exercise. At the Asian Games, Carlos won two gold medals in the floor exercise and vault, the same two events he won two years ago at the Paris Olympics, while Eldrew captured the bronze medal in the horizontal bar. The brothers are joined by Juancho Miguel Besana, a horizontal bar event specialist in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Qualifications. “I’m grateful to get to qualify in these World Championships, even though I’m only competing as a high bar specialist,” Besana said in a video message posted by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines on Friday. “I’ll do my best to showcase what the Philippines can do, so continue to give us your support and pray for us to have a safe competition. Laban, Pilipinas!” Besana, who is taking part in his second World Championships, added. Meanwhile, Haylee Garcia, who will take part in the women’s events, finished her podium training on Friday and will be taking part in the qualifications on Monday. Just like the Yulo brothers, both Besana and Garcia also competed in the recently concluded Asian Games in Nagoya. The FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships takes place in Rotterdam in the Netherlands from Oct. 17 to 25.

Oct 17, 2026

Eala eyes redemption in Ningbo Open

FILIPINO tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala arrived in Ningbo, China, on Friday, as she is set to take part in the Ningbo Open. The tournament’s Facebook page showed Eala arriving with a bouquet of flowers given to her. “Good to see you in Ningbo, Alexandra Eala,” the tournament’s Facebook page wrote early on Saturday. Eala was fresh off a forgettable campaign in the Chinese city of Wuhan, as she was eliminated in the first round of both the women’s singles and doubles events. In the singles tournament, Eala, who was World No. 18, was eliminated by qualifier Han Shi in three sets and in the doubles event, the Filipina, alongside Zeynep Sonmez, were defeated by the Ukrainian duo of Dayana Yastremska and Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets. Prior to the Wuhan Open, she was present at the Paris Fashion Show. Wuhan, however, also had several other upsets, that also included top-seeded former World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus falling to American Ann Li in the round of 32, as well as Belgium’s Elise Mertens losing to Daria Snigur of Ukraine in the round of 64. At the recent Asian Games in Japan, Eala, who skipped the Beijing Open to take part in the quadrennial meet, defeated Patcharin Cheapchandej of Thailand in the second round and Taiwan’s Joanna Garland in the quarterfinals, before falling to eventual Asiad champion Wang Xiyu in the semifinals and settling for the bronze medal. Eala was also upset in the first round of the Singapore Open to Russian Tatiana Prozorova, who eventually withdrew from the tournament following their match. The Filipina was seen in the New York Fashion Week in the lead-up to the Singapore tournament. Back home, amid talks that Eala will not take part in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in January next year, Philippine Tennis Association secretary-general John Rey Tiangco said there is no confirmation over that development. “At this point, there is no official confirmation whether Alex Eala will participate in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in January 2027. We understand that Alex remains focused on her remaining tournaments this year, and we respect the decisions of Alex and her team regarding her schedule,” Tiangco said in a statement. “While her participation remains uncertain, should Alex decide to compete, we would certainly welcome her and extend a wildcard entry, subject to tournament rules and approval,” he added. Tiangco said hosting a WTA tournament in Manila is a “significant milestone” in Philippine tennis. “It brings world-class competition closer to Filipino fans and gives our players valuable international exposure,” he said.

UST snaps skid, routs Adamson

Oct 17, 2026

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) made the most of its home-court advantage, dominating Adamson University, 112-56, to boost its Final Four chances in the UAAP Season 89 High School Boys’ 16-and-Under Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila. The Tiger Cubs snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 4-5, bouncing back from their most recent defeat at the hands of National University-Nazareth School on Thursday. The win also moved UST within a game of University of the East (5-4) in the race for the No. 4 spot. Meanwhile, Adamson has lost five of its last six games, dropping to 2-7. The Tiger Cubs dictated the tempo early on their home floor, racing to a 25-7 lead capped by Miguel Austria’s layup. UST remained in control as Kian Abototo’s triple capped its dominant second-quarter performance, sending the Tiger Cubs into halftime with a commanding 55-27 advantage. Adamson struggled to find answers as UST outscored the Baby Falcons, 26-17, in the third quarter to stretch its lead to 37 points, 81-44, heading into the final period. UST continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, reaching the century mark on Nicolai Cabañero’s technical free throw to extend its lead to 50 points, 101-51, and seal the bounce-back victory. Austria led the Tiger Cubs with 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six steals, while Nathan Bathan added 18 points, including 14 in the second half. Eldon Eusebio chipped in 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Wayne Anggot contributed 14 points. UST also dominated in fastbreak points, 30-10, while its bench outscored Adamson’s reserves, 43-24. Two Baby Falcons finished in double figures, with Philrine Bulan leading the way with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Kobe Edrada added 10 points. TMT

Oct 17, 2026

Benilde, Mapua clash in SSL virtual do-or-die

COLLEGE of Saint Benilde (CSB) and Mapua University lock horns in a high-stakes, virtual knockout match in the 2026 Shakey’s Super League Unity Cup on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. The game is set at 1 p.m. Benilde is fresh off a four-set win against Jose Rizal University (JRU), 28-26, 25-16, 18-25, 25-22, for its first win to stay in the thick of the race for the last playoff berth in Pool B. Camila Bartolome led the way with 18 points on 14 kills, three kill blocks and an ace as the Lady Blazers bounced back from an opening game loss to second-round-bound University of Santo Tomas. Mhonniecka Soliven added 13 points on eight attacks, three kill blocks and two aces while Mary Grace Borromeo and Krystal Oba-ob added 11 and eight markers, respectively, for CSB. “Our winning factor was that we kept pushing even though it felt like everyone’s game was off today; we still pushed through. And it was also great because our rookie middle blocker Oba-ob and Soliven stepped up,” Bartolome said. The Lady Blazers will face Mapua University (1-1) on Sunday in a virtual do-or-die match to advance into the next round. “Perhaps we need to learn not to let the opponent score first. Because when we find ourselves playing catch-up, it’s really difficult,” Bartolome said. The Lady Bombers absorbed a second straight defeat in as many games and kissed their playoff hopes goodbye. Nicole Daela finished with a game-high 21 points built on 19 spikes and two aces while Czarina Ramos scored 14 in a lost cause for JRU. Also seeing action on Sunday are Arellano University and San Beda University at 11 a.m., followed by Colegio de San Juan de Letran against University of Perpetual Help System Dalta at 3 p.m., and Jose Rizal University versus University of Santo Tomas at 5 p.m.

Oct 17, 2026

LeBron makes electric home preseason debut for 76ers

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — LeBron James performed his famed chalk toss and was introduced to a roaring ovation on Friday (Saturday in Manila) in his first preseason game for the 76ers in Philadelphia. The 41-year-old James, who joined the 76ers this summer for his NBA-record 24th season, brought the crowd to its feet early when he finished a dunk against the Boston Celtics off a half-court lob pass from All-Star Tyrese Maxey. Just wait until it counts. Public address announcer Matt Cord offered a full-throated “At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, No. 23, LeBron James! James!” for the intros. Joel Embiid still got the final introduction. While nothing from this game will go down on James’ stat sheet, Sixers fans had been waiting to catch a glimpse of him in his No. 23 jersey since he signed with the team in July. Scores of kids in Sixers jerseys crowded over the home team entrance canopy and screamed for James to stop for a picture or an autograph. The arena ushers behind the Sixers’ bench kept saying “Keep walking!” to the gaggle of fans and slow walkers who stopped to watch James in warmups. One constantly barked, “You can’t stand here unless you’ve got a ticket!” None of the stragglers had one. James did welcome one boy and one girl to the bench with him after he finished shooting and posed for a quick photo. The Sixers played all of their starters except for VJ Edgecombe. Jaylen Brown played against the Celtics for the first time since the 2024 NBA Finals MVP was traded to the Sixers in the offseason. James sat out the Sixers’ home preseason opener but played in a scrimmage that was open to the public and drew 10,000 fans. He then made his preseason debut last week at Brooklyn. He had 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in the first half. The Sixers play their season opener on Tuesday against New York at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise the banner to celebrate their NBA championship. Philadelphia’s home opener is Thursday against Cleveland, followed by back-to-back games over the weekend. James spent the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a two-year deal with the Sixers for the league minimum.

Djokovic gets wild card in Basel

Oct 17, 2026

PARIS — Novak Djokovic has accepted a wild card for the ATP 500 tournament in Basel later this month as the 39-year-old battles to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, organizers announced on Friday. It will be the first time Djokovic has played in Basel since the last of his three appearances in 2011. The 24-time Grand Slam winner claimed the 102nd title of his career in Beijing earlier this month but then lost his opening match at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic is a seven-time ATP Finals champion but has slipped to 11th in the Race to Turin standings. Only the top eight players qualify for the Nov. 15–22 showpiece. Following his defeat in Shanghai, Djokovic had suggested that the Paris Masters in early November would be his only tournament before the ATP Finals. He had also been due to play in the lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia next week, but the event was postponed until late December following several deadly attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthis. Only Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have so far secured qualification for Turin. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who had also qualified, has called an early end to his season due to a knee injury, leaving six places still available.

Oct 17, 2026

In-form Iga Swiatek on fire in Wuhan Open

WUHAN, China — Iga Swiatek kept up her bid for a WTA Finals place with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ann Li on Friday night that set up an all-Polish semifinal at the Wuhan Open. The six-time Grand Slam champion will face Maja Chwalinska for a place in the final. Swiatek is chasing one of the last two remaining spots in the eight-player lineup at next month’s WTA Finals in Indian Wells and took another step forward by reaching the Wuhan semis for the first time in her career. “For sure it’s great that we have two Polish players in the semifinals,” said Swiatek of her upcoming clash with childhood friend Chwalinska. “I think it means a lot to Polish tennis, so hopefully it’s going to be a nice match. I’m really happy for Maja, she for sure improved her game this year.” It had been a banner week for 26-year-old Li, who stunned world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the second round and recorded the 100th tour-level victory of her career in the third round to reach a maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal. The American world No. 31 gave Swiatek a hard time in the opening set. But despite committing 21 unforced errors and facing three break points, Swiatek hung onto the one-break gap she created early on and took a one-set lead in 56 minutes. Swiatek made a strong start to the second set and never let go, as she moved into her fourth WTA 1000 semifinal of the year. French Open finalist Chwalinska reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal with a 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 triumph over Greece’s Maria Sakkari. “I think it would be great for us and great for Polish tennis as well,” Chwalinska said of her Saturday meeting with Swiatek. “It would be a great honor for me also because she’s such a great champion, she’s done almost everything in our sport.” Earlier, Sonay Kartal claimed the second top-10 win of her career and guaranteed herself a return to the top 100 with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Ukrainian world No. 6 Elina Svitolina.