SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT ON CITIZEN ASAR MICHAEL SESUGH'S DEATH. (PHOTO).#PRESS RELEASE.

Image
 Setting the Records Straight on  Citizen Asar Michael Sesugh's  Death The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC,  considered it imperative to clear the air on some recent incidents at its Makurdi Zonal Directorate,  Benue State.   Operatives of the Directorate arrested 26 suspected cyber fraudsters on April 28,  2026.  They were profiled and kept in custody for further investigations after obtaining a Remand Order at a Magistrate Court.  Shortly after their arrest,  specifically on May 4,  2026,  three of the suspects sought permission to use the lavatory at the Directorate's  Holding Facility and were permitted.   They cashed in on the opportunity,  broke the toilet's roof and escaped from detention.  Several efforts were made to re- arrest them to no avail. However,  fresh intelligence came on Thursday,  May 21,  2026 that one of the escaped suspects,   As...

SABALENKA REACHES FOURTH CONSECUTIVE AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL, SET TO FACE RYBAKINA AGAIN. (PHOTO).


 Sabalenka reaches fourth consecutive Australian Open final, set to face Rybakina again


 Not even a point penalty for hindrance slowed Aryna Sabalenka as she advanced to her fourth consecutive Australian Open final.

The world No. 1 overpowered Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday, moving within one win of a third Australian Open title in four years. Sabalenka will face a rematch of the 2023 final against Elena Rybakina, who defeated No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the other semifinal.

Rybakina’s semifinal was tense until the end. She missed three match points on Pegula’s serve and was broken twice while serving for the match. Pegula had two set points in the tiebreaker but could not convert, and Rybakina finally sealed the victory 29 minutes after her first match point. “Really, really stressful,” Rybakina said, recalling the mental challenge of holding off Pegula.

Sabalenka’s win over Svitolina was more straightforward. She hit 29 winners to 12 for her Ukrainian opponent, breaking serve twice in the opening set and keeping her 10-match winning streak alive. As has become customary in matches between Ukrainians and players from Russia or Belarus, there were no handshakes at the net or group photos before the match.

Sabalenka became only the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive Australian Open singles finals, joining Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis. “It’s an incredible achievement, but the job’s not done yet,” she said. She added that the level of pressure she put on Svitolina helped her play her best tennis.

Her only hiccup came in the fourth game when umpire Louise Azemar Engzell called a hindrance on Sabalenka for a prolonged grunt after a forehand shot. Sabalenka challenged the call, but the decision was upheld. She said the ruling motivated her to play more aggressively and break serve in that game. “It actually helped me,” she said, laughing.

Svitolina, reaching her first Australian Open semifinal since returning from maternity leave in 2022, will re-enter the top 10 after her performance. She praised her warm-up tournament win in Auckland and said the break helped extend her career. Despite the loss, Svitolina said she would carry the positives from the early season into the rest of the year.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

THE NEW OONI OF ILE-IFE,WILL NOT EAT THE HEART OF THE LATE OONI-PALACE CHIEFS.

INNOSON GIVES OUT BRAND NEW IVM G5 AND SALARY FOR LIFE TO THE MAN WHO PROPHESIED ABOUT HIS VEHICLE MANUFACTURING IN 1979.(PHOTO).