Budapest withdraws bid for 2024 Olympics

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The Hungarian Olympic Committee along with the Budapest Organizing committee have withdrawn their bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. As one of three cities in competition for the job of hosting in eight years, it leaves both Paris and Los Angeles as the two remaining cities left. The International Olympic Committee plans to vote and select a city in September in Lima, Peru.

While the withdraw has not yet been made official, both Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos and the Hungarian Olympic Committee are in a joint agreement to pull out of the running. A formal vote is expected to occur in the coming days.

The governing party in the country decided that pulling out would avoid a “loss of international prestige for Hungary” that there was little hope for the capital to host the Olympics.

A statement from LA24 chairman Casey Wasserman presented the bid committee’s sorrow on the withdraw and support for the Hungarian nation. “All of us at LA 2024 are disappointed in this news. We have the highest respect for Budapest 2024’s pioneering approach to designing and promoting their bid, and we look forward to continued friendship with our Hungarian colleagues.”

“We believe that now, more than ever, the IOC must focus on selecting a 2024 Host City that redefines sustainability, connects the Olympic Movement and its benefits to the world’s youth like never before and encourages future cities to bid for their Games.”

Svitolina stuns Kerber in straight sets to advance in Dubai final

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Elina Svitolina captured a spot to her second consecutive final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. The world number 13 got the best of former world number one Angelique Kerber winning 6-3, 7-6(3) on Centre Court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium Friday night. Her performance and regrouping after the German’s thrilling comeback let the youngster move on and get her third win in a row over Kerber.

The series between the two top players in the WTA was closer than before as the Ukrainian won her fourth game against Kerber in Brisbane in a full effort three setter. Svitolina carries a two-match winning streak against the world number two hoping to level things up and make her way to another final this season. The former number one has been getting through her matches easily winning the last three in straight sets. In her quest to get back the number one spot in the standings, Kerber will try to break her losing streak against the 22-year-old and take the next step at returning to the ultimate goal.

After a brief shower, Kerber opened serve with a strong win on service followed by Svitolina’s response that had things running at a good pace. The Ukrainian went for the break against the German but It didn’t come easy. The 22-year-old pushed hard for the win and did so after two breaks to lead. Svitolina got to a solid 40-0 run in the fourth but unforced errors allowed the number one to fire back. It led to deuce for a second straight game where both ladies had chances of winning the game but were denied by the other. After five breaks, Svitolina got the much-deserved win that increased her margin on Kerber.

The German held things together on service in the fifth gaining a win against the world number 13 who jumped out to three game points but lost them all with a solid comeback from her opponent. Kerber got level with her push on the break that saw Svitolina struggling to counteract the serve. She got back the lead with a good break on Kerber that she hoped to keep together with the ball back in her hands.

Svitolina earned a positive bump after a quick pep talk from her coach that resulted in a love service in the eighth setting her up for a match lead. Kerber showed desperation rushing her service with double faults and unforced errors. Svitolina used that to her advantage reaching two set points before a ball smashed into the net by Kerber ended things in 37 minutes. While both ran with 70 percent on the first serve, the difference in Svitolina’s victory was the minimal unforced errors and two aces that helped her capture a fifth consecutive set win over Kerber.

The breaks opened the second set with Kerber going for the opening game winner followed by Svitolina who had a mission to finish things quickly. She added another victory in the third that had her very much on the right track with hard ground strokes and perfect placement. The margin widened for the world number 13 who gained a triple break in the fourth with Kerber double faulting giving an indication that something wasn’t right with the world number two.

She didn’t seem to need any assistance striking back with consecutive winners that let her win a break and get within a game of the Ukrainian. Kerber still took a medical timeout due to an issue with her back requiring the medical technician who requested a medical timeout. She showed some anger but took a talk with coach Andrew Bettles to stay focused and get ready to resume the match. Kerber returned with her right leg strapped with tape and served the sixth hoping to level again. She didn’t as Svitolina attacked the struggles of her opponent taking another step forward to an upset. Problems continued to riddle Kerber who fell another game putting her in dramatic danger of losing in straight sets. In a much-needed response, the German fired off four terrific shots not making it easy for the youngster. It was the first one she held since the fifth game of the opening set.

Svitolina returned to serve for the match but Kerber’s big returns had the Ukrainian running everywhere on court. It led to the players even at 15 all before another shower fell upon centre court bringing a pause once more. Play resumed with Kerber trying to break Svitolina but with victory at hand, she had to push for control against the top seed. A second double fault came at the wrong time for the Ukrainian giving Kerber another game to live on.

Kerber’s rise to a full comeback had her a game down after controlling things on the break in the ninth putting major pressure on the 22-year-old. She held serve in the ninth carrying a three-game winning streak that Svitolina had nothing to show for in terms of stopping it. A key break in the tenth game saw Kerber becoming a newfound force that pushed the players to the distance of the set.

It was clearly a one-way street for the German who didn’t miss chances of dictating the rallies and taking back control. Kerber had the 6-5 hold with a chance to force a third set on serve for the 12^th. The fight from Svitolina was her only option and did so with a break that forced a tiebreaker to be put into action. The strategy from the Ukrainian began to work out for her getting Kerber into a comfortable spot on court before laying out a winner far from her reach.

The German answered with a burning drive on the return that gave her the first point since starting the match. Despite losing the streak, Svitolina kept her attack with winners using net front presence as a means to keep herself out front. Kerber got back into the rally for the seventh point where she got the returns back but a pop fly gave the 22-year-old some movement to deliver another drive from an angle to lead 5-3.

A double fault from Kerber put Svitolina on mark to win the set with a rally that ended with an ace that dropped right on the line during the hawk-eye challenge. A final shot gave her the victory after a match that ended in 1 hour and 40 minutes and a fifth victory over her opponent. “It was really tough,” Svitolina said after the match “The medical timeout and the rain delays took a toll on being focused. It was a very tricky match.”

It came to no surprise that her match against Caroline Wozniacki for the title would be nothing short of tricky on Saturday night.  “We played in Miami last year and it was a very tough match and was very late at night,” she said. “Hopefully it’ll be a good match and give it my best and see how it goes.”

Wozniacki schools Bellis to advance to semifinals in Dubai

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With an ease of victory in the quarterfinals, Caroline Wozniacki taught her young opponent a lesson of consistency at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Thursday night. The world number 15 kept her run to the semis in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 over Catherine Bellis on Centre Court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The American committed 33 unforced errors and not enough winners to stay competitive against the former number one.

This was the first time between the two stars and for the former number one and world number 15, she had to be careful against the 17-year-old American. Bellis handled fourth seeded Agnieszka Radwanska who went the full distance only to be stunned in the end in a 6-2 showing in the third set. With the quarterfinals becoming an important point for the two, it would be the experience of the Dane going against the youngster who has experience on the hard courts and nothing to lose.

She watched as the Dane gave her fast win on serve scoring on four consecutive winners to start the set. Bellis didn’t have the power to match it but did make it difficult for Wozniacki to win the break. She pulled off a trick shot on the game point that had her on the board and on serve. A 26-shot rally came in the third game with Bellis gaining the lead and then won the break.

Showing no nerves whatsoever, the 17-year-old gave her all on serve in the fourth where she defended the score, moved the ball away from Wozniacki to have the lead for herself at 3-1. Wozniacki didn’t worry about anything in the fifth as she produced a well-rounded victory to sit a game down of the teen. A chance for the break arrived as an unforced error opened the door for the former number one to level back. The errors on the backhand were enough to give the Dane the leverage and dictate whether she would go on to run the remainder of the set.

She did indeed do that blasting Bellis on serve and then for the break to have the ball in hand for the set. She quickly reached three set points but gave up a point on a line drive that fell just short. She didn’t worry about it scoring the set in her second set point ending the first in 35 minutes. The unforced errors were clearly the downfall for the American as she racked up 14 while Wozniacki minimized her troubles and came out an early leader with a 72 percent success on the first serve.

During the break Bellis took a timeout with coach Tom Guthridge asking her to challenge the habits of Wozniacki and turn things around while she still had the chance to do so. She struggled on her opening serve in the second with Wozniacki at a constant attack pace. The 26-year-old stole control to stretch her winning streak to six games. Another game for Wozniacki had her at full control with Bellis going from bad to worse with the unforced errors continuing to rattle her game.

Down 4-0, it didn’t look as if Bellis would be able to get back into it but in the fifth she held serve for the first time in the set avoiding the dreaded bagel. Despite her attempts to be competitive, Wozniacki was a force that couldn’t be stopped as she reached 5-1 to play for the match against the 17-year-old. Though she was denied a final break, effort by Bellis to stay in was her way to a longstanding memory for the tenth seed who returned to serve for a semifinal spot. In a final show of force, Wozniacki reached three match points only to see her forehand shot go long. She tried again with two match points where Bellis made every attempt to win points by sending Wozniacki everyone on court. After a long rally, it came to a close with another error from the American that completed the straight sets win in one hour and seven minutes.

“I changed up my serve and stepped in a little closer to the court and took the ball a little earlier taking time away from her,” Wozniacki said after her match. She finished with a nine-game winning streak and another chance at making the semifinals special once more.

Despite having troubles with the errors and her second serve, Bellis had plenty to be happy about making it this far in a WTA premier event. “She’s a great player, Wozniacki said of her young opponent. “We’re gonna see a lot of her in the future no doubt about that.” She came out firing. I think I made her play some extra balls and she made unforced errors but she’s a great player.”

Next up for the Dane was Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in what would have a little more action on both sides to take place Friday. “It’s gonna be a tough one,” “She’s a player that doesn’t give you a lot of rhythm but I’m ready and just happy to be in another semifinal here.