Manchester City Women have put themselves in a good position to make it to the UEFA Women's Champions League Last 16 after a 2-0 home victory over Russian league runners-up Zvezda 2005. After playing 120 minutes to win the Continental Cup at the weekend, City fought hard to win at the Academy Stadium. Nick Cushing made two changes from the side that beat Birmingham on Sunday, with England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley replacing Marie Houlihan and 2015 Champions League runner-up with PSG Kosovare Asllani coming in for Nikita Parris.
0 Comments
Chelsea Ladies face an uphill battle if they are to reach the Last 16 of the UEFA Women's Champions League after a 3-0 home defeat to last seasons runners-up Wolfsburg. Playing in their first ever match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were able to match the Germans but were ultimately beaten by the better team. The two sides had also met in Europe last November, in the last 16, when two own goals from England defender Claire Rafferty saw Chelsea beaten 4-1 on aggregate. But this year, a round later, Chelsea were optimistic about learning from their experience and responding after loosing their FA WSL title to Manchester City at the weekend.
England opening batter Tammy Beaumont has been voted the Women's Player of the Summer at the annual Professional Cricketers' Association dinner in London. Shortlisted along with ODI opening partner Lauren Winfield and powerful all-rounder Natalie Sciver, Beaumont was awarded the accolade after a break-through summer of international and domestic cricket. The award, which is voted for by the England squad, was awarded Beaumont after she scored back-to-back centuries, and a total of 342 runs, in the three match ODI series against Pakistan and 142 runs in the following three T20 matches.
British number one Johanna Konta beat Carla Suarez Navarro in straight sets to reach the quarter finals of the Wuhan Open as she attempts to qualify for the end of season WTA Finals. In the last eight, Konta will face either world number one Angelique Kerber or Czech Petra Kvitova. Konta started well in the opening set, but could not create a meaningful breakthrough. At 5-5 she held on to save a break point before breaking Suarez Navarro in the following game. The 26-year-old from Eastbourne then forced her Spanish opponent into a number of errors with some powerful hitting as she took the first set 7-5.
British number one Johanna Konta breezed into the second round in China with a straight sets victory over German Annika Beck. Konta, who is close to breaking into the WTA top 10, is seeded nine at the Wuhan Open and faces Shuai Zhang of China in the next round. The win is the latest in what has been a very successful year for the 25-year-old, after becoming the first British woman since Virgina Wade to reach the semi-final of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open and winning her first tour level tournament on the hard courts of Stanford.
Birmingham City Ladies leapfrog Liverpool to move into fourth in the FA WSL1 table, after a win between the two teams in front of over 1,300 supporters at Damson Park. The win sees them equal on points with third place Arsenal going into the last few weeks of the season, although the London team have a game in hand. The visitors started well, testing goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley inside fifteen minutes when Emma Lundh hit an effort towards goal, although play was stopped for a foul. Liverpool had two more good chances, Rosie White's shot was deflected just wide after she turned her marker in the box and Baggaley saved well from Laura Coombes long range shot.
Heather Watson was forced to pull out of her first round match at the Wuhan Open against American Madison Brengle after feeling dizzy and having double vision. The British number two, who played twice in one day to make it through qualifying in China, retired while trailing 3-6 1-2. During the US Open earlier this month, Watson needed treatment as she lost to Richel Hogenkamp in the heat and humidity of New York. Blood tests after the match came back clear and thoughts of a relapse of the glandular fever which hammered her in 2013 were but to bed after impressive wins over Chang Liu and Samantha Crawford on Saturday helped her reach the first round.
Manchester City Women are assured of winning the FA WSL1 title for the first time after a dominant win over rivals Chelsea at the Academy Stadium. City only needed to draw against last seasons champions, but sealed the title in emphatic style with a 2-0 victory. Last seasons, Chelsea pipped the Manchester club to the title, but throughout the season City have been the top team in the league, yet to loose a match and conceding just one goal at home all season. Top scorer Jane Ross almost gave the hosts the lead on the ten minute mark, but her header was saved well by Chelsea goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer.
Caroline Wozniacki beat Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka to win Pan Pacific Open, her first title of the year. The former world number one battled through injury to seal her 24th career WTA title, and first since February 2015, in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. Wozniacki, who had previously won in Tokyo in 2010, went down 3-1 in the opening set to Osaka, playing in her first tour level final. The Dane, who has been hampered by injuries in recent times and had dropped to 74 in the world rankings at the end of August, needed a medical time out in the first set.
Reading claimed a vital victory away to WSL1 bottom side Doncaster Rovers Belles, their first since being promoted to the top flight of women's football last season. The defeat sees the Belles, historically a top side in English women's football, without a point with five matches to play. The two teams, who were both promoted from WSL2 last season, were both looking for their first win of this campaign, although Reading had a six point lead over their hosts.
|
Keep up to date with the latest news in the world of women's sport.
SELECT BY SPORT
All
NEWS ARCHIVE
October 2016
|