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Serena Williams beats Nuria Parrizas Diaz for first singles win in over a year
Serena Williams has won the National Bank Open title three times
Serena Williams claimed her first singles win in 14 months as she beat Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz to reach the second round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
The American great, 40, showed glimpses of her vintage ball striking in a 6-3 6-4 victory over the world number 57.
Williams’ last singles success was at the 2021 French Open.
She will play either Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic or Tereza Martincova next.
Williams made her singles return at Wimbledon in June after a year out with injury after speculation she may retire.
When asked what drove her to continue playing, she said: “I guess there’s just a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Lately that’s been it for me. I can’t wait to get to that light. I love playing, so it’s amazing but, you know, I can’t do this forever.
“Sometimes you just want to try your best to enjoy the moments and do the best that you can.”
A three-time champion at the Toronto event, Williams was given warm and vocal support by the crowd in her first hard court match since the 2021 Australian Open.
She and Parrizas Diaz exchanged breaks in the early stages, before a backhand smash gave the 23-time major winner a 5-3 lead and chance to serve for the set.
Williams then saved a break point of her own, before finally taking the set on another smash at the net.
Although her serve and movement were not at their best, she produced some superb defence to save another break point and keep the second set on serve.
That continued into a 25-minute service game that saw nine deuces, with Williams somehow coming through to hold before breaking Parrizas Diaz in the next game.
After converting her first match point, Williams congratulated her 31-year-old opponent, telling her she “played really well” before acknowledging the crowd.
The Toronto competition is one of several warm-up events for the US Open, which begins on 29 August.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Simona Halep also advanced on the opening day’s play. -BBC
The Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has disbursed GHS134,000 to 22 students under the latest round of his Scholarship and Bursaries Programme.
According to a statement from his office, the 22 beneficiaries are enrolled in 16 tertiary institutions across the country.
They are studying various courses, including medicine, marketing, law, public health, midwifery, business administration, education, and secretaryship.
The MP’s office commended the beneficiaries, especially the five students currently studying medicine and physician assistantship, encouraging them to remain committed to their studies.
The statement indicated that the scholarship initiative, which began in 2017, aims to support brilliant but needy students from the Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency to further their education. So far, about 700 students have benefited from the program.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Four tricycle operators, popularly known as ‘Pragya’, have been prosecuted and fined GH¢600 each equivalent to 50 penalty units by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court for obstructing public roads at the Agbogbloshie Market.
The offenders, who were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA during a routine enforcement exercise, pleaded guilty to the offence and were subsequently convicted by the court.
The four operators were among the 21 offenders recently arrested at the Agbogbloshie Market for various sanitation and public order violations, including selling on open drains, obstructing walkways, and trading at unauthorised locations.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Health at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi, said the court was lenient with the offenders since it was their first appearance, hence the fine, and warned that subsequent offenders would face stiffer penalties, including imprisonment.
