1. (Xinhua) China's Zheng Qinwen bowed out of Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal loss to second-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland on Thursday.

    World No. 9 Zheng struggled with unforced errors at key moments and converted just two of five break points as Swiatek prevailed in an hour and 35 minutes in a match that was interrupted by bad weather.

    The result marked a reversal of the pair's semifinal meeting at the Paris Olympics last July, when Zheng beat the four-time French Open champion 6-2, 7-5 on her way to winning the gold medal.

    Swiatek, who is vying for her third Indian Wells title, converted all five of her break point chances and won 74 percent of points on her first serve.

    The 23-year-old raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening set but Zheng rallied by breaking back and then holding serve.

    Swiatek clinched the set in her next service game and then took a 4-0 lead in the second frame before surviving another revival by her 22-year-old opponent to secure a place in the last four of the WTA 1000 event.

    "At the end it got really windy which made it super tricky especially when the conditions change during the match you need to adjust quickly and it's not that easy," Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

    "I am happy that I was pushing until the end. It was a weird match with all the breaks and everything but I wanted to be composed and really focused and I'm glad that I did that."

    Five-time grand slam winner Swiatek will face either Ukraine's Elina Svitolina or Mirra Andreeva of Russia in the semifinals.

    Source: Xinhua  Published: 19:07, March 13, 2025


  2. (Formula1) Hamilton has scored 104 pole positions in his record-breaking F1 career to date, but his excitement for a possible first front-of-the-grid start for Ferrari is evident. The seven-time champion ended Friday practice in fifth, 0.420s off the pace of his session-topping team mate, Charles Leclerc.

    Asked if he could begin to dream of a first Ferrari pole, Hamilton conceded: “For me, I think it’s a little bit early as I just continue to get to learn the car, but never say never. I’ll still give it everything I’ve got tomorrow.

    “I’m just not putting too much pressure on. I’m going to try to enjoy it. I’ve got some pace to find. I know where to find it. It’s just about going out there and doing it and just building.”

    With only a day and a half of running in the 2025 Ferrari before taking to the track in Australia, Hamilton is yet to get fully up to speed with his new surroundings.

    He said: “P1 was a little bit messy. P2 was definitely starting to look a little bit better.

    “Also, I’m still getting used to all of the setup changes. I don’t have them on call like I used to have with Mercedes.

    “Where I’d been there so long, I knew exactly all the setup changes, so I’m still working through understanding what tools we can use, and it’s interesting you can see with Charles, he just knows because he’s been here for such a long time.”

    The battle at the front is expected to be fierce this year, with Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari all predicted to be in the hunt for wins, podiums and pole positions.

    With so many potential rivals, Leclerc refused to stake an early claim to the foremost grid slot.

    “I want to be cautious; let’s wait and see,” he said. “But it’s right to say that after a day like this, we are looking forward to tomorrow and we want to target pole position.”

    Asked if McLaren posed the only threat to Ferrari this weekend, Leclerc added: “For now, it is too early to say. I don’t think we’ve seen the real pace of everybody yet and I think some teams might hide their game a bit more than others.

    "But for sure, McLaren is up there. I think Red Bull might be struggling a little bit more for now, but you never know with them, and especially with Max, you can never rule them out. For sure, they will be in the fight.

    “Mercedes look strong as well, so it is going to be a good fight, I’m sure.”

    Source: Formula1 


  3. (China Daily) Carlos Alcaraz moved closer to a rare Indian Wells "three-peat" as he breezed past an exhausted Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Madison Keys tallied a 15th straight victory by beating Donna Vekic 4-6 7-6(7) 6-3.

    Alcaraz, who is bidding to become the third man to win the event three times in a row after Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, handled the blustery conditions far better than the Bulgarian 14th seed.

    Dimitrov was showing signs of fatigue from his three-hour third-round match earlier in the week and could do little to stop the Spanish world number three, who next faces Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

    "Today with the conditions, it was really tough for us both. I had to survive," he told the ATP Tour.

    "I always say in these conditions, you have to survive no matter what. I'm very happy that I was able to play long rallies. I got a good rhythm, even with the conditions, so I'm just really happy to get through."

    Alcaraz did not face a break point in the first set as Dimitrov scraped together a handful of winners against more than a dozen unforced errors.

    Four-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz dropped only four of his first-serve points in the second set and snuffed out the three break-point chances Dimitrov had in the fifth game to advance, closing it out with a precision-placed forehand winner.

    'Goosebumps'

    Australian Open champion Keys maintained her hot streak with a win over 19th seed Vekic to set up a meeting with the Swiss wildcard Belinda Bencic.

    Vekic, the silver medallist in Paris, showed terrific defense in winning the first set, fending off three break points in the second game and another in the fourth.

    She had a 5-3 lead in the second set tiebreak but Keys dug in her heels, clinching it with an unreturnable serve as the Croatian thrust her racquet to the court in frustration.

    "Sometimes after a close tiebreaker and winning the set and kind of having a little bit of, like, a surge of energy and everything, sometimes you can get almost a little bit too amped," said Keys.

    "So I just wanted to try to play really tough the first game and just try to get the thing that I was doing well in order to close out that set."

    Keys did exactly that, taking the momentum from the tiebreak and breaking Vekic to open the third. She closed out the comeback win with one of her lethal forehands to wild cheers from the home fans.

    Earlier in the day, Bencic pulled off the upset against third seed Coco Gauff 3-6 6-3 6-4.

    In a tightly-contested third set, Bencic came back from 0-40 down to break for a 5-4 lead and closed out the victory on her first match point when the American ripped a forward long.

    "Obviously, this is why you are practicing and working hard all your life," Bencic said in her on-court interview.

    "The way you cheered before the match ... I had chills and goosebumps."

    Briton Jack Draper took down another home contender in former champion Taylor Fritz 7-5 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time, where he will play 11th seed Ben Shelton.

    "I played a really high-level match," said US Open semifinalist Draper. "I think I struggled here in the past with my serve, but I thought that I served great today, and I think that put a lot of pressure on him."

    Shelton advanced with a 7-6(6) 6-1 win over fellow American Brandon Nakashima.

    Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka easily dispatched British lucky loser Sonay Kartal 6-1 6-2 and will meet Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the final eight.

    Source: China Daily by Reuters  Published: 18:43, March 12, 2025 | Updated: 00:34, March 13, 2025


  4. (China Daily) The 2025 Formula One season has all the makings of a white-knuckle 24-race celebration to mark 75 years since the inaugural seven-race championship back in 1950.

    Red Bull's Max Verstappen appears to have his work cut out to seal a fifth straight title, with Lando Norris poised to knock the Dutchman off his perch. Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari is just one of numerous intriguing subplots in a season that gets underway in Australia on Sunday, with six rookies gracing the grid.

    Here's a look at five talking points before lights go out in Melbourne.

    Can Max make it five?

    Seventy-five years after Giuseppe Farina claimed the first F1 world championship at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo, Verstappen embarks on the 2025 season in pursuit of a fifth successive title, a feat only achieved once before, by Michael Schumacher. If he succeeds, it will cement the Dutchman's place as a titan of the sport. He hoovered up seven of the first 10 races in his rampaging Red Bull last year, before a 10-race winless run, as McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari ran riot. But, Verstappen had the last word, fighting back to win in Brazil and clinch title No 4 in Las Vegas with two races to spare.

    McLaren prised the constructors' championship away from Red Bull to seal its long road back to the F1 summit. The tough task facing Verstappen is underlined by the betting, which has him as only second favorite behind Norris (who ended 2024 63 points adrift of the Dutchman) for the 2025 crown, with Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Hamilton leading the rest of the pack.

    Rookie class of 2025

    An Italian teenager who only passed his driving test in January is among the six-strong cohort of rookies for the 2025 season. Kimi Antonelli, an exciting 18-year-old who uses a nickname derived from his uncle's love for Ferrari's last world champion, Finn Kimi Raikkonen, takes Hamilton's seat alongside George Russell at Mercedes.

    "I really want to make my own story "insists last year's multiple Formula 2 winner, brushing off suggestions he is the seven-time world champion's "replacement" at the Silver Arrows. Kiwi Liam Lawson, a 'veteran' of 11 Grands Prix already, makes his fully fledged debut as Verstappen's new wingman at Red Bull. Ferrari's British academy driver Ollie Bearman was thrown into the F1 deep end when he was called up as a last minute replacement for appendicitis victim Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Grand Prix last year, becoming the youngest ever driver to compete for the Scuderia. He seized his chance, holding off Hamilton and Norris to finish seventh. He joins Ferrari-powered Haas.

    Brazil has a presence on the grid for the first time in five years in F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto at Sauber. Aussie Jack Doohan will be hoping to enjoy even a small slice of his MotoGP star dad Mick's success on two-wheels, as he graduates from reserve driver to become Pierre Gasly's teammate at Alpine. Last, but not least, is Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, the 20-year-old Algerian-French who narrowly missed out to Bortoleto for the F2 title.

    FIA vs the drivers

    In the volatile, high-octane bubble that is F1, one thing seems assured in 2025: renewed tension between the governing body and the drivers. Notably over the FIA's crack down on swearing. Verstappen and Leclerc fell foul of the rules in 2024 for turning the air blue at news conferences. The guidelines were strengthened in January, triggering an indignant response from drivers, who took a swipe at FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

    "We urge the FIA president to also consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise," they wrote, adding: "As adults, they do not need to be given instructions, via the media, about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewelry or underpants."

    From Australia to Abu Dhabi

    Australia hosts the first of the 24 races this weekend, with Bahrain moved to April as Ramadan runs throughout March. The six sprints of the 2025 season are in Shanghai, Miami, Spa-Francorchamps, Austin, Sao Paulo and Doha. The FIA, in a bid to liven up the jewel in the calendar — Monaco — where overtaking is nigh-on impossible, is imposing a mandatory two-pit stop strategy for the teams. With the traditional three-week summer break in August, the F1 circus pitches up in Abu Dhabi for its final show on Dec 7. "This will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and it's that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar," said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

    Testing times

    Even celebrated codebreaker Alan Turing would have a hard job deciphering the times from three days of preseason testing in Bahrain last month. With fuel loads unknown, and team setups kept under wraps, it was hard, if not impossible, to pinpoint the winners and losers.

    Russell's Mercedes was top of the pile on the last day, with Sainz's Williams topping the times on the middle day and Norris' McLaren taking the first day honors.

    Ferrari was bang in the thick of it, and Verstappen will have been pleased with his final-day showing.

    One thing seems certain — the bulk of the teams look closely matched, prompting McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown to predict: "I can see it being super competitive. Last year four teams won multiple races, this year, I could see that being even more. I'm more excited than nervous."

    China Daily/AFP  Updated: 2025-03-12 09:32

  5. (Xinhua) After what has seemed an interminable wait, the 2025 Formula 1 season finally gets underway with this weekend's Australian Grand Prix. No fewer than eight of the ten teams have changed their driver lineups from 2024, and with some vastly different technical regulations to come in next year, the teams face an awkward balancing act between developing their 2025 mounts and shifting focus to next year and beyond. Ahead of what could be the most unpredictable F1 season in years, Xinhua runs the rule over each of the ten teams.

    McLaren

    A first Constructors' Championship since 1998 was just reward for the way Zak Brown, Andrea Stella and co have transformed the fortunes of the Woking squad in recent years. McLaren also showed well in pre-season testing, with its formidable long-run pace just about seeing the papaya outfit installed as favorite ahead of Melbourne's season opener.

    Fresh from his first Grand Prix wins last year, Lando Norris clearly has the pace to be a champion in waiting, but needs to add a dash of consistency if he is to ascend to the ranks of F1's truly great drivers. Teammate Oscar Piastri, with no taste for losing, will be eager to show that he too is capable of challenging for top honors, and team boss Stella will have to manage the pair more effectively than in 2024, when McLaren left too many decisions up to the drivers.
    McLaren's Lando Norris in action during pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Ferrari

    The news cycle coming out of Maranello for the past year was dominated by Lewis Hamilton's impending arrival at Ferrari following 12 trophy-laden years with Mercedes. The Briton seemed revitalized by his move to the Scuderia before even turning a wheel, staying next to the factory during pre-season in order to better integrate into his new environment.

    However, the seven-time world champion will need to arrest his late-2024 slump in order to best his very quick and fully assimilated teammate Charles Leclerc. The fanfare around Hamilton's arrival has put the Monegasque somewhat in the shade, and Leclerc will be hungrier than ever to prove that he remains Ferrari's golden boy. With arguably the strongest driver pairing on the grid, can either end the Scuderia's 17-year wait for a championship title? And how effectively will team boss Fred Vasseur manage intra-team harmony between two ultra-competitive individuals?
    Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 28, 2025 

    Red Bull

    In a car that slipped back alarmingly in competitiveness as 2024 wore on, Max Verstappen frequently transcended the limits of his mount to score his fourth - and perhaps his finest - world title. However, the Dutchman has been downbeat about his 2025 prospects, and technical director Pierre Wache has acknowledged that RB21 still needs some work. The loss of Wache's influential predecessor Adrian Newey will be keenly felt in Milton Keynes, and 2025 might prove a year too far for even Verstappen's generational talent.

    The Dutchman has a new teammate this year, after Red Bull lost patience with Sergio Perez's loss of form and elected to replace the Mexican with Liam Lawson, fresh from two promising part-seasons with the team now known as Racing Bulls. With number two status guaranteed, the New Zealander will be tasked with backing up Verstappen and scoring good points for the Constructors' championship. However, many a second driver has floundered alongside Verstappen, and Lawson will need to get up to speed quickly if he is not to suffer a chastening demotion back to Racing Bulls.
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Mercedes

    With Hamilton having flown the Mercedes nest, George Russell now steps into the lead driver role, and will need to show a continuation of the form he often displayed in 2024, when he beat Hamilton 19-5 in qualifying and frequently outraced his illustrious teammate. The Briton seemed happy with the W16 during pre-season testing, with the Silver Arrows seemingly behind only McLaren in the early season pecking order.

    The identity of Hamilton's replacement was the subject of much conjecture throughout 2024, but it was ultimately confirmed that Mercedes would eschew an experienced head and instead throw its weight behind rookie Kimi Antonelli, who has long been groomed for a Mercedes F1 seat. The 17-year-old is clearly a special talent, but his promotion has come earlier than he and Mercedes would have expected, and the Italian will have to avoid throwing his W16 into the barriers as he seeks to impress.
    Mercedes' George Russell in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Aston Martin

    A fifth-placed finish in the 2024 championship masked the fact that Aston Martin slipped back as the season wore on, and early signs are that the Silverstone squad is set to continue with that disappointing form into 2025. A managerial reshuffle has seen the highly-rated Andy Cowell take over as team principal, but of greater significance is the imminent arrival of designer extraordinaire Adrian Newey - the mastermind behind title-winning cars at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

    However, Newey's focus will be solely on producing a competitive mount for the new regs in 2026, suggesting that this year will be one of treading water for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll - neither of whom appeared to have a great deal of confidence in the AMR25 in pre-season. Both drivers appear to be goal-hanging for a Newey-inspired title tilt in 2026, with Alonso still clinging onto his hopes of a third title some 20 years after his second.
    Aston Martin's Lance Stroll in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025

    Alpine

    A dreadful start to 2024 was arrested by a late-season surge that vaulted Alpine from ninth to sixth in the Constructors' standings, with Pierre Gasly notably giving a good account of himself and establishing himself as the team's lead driver as the season wore on. Pre-season testing went a lot more smoothly than in 2024, and Alpine look to be competing with Williams at the head of F1's midfield this year.

    In the other car, former test driver Jack Doohan has been promoted to a full-time race seat for 2025 - but rumors suggest the Australian's Alpine future is already looking shaky. Influential team advisor Flavio Briatore is said to want newly-signed reserve driver Franco Colapinto in the car instead, and Doohan could be facing a mid-season axe if he is not at least close to Gasly's pace.
    Alpine's Pierre Gasly in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Haas

    Haas punched above its weight in 2024, and can consider itself unlucky not to finish higher than seventh in the Constructors' standings. F1's only American outfit elected to focus on long-run pace during 2025's pre-season tests, making it difficult to assess where Haas will stack up once the lights go green in Melbourne.

    On the driving strength, Esteban Ocon has jumped ship from the aggro-ridden Alpine outfit to join Haas as lead driver, and will be eager to reverse the loss of form that emerged once it became clear he was seeking pastures new.

    In the other car, Oliver Bearman gets his first full-time F1 ride after a couple of cameo appearances last year. The talented Briton clearly has a good turn of speed, and it will be interesting to see how well he meshes with Ocon - who has had his fair share of run-ins with teammates in the past.
    Haas' Esteban Ocon in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Racing Bulls

    Another year, another name change for the team most recently known as RB. Starting his fifth season at Red Bull's junior outfit, Yuki Tsunoda has a point to prove and will want to show that the senior team made the wrong decision in choosing the less experienced Lawson over him to replace the ousted Sergio Perez.

    Lawson's promotion meant Isack Hadjar has been called up at relatively short notice to make his F1 debut in the other car, but the Frenchman has limited experience in F1 machinery compared to some of the other rookies, and faces an uphill battle to get up to speed quickly and show well against Tsunoda, whom Red Bull appears content to keep as a bellwether for young drivers to measure up against.
    Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 28, 2025 

    Williams

    Following a disappointing 2024, Williams looks much better placed to impress in 2025. Team boss James Vowles is reshaping the team in his own image, and the Grove squad's much-publicised organisational and inventory issues seem to have been ironed out. Williams scored a coup by persuading Ferrari refugee Carlos Sainz to throw in his lot with the ambitious outfit, and the early signs are that the Spaniard may be in for a pleasant surprise at his new team's competitiveness.

    Both Sainz and teammate Alex Albon showed well in pre-season testing, suggesting that Williams may initially be in contention for regular points. With a stronger driver pairing than last year, and a promising pre-season under its belt, Williams may well be 2025's dark horses -  as long as its drivers avoid crashing as much as in 2024.
    Williams' Carlos Sainz in action during pre-season testing in Bahrain, February 26, 2025 

    Sauber

    After having propped up the Constructors' Championship in 2024, Sauber looks set to begin this year at the bottom of the pile once again, despite wholesale changes on the driving front. During pre-season testing, Nico Hulkenberg was evasive about the team's prospects, but the experienced German seems to recognize that he and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto will be getting well acquainted with the rear of the grid.
    Reigning Formula 2 champion Bortoleto will relish being Brazil's first F1 race driver since Felipe Massa in 2017, but there remains a sense that Sauber is treading water until the new regulations in 2026, by which time the team will have completed its metamorphosis into the Audi works outfit.  


    Source: Xinhua  2025-03-11 23:45:15

  6. (China Daily) Indian Wells is known as the "Tennis Paradise" for a reason, and Zheng Qinwen has finally found the California tournament enjoyable on her third visit.

    Of course the world-class facilities and glamorous vibe at the WTA1000 tournament suited Zheng, as well as others, but it wasn't until the Chinese No 1 posted two straight wins for the first time this season — over two bitter rivals she'd never beaten before — that Zheng found the topflight tournament in the Californian desert a pleasing place to be.

    "I am just happy to win the match today, because it's my first time to go this far in Indian Wells. This will make me love coming to the Tennis Paradise more," the 8th-seeded Zheng said after beating New Zealand's Lulu Sun in straight sets on Sunday night to advance into the last 16 at the BNP Paribas Open for the first time.

    Zheng, who is currently ranked world No 9, will play Ukraine's world No 24 Marta Kostyuk in the next round.

    Zheng's 6-4, 7-5 victory over Sun, whose mother hails from China, has helped her avenge an upset by the unheralded qualifier in the opening round at last year's Wimbledon, where the 23-year-old Sun surprisingly fought her way into the quarterfinals on her main draw debut at the All England Club.

    Sunday's triumph also marked Zheng's first back-to-back wins this season, after she beat two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus for the first time in their third encounter in Friday's tournament opener, showing a glimpse of recovery in Zheng's form after a slow start this year.

    Cheered on by a small, yet vocal group of local Chinese fans, the 22-year-old reigning Olympic champion overcame a fightback by Sun, who broke Zheng three times in the second set, to kickstart her winning momentum again after a disappointing second-round loss at the Australian Open, followed by consecutive opening defeats at the WTA500 level tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

    Zheng attributed the fending off Sun's comeback to "just trying to stay consistent throughout the match" — a key area of her game that contributed to her successful 2024 campaign, and that has been missing at the first three events of this year.

    "She is really a good player, and if I hit short balls, she always gets them back. She has strong forehand strikes, so it was not an easy match," said Zheng, who also won two more WTA titles in Palermo, Italy, and Tokyo last year to go with her Olympic gold in Paris.

    The fire of revenge she has kept within was more of a strong push, rather than a mental burden, Zheng reckoned.

    "If I have to be honest, no, I don't forgive," said Zheng, who also fought into the WTA Finals championship match in her debut at the season finale in November.

    "I even remember the match I lost three years ago against (Angelique) Kerber (at Indian Wells), I was leading 4-1. So it's tough for me to lose. I remember, and I try to fight back. I think that's one of my strong points. That's why I try to be better, and here I am."

    Now, with her long-term mentor, Spaniard Pere Riba, back in her corner after recovering from a hip surgery, and Zheng herself getting back to winning ways, she seems all set to relaunch her 2025 after a subpar start, looking to build an upward trajectory as she continues chasing her career goals.

    When asked which was more important, being world No 1 or winning a Grand Slam, Zheng, without any hesitation, replied: "No doubt, a Grand Slam."

    "This was the dream since I was a child. I didn't put world No 1 in my dream, I put the Slams (on top of the list)," said Zheng, whose best performance at a major was a runner-up finish at last year's Australian Open, eventually won by Belarusian world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

    Source: By Sun Xiaochen | China Daily | Updated: 2025-03-11 10:05


  7. (China Daily) Williams could be the most improved team when the Formula One season starts in Melbourne next week but 2026 is still the focus for faded former champions determined to get back on top.

    Next year will be the dawn of a new engine era, coupled with significant chassis regulation changes, in a major shake-up that could send tremors through the paddock pecking order.

    All teams, from top to bottom, have to decide at what point this season they cease to upgrade their cars and focus fully on 2026.

    For teams like Williams, ninth out of 10 in 2024, that means switching far sooner than title-chasing rivals to give themselves the best chance of a big leap.

    "I've been very clear from the beginning that 2026 is the year I want to make sure we put focus onto and that will have an effect on 2025," said Williams principal James Vowles at last month's car launch.

    "My head is clear. It's about the future of this organization. The bias is very much towards 2026. The second of January, which was the first legal date, our 2026 car was in the wind tunnel."

    Williams were fastest in last week's Bahrain testing, with new arrival Carlos Sainz, and their overall package had rivals suggesting they could be top five contenders.

    Vowles played that down, having already warned Sainz and teammate Alex Albon to expect a tough year with the rewards to be reaped in seasons to come.

    Midfield rivals will also be looking to bank points early in the season before turning off development.

    "There are areas of our business that are already 100 percent focused on 2026, so concept engineering groups are just focused on 2026 because 2025's done from their perspective," said Aston Martin boss Andy Cowell.

    "As we go through the year, every single department will do that transition from partially on 2025 to fully on to 2026," added the Briton, who had top designer Adrian Newey starting on Monday.

    Alpine's Oliver Oakes said it would be a balancing act for the Renault-owned team but "I think we're going to see that, especially after the first few races, it's pretty evident where your attention needs to be."

    Those at the front and chasing championships will take a different approach.

    Andrea Stella, boss of champions McLaren whose car already looks the one to beat and whose drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will be chasing both titles, said his team would be introducing upgrades early in the season at least.

    Ferrari's Fred Vasseur, now with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton on board, said the situation would be assessed after the first four or five races.

    "Even if you have a plan, even if you decide now that we do like this, like this, like this, let’s see after a couple of races into the championship where you are," he told reporters.

    "If you are one second behind, it makes no sense to continue to develop. If you are one second in front, you can be focused a little bit on 2026, but I think these two scenarios are not realistic at all.

    "I think it will be the continuity of last year with four teams able to win races, able to win the championship, and it will be a good fight."

    Mercedes driver George Russell agreed. "I think why it is going to be so interesting is whoever continues to develop will probably win the championship but you'll pay the price in 2026," he said.

    Source: China Daily/Reuters   Published: 17:21, March 4, 2025


  8. (Xinhua) Eighth seed Zheng Qinwen of China secured a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory over New Zealand's Sun Lulu in the third round of the WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells on Sunday, marking her first set of consecutive wins this season and a career-best showing at the tournament.

    The match, a rematch of their 2024 Wimbledon first-round clash in which Sun stunned Zheng, saw the Chinese star control key moments despite a tense second-set battle. Zheng overcame a mid-set slump and a 5-5 tie in the second set to seal the victory in one hour and 46 minutes.

    "It's tough for me to lose a match, so I remember, and I want to try to fight back. I think that's a good point of me. That's why I try to be better and here I am," Zheng said after the match.

    The 22-year-old, who ended a three-match losing streak by defeating former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 6-4, will next face 18th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.

    Another Chinese player, Wang Xinyu, lost to fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States 6-2, 6-1 in the third round.

    Source: Xinhua  Published: 01:56, March 10, 2025


  9. (Xinhua) China's Wang Xinyu was eliminated from Indian Wells on Sunday with a third-round loss to American fourth seed Jessica Pegula.

    World No. 42 Wang served three double faults and saved just two of seven break points en route to a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.

    Pegula, who is aiming for her eighth career title in the WTA 1000 event, put 78 percent of her first serves in play as she set up a round-of-16 meeting with either American Danielle Collins or Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

    Meanwhile, Chinese pair Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan bowed out of the women's doubles with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 loss to Ukraine's Lyudmyla Kichenok and American Sofia Kenin.

    Kichenok and Kenin served three aces and won 77 percent of points on their first serve to take the match in an hour and 28 minutes.

    The eighth-seeded pair will meet either Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend or Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.  

    Source: Xinhua  2025-03-10 14:18:15


  10. (China Daily) Down the finish line adjacent to the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai's Changning district, Annelise Boluen slowly adjusted her breath to calm down, just after concluding the 2025 Shanghai Women's Half Marathon on March 9.

    As a French runner with five years of experience, Boluen is a member of Luwan Run Club, one of Shanghai's biggest and most influential running clubs. However, this was her first participation in the Shanghai Women's Half Marathon and she said it's a great idea.

    "I raced [the] Shanghai Marathon in December and it was my first half marathon today," Boluen told China Daily. "It was really amazing, really well organized and it was really nice to run with all the females."

    Overwhelmed and encouraged by cheering of "Jiayou," or "go for it" in English, Boluen created her half marathon personal best at 1:41:31. She praised the city's unique sports atmosphere.

    "I'm impressed like every Chinese [is] kind of sporty. You can see in the park where everyone is doing some stretching, tai chi, yoga, and it's pretty good," she said. "It's different from Paris. It's less competitive, it's more about having a healthy style. It's only in Shanghai."

    As the opening event of the Shanghai Marathon series races in 2025, this competition attracted a total of 7,000 female runners.

    "I believe this event serves as a captivating platform to showcase the strength and spirit of women in the new era. Hopefully, I have the opportunity to experience the race next time," said Chinese swimming world champion Tang Qianting during the opening ceremony.

    This year's event features two races, a 5-kilometer fitness run and a 21-kilometer standard half marathon, with their final stops at the Shanghai Zoo and Zhongshan Park, respectively.

    The routes were designed to run through some of Changning district's most important commercial areas, such as Hongqiao's Gubei and Zhongshan Park, and other cultural attractions, according to Zhou Bo, the deputy director of Administration of Sports in Changning district.

    "The event aims to seamlessly integrate sport with business, tourism, culture and exhibitions, boosting the regional economy and building it into an international level event," said Zhou.

    According to the organizing committee, after three hours and 10 minutes, the completion rate for this event reached an impressive 99.28 percent.

    In the half marathon, Zhao Yanli from China crossed the finish line with a time of 1:15:49, claiming the championship. "It's an honor to represent women in this race," Zhao said. "Running along the Suzhou Creek and Zhongshan Park, with such breathtaking views, made my experience even more unforgettable."

    Zhao wasn't the only one. Among those captivated by the beautiful scenery along the race route was Eynullayeva Nilufar, a graduate student at East China Normal University from the Republic of Azerbaijan.

    "This is my third time attending the game. I run it every year, it's always my favorite one because every time, I make the best result," said Nilufar.

    "It's very convenient to run here near the Suzhou Creek and Zhongshan Park. The sports atmosphere is great [in Shanghai] but a little bit competitive. It's always very hard to join the races because of the [crowded] registrations and drawings."

    In 2024, a record-breaking total of 257,854 people registered for the Shanghai Marathon, China's sole candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors, including the marathon and fitness run.

    Wei Pulong, president of Hefei Marathon Sports Association, said Shanghai's vibrant sports culture and history and widespread global impact have fostered the development of its sports events.

    Source: chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-03-09 16:24

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