Barcelona broke the women’s attendance record as 91,553 fans watched them come from behind to beat bitter rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semi-finals with an 8-3 aggregate win.

The new record surpassed both the previous club mark of 60,739 fans set in 2019 at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium, where the hosts beat Barca 2-0 in a league match, and the official attendance record for a women's game.

That was set at the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China, when 90,195 fans were in attendance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. 
All 99,354 tickets for Wednesday's match had been sold out since January after a huge engagement campaign by the club.

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Yet expectations that the record would be broken were shaken after heavy rain fell all day in Barcelona and the match started with the stadium only half full.

But as the game progressed, fans slowly arrived and ended up almost filling the iconic Camp Nou, Europe's largest stadium, creating a fantastic atmosphere.

There was an enormous mosaic in the stands with the slogan 'More than empowerment'.

Barcelona, who won the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Madrid, took the lead eight minutes into the first half with a brilliant curling shot from long range by Mapi Leon but Real fought back to lead 2-1 with goals from Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/in-our-rightful-place-cristiano-ronaldo-rests-easy-after-qualifying-for-fifa-world-cup-2022-466973">In our rightful place: Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after Portugal qualifies for FIFA World Cup 2022</a>

Yet Barca recovered early in the second half with Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas putting the hosts back in front with three goals in 10 minutes. Caroline Hansen rounded off the scoring in what was an electrifying match.

"I’m speechless. It’s a dream come true. I can only answer with more work, getting better and winning games so we can give them a big spectacle," said Putellas.

"I saw a lot of girls, children with that spark in their eyes. It’s amazing to be part of history."

Barcelona broke the women’s attendance record as 91,553 fans watched them come from behind to beat bitter rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semi-finals with an 8-3 aggregate win.

Barcelona broke the women’s attendance record as 91,553 fans watched them come from behind to beat bitter rivals Real Madrid 5-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semi-finals with an 8-3 aggregate win. The new record surpassed both the previous club mark of 60,739 fans set in 2019 at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium, where the hosts beat Barca 2-0 in a league match, and the official attendance record for a women's game. That was set at the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China, when 90,195 fans were in attendance at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. All 99,354 tickets for Wednesday's match had been sold out since January after a huge engagement campaign by the club. ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatar mounts for highly-anticipated finals draw on April 1 Yet expectations that the record would be broken were shaken after heavy rain fell all day in Barcelona and the match started with the stadium only half full. But as the game progressed, fans slowly arrived and ended up almost filling the iconic Camp Nou, Europe's largest stadium, creating a fantastic atmosphere. There was an enormous mosaic in the stands with the slogan 'More than empowerment'. Barcelona, who won the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Madrid, took the lead eight minutes into the first half with a brilliant curling shot from long range by Mapi Leon but Real fought back to lead 2-1 with goals from Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza. ALSO READ: In our rightful place: Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after Portugal qualifies for FIFA World Cup 2022 Yet Barca recovered early in the second half with Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas putting the hosts back in front with three goals in 10 minutes. Caroline Hansen rounded off the scoring in what was an electrifying match. "I’m speechless. It’s a dream come true. I can only answer with more work, getting better and winning games so we can give them a big spectacle," said Putellas. "I saw a lot of girls, children with that spark in their eyes. It’s amazing to be part of history."

Champions League: Barcelona break women's attendance record in 5-2 victory over Real Madrid, enter semis

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Chasing a paltry 129, RCB were made to work hard for their runs before Shahbaz Ahmed's 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal Patel-Dinesh Karthik propelled the side home.

Being asked to bat first, KKR only managed 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasarange's 4 for&nbsp;20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 did the trick for Bengaluru. In reply, RCB lost big guns such as skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli early in the run-chase before Shahbaz's vital knock and DK-Harshal's boundaries took RCB to their maiden win of the season. After the game, Faf lavished huge praise on Karthik and compared his finishing skills to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s former skipper MS Dhoni.

The RCB skipper said at the post-match presentation, "The runs were never a problem. We just needed to have wickets in hand. DK is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni when it comes to being ice cool. I rely on other people for help. We have great people in the camp."

Du Plessis added, "Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-just-rcb-being-rcb-fans-hilariously-troll-faf-du-plessis-cos-comical-usage-of-drs-vs-kkr-467144">IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis &amp; Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR</a>

After two games, DK has been on a roll. He is yet to be dismissed in the 15th season and has played two gem of an innings, 32* (14) versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) followed by a match-winning 7-ball 14 not out. He has a strike-rate of&nbsp;219.04, including 4 fours and an equal number of sixes. He will be eager to carry on in a similar stread and make a case for selection in India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went past Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a thrilling match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday evening (March 30), at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Chasing a paltry 129, RCB were made to work hard for their runs before Shahbaz Ahmed's 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal Patel-Dinesh Karthik propelled the side home. Being asked to bat first, KKR only managed 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasarange's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 did the trick for Bengaluru. In reply, RCB lost big guns such as skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli early in the run-chase before Shahbaz's vital knock and DK-Harshal's boundaries took RCB to their maiden win of the season. After the game, Faf lavished huge praise on Karthik and compared his finishing skills to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s former skipper MS Dhoni. The RCB skipper said at the post-match presentation, "The runs were never a problem. We just needed to have wickets in hand. DK is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni when it comes to being ice cool. I rely on other people for help. We have great people in the camp." Du Plessis added, "Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing." ALSO READ | IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis & Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR After two games, DK has been on a roll. He is yet to be dismissed in the 15th season and has played two gem of an innings, 32* (14) versus Punjab Kings (PBKS) followed by a match-winning 7-ball 14 not out. He has a strike-rate of 219.04, including 4 fours and an equal number of sixes. He will be eager to carry on in a similar stread and make a case for selection in India's 2022 T20 World Cup squad.

Dinesh Karthik is as close as it gets to MS Dhoni: Faf du Plessis lauds RCB's finisher after KKR win

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. While many expected it to be a high-scoring affair, it turned out to be a low-scoring thriller which went down to the wire before Faf du Plessis &amp; Co. got off the mark in the points table.&nbsp;

Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted KKR to a paltry 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasaranga's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 restricted the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR outfit for a below-par score. In reply, KKR bowlers did a great job to stretch the game till the end overs before Shahbaz Ahmed's impressive 20-ball 27&nbsp;and finishing knocks from Harshal-Dinesh Karthik propelled the Bengaluru side past the finish line.

Despite the win, RCB were hilariously trolled during the KKR game for their comical usage of the DRS during KKR's last-wicket stand between Varun Chakravarthy-Umesh Yadav. In the 16th over, bowled by Harshal, RCB went for the DRS despite the ball clearly hitting Varun's bat instead of the pad. Here's how they were trolled on the social media platform:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-moeen-to-replace-santner-predicting-ravindra-jadeja-led-csks-playing-xi-for-lucknow-tie-467105">IPL 2022: Moeen to replace Santner? Predicting Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK's playing XI for Lucknow tie</a>

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<a href="https://t.co/oa1YHk995c">pic.twitter.com/oa1YHk995c</a>
— That-Cricket-Girl (@imswatib) <a href="https://twitter.com/imswatib/status/1509198939274477569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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DRS king RCB 😌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvKKR</a> <a href="https://t.co/XElYjxaO9I">pic.twitter.com/XElYjxaO9I</a>
— ᴀʙʜʀᴀɴɪʟ ᴅᴜᴛᴛᴀ (@The_AbD22) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_AbD22/status/1509196833767436288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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RCB joined the worst DRS review with BAN. <a href="https://t.co/7aeWRCxhiw">pic.twitter.com/7aeWRCxhiw</a>
— 𝙎𝙧𝙞 (@Thanda_soru) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thanda_soru/status/1509192493765898249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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RCB having FUN with DRS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvsRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvsRCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/pCcGL6vLXC">pic.twitter.com/pCcGL6vLXC</a>
— Naidu - Bhushan (@Bhushansz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bhushansz/status/1509206447481319425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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RCB took DRS for LBW where the ball was hitting to bat clearly instead of pad, Just RCB being RCB.
— The Winter Guy ❄️ (@The_WinterGuy) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_WinterGuy/status/1509192132569210880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/david-willey-takes-exceptional-catch-running-backwards-to-send-nitish-rana-packing-against-kkr-watch-466995">David Willey takes exceptional catch running backwards to send Nitish Rana packing against KKR - WATCH</a>

At the post-match presentation, RCB skipper Faf stated, "Very happy. Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) locked horns with each other in match 6 of the IPL 2022 edition on Wednesday (March 30) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. While many expected it to be a high-scoring affair, it turned out to be a low-scoring thriller which went down to the wire before Faf du Plessis & Co. got off the mark in the points table. Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted KKR to a paltry 128 all-out in 18.5 overs as Wanindu Hasaranga's 4 for 20, Akash Deep's 3 for 45 and Harshal Patel's 2 for 11 restricted the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR outfit for a below-par score. In reply, KKR bowlers did a great job to stretch the game till the end overs before Shahbaz Ahmed's impressive 20-ball 27 and finishing knocks from Harshal-Dinesh Karthik propelled the Bengaluru side past the finish line. Despite the win, RCB were hilariously trolled during the KKR game for their comical usage of the DRS during KKR's last-wicket stand between Varun Chakravarthy-Umesh Yadav. In the 16th over, bowled by Harshal, RCB went for the DRS despite the ball clearly hitting Varun's bat instead of the pad. Here's how they were trolled on the social media platform: ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Moeen to replace Santner? Predicting Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK's playing XI for Lucknow tie pic.twitter.com/oa1YHk995c — That-Cricket-Girl (@imswatib) March 30, 2022 × DRS king RCB 😌#RCBvKKR pic.twitter.com/XElYjxaO9I — ᴀʙʜʀᴀɴɪʟ ᴅᴜᴛᴛᴀ (@The_AbD22) March 30, 2022 × RCB joined the worst DRS review with BAN. pic.twitter.com/7aeWRCxhiw — 𝙎𝙧𝙞 (@Thanda_soru) March 30, 2022 × RCB having FUN with DRS #KKRvsRCB pic.twitter.com/pCcGL6vLXC — Naidu - Bhushan (@Bhushansz) March 30, 2022 × RCB took DRS for LBW where the ball was hitting to bat clearly instead of pad, Just RCB being RCB. — The Winter Guy ❄️ (@The_WinterGuy) March 30, 2022 × ALSO READ | David Willey takes exceptional catch running backwards to send Nitish Rana packing against KKR - WATCH At the post-match presentation, RCB skipper Faf stated, "Very happy. Close small margins game are very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive but very good bowling from their seamers. The ball swung a little more earlier but today there was seam and bounce. Two three days ago, it was 200 and today it was 130. We would like to be more convincing."

IPL 2022: 'Just RCB being RCB' - Fans hilariously troll Faf du Plessis & Co.'s comical usage of DRS vs KKR

The early action at the Miami Open quarter-finals was cut short on Wednesday, when Spain's Paula Badosa retired from her match against Jessica Pegula and Italian ninth seed Jannik Sinner did the same versus Francisco Cerundolo.

Officials said that Badosa had a viral illness, while Sinner called it quits as a result of foot blisters. Both were favourites to advance and retired at 4-1 down in the first set of their respective matches.

Pegula, who will feature in her second WTA 1000 semi-final, lost her serve in the first game but immediately broke back, before converting again in the fourth game, dropping just one of 10 first-serve points in her limited time on the court.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-naomi-osaka-outclasses-danielle-collins-to-set-up-maiden-semifinal-date-against-belinda-bencic-466949">Miami Open: Naomi Osaka outclasses Danielle Collins to set up maiden semifinal date against Belinda Bencic</a>

"I don't think I really thought she was going to retire, like maybe not that quickly, maybe a set or, if anything, but not that soon," the American told reporters.

Pegula, who reached her second consecutive Australian Open quarter-final this year, will face the winner of a match between 2020 Roland-Garros winner Iga Swiatek and twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

"Been struggling with illness since the last match the other day. Tried everything to recover but wasn’t enough. I’ll take some days to recover well and prepare for clay court season," Badosa wrote on Twitter.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-russias-daniil-medvedev-one-win-away-from-reclaiming-world-no-1-spot-466929">Miami Open: Russia's Daniil Medvedev one win away from reclaiming No. 1 spot</a>

Sinner's nightmare blisters meant Cerundolo's dream run continued, as he reached the semi-final in his first Masters 1000 main draw.

The 103rd-ranked Argentine battled past Americans Reilly Opelka and Frances Tiafoe and Frenchman Gael Monfils earlier in the tournament and now faces the victor of a meeting between fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev and world number eight Casper Ruud.

"It's everything (I've) dreamed of," the 23 year old said.

The early action at the Miami Open quarter-finals was cut short on Wednesday, when Spain's Paula Badosa retired from her match against Jessica Pegula and Italian ninth seed Jannik Sinner did the same versus Francisco Cerundolo.

The early action at the Miami Open quarter-finals was cut short on Wednesday, when Spain's Paula Badosa retired from her match against Jessica Pegula and Italian ninth seed Jannik Sinner did the same versus Francisco Cerundolo. Officials said that Badosa had a viral illness, while Sinner called it quits as a result of foot blisters. Both were favourites to advance and retired at 4-1 down in the first set of their respective matches. Pegula, who will feature in her second WTA 1000 semi-final, lost her serve in the first game but immediately broke back, before converting again in the fourth game, dropping just one of 10 first-serve points in her limited time on the court. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Naomi Osaka outclasses Danielle Collins to set up maiden semifinal date against Belinda Bencic "I don't think I really thought she was going to retire, like maybe not that quickly, maybe a set or, if anything, but not that soon," the American told reporters. Pegula, who reached her second consecutive Australian Open quarter-final this year, will face the winner of a match between 2020 Roland-Garros winner Iga Swiatek and twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. "Been struggling with illness since the last match the other day. Tried everything to recover but wasn’t enough. I’ll take some days to recover well and prepare for clay court season," Badosa wrote on Twitter. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Russia's Daniil Medvedev one win away from reclaiming No. 1 spot Sinner's nightmare blisters meant Cerundolo's dream run continued, as he reached the semi-final in his first Masters 1000 main draw. The 103rd-ranked Argentine battled past Americans Reilly Opelka and Frances Tiafoe and Frenchman Gael Monfils earlier in the tournament and now faces the victor of a meeting between fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev and world number eight Casper Ruud. "It's everything (I've) dreamed of," the 23 year old said.

Miami Open: Paula Badosa, Jannik Sinner retire in quarter-finals, Pegula, Cerundolo enter semis

Match 7 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the defending champions and four-time winners Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with one of the new entrants, i.e. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday evening (March 31).

Both sides are coming into this match after failing to get off the mark in their respective season-openers. Talking about the Chennai camp, the Yellow Army never came to their very best in the opening game of the season, where they went down to the two-time winners and last year's runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 26.

Being asked to bat first, CSK were rusty from the word go. The likes of Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad fell flat whereas Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu departed after settling in. MS Dhoni's 38-ball 50* and Jadeja's 28-ball 26 propelled CSK to 131-5. In reply, their bowlers did a decent job of stretching the game till the penultimate over, however, they lost by six wickets.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-lsg-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-lucknow-super-giants-match-467080">CSK vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants match?</a>

Predicting CSK's XI for LSG face-off

By know, everyone knows that Chennai isn't a team that presses the panic button after one bad game. They are expected to follow the same template of backing their players by giving them a long rope before making wholesome changes. They will be desperate to get their first win of the season, however, they are likely to go ahead with only one change.

Moeen Ali, last year's star for CSK, is expected to walk into the playing XI&nbsp;at the expense of Kiwi spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner. It will further bolster their batting line-up and might tempt their big guns to play more freely than they did versus KKR. While Shivam Dube also has strong competition from U-19 star&nbsp;Rajvardhan Hangargekar, however, the former is likely to be persisted for now.

Predicted CSK XI for Lucknow tie: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Shivam Dube, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande

Match 7 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the defending champions and four-time winners Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with one of the new entrants, i.

Match 7 of the ongoing IPL 2022 edition will see the defending champions and four-time winners Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with one of the new entrants, i.e. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday evening (March 31). Both sides are coming into this match after failing to get off the mark in their respective season-openers. Talking about the Chennai camp, the Yellow Army never came to their very best in the opening game of the season, where they went down to the two-time winners and last year's runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 26. Being asked to bat first, CSK were rusty from the word go. The likes of Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad fell flat whereas Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu departed after settling in. MS Dhoni's 38-ball 50* and Jadeja's 28-ball 26 propelled CSK to 131-5. In reply, their bowlers did a decent job of stretching the game till the penultimate over, however, they lost by six wickets. ALSO READ | CSK vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants match? Predicting CSK's XI for LSG face-off By know, everyone knows that Chennai isn't a team that presses the panic button after one bad game. They are expected to follow the same template of backing their players by giving them a long rope before making wholesome changes. They will be desperate to get their first win of the season, however, they are likely to go ahead with only one change. Moeen Ali, last year's star for CSK, is expected to walk into the playing XI at the expense of Kiwi spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner. It will further bolster their batting line-up and might tempt their big guns to play more freely than they did versus KKR. While Shivam Dube also has strong competition from U-19 star Rajvardhan Hangargekar, however, the former is likely to be persisted for now. Predicted CSK XI for Lucknow tie: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Shivam Dube, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande

IPL 2022: Moeen to replace Santner? Predicting Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK's playing XI for Lucknow tie

Danni Wyatt scored her second one-day international century and Sophie Ecclestone took six wickets as champions England crushed South Africa by 137 runs on Thursday to set up a mouthwatering Women's World Cup final against heavyweights Australia.

Wyatt, dropped five times, punished South Africa with 129 off 125 balls to help England build an imposing 293 for eight at Christchurch's Hagley Oval. 
South Africa had won the toss and elected to field.

Ecclestone, the world's top-ranked spinner, celebrated a personal best 6-36 as South Africa collapsed to be all out for 156.

"Really pleased, that was a really complete performance from the girls today, something we’ve been searching for," England captain Heather Knight said.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vs-lsg-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-lucknow-super-giants-match-467080">CSK vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants match?</a>

"I think we’ll go in as underdogs (against Australia) for sure but we’re all equal at the start of the game."

Having started the tournament with three straight defeats, England have rebounded with five wins.

Thursday's victory was their most complete performance of the tournament, with Sophia Dunkley chipping in 60 in a 116-run partnership with Wyatt for the fifth wicket.

The English may need to lift their game again, however, to beat undefeated Australia at the same venue on Sunday.

Meg Lanning's side thrashed West Indies in the other semi-final and have a chip on their shoulder after being knocked out of the 2017 semi-finals.

Australia are unlikely to reproduce South Africa's ragged fielding display, which saw Wyatt dropped on 22, 36, 77, 116 and 117 before she was finally caught by a scrambling Lizelle Lee after hitting Masabata Klaas to short third man.

By that time, England were well on the way to setting South Africa a would-be world record chase.

Seamer Anya Shrubsole, the hero of the 2017 World Cup final, quickly put South Africa on the back foot with a fine spell of swing bowling to remove Lee for two and the dangerous Laura Wolvaardt for a caught-and-bowled duck.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/universe-boss-show-not-over-yet-chris-gayle-kicks-off-preparations-for-ipl-2023-see-pic-467065">Universe Boss' show not over yet! Chris Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 - see pic</a>

Kate Cross and Charlie Dean took a wicket each to leave South Africa teetering at 67 for four before Ecclestone grabbed the remaining wickets to wrap up the match early.

Australia and England have won all of the 50-over World Cups barring New Zealand's sole triumph in 2000 on home soil.

Three-times semi-finalists South Africa missed out on a maiden final again but captain Sune Luus said her team had a "great World Cup".

"Don't think we had our best fielding performance (today)," she said.

"I just think we needed to be clinical today and we weren’t."

Danni Wyatt scored her second one-day international century and Sophie Ecclestone took six wickets as champions England crushed South Africa by 137 runs on Thursday to set up a mouthwatering Women's World Cup final against heavyweights Australia.

Danni Wyatt scored her second one-day international century and Sophie Ecclestone took six wickets as champions England crushed South Africa by 137 runs on Thursday to set up a mouthwatering Women's World Cup final against heavyweights Australia. Wyatt, dropped five times, punished South Africa with 129 off 125 balls to help England build an imposing 293 for eight at Christchurch's Hagley Oval. South Africa had won the toss and elected to field. Ecclestone, the world's top-ranked spinner, celebrated a personal best 6-36 as South Africa collapsed to be all out for 156. "Really pleased, that was a really complete performance from the girls today, something we’ve been searching for," England captain Heather Knight said. ALSO READ: CSK vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants match? "I think we’ll go in as underdogs (against Australia) for sure but we’re all equal at the start of the game." Having started the tournament with three straight defeats, England have rebounded with five wins. Thursday's victory was their most complete performance of the tournament, with Sophia Dunkley chipping in 60 in a 116-run partnership with Wyatt for the fifth wicket. The English may need to lift their game again, however, to beat undefeated Australia at the same venue on Sunday. Meg Lanning's side thrashed West Indies in the other semi-final and have a chip on their shoulder after being knocked out of the 2017 semi-finals. Australia are unlikely to reproduce South Africa's ragged fielding display, which saw Wyatt dropped on 22, 36, 77, 116 and 117 before she was finally caught by a scrambling Lizelle Lee after hitting Masabata Klaas to short third man. By that time, England were well on the way to setting South Africa a would-be world record chase. Seamer Anya Shrubsole, the hero of the 2017 World Cup final, quickly put South Africa on the back foot with a fine spell of swing bowling to remove Lee for two and the dangerous Laura Wolvaardt for a caught-and-bowled duck. ALSO READ: Universe Boss' show not over yet! Chris Gayle kicks off preparations for IPL 2023 - see pic Kate Cross and Charlie Dean took a wicket each to leave South Africa teetering at 67 for four before Ecclestone grabbed the remaining wickets to wrap up the match early. Australia and England have won all of the 50-over World Cups barring New Zealand's sole triumph in 2000 on home soil. Three-times semi-finalists South Africa missed out on a maiden final again but captain Sune Luus said her team had a "great World Cup". "Don't think we had our best fielding performance (today)," she said. "I just think we needed to be clinical today and we weren’t."

Women's World Cup: England thrash South Africa by 137 runs to set up summit clash against Australia

The cricketing action will continue to take place in IPL 2022 as match 7 of the 15th edition will see Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with the debutant team&nbsp;Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday evening (March 31) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.&nbsp;

Both sides are coming to this encounter with a defeat in their respective season-openers. Talking about the defending champions CSK, the Ravindra Jadeja-led Men in Yellow were a pale shadow of themselves as they were brushed aside by KKR's clinical display in the opening game&nbsp;at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Being asked to bat first, CSK managed a paltry 131 for 5 riding on former skipper Dhoni's 50* (38) and Ravi Jadeja's uninspiring 28-ball 26. In reply, KKR closed the run-chase in the penultimate over as the Chennai bowlers did fairly well in not leaking runs at will. Nonetheless, they also didn't apply much pressure with&nbsp;wicket-taking deliveries at regular intervals.

On the other hand, the KL Rahul-led Lucknow franchise faced Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT), at the same venue on Monday (March 28). In a hard-fought match, Lucknow fought well courtesy a late surge from their lower-order and some tight bowling, however, they came second as they lost by five wickets in defence of 159. Thus, both Chennai and Lucknow will be desperate to avoid two successive losses at the beginning of the new season.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-kolkata-knigt-riders-vs-royal-challengers-bangalore-game-467009">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore game</a>

Match prediction for CSK vs LSG clash:&nbsp;So far, only one game has been held at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai this season. It was a 170-plus scoring affair, which went down to the wire. Expect a similar flat track where spinners will have a role to play along with some dew.&nbsp;Both sides will aim for early breakthroughs but CSK's depth and experience are likely to get them their first win of the season.

The cricketing action will continue to take place in IPL 2022 as match 7 of the 15th edition will see Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with the debutant team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday evening (March 31) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

The cricketing action will continue to take place in IPL 2022 as match 7 of the 15th edition will see Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with the debutant team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday evening (March 31) at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Both sides are coming to this encounter with a defeat in their respective season-openers. Talking about the defending champions CSK, the Ravindra Jadeja-led Men in Yellow were a pale shadow of themselves as they were brushed aside by KKR's clinical display in the opening game at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Being asked to bat first, CSK managed a paltry 131 for 5 riding on former skipper Dhoni's 50* (38) and Ravi Jadeja's uninspiring 28-ball 26. In reply, KKR closed the run-chase in the penultimate over as the Chennai bowlers did fairly well in not leaking runs at will. Nonetheless, they also didn't apply much pressure with wicket-taking deliveries at regular intervals. On the other hand, the KL Rahul-led Lucknow franchise faced Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT), at the same venue on Monday (March 28). In a hard-fought match, Lucknow fought well courtesy a late surge from their lower-order and some tight bowling, however, they came second as they lost by five wickets in defence of 159. Thus, both Chennai and Lucknow will be desperate to avoid two successive losses at the beginning of the new season. ALSO READ | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore game Match prediction for CSK vs LSG clash: So far, only one game has been held at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai this season. It was a 170-plus scoring affair, which went down to the wire. Expect a similar flat track where spinners will have a role to play along with some dew. Both sides will aim for early breakthroughs but CSK's depth and experience are likely to get them their first win of the season.

CSK vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants match?

Match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition saw the one-time winner Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Tuesday evening (March 29).&nbsp;

It was the first game in Pune in the ongoing IPL season and it produced a run-fest with Rajasthan posting 210-6 in 20 overs and, later, defending the total by 61 runs. After starts from Jos Buttler (35) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (20), skipper Sanju Samson upped the ante for RR along with Devdutt Padikkal's 29-ball 41 and rapid knocks from Shimron Hetmyer (13-ball 32) - Riyan Parag (9-ball 12*) as RR went big with the bat. In reply, Yuzvendra Chahal's 3 for 22 and twin strikes each from Trent Boult-Prasidh Krishna restricted Kane Williamson &amp; Co. for a moderate 149-7.&nbsp;

With this, RR took the top spot in the points table with a healthy NRR of&nbsp;3.050. After missing out on the playoffs since 2018, ending at the bottom in IPL 2020 and at the seventh position last year, RR have started off nicely. However, they would be desperate to remain consistent and go the distance this time around, in a bid to claim their second IPL title. They were the first-ever IPL champions, in 2008, however, have fallen behind since then.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-sanju-samson-prasidh-krishna-star-as-rajasthan-royals-thrash-sunrisers-hyderabad-by-61-runs-466777">IPL 2022: Sanju Samson, Prasidh Krishna star as Rajasthan Royals thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad by 61 runs</a>

Thus, at the post-match presentation, Danny Marrison tried putting Samson in a spot and asked him if he feels it is 'about time to get that IPL trophy back in the RR cabinet' this time around. To this, Samson had a cheeky response up his sleeves and said, "I think every season we come with great dreams. I think it's a franchise that really takes care of its players. It doesn't give too much pressure as you're giving me right now,” Samson told commentator Morrison after the match. “It likes to keep it as simple as possible. They trust the players throughout the tournament.”

"We will take it one game at a time. We know it's a really tough tournament, lot of good sides and I think we will keep it simple and see how it goes," he added.

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-rjasthan-royals-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-clash-466775">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash</a>
RR will now lock horns with the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday afternoon (April 2). They will be eager to continue with the winning run and not lose focus after a fine start to the 15th season.</section>

Match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition saw the one-time winner Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Tuesday evening (March 29).

Match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition saw the one-time winner Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Tuesday evening (March 29). It was the first game in Pune in the ongoing IPL season and it produced a run-fest with Rajasthan posting 210-6 in 20 overs and, later, defending the total by 61 runs. After starts from Jos Buttler (35) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (20), skipper Sanju Samson upped the ante for RR along with Devdutt Padikkal's 29-ball 41 and rapid knocks from Shimron Hetmyer (13-ball 32) - Riyan Parag (9-ball 12*) as RR went big with the bat. In reply, Yuzvendra Chahal's 3 for 22 and twin strikes each from Trent Boult-Prasidh Krishna restricted Kane Williamson & Co. for a moderate 149-7. With this, RR took the top spot in the points table with a healthy NRR of 3.050. After missing out on the playoffs since 2018, ending at the bottom in IPL 2020 and at the seventh position last year, RR have started off nicely. However, they would be desperate to remain consistent and go the distance this time around, in a bid to claim their second IPL title. They were the first-ever IPL champions, in 2008, however, have fallen behind since then. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Sanju Samson, Prasidh Krishna star as Rajasthan Royals thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad by 61 runs Thus, at the post-match presentation, Danny Marrison tried putting Samson in a spot and asked him if he feels it is 'about time to get that IPL trophy back in the RR cabinet' this time around. To this, Samson had a cheeky response up his sleeves and said, "I think every season we come with great dreams. I think it's a franchise that really takes care of its players. It doesn't give too much pressure as you're giving me right now,” Samson told commentator Morrison after the match. “It likes to keep it as simple as possible. They trust the players throughout the tournament.” "We will take it one game at a time. We know it's a really tough tournament, lot of good sides and I think we will keep it simple and see how it goes," he added. ALSO READ | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash RR will now lock horns with the five-time winners Mumbai Indians (MI) at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday afternoon (April 2). They will be eager to continue with the winning run and not lose focus after a fine start to the 15th season.

IPL 2022: RR captain Sanju Samson gives cheeky reply to Danny Marrison's title-drought question post SRH win

Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to appear in his 5th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to celebrate the momentous achievement on Tuesday.

Ronaldo who has played in every World Cup since 2006 helped Portugal in defeating North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Bruno Fernandes put in an impressive display, scoring in each half in Portugal's play-off against North Macedonia with Ronaldo and Diogo Jota providing assists to lead their country to its sixth consecutive World Cup.

"Goal achieved, we're at the Qatar World Cup," Ronaldo said on Instagram.

"We're in our rightful place! Thank you to all the Portuguese people for the tireless support! Let's go Portugal!"

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-led-portugal-book-wc-finals-spot-as-bruno-fernandes-brace-shatters-north-macedonias-dream-466888">Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal qualify for FIFA World Cup 2022 after thrashing North Macedonia 2-0</a>

In Porto, Portugal looked as if they might be set for a long evening, with both skipper Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota going close in the first 30 minutes.

Fernandes then intercepted a stray pass just after the half-hour mark before combining well with the Portugal captain and drilling a low strike past Stole Dimitrievski. North Macedonia rarely troubled Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal in the first period but started brightly after the interval.

However, Fernandes put paid to any thoughts of another big scalp for the visitors after a swift counterattack set Diogo Jota down the left. His pinpoint delivery sat up nicely for the goalscorer to double his tally, hitting a neat first-time finish at speed.

Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to appear in his 5th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to celebrate the momentous achievement on Tuesday. Ronaldo who has played in every World Cup since 2006 helped Portugal in defeating North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to appear in his 5th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to celebrate the momentous achievement on Tuesday. Ronaldo who has played in every World Cup since 2006 helped Portugal in defeating North Macedonia 2-0 to qualify for Qatar 2022. Bruno Fernandes put in an impressive display, scoring in each half in Portugal's play-off against North Macedonia with Ronaldo and Diogo Jota providing assists to lead their country to its sixth consecutive World Cup. "Goal achieved, we're at the Qatar World Cup," Ronaldo said on Instagram. "We're in our rightful place! Thank you to all the Portuguese people for the tireless support! Let's go Portugal!" ALSO READ: Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal qualify for FIFA World Cup 2022 after thrashing North Macedonia 2-0 In Porto, Portugal looked as if they might be set for a long evening, with both skipper Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota going close in the first 30 minutes. Fernandes then intercepted a stray pass just after the half-hour mark before combining well with the Portugal captain and drilling a low strike past Stole Dimitrievski. North Macedonia rarely troubled Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal in the first period but started brightly after the interval. However, Fernandes put paid to any thoughts of another big scalp for the visitors after a swift counterattack set Diogo Jota down the left. His pinpoint delivery sat up nicely for the goalscorer to double his tally, hitting a neat first-time finish at speed.

In our rightful place: Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after Portugal qualifies for FIFA World Cup 2022

Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squared off against each other in match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition on Tuesday evening (March 30). Being asked to bat first, the Sanju Samson-led RR franchise posted a mammoth 210 for 6&nbsp;in 20 overs. In reply, the RR bowlers restricted SRH to 149 for 7 as they romped past the 2016 winners courtesy an impressive&nbsp;61-run win at the MCA Stadium, Pune.

From RR's perspective, the likes of Jos Buttler (35) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (20) got the franchise off to a good start before skipper Samson's 55, Devdutt Padikka's 41 and Shimron Hetmyer's 13-ball 32 propelled RR to a 200-plus total. Among their bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal's three-fer and two wickets apiece from Trent Boult-Prasidh Krishna kept the&nbsp;SRH camp on the back foot from the word go.

It was a forgettable outing for SRH, who conceded plenty of no-balls, were hammered by the RR batters whereas the likes of skipper Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad, etc. all fell flat. Aiden Markram's 57*, Umran Malik (2 for 39),&nbsp;Washington Sundar's 14-ball 40 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's economical spell were their only positives.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-look-like-an-idiot-when-trying-to-make-conversation-its-a-fanboy-moment-kl-rahul-on-ab-de-villiers-466935">I look like an idiot when trying to make conversation, it's a fanboy moment: KL Rahul on AB de Villiers</a>

After RR's demolition of SRH, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth took to his official Twitter handle and lauded Rajasthan. Meanwhile, he also labelled SRH as a 'terrible' team and wrote,"A great outing for @rajasthanroyals ! All around super peformance and looks like a top 4 contendor! Terrible for #SRH , team composition , depth in all departments is lacking, early signs of a last 2 contender for them #SRHvRR."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A great outing for <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> ! All around super peformance and looks like a top 4 contendor! Terrible for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRH</a> , team composition , depth in all departments is lacking, early signs of a last 2 contender for them <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvRR</a>
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) <a href="https://twitter.com/KrisSrikkanth/status/1508865392093003777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-ipl-2022-points-table-after-rjasthan-royals-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-clash-466775">Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash</a>

At the post-match presentation, Williamson said, "We started beautifully with the ball, we had our opportunities. In all the games so far, there has been some swing and assistance with the new ball. You want to make some inroads, we looked very likely but unfortunately some fine margins in this game didn't go our way. It was a very good surface, Rajasthan played outstandingly&nbsp;well. For us, there's still a number of things to touch on and improve on as a side. You got to keep your chin up and move on to the next one."

Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squared off against each other in match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition on Tuesday evening (March 30). Being asked to bat first, the Sanju Samson-led RR franchise posted a mammoth 210 for 6 in 20 overs.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squared off against each other in match 5 of the IPL 2022 edition on Tuesday evening (March 30). Being asked to bat first, the Sanju Samson-led RR franchise posted a mammoth 210 for 6 in 20 overs. In reply, the RR bowlers restricted SRH to 149 for 7 as they romped past the 2016 winners courtesy an impressive 61-run win at the MCA Stadium, Pune. From RR's perspective, the likes of Jos Buttler (35) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (20) got the franchise off to a good start before skipper Samson's 55, Devdutt Padikka's 41 and Shimron Hetmyer's 13-ball 32 propelled RR to a 200-plus total. Among their bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal's three-fer and two wickets apiece from Trent Boult-Prasidh Krishna kept the SRH camp on the back foot from the word go. It was a forgettable outing for SRH, who conceded plenty of no-balls, were hammered by the RR batters whereas the likes of skipper Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad, etc. all fell flat. Aiden Markram's 57*, Umran Malik (2 for 39), Washington Sundar's 14-ball 40 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's economical spell were their only positives. ALSO READ | I look like an idiot when trying to make conversation, it's a fanboy moment: KL Rahul on AB de Villiers After RR's demolition of SRH, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth took to his official Twitter handle and lauded Rajasthan. Meanwhile, he also labelled SRH as a 'terrible' team and wrote,"A great outing for @rajasthanroyals ! All around super peformance and looks like a top 4 contendor! Terrible for #SRH , team composition , depth in all departments is lacking, early signs of a last 2 contender for them #SRHvRR." A great outing for @rajasthanroyals ! All around super peformance and looks like a top 4 contendor! Terrible for #SRH , team composition , depth in all departments is lacking, early signs of a last 2 contender for them #SRHvRR — Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) March 29, 2022 × ALSO READ | Updated IPL 2022 points table after Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad clash At the post-match presentation, Williamson said, "We started beautifully with the ball, we had our opportunities. In all the games so far, there has been some swing and assistance with the new ball. You want to make some inroads, we looked very likely but unfortunately some fine margins in this game didn't go our way. It was a very good surface, Rajasthan played outstandingly well. For us, there's still a number of things to touch on and improve on as a side. You got to keep your chin up and move on to the next one."

IPL 2022: 'Early signs of last 2 contenders' - Kris Srikkanth labels SRH as 'terrible' team after RR loss

Former world No.1 and winner of four Grand Slams, Naomi Osaka of Japan, lost only three games in her 6-2, 6-1 victory over No.9 seed Danielle Collins of the US to make it to her maiden Miami Open semifinal on Wednesday (IST).

The Florida native fired 13 aces against the Australian Open semifinalist en route to meeting defending champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the last-four.

With the victory, the twice US Open and two-time Australian Open winner became the second Japanese woman to reach the last-four at the Miami Open since Kimiko Date Krumm did so in 1993 and 1995.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-russias-daniil-medvedev-one-win-away-from-reclaiming-world-no-1-spot-466929">Miami Open: Russia's Daniil Medvedev one win away from reclaiming No. 1 spot</a> 
 
If Osaka beats Bencic in the semifinal, it will be the 24-year-old Japanese player`s first WTA 1000 final since 2020. 
 
Osaka has not lost a set en route to the Miami semifinals, having defeated Astra Sharma of Australia, Angelique Kerber of Germany, Alison Riske of the US, and No.9 seed Collins.

She has now won nine of her last 10 quarterfinals and carries a strong record in semifinals into her match against Bencic, who she has yet to beat in a tour-level match, according to wtatennis.com. 
 
"I`m glad I was able to get through quickly. I focused on trying to hit a lot of really good returns," Osaka said following her 60-minute win. "This is actually my first night match too, so I didn't know what the conditions would be like." 
 
Miami will be Osaka's 18th career semifinal, with 16 having come on her favoured hard courts. The two exceptions came on grass at 2018 Nottingham and clay at 2019 Stuttgart. Since the start of 2019, Osaka is 6-1 in contested semifinals. 
 
"After Australia, I was training really hard every day," Osaka said. "I went to Indian Wells with the intention to do really well, and then I didn't. But (coach) Wim (Fissette) told me, 'listen, you're playing really well'. But it's hard to listen to someone tell you you're playing well without having the results to back it up. 
 
"I'm glad that, in a way, I don't have a good ranking, because I'm able to play the matches that I need to play. I feel like I'm the type of person that plays better with more matches, so actually having back-to-back matches benefits me a lot." Osaka is currently ranked No. 77 in the world. 
 
She will now turn her focus to Bencic, who has also looked in dominant form. Seeded No.22 this week, Bencic has not lost a set and has lost just 17 games across her four matches. On Wednesday, she defeated Daria Saville of Australia 6-1, 6-2.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-jannik-sinner-saves-five-match-points-to-beat-carreno-busta-coco-gauff-cameron-norrie-advance-466406">Miami Open: Jannik Sinner saves five match points to beat Carreno Busta; Coco Gauff, Cameron Norrie advance</a> 
 
Osaka's solitary win against Bencic came on the ITF level back in 2013. The 25-year-old Swiss has beaten Osaka in their three matches on the WTA Tour, with their last meeting coming at the 2019 US Open Round of 16. 
 
"I get really emotional when I play people around my age or younger," Osaka said. "I don't know if it`s like this thing that I want to be better than them, but I just automatically put a lot of pressure on myself. I kind of acknowledged that after I lost to Coco (Gauff) that one year. I'm just like, you know what? I'm at an age there is going to be a bunch of young, really good players, and I have to respect them and know that they are here for a reason. I was once in their shoes. 
 
"I think my mentality was a very big part in my losses back then. Hopefully, it will be better, because I feel like I have kind of worked through it. So hopefully on Thursday, it will be more about tennis. She's a really good tennis player. She won the gold in Tokyo, which I really wanted to win. She's clearly ranked where she is for a reason."

Former world No.1 and winner of four Grand Slams, Naomi Osaka of Japan, lost only three games in her 6-2, 6-1 victory over No.9 seed Danielle Collins of the US to make it to her maiden Miami Open semifinal on Wednesday (IST).

Former world No.1 and winner of four Grand Slams, Naomi Osaka of Japan, lost only three games in her 6-2, 6-1 victory over No.9 seed Danielle Collins of the US to make it to her maiden Miami Open semifinal on Wednesday (IST). The Florida native fired 13 aces against the Australian Open semifinalist en route to meeting defending champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the last-four. With the victory, the twice US Open and two-time Australian Open winner became the second Japanese woman to reach the last-four at the Miami Open since Kimiko Date Krumm did so in 1993 and 1995. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Russia's Daniil Medvedev one win away from reclaiming No. 1 spot If Osaka beats Bencic in the semifinal, it will be the 24-year-old Japanese player`s first WTA 1000 final since 2020. Osaka has not lost a set en route to the Miami semifinals, having defeated Astra Sharma of Australia, Angelique Kerber of Germany, Alison Riske of the US, and No.9 seed Collins. She has now won nine of her last 10 quarterfinals and carries a strong record in semifinals into her match against Bencic, who she has yet to beat in a tour-level match, according to wtatennis.com. "I`m glad I was able to get through quickly. I focused on trying to hit a lot of really good returns," Osaka said following her 60-minute win. "This is actually my first night match too, so I didn't know what the conditions would be like." Miami will be Osaka's 18th career semifinal, with 16 having come on her favoured hard courts. The two exceptions came on grass at 2018 Nottingham and clay at 2019 Stuttgart. Since the start of 2019, Osaka is 6-1 in contested semifinals. "After Australia, I was training really hard every day," Osaka said. "I went to Indian Wells with the intention to do really well, and then I didn't. But (coach) Wim (Fissette) told me, 'listen, you're playing really well'. But it's hard to listen to someone tell you you're playing well without having the results to back it up. "I'm glad that, in a way, I don't have a good ranking, because I'm able to play the matches that I need to play. I feel like I'm the type of person that plays better with more matches, so actually having back-to-back matches benefits me a lot." Osaka is currently ranked No. 77 in the world. She will now turn her focus to Bencic, who has also looked in dominant form. Seeded No.22 this week, Bencic has not lost a set and has lost just 17 games across her four matches. On Wednesday, she defeated Daria Saville of Australia 6-1, 6-2. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Jannik Sinner saves five match points to beat Carreno Busta; Coco Gauff, Cameron Norrie advance Osaka's solitary win against Bencic came on the ITF level back in 2013. The 25-year-old Swiss has beaten Osaka in their three matches on the WTA Tour, with their last meeting coming at the 2019 US Open Round of 16. "I get really emotional when I play people around my age or younger," Osaka said. "I don't know if it`s like this thing that I want to be better than them, but I just automatically put a lot of pressure on myself. I kind of acknowledged that after I lost to Coco (Gauff) that one year. I'm just like, you know what? I'm at an age there is going to be a bunch of young, really good players, and I have to respect them and know that they are here for a reason. I was once in their shoes. "I think my mentality was a very big part in my losses back then. Hopefully, it will be better, because I feel like I have kind of worked through it. So hopefully on Thursday, it will be more about tennis. She's a really good tennis player. She won the gold in Tokyo, which I really wanted to win. She's clearly ranked where she is for a reason."

Miami Open: Naomi Osaka outclasses Danielle Collins to set up maiden semifinal date against Belinda Bencic

Daniil Medvedev is one win away from retaking the world number one spot after moving past American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 and into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The U.S. Open champion lost his serve in the first game but found momentum after fending off two more break points in the fifth, winning the final four games of the first set in which he fired down six aces.

The Russian ripped through the second set in less than half an hour, dropping one first serve point.

"A crucial moment was when he didn't convert a double-break point for a double break so I managed to make him serve for the set and it's not always easy," said Medvedev.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-daniil-medvedev-outclasses-pedro-martinez-to-reach-last-16-naomi-osaka-storms-into-quarter-finals-466590">Miami Open: Daniil Medvedev outclasses Pedro Martinez to reach last 16, Naomi Osaka storms into quarter-finals</a>

"I felt sometimes I'm, let's say, kind of a low-intensity guy and try to keep my energy and see what's going on. I felt like today was not enough in the beginning so I tried to pump myself up."

The intensity will surely be high in his Masters 1000 quarter-final. If the Russian can beat his next opponent - either Lloyd Harris or eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz - he will replace Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings.

KYRGIOS EXITS

Australian wildcard Nick Kyrgios lost to Italian Jannik Sinner 7-6(3) 6-3 after a dispute with the chair umpire.

Kyrgios received a point penalty for bad behaviour in the first-set tiebreak and in between sets angrily and repeatedly asked the chair umpire "What is unsportsmanlike?" before walking to his bench and whacking his racket against the court.

The gesture earned him a game penalty, allowing Sinner to open the second set up a break.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/miami-open-rohan-bopanna-denis-shapovalov-pair-stuns-croatias-nikola-mektic-mate-pavic-to-enter-quarters-466464">Miami Open: Rohan Bopanna-Denis Shapovalov pair stuns Croatia's Nikola Mektic-Mate Pavic to enter quarters</a>

Elsewhere in the day's action, fourth-ranked German Alexander Zverev overcame a solid defensive effort from Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to win 6-4 6-4 and set up a quarter-final clash with eighth-ranked Casper Ruud.

The Norwegian, who lost to Zverev in the Paris Masters quarter-finals in November, had earlier sent top British player Cameron Norrie packing 6-3 6-4 in the Grandstand.

"(Ruud is) somebody that really does not miss much," said Zverev. "He's somebody that tries to play aggressive with his forehand as well. Got to take away his strength in a way and we'll see how it goes tomorrow."

Daniil Medvedev is one win away from retaking the world number one spot after moving past American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 and into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Daniil Medvedev is one win away from retaking the world number one spot after moving past American Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-1 and into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday. The U.S. Open champion lost his serve in the first game but found momentum after fending off two more break points in the fifth, winning the final four games of the first set in which he fired down six aces. The Russian ripped through the second set in less than half an hour, dropping one first serve point. "A crucial moment was when he didn't convert a double-break point for a double break so I managed to make him serve for the set and it's not always easy," said Medvedev. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Daniil Medvedev outclasses Pedro Martinez to reach last 16, Naomi Osaka storms into quarter-finals "I felt sometimes I'm, let's say, kind of a low-intensity guy and try to keep my energy and see what's going on. I felt like today was not enough in the beginning so I tried to pump myself up." The intensity will surely be high in his Masters 1000 quarter-final. If the Russian can beat his next opponent - either Lloyd Harris or eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz - he will replace Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings. KYRGIOS EXITS Australian wildcard Nick Kyrgios lost to Italian Jannik Sinner 7-6(3) 6-3 after a dispute with the chair umpire. Kyrgios received a point penalty for bad behaviour in the first-set tiebreak and in between sets angrily and repeatedly asked the chair umpire "What is unsportsmanlike?" before walking to his bench and whacking his racket against the court. The gesture earned him a game penalty, allowing Sinner to open the second set up a break. ALSO READ: Miami Open: Rohan Bopanna-Denis Shapovalov pair stuns Croatia's Nikola Mektic-Mate Pavic to enter quarters Elsewhere in the day's action, fourth-ranked German Alexander Zverev overcame a solid defensive effort from Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to win 6-4 6-4 and set up a quarter-final clash with eighth-ranked Casper Ruud. The Norwegian, who lost to Zverev in the Paris Masters quarter-finals in November, had earlier sent top British player Cameron Norrie packing 6-3 6-4 in the Grandstand. "(Ruud is) somebody that really does not miss much," said Zverev. "He's somebody that tries to play aggressive with his forehand as well. Got to take away his strength in a way and we'll see how it goes tomorrow."

Miami Open: Russia's Daniil Medvedev one win away from reclaiming No. 1 spot

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