Toronto unveils upgraded World Cup venue after fan scorn

In a corner of suburban Singapore, Betty Boon vaults a guardrail, crawls underneath a slide, executes forward shoulder rolls and scales a steep slope, finishing the course to applause.

"Good job!" the 69-year-old's coach cheers.

This is "geriatric parkour", where around 20 retirees learned to tackle a series of relatively demanding exercises, building their agility and enjoying a sense of camaraderie.

Boon, an upbeat grandmother, said learning parkour has aided her confidence and independence as she ages.

"When you're weak, you will be dependent on someone," she told AFP after sweating it out with her parkour classmates in suburban Toa Payoh, under the shadow of government-built apartment blocks.

"I feel more alive, it's a whole new world."

The discipline has gained a devoted following of senior citizens in the city-state, which is among the world's fastest-ageing countries.

Singapore is projected to become a "super-aged" nation this year, meaning the proportion of residents aged 65 and above exceeds 21 percent.

By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, according to the health ministry.

As the society greys, various activities and industries have mushroomed up to cater to seniors' needs, including social activities and group exercise classes.

Coach Tan Shie Boon, 33, said he was initially met with scepticism when he started offering parkour classes for older students in 2017, especially due to the risk of injury.

But his idea was to share manoeuvres that could help seniors with their balance, stamina and coordination.

"It's meaningful, I can see the impact of my work," he said.

- Not just for youngsters -

Parkour, a discipline that originated in France, focuses on overcoming physical obstacles like walls, gaps and platforms without any aid.

Often called the "art of displacement," it involves running, jumping, climbing, rolling and vaulting to quickly dart from one point to another.

The activity has a young, athletic following, but coach Tan and his students insist it can be suitable for every age.

"When people hear the word parkour, they think it's only for youngsters who can jump from rooftops," said retired banker and parkour enthusiast Irene Chuah, 67. "We don't do that. We jump over benches."

Tan, who specialises in coaching senior citizens in his classes across Singapore, tailors all the stunts to match the capabilities of his students, aged between their early 50s to 83.

"The whole point of parkour is to improve your agility ... you'll be faster in your reaction," he said.

"When seniors fall, they get severely injured because they have a lack of coordination, balance and agility. They're not fast enough to react in time," he added.

Chuah experienced firsthand how the moves she learned in parkour class can apply outside of practice.

When a trolley she was pushing at a supermarket hit an obstacle, it overturned and pulled her over.

But thanks to her training, she managed to jump over the mess, remain on her feet and escape unharmed.

"Nobody helped me because the people thought I was young," Chuah told AFP with a laugh.

Retired kindergarten teacher Ling Ying Ying, 66, said doing parkour helped her to be able to mop the floor on her knees "like we used to do when we were young."

- 'Dare to do' -

At the fitness space in Toa Payoh, the parkour students also practised traversing down an incline and scaling a low wall during the 90-minute session.

A couple of students jumped over a gap after some encouragement.

Life after retirement used to be "quite dull", Chuah said.

"After parkour, I can go line dancing, and I can remember the steps. You dare to do a lot of things that you think only young people can do," she added.

Her classmate Boon said one time she brought her grandchildren to a neighbourhood playground and taught them to jump onto a platform and do forward rolls.

When she looked back, she saw a line of other children wanting to try the moves.

"Since then, I became like the favourite grandmother. The children recognise me even when I'm far away," she said.

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Blazing-hot kilns in India's $6.5 billion ceramics manufacturing hub employing hundreds of thousands of people have gone cold, shut down in an energy crunch caused by the Middle East war.

At a cavernous facility in Morbi, in India's western Gujarat state, a 200-metre-long propane-powered kiln that normally fires clay nonstop is silent. It is one of hundreds of plants supplying homeware tiles across the world that have been forced to suspend operations.

Thick layers of dust smother giant grinding and pressing machines, while only a tiny crew of workers transfer the last batch made three weeks ago off snaking assembly lines and into trucks.

"We are suffering a lot," said Kishor Dulera, a tile unit proprietor who closed this factory and two others in early March, sending hundreds of workers home.

India, the world's fourth-largest economy, depends on imports for 60 percent of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) demand.

The overwhelming majority comes through the Strait of Hormuz waterway, which has been effectively blocked by Iran after US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic late last month sparked a broader regional conflict, disrupting global energy supplies.

New Delhi has prioritised supply for households, shielding Indians who use it to cook food. That has squeezed the amount available for industrial use. 

Factories in sectors including stainless steel and plastic have cut back on production as a result.

- 'Disaster' -

"If the main raw material is disturbed, the whole industry is disturbed," Dulera told AFP.

The ceramics hub at Morbi makes up 90 percent of India's total production and is one of the world's largest ceramic manufacturing centres, exporting tiles to countries like the United States and Thailand.

The industry at Morbi provides direct and indirect employment to nearly a million people, according to government statistics.

More than 400 plants have closed after the gas supply chain was "broken", said Manoj Arvadiya, head of the local manufacturing industry association.

Keeping the kilns hot means plants operate around-the-clock -- and emergency shutdowns can damage machinery.

"It is a continuous process," said Arvadiya. 

"You can't run it for two days and then switch it off for one day. It doesn't work like that."

Hitesh Detroja said his now-shut Lexus Granito plant had produced 30,000 tiles per day, calling the closure a "disaster". He said he has no income to pay his fixed costs and interest on loans of $74,000 each month.

"This crisis is horrible," Detroja said.

- 'Worried' -

The ripple effects of the energy crisis have been felt throughout the Morbi ecosystem.

"Everyone is worried," said 29-year-old labourer Bunty Goswami, a migrant worker at a shut plant.

"We are confused about what to do -- whether we should go home, or not." 

India's government has boosted domestic LPG production, negotiated the passage of a handful of tankers and purchased new cargoes from Australia and Russia.

That should, in time, ease supply constraints.

Jitendra Aghara of Simpolo Tiles, one of Morbi's biggest manufacturers, has kept operating by buying propane at more than double the price it was before the war to ensure he fulfills customer orders.

"If now we suffer a loss for two to three months, in the future we will get it back," he said.

The tile industry developed in Gujarat due to the availability of clay and good transport connections, but it relies on overseas energy to fire.

Aghara said the previous abundance of LPG and natural gas meant that there had been few moves to fully develop and adopt electric or hydrogen-powered kilns.

Indian corporate giants like Reliance Industries have big green hydrogen production plans, which could remove Morbi's import dependencies.

But first, development is needed to ensure hybrid kilns can produce tiles of the quality that Morbi is known for. 

Aghara noted alternative fuels can't replace gas "100 percent just yet".

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On Friday night, Texas A&M ran up the score with a seven-run fourth inning. It happened in the third inning on Saturday.

There was no near-comeback this time, as Mizzou lost 14-6 in Game 2 of the series. The Tigers drop to 17-11 on the season and 1-7 in the Southeastern Conference. 

The starting rotation has been a strength for the Tigers this season. The first two games of the series against the Aggies weren’t exactly the best display of that. In both games, the Missouri starter didn’t make it out of the fourth inning and gave up a decent chunk of the runs.

“Neither one of them have done anything close to what they’ve done the last two (games),” Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said. “I think the fact that both of them did the same thing, just going on that short rest, they weren’t able to do it.”

In the Saturday evening edition, usual Sunday starter Brady Kehlenbrink tossed just three innings and allowed nine runs on six hits and four walks. Both Kehlenbrink and Friday starter Josh McDevitt were moved up a day due to an injury to usual Friday starter Javyn Pimental.

Two runs crossed in the first, then came the seven-run third that included an RBI double and a three-run homer by Gavin Grahovac. Kehlenbrink also walked in two runs.

The short outing left Mizzou in another hole the team would have to try to dig out of. They weren’t successful.

“It’s tough to battle back when starting in such a big hole,” Jackson said. “We’ve shown that we have some of that (fight), but we’ve come up short both times.”

After the Mizzou pitching staff allowed 11 runners to cross, the offense finally came alive in the bottom of the fourth. A single from Blaize Ward and walks to Mateo Serna and Donovan Jordan loaded the bases for Keegan Knutson, who brought the first run of the inning in with a sacrifice fly.

The next batter, Kam Durnin, laced a double to left on the first pitch of his at-bat to bring in two more runs.

Outside of the three-run inning for the Tigers, Mizzou scattered a few one-run innings. Mizzou stranded nine runners.

The Aggies added two runs in each of the innings following the seven-run outburst. In his 2⅓ innings on the mound, Keyler Gonzalez gave up four runs on four hits, including a two-run homer in the fifth.

Lefty Juan Villarreal finished off the sixth inning for Gonzalez and stranded the bases loaded. He followed it with another scoreless inning — only the third of the game — before giving up a solo shot in the eighth to put the Aggies one run away from the run rule.

In just his second conference start, Jordan highlighted the Tigers offense. On top of his bunt in the bottom of the second, he singled and scored in the fourth and blasted the first home run of his career over the left field wall.

“He’s not trying to hit home runs,” Knutson said. “They threw him that home run.”

The Tigers will try to avoid the sweep in Game 3 of the series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Taylor Stadium in Columbia.

Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary as artificial intelligence challenges the Silicon Valley legend to prove it can deliver yet another culture-changing innovation.

Steve Jobs, a driven marketing genius, and Steve Wozniak, who invented the Apple computer, revolutionized how people use technology in the internet age and built a company now worth more than $3.6 trillion.

The two college dropouts changed the way people use computers, listen to music and communicate on the go, giving rise to lifestyles revolving around smartphone apps.

Apple's hit products — the Mac, the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the iPad — command a cult-like following, long after the company's humble beginnings on April 1, 1976 in Jobs' Cupertino, California garage.

Apple has sold more than 3.1 billion iPhones since the handsets debuted in 2007, generating about $2.3 trillion in revenue, according to Counterpoint Research.

For Counterpoint analyst Yang Wang, the iPhone is the most successful consumer electronics product ever, reshaping human communication while becoming "a global fashion and status symbol."

Before the iPhone, Apple shook up home computing with the 1984 Macintosh, whose icon-based interface and mouse made computing accessible beyond specialists -- and sparked a legendary rivalry between Jobs and Microsoft's Bill Gates.

"Apple was founded on the simple notion that technology should be personal, and that belief -- radical at the time -- changed everything," chief executive Tim Cook said in an anniversary letter posted online.

- 'Cult of Apple' -

Apple transformed the music market with the iPod and iTunes, made the smartphone a mass-market staple with the iPhone, and took tablets mainstream with the iPad. 

The Apple Watch quickly seized the lead in the smartwatch market, despite debuting later than its rivals.

While not an inventor, Jobs -- who died in 2011 at age 56 -- was renowned for his uncompromising drive to marry technology with design to create products that were intuitive and hassle-free.

Apple marketed the Macintosh as the "computer for the rest of us," but it was the iPhone that fulfilled that promise, said David Pogue, author of the recently released "Apple: The First 50 Years."

The iPhone's dominance reshaped Apple's business model. With the premium smartphone market widely seen as saturated, Cook has increasingly turned to selling digital content and services to the company's vast existing base of users.

Central to that strategy is the App Store, which Apple made the sole gateway to software on its devices, taking a cut of transactions -- and thereby drawing accusations of monopoly abuse, regulatory scrutiny in Europe and court orders in the United States to open up its platform.

- 'China factor' -

No country has been more central to Apple's rise -- or more fraught for its future -- than China, with Cook cementing ties to the Asian superpower through regular appearances at local Apple stores and official visits.

Cook was the mastermind of the strategy that made China the primary manufacturing base for Apple devices, with the vast majority of iPhones assembled by contractor Foxconn and other suppliers in Chinese factories.

It is also one of Apple's largest consumer markets, generating tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue.

But the company faces mounting pressure on both fronts: trade tensions and tariffs have accelerated efforts to diversify manufacturing to India and Vietnam, while competition from domestic rivals such as Huawei has eaten into Apple's Chinese market share.

- 'AI challenge' -

A concern haunting investors is that Apple appears to be easing into generative AI while rivals Google, Microsoft and OpenAI race ahead.

A promised upgrade to its Siri digital assistant was delayed, in what analysts called a rare stumble for the company.

And rather than relying on its own engineers to overhaul Siri, Apple has turned to Google for AI capability.

But whether built in-house or outsourced, Apple's obsession with user privacy and its premium hardware could position it to drive widespread adoption of personalized AI -- and make it profitable, a goal that has proved elusive for much of the AI industry.

Already, Apple's AirPods are being steadily improved with sensors and smart software, and lessons learned from the Vision Pro could feed into AI smart glasses to rival Meta's.

"They are the ones that always seem able to create something so simple that users just fall in love with it," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.

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Conservatives gathering in Texas this week showcased a Republican Party wrestling with its identity, as activists debated whether ideological purity or broader appeal offered the best path to victory in looming midterm elections.

In conversations across the Dallas-area Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), supporters framed the stakes not just in terms of who should prevail in the "primary" elections that pick candidates for November, but what kind of party Republicans should be.

It is an increasingly heated debate that has exposed tensions between hardline conservatives, pragmatists and those unsure of how to reconcile the two.

The discussion is playing out most visibly in high-profile contests such as the Texas Senate primary between incumbent John Cornyn and state attorney general Ken Paxton, a race that has become a proxy for the party's wider struggle.

For some, the answer is clear: the more conservative the candidate, the better.

"Oh, Paxton, definitely. All the way. Paxton, all the way, because he is a genuine conservative," said Petrina Bullard, 49, a realtor and community health worker from Dallas.

"Cornyn is not. He never has been. I honestly believe he's a Democrat parading as a Republican just to get voted in."

- Electability vs ideology -

Bullard said Republicans should prioritize candidates who are "really down in the trenches with the people" rather than establishment figures, arguing that ideological compromise risks diluting the party's core values.

"It definitely needs to be more conservative people rather than establishment people," she said, warning that Texas risked becoming a "purple state" with the Democrats growing as powerful as the Republicans.

Others, however, see that approach as a liability in competitive races.

Sean O'Brien, a 20-year-old from Connecticut who is studying at Alabama's Auburn University, said Republicans need to broaden their appeal -- even as he acknowledged tensions within that position.

"I will say that we need to pivot more towards the center," he said, arguing that President Donald Trump remains "a very divisive figure."

At the same time, O'Brien said he favored candidates aligned with Trump's "America First" agenda, reflecting the balancing act facing many younger conservatives.

He also warned that broader political dynamics -- including the war in Iran -- could weigh on Republican prospects.

"I see Democrats winning more seats...possibly taking the Senate," he said of November's midterms, while suggesting Republicans might still hold the House.

- A party unsure -

For others, the question of direction remains unresolved.

"If we want to try to get more moderate votes, we definitely should be less 'far right, conservative, Trump' and all of that," said Michal Szpak, 31, from Austin.

"But, at the same time, we might lose people who vote for that stuff. So it's a million-dollar question. And I really don't have an answer."

Szpak said voters' immediate concerns -- including rising prices -- could ultimately matter more in November than ideological positioning.

"People care more what's going to happen with Iran. People care how (high) the gas prices are," he said.

He warned that those economic pressures could sway the small bloc of undecided voters who often determine election outcomes.

"If we had the midterms tomorrow, I think we might lose the House," he said, citing rising costs and recent instability.

Despite the disagreements, some activists struck a more optimistic note about the party's ability to avoid damaging infighting.

Bullard said tensions in the Texas primary appeared to be easing, with Republicans increasingly focused on uniting ahead of November.

"I see a lot of people...really working towards that goal, having people work together instead of all of this division," she said.

"I think it's actually coming together slowly."

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US figure skating star Ilia Malinin won a third straight men's gold at the world championships on Saturday, one month after his spectacular meltdown at the Winter Olympics.

Malinin led all the way to take the title with a winning margin of 22.73 points over Japanese rival Yuma Kagiyama after the free skate. Japan's Shun Sato took bronze.

"It's done. That's it," said an emotional Malinin after his performance in Prague.

"My expectation was to finish my free programme in one piece and that has definitely happened."

The 21-year-old told reporters that he felt a lot of "relief" now the season had ended, especially on a positive note.

"I had a different mindset coming here," he added. "All I wanted to do was escape from myself and enjoy every moment on the ice and have fun, and that is exactly what I did."

The world championships in the Czech capital are taking place just a month after the Olympics where Malinin was the overwhelming favourite.

Undefeated for more than two years, the star of skating led after the short programme before crumbling in the free skate to finish eighth.

Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov won the Olympic gold ahead of Kagiyama and Sato, who took silver and bronze respectively. Shaidorov skipped the world championships. 

In his first competition since, Malinin took a 9.44-point lead from Thursday's short programme into the free skate.

On Saturday, Malinin was more cautious than at the Olympic Games and simplified the technical aspects of his routine, notably swapping his trademark quadruple Axel for a triple Axel.

He also reduced the number of quadruple jumps from seven to five, nevertheless making an impressive comeback after the Olympic debacle, scoring 218.11 points for his free skate and 329.40 overall.

- 'No pressure at all' -

Malinin became the first men's skater to win three world titles since fellow American Nathan Chen from 2018 to 2021.

"I think this was probably one of the more easier world championships I've been to just because of the amount of pressure I had at the Olympics," Malinin told reporters.

"And going here I felt like it was almost no pressure at all. I've completely blocked out all the expectations, all the pressure that people put on me. And I was really here just to skate for myself and enjoy every moment of the world championships."

Kagiyama, 22, moved up from sixth after the short programme to win his fifth world medal and fourth silver with 306.67 points.

Sato, 22, took a medal at the worlds for the first time, rising from fourth as France's Adam Siao Him Fa dropped from second to fifth after falling during his routine.

The four-day world championships concluded later Saturday with Olympic champions Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry claiming gold in the ice dance.

Cizeron clinched his sixth world title after five victories with his former partner Gabriella Papadakis between 2015 and 2022.

For Canadian-born Fournier Beaudry it was a first world medal.

Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry have now won a European title, Olympic gold and a world crown as a pair this year.

"I think we'd hoped for it," Fournier Beaudry said of their success.

"But actually achieving it is another matter. And to finish on such a high note is even more satisfying."

The French pair had held a comfortable lead of more than six points over Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, the bronze medallists at the Milan-Cortina Olympics last month, heading into the free dance.

They topped the scores on the night with 138.07 points and finshed with a total of 230.81.

Canada's Poirier and Gilles placed second with a total of 211.52 points.

Americans Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik produced a fine free dance performance to pip Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson to the podium.

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, the NBA scoring leader, was suspended one game without pay by the league on Saturday after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season.

NBA rules require any player or coach be automatically suspended for one game once he is whistled for his 16th technical foul during a regular season.

Doncic would be banned an additional game for every two more technical fouls he receives during the remainder of the campaign.

The 27-year-old Slovenian tops the NBA in scoring with 33.7 points a game and ranks third in assists with 8.2 per contest.

Doncic has sparked the Lakers to a 48-26 start and third place in the Western Conference.

Doncic received his most recent technica foul with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter of the Lakers' 116-99 home victory over Brooklyn on Friday.

He will serve his suspension on Monday when the Lakers play host to the Washington Wizards.

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Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and 15 rebounds while Stephon Castle added a triple double to lead San Antonio's 127-95 victory at Milwaukee on Saturday, boosting the Spurs' NBA win streak to eight games.

Castle contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Spurs while 22-year-old French star Wembanyana added two steals, six assists and a blocked shot.

San Antonio improved to 56-18, second in the Western Conference and only two games behind league leader Oklahoma City.

The Spurs, who have clinched their first playoff berth since 2019, are an NBA-best 24-2 since February 1 and often winning by big margins.

"Taking a lot of pride in it," Wembanyama said. "Something none of us was used to until recently. It shows a lot of progress. Love it."

In his third season, 2023 NBA Draft top pick Wembanyama has lifted the Spurs from 22-60 in his Rookie of the Year campaign to a legitimate title threat.

"I guess one big component I have better than my first two years is winning. Now we're a winning team," he said. "Just trying to enjoy the whole thing and be the best version of myself."

A major reason for Wembanyama's confidence is the defensive skill he and his teammates have displayed.

"I know we're the best defense out there," Wembanyama said. "We have guys that have shown all season they can adapt quick. They are coachable. We have just a great collective so I've got 100% trust in my teammates."

"Wemby" delivered an impressive behind-the-back pass to set up a Castle slam dunk, the guard scoring 11 points early as the Spurs jumped ahead 46-24 just 2:30 into the second quarter on the way to a 67-45 half-time lead.

San Antonio led 102-79 after three quarters and scored the first 11 points of the fourth to help secure the victory.

The Bucks (29-44), playing without Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo for a sixth straight game due to a left knee injury, were eliminated from post-season contention with the loss to the Spurs, missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Milwaukee's defeat secured no worse than play-in spots for Philadelphia, Charlotte, Orlando and Miami -- who hold the seventh through 10th spots in the Eastern Conference.

East leader Detroit (53-20) was set for a later game at Minnesota (45-28) with each time missing its' top scorer.

The Pistons are without star Cade Cunningham due to a collapsed lung while Minnesota All-Star guard Anthony Edwards is out with a knee injury.

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The United States were routed 5-2 by Belgium on Saturday in a humbling defeat for Mauricio Pochettino's team as they prepare to co-host this summer's World Cup.

The thrashing comes as a brutal reality check for the Americans, who have high hopes of a deep run in the upcoming tournament but were found severely lacking once again when facing top European opposition.

Just 75 days before the World Cup kicks off, the Americans took an early lead against the world's ninth-ranked team, with Weston McKennie slotting in to the delight of a packed 67,000 Atlanta crowd.

But any hopes of a statement victory were dashed as the Belgians swiftly came to life, with a deluge of goals from Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana, and Charles De Ketelaere, and a brace from substitute Dodi Lukebakio.

Patrick Agyemang grabbed a late consolation for the US, who play Portugal in another high-profile friendly Tuesday before Pochettino announces his final squad in May.

Long seen as minnows at the international level of soccer, the US hired former Tottenham and Paris Saint Germain coach Pochettino to oversee an increasingly star-studded roster including AC Milan's Christian Pulisic and Juventus midfielder McKennie.

The US will play all of its games at the World Cup on home soil, further raising expectations.

But fans shelling out to support the home team will expect to see far more than they witnessed on Saturday.

In a fairly even opening half hour, Belgium's veteran midfielder Kevin De Bruyne pulled the strings in midfield, and Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku threatened down the left flank, but the US enjoyed the better of the chances.

McKennie received the ball unmarked on the edge of the six yard box from a corner but his shot was brilliantly saved by Manchester United's Senne Lammens, who is aiming to supplant the injured Thibaut Courtois in Belgium's goal.

But McKennie made no mistake as another corner, delivered by Antonee Robinson, found him near the back post, where he tucked the ball into the net.

The goal seemed to spark Belgium into life. The Red Devils could have had several goals in the first half's final few minutes, but settled for a wonderful strike from outside the box by Zeno Debast.

It was the Sporting Lisbon defender's first international goal. 

- Hope fades -

After halftime, the floodgates opened. An increasingly dangerous Doku ran down the wing and passed into the box, with the ball scrambled to Onana, who calmly side-footed it home.

Six minutes later, US keeper Matt Turner -- hoping to win his place back from Matt Freese -- thought he had made a tremendous double save, but the referee spotted that Thomas Meunier's header had brushed captain Tim Ream's arm.

A lengthy VAR check failed to convince the official to overturn his decision, and De Ketelaere slotted in the penalty.

The afternoon went from bad to worse, as Belgium made a raft of substitutes on the hour mark, and one of those -- Lukebakio -- curled in a sumptuous shot under little pressure.

Lukebakio added Belgium's fifth before Ricardo Pepi took advantage of some sloppy late defending to set up Agyemang.

By that time thousands of US fans had left the domed arena, and full time was greeted with a smattering of subdued boos and whistles.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka held off fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday to claim her second straight Miami Open WTA 1000 title.

Sabalenka, fresh off her first Indian Wells triumph, became the fifth woman to sweep the "Sunshine Double" of Indian Wells and Miami and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022.

The Belarusian star, whose only defeat this year was her Australian Open finals loss to Elena Rybakina, handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final.

The American had won her first nine, including a triumph over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.

Gauff had also beaten the Belarusian for the title on the red clay of Roland Garros last year.

Sabalenka pocketed the first set with a ruthless display of power and precision.

She broke Gauff to open the match and, after Gauff saved three break points in a gritty fifth game, broke the American again in the seventh before serving it out in 37 minutes without facing a break point herself.

In a tense second set, Gauff's first break point chance -- from a blistering backhand passing winner in the second game -- sparked a jubilant reaction from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins that is just about an hour away from Gauff's Delray Beach home.

But Gauff couldn't convert, slamming a forehand into the net on the next point as Sabalenka held.

It needed another gutsy hold from Gauff to keep it on serve in the fifth game.

Up 40-0, she wasted three game points with a pair of errors off the ground and a double fault then had to save a break point before taking the game on her fifth game point.

Gauff, finding more depth on her ground strokes to ramp up the pressure on Sabalenka, broke for the first time to take the second set.

But that was her last hurrah. Sabalenka broke to open the third set and broke again to seal the win when Gauff sailed a backhand long on Sabalenka's first match point.

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