September 11, 2015

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Soccer

• Ukraine tied 0-0 with second-place team Slovakia in the Group C qualifier of the  2016 UEFA European Championship on September 11 in Zlina, Slovakia. Ukraine won 3-1 against Belarus on September 5 at Arena Lviv. Scoring for Ukraine against Belarus were Artem Kravets (seventh minute), Andriy Yarmolenko (30th minute), Yevhen Konoplyanka (40th minute off a penalty shot). Belarus had a lone goal in the 62nd minute by Sergei Kornilenko. Denys Garmash was sent off after a second yellow was shown in extra time (14, 90+2), other Ukraine players who have yellow card issues included Oleksandr Kucher, Yevhen Khacheridi, Ruslan Rotan, while Serhii Sydorchuk, who also has two yellow cards, is on the bench due to injury. In its previous matches, Ukraine won 3-0 against Luxembourg at Arena Lviv on June 14. Ukraine is in third place with 15 points in Group C and is set to play against Macedonia (in last place in the group) on October 9 and against Spain on October 12. The top two teams in each group advance to the regular tournament. Ukraine’s national team is ranked in 29th place, according to monthly FIFA rankings.

• Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the UEFA Champions League group stage (Group A) after winning 3-2 on aggregate against Rapid Wien, having tied 2-2 against Rapid Wien on August 25 at Arena Lviv. Marlos opened the scoring for Shakhtar in the 10th minute, followed by a header by Louis Schaub for Rapid in the 13th minute. Steffen Hoffman scored again for Vienna, and Shakhtar answered with Olexandr Gladkiy’s shot in the 27th minute. Wien’s Mario Sonnleitner was sent off in the 88th minute after the player was shown a second yellow card by the referee.

• Shakhtar won 1-0 against Rapid Wien (Vienna) on August 19 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, in Vienna. Marlos of Brazil scored in the 44th minute of play for Shakhtar.  Teams in Group A include Paris St.-Germaine, Real Madrid and Sweden’s Malmo. Dynamo Kyiv, which automatically qualified with its Ukrainian Cup win, is also set for the group stage, in Group G with Chelsea, Porto and Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

• In the UEFA Europa League, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk qualified to the group stage with a goal coefficient of 52.033, and is set to compete in Group G, which includes AS Saint-Etienne (France), Rosenborg BK (Norway) and SS Lazio (Italy). Zorya Luhansk advanced to the play-offs; Zorya lost 0-1 against Legia (Poland) in the first-leg match, and lost 2-3 in the second-leg match. In the third-round qualifier, Zorya won 2-0 against Charleroi of Belgium in the first-leg match and won 3-0 in the second-leg match. Vorskla Poltava was eliminated in the third qualifying round after losing to Zilina (Slovakia), which advanced based on away goals. Zilina won the first-leg match 2-0 and won 3-1 in the second-leg match.

• Ukraine’s U-19 national team is in last place in Group A of the UEFA U-19 Championships. Ukraine tied 2-2 with Austria on July 12, lost 1-3 against France on July 9 and lost 0-2 against Greece on July 6. Greece is the group host, and France leads the group with three wins, followed by Greece in second place, Austria in third and Ukraine in fourth place.

• Ukraine’s diplomats won third place at the NATO soccer championships. Ukraine’s team included: Yevhen Karp (team captain), Yehor Bozhok, Volodymyr Orativskyi and Serhiy Smetanko (Ukraine’s Mission to NATO), Dmytro Tymoshenko and Yevhen Pikalov (Embassy of Ukraine to the European Union), Ruslan Reuski (Embassy of Ukraine in Belgium) and Ihor Veselukha (intern at Ukraine’s Mission to NATO). First place was won by the international secretariat of NATO, and Germany won second place.

Futsal

• Lokomotiv Kharkiv is set to play against Hamburg Panthers (Group E) on September 30 as part of its Group C match of the UEFA Futsal Cup. Lokomotiv also plays Italy’s Pescara (Group B) on October 1; against Romania’s Targu Mures (Group C)  on October 3. In the main round, Group A, B, E and F have three teams each, while Group C and D have two teams. The tournament playoffs will include the top four teams and is scheduled for late April 2016.

Tennis

• Kateryna Bondarenko won in the first round of the U.S. Open held on August 31-September 13 in Flushing, N.Y., against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-0, 6-3; Elina Svitolina won in the first round against Elizaveta Kulichkova of Russia 6-1, 6-4; Lesia Tsurenko won in the first round against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-1; and Kateryna Kozlova lost in the first round against Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the U.S.A. 4-6, 3-6. In the second round, Svitolina won 6-3-, 6-4 against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia; Tsurenko lost 6-7 (7-9), 2-6 against Varvara Lepchenko of the U.S.A.; and Bondarenko lost 3-6, 4-6 against Simona Halep of Romania.  Svitolina lost 3-6, 5-7 against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in the third round.

In women’s doubles, Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok won against Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Alicja Rosolska of Poland 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Savchuk and Monica Niculescu of Romania won 6-2, 6-1 against Shuko Aoyama of Japan and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic; and Tsurenko and Olga Govortsova of Belarus won 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-5 against Bondarenko and Arina Rodionova of Austria. In the second round, Savchuk-Niculescu lost 6-7(7-9), 3-6 against Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova both of Russia; Tsurenko-Govortsova lost 4-6, 0-6 against Casey Dellacqua of Austria and Yaroslava Shevdova of Kazakhstan; and the Kichenok sisters lost 6-7 (4-7), 4-6 against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands and Johanna Larsson of Sweden.

In the men’s division, Alexandr Dolgopolov lost 6-4, 1-6, 5-7 in the first round against Sam Groth of Australia after retiring during the third set; Illya Marchenko won in the first round against Gael Monflis of France 2-6, 6-4, 5-0 after Monflis retired in the third set; and Sergiy Stakhovsky won in the first round against John Millman of Australia 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. In the men’s singles second round, Stakhovsky won 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4 against Marchenko, and Stakhovsky lost 3-6, 5-7, 2-6 against Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France in the third round.

In men’s doubles, Stakhovsky, paired with Lucas Pouille of France, won 7-6  (7-2), 6-4 against Sergey Betov of Belarus and Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain.

Representing Ukraine at the tournament were 12 tennis players. Kateryna Kozlova, Anhelina Kalinina and Maryna Zanevska were eliminated during the qualifying stage. In mixed doubles, Svitolina is paired with Artem Sitak of New Zealand against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and Nick Kyrgios of Australia.

• Lesia Tsurenko lost in the semifinal against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 2-6, 6-7 (4) at the Connecticut Open tennis tournament on August 21-29 in New Haven, Conn. In the quarterfinal, Tsurenko won 6-2, 6-2 against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Olya Savchuk was eliminated in the second round after losing 4-6, 1-6 against Pliskova. In men’s doubles, Denys Pume of Ukraine, who was paired with Ace Matias of the U.S.A., lost in the quarterfinals 4-6, 4-6 against Julio Peralta of Chile and Matt Seeberger of the U.S.A.

• Sergiy Stakhovsky lost in the Round of 64 against Piere-Hughes Herbert of France 3-6, 2-6 at the Winston-Salem ATP 250 World Tour in Winston-Salem, N.C. on August 24-30. Alexandr Dolgopolov lost against Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 6-7(1), 6-7(5) in the Round of 64.

• Alexandr Dolgopolov lost in the semifinal against Novak Djokovic of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-7(5), 2-6 at the ATP World Tour Maters 1000 in Cincinnati on August 17-23. Sergiy Stakhovsky lost in the round of 64 against Bernard Tomic of Australia 4-6, 3-6.

• Illya Marchenko lost in the Round of 16 against Farrukh Dustov of Uzbekistan 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 at the Odlum Brown Vanopen on Augsut 17-23 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In doubles, Marchenko was paired with Dustov and lost in a walkover during the quarterfinals against Marius Copil of Romania and Jurgen Melzer of Austria.

• At the Baku Cup 2015 tennis championship on July 27 through August 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Olga Savchuk and Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia lost 3-6, 5-7 in the final against Alexandra Panova and Margarita Gasparyan, both of Russia. In the semifinal, Savchuk-Diatchenko won 7-5, 7-5 against Ksenia Lykina and Polina Monova, both of Russia; and in the quarterfinal, Savchuk-Diatchenko won 6-3, 6-1 against Eva Hrdinova of the Czech Republic and Evgeniya Rodina of Russia.

• Lesia Tsurenko won the final against Urszula Radwanska of Poland 7-5, 6-1 at the EB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup on July 19-26. In the quarterfinal, Tsurenko won 7-6 (13), 7-5 against Kateryna Bondarenko, and in the semifinal, Tsurenko won 6-4, 6-2 against Kristen Flipkens of Belgium. In doubles, Elina Svitolina, paired with Daria Gavrilova of Russia, won the final against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey 5-7, 6-1, 10-4. In the quarterfinal, Svitolina-Gavrilova won 7-6 (2), 6-7 (3), 10-5 against Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia; and in the semifinal, the Russia-Ukraine duo defeated Olga Savchuk of Ukraine and Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia 6-1, 7-5.

• Ukraine’s tennis players were represented at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London on June 29-July 12. In men’s singles, Sergiy Stakhovsky lost 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 2-6, 6-1, 7-9 against Borna Coric of Croatia in the first round, and Alexandr Dolgopolov lost against Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 11-13 in the second round.

In women’s singles, Lesia Tsurenko lost against Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 5-7, 6-7(4), 5-7 in the second round, and Elina Svitolina lost 6-7 (3-7), 3-6 against Casey Dellacqua of Australia, also in the second round.

In women’s doubles, Lyudmyla Kichenok and Mona Barthel of Germany lost against Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnivna, both of Russia, 3-6, 1-6 in the first round. Nadiia Kichenok and Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia lost 4-6, 6-7 (4-7) against Marian Erakovic of New Zealand and Heather Watson of Great Britain in the first round; and Olga Savchuk and Monica Niculesu of Romania lost in the second round against Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France 4-6, 4-6.

In mixed doubles, Savchuk was paired with Oliver Marach of Austria and lost 3-6, 6-7 (6-8) against Alexander Peya of Austria and Timea Babos of Hungary in the third round. Svitolina was paired with Dominic Inglot of Great Britain and lost against Philipp Oswald of Austria and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 2-6, 3-6 in the first round. Stakhovsky, paired with Alicja Rosolska of Poland, lost against Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-7 (6-8), 2-6 in the first round.

In men’s doubles, Stakhovsky was paired with Sam Groth of Australia and lost in the first round 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7), 1-6 against Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Jack Sock of the U.S.A.

In girls’ singles, Katerina Zavatska lost to Anna Brogan of Great Britain 1-6, 3-6 in the second round.

In girls’ doubles, Zavatska was paired with Ines Ibbou of Algeria and lost in the first round 1-6, 2-6 against Destanee Aiava and Olivia Tjandramulia of Australia.

• Elina Svitolina (ranked 17th by the WTA) lost in the round of 32 of the Aegon International Eastbourne WTA tournament against Heather Watson of Great Britain 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in Eastbourne, England, on June 21-27. Lesia Tsurenko (ranked 68th by the WTA) lost in the Round of 32 qualifier against Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 2-6, 3-6.

• Alexandr Dolgopolov lost in the semifinals against Sam Querrey of the U.S.A. 6-4, 3-6, 5-7 at the Aegon Nottingham Open tennis tournament in Nottingham, England, on June 20-27. Sergiy Stakhovsky lost in the round of 16 against Dennis Istomin of Uzbekistan 5-7, 4-6. Istomin won the tournament in the final against Querrey.

• Sergiy Stakhovsky lost in the Round of 32 against Ernest Gulbis of Latvia 4-6, 6-7(3) at the Gerry Weber Open tennis tournament in Halle-, Germany, on June 15-21. In doubles, Stakhovsky, who was paired with Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, lost in the round of 16 against Rohan Bopanna of India and Florin Mergea of Romania 6-2, 3-6, 8-10.

• Lesia Tsurneko lost against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 4-6, 3-6 in the Round of 64 at the Aegon Classic Birmingham on June 15-21 in Birmingham, England.

• Alexandr Dolgopolov lost in the Round of 16 against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 3-6, 6-7(4) at the ATP 500 World Tour tournament in London at Queen’s Club on June 15-21.

• Illya Marchenko lost in the quarterfinal against David Goffin of Belgium 6-4, 6-7(3), 2-6 at the Topshelf Open tennis tournament on June 8-14 in Rosmalen, the Netherlands. Lesia Tsurenko lost in the Round of 32 against Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

• Alexandr Dolgopolov lost in the Round of 32 against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 3-6, 3-6 at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgat, Germany, on June 8-14. Sergiy Stakhovsky lost in the Round of 32 against Sam Groth of Australia 6-4, 5-7, 3-5 (retiring in the third set).

• Olga Savchuk lost in the round of 16 qualifier against Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal 4-6, 6-7 (3) at the WTA tournament in Nottingham, England, on June 8-14. In the round of 32, Savchuk won 6-1, 6-2 against Kateryna Bondarenko.

• Nadiia Kichenok lost in the semifinal against Nigina Abduraimova of Uzbekistan 1-6, 1-6 at the ITF tournament in Namanggan, Uzbekistan, on June 8.  Lyudmyla Kichenok lost in the round of 32 against Harriet Dart of Great Britain 4-6, 1-6 at the ITF tournament in Surbiton, England, on June 8.

• At the Aegeon Championship in London, Alexandr Dolgopolov won against Rafel Nadal in the first round 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 at Queen’s Club.  This was the second straight victory for Dolgopolov against Nadal, after last year’s win in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. Dolgopolov lost against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain in the second round.

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