Jessica Pegula left frustrated as Elena Rybakina roars back to reach Miami last four
Jessica Pegula had her chances.Midway through the second set of yet another showdown with Elena Rybakina, the American had engineered a flawless start.After bulldozing through the opening set, Pegula’s level at the beginning of set two put her in with a fair shot of snatching a win against her Kazakhstani opponent, who has dominated their recent meetings.Instead, Pegula departed Miami with another tough lesson to parse through after being shown once again that the best players in the world pounce on even the smallest drops in intensity.Despite her mediocre start, Rybakina produced a brilliant comeback to reach the Miami Open semi-finals with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.
There is no doubt that Rybakina is in the best form of her career and, having compiled a tour‑leading 21 matches in 2026, she has become difficult to beat in the biggest events.Since following up her WTA Finals triumph in November by winning her second grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, Rybakina has continued to play at a high level in March.“Last year I was trying to find my game, I was struggling a little bit,” said Rybakina.“But now we’re doing a good job with the team, we have a plan for each match and I’m trying to follow.Of course sometimes you need to adapt and change something during the match, but everything has been working pretty well for now so hopefully I can just continue.
”Rybakina started her month with a run to the Indian Wells final, where she held a match point in the final set tie-break before Aryna Sabalenka blazed a backhand winner en route to victory in the best match of the year.Another chapter of the defining rivalry of the 2026 tennis season so far could follow this week.Rybakina, who rose to a new career‑high ranking of No 2 at the beginning of the tournament but is seeded third, awaits the winner of the quarter‑final between Sabalenka, the No 1, and Hailey Baptiste.For Pegula, her fifth consecutive defeat by Rybakina is one of the most frustrating of all.She looked to have things completely under control for well over a set, but after Rybakina brilliantly survived three break points at 2-2, the momentum shifted.
Rybakina spent the subsequent half‑hour dominating the Pegula second serve while serving imperiously.The American struggled with her first serve for just a few games, but it was enough for her to find herself down a break at the beginning of the final set.She fought hard until the end and put Rybakina under sustained pressure in a high‑quality final set, but the Australian Open champion found enormous, precise first serves and she was relentless on her first shot behind her serve whenever she needed to be.She closed out another supreme victory.At the beginning of the year Pegula declared herself one of the top three players in the world, an assertion that remains difficult to argue with.
The top two players, however, are some distance ahead.Alongside Pegula’s defeats against Rybakina she has also lost five of her past six matches against Sabalenka.Their immense firepower makes Pegula’s tidy, early ball striking look underpowered by comparison.Still, Pegula has played quality tennis in many of these encounters and given herself opportunities.She simply has to find a way to take one of them.
“I’m putting myself right there,” the world No 5 said.“I’m giving myself the chances and the opportunities, I think I have elevated my game, I’ve become a better player.I am definitely challenging them, both of them.That’s kind of all I can ask of myself and hopefully some of the wins will come along.”
Crispin Odey tried to ‘manipulate’ sexual assault victim, FCA tells court
The financial watchdog has accused the former hedge fund manager Crispin Odey of attempting to “manipulate” a victim of sexual assault into silence.Odey texted his former employee, whose breasts he had groped, a warning in 2022 that the Financial Conduct Authority could question her about him.He said the regulator was “using” her to further its “vendetta” against him and his hedge fund, Odey Asset Management (OAM).The 67-year-old has previously accepted that he groped the woman without her consent in 2005, which he said happened while he was under the influence of sedatives after a root canal treatment.Odey, who faces a number of sexual harassment allegations, sent the woman a text in January 2022 saying the regulator would use her “to show that there were no controls and you were in fear of my position in the company which stopped you from speaking out”, according to evidence provided by the FCA at a court hearing on Wednesday
Iran war threatens to delay large offshore wind projects in EU and UK
A string of large offshore wind projects in Europe are facing potential delays as the Iran war threatens to disrupt shipping of crucial parts manufactured in the Gulf.Industry sources are concerned that components ordered from suppliers in the United Arab Emirates could become trapped if shipping remains effectively blocked through the strait of Hormuz.Iran’s chokehold on the crucial trade route has upended oil and gas deliveries from the Middle East. Sources fear contingency plans may have to be put into action to avoid delays to clean energy projects too.These include two giant offshore windfarms planned for UK waters, as well as a series of projects that will supply offshore wind power to Germany and the Netherlands
ECB could raise eurozone rates ‘as soon as next month’; oil price dips on peace talk hopes – as it happened
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.Inflation in the UK was unchanged last month, as expected – before the Iran war drove up global energy costs, threatening a renewed price jump.Official figures showed the consumer prices index (CPI) stayed at an annual rate of 3% in February, the same as in January. Economists had expected it to stay at 3%.Clothing made the largest upward contribution to the monthly change while motor fuels made the largest, offsetting downward contribution, the Office for National Statistics said
Europe could face fuel shortage by April as Iran throttles supplies, says Shell boss
Europe could face a shortage of energy and fuel as soon as next month without a reopening of the strait of Hormuz, Shell’s chief executive has said.The boss of Europe’s biggest oil company said it was working with governments to help them address the oil and gas supply crisis, which has already led to energy rationing in Asian countries.Oil prices dipped back to about $100 a barrel on Wednesday from highs of about $114 at the start of the week, on the back of reports that the White House had sent a 15-point peace plan to Iran’s leaders.However, without a return of crude deliveries from the Gulf to global buyers via the crucial Hormuz channel, Europe could face shortages of fossil fuels within weeks, according to Wael Sawan.The Shell chief executive told an oil industry conference in Texas: “South Asia was first to get that brunt
Estate of Mike Lynch ordered to pay £920m to Hewlett Packard Enterprise
The estate of the late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch has been ordered to pay £920m to the technology company Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) two years after he died in a superyacht disaster.The ruling by London’s high court said the estate was liable to pay the sum as compensation, costs and interest for the acquisition of Lynch’s firm Autonomy by Hewlett-Packard (HP), after a UK legal ruling in 2022 that he duped the US company into paying £8.2bn for the software firm.HP split into two separate companies in 2015 – one still called HP, which focuses on printers and PCs, and the software and hardware company HPE.The deceased entrepreneur’s estate has been estimated to be worth about £500m, so the damages could leave it bankrupt
UK pet owners: we would like to hear about your experience of vet bills
The UK’s competition watchdog has ordered vets to cap prescription fees at £21 and proposed a cost-comparison website.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said public satisfaction with the cost of services was “low” after a two-and-a-half-year investigation that found “there is not strong competition between veterinary businesses”.It said vets must now tell pet owners that medicines may be cheaper online, and let them know they can get a prescription and that this could save them money.We would like to hear from UK pet owners about their experience of vet bills. Did your vet bill come as a surprise, or was it as expected? How did you manage the cost? Tell us
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