Murray defeats Nadal to set final showdown against Rublev in Abu Dhabi exhibition event

The first semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand will take place on Wednesday, March 4, at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens. According to the ICC, Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf have been appointed as the on-field umpires for the match. Illingworth brings with him experience from South Africa's semi-final clash against Afghanistan in the previous T20 World Cup, while Wharf officiated in New Zealand's group-stage win over the same opposition this year.

Speaking on the team's success, Mo Bobat said, "I think first and foremost it's important to give credit to the players. In our roles, you're only as good as your players. So if we're a championship-winning team, it's because we've got championship-winning players. So I'd probably always start there. They deserve the most amount of credit.

Top seed Alcaraz was pushed throughout by Rublev, a two-time champion at the event, and had to withstand several momentum swings. He twice failed to serve out the opening set before clinching it in a tie-break. In the second set, the 22-year-old surged ahead 3-0, only to see Rublev claw his way back into the contest.

Maya's tennis journey began at a young age in Coimbatore, with her parents encouraging her to take part in sports. Due to the availability of tennis academies closer to home, she decided to pursue tennis and what started as an extracurricular activity quickly turned into a professional sport.

Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza has described the emerging rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as "incredible," saying the duo could be ushering in the next golden era of men's tennis.