World
Belinda Bencic outlasts Halep to win Rogers Cup
Toronto: Eighteen-year-old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland capped off her Rogers Cup debut with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 3-0 victory over No. 2 seed Simona Halep of Romania in Toronto.
After two long sets that lasted over an hour each on Sunday, Halep was forced to retire in the third set due to a left leg injury and heat exhaustion, as per reported.
“Today it was so tough and very hot conditions. It was for sure very hard today for both players,” said Bencic of the 50-degree Celsius temperature on the court. “We both were fighting so hard. We had long rallies, so it was obvious that we were very exhausted.”
The victory is Bencic’s first premier-five level title and second WTA title. She also earns her $456,000 first place prize, her biggest payday of her professional career.
The path to the championship was not easy, for the unseeded Bencic, who took down six Grand Slam finalists during the tournament.
She began the tournament by eliminating Eugenie Bouchard (2014 Wimbledon finalist) in the first round and Caroline Wozniacki (2009 an 2014 US Open finalist) in the second round.
Bencic then proceeded to eliminate German Sabine Lisicki (2013 Wimbledon finalist) and Ana Ivanovic (2007 French Open and 2008 Australian Open finalist) to reach the semi-finals round.
She stunned world No. 1 and 21-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams in the semis before beating Halep (2014 French Open finalist) to clinch in the title.
“I didn’t know before that I beat like six Grand Slam finalists in a row. It’s amazing,” said Bencic. “I have no words for this, and definitely talk about a tough draw.”
The victory makes Bencic the fourth player in Rogers Cup history to win in their debut and fourth player without a seed.
The tournament victory also continues her impressive streak of 21-3 since losing in the French Open two months prior, including two wins and one runner-up finish.
Currently ranked No. 20 in WTA rankings, Bencic will ascend to No. 12 after the 900 points earned in Toronto, her highest ranking to date.
“12? No way. Wow. I didn’t know it,” said Bencic in amazement upon learning of her new ranking. “That’s pretty impressive. I cannot believe it.”
The youngster is still amazed at her journey since the start of 2014 when she was ranked No. 186 before finishing the year at No.33.
Bencic hopes to continue her success and move into the top 10 before the US Open in September.
In men’s tournament in Montreal, No.2 seed Andy Murray defeated top seed Novak Djokovic in a thrilling 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 match that lasted over three hours.
Murray, by holding up his third Rogers Cup, denied Djokovic of his fourth title and also snapped an eight-match losing streak to the Serb, dating back to the 2013 Wimbledon finals.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.