Dubai: Sports fans have a bit of everything to look forward to this weekend, with Premier League football, golf, tennis finals and international cricket among the highlights.
From a busy schedule of domestic football to players competing for titles on the golf course and tennis court, alongside countries battling it out on the cricket field, there is plenty to keep fans entertained. Here is your guide to the biggest sporting events to watch this weekend.
Premier League
The Premier League weekend gets underway on Saturday with Everton hosting Chelsea, before attention turns to Brentford’s meeting with Liverpool, Manchester City’s clash with Ipswich Town and Newcastle’s home game against Aston Villa.
Sunday brings another busy schedule, with Bournemouth facing Sunderland and Brighton taking on Crystal Palace in the M23 derby. Manchester United then travel to Leeds United for a fiercely contested rivalry at Elland Road, while Arsenal round off Sunday’s action with a trip to Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham host Coventry City on Monday night to bring the round of fixtures to a close.
DP World India Championship
Golf takes centre stage this weekend with the DP World India Championship continuing at Delhi Golf Club, where a strong field is competing for a share of the $4 million prize fund and valuable Race to Dubai points. Rory McIlroy, defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre are among the notable names in action, with 5,000 Race to Dubai points also up for grabs. The tournament runs from Thursday to Sunday, although severe weather disrupted the opening round, adding another challenge for the players as they battle for the title.
International cricket
International cricket fans have several matches to follow this weekend, including action in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh face Zimbabwe on Saturday at Zayed Cricket Stadium, with the match opening a tri-series also featuring Afghanistan. India then take on the West Indies in the fifth and final T20 International in Bengaluru, while Sunday sees Pakistan begin their ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. There is also a major Test match starting in South Africa, where the hosts face Australia in the second Test at Gqeberha. Meanwhile, Canada meet Nepal in an ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 ODI in Oman on Saturday.
Tennis
Tennis fans can look forward to a big weekend as the ATP Shanghai Masters and WTA Wuhan Open both reach their finals stages in China. The Shanghai Masters, one of the biggest events outside the Grand Slams, concludes on Sunday, with the men’s singles final following a weekend of semi-final action. Meanwhile, the Wuhan Open also wraps up on Sunday, with the women’s singles final scheduled for later that day. Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time Wuhan champion, was among the headline names but has already been knocked out, leaving the title up for grabs. Both tournaments offer players a valuable chance to finish the Asian swing strongly as the season-ending finals approach.