Despite the Victory Day celebrations, the sports world kept moving on May 9. Russian athletes made a strong impression at various World Cup events, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev advanced to the next round of the Masters 1000 in Rome, and England hosted a top-tier clash between Chelsea and Liverpool. Here’s a roundup of the day’s biggest stories.
**World Sports: Top-Notch Football in England, Iran’s World Cup Ultimatum, and Sabalenka’s Shock Exit**
**Chelsea Avoids a Seventh Consecutive Loss**
In the 36th round of the Premier League, Chelsea played out a 1–1 draw with Liverpool. The Merseysiders took an early lead through a Gravenberch goal, but Fernandes leveled the score midway through the first half. Enzo’s equalizer helped Chelsea break a dreadful run of six straight defeats—the team had gone nearly two months without picking up a single point in the league. The Blues have now slightly improved their position in the table, sitting ninth with 49 points, just four points shy of the European competition zone.
**Iran Sets Conditions for World Cup Participation**
The Iranian Football Federation has laid out conditions to the host nations of the 2026 World Cup. Iran insists on these terms before committing to play in the tournament. Among the demands are visa issuance, respectful treatment of staff, the Iranian flag and national anthem, and guaranteed security for the Iranian team at airports, hotels, and stadiums. “We will take part in the tournament, but we will not abandon our beliefs, culture, or views. All players and coaching staff, especially those who have completed military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, must receive visas without any issues,” said Mehdi Taj. The 2026 World Cup will be held in Mexico, Canada, and the United States from June 11 to July 19.
**Aryna Sabalenka Stunned in Rome**
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered an unexpected first-round exit at the Rome tournament, losing to Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea 6–2, 3–6, 5–7. During the third set, Sabalenka complained of back pain. The Belarusian has struggled on clay this season, suffering two defeats in her last three matches on the surface.
**Russians on the International Stage: Tennis Success and More**
**Dorofeev and Barbashev Help Vegas to Victory**
Vegas defeated Anaheim 6–2 in Game Three of the Stanley Cup quarterfinals. Two Russians contributed: Pavel Dorofeev and Ivan Barbashev each recorded an assist. The Golden Knights now lead the series 2–1, with the next game scheduled for May 11.
**Canoeists Win Three Golds at World Cup Stage**
Russian canoeists claimed three gold medals on the opening day of the World Cup stage in Szeged, Hungary. Sergey Svinarev won the 200m event, while Zakhar Petrov took first place in the 1000m. Interestingly, Petrov was initially awarded silver, but after a photo-finish review, he shared gold with Czech Martin Fuksa. The Szeged stage is the first ranking event in qualification for the 2028 Olympics. Additionally, the Russian foursome of Alexey Korovashkov, Alexander Boz, Dmitry Sharov, and Matvey Arsenov topped the podium in the 500m, beating the Chinese team by just 0.29 seconds. The World Cup stage in Hungary runs until May 10.
**Triathlete Ryasova Secures Silver at World Cup**
Russian triathlete Valentina Ryasova finished second at the World Cup stage in Chengdu, China. She completed a 750m swim, 19.4km bike ride, and 5km run in 55 minutes and 27 seconds, losing only to Olympic champion Laura Lindemann. The final result was determined by a photo finish that took officials more than seven minutes to review.
**Rublev and Medvedev Reach Third Round in Rome**
Andrey Rublev defeated Miomir Kecmanović in the second round of the Rome Masters, winning 6–4, 6–4. “At first we were playing well in the rallies, he was keeping up, adding pace here and there, and it was working for him. But then I managed to break him, and after that I felt much more confident,” Rublev said after the match.
