For multiple-time Muay Thai world champion Singtongnoi Por Telakun, the hardships came early in life.

Growing up in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, he was raised in extreme poverty and experienced the trials and tribulations of going through day-to-day life with very little.

The grim reality became the driving force to dig his family out of the trenches and pursue martial arts in the hopes of a brighter future.

“I would help out around the house to lighten my parents’ workload. After that, I trained hard every single day. It was tiring and torturous, I wanted to quit, but I thought about my future and the people that I love. I couldn’t quit. I had to fight for the people that I love,” he recalled.

Despite the financial obstacles, Singtongnoi still found a way to train and maximize the resources that he had back then.

“I would train at home, kicking an old sack of rice filled with sand. I also trained at the local sala with the other children,” he shared.

The kind of dedication that he exhibited soon became synonymous with the type of work ethic Singtongnoi showcased as an elite athlete.

With determination and dedication, success was something that he would build with his own two hands as Singtongnoi became one of the most popular Muay Thai practitioners in Thailand, winning numerous prestigious titles throughout his celebrated career such as the Lumpinee Muay Thai world championship.

Famous for his relentless style in the ring, Singtongnoi has beaten some of Thailand’s biggest Muay Thai superstars, having 300 professional bouts under his belt.

Things took a turn for the worse when his Muay Thai career came to an end, and he had to go back to selling goat milk to make ends meet.

Fortunately, Singtongnoi received an offer to join the Evolve MMA in Singapore as an instructor, and since then, he had been able to support his family.

Just when things started to look promising in the life of Singtongnoi, a devastating news came his way, revealing that he was diagnosed with stage three cancer.

“I was stunned and I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I started to cry. I was in disbelief. I thought I was going to die for sure.”

“The cancerous tumor was about two centimeters long. It went through my whole nasal cavity, all the way down to the lymph nodes in my neck,” Singtongnoi described.

Singtongnoi had to undergo several medical procedures in Singapore to treat his severe condition.

“After undergoing the radiation therapy and chemotherapy, my throat hurt and I had burns from the radiation all over my neck. It was hard for me to walk and all I wanted to do was throw up,” he bared.

With his teammates, friends and family by his side, Singtongnoi persevered through all the bleak thoughts and negative feelings with every fiber of his being.

Receiving the best treatment possible, it all paid off months later when the doctor told him that he is cancer-free.

“I was ecstatic,” he recollected. “I could once again see a bright future for myself and my family.”

Through this battle against cancer, Singtongnoi learned that life is valuable and should not be taken for granted.

“It’s important to love yourself and take care of your loved ones, as you don’t know when you’ll die,” he mused.

After overcoming the life-threatening illness, Muay Thai was out of the question going forward for Singtongnoi.

However, Singtongnoi valued his second shot at life, awakening his willpower to not only make a full physical recovery but to get back to the sport that he loved.

Singtongnoi  returned to action on 18 May as part of ONE Super Series, ONE Championship’s global platform that provides the world’s best martial artists to showcase and celebrate the beauty of Asia’s striking arts. The 37-year-old Thai kickboxer defeated Joseph Lasiri of Italy by TKO (Strikes) at 2:36 minutes of round 2 in ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS, which took place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday’s night.

Singtongnoi received an opportunity to showcase his incredible skills to the largest audience he has ever performed for.

According to Singtongnoi, to become a true martial artist, he believes that he must continue fighting for the people he loves.

“I believe a great martial artist is someone who knows his responsibilities – someone who is disciplined, and can stick to a schedule and work hard,” he stressed.

“Throughout my career, it has always been my family that drove me and inspired me. They still do. Doing my best to give them a bright future is what has motivated me from the start,” Singtongnoi added.

Singtongnoi asserted that he does not need any more motivation to capture a victory because all he has to do is reflect on his rough experience nearly two years ago and think about his beloved family back home.

“I will fight for my future the best way I know how. And come 18th of May in Singapore, I will take on a talented competitor and win,” he guaranteed.

Competing in a co-main event, Sam-A scored a fourth-round knockout victory over Wielzen to capture the inaugural ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Championship.

Banking on his trademark power to dominate from start to finish, Sam-A hammered hard elbows to score a knockdown in the fourth round. Reeling in excruciating pain, Wielzen failed to beat the count of ten, compelling the referee to wave off the bout and declare Sam-A the winner via knockout.

ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS featured a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by three unforgettable championship clashes that left fans on the edge of their seats.

In the other main event of ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS, Angela “Unstoppable” Lee of Singapore continued her reign as the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, notching a unanimous decision victory over Japan’s Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi. Lee and Yamaguchi traded heavy blows and showcased high-level, tactical grappling skills all throughout the bout to the delight of a packed Singapore Indoor Stadium crowd. Yamaguchi started out very strong in the early going, but Lee came close with several near-submissions. Throughout five gruelling rounds, Lee dug deep to show the heart of a champion, doing just enough to earn the unanimous decision win.

Angela Lee, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, stated: “It’s a huge night for me and my family. It’s not easy to do what we’re doing inside the cage. Martial arts fans and their love for the sport are the reason why we’re fighting. This is for you guys. Props to Mei Yamaguchi. She’s an amazing and very talented competitor. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia successfully defended the ONE Featherweight World Championship title, defeating Singaporean rival Christian “The Warrior” Lee by way of closely-contested split decision. Neither would give each other any quarter for five whole rounds in the championship clash. Although Nguyen would have his moments on his feet in the first two rounds, most of the action took place in the grappling arena. Lee enjoyed a tremendous advantage on the ground, negating his opponent’s signature firepower. Determined to keep the gold-plated strap around his waist, Nguyen bombarded Lee with a barrage of solid punches midway of the third round. With lesser activity from Lee, Nguyen continued to press the action up to the final round to emerge victorious on two of the three judges’ scorecards, earning him the split decision win.

Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex of Thailand aced his maiden ONE Super Series assignment with flying colors, toppling Dutch-Congolese powerhouse Chris Ngimbi in their three-round kickboxing catchweight collision. Having a stationary target in front of him, Yodsanklai freely clobbered Ngimbi with solid left straights and harrowing right hooks from the get-go. Yodsanklai picked up the pace in the next two rounds of the bout, continuously pummeling Ngimbi with lashing kicks to the body. Yodsanklai closed out the final round of the match on a strong note, stifling Ngimbi with more offense. In the end, Yodsanklai’s dominant performance was rewarded by the three judges at cageside with a unanimous decision victory.

Japanese martial arts legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki made quick work of Rasul Yakhyaev, submitting the grizzled Russian combatant in the very first round. The former ONE Lightweight World Champion got the job done by compelling Yakhyaev to wave the white flag, courtesy of a wrenching triangle choke submission.

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines showcased a dominant all-around performance in his much-awaited return, defeating previously-unbeaten Russian dynamo Kharun “The Predator” Atlangeriev. With the drive to reinsert his name into the winner’s column after a tough setback in November 2017, Folayang completely shut down Atlangeriev, keeping the Russian at the long end of his straight right hand and quick sidekicks to the body. Folayang also landed various flush shots and stuffed numerous takedowns to earn the unanimous decision victory.

Singaporean lightweight contender Amir Khan placed himself back on the winning track by routing Sung Jong Lee of South Korea via second-round technical knockout victory. Both men gave fans a spirited effort, which featured a healthy stream of action from both corners. Momentum started to shift into Khan’s favor in the dying moments of the opening stanza, as he caught Lee with a two-punch combination. Showcasing tremendous power with every strike, Khan stalked for the finish in the second round as Lee gasped for air due to exhaustion. Seeing an opportunity, Khan swarmed on Lee with a heavy downpour of punches, forcing the referee to wave it off and award the win to the Singaporean standout.

Angela Lee during her fight with Mei Yamaguchi

Making his ONE Super Series debut, celebrated Muay Thai legend Singtongnoi Por Telakun authored a spectacular performance to the delight of the crowd, outclassing WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph Lasiri. Despite the long layoff, Singtongnoi appeared that he did not miss a beat, dropping Lasiri twice in the first round and consistently connecting his signature sharp combinations. In the second round, Singtongnoi unleashed a torrent of impactful strikes, coercing the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest.

Xie Chao of China showcased incredible grit and toughness as he overcame a furious start from Cambodia’s Meas Meul, winning by technical knockout in the third round. Meul stormed out of the gates, immediately scoring a takedown and then positioning himself on top to pummel Xie with ground strikes. However, the complexion of the three-round featherweight clash started to change towards the end of the first round. Xie capitalized on an exhausted Meul and nearly ended matters on the ground with a deep rear-naked choke. In the succeeding rounds of the contest, Xie maneuvered his Cambodian foe on the mat effortlessly and drilled Meul with punishing ground-and-pound to claim the stoppage and the victory.

China’s Xie Bin spoiled the ONE Championship debut of Huang Shi Hao, thwarting the Singaporean newcomer by way of second-round technical knockout. After an intense first round which saw both athletes have their moments, Xie took advantage of an exhausted Shi Hao in the second round, securing the finish after blasting his Singaporean counterpart with a volley of punches and a knee strike to the midsection.

Kicking off ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS was a bantamweight encounter between “The Terminator” Sunoto of Indonesia and Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro of the Philippines. Leaning on his impeccable grappling, Sunoto burned out his opponent, consistently bringing Rosauro to the canvas and controlling the action with crisp ground strikes. With a dominant top game, Sunoto notched his third consecutive victory in 2018, defeating Rosauro as all three judges saw the bout in favor of the Indonesian to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship bout: Angela Lee defeats Mei Yamaguchi by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Championship bout: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao defeats Sergio Wielzen by Knockout (KO) at 2:47 minutes of round 4

ONE Featherweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Christian Lee by Split Decision (SD) after 5 rounds

ONE Super Series Kickboxing catchweight bout (72.5kg): Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex defeats Chris Ngimbi by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki defeats by Rasul Yakhyaev Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:15 minutes of round 1

Lightweight bout: Eduard Folayang defeats Kharun Atlangeriev by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Lightweight bout: Amir Khan defeats Sung Jong Lee by TKO (Strikes) at 3:39 minutes of round 2

ONE Super Series Muay Thai flyweight bout: Singtongnoi Por Telakun defeats Joseph Lasiri by TKO (Strikes) at 2:36 minutes of round 2

Featherweight bout: Xie Chao defeats Meas Meul TKO (Strikes)  at 1:10 minutes of round 3

Bantamweight bout: Xie Bin defeats Huang Shi Hao  by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 2:26 minutes of round 2

Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Roel Rosauro by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

The Russian, who reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Friday with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-5 defeat of reigning Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko, showed a noticeably softer attitude towards the 36-year-old Williams with whom she has often endured a bitter, public rivalry.

Wimbledon officials are currently debating whether or not to award a wild card to the former world number one American who has won the grasscourt major seven times but is currently ranked 454th after playing only four tour matches since winning the Australian Open in 2017.

“It’s a tough call, I would like to see that change,” Sharapova, 31, said. “I think that would be nice.”

The five-time Grand Slam winner said it took “such an incredible effort” for Williams to return to the court after pregnancy.

“For a woman to come back on tour, having a child (is great).

“It’s just another whole dimension to the travel, to the experiences, to the emotions, to the physicality of every single day.”

The Russian added: “Tennis is such a selfish sport. But I think when there’s a child in your life, you lose a little bit of that because there’s something that’s so much more important.”

Williams stands an overwhelming 19-2 in her head-to-head series against Sharapova with the Russian’s only two victories coming in 2004.

Mourinho remains the most successful boss in Chelsea’s history after winning three Premier League titles, as well as the three League Cups and one FA Cup, during his two spells with the west London club.

But some Chelsea supporters no longer show the same gratitude and adulation to Mourinho as they did when he won the team’s first English title for 50 years in 2005.

Mourinho angered Blues fans by joining their rivals United and the tension boiled over when Chelsea won a fiery FA Cup quarter-final between the sides at Stamford Bridge last season.

Mourinho, twice sacked by Chelsea, was branded a “Judas” by supporters who sang “you’re not special any more”, to which the Portuguese coach responded by saying “Judas is still number one” in a reminder to his tormentors of how successful he had been with their club.

Ahead of this weekend’s clash between his current and former teams at Wembley, Mourinho made it clear he wouldn’t be drawn into more verbal sparring because he still respects the fans who stuck by him when he was on the verge of being axed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

“The only thing I say in relation to Chelsea supporters is since my first day in 2004 until my last day when I was sacked a couple of years ago they were with me unconditionally,” Mourinho said.

“They were with me every day, even on the two days I was sacked. That I will never forget.

“They did what I think great supporters do, they support their manager unconditionally until the last day.

“I remember when we played Dynamo Kiev, a Champions League match when people were already talking about me being sacked.

“I remember the whole stadium standing and singing for me. That was in a difficult moment when the results were not good.

“If they hate me, if they dislike me, if they don’t respect me, that is something I can’t control.

“But you dont have any (negative) quotes from me about Chelsea supporters, not one word.”

– Buried the hatchet –

After feuding with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte for much of this season, Mourinho also revealed this week that he has buried the hatchet with the Italian.

But, with Conte reportedly set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after falling out with the club’s hierarchy, Mourinho is intent of giving his successor a painful end to the season by leading United to a record-equalling 13th FA Cup.

Mourinho doesn’t believe the speculation surrounding Conte will prove a distraction for Chelsea, but he admitted to being intrigued to see if reports linking former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique to the Blues prove correct.

“Honestly I still don’t know what Antonio’s situation is because I didn’t read or listen to him saying he’s leaving,” Mourinho said.

“I have no information that it’s Antonio’s last match.

“Of course sometimes I listen to what is written or people saying Antonio is leaving, Luis Enrique is coming, the other is coming.

“You ask if I am interested. I am curious. But in relation to the match if it is his last, it won’t change his approach or his team’s approach.”

Mourinho confirmed that David De Gea will start in goal for United because his understudy Sergio Romero isn’t sharp enough after an injury lay-off.

Romero had played in four of United’s five FA Cup matches this season and was selected ahead of De Gea for the Europa League final win over Ajax last season.

If Mourinho leaves Wembley with the trophy, it will be his 13th cup final success in 15 attempts.

“The only thing I can say is I like to play the matches. That is how you should approach finals,” he said.

“You shouldn’t go less than very happy. That is the one thing present in all my finals over all these years.”

The Serb fought back against Kei Nishikori to earn a 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 win while top seed Nadal continued his clay court domination with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

Djokovic, seeded 11th after his elbow injury problems, beat Japan’s top player for the 12th time in succession.

“It was a fantastic match, we went toe-to-toe all the way to last shot. He started, he was flawless from both ends,” said Djokovic who will face Nadal for the 51st time, holding a narrow 26-24 advantage.

Nadal beat Djokovic in their last meeting in May in 2017 in a Madrid semi-final and the Serb will be out for revenge after winning seven in a row prior to that.

“We will see tomorrow. I’ve not played so many matches in the last six months,” said Djokovic whose last semi-final spot was in Eastbourne on the eve of Wimbledon in 2017.

“Physically, I’m OK. I just need some rest now and then go out and give it everything I’ve got.”

Second-ranked Nadal needs to lift an eighth career title at the Foro Italico on Sunday to return to the top of the rankings after losing that position to Roger Federer last week.

Nadal dropped the opening set to Fognini in an hour but regrouped effortlessly as he swept past the Italian in the one-sided second and third sets.

“I’m not used to playing so early,” Nadal said of his midday start. “But I’m very happy to be in the semi-finals.

“This was a very important win for me today.”

Nadal also beat Fognini in Rome in 2013 in their first ever meeting. This was his 11th victory in 14 meetings with the 21st-ranked Italian, and sixth in a row.

Nadal is working towards Roland Garros, where he will aim for an unprecedented 11th title.

“My clay court season has been, I think, fantastic. It will be much better if I finish here with another title,” added the 16-time Grand Slam winner.

It was the first time in four years that Nadal managed to win his quarter-final tie in Rome.

Marin Cilic beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Rome semi-finals for the first time where he will face either second seed Alexander Zverev, the Madrid champion last weekend, or David Goffin.

Maria Sharapova fired a French Open warning with an epic three-hour win over Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko to reach the women’s semi-finals.

Former world number one and five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova found herself in a dogfight with her Latvian opponent.

Playing her fourth match in as many days, Sharapova needed three hours, 10 minutes to win a gruelling struggle, eventually triumphing 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-5.

For Sharapova, now the world number 40, it was arguably her best victory since her return from a 15-month doping ban last year.

“It was nice to close things down in that way after a long match,” three-time Rome champion Sharapova said. “I didn’t have a great first set, I kept going. I like to smile about it.

“It’s always nice to have a battle with a few ups and downs and finish strong to get through a match like this against a really high-quality opponent.

She added: “I appreciate this new chapter of my career, I still have lots of passion for the sport and for this life. I realise I’m towards the end of my career so I appreciate it.”

Sharapova rode a roller-coaster in her marathon win, working her way from 4-1 down in the first set only to drop it in a tiebreaker after 80 minutes.

She regained her momentum to win the second set but it was tough in the third when she let a 5-2 lead get away.

With Sharapova serving for victory, Ostapenko secured a break for 4-5 thanks to a ninth Sharapova double-fault which yielded a break point.

The sixth seed then saved two Sharapova match points to level 5-5 before the Russian claimed victory two games later with a final break in a match marred by 21 cumulative double-faults and a dozen breaks of serve.

Sharapova will next face world number one Simona Halep who made sure of the top seeding at Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-3 win over France’s Caroline Garcia.

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina recovered from a slow start to defeat former number one Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4, 6-4.

Defending champion Svitolina will next face Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit who earned an upset over second seed Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 6-1.

The one-time Asian Tour champion had a near flawless round, carding six birdies against a lone bogey to sign for his second consecutive 67 at the St Andrews Golf Club in Henan, China.

“I’m very happy with my tournament so far. I haven’t been playing very well this year as I missed a lot of cuts. But after these two rounds in China, my confidence is coming back,” said the laws student of Thammasat University.

“This week, I am working hard on my driver as well as three-wood shots off the tee and keeping the ball on the fairway. I was driving very badly previously, but it has changed for the better this week! You have to keep off the rough here, otherwise, you may have problems keeping the ball on the green. My putting has also been very good this week,” added winner of the Asian Tour title in Manila three years ago.

“I made a birdie from about 25-feet away on my last hole yesterday. Today, the good thing was that I didn’t have to make such long putts for birdies as my approach shots were good. I’ll keep to my same plan for Saturday and Sunday, that is, to keep the ball on the fairway,” added the 24-year-old Thai.

John Catlin of the United States shared the lead with Natipong on a 10-under-par 134 total. The 27-year-old continued his outstanding run of form as he carded a 66 at the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the China Golf Association (CGA).

Catlin, who has recently finished in the top-10 in two consecutive Asian Tour tournaments, blemished his scorecard with a bogey on hole one but recovered brilliantly with an eagle on the following hole.

American Charlie Saxon displayed the form that led to two titles on the China Golf Tour as he returned with a bogey-free 66. He fought through a stomach ache to card four birdies and an eagle.

Adam Blyth of Australia began his second round unceremoniously but ended the day with a birdie blitz. Blyth, who started on tee 10, made his first birdie after the turn on the second hole then made five consecutive birdies from holes five to nine to finish with a 66.

Xiao Bowen of China made a personal breakthrough by making the cut on the Asian Tour for the first time in 2018. He won on home soil last year in Xiamen and had put himself in contention with a 68 for a 138 total. Xiao is just four shots off the lead.

Leading scores after round 2 of the Asia-Pacific Classic being played at the par 72, 7261 Yards St. Andrews (Zhengzhou) Golf Club course (am – denotes amateur):

134 – John CATLIN (USA) 68-66, Natipong SRITHONG (THA) 67-67.

135 – Charlie SAXON (USA) 69-66.

136 – Adam BLYTH (AUS) 70-66, Jack HARRISON (ENG) 67-69, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 67-69.

137 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-69, Shohei HASEGAWA (JPN) 68-69, Josh YOUNGER (AUS) 67-70.

138 – Jack WILSON (AUS) 67-71, XIAO Bowen (CHN) 70-68, YANG Yinong (CHN) 67-71, Andrew MARTIN (AUS) 66-72, Steven JEFFRESS (AUS) 71-67, Dino A. GIACOMAZZI (USA) 72-66.

139 – Sunil JUNG (CAN) 73-66, HAK Shun-Yat (HKG) 71-68, Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 71-68, Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA) 71-68, Callum TARREN (ENG) 67-72, Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 68-71, Taewoo KIM #1087 (KOR) 70-69.

140 – Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 71-69, HUANG Wenyi (CHN) 71-69, Justin SHIN (CAN) 70-70, Honey BAISOYA (IND) 67-73, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 72-68, CHEN Dinggen (CHN) 71-69, Chirat JIRASUWAN (THA) 70-70.

141 – Suteepat PRATEEPTIENCHAI (THA) 69-72, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 67-74, Pannakorn UTHAIPAS (THA) 67-74, Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 71-70, Niall TURNER (IRL) 71-70.

142 – Michael CHOI (AUS) 71-71, Kevin LEE (KOR) 69-73, Piya SWANGARUNPORN (THA) 71-71, Matt STIEGER (AUS) 71-71, Pasavee LERTVILAI (THA) 71-71, Javier GALLEGOS (ESP) 72-70, LIU Yanwei (CHN) 67-75, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 74-68, Mitchell SLORACH (SIN) 72-70, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 68-74, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 71-71, MatthewPERRY (NZL) 72-70.

The 31-year-old Nadal will face Italian Fabio Fognini in the last eight as he looks to retake the world number one ranking from Roger Federer by winning an eighth Rome title this week.

Nadal has already won his 11th titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona during the current clay-court season, but has lost in the quarter-finals in each of the last three years in Italy.

He was far too strong for Shapovalov, taking the opening set with a break in the seventh game before racing through the second to gain a measure of revenge for his shock defeat by the 19-year-old in Montreal last year.

“I think Rafa played incredible today,” said Shapovalov. “He’s been playing at a really high level for this whole clay season. So, you know, it’s credit to him. He was just simply too good today.”

Top seed Nadal recorded his 20th clay-court win of the year while Shapovalov will at least have the consolation of becoming the Canadian number one on Monday.

“It was a solid match for me,” said Nadal. “I started with some mistakes on the return. But with my serve, I didn’t lose many points.

“At the beginning, I really think that he was serving big. I got the break in the 3-all. And then the match changed. He probably stopped to serve that big a little bit, and I was a little bit more relaxed.”

The Spaniard will next take on Fognini, a player he holds a 10-3 record against including five straight wins in their most recent matches.

Fognini got past Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Djokovic moved into his first quarter-final since Wimbledon last July when he defeated Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 7-5.

The four-time Rome champion is making his way back this year after a six-month injury absence before the Australian Open, which was followed by elbow surgery.

“It felt good,” said the 12-time Grand Slam winner. “I’ve historically always played well in Rome, and I feel like each match is getting better.”

The 30-year-old set up a clash with Japan’s Kei Nishikori for a semi-final berth.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who beat Djokovic in last year’s final, kept his title defence on track but needed eight match points to see off Briton Kyle Edmund 7-5, 7-6 (13/11).

For Zverev it was an 11th consecutive win after back-to-back title runs at Munich and Madrid.

The 21-year-old will play Belgian David Goffin who advanced when Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro retired while trailing 6-2, 4-5 with a groin injury.

– Halep, Sharapova advance –

In the women’s tournament, Simona Halep boosted her bid to retain the world number one ranking as the top seed advanced to the quarter-finals after American Madison Keys withdrew injured with a painful rib.

The Romanian, a finalist in Rome last year, is on her way to holding on to top spot as she next plays France’s Caroline Garcia who dumped out US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).

Halep needed to reach at least the last eight and go further than world number two Caroline Wozniacki to retain the top ranking going into the French Open.

Dane Wozniacki was given a scare by Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova before closing out the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.

She next plays Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit who defeated Venus Williams for the second time in a week.

Kontaveit, 22, won through 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) against the 37-year-old American who was seeded eighth in a tournament she won nearly two decades ago in 1999.

Three-time winner Maria Sharapova ousted Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-4 and will play fifth seed and French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko who saw off Britain’s Johanna Konta 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Defending champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine fought back from a first set wipeout against Daria Kasatkina to win 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The 22-year-old Ariya who won one of her first three LPGA titles at the Kingsmill Resort River Course fired seven birdies before stumbling to a double bogey on the 16^th hole to share the sixth spot with Nasa Hataoka of Japan.

American Jessica Korda, who teed off in the morning session, took advantage of calmer conditions and sits atop the leaderboard with Spain’s Azahara Munoz, Annie Park, South Korea’s Chun In-gee, and Jaye Marie Green, each with six under-par- 65.

“I feel really good. I didn’t make many putts at the back nine, but at the front my putting worked pretty good,” said Ariya who beat Su Hyun Oh of South Korea by a stroke for her second LPGA crown here two years ago.

“When I stand up on 18 it always brings like all the great memories,” she added.

It rained off and on for much of Thursday and weather forecasters were predicting poorer weather over the next few days.

“You knew if the wind wasn’t blowing and the greens were soft you could be really aggressive. I just needed some birdies to drop, and that’s exactly what happened,” Korda said.

A total of 29 players posted rounds of three-under or better on the River Course.聽

Korda started quickly by making birdie on three of her first five holes. She hit a long drive down the centre of the fairway and then followed up with a sand wedge to four feet for another birdie on her last hole.

“I felt good,” said Korda, who has finished in the top 10 six times this season and has finished no worse than tied for 26th overall. “I stuck to my process. I’m working on a couple of things before the US Open so I just stuck to that and it worked.”

Korda is still recovering from offseason jaw surgery that included using 27 screws to fix a problem that was giving her frequent headaches.

Despite the lengthy rehab she managed to win in her first start of the year in Thailand and if she is victorious this week, Korda would become the first two-time winner on the Tour so far this season.

Former Kingsmill champion Ariya posted her best opening round of any tournament so far this year with a five-under 66.

Like Korda, Ariya, who is ranked sixth in the world, has been one of the most consistent players on the Tour this season but she is still looking for her first win of 2018.

Ariya drained seven birdies including three of four, beginning on the par-three fifth hole. Her only blemish was a double bogey on the par-four 16th.

Chutinant Bhirombhakdi, President of the Paralympic Committee of Thailand, has stated that: “Wewould like to thank Charoen Pokphand Group, Charoen Pokphand Food Plc, CP All Plc, and True Corporation Plc for supporting Thai national atheletes at the Para Games for the third consecutive year. The first was in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil and thesecond in the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia. Apart from facilitating the athletes, Charoen Pokphand Group has given a moral support to the athletes as well. For our goal in this coming competition, we aim to have a better performance than the previous Games of 21 gold medals, a move which helps prepare us for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan. In the 2017 ASEAN Para Games, we had a success in grooming new athletes. Then we are confident that they will step up to be a driving force of Thai national team for this competition.

Dr. Rashell Daiphontunya Deputy Governor of Sports Promotion of Sports Authority of Thailand, said “For the 2018 Asian Para Games, we have fully prepared the athletes physically and mentally. To do so, the Sports Authority of Thailand has worked with sport associations to strengthen them by supporting preparations such as the camp training, sports science operation and health care, operated by doctors and medical specialists in physical therapy and treatment operation to help those getting sick and injured during the competition. In addition, the office has psychologists and physiologists to advise the athletes about physical and mental preparation. On this occasion, we would like to thank the private sector like Charoen Pokphand Group, CPF, CP All, and True Corporation for their full support, considered a good move of the private sector to give importance to sports and our cooperation will truly be beneficial to the country.

Mr. Kachorn Chiaravanont, Member of the Executive Committee, Charoen Pokphand Group, says, “Charoen Pokphand Group, together with Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc (CPF), CP All Plc and True Corporation Plc are truly proud of all Thai athletes participating in the 2018 Asian Para Games. Apparently, they have a strong commitment to have self-discipline in daily training, keep patience and move ahead to win obstacles, with the aim to become Thailand’s delegates for this competition. In the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil and the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia, they performed outstandingly and earned an ongoing success, creating a pride for the country. Therefore, Charoen Pokphand Group is very willing to provide a full support the athletes in the 2018 Asian Para Games for their better performance. The move is in line with the group’s policy, aimed at promoting sustainability in all dimensions– economic, social and environment. Especially the disabled, Charoen Pokphand has adhered importance and supported continuously via employment, job creation, or initiative projects to give them opportunity to grow sustainably and stay with dignity in the society, considered to help narrow the inequality gap.

Charoen Pokphand has continued to provide food and telecommunications support to the athletes, officials, and Thai media throughout the games. Especially food supporting, the group has provided it to Thai athletes since the 2016 Paralympics, then the group can learn what they like. The group will select Thai favorite dishes, which are tasteful, clean, safe, and importantly nutritious for them.  For telecommunications, True Corporations has provided TrueMove H international roaming SIM cards to facilitate them in making and receiving phone calls, sending messages and using non-stop 4G and 3G data services in Indonesia, which will allow them to stay conveniently in touch with their families and loved ones .

There are athletes from 42 nations to join the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, with 17 sports to compete, which include archery, goal ball, volleyball, badminton, boccia, bowling, cycling, shooting, swimming, lawn bowl, power lifting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair fencing.

In 2014, the Asian Para Games was held in South Korea and Thailand ranked sixth, with 107 medals, in which included 21 gold, 39 silver, and 47 bronze. China topped the competition, followed by South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Uzbekistan respectively.

As its name suggests, the 4K Ultra HD system is four times clearer than the existing high-definition (HD) system and 20 times clearer than the existing standard system, said Sueksith Cholasuek, the pay-TV firm’s marketing director.

“TrueVisions is confident that this year’s World Cup will bring utmost happiness and joy to the members for a fuller and more fun experience than in previous years,” Sueksith gushed.

The World Cup kicks off on June 14 with the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at 10pm.

Subscribers who want the sharpest-resolution coverage will have to pay Bt2,000 for installation of the 4K Ultra HD set-top box.

But Sueksith pointed out that all subscribers, whatever their package, can for the first time watch all games in high-definition, on the TrueSport HD3 (True668) and at TrueSport HD2 (True 667) channels. Call 1242 or visit http://www.truevisiongroup.com for more information.

While the TrueVisions broadcast schedule for all 64 matches is already available at https://www.facebook.com/Truevisions/photos/pcb.1883619798371329/1883617541704888/?type=3&theater , details of free-TV coverage are yet to be revealed with less than a month to go before the World Cup starts.

Free-TV stations Channel 5, True4U and Amarin TV will carry live coverage of matches in Russia, backed by financial support from nine private companies.

However, sources say a deal over how the matches are shared between the channels has still not been reached. So far, they have only agreed to broadcast the Russia-Saudi Arabia opener on all channels on June 14.

Platinum and gold package members interested in 4K ULTRA HD

• The registration to change to “TrueVisions 4K ULTRA HD” set top box now to 31 May 2018.
• The installation fee of “TrueVisions 4K ULTRA HD” set top box after a discount is at 2,000 THB/outlet (discount from 9,500 THB).
• For a registration, use a TrueMove H number and dial *482*44*smartcard number# and press call or dial 1242 or contact True Shop nationwide.
• Current members can make the registration right away.
• New members can make a registration to “TrueVisions 4K ULTRA HD” set top box after the completion of platinum and gold package installation.

New members across all packages

Watch all the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in HD and receive a World Cup HD channel, running 24 hours a day.

• Free installation for all the outlets. Equipment deposit at 1,000 THB per outlet.
• Platinum package will receive an additional True Super Soccer package free of charge throughout the 2018/19 season.
• Gold package will receive an additional True Super Soccer package free of charge for six months.
• Super Soccer Sport Family, Smart Family, and Happy Family Package will receive an additional True Super Soccer package free of charge for three months.
• Promotional period from this day until 30 June 2018

For membership registration or additional details, please contact True Shop andTrueVisions partners nationwide. For additional details, please contact tel. 1242 or http://www.truevisiongroup.com.