‘Going to Saudi is about as political you can get. Welcome to sport. Sports is political’

✍️ Molly McElwee

My byline in today’s Observer - looking ahead to next week’s Madrid Open, asking whether lessons will be learned from last year’s sexism row (namely cake-gate and the silencing of the doubles finalists).

⁦Guardian sport⁩ theguardian.com/sport/2024/apr…

So far 24,000 tickets have been sold

Asked how important it would be to sell-out Stamford Bridge for the second leg, Emma Hayes says it is 'essential' and that her team 'deserve to play in front of a full house'.

'It is no exaggeration to say this win was one of the finest results of Emma Hayes’s entire 12-year tenure at Chelsea'

✍️ Molly McElwee

#TelegraphWomensSport | #UWCL

After that penalty/no penalty drama...

Attendance: 36,428

By my count, the last time Barcelona failed to score in the first half of any match was back in December. Haven't trailed at all since January.

Advantage Chelsea

Glorious day in Barcelona.

Can Emma Hayes’s Chelsea team become the first side to beat Barcelona at home (in any competition) since Feb 2019?

📍Estadi Olimpic

Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon & Paris Saint-Germain are still standing. Catch up on the latest storylines to watch in the UEFA Champions League semifinals with Molly McElwee:

🔗 equalizersoccer.com/2024/04/19/uwc…

Switching to ⚽️ ahead of UWCL semifinal first leg between Barcelona and Chelsea tomorrow.

Emma Hayes: “I’m not thinking about fairytales.”

.Zendaya’s latest look is plucked from a ’90s Vogue! Designed by Carolina Herrera, her striped, full-skirted formal design is a recreation of garments first worn in a ’90s issue of Vogue by tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams. vogue.cm/Wwjnbmw

This feels like a really significant run for Emma Raducanu. Iga Swiatek is the ultimate test tomorrow, but regardless these are all great signs after a really tough run of injuries

It’s been a good week for Emma Raducanu in Stuttgart.

Quarterfinals-bound after a 6-0, 7-5 win over Linda Noskova.

A clash with Iga Swiatek is the ultimate test of where she is.

Significantly quieter on site at the Barcelona Open so far today, as the Catalan press bids farewell to Nadal too.

Cam Norrie aiming to reach his second clay court QF of the season today.

His match vs Spain’s Bautista Agut just about to begin in Barcelona.

I asked Nadal about that 7-5 set v de Minaur: “I was able to show myself, most important, and the rest of the world, when I was really trying at high percentage of intensity that my level was there to compete. I didn’t practice this a lot, so that’s encouraging me to keep going.”

Most likely the last we’ve seen of 12-time champ Rafa Nadal in Barcelona. 7-5 6-1 loss to Alex de Minaur and gives a prolonged wave to the crowd, who are stood in ovation.

De Minaur: “Thank you to Rafa… He’s a legend. It was unforgettable to play against Rafa on his court.”

Electric atmosphere here in Barcelona as Nadal breaks back and evens up this opening set against de Minaur. 3-3.