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Anthony Cacace-Nick Ball: Belfast world title showdown set for December

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Anthony Cacace will make the first defence of his WBA super-featherweight world title against Nick Ball at The 02 in Belfast on 19 December.

The 37-year-old from Belfast won the title in March with a points victory of James ‘Jazza’ Dickens in Dublin and will face another Liverpool native in former featherweight champion Ball.

Cacace’s last fight in his home city occurred in May 2023 with a defence of the IBO belt against Damian Wrzesinski on the undercard of Luis Alberto Lopez’s featherweight title victory over Michael Conlan.

Since then, he has won and then relinquished the IBF title before becoming a two-time champion at the weight with victory over Dickens which saw his record improve to 25 wins with one loss.

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“Nick’s a great fighter, ex-world champion, so I expect a good scrap. He’s a hard man, so let’s do it,” Cacace told DAZN.

“I’ll fight with him, I’ll box him – whatever way he wants, so we’ll see what happens on the night. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Belfast around Christmas time is going to be jumping, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Ball is coming off his first career defeat when stopped in the final round by Brandon Figueroa in a defence of the WBA featherweight title in February.

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The Liverpudlian won the title in 2024 with a points verdict over Raymond Ford, three months after his first bid for world honours ended in a draw against then-WBC champion Rey Vargas.

He fought on the same Belfast card as Cacace in 2023 when stopping Ludumo Lamati, who suffered a stroke in the ring but has since recovered, and is relishing the chance to become a two-weight champion.

“It’s a massive opportunity at a new weight,” said Ball, whose record is 23-1-1.

“He’s a solid champion, so it’s going to be a good fight. I’ll be coming, he’ll be coming, so it’s going to be a good one.”

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Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin preview, head-to-head, odds, prediction & betting tips

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30 August 2026

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Match Details

Fixture: (WC) Venus Williams vs (WC) Sofia Kenin

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Date: August 30, 2026

Tournament: US Open Tennis Championships

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Category: Grand Slam

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Surface: Outdoor hard

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York City

Prize Money: $108,000,000

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin preview

Venus Williams will face off against fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2026 US Open on Sunday.

Williams enters on a wild card, still winless at the tour level in 2026 and carrying a 14-match losing streak that stretches back to 2025, most recently a straight-sets loss to Emiliana Arango in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. She’ll have the emotional weight of this stage, having won this title twice and made her debut here nearly three decades ago.

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Meanwhile, Kenin, also on a wild card, enters off a tight three-set loss to Marta Kostyuk in Cincinnati, part of an even rougher season by the numbers, just six wins against 20 losses, a stretch she’s called her worst as a pro. She is a former Grand Slam champion and will be hoping a change of scenery back to a Major can spark a turnaround.

Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head

Their current head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games
Venus Williams +450 +5.5 (-105) Over 19.5 (-110)
Sofia Kenin -700 -5.5 (-140) Under 19.5 (-135)

(Odds via BetMGM)

Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin prediction

Williams’s power and experience at this exact stage remain real, and she’s shown flashes of her old level in defeat this season, but a 14-match losing streak dating back over a year is hard to ignore heading into the match.

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Kenin, despite her own struggles, arrives closer to a competitive baseline right now; that Cincinnati loss to Kostyuk went the distance rather than getting run off court. Her career mark against players outside the top 100, roughly where Williams now sits, remains solid even in a down season.

Given how much longer and deeper Williams’s slump has run, and Kenin’s slightly steadier recent results even in defeat, she looks like the favorite to snap her own skid here.

Pick: Sofia Kenin to win in straight sets.

Venus Williams vs Sofia Kenin betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have at least 18 games.

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Tip 2: Kenin to win a set with a score of 7-5 or better.