Clément Noël wins a World Cup slalom at foggy Adelboden after Manuel Feller fails to finish

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — Clément Noël skied through the fog to win a World Cup slalom race Saturday and deny Brazil a first-ever victory by just 0.02 seconds.

The 2022 Olympic champion rose from third place in the first run to get his third win this season and beat Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the Norway-born racer who now represents his mother’s home nation Brazil.

Henrik Kristoffersen, Braathen’s former teammate, placed third, trailing Noël by 0.14, and leads the slalom standings from his French rival.

First-run leader Manuel Feller had already lost his time advantage before skiing out on the steep final slope. The Austrian star has now failed to finish four slalom races this season in defense of his World Cup title.

Pinheiro Braathen matched Brazil’s best result in World Cup skiing after being runner-up last month in a giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Conditions were difficult all day on the Chuenisbaergli hill. Steady snowfall in the morning slowed the later starters, and racers could barely be seen in thick fog for parts of the second run in the afternoon.

The slalom typically scheduled on Sunday was moved forward one day because the weather and visibility risked forcing a giant slalom to be canceled.

The classic Adelboden giant slalom — a permanent fixture on the men’s World Cup circuit since the first week of racing in January 1967 — was pushed back to Sunday.

Marco Odermatt, who leads the World Cup overall and giant slalom standings but skips slalom, will be favored Sunday to win a fourth straight time in a race that is a signature sports event for his home country Switzerland.

Only one Swiss racer has won the Adelboden slalom since 2007 and Daniel Yule, the 2020 champion, was 12th Saturday, almost two seconds back. The best home racer was eighth-placed Tanguy Nef.

World Cup slalom standings leader Loïc Meillard, the home crowd favorite, failed to finish the first run by straddling a gate midway down.

The runner-up at Adelboden for the past two seasons, Atle Lie McGrath of Norway, also failed to finish in the morning when poised to set the fastest time.

Albert Popov, the winner Wednesday at Madonna di Campiglio giving Bulgaria its first men’s victory in 45 years, could not repeat that form and placed 16th, trailing 2.31 behind Noël.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

From left, second placed Brazil' Lucas Braathen, the winner France's Clement Noel and third placed Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen celebrate after an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen reacts after completing an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

France's Clement Noel reacts after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Loic Meillard speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Germany's Linus Strasser speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Austria's Manuel Feller speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom race, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has captured her second consecutive Brisbane International title, and 22nd overall, with a straight sets victory over Marta Kostyuk on Sunday.

It was the third year in a row Sabalanka appeared in the final and the Belorussian player looked in comfortable surroundings as she closed out a 6-4, 6-3 victory in just 1 hour and 17 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena.

The Brisbane International is a tuneup event for this year’s Australian Open, which begins Jan. 18.

Kostyuk went hard early by attacking Sabalenka’s second serve, clawing back an early break with sublime drop shots that briefly rattled the world's top-ranked player.

However, the Belorussian’s relentless intensity and match-smarts proved decisive as she exploited the oppressive Brisbane humidity with punishing baseline rallies to clinch the opening set in 40 minutes.

As Kostyuk wilted under the physical strain, Sabalenka accelerated in the second set.

With a mix of raking groundstrokes and deceptive drop shots, she forced a mounting error count from the Ukrainian to close out the match without dropping a set all week.

After sealing the victory, Sabalenka looked down the court at Kostyuk and kissed both biceps - a likely nod to previous comments by the Ukranian that she possessed higher testosterone levels than other players.

Kostyuk has said the comments made in an interview last year had been taken out of context, but further the tensions between the pair since the Ukranian's refusal to shake Sabalenka's hand after a match at the French Open in 2023.

The exchange resulted in a frosty post-match presentation. During the trophy ceremony, Kostyuk spoke passionately about her homeland but notably declined to mention Sabalenka by name.

“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” Kostyuk said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now, it’s minus 20 degrees outside right now, so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.

"I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian fans and flags here this week … Slava Ukraini.”

Sabalenka, meanwhile, congratulated Kostyuk, stating she hoped they would meet in another final soon. She also took a cheeky dig at her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis during her victory speech.

“Hopefully soon I will call you somehow else,” Sabalenka said looking at Frangulis in the player's box. “That just put extra pressure, right?”

Later Sunday, top-seeded Daniil Medvedev played Brandon Nakashima in the final of the men’s tournament at Brisbane.

The former No. 1-ranked Medvedev is seeking his 22nd career title, while it will be Nakashima’s first ATP Tour final in four years.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus poses with the winners trophy after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, hugs her support team after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine reacts after missing a shot during the women's final match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a shot during the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waves to the crowd after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)