Juventus failed to fully capitalize after veteran forward Cristiano Doni produced a masterful display to inspire Atalanta to a stunning 3-1 victory over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan on Sunday.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger dropped a clanger as second-placed Juve were held to a 1-1 draw at Lazio in the day’s late game to cut Inter’s lead at the top to three points.
But it was in Bergamo that the real drama happened as Doni scored a brace and set up the third in a magical first 45 minutes in which Atalanta totally dominated the reigning champions.
PHOTO: AP
Ibrahimovic poked home a consolation goal for Inter in the 92nd minute.
In Rome, Juve keeper Alex Manninger made a hash of a free-kick, coming for it and then watching it sail over his head into the top corner on 24 minutes.
Lazio’s lead lasted only six minutes as Olof Mellberg headed home from a corner.
Striker Amauri had several good chances for Juve after the break but Lazio’s backline held firm as they edged to within four points of the Champions League qualification positions.
Genoa moved above Napoli into fourth, and the final Champions League position, as Bosko Jankovic and Guiseppe Sculli scored in a 2-0 success at Lecce.
Julio Baptista was the hero as AS Roma earned a last gasp 1-0 win at Torino.
The Brazilian forward scored two minutes into injury time that leaves Roma eighth.
Napoli lost for the fifth time in a row away from home as two Michele Marcolini penalties earned Chievo a 2-1 victory.
Mark Bresciano scored a brace as Palermo won 2-0 at Sampdoria.
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
Things are somewhat out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that has only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there were some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-finals on Thursday. It also was the first time since 1990 that three teenagers beat top-10 men’s seeds at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The loser of one of those matches, Daniil Medvedev, got fined US$76,000 for behaving badly. Last year’s women’s singles runner-up exited in the first round. However, the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans, for one
RSS