■CRICKET
Zimbabwe top Kenya in ODI
Zimbabwe beat Kenya by 66 runs to secure a fourth consecutive victory in their one-day international series in Nairobi on Sunday after some punishing displays by batsmen Forster Mutizwa and Hamilton Masakadza. Masakadza opened up with a 58-run knock which included eight fours off 56 balls, while Mutizwa rounded off the Zimbabwe innings with 61 as the visitors rattled up a total of 285-8 off 50 overs at Nairobi’s Gymkhana Club Ground. Kenya replied with a fighting 219 all out, thanks to an outstanding unbeaten 96 from batsmen Alex Obanda. The five-match ODI series finishes at the Gymkhana Club Ground tomorrow.
■CYCLING
Wiggins takes yellow jersey
Bradley Wiggins of Britain took the yellow jersey and his team, Garmin Slipstream, won the time trial in Doha on Sunday on the opening day of the Tour of Qatar. Wiggins finished the 6km race in six minutes, 34 seconds. Seventeen teams are taking part in the six-day race, which ends on Friday.
■GOLF
Perry wins FBR Open title
US Ryder Cup player Kenny Perry survived a scare on Sunday, winning at the third playoff hole to top Charley Hoffman for the title at the US$6 million FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Perry had a chance to win in regulation but bogeyed from a bunker at the 72nd hole for a 69 that saw him join Hoffman (67) on 14-under 270. Perry salvaged the win with a 20-foot birdie putt at the third hole of sudden death, the par-four 17th. “Those are the putts you think about when you’re a kid — you’re on the putting green saying, ‘This is to win the Masters’ or whatever, and I finally made one. It took me a long time to do it,” Perry said.
Perry, 48, captured his 13th USPGA Tour title. Three of them came last year as he played his way onto the US Ryder Cup team that triumphed over Europe in September in his native Kentucky.
■RUGBY UNION
Dan Carter’s season finished
All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter was on Sunday ruled out for the rest of the French season because of an Achilles tendon injury, having played just five matches for Perpignan. “It is a partial tear of the Achilles tendon, which means he will be unavailable for around six months,” spokesman Benoit Brazes said. The 26-year-old Carter, who was signed by the Catalan club on a lucrative six-month deal worth a reported 35,000 euros (US$45,000) a match was hurt in Saturday’s 13-13 draw with Stade Francais. His brief stay with the French side, which began in December, was plagued by injury and his time on the pitch amounted to just 361 playing minutes.
■BASEBALL
Caribbean Series opens
San Diego Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez was to lead Mexico against the winter league champions of Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in the annual Caribbean Series that began in Mexicali, Mexico, yesterday. Gonzalez won the Mexican winter league tournament with Mazatlan’s Venados and the team is seeking its second Caribbean Series title. “I came to have a good time with my teammates,” said Gonzalez, who led the Padres with 36 home runs and 119 RBI’s in 2008. The Dominican Republic’s Licey Tigers are the defending champions. Licey is the all-time leader with 10 Caribbean tittles, and the Dominican Republic leads all countries with 17 crowns.
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
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
FINAL WEEK LOOMS: PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge against 24th-placed Stuttgart, while Man City require victory against Club Brugge Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating UEFA Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Real Madrid is no longer at risk after routing Salzburg. Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris, who could still be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week. Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings are to advance. Man City, the 2023 champions, are in 25th place, but could squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge. “We will
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
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