■SOFTBALL
US thrash Australia
Natasha Watley and Jenae Leles drove in three runs each to lead the US to an 11-3 win over Australia on Friday in the Japan Cup softball tournament in Sendai. The Americans took a 9-0 lead over the first three innings before the game was called after the fifth inning under the tournament’s mercy rule. Jennie Finch picked up the win after taking the mound in the second inning and holding the Australians to four hits while walking none in three innings. The US were set to face Taiwan in round robin play yesterday before taking on Japan in a rematch of the gold medal game at the Beijing Olympics, which Japan won 3-1. In an earlier game on Friday, host Japan beat Taiwan 4-0 in its first game of the tournament.
■BASKETBALL
Hansbrough out injured
Indiana Pacers rookie forward Tyler Hansbrough could miss as much as two months with an injured right shin, but the NBA club expects to have him ready for the start of next season. The Pacers announced on Friday that Hansbrough, who hurt his shin last season while leading the University of North Carolina to the US national college crown, is expected to miss six to eight weeks ahead of the upcoming campaign. The team will gather late next month and have workouts and pre-season games throughout October, so the US college star’s fitness could be an issue even though the opening games are about three months away.
■FIGURE SKATING
Kwan to skip 2010 Games
Five-times world champion Michelle Kwan has decided not compete this season and try to earn a spot on the US 2010 Vancouver Olympic team, US Figure Skating said on Friday. Kwan, who has not skated competitively since 2005, said in a statement she would instead attend graduate school, where she will pursue a master’s degree in international affairs. “Skating will always be a part of me,” the 29-year-old skater said in a statement. “But in the bigger picture of my life, I have always wanted to find a career that will allow me to make a positive contribution and difference in the world.”
■WATER POLO
US win second straight gold
The US won its second straight gold medal in women’s water polo at the world championships on Friday, beating Canada 7-6 on Kelly Rulon’s penalty shot with 3:42 left. The Americans have won three of the last four championships at the worlds. They captured the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. “This was not the best game we played,” US coach Adam Krikorian said. “It was not even close to one of our best.” But Rulon scored two goals and Elizabeth Armstrong denied Tara Campbell on a blistering shot by with 17 seconds remaining to preserve the victory. Armstrong stopped 11 shots.
■BOXING
Diaz loses decision to Cayo
Former IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz lost a unanimous decision to undefeated Victor Cayo in a junior welterweight non-title bout on Friday. Cayo, of the Dominican Republic, frustrated Diaz with fast combinations during the 10-round fight. Early in the fight, the 24-year old Cayo was intent on scoring from the outside as he landed solid left jabs and left hooks to the head. Diaz finally cut punching range in the fifth round and was effective with combinations to the body. But Cayo took Diaz’s best shots from short range and countered with rights to the head. All three judges scored the bout for Cayo, 97-93, 96-94 and 98-92. There were no knockdowns.
■SOCCER
Wolfsburg stroll to easy win
Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg started the season with a comfortable 4-1 win away to third division Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the German Cup on Friday. Brazilian striker Grafite fired Wolfsburg ahead after 25 minutes and Bosnian Zvjezdan Misimovic scored a second four minutes before halftime. Striker Edin Dzeko’s third just after the re-start was immediately followed by a penalty save from Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who denied Marcel Ziemer. Misimovic’s second goal in the 56th minute secured Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh a debut win with Wehen’s Steffen Bohl grabbing a consolation strike just after the hour mark. Regional league team VfL Lubeck pulled off the night’s major upset with a 2-1 extra-time win over Bundesliga outfit Mainz.
■SOCCER
Gudmundsson is bankrupt
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, the former owner and chairman of English Premier League side West Ham United, has been declared bankrupt, an Icelandic court ruled on Friday. Judges in Reykjavik agreed with Gudmundsson’s argument that he had no reasonable expectation of any future income and did not have sufficient assets to service his debts. “Reykjavik District court has today accepted Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson’s request that his estate be entered into insolvency proceedings,” his spokesman and former West Ham vice chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson said in a statement.
■SOCCER
Marseille sign Heinze
Real Madrid confirmed on Friday that they have reached an agreement with Marseille to sell Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze to the French club. “Real Madrid and Olympique Marseille have reached an agreement to transfer the player, Gabriel Ivan Heinze, to the French club,” Real said in a brief statement which did not mention a transfer fee. Marseille said on Thursday that the 31-year-old international, with a reputation for an aggressive style of play, would join the club for three years once his medical examination and contract details had been completed.
■RUGBY UNION
Aussie coach’s father dies
Australia coach Robbie Deans’ arrival in South Africa was delayed after the death of his father in New Zealand, local media reported yesterday. New Zealander Deans did not travel with the Wallabies team when they left for South Africa on Friday, instead making a dash across the Tasman Sea to see his gravely ill father Anthony. The Press newspaper in Christchurch reported on yesterday that Deans senior had died on Friday, aged 83. Deans was initially expected to leave New Zealand today to rejoin the team tomorrow as they prepare for their Tri-Nations encounter with the Springboks in Cape Town next weekend.
■RUGBY SEVENS
Indian players told to eat up
India’s rugby sevens side must bulk up if they hope to make an impact at next year’s Commonwealth Games, eating seven meals and at least 15 eggs a day, the country’s South African coach said on Friday. “I have told them [the players] they must eat at least 15 eggs a day, six for breakfast and the remaining nine any time, any how, during the day,” coach Norman Laker told the Telegraph newspaper on Friday. “The players have three meals a day and that’s not enough. In South Africa, elite rugby players have seven meals a day.”
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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