BOXING
Zhang ends Joyce’s streak
China’s Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang on Saturday set his sights on Ukraine’s heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk after dealing Britain’s Joe Joyce a first professional defeat. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in the sixth of 12 scheduled rounds at London’s Copper Box Arena after the ringside doctor twice inspected Joyce’s puffed up right eye, which was almost closed. “Today belongs to me... I’m 39 years old, but I’m disciplined, I train hard. Next step I’m going for the title,” Zhang said through a translator after punching the air and shouting: “Chinese Power.”
SOCCER
Fans throw rats at rivals
Royal Charleroi fans pelted Royal Standard de Liege supporters with dead rats during a Belgian league game, Standard said yesterday, confirming claims by fans on social media. A dozen dead rodents painted red, Standard’s color, were hurled in the direction of home fans by Charleroi supporters. “We hope that the [Jupiler] Pro League will take action, that our club will file a complaint and that the animal associations will get involved,” supporters wrote on Facebook. “Hooded spectators in rat-catcher outfits threw these rats towards a stand occupied by families and people with reduced mobility,” a Standard supporter told Belgian television. Standard on Friday won the match 3-1.
TENNIS
Rune in Monte Carlo final
Danish teenager Holger Rune on Saturday edged a thrilling clash with fellow rising star Jannik Sinner to set up a Monte Carlo Masters final against Andrey Rublev. The 19-year-old claimed a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 win under floodlights after a rain-affected day in the principality. Russian fifth seed Rublev saw off Taylor Fritz 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the first semi-final. Rune continued his meteoric rise in the sport with another statement victory, having climbed into the world’s top 10 this season after capping off a breakthrough season last year with the Paris Masters title, beating Novak Djokovic in the final. “It was quite unbelievable,” Rune said. “Jannik started firing, hitting a lot of winners and he has been in good form the past few months. I had to dig deep and find solutions, which I did well. It was fun to play like this.”
RUGBY UNION
Australia lose 7 to injuries
New Australia coach Eddie Jones was dealt a blow yesterday when seven players picked in his maiden squad were ruled out after a spate of concussions and injuries during a bruising Super Rugby Pacific weekend. They include ACT Brumbies trio Len Ikitau, Blake Schoupp and Darcy Swain, along with Waratahs pair Ned Hanigan and Dave Porecki, all of whom had head knocks. Brumbies backrower Pete Samu also missed out with an ankle injury sustained during a hard fought 43-28 win over the Fijian Drua, while the Waratahs’ Langi Gleeson has a calf strain. “While we feel for the players who have been ruled out, it provides an opportunity for those who will now come into camp,” said former England boss Jones, who assumed control of the Wallabies in January when Dave Rennie was axed. The 33-man squad are today to assemble on Queensland’s Gold Coast for a three-day camp as they prepare for the Rugby Championship, starting in July, then the World Cup in France.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS