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.
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
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