MOTORSPORTS
Schumacher family to sue
Michael Schumacher’s family is planning legal action against a German weekly magazine over an “interview” with the former Formula One champion that was generated by artificial intelligence (AI). A spokesperson for the Schumacher family on Wednesday pointed to published reports of legal action. The Ferrari great has not been seen in public since he sustained a serious brain injury in a skiing accident on a family holiday in the French Alps in December 2013. The family has guarded his privacy since, with access limited to those closest to him and little information given about his condition. The latest edition of Die Aktuelle ran a front cover with a picture of a smiling Schumacher and the headline promising “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.” The strapline added: “It sounded deceptively real.” Inside, the supposed quotes had been produced by AI.
TENNIS
Sabalenka beats Krejcikova
World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday said that her win against Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the Stuttgart Open would boost her preparations for the Roland Garros Grand Slam. Sabalenka defeated Krejcikova 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour, 15 minutes, becoming the first player to book her spot in the quarter-finals. The Belarusian said the victory handed her a confidence boost ahead of the tournament in Paris, which is to start next month. “It’s tough, but an interesting challenge to play the first match against a Grand Slam champion,” Sabalenka told reporters. She had a bye in the first round. “It is something unique like you’re never going to play the first round against a Grand Slam champion in the bigger tournament,” she said.
BASEBALL
A’s sign ballpark deal
The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new ballpark with a retractable roof in Las Vegas after being unable to build a new venue in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Team president Dave Kaval on Wednesday said that the team finalized a deal last week to buy the 19.8-hectare site where the A’s plan to build the stadium close to the Las Vegas Strip with a seating capacity of 30,000 to 35,000. The team would work with Nevada and Clark County to fund the stadium. Kaval said that the A’s hope to break ground by next year and would hope to be move to their new home by 2027. “It’s obviously a very big milestone for us,” Kaval said. “We spent almost two years working in Las Vegas to try to determine a location that works for a long-term home. To identify a site and have a purchase agreement is a big step.”
RUGBY UNION
RTS to return to league
All Blacks center Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (RTS) is to head back to rugby league with the New Zealand Warriors at the end of this season. The 29-year-old, who switched to the 15-man game in 2021 and played three Tests, has agreed to move back to his former league club next season on a three-year deal. “Once I knew what my future held, I wanted to announce this and quickly shift the focus back to this season,” he said in a statement.
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
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
Sumo is walking a “tightrope” as it prepares to stage events outside Japan for the first time in 20 years while also trying to preserve its ancient traditions, experts say. The sport is to hold exhibition tournaments in London in October and in Paris in June next year, the first time the Japan Sumo Association has been abroad since Las Vegas in 2005. Sports such as soccer, baseball and football play domestic games overseas in a bid to gain new fans in emerging markets. John Gunning, a former amateur sumo wrestler who commentates on the sport in English on Japanese television, says its
Cole Perfetti on Friday scored three goals for his first NHL hat-trick as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his career, while David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves. Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, while Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots. Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vladislav Namestnikov 5 minutes, 51 seconds into the third period. Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down
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