TENNIS
Chan sisters advance
Taiwanese sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching on Monday beat Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Ellen Perez of Australia 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 to advance to the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France. They are to face the winners of last night’s match of Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Chinese partner Wang Xinyu against Angelina Gabueva of Russia and Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, which was to begin after press time. Taiwanese Wu Fang-hsien and Australian partner Olivia Tjandramulia advanced last night, beating France’s Severine Deppner and Sarah Iliev 2-6, 7-5, 10-6. On Monday, Hsieh crashed out of the women’s singles round of 32, losing 7-6 (7/2), 1-6, 6-1 to New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe.
MOUNTAINEERING
Nepalese sets record again
Veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa yesterday scaled Mount Everest for the 28th time, beating his own record less than a week after setting it, as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world’s highest peak. Kami Rita Sherpa, considered one of the greatest mountain guides, reached the 8,849m summit at 9:20am yesterday, expedition organizer Seven Summits Treks said. His latest climb came a day after fellow guide Pasang Dawa Sherpa matched his record of 27 trips to the summit. The race for the title began with Pasang Dawa Sherpa climbing the peak for the 26th time on May 14, equaling Kami Rita Sherpa’s previous record. Kami Rita Sherpa went on to the peak three days later for the 27th time.
BASEBALL
Announcer fired over slur
Oakland Athletics broadcaster Glen Kuiper was let go by NBC Sports California after using a racial slur during a telecast while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the network said on Monday. Kuiper was suspended by the network following the incident during a pregame segment on May 5. Kuiper seemingly mispronounced the word “negro,” making it sound instead like a slur. A person familiar with the investigation said “the decision was based on a variety of factors, including information uncovered in the internal review.” Kuiper said in a statement on Monday night that he mispronounced the word “negro” out of his excitement talking about his visit to the museum. “It was a terrible, but honest mispronunciation, and I take full responsibility,” he said.
SOCCER
Thai FA bans players
The Football Association of Thailand (Thai FA) yesterday banned two players, two officials and a coach over brawls that marred the men’s final at the Southeast Asian Games. Thai FA announced a one-year ban from the national team for a goalkeeping coach and two team officials. “The fact-finding team agreed unanimously that as adults, the goalkeeping coach and team officials should be mature enough to control the situation and set a good example for the players, who are aged under 22,” it said in a statement. “They should not lead or take part in the incident.” Goalkeeper Soponwit Rakyart — who was red-carded after he ran half the length of the pitch to deliver a diving punch — and substitute Teerapak Pruengna were banned from the national team for six months.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
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