TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu out in France
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Australian partner Olivia Tjandramulia yesterday crashed out of the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France. The duo lost 6-1, 6-0 to Desirae Krawczyk of the US and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico. Taiwanese sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching were to face Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Chinese partner Wang Xinyu in the quarter-finals after press time last night. Hsieh and Wang on Tuesday beat Angelina Gabueva of Russia and Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-4, 6-2 to set up the showdown with the Chans.
SOCCER
Seven held over Irons attack
Twenty-six men involved in attempts to attack family and friends of West Ham United players in the Netherlands last week have reported to police, with seven detained, but 10 more still sought, Dutch media reported yesterday. Dutch police used a television program on Tuesday to appeal for help to try and identify hooligans, showing images of suspects involved in the attack at the conclusion of the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg between AZ and the London club on Thursday last week. Dutch police had identified 24 supporters as suspects in the apparently premeditated attack at AZ Stadium in Alkmaar. Police had given those involved a deadline to report otherwise have their images shown on national television.
ICE HOCKEY
US top Sweden in worlds
Dylan Samberg on Tuesday scored in overtime and the US beat Sweden 4-3 to finish the group stage with a perfect record at the Ice Hockey World Championship. Samberg’s winner from the slot 1 minute, 37 seconds into overtime clinched first place for the US in Group A, two points in front of Sweden, ahead of today’s quarter-final games, when the US are to play the Czech Republic and Sweden face cohosts Latvia. In Riga, Canada defeated the Czechs 3-1 to finish second in Group B, and set up a quarter-final against defending champions Finland.
MOTORSPORTS
Honda to power Aston Martin
High-flying Aston Martin is to be powered by Honda engines from 2026 in what the Formula One team says is “the last piece of the jigsaw.” This represents a return to F1 for Honda, who left in 2021, but retained links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The tie up, announced yesterday, comes in the run-up to this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix with Aston Martin a surprise second to world champions Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.
CYCLING
Not a robot: Evenepoel
Belgian star Remco Evenepoel on Tuesday took a swing at his critics as he announced he was back in training after abandoning the Giro d’Italia with COVID-19 even though he was in the lead. “Ups & downs are part of our job and I can accept that,” the 23-year-old, who held a narrow lead when he dropped out, wrote on Facebook. “What is hard to accept is all the fake and negative comments I got after having to leave the race.” “I just want to ask everyone to remember I am not a robot, but also a normal human being, husband, son, teammate etc. with normal feelings,” he wrote, adding that he would use it as motivation.
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