TENNIS
Chans exit in France
Taiwanese sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching yesterday crashed out at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France, beaten 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 10-6 by Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan of China in the semi-finals of the women’s doubles. The Chans fell behind early in the first set to trail 0-3, but fought back, converting all three of their break-point opportunities. However, they were dominated in the second set and again fell behind early in the tiebreaker. The Chans defeated Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Wang Xinyu of China 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. The other semi-final was yet to be scheduled as of press time last night.
SOCCER
Iniesta to depart Kobe
Andres Iniesta, who won the FIFA World Cup with Spain in 2010, and four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships with Barcelona, is leaving Japanese club Vissel Kobe. Iniesta brushed back tears yesterday as he announced he was leaving and indicated he planned to keep playing, but did not say where. Asked where he might play, he replied in Spanish: “I have to tell you the truth, I don’t know. I want to keep playing football. I feel like I am capable of still playing, but as this chapter closes, we’ll see what’s possible. I want to finish my career on the pitch playing, and this is what I’m hoping to do.” News reports suggested a stint in the Middle East, but with no details about clubs. After finishing his long tenure at Barcelona, Iniesta joined the Japanese club in 2018 on a three-year deal, and prolonged his stay with a two-year extension. News reports indicate his reason for leaving is because he wants more playing time. Iniesta just turned 39 and made the announcement at a club news conference in Kobe. His last game for the club is expected to be at home on July 1, a farewell to fans. Vissel Kobe are leading the J-League standings after 14 rounds.
BOXING
Alvarez seeks Bivol rematch
After his victory over Britain’s John Ryder earlier this month, undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Wednesday said that he wants another fight with Dmitry Bivol, who handed him a rare loss last year. The win over Ryder brought Alvarez’s record up to 59-2-2 in front of a home crowd in Guadalajara, Mexico. “That’s the idea, a rematch with Bivol,” Alvarez said on the sidelines of a real-estate conference. One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, Alvarez said that he wanted the rematch to be at light heavyweight again. Russian Bivol, the WBA light heavyweight champion, told ESPN earlier this month he was more interested in moving down to super middleweight in a bid for Alvarez’s championship. Should Bivol refuse to meet the terms, Alvarez said “there are other fights out there,” mentioning twins Jermell and Jermall Charlo, and Mexican-American David Benavidez as potential challengers. Benavidez — whom Alvarez called “a great fighter” — has publicly called for a fight between the two. Talks for Alvarez’s next fight, set to take place in September to coincide with Mexico’s Independence Day, would begin next week. “Right now I’m resting, more than anything,” Alvarez said.
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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