TENNIS
Snake stops play
Dominic Thiem’s Brisbane International qualifying match yesterday against Australian James McCabe was suspended for 40 minutes after a snake slithered courtside. McCabe had just wrapped up the first set 6-2 against the 2020 US Open champion when the reptile was spotted among electrical wires on the side of the court in front of spectators. Play was halted until a snake catcher arrived and teased it into a bag. When play resumed, Thiem had to save three match points before leveling the match by winning the second set tiebreak. The 30-year-old then went on to clinch the deciding set for a 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 win. “I really love animals, especially exotic ones, but they said it was a really poisonous snake and it was close to the ballkids, so it was a really dangerous situation,” Thiem said after the match. “It’s something that has never happened to me and is something I’ll definitely never forget.” The snake was identified as a 50cm eastern brown snake, one of Australia’s most deadly reptiles.
Photo: EPA-EFE
SOCCER
Crammed schedule criticized
The crammed playing schedule might force players to take legal action, Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive officer Maheta Molango said as he highlighted growing concerns about player welfare. Under the new format from the 2024-2025 season, the UEFA Champions League group stage is to expand to 36 teams from 32, playing in a single-league format. Each team will play a minimum of eight matches, all against different opponents. A host of Premier League managers have been vocal about the busy schedule and its impact on players. “I feel like we’ve reached a stage where people are ready to take legal action, where people are ready to take tangible action on the pitch to try to resolve it, because it’s a sad state of affairs,” Molango told Sky News. “I think it’s a defeat for football when the players need to take the justice in their own hands because they don’t feel protected.” FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup, planned for 2025 and set to feature 32 teams, is to be played from June 15 to July 13, while a new Intercontinental Cup is to be played annually starting next year.
MOTORSPORTS
Gil de Ferran dies
French-born Brazilian driver and Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran has died after a heart attack, the Brazilian Automobile Confederation (CBA) said on Friday. He was 56. De Ferran, who was working for McLaren as one of its directors, had a heart attack at a private motor racing club in Opa-locka, Florida, the confederation said. He was “promptly taken to a local hospital, but did not survive,” it said. De Ferran won the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car World Series driving for Team Penske. “On behalf of myself and the entire CBA family, we pray to God to receive our brother with all glory and to support his family, friends and millions of fans around the world,” CBA president Giovanni Guerra said in a statement.
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
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
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
‘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
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