TABLE TENNIS
Taiwan women out in Astana
Taiwan’s women’s team last night were to play the Philippines for ninth place at the ITTF Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, after failing to advance to the Champions Division following a 3-1 defeat to North Korea. Taiwan started strong on Monday, finishing at the top of Group 4 in Kazakhstan. They opened with dominating 3-0 victories over the Maldives, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which gave Taiwan an opportunity to join the top six seeds in the Champions Division, but yesterday’s loss to North Korea left them out of contention. Li Yu-jhun earned their sole win against North Korea, beating Pyon Song-gyong 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7. Taiwan’s men’s team play their quarter-finals match today, after earning an automatic berth as runners-up to China in last year’s tournament. In doubles, Taiwan’s men’s duo of Feng Yi-hsin and Lin Yun-ju and the women’s pairing of Huang Yi-hua and Olympian Chen Tzu-yu both advanced after a bye to the round-of-32, which starts on Friday.
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu exits Wuhan
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Ulrikke Eikeri were yesterday eliminated in the opening round of the Wuhan Open in China, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic. Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and partner Veronika Kudermetova of Russia were after press time last night to play Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Diane Parry of France.
BASEBALL
Ohtani ball auction still on
The auction for Shohei Ohtani’s potentially lucrative 50th home run ball has been allowed to proceed as a legal dispute over ownership of the financial proceeds continues. Chris Belanski was the man who walked out of the stadium with the historic baseball, gaining possession in the left field stands at LoanDeport Park in Miami. Max Matus and Joseph Davidov each claim in separate lawsuits that they grabbed the ball first. Attorney John Uustal — who represents Matus — confirmed on Monday that all parties involved wanted the auction to proceed. The bidding for the baseball through Goldin Auctions is at US$1.5 million, although the winner would pay US$1.83 million for the ball and added fees.
RUGBY UNION
Feel unwelcome, Cheika says
Michael Cheika has questioned whether he is welcome in English club rugby after being banned for two matches for disrespecting the independent matchday doctor following his first game as Leicester Tigers coach. A Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel determined on Tuesday last week that the former Australia and Argentina coach had been “overly aggressive with intense eye contact” when confronting the doctor after the Premiership clash. Cheika, who was unhappy with the confusion over the removal of players from the contest after sustaining hits to the head, served the first match of his ban on Sunday with the second suspended until the end of the season. “I would be lying if I didn’t say I was really disappointed,” the Australian told British media. “I felt the decision wasn’t right and it hurts my reputation. I was disappointed and I almost felt like — and it’s like I’m spitting the dummy here — but I felt they don’t really want me to be in the league here because what happened is a really minor-type thing.”
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one