TENNIS
Taiwanese rise in rankings
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Monday moved up two spots to world No. 8 in the WTA’s women’s doubles rankings after she and Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko on Saturday finished as runners-up in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Hsieh — who has seven women’s doubles Grand Slam titles, most recently last year’s Australian Open — previously held the No. 1 spot for 59 weeks starting in May 2014, the longest for a player from East Asia and the second-longest for an Asian player. Compatriot Chan Hao-ching moved up one spot to No. 12, while Wu Fang-hsien, who last week soared 17 spots to a career-high world No. 31 after making it to her first WTA 1000 final at the Qatar Open, slipped three spots to No. 34. In women’s singles, Mirra Andreeva rose to a career-best No. 9 in the tennis rankings on Monday, making the Russian the first 17-year-old in the WTA’s Top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007. Andreeva moved up five spots thanks to her title Saturday in Dubai.
Photo: Reuters
GOLF
TLPGA tourney starts tomorrow
The 2025 Foxconn Ladies Professional Golf Association of Taiwan (TLPGA) Players Championship is set to begin in Taoyuan tomorrow, featuring 12 of the world’s top 100 female golfers. The tournament at Orient Golf & Country Club from tomorrow to Sunday features a total prize purse of US$1.5 million — the highest ever for a golf tour event in Taiwan. This year’s tournament is to feature 40 golfers ranked among the world’s top 200, including two former world No. 1 players: Yani Tseng of Taiwan and Shin Jiyai of South Korea. Holding the top ranking for 109 consecutive weeks from 2011 to 2013, Tseng was the youngest player to complete a Grand Slam. Tseng said she and Shin, who have known each other for 20 years, played a nine-hole practice round together on Monday morning. Tseng, 36, said that many of the younger players in the upcoming Taiwan tour are unfamiliar to her. “I see in them the same desire and passion for golf that I had when I was young,” she said. “I think they can help me rediscover the joy I felt when I first started playing.”
Photo: CNA
SOCCER
Mourinho accused of racism
Galatasaray SK have accused Fenerbahce SK manager Jose Mourinho of making “racist statements” following a 0-0 draw between the bitter Istanbul rivals. It was not immediately clear what comments Galatasaray were referring to and former Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach Mourinho has not responded publicly to the allegation. Speaking following Monday’s league draw at Galatasaray, the Portuguese coach reportedly said the home bench had been “jumping like monkeys.” In its statement, Galatasaray said it would launch criminal proceedings against the 62-year-old Mourinho.
Photo: Reuters
FOOTBALL
‘Tush push’ under review
The NFL could vote to ban the “tush push” — the trademark play of the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, a league official told reporters on Monday. NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said an unnamed club had submitted a proposal to outlaw the move, the Washington Post reported. In the move, the quarterback lines up with two teammates behind him who push him to the required distance on short yardage plays. The Eagles’ success with it has led to it being dubbed the “Brotherly Shove.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
BRING THE NOISE: Brazil’s Fonseca attracted a boisterous crowd that brought such dominant soccer-style energy the referee switched to Portuguese to ask for quiet Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and soccer-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with blistering forehands and a partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. However, De
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
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