■ Water Polo
Serbia crowned Euro kings
Serbia rallied to beat Hungary 9-8 on Sunday in the European Water Polo Championship final. The defending champions triumphed in a game that was close throughout -- and the latest showdown between the two water polo powerhouses. Vladimir Vujasinovic scored three goals for Serbia, while goalkeeper Denis Sefik saved several hard shots from the Hungarians. Hungary led early but could not hang on in the second and third quarters. The team managed to equalize briefly in the fourth but Vujasinovic eventually scored another.
■ Rugby Union
Bristol miss out on top spot
Bristol could only draw 13-13 at home to Saracens on Sunday following a missed conversion by Jason Strange which would have put them on top of the English Premiership table. Bristol had to settle for third spot behind leaders Gloucester and Wasps after a late charge when Shaun Perry leveled the match in the ninth minute of injury time. Strange was not up to the conversion however. Dan Scarbrough and Glen Jackson fired over drop goals in injury time and tied things up for Saracens. Scarbrough, who had earlier scored a try, kicked over from 48 yards before Jackson copied his team-mate to successfully hit over a long-range attempt.
■ Soccer
Zidane over his butt
Zinedine Zidane says he has put his World Cup final head-butt behind him. Zidane, who retired from soccer after the World Cup, also said on Sunday he was glad to see France beat Italy 3-1 in a European Championship qualifier last week -- two months after Les Bleus lost to the Italians in the World Cup final. "It's in the past," Zidane told Canal Plus TV about his reaction to Materazzi's provocation. "I was very happy to see France play on Wednesday the way it played, and to have won against Italy." Zidane said he has had nightmares about losing the World Cup final, and said France could have won it "much better than the Italians." "But things happened the way they happened," he said. "We have to live with it."
■ Rugby Union
Larkham offers Rogers a go
Wallabies fly-half Steve Larkham says he wants to stand down from some internationals on the rugby tour of Europe in November and wants selectors to give Mat Rogers a run in his position. While speculation continues over whether captain and scrum-half George Gregan will tour, Larkham, 32, says he intends to make himself available for the four-Test campaign. But he is content to play in the midweek touring side to allow coach John Connolly to develop a back-up No.10 in time for next year's World Cup in France. "I think there are a number of young players coming through who need to get an opportunity leading into next year, but I also think Matty Rogers needs to have a bit of a go there," Larkham told the Australian newspaper yesterday.
■ Golf
Patty Berg dies at 88
Women's golf pioneer Patty Berg, a founding member of the LPGA Tour who won a record 15 women's major career titles, died on Sunday at Fort Myers, the tour announced. She was 88. Berg won 60 career events, the last of them at the 1962 Muskogee Civitan Open, and was among six original inductees into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1967. She won 22 events before the creation of the LPGA in 1950. Berg won the 1946 US Women's Open and was a seven-time winner of both the Western Open and Titleholders Championship, which were considered major women's events from the 1930s into the 1960s. The only golfer, man or woman, to surpass her in major titles was Jack Nicklaus with 18 -- although Tiger Woods moved nearer after capturing his 12th career major last month at the PGA Championship.
■ Cycling
Italian out after punch
Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has pulled out of the Tour of Spain with a broken finger after punching the Lampre team bus following a row with Danilo Napolitano, organisers said on Sunday. Petacchi believed Napolitano, who finished third in Sunday's 15th stage, had blocked him on the final run-in. After fruitless complaints to race officials he went over to the Lampre team and accidentally injured a finger on his right hand. Organisers say even if he travels with his Milram team to the start of today's 16th stage at Almeria in the south of the country, Petacchi would not be continuing.
■ Cycling
German wins Poland tour
Stefan Schumacher of Germany won the Tour de Pologne on Sunday after capturing the final stage. The 25-year-old Gerolsteiner rider covered the 126km seventh leg from Jelenia Gora to Karpacz in 3 hours, 17 minutes, 8 seconds. Italy's Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas and Australia's Cadel Evans of Davitamon-Lotto were 2 seconds behind Schumacher on what was the third consecutive mountain stage. Evans also finished second overall, 18 seconds behind Schumacher, while Lampre rider Alessandro Ballan of Italy was 31 seconds behind in third. Schumacher took the overall lead on Saturday, edging teammate Fabian Wegmann to win the sixth stage. He had held a 10-second lead over Evans entering Sunday's final stage.
■ Soccer
A professional at 14
Nicolas Millan became the youngest player to play in the Chilean championship when he made his professional debut for Colo Colo at the age of 14 on Sunday. Millan came on as a substitute in the 79th minute of the match at Santiago Wanderers when he replaced Felipe Mella. Shortly afterwards, Millan had a chance to score but fired his shot over the crossbar after being left unmarked in the penalty area. Santiago Wanderers won 1-0.
■ Athletics
Pound disturbed by test
World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound wants to investigate why Marion Jones' backup sample cleared her of a positive doping test. The "B" sample from the 30-year sprinter did not detect the endurance enhancer EPO, her attorneys said last Wednesday. That meant that her initial positive result, after winning the 100m race at the US nationals on June 23, had been thrown out. Pound said the inconsistent tests "disturbing." One of Jones' attorneys, Howard Jacobs, criticized Pound. "From what I have heard from our experts ... it was borderline positive to start with, so although it is very unusual, I cannot say I was shocked by it," he told the BBC.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care