■ SOCCER
Dortmund end losing streak
Borussia Dortmund snapped a three-match losing streak in the Bundesliga on Friday, getting a goal midway through the second half from Giovanni Federico to beat VfL Bochum 2-1 despite playing a man down. Captain Christian Woerns was sent off in the 59th minute after being shown his second yellow card, but Federico scored the winner 11 minutes later to delight a home crowd of 72,700. Tinga put Dortmund ahead in the 17th minute, while Marcin Mieciel equalized in the 35th for Bochum, who extended their winless streak to six matches with their fourth loss in that span.
■ SOCCER
Nancy win to go top
Brazilian forward Kim scored a goal in each half as Nancy upset Monaco 3-1 on Friday to take the provisional lead in the French league. The victory was Nancy's fourth in five games and moved them three points clear of Lyon, who play at Bordeaux today. Kim opened the scoring in the 31st minute, surging at the near post to deflect in a curling free kick from Benjamin Gavanon. Nancy doubled their lead in the 39th on a counterattack as Sebastien Puygrenier connected with Issiar Dia, who beat goalkeeper Flavio Roma with a diagonal shot. Kim sealed the win in the 47th, dribbling past two defenders before firing a powerful strike into the top corner. Czech forward Jan Koller scored Monaco's lone goal in the 73rd, heading in a cross from Juan Pablo Pino.
■ SOCCER
Kaka named player of year
AC Milan forward Kaka was named FIFPro World Player of the Year on Friday for inspiring his side to a seventh European Cup win in May. More than 45,000 professional soccer players throughout the world, members of the players' union FIFPro, were invited to vote in the annual awards. The 25-year-old Brazilian was instrumental in Milan's Champions League triumph, ending up top scorer with 10 goals including three in the semi-final win over Manchester United. Kaka was also a driving force in helping Milan to finish fourth in Serie A last term despite an eight-point deduction for match-fixing. Last year, Barcelona forward and fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho was named FIFPro World Player of the Year. "I am humbled to receive such an honor," Kaka told reporters. "To follow my good friend and such a great player as Ronaldinho makes this a very special award for me. To be recognized by my fellow professional players worldwide is amazing."
■ TENNIS
McEnroe beats Borg
John McEnroe beat Bjorn Borg 7-6, 7-6 in a veterans' tour match on Friday just over 26 years after defeating the Swede in the Wimbledon final. Both players showed all of their old magic, skill and determination in a thrilling clash in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, with McEnroe saving set points in both sets before battling to victory. It was their first meeting on the Tour of Champions for five years after Borg, winner of 11 grand slams, returned to competitive action in August following a six-year absence. "The greatest matches I've ever played in my life have been against Bjorn, and I just want to say to him, welcome back to the Tour of Champions," McEnroe was quoted as saying in a news release issued by the organizers. "He's a freak of nature. He's still so fit and I was getting a little nervous at the end because it's a huge crowd here and any time I play Bjorn you don't know you've won until the end," McEnroe said.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or