■ TENNIS
Local favorite pulls out
Australian Samantha Stosur has withdrawn from January's Australian tennis open because she is not fit enough to play, she said yesterday. Stosur, 23, the top-ranked Australian woman, said she only resumed training three weeks ago after battling viral illnesses throughout this year, and that she was not ready for the Australian Open -- the first grand slam tournament of the year -- and other local events. Stosur was hospitalized in Florida in September with viral meningitis after earlier missing a Fed Cup tie and tournaments in the US because of an unrelated virus.
■ BASEBALL
Taguchi signs for Phillies
Japanese outfielder So Taguchi, who hit .290 for St Louis last season, signed a one-year contract with the Phillies on Sunday. The 38-year-old Taguchi led all National League pinch hitters with a .406 (13-32) batting average. A 10-year veteran with the Orix Blue Wave before moving to the US following the 2001 season, Taguchi played all three outfield positions for St Louis this year, starting 41 times in center field, 21 times in left field and twice in right. "Taguchi gives our team more defensive versatility in the outfield," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro said in a statement released by the team. "And he has proven over his career that he can get key hits in big situations."
■ RUGBY UNION
Gloucester stay top
Tries from Iain Balshaw and Olivier Azam and a rare off-day for Jonny Wilkinson's kicking helped Gloucester to a 20-13 win over Newcastle that keeps them top of the English Premiership. Newcastle will be disappointed after turning over lots of possession and Wilkinson missed two kicks at goal, including one straightforward second half opportunity. Wilkinson was on the mark with two penalties plus a conversion after Geoff Parling's try while Ryan Lamb kicked the rest of Gloucester's points with two conversions and two penalties of his own. Elsewhere Luke McAlister outshone New Zealand World Cup colleague Aaron Mauger as Sale edged a hard-fought encounter 20-14 to leapfrog opponents Leicester.
■ GERMANY
Politician slams athletes
A top German politician criticized professional athletes for getting "excessive" money and singled out Bayern Munich, the country's richest soccer club. Norbert Lammert, the president of the German parliament, made the remarks amid an ongoing debate in Germany about large salaries and bonuses for business executives. "The excessive salaries that we have seen for years in sports, especially soccer, upsets me considerably," Lammert was quoted as saying by weekly Bild am Sonntag on Sunday.
■ SOCCER
Rennes end losing streak
Rennes ended a six-match losing streak in the French league with a 0-0 draw against Toulouse on Sunday, in Guy Lacombe's first match as manager. Lacombe replaced Pierre Dreossi last week. Rennes have gone winless in 11 straight games since a 2-1 victory at Lens on Oct. 28. Also on Sunday, Peguy Luyindula scored to give PSG a 1-0 victory at Saint-Etienne. Their fifth win of the season pushed them into 16th place and out of the relegation zone. The matches were the last before the French league heads into its three-week winter break.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
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
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
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two