■ BASEBALL
Rodriquez to switch sides
Alex Rodriguez will switch sides to play for the Dominican Republic at next year’s World Baseball Classic. Rodriguez made the announcement on Saturday while playing at a charity golf tournament hosted by friend David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox at Punta Cana. “I am 100 percent sure that I will play for the Dominican Republic team,” he said. “This time, there will be no doubts and it is a dream of my mom’s that I intend to fulfill.” Rodriguez played for the US in the 2006 inaugural Classic and was largely criticized by fans in the Dominican Republic and across Latin America.
■NORDIC SKIING
Moan wins World Cup
Norway’s Magnus Moan won a World Cup Nordic Combined competition on his home trails on Saturday, edging runner-up Jason Lamy Chappuis of France by 0.7 seconds in the 10km cross-country ski race. “What a wonderful day,” Moan said. “It’s great to win on my home track. This is the race where I feel the most pressure. I had really good skis today and when I’m among the leaders on the final straightaway I know that I have one of the best finishing kicks.” He proved it again after one of the tightest finishes in years. Only 4.2 seconds separated the top six racers. Anssi Koivuranta, the overall leader from Finland, was 1.5 seconds back in third.
■BOXING
Khan beats Fagan in two
Amir Khan overwhelmed Oisin Fagan in two rounds to capture the WBA international lightweight title on Saturday and suggest that his first-round loss in his previous fight was a minor setback. Knocked out in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott of Colombia in September, the big-hitting Khan put US-based Irishman Fagan down twice in the opening round with big right hands at London’s ExCel Arena. He knocked down Fagan again with another fast combination in the second and referee Mickey Vann stopped the fight at 1 minute, 37 seconds of the round.
■BOBSLED
Lange wins 40th World Cup
Andre Lange of Germany won his 40th World Cup bobsled race in Saturday’s two-man competition. The two-time world and Olympic champion and his partner Kevin Kuske finished the course in 1 minute, 52.60 seconds over two runs for their first victory this season. The American pair of Steven Holcomb and Justin Olsen finished second, 0.25 seconds back. Beat Hefti and Thomas Lamparter of Switzerland, who won the first race of the season, took third. Lange took the lead in the World Cup two-man bobsled standings with 435 points, 10 ahead of Hefti. The German pair of Sandra Kiriasis and Berit Wiacker won the women’s race in a time of 1:55.71.
■RALLYING
Spectators killed in crash
Two spectators were killed and three others injured, including an eight-year-old girl, after a car smashed into the crowd watching a rally in Prague, Czech Republic, on Saturday, police said. A Peugeot 307 WRC, driven by the Polish-British pairing of Leszek Kuzaj and Craig Parry, came off the course in Reporyje, in the south-west suburbs of the Czech capital. In rainy conditions, the car skidded on a bend, bounced off an electricity pylon before hurtling into the watching crowd. A 26-year-old Pole, believed to be a close friend of Kuzaj, died at the scene while the second spectator died later in the day.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
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