■CRICKET
Zimbabwe top Kenya in ODI
Zimbabwe beat Kenya by 66 runs to secure a fourth consecutive victory in their one-day international series in Nairobi on Sunday after some punishing displays by batsmen Forster Mutizwa and Hamilton Masakadza. Masakadza opened up with a 58-run knock which included eight fours off 56 balls, while Mutizwa rounded off the Zimbabwe innings with 61 as the visitors rattled up a total of 285-8 off 50 overs at Nairobi’s Gymkhana Club Ground. Kenya replied with a fighting 219 all out, thanks to an outstanding unbeaten 96 from batsmen Alex Obanda. The five-match ODI series finishes at the Gymkhana Club Ground tomorrow.
■CYCLING
Wiggins takes yellow jersey
Bradley Wiggins of Britain took the yellow jersey and his team, Garmin Slipstream, won the time trial in Doha on Sunday on the opening day of the Tour of Qatar. Wiggins finished the 6km race in six minutes, 34 seconds. Seventeen teams are taking part in the six-day race, which ends on Friday.
■GOLF
Perry wins FBR Open title
US Ryder Cup player Kenny Perry survived a scare on Sunday, winning at the third playoff hole to top Charley Hoffman for the title at the US$6 million FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Perry had a chance to win in regulation but bogeyed from a bunker at the 72nd hole for a 69 that saw him join Hoffman (67) on 14-under 270. Perry salvaged the win with a 20-foot birdie putt at the third hole of sudden death, the par-four 17th. “Those are the putts you think about when you’re a kid — you’re on the putting green saying, ‘This is to win the Masters’ or whatever, and I finally made one. It took me a long time to do it,” Perry said.
Perry, 48, captured his 13th USPGA Tour title. Three of them came last year as he played his way onto the US Ryder Cup team that triumphed over Europe in September in his native Kentucky.
■RUGBY UNION
Dan Carter’s season finished
All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter was on Sunday ruled out for the rest of the French season because of an Achilles tendon injury, having played just five matches for Perpignan. “It is a partial tear of the Achilles tendon, which means he will be unavailable for around six months,” spokesman Benoit Brazes said. The 26-year-old Carter, who was signed by the Catalan club on a lucrative six-month deal worth a reported 35,000 euros (US$45,000) a match was hurt in Saturday’s 13-13 draw with Stade Francais. His brief stay with the French side, which began in December, was plagued by injury and his time on the pitch amounted to just 361 playing minutes.
■BASEBALL
Caribbean Series opens
San Diego Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez was to lead Mexico against the winter league champions of Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in the annual Caribbean Series that began in Mexicali, Mexico, yesterday. Gonzalez won the Mexican winter league tournament with Mazatlan’s Venados and the team is seeking its second Caribbean Series title. “I came to have a good time with my teammates,” said Gonzalez, who led the Padres with 36 home runs and 119 RBI’s in 2008. The Dominican Republic’s Licey Tigers are the defending champions. Licey is the all-time leader with 10 Caribbean tittles, and the Dominican Republic leads all countries with 17 crowns.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
NEXT ROUND: World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka opened their title defenses with straight-sets wins, while Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz also advanced Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka got their title defenses off to smooth starts as they powered into the third round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday. The men’s and women’s top seeds, each ranked No. 1 in the world, were both competing for the first time since Wimbledon, where Sinner lifted the title and Sabalenka bowed out in the women’s semi-finals. Sinner crushed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in steamy afternoon weather, while Sabalenka beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 under the lights of the night session. Sabalenka needed 54 minutes and a service break in the final game
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