■ICE HOCKEY
Red Wings post best record
The Detroit Red Wings beat the struggling Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday to post the best record in the NHL. Goaltender Ty Conklin recorded 25 saves and Johan Franzen scored his 26th goal of the season as the Red Wings improved to 94 points, one ahead of the San Jose Sharks and the East’s Boston Bruins. As the trade deadline came and went, defending Stanley Cup Champions Detroit (43-14-8) decided not to make any changes going into the final stretch of the season. The Avalanche took an early lead when John-Michael Liles scored with a slapshot three minutes into the game. Valtteri Filppula scored the first of three unanswered goals for the Red Wings with 19 seconds remaining in the first period. Franzen followed at 7:03 into the second and Kris Draper made it 3-1 six minutes later. Milan Hejduk pulled Colorado within one goal with his 24th score of the season 18:19 into the third.
■SOCCER
Bayern crash out of Cup
Defending champions Bayern Munich crashed out of the German Cup when they lost to Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in Wednesday’s quarter-finals. Bayern trailed by three goals before scoring twice within two minutes to get back into the match. But Juergen Klinsmann’s team could not get the third goal to send the match into extra time. Tranquillo Barnetta opened the scoring in the 54th, Arturo Vidal made it 2-0 in the 61st and Patrick Helmes notched the third in the 70th. Bayern, without injured striker Luca Toni, appeared headed for a crushing defeat but defender Lucio scored in the 72nd and Miroslav Klose added another two minutes later. Stefan Kiessling secured the victory when Leverkusen capitalized on an error by Bayern defender Martin Demichelis and scored two minutes into injury time. In other quarter-finals, Claudio Pizarro and Diego each scored twice to help Werder Bremen win 5-2 at Wolfsburg, while Hamburger SV beat second-division Wehen Wiesbaden 2-1. On Tuesday Mainz beat Schalke 1-0 to reach the semi-finals for the first time.
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Sampdoria batter Inter
Sampdoria strike duo Giampaolo Pazzini and Antonio Cassano exposed a brittle Inter defense to give the 10-man hosts a shock 3-0 win in their Italian Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Inter coach Jose Mourinho rotated his line-up and paid the price when Nelson Rivas, playing as an unaccustomed right back, allowed Cassano to steal the ball and chip reserve keeper Francesco Toldo on nine minutes. Pazzini made the most of more loose Inter defending when he headed in from close range following a corner and the former Fiorentina forward grabbed a second on 42 minutes when the Serie A leaders again failed to clear a ball in the box. Samp lost defender Daniele Gastaldello to a second yellow card on the hour but Inter failed to cash in. Lazio beat Juventus 2-1 at home in Tuesday’s semi-final first leg.
■SOCCER
Lyon, PSG knocked out
Holders Lyon were knocked out by Lille 3-2 in a dramatic French Cup last 16 tie on Wednesday. Lyon were sunk by a last-gasp Nicolas Fauvergue goal after twice canceling out Lille’s advantage. PSG suffered a shock exit as third division strugglers Rodez struck twice in extra time to go through. PSG started confidently and Sammy Traore grabbed the opener after nine minutes. Jeremy Choplin equalized in the 66th minute and gave Rodez the edge 24 minutes into extra time with a stunning 35m drive. Striker Miguel Pacios put the result beyond doubt four minutes later.
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