■CYCLING
Contador wins stage, Tour
Spain’s Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, won the Tour of the Basque Country on Saturday after clinching the sixth and final stage, a 24km time trial around the town of Zalla. It was the second straight Tour of the Basque Country title win for the defending Giro d’Italia and Spanish Vuelta champion. “It’s incredible how I continue to progress in my time trial work,” said Contador, who took part in the event as part of his preparations for the Tour de France. “Two, three years ago this would have been impossible. I am a typical climber, in theory we are not so strong in time trial work. This gives me confidence for the next goal, the Tour de France,” he said.
■MOUNTAIN BIKING
Hermida wins cross-country
Olympic champion Julien Absalon of France had to settle for second place behind Spaniard Jose Hermida on Saturday in the World Mountain Bike Cup cross-country race. In a thrilling race, near the KwaZulu-Natal city watched by 6,000 spectators, Absalon moved to the front at the halfway mark, with only Hermida and South African Barry Stander able to respond. The lead changed one lap later with Hermida building a 15-second advantage that kept him in front until the finish and Absalon held off a late Stander surge. Austrian Elisabeth Osl won the women’s race for the first time, with Russian Irina Kalentieva surviving a late challenge from Norwegian Lene Byberg to finish second.
■SOCCER
Ancelotti rules out move
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti categorically ruled out a move to Chelsea on Saturday following his side’s 1-0 win at Chievo in Serie A. Earlier in the week, the Sun newspaper in England had claimed that a deal was done between Chelsea and Ancelotti that would see the Italian coach move to London in the summer. But the 49-year-old, who has been at Milan since 2001, said that simply was not true. “I’m ruling out the possibility of going to Chelsea and I don’t have to give any explanations either,” he said, before adding tongue in cheek: “I’m ruling out Manchester United as well.” Milan kept their hold on third place with the victory courtesy of Clarence Seedorf’s goal eight minutes into the second half, but the game ended on a sour note for Ancelotti who was sent from the dug out for the first time as coach of the club.
■SOCCER
Bordeaux go top of Ligue 1
Bordeaux took over from Lyon at the top of Ligue 1 on goal difference with a 2-0 win at mid-table Auxerre on Saturday. Bordeaux, who notched a fourth win in a row with goals by Brazilians Fernando and Wendel, lead the table on 59 points with seven games left. Toulouse defeated lowly Nantes 1-0 to climb to fourth place thanks to Ligue 1 top scorer Andre-Pierre Gignac, who took his tally to 19 with a 25m, left-footed shot that went in off the post.
■MOTOGP
Stoner takes pole position
Australian Casey Stoner took pole position on his Ducati for a night-time MotoGP race on a dusty track at Qatar’s Losail International Circuit on Saturday. The 2007 world champion clocked a lap record of 1 minute, 55.286 seconds and starts ahead of six-times world champion Valentino Rossi and the Italian’s Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain. The 23-year-old Stoner complained about the weather conditions at the Doha circuit, which was dusty after light rain dried up in the Gulf Arab capital. “I think it is going to be very risky toward the end of the race tomorrow [Sunday],” Stoner said.
■RUGBY UNION
Cheetahs shock Sharks
Bottom team Central Cheetahs outplayed leaders Coastal Sharks 31-6 in an all-South Africa Super 14 clash in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on Saturday. Given no chance even at home after seven consecutive losses in the southern hemisphere championship, the Cheetahs came from behind to lead 10-3 at half-time before dominating the second half at Vodacom Park. The sole consolation for the sluggish Sharks was that they stayed top of the table, three points above Waikato Chiefs of New Zealand, Northern Bulls of South Africa and New South Wales Waratahs of Australia. And even a bonus-point victory for scoring four tries did not lift the Cheetahs off the bottom as they are six points adrift of Queensland Reds of Australia. “Rather late than never,” said Cheetahs captain and 2007 World Cup winner Juan Smith, who returned to the team last week after being injured on a disastrous Australasia tour. “The Cheetahs owed it to the supporters who came here over Easter weekend to back us despite so many losses.”
■ICE HOCKEY
Detroit to keep Franzen
The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Johan Franzen to an 11-year contract that will keep him with the team through the 2020 season, the Red Wings said on Saturday. The contract is worth just less than US$44 million, the Detroit Free Press said on its Web site. It is the second longest ever for the Red Wings after Henrik Zetterberg signed a 12-year contract extension with the team in January. “His production over the past year and a half, both regular season and playoffs, has been remarkable and we feel, at 29 years old, that he is just now entering the prime of his career,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said on the team’s Web site.
■TENNIS
Federer gets hitched
World No. 2 Roger Federer married his long-time girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec in his hometown of Basel in Switzerland on Saturday. “Earlier today ... surrounded by a small group of close friends and family, Mirka and I got married,” Federer said on his official Web site. “It was a beautiful spring day and an incredibly joyous occasion.” federer and Vavrinec met at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Federer said last month they were expecting their first child later this year.
■HORSE RACING
Papa Clem wins in Arkansas
Papa Clem, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby by winning the US$1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday. The Southern California-based son of Smart Strike wore down favorite Old Fashioned in the stretch to win the Grade II, mile-and-an-eighth affair at Oaklawn Park in 1 minute, 49.01 seconds. The victory was worth US$600,000 for Papa Clem, giving the colt more than enough graded stakes earnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby in three weeks. In another Derby prep, General Quarters captured the Grade I, US$750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
■BASEBALL
D’backs to host All Stars
The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB commissioner Bud Selig said on Saturday. The 82nd All-Star Game, scheduled for July 12, 2011, will mark the first time the National League club stages the Midsummer Classic. This season’s All-Star contest will be on July 14 in St Louis, Missouri, while next year’s 2010 game is scheduled for July 13 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
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