■BOXING
Zuyeu lasts just 35 seconds
Olympic super heavyweight champion Roberto Cammarelle needed just 35 seconds on Friday to knock out Viktar Zuyeu and reach the final of the world championships. The Italian defending world champion landed a heavy left hook on Zuyeu that forced the Belarusian’s corner to throw in the towel after a standing count by the referee. Cammarelle’s opponent in the final will be Ukraine’s Roman Kapitonenko, who beat Olympic silver medalist Zhang Zhilei of China 5-2.
■CYCLING
Zabriskie wins fifth stage
American David Zabriskie won the time trial in the fifth stage of the Tour of Missouri and took the overall lead. Zabriskie, riding for the Garmin-Slipstream team, completed Friday’s flat, fast 31km course in 36 minutes and 30 seconds. Gustav Larsson of Team Saxo Bank finished second, 30 seconds behind. American Tom Zirbel, of Bissell Pro Cycling, finished third and Marco Pinotti, of Team Columbia-HTC, finished fourth.
■TRIATHLON
Brownlee takes 2009 title
Britain’s Alistair Brownlee sprinted the final 500m of the run leg to win the ITU triathlon world championship series grand final in Gold Coast, Australia, yesterday, taking the 2009 overall title. Brownlee, who won four of the seven world championship series events this year, came into the final with a 351-point lead over Javier Gomez of Spain. The Gold Coast final was worth 1,200 points, and Brownlee needed only a top-five finish to clinch the championship. The 21-year-old former junior and under-23 world champion finished in an official time of 1 hour, 44 minutes, 51 seconds. Gomez was six seconds behind, while Beijing Olympic gold medalist Jan Frodeno of Germany finished third.
■FOOTBALL
Williams brothers to play
A federal appeals court on Friday cleared the way for Minnesota Vikings Pat Williams and Kevin Williams to play all season, despite the NFL’s attempts to suspend them for violating the league’s anti-doping policy. The NFL had already said the two defensive tackles could play in today’s season-opener at Cleveland because their court fight over the suspensions would not be decided in time. The fight isn’t over, but a three-judge panel of the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld earlier decisions from a federal district court — including one that says the remaining legal issues must be resolved in state court. The judge there has issued an injunction prohibiting the NFL from suspending the players, and he has said a state trial during this season was unlikely.
■TENNIS
Rain delays US Open
A steady rain on Friday forced the cancelation of play at the US Open, meaning it will spill over to tomorrow for the men’s final, tournament officials said. Thursday’s rain-suspended quarter-final between Rafael Nadal and Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez was set to begin yesterday’s program. When rain halted play on Thursday, Nadal led Gonzalez 7-6, 6-6 with the Chilean serving at 2-3 in the tiebreak. That match would be followed by the women’s semi-finals, with Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark facing Belgian Yanina Wickmayer and Serena Williams playing Kim Clijsters. Since Nadal and Gonzalez were to be completing their match yesterday, the men’s semi-finals have been rescheduled for today with the final to be played tomorrow, officials said. The women’s final is scheduled for today.
■CRICKET
Flower confident on Flintoff
England coach Andy Flower is confident injured all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will sign the incremental contract he was awarded on Friday for the next 12 months. Flintoff, 31, who is recovering from knee surgery and is not expected to be fit until February at the earliest, did not qualify for a full central contract as he has retired from Test matches. Signing the incremental contract would give Flower a say in when and where Flintoff plays. Flower said: “First up I would like to see him fit again because we don’t know how long that is going to take. I don’t think there are going to be huge negotiations over what type of games he plays. ‘Fred’ will be available for one-day international and Twenty20 cricket for England. Simple as that.”
■SOCCER
Bilardo backs Maradona
Diego Maradona’s faltering reign as Argentina coach would only be ended by the arrival of either Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary, team manager Carlos Bilardo said on Friday in a bizarre exchange with reporters. “If Jesus Christ returned or the Virgin Mary, then I’d accept it. Otherwise, no,” Bilardo said. Maradona skippered Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title when Bilardo was coach, but the 48-year-old has come under intense pressure with the team’s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign threatening to fall apart. Since he took over, Maradona has overseen four defeats in six qualifiers, two of which came in the last week against Brazil and Paraguay.
■SOCCER
Capello to keep WAGS out
Wary of the distractions accompanying soccer players’ celebrity lifestyles, England coach Fabio Capello will only allow players’ partners to visit the squad for a single day after each game at next year’s World Cup. Seeking to avoid a repeat of what defender Rio Ferdinand called “a circus” when the glamorous wives and girlfriends — the so-called WAGS — stayed near the players at the 2006 tournament in Germany, Capello is set to take a tougher stance than his predecessors. “I hope we will be there for a very long period, but the players will have one day with their family, with the girls and with their friends,” Capello said. “We are there to play football, not for a holiday.”
■SOCCER
Viduka set to return home
Former Middlesbrough and Newcastle United striker Mark Viduka is returning home to live in Australia, his agent told an Australian Web site yesterday. Uncertainty had surrounded the former Socceroo’s future since Newcastle were relegated from the English Premier League last season. The 33-year-old had been linked with a possible move to English clubs Portsmouth, Fulham and West Ham United, but his agent, Steve Kutner, ruled out another contract in Europe. “I can confirm that Mark will not be seeking another contract in England or Europe and is coming home to Australia to live,” Kutner said.
■RUGBY UNION
Scrumhalf Kelleher arrested
Former All Blacks scrumhalf Byron Kelleher was arrested after allegedly being involved in a drink-fueled scuffle following a road accident in the early hours of Friday morning, it was claimed. The ladepeche.fr Web site said Kelleher, who plays for French side Toulouse, injured his shoulder in the altercation, which occurred at around 3am, and could be out of action for up to two months. Kelleher, 32, was released from custody on Friday afternoon, Toulouse prosecutor Michel Valet said.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
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