■SNOOKER
Gould deals Fu painful hand
Marco Fu was the first significant name to fall in the world championship after the Hong Kong star squandered an 8-6 lead to lose his first-round tie with Martin Gould 10-9 on Monday. Former poker club croupier Gould, 28, beat former finalist Nigel Bond in qualifying and confirmed that win was no fluke with a steely-nerved break of 90 in the final-frame decider. Fu began the year as the world No. 8 but has won fewer ranking points than any of the top 16, leaving him clinging to a place in the elite. Three-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan was meanwhile carpeted after making a lewd gesture during his opening match which saw him open up a 7-2 overnight lead against Liang Wenbo. A miss in the seventh frame saw O’Sullivan flick his middle finger in the ball’s direction, earning him a warning from referee Colin Humphries.
■SOCCER
Newcastle take title
Newcastle United secured the Championship title on Monday with a 2-0 win at Plymouth Argyle. Goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge sealed the title after Chris Hughton’s side made sure of promotion back to the Premier League following a year away with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United two weeks ago. Hughton, who was given the job on a permanent basis after a temporary stint as caretaker boss, saw his side move onto 98 points from 44 games — nine clear of second-placed West Brom, who will join the Magpies in the Premier League next season. “For a little while it’s been about winning it. We have been the team to beat all season,” Hughton said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this group of lads.” Defeat for former England striker Paul Mariner’s Plymouth meanwhile condemned them to relegation.
■SOCCER
Ancelotti misses trial
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti was unable to be heard as a witness at Serie A’s match-fixing trial yesterday, but that did not stop a significant development in a saga worrying Inter fans. Ancelotti, the former Juventus and AC Milan coach, could not travel to the Naples court because of the flight disruption caused by ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano. There were eruptions of a different kind when the judge agreed for new phone tap evidence to be used. Lawyers for defendant Luciano Moggi, the former Juventus general manager accused of procuring favorable referees for matches, had asked for the taps to be included. They say the evidence shows Inter and other clubs not previously linked to the affair were also involved in trying to choose referees. Inter have slammed attempts to drag them into the mix. “This match-fixing matter is shameful,” Inter president Massimo Moratti said earlier this month. “This reversal is ridiculous. It offends us.”
■ATHLETICS
Cheruiyot wins in Boston
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot won the 114th Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 52 seconds on Monday to shatter by 82 seconds the course record set by unrelated four-time winner and fellow Kenyan Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot. Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia took the women’s title in 2:26:11, sprinting to the tape to win by 3 seconds. Cheruiyot, 21, surpassed the time of 2:07:14 set in 2006 by his namesake, who is 10 years older. The younger Cheruiyot, who owns a farm back home, earned a bonus of US$25,000 for the course record on top of the US$150,000 that goes the men’s and women’s winners. “I am going to buy some cows,” Cheruiyot said.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two