■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.
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