GOLF
Maruyama in tie for lead
Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama birdied four of his last seven holes to end the rain--delayed second round of the Sony Open in Honolulu in a tie for the lead with Stuart Appleby on Saturday. One stroke behind the pacesetting Appleby overnight, the ever-smiling Maruyama fired a five-under-par 65 in soft conditions at Waialae Country Club for a 10-under total of 130. The 41-year-old Japanese held a two-shot lead for much of the day before being caught in the afternoon by late starter Appleby, who finished birdie-birdie-birdie for a 66. Americans Steve Marino (67), Roland Thatcher (65) and Mark Wilson (67) were next best at eight under, with US Ryder Cup player Matt Kuchar and Britain’s Justin Rose among a group of six a further stroke back after carding matching 68s.
GOLF
Wind baffles Schwartzel
Charl Schwartzel held on to a share of the Joburg Open lead despite struggling to read the wind and the greens in a tough third round on Saturday in South Africa. Schwartzel shot a two-under-par 69 to move to 15-under together with fellow South Africans Thomas Aiken and Garth Mulroy, but he recognized it had been a struggle. “It was tougher out there today,” he told reporters. “The wind blew a lot and never from one direction. It was always swirling around, which made it real difficult to choose the right club.” He could be relieved that the East Course Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club proved tricky all round, with none of the top eight at the start of the day able to shoot better than Aiken’s three-under-par 68. Briton Jamie Donaldson made the biggest move of the third day, his marvelous six-under-par 65 taking him to 11-under and a tie for eighth place.
SWIMMING
Phelps demolishes record
Michael Phelps won the 100m backstroke in 54.14 seconds — more than a second off his personal best — in the Austin Grand Prix in Texas on Saturday night. The 14-time Olympic champion edged emerging rival Ryan Lochte for the second straight night after winning the 100m butterfly on Friday. Phelps was slated to race the “B” final in the 200m breaststroke, but dropped out as expected. Missy Franklin, a 15-year-old rising star, won the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke. In the backstroke, she recorded a personal-best of 59.75 seconds. Franklin, second behind Katie Hoff on Friday in the 200m freestyle, was set to race in the 200m medley, 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle yesterday. Hoff, a three-time Olympic medalist, finished second on Saturday behind Kate Ziegler in the 400m freestyle. Ziegler finished in 4:08.28 and Hoff was more than a second back. Eric Shanteau raced to his second victory of the meet, taking the 200m breaststroke in 2:12.12.
SOCCER
England’s Lofthouse dies
Former England international Nat Lofthouse has died aged 85, his old club Bolton announced on their Web site yesterday. Lofthouse, who scored 30 goals in his 33 appearances for England, died peacefully in his sleep at a nursing home in Bolton on Saturday night, the statement said. He made more than 450 appearances for the Trotters, scoring 285 goals for the club between 1946 and 1960, and four years ago was voted Bolton’s greatest ever player. After he hung up his boots, Lofthouse held a number of off-field positions at Bolton including chief coach, chief scout, caretaker manager and club president, a position he held right up until his death.
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
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is 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