French title-chasers Paris Saint-Germain moved smoothly into the last 16 of the French Cup on Friday with a comfortable 4-0 win over fifth-tier amateurs Sable-sur-Sarthe at Le Mans’ MMArena.
Seven-time winners PSG did not underestimate their rivals as Carlo Ancelotti’s men had had to fight to edge out fifth-division Locmine 2-1 with an injury-time winner in the previous round.
There was no Diego Lugano — scorer of the winner in that match — on Friday, but a first-half penalty from Brazilian Nene, after he was bundled over in the box, and a second from Kevin Gameiro just after the hour mark all but ended the contest before Gameiro, fed by Nene, made it three with 17 minutes remaining.
Photo: AFP
A fourth from Nene in the final minute with a meaty drive added the gloss for the capital club, who last won the trophy in 2010 and went down to Lille in last year’s final.
Former Lorient star and France international striker Gameiro has much to prove to the newly-arrived Ancelotti — who is targeting Manchester City’s wantaway Argentinian Carlos Tevez.
However, on this evidence at least Gameiro showed he will fight to keep his place if Tevez does ultimately arrive at a Parc des Princes floating on a sea of Qatari cash.
Gameiro said he will fight to win Ancelotti over.
“I am continuing to beaver away — when I get the chance to play I try to score,” he told Eurosport. “The coach is counting on me and even if other strikers are set to arrive I still have some aces up my sleeve.”
Holders and reigning French champions Lille — seven points adrift of PSG in the league title race after last week’s loss at Marseille — traveled to fourth-tier outfit Compiegne yesterday.
Marseille, with their 10 Cup wins a record, take on second tier side Le Havre today.
In other weekend action, Lyon visit fourth division Vendee Lucon at Nantes today, while Montpellier — currently second and pushing PSG hard in the title race — visit second tier Tours tomorrow.
The only all-Ligue 1 tie of the round was a meeting between Rennes and Nice yesterday.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set