BASEBALL
Yankee Posada to retire
Longtime New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was set to announce his retirement from Major League Baseball yesterday after a 17-year career that included four World Series titles, the team said on Monday. Posada, 40, became a free agent after last season and he decided to end his career with the team that drafted him in 1990 rather than pursue a role on another team. The Puerto Rico native was a five-time All-Star and he retires with a .273 batting average, 1,065 runs batted in and 275 home runs in 1,829 games — all with the Yankees. He was also part of the team’s “Core Four” along with Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte that helped the team capture five World Series titles from 1996 to 2009. Posada’s playing time slipped last year, the final year of a four-year contract, as he transitioned to being a designated hitter and often found himself out of the lineup. He created controversy when he removed himself from the lineup last May an hour before a game after being dropped to the bottom of the batting order.
ICE HOCKEY
Ovechkin suspended for hit
Washington Capitals All-Star forward Alex Ovechkin was suspended for three games for a hit to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek, the NHL said on Monday. Ovechkin, who leads Washington with 20 goals this season, left his feet to deliver a hit on Michalek, who had just moved the puck around the corner boards, in the second period of the Penguins’ 4-3 win on Sunday. No penalty was given on the play. “Ovechkin drives up, launching and recklessly making contact with Michalek’s head,” NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in a video posted on the league’s Web site. “While we accept Ovechkin’s assertion that he did not intend to hit Michalek in the head, the moment Ovechkin launches himself in the air prior to the hit he becomes responsible for any contact to the head.” It marks the third suspension of Ovechkin’s six-year NHL career.
SOCCER
Ibrahimovic wins award
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been voted the Serie A Player of the Year by his fellow players and the Rossoneri won another award with Massimilliano Allegri winning best coach. The trophies were handed out on Monday at a ceremony and were voted on by more than 5,000 people, made up of players, coaches, referees and journalists. Alongside Ibrahimovic in the team of the year were: Antonio Di Natale, Edinson Cavani, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Thiago Motta/Claudio Marchisio (joint winners), Marek Hamsik, Pablo Armero, Andrea Ranocchia/Alessandro Nesta (joint winners), Thiago Silva and Christian Maggio. England coach Fabio Capello received a special award from a jury of respected journalists. Udinese were voted the Club of the Year, while Alessandro Del Piero and Fabio Cannavaro received career prizes.
SOCCER
Bilyaletdinov to join Spartak
Nine-time Russian champions Spartak Moscow have reached agreement with English Premier League side Everton to buy Russian international midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, the club announced on Monday. “Spartak have reached an agreement about Bilyaletdinov’s transfer,” the club said. “He is expected to sign the deal in the near future after undergoing a medical in Moscow.” Bilyaletdinov confirmed he would join Russia’s most successful club after the medical for a fee believed to be about £7 million (US$11 million). “The clubs have already reached an agreement,” he told Sport Express.
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