FORMULA ONE
Raikkonen off to nice start
Kimi Raikkonen’s comeback with Lotus got off to a perfect start, as the former world champion was fastest on the first day of preseason testing on Tuesday in Jerez, Spain. The Finnish driver and 2007 F1 champion marked his first official ride since the end of 2009 with a fastest lap time of 1 minute, 19.670 seconds at the Jerez circuit for the former Renault team. “It was a positive first day of testing and everything went almost to plan,” Raikkonen said. “We had no major issues and I got a good feel for the car and the tires. I’m looking forward to making further progress with the car tomorrow.” Raikkonen edged Force India’s Paul di Resta and Nico Rosberg of Mercedes, with constructors’ champions Red Bull beginning their campaign with a fourth-place run by Mark Webber, who trailed Raikkonen by more than eight-tenths of a second. Red Bull’s session were delayed due to fog at the airport that kept the team from receiving rear-wing components they needed.
BASKETBALL
Billups out for season
The Los Angeles Clippers were dealt a blow as starting guard Chauncey Billups was ruled out for the rest of the NBA season with a torn left Achilles tendon, the team said on Tuesday. He will also miss this year’s London Olympics. The five-time All-Star suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ win on Monday over the Orlando Magic when he tried to change direction after missing a three-point shot. Los Angeles acquired the 35-year-old Billups off waivers in December last year just before trading for four-time All-Star Chris Paul. The tandem has helped the Clippers to a first-place start in the Pacific Division and turned them into contenders, but the loss of Billups clouds their status. “It was tough. It was deflating,” Billups told reporters of his injury during a television interview. “The team is coming together and what we have going on is exciting. To know that this season is over, it hurt.”
BASKETBALL
Carmelo out one, two weeks
New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony will be sidelined for one to two weeks with a strained right groin, the team said on Tuesday. Anthony, the Knicks’ leading scorer, apparently was hurt while throwing an alley-oop pass to center Tyson Chandler midway through the first quarter of Monday’s 99-88 victory over the Utah Jazz. He left the game on the Knicks’ next possession and did not return. Anthony, who was recently named a starter in this year’s Feb. 26 All-Star game in Orlando, is averaging 22.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his second season with New York.
SOCCER
Michel hired to coach Sevilla
Sevilla hired coach Jose Miguel “Michel” Gonzalez on Tuesday to take over from the fired Marcelino Garcia Toral. Michel agreed to a contract until the end of the season that will automatically be extended an extra year if he manages to guide the Andalusian club to a top-four finish and a place in next season’s Champions League. “My message is clear, there are three months to go and I am very excited to help Sevilla get to where [they] should be,” Michel said. “I know the team for the quality of its players. I also know that I arrive in an abnormal situation for a club like Sevilla, [who have] always had good results but in the last two years [have] fallen into a complicated situation.”
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