Taiwan proved no match for a superior South Korean squad that took the hosts to school in basketball fundamentals as it dropped a 77-57 decision in the third game at the Sinjhuang Sports Complex in New Taipei City last night to fall to a 2-1 record in this year’s Asia University Men’s Basketball Championship.
Top South Korean scorers Kim Min-goo and Kim Jong-kyu had another big day at the office as they shredded through the Taiwanese defense with ease tallying a 38 combined points and 21 rebounds to humble the hosts.
Next up for the Islanders are the Chinese in a must-win game for the home team if they wish to qualify for a chance to play in the semi-finals over the weekend.
China 60, Hong Kong 59
Overcoming a dismal first quarter with a dominant second and third, China built just enough of a lead to hold off a late-game rally by Hong Kong in a thrilling 60-59 triumph in the second game in Sinjhuang last night.
Lin Kai-guan’s potential game-winning attempt with time running out and his team trailing by a point, bounced off the rim to give the Chinese a narrow victory, avoiding what would have been a total embarrassment for them.
Seven first-quarter points by Lee Chi paced Hong Kong to a fast start in the opening frame that saw the Chinese trailing their brethrens to the south in a 15-12 affair. However, Wei Meng later did as he pleased against a smaller opposition on a 24-point night to seize a nine-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter.
Mongolia 90, Philippines 70
Unbeaten Mongolia won its third straight contest in the tournament by roughing up the Philippines 90-70 to fall into a tie for first place with South Korea. Another great all-round effort by Tungalag Sanchir, whose game-high 24 points with seven rebounds and five assists led a Mongolian attack that rang up 49 second-half points.
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