NETHERLANDS
Ajax close on the leaders
Teenager Viktor Fischer scored a first-half brace to inspire hosts Ajax to a 3-0 win over archrivals Feyenoord in the Dutch league on Sunday. With the top two slipping up this weekend, when leaders Twente were held to a goalless draw by RKC Waalwijk and second-placed PSV Eindhoven lost 3-1 to PEC Zwolle, Ajax were able to capitalize, despite ending their match with 10 men. The victory literally brought the house down as there were dramatic scenes in the dying minutes when substitutes and coaches ran on to the pitch to avoid being covered by a huge amount of snow that suddenly crashed through the stadium’s roof. The victory put Ajax level with PSV on 40 points from 19 games and one point behind Twente. Feyenoord stay fourth on 37 points, two above Vitesse, who suffered a 4-1 defeat at AZ on Saturday. Utrecht are sixth with 33 points following a 2-0 win at Groningen, with Alexander Gerndt and Mike van der Hoorn on target.
PORTUGAL
SC Braga thump Vitoria
SC Braga beat visiting Vitoria de Setubal 4-1 on Sunday to tighten their grip on third place in the Portuguese league. Braga remain seven points behind SL Benfica and Porto, level at the top of the standings, with their ninth win in 15 games. Marcio Mossoro put the hosts ahead with an opening goal just seconds into the game. Custodio then doubled Braga’s advantage with a header two minutes into first-half stoppage-time. Ruben Amorim made it 3-0 for Braga in the 58th minute. Jorginho Sousa got Vitoria their consolation goal in the 87th, one minute before midfielder Ruben Micael capped the win for Braga. Braga’s Paulo Vinicius was shown a red card in the 90th minute.
GREECE
Olympiakos extend lead
Olympiakos caretaker coach Antonis Nikopolidis celebrated his first match in charge of the champions with a 2-0 win at home to PAS Giannina in the Super League on Sunday. The 42-year-old former Greece and Olympiakos goalkeeper took over on an interim basis following the sudden departure of Leonardo Jardim on Saturday. Goals from striker Rafik Djebbour and winger Djamel Abdoun either side of halftime enabled the hosts to extend their lead at the top over PAOK to 13 points after the Black and Whites lost 1-0 at PAE Asteras Tripolis the previous day. “Tonight, I had more anxiety to be honest than when I made my debut as a player,” Nikopolidis told reporters. “As a player I have international experience and it was not so difficult to find my feet, but it’s a completely different thing to be a coach — nonetheless, I think I can do it.” In Sunday’s late game, Antonis Petropoulos headed home in stoppage-time to rescue a point for AEK in an ill-tempered 1-1 draw at Aris in which both teams were reduced to nine men.
TURKEY
Galatasaray sign Sneijder
Inter’s Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder signed for Galatasaray on Sunday for a fee believed to be in the region of 7.5 million euros (US$10 million), the Istanbul side announced. Playmaker Sneijder penned a three-and-a-half-year deal which will keep him at Galatasaray until 2016 as the drawn-out transfer saga was finally completed. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the player would earn about 5 million euros a season. Sneijder was a key figure in the treble winning season under Jose Mourinho in 2010 when Inter won the scudetto, the Coppa Italia and their first UEFA Champions League trophy since 1965, but he fell out with the club after Inter asked him to accept a reduction in salary and extend his contract to 2016.
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