SOCCER
Mallorca earn dramatic win
Giovani dos Santos struck in added time to earn RCD Mallorca a dramatic 1-0 win at home to RC Celta de Vigo in a battle of La Liga’s two basement sides on Monday. A deep cross was headed goalwards by striker Tomer Hemed in the 93rd minute and when goalkeeper Javi Varas could only parry the effort, Dos Santos volleyed in the rebound to set off ecstatic celebrations on the pitch. The victory moved Mallorca up to second from bottom with 27 points and seven games left, behind Real Zaragoza on goal difference. Promoted Celta, who now prop up the table on 24 points, have taken one point from their past six games.
SOCCER
Clubs deny fixing match
Russian clubs FK Krasnodar and Krylya Sovietov Samara have threatened legal action against several media outlets after being accused of fixing a league match between the two sides at the weekend. Several Internet sites reported that Saturday’s game in Krasnodar was fixed after Samara, fighting to avoid relegation, beat the home team 3-0. Krasnodar are in eighth place and are assured of staying in the top flight with just six games left. In a strongly worded joint statement, issued by both clubs on Monday, they denied any wrongdoing. “We believe this is a pure smear campaign, not only against the two clubs but the entire Russian football,” the clubs said on their respective Web sites. Samara boss Denis Maslov was quoted as saying by local media on Monday that: “Such allegations are outrageous and insulting.” “What do you think we could offer Sergei Galitsky so he would agree to give us a win?” he asked in reference to Krasnodar’s billionaire owner. The Russian Premier League also issued its own statement later on Monday. “Lately, we have seen an increase of unfounded allegations in the media. Unfortunately, often they are initiated by certain members of our football family,” the league said on its Web site. “We ask all our members to respect each other. At the same time refrain from making rash conclusions which would harm the reputation of our clubs, the Russian FA and the Premier League.”
SOCCER
Barton ruling hit by snag
French soccer’s ethics committee said on Monday it was unable to make a ruling on Marseille midfielder Joey Barton’s controversial Twitter insults directed toward Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva because of uncertainty over the translation of his remarks. Barton had called Silva a “pussy” and “a overweight ladyboy” in a Twitter tirade at the start of the month. “We took a decision, which is to say to the federation that we cannot judge the case in this state,” National Ethics Commission president Laurent Davenas said. “That doesn’t mean he won’t be sanctioned if the French Football Federation seize upon it. Then [the case] will return to us. But first everyone will have to agree, both those accusing and the defense, on an objective translation to qualify his comments,” Davenas said.
TENNIS
Simon crashes out
Roberto Bautista Agut pulled off an upset as he defeated 11th seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) of France at the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday. Another seed Marin Cilic avoided a similar fate, but only just as the ninth-seeded Croat battled back from a set down to beat Horacio Zeballos 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2. Finn Jarkko Nieminen defeated slumping Serb Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-2 , while Russian veteran Nikolay Davydenko dispatched German qualifier Daniel Brands 6-3, 6-4.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two