RUGBY UNION
Mitchell gets one-match ban
Melbourne Rebels winger Lachlan Mitchell has been suspended for one Super Rugby match after being found guilty of a lifting tackle on British and Irish Lions winger Simon Zebo in their tour match on Tuesday. Judicial officer Nigel Hampton yesterday said Mitchell was guilty of lifting and dropping Zebo onto his upper body in the 52nd minute of the Lions’ 35-0 win at Melbourne. Zebo appeared to leap as Mitchell attempted a tackle and Hampton said “the incident was clearly at the lowest level for this offense.” Hampton gave Mitchell two reductions in penalty for his previous good on-field record and for the nature of the incident. Mitchell can return after the Rebels’ next Super Rugby match on July 12.
SWIMMING
Franklin books Spain ticket
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin cruised to victory in the 100m freestyle at the US national trials in Indiana on Tuesday, booking her spot at the upcoming FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Franklin was the star attraction on the opening night of the event, which serves as the US trials for the championships, to be held from July 19 to Aug. 4. The 18-year-old set a personal best and championship record time of 53.43 seconds to win her race. Shannon Vreeland finished second in 53.83, followed by Simone Manuel and Megan Romano, who all booked their ticket to Spain. On the men’s side, Nathan Adrian, who won the 100m freestyle gold in London, won his race in 48.10. Other national champions crowned on the night included Cammile Adams and Tom Luchsinger in the 200m butterfly, Katie Ledecky in the women’s 800m freestyle and Connor Jaeger in the men’s 1,500m.
GOLF
‘Toledo Strongman’ dies
American Frank Stranahan, a six-time PGA Tour winner who was also a world-ranked weightlifter, has died at the age of 90, the PGA Tour announced on Tuesday. Stranahan, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career before turning professional in 1954, died on Sunday in the Hospice of Palm Beach County, Florida. “Frank’s achievements are no doubt underappreciated today, including the fact that he was a remarkable all-around athlete. Frank was a noted powerlifter during this period and later, became an accomplished long-distance runner,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement. Ohio-born Stranahan, who was nicknamed the “Toledo Strongman” during his golfing days, triumphed twice on the PGA Tour as an amateur and piled up more than 50 tournament victories in the amateur ranks. At the 1947 British Open, he fell one stroke shy of forcing a playoff for the title with Fred Daly after his approach shot from 110 yards on the final hole stopped three inches short of the cup.
SOCCER
Mignolet signs for Liverpool
Belgium international goalkeeper Simon Mignolet became English Premier League side Liverpool’s fourth signing of the close season on Tuesday when he moved from Sunderland for £9 million (US$13.9 million). The 25-year-old, who signed a long-term contract, joins manager Brendan Rodgers’ new recruits since a disappointing season saw them fail to qualify for Europe in finishing seventh and without a trophy. Mignolet, who played more than 100 games for Sunderland since a £2 million move from Belgian side Sint-Truidense VV in June 2010, could replace the club’s long-time No. 1 ’keeper, Spaniard Pepe Reina, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona.
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