GOLF
Tseng slide continues
Taiwanese star Yani Tseng slid another place to 19th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings on Monday after failing to make the cut at the rain-shortened LPGA Evian Championship in France over the weekend. Tseng is expected to return to Taiwan for a rest and to prepare for the LPGA Tour’s Asia swing, which will feature events in China, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan from early next month to mid-November. Though the former world No. 1 has fallen on hard times since losing her top ranking in late March — finishing in the top 10 only once since then — Tseng said she was still confident in her game ahead of the Asia events. Suzann Pettersen of Norway won the Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France, by two shots, moving her into second place in the women’s golf rankings, behind South Korea’s Inbee Park. Tseng, who held the No. 1 spot for 109 consecutive weeks, has not won an LPGA Tour event since March last year.
TENNIS
Querrey rallies to advance
Sam Querrey of the US recovered from a set down to beat Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 and reach the second round of the Moselle Open on Monday. The 31st-ranked American, who is seeded sixth in the French city of Metz, got off to a slow start, but managed to force a tiebreaker in the second set and pull through in the only first round match of the day. The contest featured 37 aces, including 25 from the 34-year-old Karlovic. Querrey comes into the tournament on the back of a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open. Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is top-seeded for the tournament and has a bye into the second round.
TENNIS
Youzhny wins Russian battle
Second-seeded Mikhail Youzhny advanced to the second round of the St Petersburg Open on Monday by rallying to beat fellow Russian wild-card Alsan Karatsev 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-2. Youzhny, the 2004 champion, won four consecutive games in the second set and broke Karatsev twice in the decider. The 20th-ranked Youzhny is looking for his second title this season. He won his ninth career title in Gstaad, Switzerland, in June. Another Russian wild-card, 17-year-old Karen Khachanov, who is making his debut on the ATP Tour, prevailed to eliminate Romanian veteran Victor Hanescu 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4).
SNOOKER
World champ points finger
Reigning world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan yesterday alleged that Stephen Lee may not be the only top-level player to have taken part in match-fixing. Lee, a former world No. 5, was found guilty of match-fixing on Monday over matches in 2008 and 2009. He could be handed a lifetime ban at a hearing next week. O’Sullivan claims Lee’s case may only be the tip of the iceberg, and accused snooker authorities of not doing everything in their power to bring corruption in the sport to light. “I’ve heard there’s many more players who throw snooker matches .. I suppose Steve lee was just caught out,” he wrote on Twitter. “I just love putting it out there bring it all out in the open.. Nothing like a bit of transparency is what I say.. No need to worry if you got nothing to hide. But plenty of people have got loads to hide. That’s why there is no free speech. There [sic] hiding.” He added: “They will prob fine me for talking about it.. They don’t like you doing that.. Like to keep things under the carpet..”
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