FORMULA ONE
Schumacher still in coma
Michael Schumacher remained in an induced coma yesterday after spending a third night in hospital with severe brain injuries sustained during a skiing accident in the French Alps. The German racing great entered the New Year in a critical condition with his family at his bedside and doctors unsure of his future after a second operation to remove a blood clot in his brain. The seven-time world champion fell and slammed his head on a rock while skiing off-piste on Sunday at the upmarket Meribel ski resort. On Tuesday, doctors were surprised by a slight improvement in his condition which allowed them to perform the second nearly two-hour long procedure, but said he was “not out of danger” yet. Jean-Francois Payen, head of the intensive care unit at the hospital in the French Alpine city of Grenoble, warned that Schumacher was not out of the woods. “We cannot speculate on the future,” Payen said. “We cannot say he is out of danger, but we have gained some time.”
GOLF / TENNIS
McIlroy, Wozniacki engaged
Two-time major golf champion Rory McIlroy and former women’s tennis world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki announced their engagement yesterday in postings on Twitter. McIlroy, the 24-year-old former world No. 1 from Northern Ireland, posted pictures of himself and Wozniacki, and a diamond ring on a woman’s left ring finger. “Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year!! My first victory of 2014 #shesaidyes!!” he posted. On her Twitter page, Wozniacki posted the same pictures with the caption “Happy New Year everyone! Rory and I started 2014 with a bang! ... I said YES!!!!” Wozniacki, 23, withdrew from a WTA event in Brisbane last weekend due to a shoulder injury, but the Dane is looking forward to playing in Sydney next week in a tune-up event for the Australian Open. McIlroy captured his first major title at the 2011 US Open and added another at the 2012 PGA Championship. Wozniacki is still seeking her first Grand Slam title.
SOCCER
Chelsea post annual loss
Chelsea have posted annual losses of more than US$80 million, but the club remains confident of complying with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. The club slipped back into the red a year after making a profit for the first time since Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich’s takeover in 2003. Chelsea lost £49.4 million (US$81.7 million) in the year to June 30 last year, after making a profit of £1.4 million in 2011-2012, but UEFA allows unlimited investment on infrastructure and youth development, which Chelsea believes accounted for about £15 million in spending in 2012-2013. UEFA is allowing losses of up to 45 million euros (US$62 million) in the first monitoring period — 2011 to last year — without the risk of being barred from European competition.
ICE HOCKEY
Phaneuf signs new deal
The Toronto Maple Leafs locked up a key member of their defense by signing captain Dion Phaneuf to a seven-year contract extension, the team said on Tuesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but local reports said the contract is worth US$49 million. “Dion is our team leader and has been a pillar in our building process,” Maple Leafs general manger Dave Nonis said. “He has proven to be a very durable and reliable defenseman in all facets of the game.” Phaneuf, 28, began his career with the Calgary Flames, but was traded to Toronto in 2010. Phaneuf has 110 goals and 245 assists in 630 career games.
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