BOXING
Vazquez beats Shafikov
Miguel Vazquez of Mexico retained his IBF world lightweight title on Saturday with a unanimous points decision over Denis Shafikov of Russia. Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs) won the 12-round contest 115-113, 116-112, 119-109 to inflict the first defeat on Los Angeles-based Shafikov (33-0-1, 17 Kos). In the last bout on the card, two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time amateur world champion Zou Shiming of China produced the first knockout win of his unbeaten four-bout professional career when he knocked down Yokthong Kokietgym of Thailand 2 minutes, 9 seconds into the seventh round of their flyweight fight. The 32-year-old Zou is hoping to set up a shot at a world title fight.
GOLF
Els into Match Play semis
Ernie Els has reached the semi-finals of the Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona, for the first time in 13 years. The four-time major champion still has not played great golf at Dove Mountain, but it was good enough to get past Jordan Spieth, who was clearly frustrated in losing on the 16th hole. Graeme McDowell had a lead for the first time all week — and he wound up losing. His magical week ended on the 18th hole when he lost to Victor Dubuisson of France in a tight match. Els next plays the Frenchman. Jason Day took out an ailing Louis Oosthuizen to reach the semi-finals for the second straight year. Day next plays Rickie Fowler, who won the last two holes for a 1-up win over Jim Furyk.
SOCCER
Roma beat Bologna 1-0
Belgian international Radja Nainggolan hit his maiden goal for AS Roma in a 1-0 win at Bologna that reduced the gap on Serie A leaders to six points on Saturday. Roma’s 17th win kept them in second, but with a game in hand, Rudi Garcia’s title challengers were looking for Torino to cause an upset in the derby away to leaders Juventus yesterday. Bologna had won only once in their past seven games and welcomed Roma to the Dell’Ara stadium as the underdogs, having beaten the Giallorossi only twice in the sides’ past 12 games. Garcia was missing Francesco Totti, Douglas Maicon, Federico Balzaretti and Dodo meaning a rare start for Rodrigo Taddei and youngster Alessio Romagnoli at the back while Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman started on the bench.
RUGBY UNION
Sharks rout Hurricanes 27-9
Tries in each half by Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo helped the Sharks to a comprehensive 27-9 victory over the Hurricanes in their Super rugby clash at King’s Park in Durban on Saturday. Flyhalf Pat Lambie added five penalties and a conversion for the South Africans, while the New Zealanders replied with two penalties from Beauden Barrett and a long-range effort by fullback Marty Banks. The home side’s first try saw powerful loose forward Alberts crash over the line after the Sharks had mauled the ball close. The second came when wing Mvovo intercepted a Barrett pass before speeding away. The Hurricanes had Adam Hill yellow-carded a minute into his debut, after coming off the bench in the second half, when he lifted Mvovo into the air in a tackle and failed to bring him down safely. In Johannesburg, the Lions surprised again after their promotion back to Super rugby with a 34-10 win over the Stormers on Saturday, with flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff kicking three dropped goals in his 29 points.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but