ICE HOCKEY
Blackhawks coach fined
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville has been fined US$25,000 by the National Hockey League for inappropriate conduct during Game One of their first-round playoff series against the St Louis Blues on Thursday. Quenneville made an angry gesture during the second overtime of Chicago’s 4-3 triple-overtime loss to the Blues, reacting to a call that was not made in the first overtime that would have given the Stanley Cup champions a five-on-three-man advantage on the ice. St Louis had to kill off delay-of-game penalties for shooting the puck into the stands in the first two overtimes and Quenneville argued vehemently for a second delay of game. On Friday, Quenneville apologized for his gesture, describing it as a “bush-league move on my part.” The US$25,000 will go to the NHL Foundation, the league said in a statement issued on Friday.
SOCCER
St Etienne, Rennes draw 0-0
AS Saint-Etienne’s bid for a Champions League spot stalled as they drew 0-0 with Stade Rennais in the French league on Friday. The hosts struggled to create chances, although Saint-Etienne winger Romain Hamouma headed in a cross from Benoit Tremoulinas in the 64th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Paris Saint-Germain top the standings with a 10-point lead over AS Monaco. Saint-Etienne stayed in fourth place, six points behind LOSC Lille Metropole, who have a game in hand.
SOCCER
Age record may fall
Mauritian Kersley Appou could become the oldest international goalscorer today, just seven days after creating African soccer history. The striker overtook Cameroon legend Roger Milla last weekend as the oldest African international by playing in a 1-0 loss against Mauritania aged 43 years and 354 days. If Appou finds the net in the second leg of a Cup of Nations qualifier next year, he will replace Singapore striker Aleksandar Duric as the oldest international scorer. Serbia-born Duric was on target against Malaysia during 2012 aged 42 years and 105 days, according to soccer statistics foundation RSSSF. Milla is second, famed Englishman Stanley Matthews third, Zambian Kalusha Bwalya fourth and Fung King-cheung from Hong Kong completes the five oldest scorers among FIFA member nations. Appou has scored consistently in domestic soccer this season, prompting Mauritius coach Akbar Patel to recall the striker after seven years in the wilderness. The coach sees a role for Appou, who has struck 10 goals in 25 internationals spanning 16 years. “Kersley scores regularly and I have a hunch he will be among the goals against Mauritania and help us qualify,” he said.
SOCCER
Tombides, 20, dies of cancer
West Ham’s Australian striker Dylan Tombides died on Friday following a three-year battle with testicular cancer. The 20-year-old, who made his Hammers first-team debut two years ago, passed away with his family at his bedside. West Ham confirmed the news of Tombides’ death in a statement on their Web site. Tombides was first diagnosed with cancer while representing Australia during the 2011 Under-17 World Cup in Mexico. Perth-born Tombides was regarded as one of the most exciting young players to come out of Australia after signing with West Ham as a 14-year-old. After being diagnosed, he battled back to make his first-team debut off the substitutes’ bench in a League Cup match against Wigan in 2012.
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