GOLF
Woods skips US Open
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the US Open as he recovers from back surgery that has kept him out of golf for nearly three months. Woods said on his Web site on Wednesday he is physically unable to play golf at a high level. The announcement was not a surprise. Woods said a week ago while promoting the Quicken Loans National tournament at Congressional that he still has not taken a full swing with a golf club. He had microdiscectomy surgery on March 31. Woods last played a tournament on March 9 at Doral. The US Open will be the sixth major that Woods has missed because of injuries and it will be the second time in the past four years he has missed the US Open.
CRICKET
India bring back Gambhir
India on Wednesday brought back opening batsman Gautam Gambhir and axed fragile pace spearhead Zaheer Khan for their first five-Test tour of England in 55 years starting in July. The selectors, who picked an 18-man squad for the back-to-back Tests, included seven seamers and Wriddhiman Saha as reserve wicketkeeper for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The left-handed Gambhir returns to the Test arena for the first time since December 2012. Gambhir, with 4,021 runs and nine centuries from 54 Tests, is one of the three openers in the squad alongside Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay. The squad includes three players, seamers Pankaj Singh, Ishwar Pandey and Stuart Binny, who have no Test match experience. India last played five Tests on an England tour in 1959, which the hosts swept 5-0. They have not played a five-Test series since losing 1-0 in the Caribbean in 1997.
RUGBY UNION
Springboks lose Etzebeth
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth has been ruled out of four internationals next month after failing to recover from a long-term foot injury. South Africa play a World XV in Cape Town on June 7, followed by two Tests against Wales and one against Scotland. The South African Rugby Union said the 22-year-old Western Stormers star needs about three more weeks of rehabilitation before being considered for selection. The absence of Etzebeth leaves Northern Bulls pair Victor Matfield and Flip van der Merwe as the likely first-choice locks in the four-match buildup to the Rugby Championship. Matfield, who came out of retirement this year at the age of 37, is also a potential stand-in Springboks skipper. A knee injury forced captain and center Jean de Villiers to withdraw last weekend from the June matches.
RUGBY UNION
Guildford’s contract stopped
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) terminated troubled winger Zac Guildford’s contract early yesterday, but said the door was still open for a return to the national squad. The decision means Guildford, whose struggles with alcohol have been well documented, will be free to pursue a fresh start with French club side Clermont earlier than anticipated. The 25-year-old was due to see out an NZRU contract with the Canterbury Crusaders until the end of the Super 15, then make the switch to Top 14 rugby with Clermont. However, NZRU general manager Neil Sorensen said a decision had been made to let Guildford go sooner, rather than later, saying the player was still trying to deal with his issues. “We’re really disappointed that Zac has not be able to achieve his full potential in New Zealand — he is a good man, talented but troubled,” Sorensen said.
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