GOLF
Rookie Taylor wins Jackson
Nick Taylor fired eight birdies in a six-under-par 66 on Sunday to capture his first PGA Tour title, winning by two strokes at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. The Canadian’s 16-under-par total of 272 gave him a two-shot victory over Americans Boo Weekley and Jason Bohn. Weekley also closed with a 66, while Bohn closed out the US$4 million Sanderson Farms Championship with a 69 for 274. “It’s pretty surreal,” Taylor said of erasing a four-stroke overnight deficit to capture his first Tour title. John Rollins, who started with a two-shot lead, settled for a one-over-par 73 to head a group on 275 alongside Justin Thomas, who posted a 67, and Peter Uihlein, who rocketed up the leaderboard with a seven-under 65.
SOCCER
Kramer error lifts Dortmund
Christoph Kramer’s incredible own-goal from almost halfway gifted Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach to break a five-match losing streak and lift them off the bottom on Sunday. It was Dortmund’s first Bundesliga win in eight matches — their worst-ever start to a season — and took them out of the bottom three. “It’s been such a long time without a win that I can hardly find the words,” Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp said. “Christoph Kramer unwittingly took his place in our little story, but he’s an exceptional player and this goal will be just a side note in his life.” However, the win failed to mask another poor display of finishing from Dortmund. They again failed to transfer their stunning UEFA Champions League goal-scoring form, where they have netted 13 in four games to reach the last 16, to domestic action. They failed to convert any of their 22 shots on goal, while restricting Moenchengladbach to just a single chance, before Kramer’s decisive error.
GOLF
Mallon triumphs at Seagate
The US’ Meg Mallon won the Walgreens Charity Championship at rainy Seagate on Sunday for her first LPGA Legends Tour title, beating Juli Inkster by a stroke. The 51-year-old Mallon closed with an even-par-72 for a three-under 141 total in Florida. “It was not my best golf today, but I hung in there and, fortunately, nobody went low,” the 18-time LPGA Tour winner said. “That last putt was actually a big knee-knocker that snuck into the left side. I was about one roll away from being in a playoff.” Inkster finished with a 71. “It’s always fun to compete, but you want to win. I just messed up on the greens,” the American said. Michele Redman (68), Rosie Jones (70), Liselotte Neumann (71) and Danielle Ammaccapane (73) tied for third at one-under.
SOCCER
De Bruyne dazzles again
Former Chelsea winger Kevin de Bruyne produced another top-class performance in VfL Wolfsburg’s 2-0 win over strugglers Hamburg SV to trim Bayern Munich’s lead to four points from seven at the top of the Bundesliga. The 23-year-old Belgium international provided superb passes for veteran striker Ivica Olic and attacking midfielder Aaron Hunt to score either side of halftime as die Wolfe earned their eighth straight win in all competitions. De Bruyne also created two goals in Thursday’s UEFA Europa League win at home to Russsia’s Krasnodar and last week’s 4-0 league win at VfB Stuttgart. The Belgian has provided assists for nine league goals this season since joining Wolfsburg from Stamford Bridge after a season on loan at Werder Bremen. Werder’s 2-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart lifted them up to 16th, while the visitors finish the weekend bottom of the table.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just