TENNIS
Philippoussis eyes return
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Mark Philippoussis plans to make his return to the ATP Tour as a wild-card entry in the qualifying draw for next month’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championship. The Aussie, who once boasted one of the hardest serves on the ATP Tour, has been out of the game for almost a decade. The 38-year-old, who was born in Melbourne, will make his comeback on July 11 when qualifying begins, the organizers announced on Friday. The main draw begins two days later. His last career title came in 2006 when he defeated Justin Gimelstob in the final in Newport, Rhode Island. He retired that year. Philippoussis won 11 career titles, reached a career high ranking of world No. 8 and earned almost US$7 million in prize money. At one time or another he defeated most of the game’s top players in his era. He also made the finals at Wimbledon in 2003 and the US Open in 1998.
CYCLING
Armstrong to ride Tour route
Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is still planning to court controversy by riding part of the Tour de France route next month for charity, according to a BBC report. The American will join former England soccer player Geoff Thomas and a team of amateurs, who are aiming to raise £1 million (US$1.57 million) for Cure Leukaemia, by cycling two stages a day before the peloton goes through. Armstrong is to go ahead with his plans, said Thomas, even though he was advised not to proceed by International Cycling Union president Brian Cookson in March. “We know Lance’s involvement has split opinion, so we’ve tried to be as respectful as possible,” Thomas told the BBC on Friday. “The stages Lance will be riding come toward the end of week two when I know all the [charity] riders will need some support.” Armstrong is due to ride stages 13 and 14 on July 16 and 17, but Cookson said earlier this year that his involvement would be unwise. “Lance would be well advised not to take part in that,” he said. “I’m sure Geoff Thomas means well, but frankly I think that’s completely inappropriate.”
SOCCER
Mainz to dump Chile’s Jara
Chile defender Gonzalo Jara could be dumped by German club FSV Mainz 05 following the storm of controversy which followed his attempt to shove a finger into the backside of an opponent at the Copa America. Jara was the subject of widespread revulsion on social media after photographs and camera footage clearly showed him jabbing a finger into the back of Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani’s shorts during Wednesday’s quarter-final, won 1-0 by Chile. The lurid provocation ultimately led to Cavani being sent off after the Paris Saint-Germain star flicked a retaliatory hand into Jara’s face. Mainz boss Christian Heidel said the Bundesliga club was ready to sell the 29-year-old player. “He knows it — if we receive an offer, he can leave,” Heidel told Bild. Jara joined Mainz from English side Nottingham Forest last year, but featured in just 17 games last season.
SOCCER
Tevez to rejoin Boca Juniors
The president of Boca Juniors said Carlos Tevez is leaving Juventus to return to the Buenos Aires club. Daniel Angelici, speaking on Friday to ESPN Argentina, said Tevez “will sign the contract” when the Copa America ends next week. Angelici said he had been to Italy to iron out details of the deal. Tevez was a fan favorite when he played for Boca between 2001 and 2004. He left to play for Brazil’s Corinthians, West Ham United, Manchester United, Manchester City and then Juventus.
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