GOLF
Pieters wins KLM Open
Thomas Pieters of Belgium won his second European Tour title on Sunday, two weeks after his first, by shooting a five-under 65 to win the KLM Open in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, by one shot as Lee Slattery faltered on the final hole. The 23-year-old, who won the Czech Masters on Aug. 30, parred the final five holes at the Kennemer Golf and Country Club to finish with a 19-under total of 261. Slattery, the joint overnight leader who was trying to win back-to-back tournaments after taking last week’s Russian Open, had only one bogey all day — but it came on the 18th when a par would have forced a playoff. “I’m a bit surprised,” Pieters said after Slattery’s putt slid just past the hole on the 18th. “I was confident. I teed it up to win and I did it. Next time I’ll do the same.” Eduardo de la Riva of Spain tied Slattery for second after a 63, one shot ahead of Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay.
BASKETBALL
Moses Malone dies aged 60
Moses Malone, a Hall of Famer and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player who played for nine professional teams in a 21-year career, died on Sunday at the age of 60. Malone died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack at a hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. Nicknamed the “Chairman of the Boards” for his rebounding skills and “Big Mo” for his 2.08m frame, Malone led the 1982-1983 Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title in his only championship campaign. “We are stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of Hall of Famer Moses Malone, an NBA legend gone far too soon,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “Known to his legions of fans as the ‘Chairman of the Boards,’ Moses competed with intensity every time he stepped on the court.” Malone scored 29,580 points and grabbed 17,834 rebounds during his professional career, averaging 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds a game. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
CYCLING
Wellens wins in Montreal
Belgian Tim Wellens beat Britain’s Adam Yates in a sprint finish to win the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal on Sunday. It was the 24-year-old Lotto-Soudal rider’s third UCI WorldTour victory following success in the Eneco Tour of the Benelux countries the past two years. In terrible weather with driving rain, Wellens beat escape companion Yates of Orica-GreenEdge, who had launched hostilities on the final ascent of the Camillien-Houde climb. However, after 205.7km and 17 laps of a street circuit around Montreal, Wellens sprinted to victory with former world champion Rui Costa of Lampre-Merida taking third just two seconds back. “I like these conditions, there was air. I prefer this to a heatwave,” Wellens said.
CYCLING
Boasson Hagen triumphs
Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen claimed victory in the Tour of Britain on Sunday after the eighth and final stage was awarded to Italian Elia Viviani. A close sprint finish to the 86.8km stage in London saw Viviani lose out to Germany’s Andre Greipel of Lotto-Soudal, but the Team Sky rider was declared the winner after protesting that his opponent had impeded him. It gave Viviani his third stage victory of the race, while Spain’s Juan Jose Lobato of Movistar took third place. MTN-Qhubeka rider Boasson Hagen finished 13 seconds clear of Dutch rider Wouter Poels of Team Sky in the general classification, with Britain’s Owain Doull of Team Wiggins pipping Denmark’s Rasmus Guldhamer of Cult Energy ProCycling to the remaining podium place.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite