TENNIS
Wawrinka wins in Chennai
Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka breezed into the quarter-finals of the ATP Chennai Open on Wednesday as the Swiss got his bid for a third consecutive title in southern India off to a perfect start. The world No. 4 took just 52 minutes to dispatch Russian wild-card Andrey Rublev in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to set up a last-eight clash with Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Fifth seed Garcia-Lopez had earlier defeated Croatian qualifier Ante Pavic 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in their second-round tie at the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium. Two-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka, who is the top seed in India, is seeking to get his name on the Chennai Open trophy for the fourth time after victories in 2011, 2014 and last year. After receiving a first-round bye, he got off to a emphatic start, hitting six aces and breaking his 18-year-old Russian opponent on three occasions. Elsewhere in the last 16, No. 8 seed Borna Coric of Croatia defeated American Austin Krajicek 6-2, 7-5, while fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut defeated John Millman 6-4, 6-1.
RUGBY UNION
Ireland hire Farrell
Less than a month after being released by England, Andy Farrell has been hired as the defense coach for Ireland’s rugby team and is to start the role after the Six Nations. Farrell, a former England international in both rugby codes, is contracted with the Irish Rugby Football Union until the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Farrell spent four years as defense coach with England and had the same role with the British and Irish Lions for their tour of Australia in 2013.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Holm, Rousey fight on hold
Bantamweight champion Holly Holm is to take another fight before her much-anticipated rematch with Ronda Rousey. UFC president Dana White announced on Wednesday night. Holm (10-0) beat Rousey in November last year in one of the biggest upsets in recent sports history. Holm also agreed to a recent contract extension. Holm was reluctant to wait until Rousey finished filming two movies this year before their presumed rematch, which was expected to be at UFC 200 in Las Vegas in July. White said the Albuquerque-based champion is to get another fight in the interim, likely pushing back the date of her rematch with Rousey. Former title contender Miesha Tate is said to be the most logical contender.
BASEBALL
China to stream MLB games
MLB games are to be streamed live to China for the first time under a three-year agreement with Le Sports announced on Wednesday. Le Sports gained the rights to show 125 games annually, including 96 during the regular season, 20 during the post-season, the All-Star Game, the World Series and the All-Star Home Run Derby. It is also to broadcast Chinese-language MLB programming. In addition, Le Sports can rebroadcast via video-on-demand the games it has rights to.
GOLF
World Cup format announced
The World Cup of Golf is to revert to a two-man team-play format when the tournament returns to Melbourne in November for the 58th edition of the event, organizers announced on Wednesday. A statement from the PGA Tour said the tournament is to feature teams from 28 different nations when it is held at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne. This year’s tournament is to carry an US$8 million purse, with the winning duo splitting US$2.56 million.
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