SOCCER
Getafe get rare victory
Getafe picked up their first win in 14 games by coming from behind to triumph 2-1 against Real Sociedad in La Liga on Thursday and increase their chances of avoiding relegation. Granada also boosted their hopes of avoiding the drop by thrashing Levante UD 5-1 in a bottom-of-the-table clash to leave the Valencia club five points from safety. Granada moved to just above the bottom three in 17th spot on 33 points, two points above Getafe in 19th, while Levante are stuck in the basement slot on 28 with four games remaining. Getafe fell behind after 19 minutes when Sociedad’s Carlos Vela pounced on a goalkeeping blunder by Vicente Guaita, but a volley from Pablo Sarabia in the 45th and a penalty from Alvaro Vazquez after 56 minutes set up their first win since Jan. 17.
TENNIS
Kozlova defeats Flipkens
Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova beat fourth-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium on the fourth day of the WTA Istanbul Open in Turkey on Thursday, dropping seven sets in a 6-3, 6-4 triumph. Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia ousted another seeded player, beating Swede Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-3, while seventh-seed Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine was eliminated by Kristmna Kucova of Slovakia 6-3, 1-6, 7-5. In other results, Japan’s Nao Hibino beat Rika Jani of Hungary 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Gagla Buyukakcay of Turkey eliminated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-2; and Swiss Stefanie Vvgele defeated Andreea Mitu of Romania 6-4, 6-1.
ICE HOCKEY
Laughton leaves hospital
Philadelphia center Scott Laughton was released from hospital on Thursday, but will not play in Game 5 of the Flyers’ National Hockey League playoff series with the Washington Capitals. The 21-year old Canadian was injured when he collided with Capitals’ defenseman John Carlson and fell hard into the end boards behind the Washington goal. No details of his injuries were given, but the Flyers said he suffered no broken bones. The team said that Laughton would not travel with his teammates to Washington for yesterday’s Game 5 of the best-of-seven first-round series, which the Capitals led 3-1. In 71 games this season, Laughton tallied seven goals and 14 assists. Philadelphia were to get Pierre-Edouard Bellemare back following a one-game suspension.
TENNIS
Siegemund upsets Halep
German qualifier Laura Siegemund upset fourth-seeded Simona Halep 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Porsche Grand Prix on Thursday. Siegemund is set to improve on her career-high No. 71 ranking at the indoor clay-court tournament in her hometown. She equaled her previous best result of making the quarter-finals at the clay event in Charleston, South Carolina, this month. Halep finished last year as No. 2 in the world, but the Romanian has dropped to No. 6 and will fall further after her latest loss. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat Andrea Petkovic of Germany 1-6, 6-1, 6-2. Petkovic fell heavily at the start of the second set and never regained her game. In the quarters, Radwanska faces Karolina Pliskova of the the Czech Republic, who beat Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2. Also, fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic rallied to beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; No. 7 Carla Suarez Navarro defeated wild-card Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-2, 6-2; and No. 6 Roberta Vinci beat wild-card Julia Goerges of Germany 6-3, 6-4.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set