TENNIS
Vinci routs Konjuh
Italy’s Roberta Vinci got off to a dominating start at the WTA Connecticut Open on Wednesday by routing Croatian Ana Konjuh 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals. The 18-year-old Konjuh is ranked 100th in the world and had to get through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw at the New Haven, Connecticut tournament. Vinci next faces Johanna Larsson, a lucky loser in qualifying who defeated wild-card entrant Shelby Rogers 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 for a berth in the quarter-finals. The most impressive performance of the day was provided by sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova, who took out Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-2 for a berth in the quarter-finals, where she meets Olympic doubles gold medalist Ekaterina Makarova.
SOCCER
Blatter hearing begins
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday arrived for his appeal hearing against a six-year ban from soccer, pledging to accept the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “I do hope it will be positive for me,” Blatter told reporters at about 8am ahead of a hearing expected to last several hours. The court’s verdict is expected within several weeks, and could be challenged in a further appeal to Switzerland’s supreme court. The 80-year-old Blatter denies wrongdoing in authorizing a US$2 million payment to former FIFA vice president Michel Platini in 2011. They claimed it was for backdated and uncontracted salary for work Platini did in advising Blatter from 1999 to 2002. The so-called “disloyal payment” led Blatter to be put under investigation for criminal mismanagement by Swiss federal prosecutors last September. That investigation is ongoing.
SWIMMING
Feigen apologizes
US swimmer James Feigen apologized for the “serious distraction” he and three teammates caused at a gas station during the Rio Olympics, saying he omitted facts in his statement to police. “I omitted the facts that we urinated behind the building and that Ryan Lochte pulled a poster off the wall,” Feigen said in a statement on Tuesday on the Web site of his lawyer in Austin, Texas. He maintains the group did not force their way into a bathroom and a gun was pointed at them. Feigen, who was pulled off an airplane last week by Brazilian police for more questioning, said he paid a fine of US$10,800 for the return of his passport so he could travel back to the US.
ATHLETICS
Kiplagat dies, aged 72
The suspended president of Athletics Kenya, Isaiah Kiplagat, has died after a long illness. He was 72. The International Association of Athletics Federations said that Kiplagat’s death on Wednesday was confirmed by Kenya’s athletics association, which he led for more than 20 years. Kiplagat was a divisive figure who dominated the most successful sport in his country in a manner that is unlikely to be repeated. He was a longtime IAAF Council member during the presidency of Lamine Diack of Senegal which ended last year. The IAAF ethics commission suspended Kiplagat and two other Athletics Kenya officials in November last year during an ongoing investigation of alleged embezzlement and extortion.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
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