SOCCER
Juve go four points clear
Gonzalo Higuain hit a brace either side of Paulo Dybala’s first-half spot-kick as Juventus moved four points clear of AS Roma on Sunday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bologna in Turin. “I’m happy for the result because Roma had got to within a point and although we have a game in hand, it was important to win this one,” Higuain told Mediaset. “It was important to put a bit of distance between us and the rest,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told Sky Sport. “It’s a great championship this season and it could go right down to the wire. Roma are only four points behind us and a few other teams are not far behind. Our No. 1 priority is to win the title and it won’t be easy after five in a row.”
SOCCER
Blues may appeal red card
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his club could appeal against the red card shown to John Terry during the English Premier League leaders’ 4-1 FA Cup defeat of Peterborough United. Terry, who was making his first appearance in two months, was dismissed in the 67th minute at Stamford Bridge in London on Sunday after a clumsy last-man challenge on Peterborough striker Lee Angol, but Conte believes the 36-year-old centerback was hard done by and questioned the decision of referee Kevin Friend. “I think it wasn’t right, this decision from the referee,” the Chelsea manager said. “He didn’t take the opponent and also the second reason was because behind John there was Branislav Ivanovic to cover John. It’s a pity when this happens, because the red card is not good.”
ICE HOCKEY
Aho stars in Hurricanes win
Finnish winger Sebastian Aho seems to be coming along nicely in his rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Aho scored his second goal of the game 1 minute, 34 seconds into overtime to lift Carolina to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday. It was the second two-goal game of the season for the second-round pick from the 2015 draft, who has been a key reason Carolina have been so dominant (12-4-1) at home this season. “He’s a good player and a smart player,” Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. Derek Ryan and Jay McClement also scored for the Hurricanes, while Cam Ward finished with 32 saves. Tim Schallar, David Backes and Brad Marchand scored for Boston, while Zane McIntyre stopped 26 shots.
GOLF
Thomas clinches third title
Justin Thomas recovered from a late double-bogey and held off a last-day challenge by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama to clinch his third PGA Tour victory by three shots at the SBS Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Sunday. The long-hitting American had been a commanding five strokes in front with five holes to play at the Kapalua Resort on Maui, before his lead was stunningly cut to just one after 15 holes. Thomas then benefited from a two-shot swing at the 17th, where he sank a birdie after Matsuyama had three-putted for bogey, and also birdied the last to close with a four-under 69. “It’s a great feeling,” Thomas told the Golf Channel. “I obviously stumbled a bit more than I would have liked to on some of those holes, but I think it really shows where my game is at right now. I had some lows there in the second part of the nine, but I stuck it out to still get it done.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two