BASEBALL
Cubs defeated by Cards
World Series champions the Chicago Cubs opened the new season with a defeat on Sunday after Randal Grichuk’s single gave the St Louis Cardinals a 4-3 victory. Chicago, who ended a 108-year wait for the World Series with victory over the Cleveland Indians in November last year, slipped to defeat after Grichuk’s decisive play in the bottom of the ninth. The Cardinals engineered a game-winning position after Jose Martinez lined up a double in right-center off Mike Montgomery. Yadier Molina was then walked intentionally, before Kolten Wong worked another walk, allowing Grichuk the chance for his walk-off hit. Elsewhere, San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner clubbed two home runs, but it was not enough to stop the Arizona Diamondbacks snatching a 6-5 win. In Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays thumped the New York Yankees 7-3 with Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka having a nightmare start to the season. Tanaka gave up seven runs from eight hits and was removed after less than three innings. It was the worst opening day performance by a Yankees pitcher in history.
BASKETBALL
Westbrook eyeing record
Russell Westbrook has a slice of NBA history in his sights, but his 40th triple-double of the season on Sunday did not translate into a win for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook scored 40 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and handed out 10 assists in the 113-101 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Thunder guard is now one triple-double away from tying Oscar Robertson’s single-season record of 41, set in 1961-1962 for the Cincinnati Royals. With six games left in the regular season, Westbrook can match the record when the Thunder host the Milwaukee Bucks today.
CRICKET
Pakistan wrap up series win
Ahmed Shehzad made a welcome return to form to guide Pakistan to a series-clinching seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fourth and final Twenty20 international at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday. Facing a modest target of 125, the opener stroked his way to 53, ensuring there were to be no alarms as the visitors rebounded from a heavy defeat suffered the previous day. Shehzad put on 70 for the second wicket with Babar Azam (38) to eliminate any prospect of the hosts pulling off an upset, but both fell to the pace of Kesrick Williams with victory in sight and it was left to the experienced pair of Shoaib Malik and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed to formalize the result with an over to spare. Pakistan limited the West Indies to 124-8 and set the stage for the batsmen’s romp to a 3-1 series triumph.
GOLF
Henley heading to Masters
Georgia native Russell Henley said he had “chills” thinking about a return to the US Masters, a reward for his three-stroke victory at the Shell Houston Open in Texas on Sunday. The amateur guitar player made a career-best 10 birdies to surge past a faltering Kang Sung-hoon and clinch his third PGA Tour victory. “I just told myself to bear down, no matter whether I was winning or losing. When you embrace the challenge it calms you down a little bit,” Henley, who started the day four strokes behind Kang, said after carding a 65 to finish on 20-under 268. Kang never got his final round off the launch pad, battling to a 72.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care