GOLF
Rumford leads Perth by two
Australian Brett Rumford yesterday launched the defense of his ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth title in style by grabbing a two-stroke lead at the end of the opening round of the unique event. The 40-year-old Perth native carded an eight-under-par 64 to stay ahead of former world No. 1 Lee Westwood and Australian James Nitties. Last year, Rumford led from start to finish to win the event, which features three days of stroke play after which the top 24 advance to Sunday’s match play knockout phase. “I just think there’s some golf courses just suit your eye and others don’t,” Rumford said after making 10 birdies and two bogeys in his round at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club. “It’s not always the case, but generally you find as a trend that a lot of players go back and play well when they’ve had a lot of good performances there, and this is one of them. I don’t know what it is, but it definitely seems to be some kind of home course advantage... I’m leading, I’m inside the top 24 and that’s my only focus this week, finish inside that number.
SOCCER
Sevilla head to Copa final
Joaquin Correa and Franco Vazquez on Wednesday scored as Sevilla advanced to a second Copa del Rey final in three years following a 3-1 aggregate victory over CD Leganes. After a 1-1 draw in last week’s first leg, Correa fired Sevilla ahead in the tie when he tucked home a cutback from Luis Muriel with 15 minutes gone at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Leganes had last month stunned European champions Real Madrid to progress to the semi-finals of the domestic cup competition for the first time in the club’s 90-year history. However, the modest outfit from the Madrid suburbs saw their dream run come to an end when Vazquez finished off a counterattack in lethal fashion one minute from time to complete a 2-0 win on the night. Sevilla are to meet either holders Barcelona, who beat the Andalusian side 2-0 after extra-time to lift the trophy in 2016, or Valencia in the final on April 21. Ernesto Valverde’s Barca were yesterday to head to the Mestalla for the second leg after a Luis Suarez goal handed the Catalans a 1-0 advantage in the tie.
SOCCER
Eintracht crush Mainz 3-0
Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday booked their place in the DFB Pokal semi-finals with a 3-0 derby win at home over FSV Mainz 05. Three mistakes from the visitors gifted Frankfurt their goals, and Mainz also had Danny Latza sent off late for a rash challenge on Marco Fabian. Mainz goalkeeper Rene Adler was at fault for Frankfurt’s opener in the 17th minute. The former Germany goalkeeper lost control of a simple back-pass from Stefan Bell and Ante Rebic pounced before receiving the ball back from Marius Wolf to score. Alexander Hack then scored an own-goal early in the second half and followed it up with a defensive blunder that allowed Omar Mascarell to make it 3-0 after an hour played. Latza’s red card ended any pretense of a contest, and furious Mainz fans berated their team after the final whistle. Schalke 04 grabbed the last semi-final spot after an early goal from Guido Burgstaller was enough to secure a 1-0 win at home over VfL Wolfsburg. Burgstaller scored on a counterattack in the 10th minute, turning one way then another to elude Jeffrey Bruma before shooting inside the far post.
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
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two