BOXING
Usyk unifies titles
Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk unified the cruiserweight division by beating Russian Murat Gassiev by a unanimous-points decision on Saturday. Despite facing a hostile crowd in Moscow, Usyk controlled the fight with his jab to add Gassiev’s IBF and WBA titles to his own WBC and WBO belts. Gassiev landed some heavy body shots when he got inside Usyk’s reach, but started to tire and the Ukrainian was utterly dominant in the later rounds as Gassiev swung wild haymakers. Usyk, a former Olympic gold medalist, holds all four major titles after just 15 professional fights, all of which he won. Gassiev dropped to 26-1. It was unclear whether Usyk plans to defend his cruiserweight titles, because he has said he is considering a move up to heavyweight.
RUGBY UNION
Lions complete final four
The South Africa-based Lions completed the Super Rugby semi-finals lineup on Saturday, beating the Argentina-based Jaguares 40-23 in Johannesburg in their quarter-final. The Lions are to host the New South Wales Waratahs in one semi-final, with the winner to go to the final against either the defending champions, the Canterbury Crusaders, or 2016 winners the Wellington Hurricanes, who meet in the other last-four matchup. The Lions overcame a slow start and were 6-0 down to the Jaguares before scoring three first-half tries and 24 unanswered points at Ellis Park. Ruan Combrinck caught a cross-kick from flyhalf and man-of-the-match Elton Jantjies and slipped through the Jaguares’ defense for the first try. Center Harold Vorster followed up his own kick and pounced on a Jaguares error for the second. Hooker Malcolm Marx intercepted and scooted 50m for the third try. The Jaguares closed the gap to four points when wing Bautista Delguy and captain Pablo Matera went over in the first eight minutes of the second half. They could not maintain the momentum. Fullback Andries Coetzee broke Delguy’s tackle to run in for the Lions’ fourth try following a drive up the middle by the Lions forwards. Jantjies, who had 20 points, kicked a late dropped-goal and a penalty to seal it.
CRICKET
S Africa headed for defeat
Sri Lanka’s battery of spinners bowled them to within five wickets of a 2-0 series sweep over South Africa as the tourists continued to struggle against the turning ball in the second and final Test yesterday. Chasing 490 to level the series, the tourists finished day 3 on 139-5 at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. Theunis de Bruyn was batting after a gallant 45 and Temba Bavuma was on 14 at the other end. Sri Lanka resumed at the start of the day on 151-3 and allowed Angelo Mathews to bat himself into form. Dimuth Karunaratne scored 85 before falling to Lungi Ngidi. Mathews made 71 before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who finished with 12 wickets in the match. Sri Lanka captain Suranga Lakmal declared on 275-5, before unleashing his three-pronged spin attack who blew away the top half of the South Africa batting line-up. Dilruwan Perera sent Dean Elgar back for 37. Rangana Herath bowled Hashim Amla with his drift and turn and Akila Dananjaya struck double blows when he dismissed Faf du Plessis (7) and Maharaj (0).
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but