FOOTBALL
Rodgers played with fracture
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday revealed that he had played the entirety of last season with a fracture in his left knee, admitting that he had been below par for the entire year. Rodgers told ESPN Wisconsin radio that he had suffered a tibial plateau fracture and sprained ligaments in his left knee following a heavy hit in the Packers’ opening game against the Chicago Bears. “After the first quarter of the season, first game, I really wasn’t 100 percent the entire year,” Rodgers said. Rodgers suffered a heavy hit after being sacked by Bears lineman Roy Robertson and was carted off the field for treatment. He later returned to inspire a 24-23 victory after the Packers had trailed 20-0. Rodgers, who is renowned for his elusive scrambling outside the pocket, said that the injury affected his mobility for the remainder of the campaign. “I thought there were some times, that the mobility definitely hurt me,” Rodgers said. “I’m proud of the fact that I started 16 games. It’s disappointing how it ended.” The Packers missed out on the playoffs last season and head coach Mike McCarthy was fired.
SOCCER
Nimes defeat Rennes 3-1
Nimes Olympique on Tuesday posted a second straight win to get back in the race for a European finish with a 3-1 victory over Stade Rennais in a rescheduled Ligue 1 match. With seven games left to play, Nimes leapfrogged their Brittany rivals into 10th place, just five points behind fifth-placed Olympique de Marseille. The match at Stade des Costieres had been postponed to allow Rennes sufficient time to prepare for a UEFA Europa League match they lost to Arsenal last month. Nimes put on an excellent defensive display and were clinical with their rare chances, as Renaud Ripart, Denis Bouanga and Antonin Bobichon all scored. Nimes defender Herve Lybohy had inadvertently put the teams level in the 40th minute by putting the ball in his own net. Tempers frayed toward the end of the first half and both teams played with 10 men after the interval, as Nimes captain Anthony Briancon was sent off for a foul on Hatem Ben Arfa and Rennes captain Benjamin Andre earned a second yellow card.
TENNIS
Stosur recalled for Fed Cup
Former Grand Slam champion Samantha Stosur was yesterday recalled for Australia’s Fed Cup semi-final against Belarus as the country chases its first title since 1974. The 2011 US Open winner, who withdrew from consideration last year as she struggled with form and fitness, is to provide valuable experience to a team led by world No. 9 Ashleigh Barty. Daria Gavrilova and Priscilla Hon were also selected for the showdown, which starts on Saturday next week at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Australia. Stosur is expected to play doubles, but she also holds the record for the most Australia Fed Cup singles wins. Belarus have yet to name their team, but they are set to be spearheaded by world No. 10 Aryna Sabalenka, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and 35th-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Australia captain Alicia Molik said. “It’s also exciting to welcome Sam back into the team, she has a really strong Fed Cup record and her recent doubles results are unparalleled, and Dasha and Pri are both great team players.”
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