SOCCER
Leipzig defeat Hamburg 3-1
RB Leipzig on Tuesday eased past second-division Hamburg SV 3-1 to reach the DFB-Pokal final for the first time in their young history. Leipzig, formed by energy drinks maker Red Bull 10 years ago as a fifth-division club, are now face the winners of yesterday’s semi-final between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen for a shot at the club’s first silverware. Yussuf Poulsen headed the visitors in front in the 12th minute, but Bakery Jatta’s audacious strike from outside the box caught Peter Gulacsi off guard to level for the hosts. Hamburg, battling to return to the Bundesliga next season after last year’s relegation, were a step slower than their opponents. Leipzig, who hit the woodwork three times, went back ahead eight minutes after the restart thanks to a Vasilije Janjicic own-goal. Emil Forsberg then threaded in his shot in the 72nd to guarantee their maiden final appearance.
TENNIS
Kerber to face Petkovic
Germany’s Angelique Kerber is to face compatriot Andrea Petkovic in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, after Petkovic beat Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets on Tuesday. World No. 5 Kerber was granted a bye to the second round after Romanian world No. 2 Simona Halep withdrew from the tournament with an injury, and is now face her friend and compatriot in an all-German duel today. “I will send Angie a SMS or two this evening,” Petkovic said after beating Tormo 6-3, 6-4. “Usually, the loser has to buy the other one dinner.” In the other ties, Belgium’s Greet Minnens sprung a surprise when she beat Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, ranked 159 places above her, to set up a second-round meeting with Czech world No. 3 Petra Kvitova. Laura Siegemund became the third German to reach the second round when she beat Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, while Anna-Lena Friedsam went down fighting in two sets against Dutch sixth seed Kiki Bertens. Earlier in the day, Elise Mertens of Belgium was knocked out by Russia’s Darya Kasatkina, while Anastasika Sevastova overcame fellow Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in a roller-coaster battle over three sets.
TENNIS
Zverev ousted in first round
Alexander Zverev on Tuesday crashed out of the Barcelona Open in the second round, continuing his troubled start to this year. The German, who joined the tournament on a late wild-card, was beaten 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) by lucky loser Nicolas Jarry. German world No. 3 Zverev, who is looking to improve on his disappointing start to the year, came back from a double break down in the third set, but blew a match point at 6-5. It was the biggest win of Chilean Jarry’s career. The world No. 81 is now to face either Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria or Fernando Verdasco of Spain in today’s third round. Zverev’s brother, Mischa Zverev, was also eliminated, going out 6-3, 6-1 to David Ferrer in the first round, while Kei Nishikori eased to a 7-5, 6-2 win over Taylor Fritz to secure a place in the third round. Top seed and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal of Spain was yesterday to begin his campaign to win the Barcelona Open for a record 12th time against Leonardo Mayer.
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
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
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
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later