GOLF
Pan slips as Kang surges
C.T. Pan of Taiwan on Friday dropped four places to 17th, while South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon fired six birdies in a row on his way to a bogey-free 10-under-par 61 to grab the lead in the second round of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas. Pan carded a one-under 70 on the round to share the spot with nine others. Kang, seeking his first US PGA title, stood on 16-under 126 after 36 holes, four strokes ahead of Matt Every and Tyler Duncan, who shot a 65 and 66 respectively. American Brooks Koepka fired a 66 and is alone in third, while Rory Sabbatini has sole possession of fourth after shooting a 65.
BASKETBALL
Search on after Lue snub
The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday were expected to interview J.B. Bickerstaff for their vacant head coach position, the Los Angeles Times reported. The former Memphis Grizzlies head coach is the second candidate to be interviewed by the Lakers in two days, after the team on Thursday met with former Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel. The Lakers were reportedly set to hire Tyronn Lue as their next head coach before negotiations on a deal broke down. Lue was the head coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time Lakers forward LeBron James won an NBA title. Bickerstaff’s Grizzlies were 48-97 in just less than two full seasons. He took over for David Fizdale after 19 games last season, but was unable to guide Memphis into the playoffs.
BASEBALL
Russell ‘respects criticism’
Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell on Friday seemed to change his tune one day after his “that’s on them” comment toward fans who booed him after his return from a suspension for violating MLB’s domestic abuse policy. “Everyone is entitled to doing whatever they want to do, think whatever they want to think, say whatever they want to say,” Russell, 25, told reporters. “The reaction to me, I have to respect that. My actions are what they are. I have to be responsible for them.” Russell’s suspension started last season after his former wife revealed details of a toxic relationship. Fans called for him to be released, but the Cubs brought him back this season on a one-year, US$3.4 million deal. Upon his return on Wednesday, Cubs fans showered Russell with boos. His reaction to the Chicago Sun-Times centered more around the Cubs’ attempts to win games. “If hometown fans want to boo someone that’s trying to help bring the team a World Series again, then that’s on them,” Addison said, in part.
RANKINGS
McIlory tops richest list
Former world No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy is the richest young sportsperson in Britain and Ireland for a second straight year with a net worth of £138 million (US$179.34 million), according to the Sunday Times newspaper’s “Rich List.” McIlroy’s wealth rose by £28 million from last year and the 30-year-old four-time major winner was ranked above Real Madrid soccer player Gareth Bale, who was valued at £94 million, and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero at £58 million. The 30-and-under age cutoff excludes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton (34), with the five-time world champion worth £159 million, according to last year’s overall list. There were eight soccer players in the top 10, although world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua was fourth with £49 million thanks to a £14 million increase in wealth this year.
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