SOCCER
Ronaldo stretches streak
Cristiano Ronaldo stretched his goal-scoring streak to six consecutive league games as Juventus took top spot in Serie A on Sunday with a 2-1 win over AS Roma, whose defeat was made worse by a cruciate ligament injury that rising star Nicolo Zaniolo sustained. Juventus moved two points ahead of Inter after going two goals up in just 10 minutes in Rome. “We were very good for 60 minutes. Then, if you play against Roma, it is almost inevitable to suffer in the end,” Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri said. Defender Merih Demiral found a way through after three minutes when he connected with a Paulo Dybala free-kick. Minutes later Argentine Dybala was hauled down in the box and Ronaldo stepped up to convert from the spot to make it nine goals in six league games. Zaniolo was stretchered off in tears eight minutes before the break after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Zaniolo, who is considered one of Italy’s most exciting young talents and was a rare bright point for Roma in a torrid first half, was to undergo surgery yesterday. “I swear to you ... I’ll be stronger than before,” the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram. Earlier, Alejandro Berenguer struck the only goal as Torino beat Bologna to climb to seventh, while Hellas Verona won 2-1 over Genoa. Elsewhere, UC Sampdoria thrashed Brescia 5-1, ACF Fiorentina beat SPAL 1-0 and Udinese beat US Sassuolo 3-0.
SOCCER
City dominant over Villa
Manchester City delivered a supremely dominant team performance to beat Aston Villa 6-1 on Sunday and take second place in the Premier League. Sergio Aguero became the league’s all-time top-scoring foreign player on 177 goals and scorer of most hat-tricks by any player with 12 as the whole City team shone in yet another big win. “I’m so happy for the record, but I thank my teammates, because they helped me this year,” Aguero said. Aguero scored three goals and had an assist for Riyad Mahrez, who scored two in a game for the first time in 16 months. Gabriel Jesus scored off a cross from Kevin de Bruyne, whose 14 assists this season are six more than any other player in the Premier League. Anwar el-Ghazi scored from a penalty for Villa. Elsewhere, Watford beat AFF Bournemouth 3-0.
BADMINTON
Momota hurt in fatal crash
Badminton world No. 1 Kento Momota was injured in a pre-dawn fatal vehicle collision in Malaysia yesterday, just hours after he secured his first victory of the season at the Malaysia Masters. The Japanese shuttler and three others were thought to have been on their way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport when the hired van they were in rammed into the rear of a 30-tonne truck, according to statements from the police and a local fire department. The driver of the van was killed in the crash and his body had to be cut free from the wreckage. Police and the Malaysian Badminton Association (BAM) said that in addition to Momota, the three others involved in the incident were his physiotherapist, his assistant coach and a Badminton World Federation official. The association said in a statement that Momota sustained multiple lacerations to his face and a fractured nose.
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