Taiwan won Pool B of the Asia/Oceania zone of the Fed Cup in New Zealand yesterday with a 3-0 win over India, earning a playoff match against Group A winner Thailand today. The victor of today's match will advance to the World Group II playoffs in July.
The Taiwanese women finished with a perfect 4-0 record in the round robin after also defeating Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Jordan earlier in the tournament. The team lost just one of its 12 matches over five days of play.
Chan Chin-wei (詹瑾瑋) got yesterday's contest off to a good start with a quick 6-3, 6-2 win over Shikha Uberoi. In the next singles match Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) defeated Sunitha Rao by the same score to clinch the round. For good measure Hwang I-suan (黃怡萱) and Hsu Wen-hsin (許文馨) took the doubles match against Tara Iyer and Ankita Bhambri in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
In the US, Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) recovered from a shaky start to advanced to the quarter-finals of the International Tennis Federation tournament in Dothan, Alabama, yesterday. She defeated France's Irena Pavlovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will next play American Julie Ditty, who easily beat third-seeded Ashley Harkleroad 6-1, 6-2.
There were no surprises in the women's doubles as first-seeded Chan and partner Chuang Chia-jung (莊佳容) breezed past Americans Ahsha Rolle and Abigail Spears 6-1, 6-3. They next play Venezuelan Milagros Sequera and American Aleke Tsoubanos, the fourth-seeded pair, in the semi-finals.
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
FAST AND LOOSE: Despite command struggles, Ohtani has pitched his way out of trouble after falling behind in counts, which manager Roberts credited to his velocity Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night tossed six innings of no-hit ball, gave himself an early lead with a home run and still was not satisfied with his performance. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar dropped some expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic as he struggled with his command in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struck out seven, walked four and gave up an earned run in the fourth inning while visibly fuming on the mound. Ohtani (5-2) earned his third consecutive victory. “Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of