■ SOCCER
Tolerance exercise scrapped
Muslim and Christian leaders in Oslo scrapped a soccer match meant to foster understanding between religions on Saturday after the imams refused to play a team that included women priests. The imams said physical contact with women would be inappropriate, NRK public television said, and the Norwegian Christians refused a proposal of a male-only clash. The match was to have followed talks meant to build bridges between faiths in Norway. "Some say that bodily contact is the problem. It leads to special feelings that can lead to something forbidden," imam Senaid Kobilica told NRK public television.
■ CYCLING
Chris Horner in control
American Chris Horner pulled on the race leader's jersey following the fourth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Romandie won by Spain's Igor Anton in Geneva on Saturday. Anton, who rides for the Basque outfit Euskaltel, claimed the stage honors after 155.9km of climbing between Charmey and Morgins. Horner, of Predictor-Lotto, finished third on the stage after Anton sprinted ahead of a four-man group to beat Dutch ace Thomas Dekker, of Rabobank, Horner and promising Frenchman John Gadret of AG2r. Yesterday's final stage was a testing 20.4km time trial around Lausanne which Horner's teammate Cadel Evans -- the Australian who is the defending champion -- will be targeting after his fifth place finish on Saturday.
■ GOLF
Hoch leads in Texas
Scott Hoch moved into position for his first US Champions Tour victory, shooting a 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over D.A. Weibring into the final round of the FedEx Kinko's Classic in Lakeway, Texas. "I haven't been healthy since I came out here or I think I would have done better," said the 51-year-old Hoch, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour. Hoch, the only player in the field without a bogey in the first two days, had an 11-under 133 total on The Hills Country Club course. D.A. Weibring was 8 under after his second straight 68.
■ SAILING
US, Italy reach semis
BMW Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa each clinched places in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals on Saturday. The US team reached the last four with a win over French team Areva Challenge in America's Cup challenger series racing. Italian syndicate Luna Rossa, which is tied for first with 31 points after winning its seventh-flight match race against +39 Challenge on the southern "Juliet" course, advanced because of tiebreakers. "We are very happy to be through to the semi-finals," BMW Oracle Racing navigator Peter Isler said.
■ TENNIS
Djokovic makes final
Novak Djokovic beat second-ranked Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-5, 6-1 Saturday to reach the final at the Estoril Open in Oeiras, Portugal, where he will play Richard Gasquet. Gasquet won his semi-final match at the clay-court event when Paul-Henri Mathieu retired while trailing 3-1. Robredo led 4-3 after breaking Djokovic, but the 20-year-old Serb broke back in the 10th game to make it 5-5 and then held serve before winning the first set after another break. Djokovic broke Robredo twice more in the second set and won the final five games. "I didn't feel very good for the start with Robredo," Djokovic said. "But after winning the first set I felt myself come back."
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Italian Luca de Aliprandini described Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom at Val d’Isere as the hardest race of his life, coming two days after his Swiss partner Michelle Gisin suffered a heavy fall in training which required neck surgery. De Aliprandini finished 26th in the men’s event won by Loic Meillard, but the result paled into insignificance with two-time Olympic ski champion Gisin in hospital with injuries to her wrist, knee and cervical spine (neck). “It was Michelle’s wish that I race here. I couldn’t say no to her, but it was the toughest race of my entire life,” an emotional De
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