■HOCKEY
Chelios set for NHL return
The Atlanta Thrashers have given 48-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios a chance to possibly play in the NHL again. The 11-time All-Star has signed a contract with the Thrashers and could be called up from the American Hockey League if needed, general manager Don Waddell said on the team’s Web site on Tuesday. “You never know,” Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Web site when asked about the possibility of Chelios joining the Thrashers. “We have a busy schedule. When you go into a run like this, you like to have 10 defenseman in case you get a couple of injuries.” Chelios has played 44 games with the Chicago Wolves, the Thrashers’ American Hockey League affiliate this season. Chelios won two Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings (2002 and 2008) and another with the Montreal Canadiens (1986). He also was a member of four US Olympic teams (1984, 1998, 2002 and 2006).
■SOCCER
Blasphemers receive bans
Chievo Verona coach Domenico Di Carlo and Parma forward Davide Lanzafame have become the first professionals to be suspended as a result of Italian soccer’s blasphemy crackdown. Di Carlo was banned from the dugout for Sunday’s match at Bari after the Italian Soccer League said in a statement on Tuesday that he uttered a “blasphemous expression” during the 2-1 home win over Cagliari last weekend. Lanzafame was also banned for Sunday’s trip to Siena after committing the same offence in Parma’s 1-0 win over Sampdoria. Italian referees were told last week to give red cards to players they hear blaspheming.
■TENNIS
Top seed takes tumble
Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia was bundled out in the first round of the Monterrey Open in an upset 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova on Tuesday. Two other seeded players had better luck in the Mexican hard-court event. Third-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia defeated Anna Tatishvli of Georgia 6-1, 6-2, No. 4 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia downed Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-3 and No. 5 Agnes Szavay of Hungary rallied to beat Julia Goerges of Germany 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Jankovic is No. 9 in the WTA rankings and the Latvian is 72nd. Slovenia’s Polona Hercog reached the second round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Corinna Dentoni of Italy.
■SOCCER
Back Boyd, Fletcher says
Scotland skipper Darren Fletcher has urged the Tartan Army to back Kris Boyd when the Rangers striker returned to the international fold at Hampden last night. Boyd was not named in Craig Levein’s starting line-up but was expected to feature at some stage against the Czech Republic in what would be his first appearance since turning his back on his country during the reign of former manager George Burley. He was persuaded back into the fold by new boss Craig Levein and Manchester United midfielder Fletcher hopes the Scottish fans can forgive and forget. “We have got Boydy back in the squad and he is a big character,” Fletcher said. “Lee McCulloch is also back and we’re glad as we all knew that they were good guys. I know Kris has learned from what happened and he’ll know maybe he should have dealt with the situation differently. I think he deserves a second chance as he is a top player. Any booing would be detrimental to the team. If they are booing one of us, they are booing all of us. We are all on the pitch together and I would ask everyone to get behind us as we need to all be pulling in the same direction.”
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
Naomi Osaka is braced for a “battle” after yesterday setting up a clash with Coco Gauff in the round-of-16 of the China Open, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka also marched on. Osaka defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Gauff in a showdown of former US Open champions in Beijing. World No. 2 Sabalenka swatted aside Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th consecutive victory and plays another American in 24th-ranked Madison Keys. Looking ahead to the Gauff meeting, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said: “She’s very athletic, obviously.” “For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve,
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