Some of the world’s best tennis players, including world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Novak Djokovic, traded in their rackets for soccer boots on Wednesday on behalf of Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims.
About 15 ATP stars, in Miami for the Masters 1000 hardcourt tournament that started this week, joined with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the second-level North American Soccer League in a light-hearted match that ended in a 4-2 victory for the Strikers.
The tennis stars received enthusiastic backing from a crowd that included a host of children.
The ATP players delivered a relaxed and entertaining performance, displaying an easy teamwork that belied their more usual duels across the net.
Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and Scotland’s Andy Murray both scored for the tennis team captained by Djokovic, who has won all 18 of his tennis matches this season.
The ATP starting 11 included Japan’s Kei Nishikori. Despite Spain’s status as World Cup champions, Nadal and compatriots David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco were among the reserves.
The match, featuring two halves of 20 minutes each, was followed by a gala dinner and proceeds from the two events were to benefit American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
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