SNOOKER
Trump leads in worlds final
English qualifier Judd Trump led three-time champion John Higgins 10-7 after the first day of the world championship final at the Crucible in Sheffield, England, on Sunday. The 21-year-old Trump had raced away from 7-7 in the best-of-35-frame final. Adding to Higgins’ frustrations, he was fined ￡250 (US$417) for conceding the 16th frame with enough points left on the table to force a respotted black. The pair had been locked level at 4-4 at the end of the afternoon session, the highlight of which was provided by Trump’s 102 break in the sixth frame. Trump then dropped 5-4 behind after the opening frame of the evening session when Higgins had a break of 60, but he had breaks of 55 and 58 to lead 6-5 and he then turned on the style in frame 12 on his way to a break of 103 and a two-frame lead. Higgins came back to 7-6, and leveled after a scrappy frame. Trump had a 49 break to lead 49-18 at 7-7 and although he broke down there, a further run of 28 made the frame safe. A touch of controversy came when Higgins conceded when 51 behind with 51 remaining on the table in the 16th frame. That is against the usual etiquette, costing him money. Higgins led 36-0 in the final frame of the evening, but he missed a black and Trump replied with 45, before running stray of position. He soon had another chance though and was at his punishing best, to the delight of the crowd.
BOXING
Sir Henry Cooper dies at 76
Former British and European heavyweight boxing champion Sir Henry Cooper, one of his country’s most popular sportsmen, has died two days short of his 77th birthday, the BBC reported on Sunday. Cooper was at his peak during the 1960s and is best remembered for a defeat by Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, in a non-title fight at Wembley in 1963. He famously sent Clay to the canvas with his trademark left hook, known as “’Enry’s ’Ammer,” only for the American to earn more recovery time when trainer Angelo Dundee said Clay’s glove was split. Cooper lost when the referee stopped the fight because of his cuts in the fifth round and he lost to Clay again in a world title fight at Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium in London in 1966. After a 55-fight professional career that brought 40 wins, 14 losses and one draw, Cooper retired from boxing in 1971. He soon became a regular on TV panel shows. He was knighted in 2000.
TENNIS
Chan sisters celebrate win
Taiwanese doubles team and sisters, Chan Yung-jan and Chan Hao-ching, won a International Tennis Federation tournament in Gifu, Japan, on Sunday. The pair defeated Sema Erika of Japan and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-2, 6-3. Chan Yung-jan said her younger sister has made a lot of progress and is no longer considered by their rivals as an easy target. Also on Sunday, Taiwan’s Chuang Chia-jung and Belarusia’s Olga Govortsova lost to Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva 1-6, 5-7 in the first round of the Madrid Open.
BASKETBALL
Thibodeau wins NBA award
Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls has been named NBA coach of the year after his first season in charge, the league said on Sunday. Having spent three years working as assistant to Doc Rivers at the Boston Celtics, Thibodeau moved to Chicago where he guided the Bulls to a league-best record of 62-20. Thibodeau becomes the fourth Chicago head coach to win the award, following Johnny “Red” Kerr (1967), Dick Motta (1971) and Phil Jackson (1996).
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
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