BOXING
Aoh edges Italy’s Boschiero
Japan’s Takahiro Aoh defeated the previously unbeaten Devis Boschiero of Italy by a split points decision to successfully defend his WBC super featherweight title on Sunday in Tokyo. Two judges scored it 115-113 in favor of the defending champion, while one judge counted it 116-113 for the Italian. Boschiero tried to make it a brawl and fight at close range, as Aoh attempted to pick him off and targeted the feisty Italian’s stomach. It was the 27-year-old Aoh’s second defense since winning the title in November last year, stretching his record to 22 wins including 10 KOs, against two defeats and a draw. For Boschiero, 30, ranked eighth in the WBC, it was his first defeat after 29 wins, including 14 KOs and a draw. Third ranked Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan defeated second ranked Christian Esquivel of Mexico by technical knockout 1 minute, 28 seconds into the 11th round to become the new WBC bantamweight champion.
Photo: Reuters
ICE HOCKEY
Blues send Payne packing
The St Louis Blues fired head coach Davis Payne after a slow start to the NHL season and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock, the team said on Sunday. Payne, the first coaching casualty of the young season, was relieved of his duties after leading St Louis to a 6-7 record that left them 13th in the 15-team Western Conference. The Blues failed to make the playoffs since he took over as coach during the 2009-2010 season. Hitchcock, who was coach of the Dallas Stars when they won a Stanley Cup in 1999 and an assistant with Canada when they won gold medals at the 2002 and last year’s Olympics, agreed to a contract through the 2012-2013 season. The 59-year-old last coached in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2009-2010 season and has coached more than 1,000 games with Dallas, Philadelphia and Columbus.
TENNIS
Del Potro pulls out of Paris
Juan Martin del Potro’s hopes of making the ATP Tour finals are over after the Argentine announced on Sunday he was pulling out of this week’s Paris Masters. “I felt pain in my right shoulder in Valencia and it hurt more and more as matches went on,” the injury-prone Del Potro said in a statement released by Paris organizers. “I must now think about rest.” The Tour finals in London between Nov. 20 and Nov. 27 bring together the eight best players in the world. Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and David Ferrer have qualified with the Paris Masters a last chance for others to join them.
SKIING
Vonn attends school dance
Superstar US skier Lindsey Vonn never got a chance to go to her high-school homecoming dance, so she could not resist saying yes to a second chance. During a visit to a Vail skiing academy on Friday, one of the students worked up the courage to ask Vonn to go with him to the homecoming dance that night and she gladly accepted. Vonn’s 15-year-old fan, Parker McDonald, got the thrill of his young life when she agreed to the impromptu date. “Growing up I never got the chance to go to a school dance so I am excited,” said Vonn, who posted pictures of the two together at the dance on her social networking Facebook site.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
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