TENNIS
Spain win Hopman Cup
Spain secured a surprise victory in the Hopman Cup with a comeback triumph against Serbia in the final of the mixed teams event on Saturday in Perth, Australia. Fernando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues beat the more fancied pairing of Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 7-5 in the deciding mixed doubles to secure a 2-1 win. Djokovic had already defeated Verdasco 6-3, 7-5 in the opening singles before Medina Garrigues prevailed in a tense clash against Ivanovic, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.
GOLF
Weather hits opener again
The official start of this year’s PGA Tour was postponed for a second consecutive day because of strong gusting winds at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Saturday. First-round play in the PGA Tour’s season-opening event was scrapped on Friday because of similar conditions and hopes of playing 36 holes on Saturday had to be abandoned. Winds gusted up to 64kph across the Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course, making the layout unplayable. On some of the more exposed holes on the back nine, golf balls rolled uphill when dropped on the greens as a test by officials. Organizers said they planned to complete 36 holes yesterday and 18 today in a tournament cut to 54 holes.
BASKETBALL
Love suffers another break
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love has broken a bone in his right hand, the same hand that was broken during the NBA pre-season. An MRI exam on Saturday showed a break in the third metacarpal — one of the two bones that he broke during the pre-season in October last year, when Love said he was hurt doing push-ups on his knuckles as part of his training regimen. The most recent injury to his shooting hand apparently occurred during Thursday’s 101-97 win over the Nuggets. The T-Wolves said Love’s injury will be evaluated later this week by a New York hand specialist.
SOCCER
Depor down Malaga
New RC Deportivo de La Coruna coach Domingos Paciencia made a winning start with a surprise 1-0 home victory over high-flying Malaga in La Liga on Saturday, his side’s third win in 20 games in all competitions this season. Pizzi’s 57th minute goal helped Depor climb off the bottom of the table. Elsewhere on Saturday, Levante UD and Valencia made the most of red cards for their opponents to come from behind and record wins that kept them in the hunt for European places. Levante beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 and are sixth with 30 points. Valencia rose to seventh on 27 after a 2-1 victory at Granada. In Saturday’s other La Liga game Sevilla beat CA Osasuna 1-0.
SOCCER
Lazio close gap on Juve
SS Lazio closed the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus to five points on Saturday thanks to two late goals in a dramatic 2-1 win over nine-man Cagliari. Abdoulay Konko’s 79th minute strike levelled Marco Sau’s opener for Cagliari before a late penalty from Antonio Candreva sealed the win. Earlier on Saturday, Catania’s Francesco Lodi was sent off in the 13th minute for violent conduct as his team were held to a 0-0 home draw by Torino. Catania coach Rolando Maran was dismissed for protesting against a decision and Gonzalo Bergessio missed a 22nd-minute penalty for ninth-placed Catania.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Monday wobbled through a 28-pitch first inning at home against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since August 2023. Scheduled to throw as many as two innings, Ohtani went a single frame while allowing one run on two hits. He did not issue a walk nor strike out a batter. “Not quite happy with the results overall, but the takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to make the next outing,” Ohtani said of his pitching performance. Ohtani still wound up with a positive impact
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