YACHTING
Thomson takes third place
Britain’s Alex Thomson arrived in Les Sables d’Olonne, western France, yesterday to take third place in the Vendee Globe round-the-world yacht race. The 38-year-old skipper and his boat Hugo Boss crossed the line at 7:25am GMT after completing the course in 80 days, 19 hours and 23 minutes. He is the third Briton to make the podium after Ellen MacArthur in 2001 and Mike Golding in 2005. The prestigious non-stop race was won by France’s Francois Gabart, who completed the grueling course on Sunday in a new record time of 78 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes. His compatriot Armel Le Cleac’h was second. Thomson, who is married with a child, has participated twice before in the Vendee Globe, in 2004 and 2008, but was forced to abandon both times.
SOCCER
Scholes loses defrosting 4x4
Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has had his top-of-the-range 4x4 stolen from outside his house, as he defrosted the windscreen with the engine running, police said on Tuesday. The grey Chevrolet Captiva was taken from the driveway in Oldham, northwest England, just before 8am on Monday, Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. Media reports said the former England player had gone back inside his house while the engine was melting ice on the vehicle, which retails from ￡22,905 (US$36,062) in Britain, and returned to find it gone. Scholes, 38, has spent his entire career at Old Trafford, where Chevrolet is a sponsor, and made more than 700 appearances for the club, as well as 66 for England.
TENNIS
Tomic to lose license
Australian tennis ace Bernard Tomic has been caught speeding in his yellow Ferrari and will lose his license, reports said yesterday. Fresh from the Australian Open where he was knocked out in the third round by Swiss master Roger Federer, Tomic was allegedly clocked going 78kph in a 60kph zone on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. The 20-year-old was handed a A$220 (US$229.6) fine which comes with a loss of three points from his license, the Sydney Morning Herald said, adding that the player only had one point to lose, given past infringements. He was found guilty in November last year of failing to stop for police in a high-powered orange BMW some 11 months earlier. At the same hearing, the tennis star also admitted to three other charges after a series of run-ins with the authorities on the same day relating to his driving.
TENNIS
Rain influences play
Fourth seed Sorana Cirstea joined British No. 1 Heather Watson and Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm in the second round of the Pattaya Open as the trio cruised through their matches on Tuesday. However, it was heavy work for the top seed and world No. 13 Ana Ivanovic, who trailed 1-2 in the final set against Ayumi Morita before rain suspended play late on Tuesday. She will be hoping to regroup to join second-seeded Maria Kirilenko in the next round, who made it through with a nervy 6-3, 7-5 win over unfancied Uzbek Akgul Amanmuradova. Rain prevented last year’s champion Daniela Hantuchova, a late entry because of a withdrawal, from starting her title defense against Russian Olga Puchkova. Before the skies opened, Romanian ace Cirstea completed a routine 6-1, 6-3 win over American challenger Bethanie Mattek-Sands behind a strong service game.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
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