CYCLING
Trofimov wins fourth stage
Russia’s Yury Trofimov made a solo break to win the fourth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine on Wednesday as Britain’s Chris Froome held the leader’s yellow jersey. The Katusha team rider launched his attack 18km from the line on the Col de Manse, pulling ahead of a breakaway group formed on the 21km mark. Swede Gustav Larsson crossed in second, ahead of Dutch rider Pim Ligthart after the 167.5km run from Montelimar and Gap. For 30-year-old Trofimov it was a second stage win in the Dauphine, six years after that on Morzine. Yesterday’s fifth stage was to cover 189.5km from Sisteron to La Mure and included six climbs, the final one near Laffrey, 20km from the line.
BASKETBALL
Blatche a Philippine citizen
Philippine officials say Brooklyn Nets player Andray Blatche has been granted Philippine citizenship so he can play for the national team in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup this year. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Philippine President Benigno Aquino III signed a law on Wednesday granting citizenship to the US-born Blatche. Senator Edgardo Angara, the main author of the law, says Filipinos are a “sports-loving nation with a distinct affection for basketball.” He says the 2.11m Blatche, a power forward and center, can make “significant contributions to Philippines basketball.” FIBA allows each team to have one naturalized player per tournament. The Philippines are competing at the World Cup for the first time in 35 years. Blatche averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season for Brooklyn.
RUGBY UNION
England make five changes
England coach Stuart Lancaster made five changes to his team for the second Test against New Zealand in Dunedin tomorrow by restoring his first-choice centers pairing and bringing flyhalf Owen Farrell back into the side. Billy Twelvetrees and Luther Burrell, who were the first choice centers during the Six Nations, have replaced Kyle Eastmond and Manu Tuiliagi, who has shifted to right wing after an impressive performance in the first Test at Eden Park. Farrell replaces Freddie Burns at flyhalf, with Danny Care also being reinstated at scrumhalf after he was a late withdrawal from the first Test with a shoulder injury. Blindside flanker Tom Wood has also been reinstated in the place of James Haskell, in the only change to the pack that performed so well in the 20-15 loss in Auckland.
CRICKET
Sri Lanka bowlers strike
England captain Alistair Cook fell for 17 as Sri Lanka left the hosts at 98-3 at lunch on yesterday’s opening day of the first Test at Lord’s, after the tourists won the toss and elected to bowl on a green pitch. Debutant Sam Robson departed for only one run, caught by Prasanna Jayawardene off the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep in the fourth over. Cook went when he chopped the ball onto his stumps trying to cut a Nuwan Kulasekara delivery. Gary Ballance, up to third in the batting order, was caught behind for 23 for Pradeep’s second wicket of the day. At the interval, Ian Bell was unbeaten on 41, with Joe Root on six not out. Earlier England had named batsman Moeen Ali and paceman Chris Jordan to make their maiden Test appearances alongside Robson, the second consecutive Test they had named three new-comers in the Test XI.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
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