TENNIS
Pliskova claims Linz title
Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova clinched her third career title after saving a match point to beat Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in the Linz WTA final on Sunday. Pliskova was match point down at 6-5 in the final set before rallying to add the Austrian trophy to triumphs in Kuala Lumpur last year and Seoul last month. Giorgi has now lost the two finals in which she has appeared. “It could have been a little easier, but I’m still happy I won the title,” the 22-year-old Czech said. “After I was 5-1 up [in the final set] and she came back and had match point, I was already thinking I would lose.”
GOLF
Levy wins amid rain
France’s Alexander Levy claimed a second career title on Sunday when he won the Portugal Masters after the third and final round had to be abandoned due to heavy rain in Vilamoura. In a tournament already reduced to 54 holes by lightning and heavy rain, another deluge left parts of the course unplayable shortly after the final group had teed off at 1pm. The result was then called at 36 holes. Levy, 24, carded rounds of 63 and 61 to finish with an 18-under-par total having been just one of six players to complete their second rounds on Friday. His title came after winning the China Open in April. Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, who just missed a first ever 59 on the European Tour in the first round, was in second place, three shots back.
SOCCER
Algeria, Mali lead group
Algeria and Mali scored identical wins in the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday to keep them in qualifying places from Group B. Algeria won 2-0 in Malawi and Mali matched that result in Ethiopia. In Group C, Gabon jumped above Burkina Faso after a double from Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered a 2-0 home win. Ghana top Group E after Asamoah Gyan scored in a fighting 1-1 draw against Guinea in neutral Morocco, and Cape Verde and surprise package Mozambique are on course to qualify from Group F ahead of 2012 African champions Zambia. Egypt won 2-0 in Botswana for their first win in the final qualifying competition, but are still four points behind Senegal and Tunisia in Group G.
RUGBY LEAGUE
Flower apologizes over hits
Wigan prop Ben Flower has apologized for a sickening attack on former New Zealand international Lance Hohaia that tarnished the Super League Grand Final on Saturday. Welshman Flower was sent off scarcely two minutes into St Helens’ 14-6 win at Old Trafford after punching Saints stand off Lance Hohaia in the face and kneeling over him to strike him flush to the head again. The incident put Hohaia out of the game and prompted a melee between players from both sides. Police were also reviewing the incident, British media reported. “There is no defense for my actions,” Flower said in a statement released by Wigan. “It was something that happened in the heat of the moment when our emotions and adrenaline was running high. I instantly regretted it and am devastated that I allowed myself to punch someone like this.” Wigan chairman and owner Ian Lenagan and head coach Shaun Wane also apologized for Flower’s “totally inappropriate” behavior. “Rugby league is a tough sport, which we are proud of, but such a response is neither encouraged nor condoned,” they said in a joint statement. Hohaia said he holds no grudges. “He’s probably disappointed in himself for not being able to play a part in the game as well,” Hohaia said.
US national team star Folarin Balogun was among the scorers as AS Monaco on Friday won 3-1 at Paris Saint-Germain, dealing a blow to the side from the French capital before they face Chelsea in a crunch UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie. Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco a first-half lead at the Parc des Princes, and Aleksandr Golovin doubled their advantage early in the second half of the French Ligue 1 clash. Bradley Barcola pulled one back for the reigning European champions, but Balogun struck shortly after with a fifth goal in his last five games as Monaco claimed a precious
Teenage star Lamine Yamal’s superbly-taken goal on Saturday earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in Spanish La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who had on Friday temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo. Atletico Madrid tightened their grip on third with an entertaining 3-2 win over Real Sociedad. Yamal, 18, curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mames stadium. “We’re already seeing what Lamine can do — he puts it right in the top corner, and there’s nothing the keeper can do,” Barca
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
CHANCE TO QUALIFY: Both teams now have three points from two games, and Taiwan sit ahead of Vietnam and behind Japan, who last night beat India 11-0 Taiwan yesterday defeated Vietnam 1-0 to move into second place in Group C at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup with one match remaining. Su Yu-hsuan scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute after Taiwan midfielder Saki Matsunaga’s shot hit the crossbar, leaving Su to nod the rebound into an empty net for the team which won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1981. It was a deserved victory for Taiwan, 2-0 losers to Japan on Wednesday, who created several chances to extend their lead. Vietnam, the 2022 quarter-finalist, beat India in their opener, but struggled to
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