SOCCER
Stars stun fans off the pitch
Imagine Lionel Messi, or even Colombia striker Teofilo “Teo” Gutierrez turning up on your doorstep to deliver the club shirt or soccer ball of your favorite team that you bought online. Well, that is what Teo and other players with Argentine champions River Plate did, taking fans totally by surprise on day one of deliveries from the club’s new “River Store” e-commerce venture inaugurated this week. River posted a video on their Web site of Teo, former Argentina midfielder Leonardo Ponzio and striker Fernando Cavenaghi making the deliveries from a van. They were given an emotional reception from the surprised fans at each stop, including embraces, followed by the chance to do some ball juggling with their heroes outside their front doors and get some of their purchases autographed.
SOCCER
Mamic convicted of slander
Controversial Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic was convicted of slander on Wednesday and ordered to pay 17,000 euros (US$22,000) to a lawyer representing Brazil-born Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva. A Zagreb court found Mamic, executive director of the Croatian champions and Eduardo’s former manager, guilty of verbally attacking lawyer Ivica Crnic at a hearing in March last year. At the time Mamic, against whom Eduardo had launched legal proceedings, called the player’s lawyer a “mouse, an idiot, a monster and [a] daddy’s boy.” Mamic, 55, is well-known for his outspoken behavior and for threatening journalists. In July, he was acquitted of inciting hatred with a slur against an ethnic Serb minister. Eduardo left Croatia in July and is currently playing for Brazilian club Flamengo.
TENNIS
Muguruza serves up upset
Garbine Muguruza’s perfect serve helped her to a surprise 6-2, 6-1 victory over top-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in the group-stage at the season-ending WTA Tournament of Champions on Wednesday. The WTA rising star from Spain, who replaced injured Australian Samantha Stosur, needed just 69 minutes to cruise past the Russian favorite. “She played very aggressive and didn’t give me any chances,” an exhausted Makarova said after the match. “I played very good today, indeed,” the Venezuela-born Muguruza said, adding: “I’m here to win the tournament.” In the Sredets Group, Andrea Petkovic of Germany outlasted Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 7-5, 6-2 for her first victory of the tournament, while Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia defeated Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 6-4 in the group’s second match. Australian Open finalist Cibulkova started aggressively and took a 5-0 lead in the first set. Suarez Navarro rallied to 5-5, but Cibulkova managed to close the set out before going on to secure her second straight victory at the event.
TENNIS
Hsieh crashes out in Ningbo
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei crashed out of the second round of the singles at the Yinzhou Bank International tournament in Ningbo, China, yesterday. Hsieh fell to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat at the hands of second seed Zheng Saisai of China in 1 hour, 44 minutes. In the doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Ya-hsuan also lost her quarter-final yesterday after Lee and her partner, Tadeja Majeric of Slovenia, were beaten 6-3, 6-1 by fourth seeds Sharon Fichman of Canada and China’s Zheng in just 54 minutes. Third-seeded Taiwanese pairing Chan Chin-wei and Chuang Chia-jung are due to face Chinese duo Han Xinyun and Zhang Kai-lin in the semi-finals of the doubles today.
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
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,
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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