BASEBALL
Orioles retain Chen Wei-yin
The Baltimore Orioles announced on Thursday that they have exercised an option to retain Taiwanese pitcher Chen Wei-yin for another year for US$4.75 million. The 29-year-old left-hander achieved 16 wins and a 3.54 ERA in 31 starts for Baltimore last season. Even at US$4.75 million, Chen will still be undervalued given his performance, local commentators believe. Joining the Orioles in 2012, Chen was paid US$3.072 million and US$3.573 million respectively in his first two years, and is receiving US$4.072 million this year. If he can maintain his good performance next season, his value on the free-agent market is expected to climb even higher. Wang Chien-ming became the highest-paid Taiwanese MLB player in 2009 when he agreed to a US$5 million, one-year contract with the New York Yankees.
TENNIS
Chan, Chuang crash out
Taiwan’s Chan Chin-wei and Chuang Chia-jung crashed out of the semi-finals of the doubles at the Yinzhou Bank International in Ningbo, China, yesterday, ending Taiwanese involvement in the WTA 125K tournament. Chinese duo Han Xinyun and Zhang Kai-lin saved one of the three break-point chances they faced and converted six of 10 to complete a 6-3, 6-1 victory over the third-seeded Taiwanese pairing in an hour. The Chinese duo are to face either top seeds Arina Rodionova of Australia and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine or fourth seeds Sharon Fichman of Canada and Zheng Saisai in the final.
RUGBY UNION
Beale handed another fine
Troubled Australia back Kurtley Beale has been fined A$3,000 (US$2,650) over a mid-flight row linked to the resignations of coach Ewen McKenzie and a staff member, officials said yesterday. The sanction comes a week after Beale was also slapped with a A$45,000 penalty for sending an offensive text message to business manager Di Patston, who later resigned. An Australian Rugby Union integrity unit investigation found that the player was guilty of inappropriate behavior by being rude and disrespectful to Wallaby management on a flight from South Africa to Argentina last month. The latest investigation was separate from the probe into Beale’s distribution of the text message, which went before a Code of Conduct tribunal hearing the previous Friday. The Beale affair has been damaging to Australian rugby, with McKenzie abruptly quitting as coach after speculation over internal dissent and his relationship with Patston. Patston also resigned, citing stress, and she later said the controversy had driven her to contemplate suicide.
CYCLING
Braendle breaks hour record
Austria’s Matthias Braendle set a new hour record of 51.85km on Thursday, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Twitter. The 24-year-old, riding at the World Cycling Center in the Swiss town of Aigle, beat Jens Voigt’s mark of 51.11km, which was set on Sept. 18 in nearby Grenchen. Braendle was ahead of Voigt’s mark by more than 50 seconds at the halfway point and managed to break the record, despite a few wobbles in the last 10 minutes. “Things went well for the first 30 minutes, then in the middle of the race it was really tough and I suffered,” Braendle told Austrian media. “Fortunately, there were lots of people there to support me. It got better near the end and I could enjoy it. Toward the end, the pain went away.”
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
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
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