SNOOKER
Robertson wins UK title
Australia’s Neil Robertson became the first player to make a maximum 147 break in a UK Snooker Championship final on his way to beating China’s Liang Wenbo 10-5 on Sunday. The left-handed Robertson, 33, made the maximum in the sixth frame as he dominated the final against outsider Liang. Robertson, the 2010 world champion and a former world No. 1, was 5-3 up at the interval in the best-of-19 final. Fellow left-hander Liang, 28, refused to buckle as the next four frames were shared at 7-5 before the greater experience of the Australian told as he wrapped up the next three to take the UK trophy for the second time in three years.
GOLF
Poulter, Westwood selected
Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have been selected by European captain Darren Clarke as his picks for next month’s EurAsia Cup tournament in Malaysia. The Englishmen are to make their debuts in the team event, being held for a second time after the inaugural edition last year, joining 10 other players automatically selected for Europe last month. “Having played in a total of 14 Ryder Cups, Ian and Lee have proven themselves two of the most fearsome match players in the game and I fully expect them to deliver points for the team on the golf course,” Clarke said in a statement yesterday. Team Asia, captained by India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, is to be named on Tuesday next week after the Thailand Golf Championship.
MOTOR RACING
Ecclestone slams Mercedes
Mercedes’ world championship stranglehold has made Formula One “boring” and caused spectators to turn their backs on the sport, commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone told Welt am Sonntag on Sunday. “The domination of Mercedes is so strong that a good number of people watch the start of a race and then switch off their televisions because Mercedes have made races boring,” Ecclestone said. “It is not good for the sport. Fans do not want to know, before the start of a Grand Prix, who is going to win. It is a problem for us at the moment and one that we must resolve.” Mercedes have swept to the last two F1 world titles, with Lewis Hamilton taking back-to-back drivers’ crowns. That dominance has led Ecclestone, the head of Formula One Management, to say he is worried for the sport’s future. Ecclestone believes that teams and manufacturers need to co-operate more to make the sport more affordable and attractive, and agree on a package of reform measures. “For decades, we have tried to limit financial operations to guarantee more competitiveness,” added Ecclestone, who believes more powerful and cheaper engines are key to achieving a level playing field.
SOCCER
US cancel match over pitch
The US women’s soccer team called off its Women’s World Cup “Victory Tour” match against Trinidad and Tobago in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday, declaring the artificial pitch unsuitable for an international match. After testing the playing surface on Saturday in their final workout and seeking options to get the field into playable condition, the US Soccer Federation made the final decision to cancel the match. “We extend our sincere apologies to those fans who were scheduled to attend,” US Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe said. “Player safety is our ... priority at all times and after a thorough inspection throughout the day, we determined it was in the best interest for both teams to not play the match.”
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups. “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
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