TENNIS
Tsitsipas stuns Djokovic
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was stunned at the Shanghai Masters by Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets yesterday. The 21-year-old has now defeated all the “Big Three” this year — Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — and faces Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals today. He recovered from losing the opening three games in just seven minutes to shock the reigning champion 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Medvedev tamed self-styled “wild horse” Fabio Fognini 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Alexander Zverev faces either Dominic Thiem or Matteo Berrettini, who were still playing at press time last night, in the other semi-final after he also staged an upset, beating Federer 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.
MOTORSPORT
Haas’ Steiner fined
Haas Formula One team principal Guenther Steiner was fined 7,500 euros (US$8,250) yesterday and warned about his behavior for calling a race steward “stupid” and “idiotic” at the end of the Russian Grand Prix two weeks ago. Steiner was hauled in front of a hearing at the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday, where stewards ruled that he had caused “moral injury to FIA officials.” Steiner launched his tirade over team radio after Kevin Magnussen was given a five-second time penalty. The sanction relegated the Dane to ninth place from eighth. “If we didn’t have a stupid, idiotic steward, we would be eighth,” Steiner said. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas was quickest in practice before the Japanese Grand Prix locked down ahead of an approaching typhoon, finishing 0.1 seconds ahead of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.
BOXING
Spence crashes Ferrari
Welterweight champion Errol Spence crashed a Ferrari in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday and was badly injured, but is expected to survive, police said. The crash happened just before 3am, when Spence’s Ferrari crossed a median into oncoming traffic and flipped over several times, ejecting Spence, who was not wearing a seatbelt, police said. Spence was taken to a hospital and placed in intensive care. “Spence is awake and responding and his condition is listed as stable. He did not sustain any broken bones or fractures, but has some facial lacerations. He is expected to make a full recovery,” the Spence family said in a statement. Police said that the Ferrari was speeding at the time of the crash.
CRICKET
Kohli flays South Africa
India captain Virat Kohli hit his highest Test score to help guide the hosts toward a commanding first-innings total in the second Test against South Africa in Pune yesterday. In his 50th Test as skipper, the 30-year-old made 254 not out, his first Test ton of the year and the 26th of his career as India reached 601-5 declared. Ravindra Jadeja added to the carnage with 91 before his dismissal triggered the declaration. In reply, South Africa were in early trouble, losing Aiden Markram for no score in just the second over LBW to Umesh Yadav and then Dean Elgar to the same bowler shortly afterward for 6. The tourists reached 36-3 at the close of the second day after losing Temba Bavuma for 8, 565 runs in arrears.
South Korean giants T1, led by “Faker,” won their fifth League of Legends (LoL) world championship crown in London on Saturday, beating China’s Bilibili Gaming (BLG) in a thrilling final. The teams were locked at 2-2 at a packed O2 arena, but T1 clinched game five to make it back-to-back titles after nearly four hours of tense action. China’s BLG started strongly, taking the first game before T1 struck back to level. The Chinese team pulled ahead again at 2-1 only for their opponents to hit back again and go on to take the decider. Faker, who won the Most
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Belgian partner Elise Mertens on Monday notched up their first win in the doubles group stage of the WTA Finals in Riyadh to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russian partner Veronika Kudermetova were aiming to record their first victory after press time last night. Third seeds Hsieh and Mertens came back from a disheartening opening-day loss to Australia’s Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez to defeat top seeds Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the women’s doubles world No. 3 and 4 respectively. The 6-1, 6-3 victory at King Saud University Indoor Arena
Amber Glenn overcame a fall and her own doubts to win a maiden Grand Prix figure skating title on Saturday at the Grand Prix de France. The American skater had the lead from Friday’s short program. That and the support of the crowd got her through a tough free skate in which she fell on a triple flip and put a hand onto the ice to steady herself on two other jumps. “I didn’t feel that great out there today, but I really tried, and the audience really got me through that last half when I was doubting myself,” Glenn
WORLD SERIES: ‘The individuals that were involved in that last night was a very small segment of the east Los Angeles community,’ the Los Angeles county sheriff said Rowdy crowds took to the streets of Los Angeles after the LA Dodgers won the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series, setting a city bus on fire, breaking into stores and lighting fireworks. A dozen arrests were reported by police on Thursday, but officials said that most fans celebrated peacefully. Video showed revelers throwing objects at police in downtown LA as sirens blared and officers told them to leave the area on Wednesday night after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the MLB World Series at Giants Stadium in New York. Another video showed someone standing atop