SOCCER
Ronaldo stretches streak
Cristiano Ronaldo stretched his goal-scoring streak to six consecutive league games as Juventus took top spot in Serie A on Sunday with a 2-1 win over AS Roma, whose defeat was made worse by a cruciate ligament injury that rising star Nicolo Zaniolo sustained. Juventus moved two points ahead of Inter after going two goals up in just 10 minutes in Rome. “We were very good for 60 minutes. Then, if you play against Roma, it is almost inevitable to suffer in the end,” Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri said. Defender Merih Demiral found a way through after three minutes when he connected with a Paulo Dybala free-kick. Minutes later Argentine Dybala was hauled down in the box and Ronaldo stepped up to convert from the spot to make it nine goals in six league games. Zaniolo was stretchered off in tears eight minutes before the break after sustaining a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Zaniolo, who is considered one of Italy’s most exciting young talents and was a rare bright point for Roma in a torrid first half, was to undergo surgery yesterday. “I swear to you ... I’ll be stronger than before,” the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram. Earlier, Alejandro Berenguer struck the only goal as Torino beat Bologna to climb to seventh, while Hellas Verona won 2-1 over Genoa. Elsewhere, UC Sampdoria thrashed Brescia 5-1, ACF Fiorentina beat SPAL 1-0 and Udinese beat US Sassuolo 3-0.
SOCCER
City dominant over Villa
Manchester City delivered a supremely dominant team performance to beat Aston Villa 6-1 on Sunday and take second place in the Premier League. Sergio Aguero became the league’s all-time top-scoring foreign player on 177 goals and scorer of most hat-tricks by any player with 12 as the whole City team shone in yet another big win. “I’m so happy for the record, but I thank my teammates, because they helped me this year,” Aguero said. Aguero scored three goals and had an assist for Riyad Mahrez, who scored two in a game for the first time in 16 months. Gabriel Jesus scored off a cross from Kevin de Bruyne, whose 14 assists this season are six more than any other player in the Premier League. Anwar el-Ghazi scored from a penalty for Villa. Elsewhere, Watford beat AFF Bournemouth 3-0.
BADMINTON
Momota hurt in fatal crash
Badminton world No. 1 Kento Momota was injured in a pre-dawn fatal vehicle collision in Malaysia yesterday, just hours after he secured his first victory of the season at the Malaysia Masters. The Japanese shuttler and three others were thought to have been on their way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport when the hired van they were in rammed into the rear of a 30-tonne truck, according to statements from the police and a local fire department. The driver of the van was killed in the crash and his body had to be cut free from the wreckage. Police and the Malaysian Badminton Association (BAM) said that in addition to Momota, the three others involved in the incident were his physiotherapist, his assistant coach and a Badminton World Federation official. The association said in a statement that Momota sustained multiple lacerations to his face and a fractured nose.
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
REUNION: Former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano are to face their former coach Luis Enrique Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalizing reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase. Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot. They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards. Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the
Dale Earnhardt Jr might already be NASCAR’s most popular crew chief. He is certainly an undefeated one. Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt on Saturday called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet, as they landed in victory lane in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. “It felt good to have some input and decisionmaking power,” Earnhardt said. “And then helping Connor understand what our plan was so he knew when to push and what he was expected to do.” Earnhardt — who won NASCAR’s most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his
Taiwanese women’s doubles star Hsieh Su-wei and Australian teenager Maya Joint on Tuesday eased into the Eastbourne Open quarter-finals in England as Hsieh prepares for the Wimbledon Championships next week. Four-time Wimbledon women’s doubles champion Hsieh and 19-year-old Joint fired two aces and converted five of eight break points to defeat Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter 6-3, 6-3 in 58 minutes on the grass court. Hsieh and Joint are today to face fourth seeds Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, who advanced on Monday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Quinn Gleason of the US and
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