NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson bows out
Jimmie Johnson strode into the final news conference of his NASCAR career wearing a black hat reading: “One Final Shot.” Told he was the first driver in the room after Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had a quick response. “I won something this year,” he said. Johnson closed out one of the greatest careers in NASCAR history by finishing fifth at Phoenix — first among the drivers not in the Cup playoffs. The 45-year-old spent some of the final moments in his No. 48 car pumping his fist and shouting from the window at his Hendricks Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott after the 24-year-old won his first Cup championship. “It was nice to be competitive out there, but my bucket’s full,” Johnson said. “NASCAR has been so wonderful for me. This journey has been more than I could have dreamed of or expected. Last couple years weren’t as I would have dreamed up, but I’ve experienced the highest of highs and worked with the greatest of people.” Johnson, who is sixth on NASCAR’s all-time win list with 83 victories, plans to turn his focus to the IndyCar Series.
CRICKET
Delhi head to IPL final
The Delhi Capitals on Sunday advanced to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final after a 17-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. After choosing to bat first in the second qualifier, Delhi posted 189-3 with Hyderabad managing 172-8 in reply. Delhi face defending champions the Mumbai Indians in today’s final in Dubai. “This has been a roller coaster,” Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer said. “A lot of ups and downs. We have stuck together like a family.” Mumbai, the most successful team in IPL history, are playing for a record-extending fifth title.
CYCLING
Roglic hints at hat-trick
Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic hinted he might try for a third consecutive success at the Vuelta a Espana after winning the race for the second time in as many years on Sunday. Team Jumbo-Visma’s Roglic became the first rider to defend the Vuelta since Roberto Heras in 2005, with Germany’s Pascal Ackermann clinching the 18th and final stage victory in Madrid. “It’s beautiful to be on the podium again... It’s nice to win the red and green jersey at the end of my season,” Roglic said. “So thank you very much and see you next year.”
TENNIS
Kyrgios ‘was in a dark place’
Australian Nick Kyrgios has opened up on his battle with depression and said that returning to live with his parents in Canberra during the COVID-19 pandemic this year has been good for his mind and soul. Kyrgios, who started seeing a psychologist in 2018, has been criticized for not caring enough about his tennis career. “I felt like no one wanted to know me as a person; they wanted to get a hold of me as a tennis player and use me,” Kyrgios told Stellar magazine. “I didn’t feel like I could trust anyone. It was a lonely, dark place.” Kyrgios, 25, recalled a time in Shanghai when he “didn’t want to see the light of day.” “There are people who live and breathe tennis and that’s fine. I’m not saying that’s wrong or right,” he said. “I’ve reached a level of freedom in my life that I really don’t care what anyone thinks of me.”
SWEEP THE LEG: Poirier, determined to best McGregor, after losing to him in 2014, used low calf kicks to throw ‘Notorious’ off his stand-up game, before dropping him American underdog Dustin Poirier yesterday shook up the world of mixed martial arts, beating up the legs of Irish superstar Conor McGregor before knocking him out at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. “I’m happy, but I’m not surprised. I put in the work,” Poirier said, after the referee stepped in after 2 minutes, 32 seconds of the second round to save McGregor from further damage, after he was dropped by a fierce combination of punches. The 32-year-old Poirier was ranked second in the flyweight division going into the fight, but still rated a heavy underdog by bookmakers to beat his fourth-ranked opponent,
LOOKING TO REPEAT: World No. 7 Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin advanced to the round-of-16 at the Toyota Thailand Open, after winning the Yonex Thailand Open on Sunday Taiwan’s world No. 7 duo yesterday eased past the US’ world No. 37 pairing at the Toyota Thailand Open to reach the round-of-16 in Bangkok. Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin beat Phillip Chew and Ryan Chew 21-14, 21-11 in just 24 minutes. Lee and Wang, who won the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Thailand Open on Sunday, next face the world No. 34 pairing, Canada’s Jason Anthony Ho-Shue and Nyl Yakura. In men’s singles, Taiwan’s world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen again beat Thailand’s world No. 45 Suppanyu Avihingsanon, after edging past the Thai player in the opening round of the Yonex
HOLDING STEADY: Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying pushed past Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to advance to a quarter-finals match against world No. 10 Michelle Li Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen and Wang Tzu-wei yesterday defeated their respective opponents in the second round of the Toyota Thailand Open, setting them up to face each other today in the quarter-finals. In an early match, world No. 12 Wang took 45 minutes to defeat Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka-long 21-13, 21-11. Last week, the world No. 8 ousted Wang from the Yonex tournament before defeating Chou in the semi-finals. Chou, world No. 2, defeated France’s Brice Leverdez in 48 minutes 21-19, 21-16. In other men’s singles matches, Indonesia’s fifth seed Anthony Ginting suffered an unexpected defeat to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk-yiu, who moved into
MARIN REMATCH: Tai Tzu-ying saved six game points in her semi-final against Ratchanok Intanon, who went into the match with a superior head-to-head record Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying reached the final of badminton’s Thailand Open yesterday with a three-set win over Ratchanok Intanon, setting up a rematch against Carolina Marin. Tai won 12-21, 21-12, 23-21 in 59 minutes to set up her second final against Marin in two weeks, while Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin advanced to the final in the men’s doubles. However, Chou Tien-chen was eliminated in the semi-finals of the men’s singles. Tai saved six game points in the win against her Thai opponent Intanon, who went into the match with a superior head-to-head record against the Taiwanese world No. 1. Tai’s best streak was a
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