SOCCER
Manager sorry for travel
Manchester United Women manager Casey Stoney said she was “deeply sorry” for allowing some of her players to travel to Dubai during the winter break. No player from United has tested positive for COVID-19, but their Women’s Super League game at Everton today has been postponed because of an outbreak at the Merseyside club. Casey said the break was within government guidelines, but acknowledged she had made an error in judgement. “I said before Christmas that I will always take my players’ well-being into consideration,” Stoney told British media. “I granted permission for my players to go home and see family, and to go away and have a break. I’m sincerely sorry for that because the buck stops and starts with me, and I’m responsible for that... I’ve made an error, I’ll look into it and the impact it’s had ... and I’m deeply, deeply sorry.”
TENNIS
Zverev and coach split
Alexander Zverev will head into this season looking for a new coach after splitting with Spaniard David Ferrer. Zverev added former world No. 3 Ferrer to his coaching team in the middle of last year and reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open, where he went down to Dominic Thiem after winning the first two sets. The German picked up two ATP titles in Cologne and also made the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris in an encouraging close to the season. “I would like to thank David for the months we have shared, the times on and off the court, wishing him only the best in the future,” Zverev wrote on Instagram. “I also want to thank his family for giving me the chance to spend precious weeks with David during these difficult times. I have tremendous respect for the way David played and coaches tennis.” Ferrer said that he had to make the decision before the end of last year. “I spoke to Alexander and told him that I preferred not to continue working with him in 2021,” Ferrer told tennis Web site Punto de Break. “There wasn’t a particular reason or anything; I just thought the time wasn’t right. Everything is fine between us... I’m not the right person to help Alexander at the moment.”
TENNIS
Karlovic wins at almost 42
Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, the oldest player to win an ATP Tour match since 1995, hit 27 aces on Friday to beat No. 7-seeded Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the first round of the Delray Beach Open. Karlovic, who turns 42 next month, earned his first tour victory since February last year. He already was the oldest to win on the top men’s tour since Jimmy Connors at age 42, 25 years ago.
RUGBY UNION
Coach livid over lift
Nevers coach Xavier Pemeja said that winger Josaia Raisuqe lifting the referee into the air was unacceptable after Friday’s win against Beziers. Raisuqe grabbed official Laurent Millotte by the waist and hoisted him off his feet as he celebrated their 30-25 Pro D2 victory before being sent off. “It’s intolerable. He’ll be punished by the league’s disciplinary committee,” Pemeja told Canal+ television. “I’ll deal with him. I can’t accept it. What happened at the end there it’s going to be very bad.” Raisuqe, 26, who is automatically suspended after the red card, joined the club in 2017 from top-flight Stade Francais, where he scored three tries in 11 games. In July 2017 he was sacked by the Parisian outfit after he was accused of sexual assault, which he denied.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was