TENNIS
French Open pushed back
The French Open has been delayed by one week because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said yesterday. The clay-court Grand Slam tournament was set to start on May 23, but first-round matches would now get under way on May 30. The French Tennis Federation said that the decision was taken to maximize chances that the event would be played “in front of as many spectators as possible” in a safe environment.
CRICKET
Zaman, Azam lead Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman hit his second successive century and captain Babar Azam made 94 to set up a 28-run win for Pakistan in the series-deciding third and final one-day international against South Africa in Centurion on Wednesday. South Africa’s chances of chasing down Pakistan’s total of 320-7 were effectively snuffed out by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who took three wickets in successive overs to reduce the hosts to 140-5 in the 28th over. Batsman Kyle Verreynne (62) and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo (54) put on 108 off 100 balls for the sixth wicket, but both were dismissed in the space of seven balls as South Africa were bowled out for 292. Azam said that Pakistan wanted to continue winning when they go into a four-match Twenty20 series, which is to start in Johannesburg tomorrow. “It’s a confidence game and we gained a lot of confidence,” he said. “We will take that and try and win the T20 series.”
SOCCER
Wenger backs offside system
FIFA would be ready to implement an automated system for offside calls at next year’s World Cup in Qatar, FIFA head of global development Arsene Wenger said. The International Football Association Board last month said that it was continuing to review the offside law and planned to test technology that would allow for “semiautomatic” decisions to limit the need for long waits for video reviews. However, Wenger said that he supported the “automated” offside technology, which directly informs a referee’s assistant if an incident is offside. “I’m pushing very hard to have the automated offsides, which means straight away the signal goes to the linesman,” he said. “On average, the time we have to wait is around 70 seconds, sometimes 1 minute and 20 seconds... It is so important because we see many celebrations are canceled after that for marginal situations.”
GYMNASTICS
Biles hints Paris possible
US superstar Simone Biles on Wednesday said that she might reconsider her decision to retire after this year’s Tokyo Olympics, hinting that she might yet compete at the 2024 Paris Games as a specialist. Speaking to reporters at the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s virtual media summit, she said that her French coaches, Laurent and Cecile Landi, had persuaded her to keep her options open. “Right now my main focus is Tokyo,” Biles said. “After that I have a tour that we’ve put together around the US. I’m really excited to do that. Afterwards, I’m not so sure. Cecile and Laurent are from Paris, so they’ve kind of guilted me into coming back as a specialist. But the main goal is the Olympics first, then the tour, and then we’ll have to see.”
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but