TENNIS
Taiwan’s Chans advance
Taiwanese pair Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching advanced at the WTA Chicago Women’s Open on Wednesday, but Hsieh Su-wei was knocked out in the singles. The No. 2-seeded Chan sisters had a doubles quarter-final walkover against US duo Claire Liu and Hailey Baptiste and after press time last night were to play in the semis against Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Makoto Ninomiya of Japan, who advanced with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over Poland’s Alicja Rosolska and Eri Hozumi of Japan. Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic eliminated Hsieh 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the round-of-16.
TENNIS
Serena Williams withdraws
Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s US Open after the American said on Wednesday that her torn hamstring had not completely healed ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year. She joined sister Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin as others in the women’s singles draws who will miss the tournament.
MOTORSPORT
Alonso to stay with Alpine
Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso is to stay at the Alpine F1 team next season, the team announced yesterday. Alonso is to race alongside French teammate Esteban Ocon for a second term following his new deal.
RUGBY UNION
Trio to miss Test
All Blacks captain Sam Whitelock, and first-choice halves Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith have been left out of the traveling squad for next week’s Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Perth, with the players’ wives expecting babies. Hooker Codie Taylor is expected to lead the side against Australia at Perth Stadium.
SOCCER
Infantino seeks releases
The English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga should release players for World Cup qualifiers next month to “preserve and protect sporting integrity,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday. The Premier League has refused to release players headed to countries on the UK’s “red list” due to strict COVID-19 quarantine rules on their return, while La Liga supported its clubs in refusing to release players for qualifiers in South America.
CRICKET
Ted Dexter dies
Former England captain Ted Dexter has died after a recent illness, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) said yesterday. He was 86. Dexter, nicknamed “Lord Ted,” was an aggressive batsman and part-time seam bowler who played 62 Tests for England after making his debut in 1958 against New Zealand. He captained England and Sussex in the early 1960s. “After a recent illness, he passed away peacefully in the Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton at midday yesterday [Wednesday], surrounded by his family,” the MCC said in a statement. “Ted was a cherished husband, father and grandfather and one of England’s greatest ever cricketers. He was captain in 30 of his 62 Test matches and played the game with the same sense of adventure and fun that captures much of the story of his remarkable life.”
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Ben O’Connor won Thursday’s monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar responded to attacks from Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogacar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than 4 minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion. Stage 18 featured three extremely difficult ascents, including the 26.4km climb of the Col de La Loze to the finish. At 2,304m, La Loze is the highest summit in this year’s Tour. Two
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
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