CRICKET
Stokes doubtful for Ashes
All-rounder Ben Stokes looks set to miss the Ashes series against Australia later this year after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) yesterday said that he has undergone a second operation on a broken index finger. “Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the index finger of his left hand,” the ECB said in a statement. “He will now undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team.”
MOTOR RACING
Grosjean attends class
Former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean was back in class on Wednesday, passing his Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program, setting the 35-year-old Frenchman up for a shot at qualifying for Indycar racing next year. Grosjean had told his family he would not race on the more dangerous ovals after a fiery crash in Bahrain that ended his F1 career, but after an impressive first season with Dale Coyne Racing, Grosjean last month made the move to Andretti Autosport with the goal of winning the driver’s title. “You can’t go in the top 10 if you are not doing all races,” he said. “They do want me fighting for championships, they want me at the front and I feel comfortable with my decision.”
BOXING
Fury vows knockout
Tyson Fury on Wednesday vowed to knock out Deontay Wilder when the two rivals meet for the third time in Las Vegas tomorrow with the Briton’s WBC heavyweight title on the line. The undefeated Fury (30-0-1), who battled Wilder (42-1-1) to a draw in 2018 before taking the belt from the American 20 months ago, was the aggressor at the news conference, repeatedly berating the former champion. “You’re a weak man and you’re getting knocked out,” Fury said at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “Your legacy will be in tatters. Torn to bits. Finished,” he said during a heated back-and-forth near the end of the event, which led organizers to call off a planned face-off for the cameras. Wilder said that he had “nothing to lose and everything to gain” in the fight.
SAILING
Women to race in SailGP
SailGP is to include female sailors for the first time this week by adding an extra crew position aboard its foiling catamarans. The competition is in its second season and has eight crews to line up off Cadiz, Spain, this weekend for the final event of its European leg. “This is pretty groundbreaking for female sailors and the sport... I know how inspiring it would have been for me when I was young,” Britain’s Hannah Mills told reporters in Cadiz.
FOOTBALL
Pumpkin-thrower arrested
Former NFL player Terrelle Pryor was arrested on Wednesday near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment, media reports said. Pryor allegedly got into a telephone argument with a woman, before striking the woman and throwing a deck chair at her. The complaint says that he then began throwing pumpkins at the windshield of her car, although he denied hitting her.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
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