TABLE TENNIS
Taiwanese win doubles title
Taiwan’s Chuang Chih-yuan and Chen Szu-yu on Saturday clinched the mixed doubles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Feeder Fremont in California after sweeping aside their US opponents in straight games. Chuang and Chen swept Americans Rachel Sung and Dan Liu 11-3, 8-3, 11-7 in a brisk 14 minutes, 33 seconds to lift their first trophy together as a pairing. Celebrations for 41-year-old Chuang were cut short when he on Sunday fell from world No. 25 to No. 88, after he was defeated by 18-year-old Hiroto Shinozuka of Japan, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 13-15, 8-11 in the men’s singles semi-finals. In women’s doubles final, Taiwan’s Cheng I-Ching and Li Yu-jhun were narrowly denied the title, after Japan’s Asuka Sasao and Sakura Mori beat them 11-9, 11-7, 11-13, 8-11, 11-9 in a tightly contested match that lasted 58 minutes, 18 seconds.
DEAFLYMPICS
Taiwanese win silver
Taiwanese Hsu Le on Sunday won the bronze medal in the women’s 100m sprint at the Summer Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, clinching Taiwan’s first track-and-field medal at the Games. The 19-year-old Hsu won the event in 12.31 seconds, slightly off the 12.18 seconds she achieved earlier in the day in the semi-final round. That run set a world record for the U20 Deaflympics in the 100m dash, beating the previous record of 12.23 seconds. Although the Games is her first international competition, she had already broken the deaf world record in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 13.19 seconds during the biennial National Athletics Championships in New Taipei City in 2020. She is also competing in the women’s 200m dash and the 100m hurdles. Her medal on Sunday brought Taiwan’s total medal count in Brazil to two silver and four bronze. Also on Sunday, Taiwanese shooters Kao Ya-ju and Liao Juei-ju lost to their South Korean opponents 16-4 in the air pistol mixed team bronze medal match.
GOLF
Taiwan’s Yu misses title
Kevin Yu on Sunday barely lost out to Brent Grant for a Korn Ferry Tour title at the Simmons Bank Open, after Grant Brent Grant birdied the par-five 18th hole for a three-under 69 and a one-shot victory over Yu. Yu, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, closed with a 71. He did not make birdie on any of the four par-fives. Zack Fischer and Vincent Norrman of Sweden each shot 67 and tied for third.
RUGBY UNION
Samoan player dies
A rugby club has been left in shock following the death of Samoan back row forward Kelly Meafua, who died after jumping from a bridge into the river Tarn in France hours after playing in a French second division match. Meafua’s club US Montauban confirmed the 32-year-old had not survived the incident in the early hours of Saturday morning despite the efforts of a teammate. The teammate, named as prop Christopher Vaotoa in French media reports, jumped into the water, but was unable to save Meafua. Vaotoa was taken to hospital with hypothermia and was discharged in good health on Saturday. The pair had reportedly been out celebrating Montauban’s 48-40 win over Narbonne just hours earlier in the team’s final home Pro D2 game of the season at Stade Sapiac.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just