TABLE TENNIS
Cheng, Li make final
Taiwan women’s doubles pair Cheng I-ching and Li Yu-jhun yesterday beat Hong Kong’s Zhu Chengzhu and Doo Hoi Kem 3-1 in their semi-final at the WTT Contender Amman. Cheng and Li face Prithika Pavade and Camille Lutz of France in today’s final after the Taiwanese pair’s 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 win in the semis at the Sport Palace Hall in Jordan’s capital. Cheng and Li on Friday advanced with a 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6) victory over Sarah de Nutte and Ni Xialian of Luxembourg. World No. 31 Cheng and world No. 86 Li defeated De Nutte and Ni in only 10 minutes, 31 seconds. In the women’s singles on Friday, Cheng lost to world No. 6 Mima Ito of Japan 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-9 in the round of 16.
RUGBY UNION
Women to get contracts
Players in Australia’s women’s team are to receive centralized part-time contracts from Rugby Australia for the 2023 season as the nation moves toward a fully professional program ahead of hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029. Rugby Australia yesterday announced that more than A$2 million (US$1.4 million) of additional funding is to be injected into the sport for the coming campaign, with up to 35 players to be centrally contracted. “Australia hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029 presents us with a great target for women’s rugby,” Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said.
TENNIS
Isner wins 500th tiebreak
The US’ John Isner on Friday entered the ATP Tour record books by becoming the first man to win 500 tour-level tiebreaks in his 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 victory over Emilio Gomez in the Dallas Open quarter-finals. Isner’s 500 career tiebreak victories put him 34 ahead of Swiss great Roger Federer on the Open Era list, with Pete Sampras (328) third. Andy Roddick (303) and 22-time Grand Slam champions Novak Djokovic (299) and Rafael Nadal (263) are also in the top 10. “I’ve won a lot of tiebreaks in my career and in the first set I won a big number of them: 500 of them,” Isner said in his on-court interview in front of his home crowd. “I’m very glad I didn’t have to win 501.”
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Ferrari’s F1 fortunes might be flagging, but the Italian team start this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans as favorites, targeting a third consecutive triumph in motorsport’s fabled endurance classic. Roger Federer is acting as celebrity starter with the tennis icon getting the 93rd edition of the jewel in four-wheeled endurance racing’s crown under way tomorrow. Twenty-four hours later, through daylight, darkness and dawn, the 21 elite hypercars are to battle it out over 300 laps (more than 4,000km) in front of a sold-out 320,000 crowd burning the midnight oil with copious quantities of coffee and beer. Ferrari made a triumphant return after
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