TABLE TENNIS
Taiwanese pair victorious
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Chen Szu-yu were victorious in the mixed doubles final at the World Table Tennis Contender Muscat yesterday, defeating Japan’s Miwa Harimoto and Sora Matsushima 3-1. After a strong start in the first game, Lin and Chen led 6-1, but they faced stiffer competition for the remainder of the game, at one point falling behind by two points. However, Lin’s strong forehand prevailed and the Taiwanese pair took the first game 11-7. They lost the second game 16-18, despite having a 10-7 lead, but bounced back to cinch the third game 11-8 and the fourth 11-4.
Photo: World Table Tennis
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu loses
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday exited in the semi-finals at the Korea Open at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center. Wu and partner Irina Khromacheva of Russia were beaten 6-3, 6-1 by Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US and Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic at the US$259,303 hardcourt tournament. Mattek-Sands and Bouzkova face Thai pair Peangtarn Plipuech and Luksika Kumkhum in today’s final.
SOCCER
Three teams qualify
Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored twice on Friday to help France and Portugal secure spots at next year’s European Championship, with Belgium also clinching a berth in Germany. The three European powerhouses all needed a win to qualify for the tournament and their star strikers made sure they got them. France beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Group B, Portugal beat Slovakia 3-2 in Group J and Belgium defeated Austria 3-2 in Group F. In other games, Azerbaijan beat Estonia 2-0, Greece downed Ireland 2-0, Iceland and Luxembourg drew 1-1, and Bosnia and Herzegovina downed Liechtenstein 2-0.
CRICKET
Argentina demolish Chile
Argentina openers Lucia Taylor and Albertina Galan on Friday combined for 350-run partnership as Chile’s bowlers took a hammering in the first of three women’s T20Is in Buenos Aires. The home side rampaged to 427-1 in 20 overs batting first, the highest score in T20Is for men or women. The next-highest women’s total was Bahrain’s 318-1 against Saudi Arabia last year. Taylor made 169 from 84 deliveries before she was bowled by Jessica Miranda (1-64), while Galan finished unbeaten on 145 off 84. Maria Castineiras scored 40 from 16. Argentina hit no sixes, but were gifted 73 extras from a bye, eight wides and 64 no-balls. Florencia Martinez, one of Chile’s seven debutants in the match, conceded 52 runs in her only over, which contained 17 no-balls. Constanza Oyarce went for 92 runs in four overs. Esperanza Rubio (0-57) was the most economical. With the bat, Miranda (27) was the only Chile player to make double figures, while Argentina added 29 to the tally of extras as the visitors were bowled out for 63 in the 15th over, losing by 364 runs. The second match is scheduled for today.
Taiwan’s Lee Hao-yu on Friday went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, becoming the 19th Taiwan-born player to reach the big leagues. The Tigers ultimately lost 1-0 in 10 innings, ending their six-game winning streak. The 23-year-old started at third base and batted eighth for Detroit. He was promoted from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the four-game series against the Red Sox at the latter’s home stadium, replacing injured utility player Zach McKinstry. “Being right-handed, and given our schedule, I think six of the next 12 games are going to
Matheus Cunha on Saturday fired Manchester United toward the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea, while Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defense ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins. United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons, but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under interim manager
Denmark’s double Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen, long a rival of Taiwan’s former world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen, yesterday announced his retirement at age 32, saying back problems meant he could no longer “compete and train at the highest level.” Axelsen, who won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and again in Paris in 2024, had back surgery in April last year and said he had not overcome his physical issues. “Accepting this situation has been incredibly difficult,” he said in a statement. “But I have now reached a point where my body won’t allow me to continue.” Axelsen retires as one
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis. The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League respectively meant no Italian teams are left in European competition this season. Italy’s last remaining UEFA Champions League contenders, Atalanta BC, went out in the round of 16 last month. It is the first time since the 1986-1987 campaign that Italian clubs
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