TENNIS
Taiwanese advance in Dubai
Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and partner Giuliana Olmos of Mexico on Monday eased through the first round of the women’s doubles at the Dubai Open to set up a round-of-16 match against Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri. Seventh seeds Chan and Olmos beat Magda Linette of Poland and Romania’s Monica Niculescu 1-6, 6-2, 10-4, while Wu and Eikeri downed Russia’s Anastasia Potapova and Vera Zvonareva 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 10-6. Top seeds Hsieh Su-wei and and Belgian partner Elise Mertens, fresh off their history-making Australian Open victory last month, earned a bye to the round of 16, where they are to play Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
SOCCER
Ito sues accusers
Japan international player Junya Ito is suing two women who accused him of sexual assault for ￥200 million (US$1.33 million) in damages, his lawyer said. The 30-year-old winger, who plays for French club Stade de Reims, is under investigation by Japanese police over the alleged incident in Osaka last year. He denies any wrongdoing. Ito’s lawyer, Hirotaro Kato, told reporters on Monday, that is “extremely important to restore his honor as soon as possible, as a period of a player’s career is limited.” Local media reports said Ito’s physical trainer has also been accused. A report about the accusations against Ito was published in a Japanese magazine while he was at the Asian Cup in Qatar last month. He left the Japan squad before their quarter-final against Iran.
SOCCER
Roy Hodgson steps down
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson on Monday stepped down less than a year into his second stint at the Premier League club, with Oliver Glasner appointed as his replacement. The former Liverpool and England boss guided Palace to safety last season, but results this term have not met expectations with the South London club 16th in the table. Former Eintracht Frankfurt manager Glasner has signed a deal to become Palace boss until the end of the 2025-2026 season. Hodgson’s decision follows back-to-back losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea. The 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Selhurst Park marked the 76-year-old’s 200th match in charge of Palace.
OLYMPICS
Rider escapes punishment
Australian equestrian Shane Rose on Monday escaped punishment for wearing a “mankini” during a showjumping competition, allowing him to resume preparations for this summer’s Paris Olympics. The three-time Olympic medalist slipped into the fluorescent orange outfit — popularized in the movie Borat — during an event at Wallaby Hill near Sydney earlier this month where riders were encouraged to wear fancy dress. It sparked a complaint to Equestrian Australia, but the governing body opted not to sanction the 50-year-old after a groundswell of public support for the rider. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was happy he could again focus on his Olympic preparations. “It’s a great relief to get it to happen and prepare for Paris as best I can,” said Rose, who also posted an offer of free mankinis on his Facebook page.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
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