TENNIS
Hsieh wins Prague opener
Taiwanese star Hsieh Su-wei and partner Tsao Chia-yi on Monday won the women’s doubles opener at the Prague Open as they prepare for the opening of the Paris Games. The third seeds defeated the Czech Republic’s Miriam Kolodziejova and Jesika Maleckova 5-7, 6-1, 10-4 to advance to the quarter-finals. The Taiwanese are to face the winners of yesterday’s match, Estelle Cascino of France and Tang Qianhui of China against Elixane Lechemia of France and Astra Sharma of Australia. Women’s Olympic doubles start on Saturday, the day after the Prague Open ends. Chan Hao-ching and her sister, Latisha Chan, are also to compete in Paris.
OLYMPICS
Snoop Dogg to carry torch
US rapper Snoop Dogg is to be among the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame in the final stretch before the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday. Snoop Dogg, 52, is to carry the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis, the underprivileged northern Paris suburb that is home to the Stade de France Olympic Stadium, Saint-Denis Mayor Mathieu Hanotin wrote on X. “Saint Denis: last step before the Eiffel Tower. An international cast @SnoopDogg for the last stretch of the Olympic Flame,” Hanotin wrote. The rapper, who is also contributing to NBC coverage of the Games, is better known in the sports world for his Snoop Youth Football League. The championship game is called the “Snooper Bowl.” Other torchbearers in Saint-Denis on Friday include French actress Laetitia Casta and French rapper MC Solaar.
BASKETBALL
Miami win Summer League
Pelle Larsson on Monday broke a tie by scoring from the lane in overtime to give Miami a 120-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and hand the Heat their first NBA Summer League championship. “Coach [Dan Bisaccio] drew up a great play we’ve run in practice a bunch of times,” Larsson said. “They did a good job guarding it. We have shooters everywhere and they want to help, and I just made it.” It was the highest-scoring game in championship history and just the second one to go into overtime. The Los Angeles Lakers’ 110-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in 2017 had the previous record for total points in the Summer League final. Just the year before, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 84-82 for the only other final to reach OT. Under Summer League overtime rules, both teams played to a target score rather than under a clock. That score was set at 120 points.
CYCLING
No more Tours: Cavendish
British cyclist Mark Cavendish has confirmed that he has competed in his last Tour de France, having finally broken the all-time record for most stage wins at the Tour. Cavendish had been level on 34 stage wins with Eddy Merckx since 2021, but this year he sprinted to victory on stage five to make the record his own, and now the 39-year-old can bow out in style. “I think now it’s time. I’ve done 15 Tours de France and I’ve created some incredible memories of the Tour de France,” Cavendish said. “This race has given me a life I could only dream of. It’s given me the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.”
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
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