BADMINTON
Taiwanese duo win final
Taiwan’s He Zhi-wei and Huang Jui-hsuan yesterday beat Indonesia’s Raymond Indra and Patra Harapan Rindorindo 16-21, 21-19, 21-18 to win the men’s doubles at the Vietnam Open. The Taiwanese pair made the finals with a walkover on Saturday after Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami withdrew from the semi-final. The BWF Super 100 tournament, which started on Tuesday last week at the Nguyen Du Club in Ho Chi Minh City, had a total purse of US$100,000.
TENNIS
Chan exits Seoul singles
Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching on Saturday crashed out of the Korea Open women’s singles qualifiers, losing 6-1, 6-1 to 12th seed Kyoka Okamura of Japan. Chan and her Russian partner Veronika Kudermetova are tomorrow to start their women’s doubles campaign against Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia and Britain’s Olivia Nicholls. Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Chinese partner Jiang Xinyu are today to play Nao Hibino of Japan and Priscilla Hon of Australia. Meanwhile at the Thailand Open in Hua Hin, Taiwan’s Liang En-shou yesterday crashed out of the second day of qualifying in the women’s singles, losing 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, after beating Thailand’s Kamonwan Yodpetch 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday. Liang and Chinese partner Tang Qianhui are tomorrow to play Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and Feng Shuo of China in the first round of the women’s doubles.
RUNNING
Misoi, Edesa smash records
Kenya’s Brimin Misoi and Ethiopian star Workenesh Edesa Gurmesa yesterday smashed the Sydney Marathon course record to win the men’s and women’s races respectively. Misoi sliced 46 seconds off the previous best set two years ago by compatriot Moses Kibet, crossing the line in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds after making his break from the leading pack at the 30km mark. Edesa, world No. 10, was even more impressive, shattering the old record of 2:24:33 set five years ago by Kenyan Stella Barsosio by almost 3 minutes.
RUGBY UNION
Japan sweep Samoa
Japan yesterday set up a Pacific Nations Cup final showdown with defending champions Fiji after sweeping aside Samoa with a rampant 49-27 win in Tokyo. Japan scored four tries in the first half and three in the second to give Eddie Jones his third straight win after a tricky start to his second stint as head coach. Jones would hope to keep the streak going in next weekend’s final in Osaka against Fiji, who beat the US in the first semi-final.
HOBBY-HORSING
Germany hosts tournament
Germany on Saturday and yesterday held its first hobby-horsing championship in Frankfurt, with about 300 young riders competing in time jumping, style jumping and dressage on their wooden stick horses in front of 1,500 spectators. The competition is part of a growing wave of hobby-horsing events internationally. “Hobby-horsing just gives me self-confidence and I just enjoy doing it with other people,” said Max Gohde, a 15-year-old competitor from Gifhorn, Germany, who has been practicing since 2020. “And now there’s also this atmosphere here, where everyone is just happy for you, and I think that’s just really cool.”
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
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