SOCCER
Ten Hag rues lapse
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on Wednesday said that his side had failed to maintain their intensity in their 1-1 UEFA Europa League draw with Dutch side Twente and should have pushed to finish the visitors off before they had the chance to equalize. Christian Eriksen put United ahead in the first half at Old Trafford, but was at fault for Twente’s equalizer in the 68th minute, when a lapse of concentration allowed Sam Lammers to steal the ball and score. “We kept them alive, we were 1-0 up, controlling the game,” Ten Hag told reporters. “You have to be consistent and keep going in the second half, we dropped the level and gave the goal away.” In other games, Alkmaar beat IF Elfsborg 3-2, Bodo/Glimt downed Porto 3-2, Galatasaray beat PAOK 3-1, Midtjylland and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim drew 1-1, Dynamo Kyiv lost 3-0 against SS Lazio, Ludogorets were defeated 2-0 by Slavia Prague, OGC Nice and Real Sociedad drew 1-1 and RSC Anderlecht beat Ferencvaros TC 2-1.
Photo: EPA-EFE
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu advances
Tony Wu yesterday beat Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan in a walkover to advance to the quarter-finals at the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand. Yevseyev was trailing 6-4, 6-1 in the second set of their round-of-16 match when he called a halt. Wu is to play Dalibor Svrcina of the Czech Republic today for a place in the semis. In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Ray Ho and British partner Joshua Paris lost 6-4, 2-6, 10-7 in the quarter-finals to Australian duo Blake Bayldon and Thomas Fancutt.
OLYMPICS
Toyota ends sponsorship
Toyota Motor chairman Akio Toyoda yesterday said that the company would not renew its 10-year contract as a top sponsor for the Olympics and Paralympics following the Paris Games. The world’s biggest automaker, which had already suggested it would not renew the contract when it expired, would continue to financially support athletes, Toyoda said on the company-owned media channel.
RUGBY UNION
Beauden Barrett to start
New Zealand veteran Beauden Barrett yesterday was recalled to start at flyhalf in the second Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia in Wellington. Damian McKenzie, who has started all eight games in the No. 10 shirt for New Zealand this season, drops to the bench for tomorrow’s clash. Barrett, 33, is to make his 131st appearance for the All Blacks, who retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 31-28 win over Australia in Sydney last week. Coach Scott Robertson told reporters he had always planned to start with Barrett. McKenzie “has started every game until now and we’ve got to give guys opportunities,” he said Robertson backed McKenzie to have an impact off the bench. “He’s had a great season to date. There’s areas of his game he can get better, but he can come on and game-manage what we need to do to finish the match.”
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
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