TENNIS
Sinner accepts 3-month ban
Jannik Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world No. 1 admitting “partial responsibility” for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. The Feb. 9 to May 4 suspension means Sinner would be free to play in the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which begins on May 25 at Roland Garros. In a statement, Sinner said that the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted that he “had no intent and did not derive any competitive advantage from the two positive tests” of the banned substance. Australian Open champion Sinner has always said that clostebol entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut before providing a massage and sports therapy. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” Australian player Nick Kyrgios wrote on X of the ruling.
Photo: EPA-EFE
SOCCER
Amorim reflects on layoffs
Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim said his team’s faltering fortunes on the pitch are partly responsible for the job cuts which have swept through Old Trafford. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos company came under fire for shedding about one-quarter of United’s staff over the summer, with more redundancies planned as they seek to reduce losses that totaled ￡300 million (US$377.85 million) over the past three years. Ticket prices have also gone up and Amorim, whose team are languishing in 14th place in the English Premier League, said the first team cannot shy away from their part in the problems. “I think it’s really important for us in the first team, coaches and players, not to ignore that,” the United head coach said. “People are losing their jobs, so we have to acknowledge that, and the biggest problem is the football team because we spend the money, we are not winning, we are not in Champions League, so the revenues are not the same.”
Photo: Reuters
BIATHLON
Thingnes Boe breaks record
Johannes Thingnes Boe’s blistering win in the men’s 10km sprint on Saturday made him the most successful biathlete at the World Championships as he eclipsed Norwegian compatriot Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, and he might not be done yet. The 31-year-old was tied with Bjoerndalen on 20 gold medals before his latest victory, and although he has said he would retire at the end of the season, there are still plenty of races left for him at the current championships to add to his tally before he skis off into the sunset as one of the sport’s greats. “It feels amazing. What a fantastic day, one of my best sprints ever. Getting the 21st victory in the World Championships to make history in my last championships here is unbelievably good. I don’t think I could have had a more perfect competition, and I could not be happier today,” he said. “Being able to pass Ole Einar Bjoerndalen himself is a big milestone, in my book at least.” Thingnes Boe hit all of his 10 shots and was more than 27 seconds faster than New Zealand-born American silver medalist Campbell Wright to pass Bjoerndalen, who was known as the “King of Biathlon,” in terms of gold medals.
Photo: AP
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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