SOCCER
Bundesliga frustration
Bochum and Heidenheim are both staring relegation in the face after the struggling teams drew 0-0 in a tense Bundesliga encounter on Friday. A defeat would have condemned bottom club Bochum to the drop, but a point means it survives at least one more week. The Ruhr side remained last in the Bundesliga, equal on points with Kiel. The result was equally frustrating for Heidenheim, which remained third from bottom, four points above Bochum and Kiel, but four behind Hoffenheim, which has a game in hand.
SOCCER
Jesus leaves Al-Hilal
Jorge Jesus has left his position as Al-Hilal head coach by mutual consent, the Saudi Arabian soccer team announced yesterday. The departure of the 70-year-old veteran coach comes just four days after Al-Hilal lost the semi-final of the AFC Champions League Elite to Saudi Arabian rival Al-Ahli. Last season, Jesus, who was appointed in July 2023, led Al-Hilal on a world-record winning streak of 34 games as the Riyadh club won a record 19th Saudi Pro League title. This season, the club is six points behind leader Al-Ittihad with just five games remaining. Mohammed Al-Shalhoub is to take temporary control of the team, but it has been reported that a foreign coach would be appointed before the four-time Asian champions take on Real Madrid in its opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup on June 18.
HURDLING
Almost world records
Olympic champion Masai Russell scorched to victory with the second-fastest 100m hurdles time in history at the Grand Slam Track meeting in Miami yesterday, clocking a world leading 12.17s. The 24-year-old American star finished just ahead of compatriot Tia Jones, who was second at 12.19s — the third-fastest time in history. Russell and Jones, who benefited from a strong following wind which was just on the legal threshold of +2.0 m/s, only narrowly missed out on Tobi Amusan’s world record of 12.12s set at the World Championships in Eugene in 2022. Russell’s time was also a new US record, and also a significant improvement on her previous season best of 12.62s set in Gainesville, Florida, last month.
SOCCER
De Bruyne’s farewell goal
Kevin De Bruyne scored in his penultimate game at Etihad Stadium as Manchester City beat Wolverhampton 1-0 on Friday to climb to third in the Premier League and boost their chances of Champions League qualification. Pep Guardiola’s men, who are unbeaten in seven successive league games, provisionally climbed one spot with 64 points after 35 games. Wolves, who saw their remarkable run of six successive victories end, are 13th. Wolves had the better chances in a nervy first half before City broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Jeremy Doku worked the ball down the left before cutting it back sharply from the left-hand side to De Bruyne who side-footed it home. The 33-year-old announced last month that he would leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, making Friday his second-last game. De Bruyne, who has battled injuries the past two seasons, had expressed surprise that he had not been offered a contract extension by City, saying he still had plenty to give.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
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
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
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