SOCCER
Coach quits Lens
Will Still has left his role as head coach of Ligue 1 side RC Lens to be closer to his family in the UK, the Belgium-born Englishman announced on Saturday. The 32-year-old former Reims manager joined Lens on a three-year contract in June last year and helped them secure an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1 this season. “I will not be the coach of Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season,” Still told reporters after Lens’ 4-0 home victory over AS Monaco. “The main reason behind my decision is that I need to go back home. It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife, for her well-being,” he said. Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders, Still’s partner, revealed she had encephalitis, a brain infection, in March.
Photo: AFP
RUGBY
Alev Kelter faces ban
US rugby star Alev Kelter is to face a judicial hearing and potentially a lengthy ban after being sent off in a women’s rugby test against Australia on Saturday for stamping on the head of an opponent. Kelter received a straight red card in the 79th minute of the Pacific Four Series test after referee Aimee Barrett-Theron reviewed footage that showed her stamping forcefully on the head of Australian center Georgie Friedrichs. In comments captured by television microphones, Barrett-Theron said: “12 blue [Kelter] is going to receive a permanent red card because this is thuggery, it is deliberate and it is very dangerous foul play.” Friedrichs was not seriously injured in the incident. Foul play in rugby that involves contact with the head is treated with extreme seriousness. Australia won the match 27-19.
TENNIS
Gauff eyes redemption
World No. 3 Coco Gauff is hoping the third time would be the charm for her when it comes to tournament finals on clay this season, as she heads into the French Open having fallen short in back-to-back finals on the surface this month. Gauff, who is guaranteed to move up to No. 2 in the rankings, lost 6-4, 6-2 to home favorite Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s Italian Open final, after going down to Aryna Sabalenka at the Madrid Open final earlier this month. “Hopefully I can get to the final in Roland Garros and maybe the ‘third time is a charm’ thing is a real thing,” Gauff told reporters after her second loss in a WTA 1000 final. Gauff struggled with unforced errors during the Italian Open, making more than 70 in her semi-final win over Zheng Qinwen and 55 on Saturday, giving Paolini a significant edge. The main draw of the French Open begins on Sunday.
SOCCER
Nice clinch fourth place
OGC Nice beat Brest 6-0 to secure UEFA Champions League qualification on the final night of the French season on Saturday, as Saint-Etienne were condemned to relegation to the second tier. Paris Saint-Germain had already clinched the title, while Marseille and Monaco wrapped up qualification for Europe’s elite club competition before the campaign reached its climax. However, one more spot at the continent’s top table remained up for grabs on the last day with fourth-placed Nice in pole position to take it if they could hold off the challengers of Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon. The Ineos-owned club made sure of a top-four place by crushing Brest 6-0 on the Cote d’Azur with Gaetan Laborde scoring twice.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
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