Page 1002 - Sports
Pliskova stuns Wozniacki at WTA Finals
Seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic stunned fifth-seeded defending champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2, 6-3 in a clash between the former world No. 1s in the White Group of the WTA Finals here.
Athletic Bilbao, Eibar draw in La Liga clash
Eibar and Athletic Bilbao battled to a 1-1 draw in their La Liga clash at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium.
Saina Nehwal thanks team for Denmark Open efforts
Former world number one Saina Nehwal, who settled for a silver medal in the recently-concluded Denmark Open, has thanked her entire team for supporting her throughout the tournament.The 28-year-old shuttler posted a picture of her team on Twitter, expressing happiness over the results."I would like to thank the team for the amazing week I had in Denmark open ???? ... Happy with result here and ready to fight again next week at the French open . @ArvindDNigam4 @parupallik #siyaduth... also would like to thank Gopi sir and kiran sir (physio) for their efforts," she wrote.Nehwal had slumped to a 13-21, 21-13, 6-21 defeat at the hands of Tai Tzu-Ying of Taiwan in the final of the Denmark Open.She will next appear in the 2018 French Open starting October 23.
Good luck to Barcelona and Real Madrid for taking Neymar away: Marquinhos
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker Marquinhos sarcastically wished good luck to Barcelona and Real Madrid in their attempt to take away his teammate Neymar.This comes after both the clubs, reportedly, showed interest in signing the Brazilian footballer. Neymar, however, had dismissed the reports on social media terming them as "fake news.""I wish Real Madrid and Barcelona the best of luck in their attempt to bring Neymar away from here," goal.com quoted Marquinhos, as saying."He has even denied it on social media so I can't speak for him, you should ask him," he added.Meanwhile, PSG head coach Thomas Tuchel also rubbished the claims, saying, "Pfft, I don't know about that. It is October!"After handing over a crushing 5-0 defeat to Amiens in the ongoing Ligue 1, PSG will next take on Napoli on October 25 to advance further in the tournament.
Punia a step away from World Championships gold
Bajrang Punia is just a step away from becoming Indias second gold medallist at the World Wrestling Championships as he knocked out Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba 4-3 to enter the men's freestyle 65 kilogram final here.
Hockey India congratulates Surender Kumar on completing 100 international caps
Hockey India has congratulated defender Surender Kumar for achieving the milestone of playing 100 international caps for the country.The 24-year-old achieved the feat during their third match against Japan at the ongoing 5th edition of Men's Asian Champions Trophy Muscat.General Secretary of Hockey India, Rajinder Singh, while congratulating Kumar, praised him for showing a consistent progress in his game."On behalf of Hockey India, I would like to congratulate Surender Kumar on completing 100 International Caps for the country. He is a young player who has developed well through the ranks and I am happy to see his progress as he is regularly involved with the senior team now," Singh said."Surender has proven to be an added resource to the Indian defence. I would like to wish him the best for the future, and hope to see him achieve wonderful things with the Indian team," he added.Kumar, who had made his international debut in 2013, said that he is proud to have represented the nation .
Rangana Herath to retire from Test cricket
Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath is all set to bid adieu to the longest format of the game after playing the first Test of their upcoming three-match series against England.The 40-year-old told the selectors that he is reluctant to play all the three matches of the series and would like to retire following the first Test at the Galle International Stadium, ESPNcricinfo.com reported.The venue holds significance for the left-arm bowler as it is on this ground he had made his Test debut back in 1999. Moreover, he is just one wicket short of scalping 100 wickets at the ground, matching the record of spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.In Herath's absence, spinner Dilruwan Perera will be the most likely replacement for the rest of the England Test series.Marred by knee injuries for several years, the orthodox bowler had to leave many Test series in-between including two series against India.Hearth has played a total of 92 Test matches so far, scalping 430 wickets with an economy rate of 2.81.
Mariners coach unaware of any contract offer to Bolt
Central Coast Mariners' coach Mike Mulvey has said that he is unaware of any contract offer made to former Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.Bolt, who had switched from track to field in order to pursue his dream of playing football, had reportedly received an offer from the A-League club where he has been training since August."We don't talk about speculation. I don't know anything about that. I don't talk about rumours or anything like that; it's for a few pay grades above my level," goal.com quoted Mulvey, as saying.Raising doubts over Bolt's selection in the team, the coach said that many players are in line to grab the front line positions."I do appreciate how important this story is for the rest of the world, but if you have a look at our front line today you wonder if he could get into any of those positions, wouldn't you?" he said.Earlier, Bolt had also joined German football club Borussia Dortmund in his build-up to give the football a serious try.The eight-time Olympic Gold ...
Usain Bolt gets offer from Australian soccer club
Former Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt has been offered a contract by Australia's Central Coast Mariners soccer club, media reports said.
'Did you win title or not?': Raikkonen stays cool despite ending drought
Kimi Raikkonen lived up to expectations when he refused to change his customary laconic style after claiming his first Formula One win for more than five years. But the 39-year-old Finn, who triumphed for the first time in 113 races dating back to the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, could not resist an ultra-dry riposte at the expense of Lewis Hamilton on Sunday. Sitting in the green pre-podium room after the race, he leaned across to speak to the Briton, who was frustrated in his bid to clinch a fifth title and finished third. "So, did you win the championship today?" asked the Ferrari man, who will be leaving for Sauber next year. The delivery was so deadpan that the Mercedes driver was caught off-guard and muttered only a brief response. It was a classic addition to Raikkonen's collected quotations, a list that included his radio response to a Renault engineer: "Leave me alone, I know what I am doing." Raikkonen and Hamilton may both have been unaware of it, but Sunday's race came ...
Last-gasp Icardi header grabs Inter derby spoils
Captain Mauro Icardi struck a dramatic injury-time winner as Inter Milan stunned AC Milan 1-0 in the derby at the San Siro to retake third place in Serie A. The Argentinian pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to nod home in the second minute of added time after an otherwise forgettable match, leaving Gennaro Gattuso's Milan without a win in the last five league derbies. But Inter continued their recent resurgence under Luciano Spalletti after finishing fourth last term to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12, moving to within six points of leaders Juventus, after their 1-1 home draw with Genoa on Saturday. "I came here to win, not to just sit on a bench for a season and try to bring home a salary," former Roma coach Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia. "I came here to organise the future of Inter and the players must do the same. "I liked that after the final whistle, Icardi said we must find consistency and keep pushing. Inter chose us to .
Kimi Raikkonen wins US Grand Prix
Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen registered his first victory in last five years by finishing at the top of the podium in the United States (US) Grand Prix here on Sunday.It is the longest victory gap in the history of Formula One, breaking the earlier record which was held by Riccardo Patrese of Italy.Expressing his content over the win, the 39-year-old admitted that it has been a long wait for him."It's been a long wait, but here we are," CNN quoted Raikkonen, as saying.The victory of the Ferrari driver extended Briton driver Lewis Hamilton's wait for his fifth F1 title as the latter finished the race at the number three spot.Red Bull's Max Verstappen made a third-spot finish after making a start at the 18th place, while four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished fourth in the race.Speaking about the race, Hamilton said that his team did their best on the day. He further congratulated his Ferrari counterpart for the win."Congratulations to Kimi and a ...
Hamilton waits for F1 title as Raikkonen wins US Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton was forced to wait for a fifth world title when he finished third at the US Grand Prix as Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took a first victory in more than five years. Title rival Sebastian Vettel in another Ferrari was fourth meaning the championship race will probably be decided in Mexico next weekend instead. Hamilton now leads Vettel by 70 points and with 75 remaining in the final three races he can clinch his fifth title by finishing seventh in Mexico, if Vettel wins. If Vettel fails to win, Hamilton will be champion. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished second on Sunday after starting in 18th place. "Congratulations to Kimi, and great job from Max too. This was the best we could do today, and it was great that we got to do some racing," said Hamilton who had started on pole position and was looking for a sixth win at the Circuit of the Americas. Raikkonen, whose last win was at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, was deadpan. "Obviously I'm much happier than finishing second.
Return of a hungry Ronaldo worrying for Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo will always be fondly remembered at Old Trafford, but as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner rolls back into town this week, this former hero may be the last sight Manchester United want to see. Ronaldo made his name in Manchester, scoring 118 goals, winning three Premier League titles and the first of his five Champions Leagues before a then world record move to Real Madrid. On Tuesday he returns in the colours of Juventus, eager to let his football do the talking with the cloud of a rape accusation in the United States dating back to just before he made the move to Madrid in 2009 blighting his early days with the Italian giants. Ronaldo strongly denies the allegation and has been backed by his club, but it remains to be seen if the hero worship afforded to the Portuguese on his last visit to Old Trafford in 2013 is dialled down a little by the United fans. That night he broke United hearts, none more so than his old mentor Alex Ferguson in what proved to be his last ..
Lopetegui on the brink as Madrid seek morale-boosting win over Plzen
Real Madrid's players may have offered a show of public support to Julen Lopetegui but fail to win at home against Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday and their words will mean very little. "Julen has the backing of the entire team," Sergio Ramos said after Madrid's 2-1 loss to Levante on Saturday, their fourth defeat in five games and third in a row. "We are with him to the death," said Marcelo. Three months into the season, there are few obvious alternatives if the club's president Florentino Perez decides to wield the axe. Santiago Solari, coach of Castilla, Real Madrid's B team, could take charge in the short-term but the troubled search for a suitable coach in the summer would not appear much smoother now. Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Max Allegri would all be near-impossible to sign mid-season, while Joachim Low is still attached to Germany. Antonio Conte is out of work but there is an issue with the Italian's style of play, not to mention any legal wranglings around his ...
Bolt 'offered cut-price deal' in Australia - media
Australia's Central Coast Mariners have offered sprint superstar Usain Bolt a contract, reports said Monday, but the club's coach said he knows nothing about it. The eight-time Olympic champion has been on trial with the A-League side since arriving in August to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He scored two goals in a pre-season friendly last week and on Thursday turned down a two-year, trial-free deal from cashed-up Maltese champions Valletta. "I can confirm Usain has been offered a contract by Central Coast Mariners," the Jamaican's agent Ricky Simms told the BBC. The club had no immediate comment on Monday, but Sydney's Daily Telegraph said he had been offered only a fraction of the Aus$3 million (USD2.1 million) that his management had discussed months ago when the prospect of a trial was first mooted. The newspaper said the potential deal put together in May -- on the premise of Bolt passing a trial first -- was based on Football Federation Australia ...
Federer reveals long-standing hand injury
Roger Federer has revealed that he has been suffering with a hand injury since the summer, but said the problem is no longer a worry as he heads into his home Swiss Open starting on Monday. The 20-time Grand Slam winner told Germany's Sonntag Zeitung of the problem which began when he trained for the grasscourt season. "I hurt my hand training at the start of the grass season," Federer told the newspaper. "It's had more consequences than I thought. I dragged this pain for about three months. "It's not an excuse and we're not going to make a fuss over it." He added: "(Sometimes) I felt pain during the first ten minutes of a match warmup. But now I can let go of my forehand normally without thinking of it." The 37-year-old Federer will start his bid for a ninth Basel title on Tuesday when he plays Serbia's Filip Krajinovic and could face a revenge match in the second round if he and John Millman both advance. The 33rd-ranked Australian shocked Federer in the US Open fourth round in ...
New Davis Cup to look to next generation of tennis talent
The Davis Cup can succeed even without the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the reformed tournament will target a new generation of tennis stars, the International Tennis Federation's chief operating officer has said. Gerard Pique, the Barcelona defender and president of Kosmos, who are promoting an updated version of the 118-year-old competition, was optimistic last week when asked about the participation of Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic. There were also caveats, however, that all seem likely to materialise. Pique said Djokovic would play if there was no conflict with the ATP, who are yet to back down over plans to hold their own World Team Cup in January. Nadal's involvement apparently relies on his fitness but the 32-year-old's body is at its most vulnerable at the end of the season. He has withdrawn from six of the last 14 ATP Finals due to physical issues. For Federer, Pique insisted the "door remains open" but the Swiss is the least likely of the three to take ...
Ronaldo's Valladolid beats Real Betis 1-0
Real Valladolid beat Real Betis 1-0 in the ninth round of La Liga.
Raikkonen wins F1 US Grand Prix
Finland's Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) won Sunday's Formula 1 Grand Prix in the US, surpassing Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and dethroning Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) who fell to the third spot.