Page 1075 - Sports
Hamilton wins in Russia to extend lead in title race
Lewis Hamilton increased his lead in this year's drivers' world championship to 50 points when he claimed an accomplished victory, aided by Mercedes team tactics, in Sunday's Russian Grand Prix. The defending four-time champion, who started second on the grid, was helped again by Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who allowed him to overtake and then defended him from attack by title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, as he battled to finish second. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sat next to former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone after a late arrival at the Sochi Autodrom, saw the Briton make the most of Mercedes' strategy and a thrilling passing move on Vettel in what was an intriguing contest. Bottas had started on pole and was unhappy at being asked to obey team orders that deprived him of a possible victory as he came home 2.5 seconds behind Hamilton, who looked sheepish about it all after the race. Vettel finished third in the race and the German saw Hamilton extend his lead
Australian firebrand Tomic wins first title in three years
Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic won his first significant tournament in three years on Sunday -- and in the most dramatic of circumstances, saving four match points to triumph at the Chengdu Open. The 25-year-old defeated top seed Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) in a thrilling three-setter in southwest China, where he was a qualifier. Victory for Tomic -- his first ATP World Tour crown since Bogota in 2015 -- will propel the world-ranked 123 comfortably inside the top 100. It was double disappointment for Fognini, who had been attempting to become the first Italian man to win four titles in a season. For Tomic, it was a welcome change to be making headlines for the right reasons. Once seen as a rising star, he has had a number of run-ins with authorities over the years. In January he faced a backlash after boasting "I just count my millions" in response to failing to negotiate qualifying for the Australian Open. In 2017, as his once-promising career nosedived, Tomic
Nishioka claims maiden ATP singles title
Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka broke through for his maiden ATP singles title Sunday, outlasting seasoned Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in a gruelling final at the Shenzhen Open. The 23-year-old Nishioka, ranked 171 in the world, played seven matches across eight days at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre but still had plenty of energy in a marathon final as he threw himself at everything Herbert could offer. As the match clock ticked towards two-and-a-half hours in the southern Chinese city, Nishioka sealed the victory on his fifth match point -- and looked as though he could hardly believe what had just happened. Twelve months ago, the Japanese player was stuck at home pondering his future after suffering an ACL injury. He will now return to the world's top 100 after that injury saw his ranking plummet to as low as 362. The 27-year-old Herbert rattled off 12 aces and helped his opponent's cause with nine double faults as he poured on the power. But the ...
Bihar script record 292-run win against Sikkim
Bihar shot out Sikkim for 46 on the way to a record 292-run win in a plate group match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy domestic one-dayers here Sunday. This is the biggest win in terms of runs in the history of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, eclipsing Baroda's win by 279 runs against Assam last season. Sent in, Bihar amassed 338 for six in the stipulated 50 overs with Rahmatullah smashing a 103-ball 156 before retiring hurt with the team's score at 307. He struck 10 boundaries and eight sixes. Opener Babul Kumar (92 from 112 balls) lent fine support at the other end as the duo put on 166 runs for the second wicket to set the platform. In reply, just two Sikkim batsmen registered double digit scores, as their innings ended in 31 overs at the Shastri Maidan. Skipper Keshav Kumar (3/7) and Anunay Singh (3/12) starred with the ball and received fine support from Rehan Khan (2/10). This was Bihar's fifth win in a row as they consolidated their lead with 22 points from six matches, six clear of ...
Bangladesh must overcome 'mental block' in finals: captain
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza says his team must overcome a "mental block" in order to secure victory in crucial games after the Tigers lost their third international final this year. The national side were praised for their spirited showing in the Asia Cup final on Friday against India, who clinched victory by three runs in a last-ball thriller. Replying to Bangladesh's modest 222, India gained victory only through a leg-bye off the final ball to secure their seventh Asia Cup title. The agonising loss was Bangladesh's third this year in a championship final. The Tigers lost to Sri Lanka in a tri-nation one-day international final in January before falling short against India in a Twenty20 tournament decider in March. "For some reason, it is not happening. If we can do it once, maybe it will be easier," Mortaza told reporters late Saturday upon returning from the Asia Cup venue in Dubai. "Of course there is some mental block. Winning a tournament is important to overcome this ..
TTFI addresses issue of top players skipping domestic events, gives affiliation to TTAK
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) addressed the issue of top players skipping domestic tournaments and revised the selection criteria, in its Executive Committee meeting here. The Executive Committee, which met here Saturday, took over a dozen important decisions, including revising the selection criteria as well as addressing the issue of top-ranked players skipping domestic events on a regular basis. The committee brought in some stringent measures which will help exceptional players, otherwise ignored because of lack of national and international ranking points, getting a look-in by the selectors for team India squads in the future. The committee also introduced new clauses to the policies which, while protecting the players' interests, have made it mandatory for top-ranked players competing in a certain number of domestic events as well as national championships. In a major decision, the TTFI decided unanimously to disaffiliate Kerala Table Tennis Association (KTTA) ...
Gignac leads Tigres to win over Queretaro in Liga MX action
Andre Pierre Gignac had a brace, providing all the scoring for the Tigres UANL in their 2-0 win over Queretaro in the Liga MX 2018 Apertura football tournament.
Bologna beat Udinese 2-1 in Serie A
Bologna earned a 2-1 home win against Udinese on Sunday in the seventh round of Serie A, thanks to a late goal from forward Roccardo Orsolini.
Hockey India announce women's core probables for national camp
Hockey India named a list of 48-member core probables for the Indian women's national camp to begin on Monday at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Bengaluru, it was announced on Sunday.
Baroda defeat Railways by 180 runs
Baroda put up a comprehensive all-round performance to thrash Railways by 180 runs in their Elite Group A game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Sunday. With this victory, Baroda stay in the hunt to make it to the next round as five teams from the group can make it to the second round based on points and NRR. Opting to bat at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Baroda posted a healthy 269 for 9 on the board before bundling out Railways for a paltry 89. Baroda opener Aditya Waghmode (74) top-scored while medium pacer Babashafi Pathan (5-25) grabbed a five-wicket haul as the two starred in their side's victory. Baroda were off to a positive start with Kedar Devdhar (44) and Waghmode putting on 88 for the first wicket. One down Krunal Pandya (62) and skipper Deepak Hooda (54) played their part to perfection before the Railways bowlers made a good comeback to restrict Baroda to 269. Then Baroda bowlers, led by right-arm medium pacer Pathan, blew away the Railways batsmen. Pathan was ..
China Open: Simona Halep retires hurt in 1st round
World number one Simona Halep's campaign at the ongoing China Open ended as she had to retire owing to a back injury during her first round match against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on Sunday.The 27-year-old could only manage to play one set before deciding to quit the match.Reflecting on the injury, Halep said that she is not sure yet about the nature of the injury, but the pain got worse, which forced her to pull out of the match."The pain was getting worse and I was not able to play which is why I stopped. There is a pain. I couldn't move properly, so that's why I stopped. I don't know exactly what it is. I will go home. I will have an MRI and I will see," WTA quoted Halep, as saying."I'm just worried now. I feel sad that I couldn't finish. That's why I stopped because I felt like it's getting worse if I continue. It's really tough when you have a back injury because you cannot bend, you cannot react at the balls. I couldn't play," she added.Last week, Halep had complained of a back ...
Undue importance being given to ICC case: Anurag Thakur
Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur opined that undue importance is being given to the case filed against the BCCI by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not playing any bilateral cricket with Pakistan despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which guarantees six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.Speaking to ANI, Thakur said, "I believe that undue importance is given to the matter. No Indian representative should even have put their case forward in the issue."Reflecting on the India-Pakistan bilateral cricket series, the former BCCI president asserted that only a cordial relation between India and Pakistan could guarantee the same."Bilateral matches between India and Pakistan are possible only if there are cordial relations between the two countries. It is for the nations to decide whether to play the bilateral matches or not, keeping in mind the social environment and people's sentiments," he said.Meanwhile, Indian Premier ...
Ambris hits whirlwind ton as practice game between BP XI and WI ends in draw
Sunil Ambris struck a quickfire unbeaten century to guide West Indies to 366 for seven in response to Board President's XI's 360 for six declared as the lone two-day warm-up match ended in a tame draw here Sunday. Ambris took the attack to the opposition as he smashed 114 not out in just 98 balls with the help of 17 boundaries and five sixes to stake his claim for a spot in the West Indies playing eleven for the first Test against India starting in Rajkot on October 4. Earlier replying to India's total, West Indies got off to a good start with Kraigg Braithwaite (52) and Kieran Powell (44) stitching 105 runs for the opening stand before retiring to give other batsmen a go. Shai Hope made 36, while wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich scored 65 before Ambris took the centrestage and blew away the BP XI's bowlers with his power-hitting. Young pacer Avesh Khan starred for BP XI with the ball with figures of four for 60, while left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar (2/126) picked up two wickets. Fast ...
Vijay Shankar, Abhinav Mukund shine in TN win over Bengal
Captain Vijay Shankar and Abhinav Mukund starred in Tamil Nadu's six-wicket win over Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group 'C' League here Sunday. In other matches today, Gujarat and Haryana registered victories over Jammu and Kashmir respectively. Tamil Nadu chose to bowl first at the M A Chidambaram Stadium and restricted Bengal to 239 in 49.4 overs. Manoj Tiwary top scored with 47. Vijay Shankar was the best bowler with 4 for 34. Mukund (94) and N Jagadeesan (55) added 143 runs for the opening wicket in 133 balls, which made things easy for Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Gujarat shot out J&K for 123: and reached the target in 21.1 overs. Also, Haryana defeated Tripura by three wickets. Brief scores: Bengal239 in 49.4 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 72 (97b, 4x4, 1x6), Manoj Tiwary47, Anustup Majumdar 39, Vijay Shankar 4 for 34, M Mohammed 3 for 54) lost to Tamil Nadu240 for four in 42 overs N. Jagadeesan 55 (52b, 5x4, 2x6) Abhinav Mukund (lhb) 94 (100b, 11x4), B ...
India crush UAE by 227 runs in U-19 Asia Cup
India recorded a thumping 227-run win over the UAE in the U-19 Asia Cup here Sunday, with openers Anuj Rawat and Devdut Padikkal hitting centuries and spinner Siddarth Desai picking up six wickets. Opting to bat, India were served well by a 205-run opening partnership between Rawat (102) and Padikkal (121). Skipper Pawan Shah (45), Sameer Choudhary (42) and Ayush Badoni (21) made quick runs to power India to a formidable 354 for six in 50 overs. Choudhary knocked off his runs in just 19 balls, while Badoni was quicker. During their chase, UAE lost wickets at regular intervals and were never in contention for challenging India's total. Barring a third-wicket stand of 53 runs between Ali Mirza and Figy John, there wasn't a contribution worth mentioning. India's left-arm spin bowler Desai returned impressive figures of six for 24 in 8.5 overs. UAE were bowled out for 133 in 33.5 overs. Sri Lanka beat Hong Kong by 10 wickets in Chittagong. India defeated Nepal by 171 runs in a Group A ...
Samarth's 70 guides UP to five-wicket victory over MP, Andhra too win
Samarth Singh hit an 87-ball 70 as Uttar Pradesh's top-order fired in unison to notch up a five-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh in a group B match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday. Samarth emerged as the top-scorer for UP as he added 105 runs with Aksh Deep Nath (51) after openers Abhishek Goswami (31) and Upendra Yadav (45) gave the team a superb start with a 76-run partnership at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Priyam Garg later blasted a 42-ball unbeaten 50 to take the team home, scoring 280 for 5 in 49.3 overs. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh posted a competitive 277 for 7 in 50 overs, riding on superb innings by Venkatesh Iyer (83), Yash Dubey (66) and skipper Naman Ojha (53). In another group B match, DB Prashanth Kumar (71) slammed a strokeful fifty to guide Andra Pradesh to a six-wicket win over Saurashtra at Airforce Complex ground here. Electing to bat, Saurashtra could manage only 214 for 7 in their 50 overs, courtesy contributions from AV Vasavada (55), Perak Mankad (32) and ...
Star Sports to telecast India's AFC U-16 quarter-final tie vs South Korea
Star Sports, a network of Indian sports channels, will live telecast the AFC U-16 championship quarter-final match between South Korea and India on Monday, it was announced on Sunday.
Archer Deepika Kumari wins bronze in World Cup Finals
India's Deepika Kumari held her nerves in an intriguing play-off to down Lisa Unruh and win the bronze medal in the Archery World Cup Finals here Sunday. Both the players were tied at 5-5 at the end of five sets, which necessitated a shoot-off. Kumari and Unruh both shot 9 but Kumari won bronze because her arrow was closer to the centre. This was Kumari's fifth World Cup Finals podium. A draw would have been enough for Kumari to seal the issue in the fifth set, but in the absence of a coach the Indian struggled to keep pace with the timing and shot wide. Kumari, a veteran in the World Cup Finals with four silver medals, came out on top in the shoot-off. "This was for the first time I shot at a big competition like this without a coach. But I'm very happy. The stronger the competition, the better we get," Kumari said. Shoot-off was tense and Kumari said she "started panicking" but motivated herself with no coach to look up to. "Most of the times, I end up losing a shoot-off so I ...
Pherwani clinches Maharashtra state snooker crown
Teenager Sparsh Pherwani crowned himself in glory as he emerged as the Maharashtra state senior snooker champion on Sunday. Pherwani (19), was in good nick and with some crafty play he dashed the hopes of his senior and more accomplished opponent Rishabh Thakkar by coasting to a 4-1 victory in the best-of-7 frame snooker final of the Maharashtra State Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg-1) Championship 2018. Pherwani was slow to take off the blocks as Thakkar made a positive start and played solidly to take a close opening frame. That hardly had any effect on Pherwani who managed to gather his wits and uncorked a tidy break of 48 in winning the second to draw level (1-1). Having won the second frame, Pherwani grew in confidence and did not give Thakkar much opportunity in the third and easily won the frame to wrest the initiative. In the fourth the Mumbai youngster trailed by over 35 points, but he showed great composure and with some tactical play fought back.
Lilima Minz to receive Ekalabya Puraskar, 2018
Hockey player Lilima Minz, who hails from Odisha, has been selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar, 2018. The annual award, comprising a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation, would be presented at the Ekalabya Award function, the date for which will be announced soon. The Ekalabya Committee comprising jury members drawn from different walks of life were unanimous in their decision to select the woman hockey player for the award at a meeting held here Sunday. Lilima Minz represented the Indian senior team for the first time in 2011 during a four-nation tournament in Argentina. She was part of the squad that represented the country in the 2016 summer Olympics and member of the Indian team that won the gold medal Womens Hockey Asia Cup after a gap of 13 years in Japan on November 5, 2017. Besides Minz, two other sportspersons will be felicitated for their remarkable performances in their respective fields. They are weight lifter Jhili Dalabehera and ...