Page 1630 - Sports
Girona sees out season at home with 1-0 loss
A goal by Luciano Vietto in the 61st minute decided the clash between Valencia and home team Girona at Montilivi Municipal Stadium, which marked the end of First Division soccer here for this historic season, the local club's first among the elite of Spanish soccer.
Petra wins record third Madrid Open title
Czech Petra Kvitova defeated Kiki Bertens 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3 in a hard-fought battle to win the Madrid Open for a record third time.
Disappointing that India refused to play D/N Test: Ian Chappell
Indian cricket board's approach of win at all costs without looking at the bigger picture by refusing to play a Day/Night Test match against Australia is extremely disappointing, feels former captain Ian Chappell. "The BCCI's decision was extremely disappointing. Adelaide has become the unofficial home of day-night Test cricket, and the legacy of three years of rip-roaring success under lights there was expected to be further enhanced by the presence of a strong Indian team," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo. "No matter what excuse the BCCI offers, it's hard to accept that this decision was anything other than the board looking to increase India's chances of winning their first Test series in Australia against a weakened opponent," Chappell wrote. Australia will be without their premier batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner during the home series against India later in the year as they will be in the middle of their one-year ban imposed on charges of ball tampering during
India beat Japan 4-1 in Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey
Navneet Kaur scored a hat-trick as India got off to a rollicking start with a 4-1 win over Japan in their opening match of the 5th Women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here today. Young forward Navneet scored in the 7th, 25th and 55th minute while Anupa Barla (53rd) got the other goal for India at the Sunrise Stadium here. The Indian team was dominant right from the start as it displayed well-strategised attack to break the a strong Japanese defence. An early chance came by when forward Vandana Katariya and Lilima Minz worked in tandem to create space in the striking circle. Navneet picked up an assist from Vandana to send the ball past Korean goalkeeper to give defending champions India 1-0 lead in the 7th minute. India played with speed, kept the ball possession and stayed consistent as they kept up the pressure on Japan. Good defence led by Skipper Sunita Lakra ensured Japan did not find too many chances in the circle. Navneet showcased her abilities with the stick as ..
At this stage, better to chase totals: Kohli
Virat Kohli's love for targets is well-known and it's a no-brainer that Royal Challengers Bangalore captain would ideally like to chase down totals in the remaining games of the Indian Premier League. Kohli scored a polished 70 off 40 balls as RCB chased down a target of 182 against DD in 19 overs. Still with an outside chance of qualification, Kohli wants to make the most of it as he feels that the table is wide open. "We were not clinical with the ball, but these guys played well. The chase, however, was ideal. Bowling first is better at this stage, because it's easier for batsmen to take responsibility. You can almost set up the game how you like. That's what works for our boys," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. AB de Villiers was also in great touch scoring 72 off 37 balls and Kohli said that there is nothing easier than playing alongside Proteas legend. "It is lovely batting with AB. We have done this many times in the past. It was a stiff chase, but in the ...
RCB ready to test jittery KXIP in must-win game
Having found some light at the end of the tunnel, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be keen to expose the chinks in Kings XI Punjab's armoury during their must-win IPL encounter here tomorrow. RCB got some breathing space after their five-wicket victory against Delhi Daredevils while Kings XI Punjab, after a brilliant run at the initial stages, are currently struggling with back to back defeats. Despite losses to Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, KXIP are in the top half of the league with 12 points while RCB are still languishing at the second last place in the table. However in IPL, strange things have happened at the business end of the tournament and RCB, under Virat Kohli, are likely to put a lot of pressure on the slipping KXIP. While Kohli and AB de Villiers anchored an easy chase against Daredevils with stylish half-centuries, KXIP bowlers were under the pump, being taken to cleaners by Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik as KKR scored a mammoth 245 in the last game. Both
Will have sessions with Hirwani before England tour: Chahal
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is focussed on making good use of the one-month break post IPL to sharpen his skill sets at the National Cricket Academy under Narendra Hirwani before embarking on India's challenging tour of United Kingdom. Chahal has emerged as India's frontline spinner in limited overs format alongside chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, post the Champions Trophy in June last year, taking over the mantle from R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. With 43 wickets from 23 ODIs and 35 scalps from 21 T20Is, Chahal is being seen as a vital cog in India's World Cup campaign in UK next year. The 27-year-old doesn't have the prior experience of playing in the UK but he has already planned how he will go about the task on his maiden tour in six weeks' time. Before England, we are going to Ireland. The weather is expected to be the same as in England. I have a month left after IPL. I will go to NCA in Bengaluru for training. There I will have a chat with my coach, Hirwani Sir (former India ...
Badminton legend Natekar hails current crop of Indian players
Hailing the consistently top notch show by the current lot of Indian shuttlers, badminton legend Nandu Natekar endorsed another great Prakash Padukones oft-held view that the racquet sport is going through the golden era in the country. "Very true, that it's the golden era of the Indian badminton. It's so pleasing to see the names of the Indian girls in focus, and even the men, instead of Chinese, Thais and Malaysians (as was the case in the past). "It's a tremendous achievement and they deserve all the kudos," said the first Indian to win a badminton title overseas in 1956. Natekar was speaking at the Legends Club felicitation function to herald his 85th birthday at the Cricket Club of India last evening. Comparing the strong points of the two top Indian women shuttlers, 2016 Olympic silver medalist P V Sindhu and 2012 Olympic bronze winner Saina Naiwal, he said, "Sindhu uses her height to her advantage. Saina is a great fighter." Natekar, who made it to the ...
Russia hosts World Cup in heat of battle with West
The World Cup kicks off in Russia in a month's time with the hosts at loggerheads with the West and intent on using the football showpiece to trumpet their superpower status. Russia was a controversial choice when it was handed the rights to the world's most watched event in a 2010 vote now tainted by bribery charges. That choice is possibly only more controversial today. The years since have seen Moscow clash with the West over everything from Syria and Ukraine to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England. Russia was even banned as a country from this winter's Pyeongchang Olympics after being accused of state-sponsored doping at the Sochi Games it hosted four year earlier. The diplomatic barbs have been laced with Cold War-era venom and accompanied by the largest expulsion of diplomats in history. Yet Vladimir Putin is riding as high today as he was eight years ago. The former KGB spy's popularity with Russians remains unshakeable and his presence on the international
The workshop that makes eliminated Italy home of the World Cup
When the World Cup is held aloft in July, it won't be an Italian lifting the trophy. The eliminated Azzurri will not brighten the tournament, but Italians will still make the Cup shine. The four-time winners' humiliating exit in November's play-off defeat to Sweden cast a pall over one of the world's proudest football nations. Italy are not going to the World Cup, but the World Cup will come to Italy. Every four years, in an anonymous building in an industrial town near Milan, amid the clouds of metal dust and sound of presses and hammers, an Italian company gets its hands on the World Cup trophy itself -- and gives it a makeover. GDE Bertoni, a small business with 12 employees based in the Milanese suburb of Paderno Dugnano, designed and created the current Cup in 1971 after Brazil kept the Jules Rimet trophy after they won the World Cup for the third time and every four years it returned home for a spruce up. "It's always a special feeling when the original trophy comes back to us, .
Real and Atletico warm up for European finals with Liga wins
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid warmed up for their European finals by winning in the Spanish league on Saturday. Madrid didn't need resting forward Cristiano Ronaldo to crush Celta Vigo 6-0 at home in its second-to-last match before the Champions League final against Liverpool. Atletico also won at crosstown rival Getafe 1-0 just four days before it plays Marseille for the Europa League crown. Ronaldo Rests in Rout Manager Zinedine Zidane left Ronaldo off his squad as Madrid's star recovers from a right ankle injury that caused him to be substituted last weekend at Liga champion Barcelona. Gareth Bale led the way without him, scoring the opening two goals. Francisco "Isco" Alarcon, little-used defender Achraf Hakimi, and Toni Kroos added on, along with an own goal by Celta's Sergi Gomez, to ease to the big win at home. Madrid plays Villarreal in the final round of the Liga season before the Champions League final on May 26 in Kiev. Oblak Ensures Win At Getafe, Atletico coach Diego ...
Inter Milan crash to seal Roma's Champions League berth
Inter Milan crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo at the San Siro on Saturday which ensured that Roma get to play Champions League football next season. Matteo Politano and Domenico Berardi scored in either half with Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli proving heroic for the visitors to severely undermine Inter's slim hopes of elite European action. The defeat means third-placed Roma -- coached by former Sassuolo boss Eusebio Di Francesco -- are sure to finish in the top four and return to the Champions League after losing in the semi-finals to Liverpool this month. Roma host champions Juventus on Sunday with the Turin giants needing just a point to seal a seventh-straight Scudetto. Inter are two points behind fourth-placed Lazio who can rubber stamp their ticket to the Champions League if they beat lowly Crotone on Sunday. If not, both Lazio and Inter go head-to-head next week in the Stadio Olimpico. Coach Luciano Spalletti lamented a "messy and confused" performance which failed to ...
Hart to heart talks due over ex-City number one 'keeper's future
Joe Hart is poised to return to Manchester City for talks about his future in a week which promises to have a major impact on the England goalkeeper's career. City manager Pep Guardiola, whose first act when he arrived in the summer of 2016 was to displace the popular and long-serving 'keeper, has revealed there have been no developments over Hart's status. Having spent last season on loan in Italy with Torino, Hart moved to West Ham on a similar temporary arrangement for this campaign but reports have claimed the Hammers do not wish to activate their option to make his signing permanent. Hart will also learn his international fate on Wednesday, with England manager Gareth Southgate set to name his squad for the World Cup Finals in Russia. But the 31-year-old, who played over 300 games in a decade with City, will also want to clarify his club career with a year still remaining on his current contract with the Premier League champions. "No," said Guardiola when asked if a decision has .
Fiorentina create trust fund for Astori's daughter
Fiorentina have created a trust fund to help support the daughter of late captain Davide Astori, the Italian club said on Saturday. The Italy international and Fiorentina defender was found dead in his hotel room in the north-eastern city of Udine on March 4 ahead of a Serie A match against Udinese. He left behind his parents, girlfriend Francesca and their two-year-old daughter Vittoria. "The idea of the trust is to contribute to the economic security of little Vittoria and will be managed by the Astori family and her mother Francesca," the club said. "With this gesture we hope that we will display in the name of the team and the fans the love and respect we all hold towards Davide." On Sunday, Fiorentina play their final home game of the season against Cagliari, a team where Astori began his professional career and played for six seasons. Players from the Sardinian team on Saturday paid tribute to Astori by placing flowers outside the Artemio Franchi Stadium, where hundreds of ...
Kvitova wins third Madrid Open title
Czech 10th seed Petra Kvitova won the Madrid Open title for the third time on Saturday with a marathon 7-6 (8/6) 4-6 6-3 victory over Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. Kvitova, who was also the champion in Madrid in 2011 and 2015, has now claimed four titles in 2018 after triumphs in St Petersburg, Doha and last weekend in Prague. Victory, on a chilly, damp night in the Spanish capital, took Kvitova two hours and 51 minutes against a gutsy, unseeded Bertens, who had knocked out former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki on her way to the championship match. In a big-hitting, roller-coaster of a final, Kvitova claimed her 24th career title on the back of 39 winners and 58 unforced errors. Bertens, who had won five of her previous six finals, including on clay in Charleston earlier this year, led 4-2 with a break in the first set before Kvitova roared back, retrieving the break in the next game. The Czech claimed the 74-minute opener on a third set point. Bertens ...
Thiem to face Zverev for Madrid Masters title
Dominic Thiem followed up his sensational victory over world number one Rafael Nadal by easing past Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the Madrid Masters final. The fifth-seeded Austrian, who ended Nadal's 21-match and 50-set winning streak on clay Friday, needed 85 minutes to dispose of his South African opponent, seeded sixth. Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in the 2017 Madrid final and still chasing a maiden Masters title, will face German second seed Alexander Zverev, who swept past Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-1, in Sunday's championship match. "I will try everything on Sunday. A Masters 1000 title would mean a lot to me because it's obviously really tough to win one," said Thiem. "To be honest, I thought also myself that I was pretty far away before this week started. Now I'm in the finals again, which is amazing for me." Thiem is playing in just his third tournament since a right ankle fracture suffered at Indian Wells while US Open runner-up Anderson was ...
Simpson extends lead as Woods, Spieth shoot 65
Tiger Woods dominated the front nine while Jordan Spieth dominated the back nine to card 65 each to enter the top-10 even as Webb Simpson maintained the lead after third day at the 'PLAYERS' Championship. Overnight leader Simpson (68) did not let slip-up, ending at 19-under, which equalled the record for a 54-hole total. Simpson, now holds the largest lead at seven in the history of the tournament. Simpson is seven clear of Danny Lee (70) and nine ahead of Dustin Johnson (69), while five players were at 9-under. Among the seven at 8-under and 11 behind were Woods and Spieth, who shot 65 each and are capable of coming out with that or better yet again. Simpson, who had four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys in his 68, said, I feel like I'm playing good, solid golf, but I've holed out a few times from off the green and made some long putts, Simpson said. To get that score, you have to do that. In the morning, Woods and Spieth, starting at 1-under for the event, finished the third day ..
Chawrasia slips to tied 68th in Sicily
SSP Chawrasia let a great start slip with a bunch of bogeys thereafter and slipped from tied 38th to tied 68th as he carded 1-over 72 in the third round of the Rocco Forte Open Verdura. Chawrasia, who is now 1-over after 54 holes, started the day with three birdies in first four holes but then dropped shots on sixth, 9th, 10th, 14th and 18th. He had only one more birdie on 12th. Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Sweden's Joakim Lagergren played together and shot matching 8-under 63s, though Lorenzo-Vera held the lead at 15-under to Lagergren's 13-under. Lagergren looked set for a new course record as he birdied second and third and added five in a row from the sixth. He also managed birdies on 12th and 16th but dropped a shot on 17th for a 63. Lorenzo-Vera birdied second, seventh and ninth to turn in 3-under and then birdied five more in six holes from 11th to 16th as the duo shared the lowest rounds of the week with a pair of 63s. Julien Guerrier was alongside Lagergren at 13-under ...
Neymar to resume ball work in PSG training base
Injured Brazilian star Neymar will resume ball work in the training base on Sunday following satisfactory test result, his club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has said.
Hamburg relegate for first time in German Bundesliga
Hamburg relegated for the first time in their club history despite a 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach meanwhile Wolfsburg will face a relegation play-off after beating already relegated Cologne 4-1 at the closer of the 55th Bundesliga season on Saturday.