Page 2080 - Sports
Australian Open: Halep beats Kerber to reach finals
World number one Simona Halep will take on Caroline Wozniacki in the Australian Open final, after battling it out with defending champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.The 26-year-old player, who was the first Romanian to compete at this stage at Melbourne Park, saved two match points on her way to a 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 victory to take the German out of the tournament.Both Halep and Kerber had their chances to put the match away in the 68-minute-long third set.Halep was serving for the match at 5-3, but was broken after Kerber ended a 26-stroke rally with a backhand winner, but exhaustion took the best of her. The Romanian had two match points in the next game, but Kerber saved the first with a backhand down the line and the second when Halep hit into the net.After Kerber broke to take a 6-5 lead, she then had two match points of her own, but Halep saved them both and then broke back to level the match at 6-all.Serving at 7-8, the German saved a third match point before Halep finally
Australian team for Pyeongchang Winter Olympics named
Australia has revealed its team for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games that will compete in South Korea.
Australia hire new head coach ahead of Russia 2018
Bert van Marwijk has been named the new head coach of Australia's national football team, the Socceroos, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.
Leipzig's Halstenberg to miss rest of the season
German international Marcel Halstenberg will miss the rest of the football season after suffering a knee ligament injury, Leipzig confirmed in an official statement.
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 to set up League Cup final against City
English football giants Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final here.
Spain, England to meet in September in new Nations League
England will host Spain on September 8 in the first match for both teams in the new UEFA Nations League, according to the schedule released here.
Flamengo handed two-match Copa Libertadores stadium ban
Brazilian football club Flamengo will play their first two home matches of this year's Copa Libertadores behind closed doors as punishment for the unruly behavior of their fans.
Australian Open: Halep beats defending champion Kerber to reach finals
World number one Simona Halep will take on Caroline Wozniacki in the Australian Open final, after battling it out with defending champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.The 26-year-old player, who was the first Romanian to compete at this stage at Melbourne Park, saved two match points on her way to a 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 victory to take the German out of the tournament.Both Halep and Kerber had their chances to put the match away in the 68-minute-long third set.Halep was serving for the match at 5-3, but was broken after Kerber ended a 26-stroke rally with a backhand winner, but exhaustion took the best of her. The Romanian had two match points in the next game, but Kerber saved the first with a backhand down the line and the second when Halep hit into the net.After Kerber broke to take a 6-5 lead, she then had two match points of her own, but Halep saved them both and then broke back to level the match at 6-all.Serving at 7-8, the German saved a third match point before Halep finally
Elvedi pens contract extension at Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach and Nico Elvedi have agreed on a contract extension ahead of schedule, the Bundesliga club announced.
Valencia top Alaves on penalties to advance
Goalkeeper Jaume Domenech's heroics in the penalty shootout allowed Valencia to prevail over Alaves and claim a spot in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Indonesia Masters: Saina, Sindhu advance to Round 2, Kashyap exit
Olympians Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu have advanced into the second round of the Indonesia Masters with contrasting wins in the women's singles.London Olympics bronze medalist Nehwal was made to sweat by Chen Yufei as she defeated the Chinese 22-24, 21-15, 21-14 in a match that lasted an hour and nine minutes.However, Olympic silver medallist Sindhu registered a straight set victory of 21-13, 21-10 over local player Hanna Raramdini.Saina will next lock horns with China's Chen Xiaoxin, while Sindhu will take on Malaysia's Goh Jin Wei on Thursday.If the two Indian ace shuttlers win their respective second-round matches, they will face each other in the quarter-finals.In men's singles, India have lost the challenge as Parupalli Kashyap bowed out of the tournament after receiving a 18-21, 18-21 defeat from Malaysian Wei Feng Chong.Sameer Verma also was knocked out of the competition following 16-21, 21-12, 10-21 defeat from Japanese Kazumasa Sakai.
Real Madrid out of Copa del Rey
Leganes are headed for the Copa del Rey semi-finals for the first time in their history after upsetting mighty Real Madrid 2-1 in the second leg of the quarter-final tie here.
ICC U-19 WC: Afghanistan thrash Kiwis to reach semis
Afghanistan thumped hosts New Zealand by 202 runs to storm into the semifinals of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup here at Christchurch on Thursday.After opting to bat first, Afghanistan scored 309 runs.Later they bowled out New Zealand on 107 in just 28.1 overs to set up a semi-final clash against Australia.Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran shared a 117-run partnership while adding 69 and 68 respectively.Bahir Shah remained unbeaten and added 67 runs on the board while Azmatullah Omarzai accumulated 66 runs.Chasing the target, New Zealand lost Rachin Ravindra and skipper Kaylum Boshier for duck.Only Katene Clarke and Dale Phillips added significant 38 and 31 respectively.Afghanistan bowlers Mujeeb and Qais Ahmad finished with 4 for 14 and 4 for 33 respectively.
Barça manager sees Mascherano as future coach
FC Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has said he expects departing midfielder Javier Mascherano to embark on a coaching career once he hangs up his cleats.
Wozniacki seals spot in Australian Open final
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reached her first Australian Open final with a straight sets victory over Belgium's Elise Mertens here on Thursday.
Cornet investigated after missing three drugs tests
Frenchwoman Alize Cornet has been placed under a disciplinary investigation after missing three random drug tests, anti-doping officials said today. The 27-year-old, ranked 42 in the world, missed the tests in a 12-month period with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) saying she would not be considered for Fed Cup duty while the inquiry was ongoing. The International Tennis Federation's Tennis Anti-Doping Programme said Cornet was charged on January 11 with "a violation of Article 2.4 -- (failing three times in any 12- month period ... to be available for testing at the declared whereabouts)". Cornet issued a statement claiming the ITF "didn't want to hear" her reasons for the missed tests, but the tennis body disputed this. It said all the correct processes were "followed in all three instances". "No further comment will be made pending determination of the case, except as may be necessary to respond to public comment by Ms. Cornet or her representatives," it ...
North, South Korea hockey players team up for Olympics
Female hockey players from the rival Koreas were paired up with each other today to form their first-ever Olympic squad during next month's Pyeongchang Winter Games, as their countries press ahead with rare reconciliation steps following a period of nuclear tensions. A dozen North Korean hockey players wearing white-and-red winter parkas crossed the heavily fortified border into South Korea earlier today, as about 30-40 conservative activists shouted anti-Pyongyang slogans at a nearby border area. The North Koreans traveled on to a national athletes' village in southern South Korea, where they were welcomed by their South Korean teammates and Canadian coach Sarah Murray, who presented them flower bouquets in an outdoor welcoming ceremony. "I sincerely welcome your arrival," Lee Jae-kun, head of the athletes' village, told the North Koreans after they got off a bus. Park Chol Ho, a North Korean coach who arrived with the 12 athletes and two support staff, responded by ...
Zidane takes blame as Real Madrid suffer humiliating defeat
Real Madrid crashed to a humiliating Copa del Rey exit today when they were knocked out by little Leganes in the quarter-finals with under-fire coach Zinedine Zidane taking the blame. European champions Real lost 2-1 in the second leg at their Bernabeu home as the tie finished 2-2 on aggregate with their modest city neighbours going through on away goals despite having lost the first leg 1-0 last week. "I am responsible for all of this. It's a failure for me," said Zidane who recently penned a contract extension until 2020. Admitting that it had been his worst night as a coach, the Frenchman added: "It's a logical result, our opponents played their match and we did not. "It is a big blow. We did what we had to do in the first leg. Nobody expected this, especially me but this is football. "I am the manager. I picked the team and I was wrong in many regards. It's up to me to find the solutions. I will continue to fight, to work, to battle and to find the things the team ...
No Neymar as PSG make Cup progress
Paris Saint-Germain made light of Neymar's absence in beating Guingamp 4-2 to secure their ticket to the French Cup last 16 today as Edinson Cavani was made to wait for his club-record goal. Despite PSG's dominance Cavani failed to get on the scoresheet as he pursues a record 157th goal, but it wasn't for the want of trying as he failed to convert a hatful of chances. The Uruguayan striker is on the verge of becoming PSG's all-time scorer after drawing level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's benchmark in the 8-0 rout of Dijon last week. Neymar left the pitch after that Ligue 1 outing angered at booing directed at him from Parc des Princes fans when he stepped up to take a penalty rather than allowing Cavani a shot at the record. The world's most expensive player was missing from PSG's 2-1 loss at Lyon on Sunday and again for this Cup tie with according to the club "a pain in his right thigh". A section of the club's fans - 'Collectif Ultras Paris' (CUP) - conveyed a message of ..
Real Madrid suffer humiliating Copa del Rey exit
Real Madrid crashed to a humiliating Copa del Rey exit on Wednesday when they were knocked out by little Leganes in the quarter-finals, adding to the atmosphere of crisis at the European champions. Real lost 2-1 in the second leg at their Bernabeu home as the tie finished 2-2 on aggregate with their modest city neighbours going through on away goals despite having lost the first leg 1-0 last week. Javi Eraso gave Leganes a 32nd minute lead before Karim Benzema levelled after 47 minutes but Brazilian striker Gabriel Pires then hit the winner with a firm header eight minutes later. It was a depressing evening for Zinedine Zidane's side who, despite being in the Champions League last 16 where they face Paris Saint-Germain in three weeks' time, are 19 points behind Barcelona in the Spanish title race. The fans let their feelings known by booing off the team at half-time. Leganes have a budget of just 45 million euros -- six times less than the 675 million euros commanded by .