Novak Djokovic saved five match points against world No 42 Fernando Verdasco on Friday to reach the Qatar Open final where he could meet world No 1 Andy Murray. Djokovic won a thrilling match 4-6, 7-6 , 6-3 to progress to his second successive final in Doha but was earlier on the brink of a straight sets defeat as he trailed in the second set tie-break.
Category: Sports
Olympic champion Stoch wins final stop, takes 4 Hills title
Poland’s Kamil Stoch celebrates after winning the fourth and last stage of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Poland’s Kamil Stoch, bottom, who won the overall competition, and his teammate Piotr Zyla celebrate after the fourth and last stage of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
Chelsea’s Mikel joins China gold rush, moves to Tianjin Teda
Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has become the latest big name player to join the Chinese Super League gold rush after leaving Chelsea for Tianjin Teda. Mikel had a medical in the port city some 130 kilometres from Beijing on Thursday and the Asian Football Confederation confirmed the deal on Friday.
US, France level before mixed doubles decider at Hopman Cup
Snow, sleet and freezing rain pelted a wide swath of the South overnight, turning roads icy and impassable in spots as children whooped it up on sleds and others braced for up to a foot of snow in parts of the… A winter storm blanketed parts of North Carolina and Virginia with snow early Saturday as its slow march across the Southeast left grocery store shelves empty and roads icy and impassible. Without a word, the gunman moved through the baggage claim picking off travelers until his handgun ran out of ammunition, leaving five dead and eight wounded in Fort Lauderdale’s airport.
AUS vs PAK: Australian opener Matthew Renshaw out of Sydney test due to concussion
Umpire Sundaram Ravi watches on as Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith of Australia call for a new helmet after Renshaw was hit on the helmet while fielding during day three of the Third Test match between Australia and Pakistan at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 5, 2017 in Sydney, Australia The left-handed opener got hit on his head twice during the on-going third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney. Australia opening batsman Matt Renshaw has been withdrawn from the remainder of the third test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground due to concussion, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
Messi scores stunning free-kick yet Barcelona lose first leg…
Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates with his teammate Jordi Alba of FC Barcelona after scoring their opening goal during the Copa del Rey Round of 16 first leg match between Athletic Club and FC Barcelona at San Mames Stadium on January 5, 2017 in Bilbao, Spain The defending champs have it all to do in the second leg which takes place next Wednesday at the Nou Camp. King’s Cup holders Barcelona have a fight on their hands if they are to remain in the competition after losing a fiery first leg of their last-16 tie at Athletic Club 2-1 on Thursday despite playing the final 10 minutes with a two-man advantage.
South African pacer Kyle Abbott retires from international cricket
South African bowler Kyle Abbott celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s batsman Dhananjaya De Silva during the fifth and last day of the first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka on December 30, 2016 at St George’s Park ground in Port Elizabeth. / AFP PHOTO Cape Town: South African fast bowler Kyle Abbott announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday to play in England, catching his employers by surprise and highlighting a growing drain of sporting talent from the country.
Ramdas Athawale wants at least 25% seats in BMC polls
A president Ramdas Athawale wants at least 60 of the 227 seats; he also claims many BSP leaders in Uttar Pradesh are ready to join his party before the polls there Ramdas Athawale says he wants a fair share in Mumbai and UP, otherwise his party will fight it out on its own. File pic Boasting of a huge influence among the city’s Dalit voters, BJP ally and union minister of state Ramdas Athawale has sought at least 60 of 227 seats from the party in a pre-poll pact for the BMC polls.
Rare four-Test series
South Africa and Australia will contest a four-test series for the first time in almost 50 years when they clash in March and April 2018, Cricket South Africa announced yesterday. Australia will tour South Africa seeking revenge for their 2-1 home series loss in November and will play four tests for the first time since being humbled 4-0 on South Africa soil in the 1969/70 season.
Match-fixing charge surfaces ahead of Australian Open
Victoria state police on Thursday charged an 18-year-old man following an investigation by detectives from the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit into allegations of match-fixing at a lower-tier tournament in Traralgon, 160 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, in October. Police did not disclose the name or other details of the man, but said he will appear at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on March 2 charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome.
Would have staged dharna if MS Dhoni had quit playing: Sunil Gavaskar
New Delhi : Sunil Gavaskar is glad that M S Dhoni has only quit limited overs captaincy and not retired as he feels the poster boy of Jharkhand still has a lot to offer to the Indian team. “If he had quit as a player, then I would have the been the first one outside his house, having a dharna asking him to make a comeback.
Kenan Izzet shows his best in Australia
Kenan Izzet gained victory over George Lester in the fourth round of tournament, azerisport.com reported. It’s his third victory at the tournament.
Daniel Pearce aged 11 with pet therapy dog “Binky”
AS a haven for young people with severe learning difficulties, Cwmbran’s Crownbridge School has built a unrivalled reputation for giving its pupils the best start in life. Serving children and young people in the age ranges of 2-19 years, the school is split into two sites, with a main hub in Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran and a primary site within Penygarn Primary in the Pontypool area.
International players hail Dhoni as one of greatest captains
New Delhi: International cricket fraternity has hailed Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who yesterday step down as India’s limited overs skipper, as one the greatest captains of all time. Former England skipper Michel Vaughan described Dhoni as one of the greatest captains to have ever led a cricket team.
US ski team: Lindsey Vonn could return to WCup next week
In this Feb. 20, 2016, file photo, Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, celebrates after placing second at a women’s Alpine ski downhill race in La Thuile, Italy. The Alpine director of the U.S. ski team says Vonn could make her World Cup return in Austria next week, two months after undergoing surgery on a broken arm.
105-year-old Frenchman sets cycling record
Nearly a century ago, Robert Marchand was told by a coach that he should give up cycling because he would never achieve anything on a bike. In a skin-tight yellow and violet jersey, the 105-year-old Frenchman set a world record in the 105-plus age category – created especially for the tireless veteran – by riding 22.547 kilometres in one hour.
Chilean midfielder questioned over killing in Argentina – media
Chilean midfielder Luciano Cabral, currently playing for Atletico Paranaense in Brazil, turned himself over to Argentine police for questioning about a deadly street fight that took place over the weekend, local media said on Wednesday. Cabral, 21, whose father Jose Cabral has been held by police in connection with the fight, turned himself in late on Tuesday, several local news reports said.
Canada’s heptathlete Theisen-Eaton retiring from athletics
Brianne Theisen-Eaton celebrates at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 13, 2016. Theisen-Eaton, who won bronze at last summer’s Rio Olympics, and her American husband Ashton Eaton announced the decision on their Instagram account .
Brendan Bottcher opens Canadian Open with a 7-4 win over Steve Laycock
Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher beat Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock 7-4 on Tuesday in the first draw of the Grand Slam of Curling’s Canadian Open. The event features a triple knockout preliminary round where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang may lose WBC roster spot
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang may lose his spot on South Korea’s roster for the World Baseball Classic after his third arrest for driving under the influence since 2009 last month in Seoul. Kang, 29, was also interviewed by Chicago police last summer as a “person of interest” in a sexual assault investigation, although no charges were filed.
Leander Paes and other tennis stars up the glam quotient at fashion show
Chennai: India’s multiple Grand Slam champion Leander Paes and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s movie star and tennis sensation Damir Dzumhur set the ramp on fire as it were when they walked for designers Lalit Dalmia and Pranjal Kadkade at the Chennai Open fashion show here organised by 6 degrees.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t know how good Jason Kidd was
Jason Kidd is coaching the Bucks, but before that he had an incredible NBA career as a player. One that apparently Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t know about.
Serena Williams’ 1st-round match at ASB Classic delayed by rain
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Serena Williams will have to wait a little longer for her first match of 2017 after rain curtailed play Monday on the opening day of the ASB Classic. Williams was due to play in the evening session against unseeded Pauline Parmentier of France , but steady rain made play impossible at the open-air stadium, and the first-round match was postponed to Tuesday.
Serena Williams wins opening match in Auckland
Serena Williams mixed flashes of form and occasional bouts of frustration as she ended four months on the sidelines with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Pauline Parmentier on Tuesday in the first round of the ASB Classic. Top-seeded Williams had to wait an extra day to make her first appearance of 2017 because rain forced the postponement of her first-round match on Monday.
Mikaela Shiffrin closes in on ski racing milestones
If Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 27th World Cup race in Tuesday’s slalom, she will match the career achievement of one of the biggest names in American ski racing history – Phil Mahre. She would also match the women’s record of eight consecutive World Cup slaloms wins – and draw level with Swedish skiing great Ingemar Stenmark for the number of victories before turning 22 years old.
Skier Jean Vuarnet, who struck gold with tuck position, dies
Olympic skiing champion Jean Vuarnet, who helped pioneer the aerodynamic tuck position for downhill racers but suffered tragedy with the deaths of his wife and son in a doomsday cult murder-suicide, has died, the French Olympic Committee announced Monday. He was 83. The Frenchman won Olympic gold in the downhill at the 1960 winter games in Squaw Valley, California.
Jordan Larsson follows dad’s footsteps with Dutch move
Striker Jordan Larsson is following in his father Henrik’s footsteps by moving to the Dutch Eredivisie, with Swedish club Helsingborg announcing on Monday that the 19-year-old has signed for NEC Nijmegen. Henrik Larsson resigned as Helsingborg coach in November after he and his son were involved in an angry confrontation with fans as the club lost a playoff match and were relegated from the Swedish top flight.
Holden shines in Sparks’ win
Otago Sparks all-rounder Victoria Holden helped her side seal a six-wicket win against Northern Districts with an impressive performance in a twenty20 match at the University Oval yesterday. Otago coach Rob Walter will have one eye on the future when his team completes its twenty20 campaign with a match against Wellington at the Basin Reserve today.
Market Rasen Racecourse’s festive finale draws spectators in from far and wide
Thecourse’s reputation as one of the most popular venues in the Midlands was confirmed after more than 9,000 people packed through the turnstiles. The traditional event, sponsored by Rand Farm Park, drew in the huge crowds on a bright but chilly afternoon – and punters are already looking forward to the next race day on January 18. The town’s pubs and restaurants also reported a highly-anticipated boost in trade on the day, as crowds flocked to the event at the county’s only – racecourse.
Derby County bid A 2.5m for Henri Lansbury as Nottingham Forest…
Middlesbrough v Leicester LIVE: Can champions make it back-to-back wins? Follow all the Riverside Stadium action as it happens United are rediscovering their groove and returning to the club’s winning traditions… but how has Mourinho returned belief to flagging stars? New Year’s resolutions for the Premier League: From Arsenal’s contract woe to the next step for United – how clubs will hope to make 2017 a great year Oscar’s Chinese adventure begins as he meets adoring fans at airport after A 52m move from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG CHRIS SUTTON’S transfer window guide: Griezmann can be Ibrahimovic’s long-term, while Chelsea will make a statement if they get Rodriguez… The Harry and Dele show: Kane and Alli both strike twice as Tottenham run riot in four-goal Watford win to push Man City out of the top four Work of art: Wenger hails Giroud’s scorpion kick as the greatest goal he has … (more)
Joe Root may miss start of India vs England ODI series
Joe Root is all set to miss the initial few games of the three-match One-Day International series between England and India . England will clash in the first ODI against India on January 15 at Pune.
Graham Ford: Want Dhananjaya de Silva to become a top-order batsman
Dhananjaya de Silva has managed to play just six Tests so far, but has performed reasonably well, scoring 615 runs, along with an average of 55.90 till date Getty Images With Sri Lankan batsman Dhananjaya de Silva showing some good batting skills against hosts South Africa in the ongoing Test series, especially in the middle-order, the selectors are backing him to push up the order and make him a top-order batsman, feels Lankan head coach Graham Ford . De Silva has managed to play just six Tests so far, but has performed reasonably well, scoring 615 runs, along with an average of 55.90 till date.
Why target cricket, asks Niranjan Shah
Rajkot:: With the Supreme Court expected to come up with their verdict in the Justice RM Lodha committee’s recommendations to the Board of Control for Cricket in India case today, the Board’s most experienced active administrator, Niranjan Shah asked, “Why single out cricket?” “You can’t just single out cricket. You should make rules and regulations for any sphere in life, not only for cricket.
Ranji Trophy: Shardul Thakur helps Mumbai take escape route, but not safe
Rajkot: Defending champions Mumbai kicked off the New Year with a fighting performance on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Khandheri yesterday. Tamil Nadu ended the day with 261 for six, but they could have been in a better position had it not been for Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur.
Outsider’s Longford Cup in four-way photo
It’s a long way from the Inter-Dominion final in Perth to the Longford Cup on a country thoroughbred track in Tasmania but Melbourne owner Matt McLellan has made that journey in the past month. TIGHT FINISH: King Manu , ridden by Stephanie Thornton, wins Sunday’s Longford Cup in a four-way photo-finish.
Dolphins’ Opponents Set For 2017 Season
The last remaining opponent was determined Sunday when the Tennessee Titans defeated the Houston Texans to clinch second place in the AFC South. Now that the standings have almost been finalized, the Dolphins know their complete list of opponents for the 2017 season.
SA look to dominate
Another seam-friendly wicket stacks the odds overwhelmingly in favour of hosts South Africa when they take on Sri Lanka in the second Test at Newlands, starting on Monday. The middle contest in a three-match series comes just two days after South Africa completed a 206-run victory at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth in the Boxing Day Test.
From bogey team to just another game: How the Wenger and Allardyce rivalry is no more
The two managers have endured a frosty past but Wenger now appears to have backed his peer by praising him before Sunday’s Premier League clash “I really enjoyed beating Arsenal more than anyone when I was in charge at Bolton. We’d really got to them and Arsene Wenger hated us.
Kenny Miller: Rangers must learn the lessons from derby defeat
KENNY MILLER is confident Rangers will learn the lessons from their Hogmanay heartache after suffering derby defeat to Celtic once again. Mark Warburton’s side were beaten for the third time this term by their Glasgow rivals as the Hoops extended their lead at the top of the Premiership standings to 19 points.
The accolades keep coming for Andy Murray
Andy Murray is happy to have a Sir in front of his name – even if it will take some getting used to. The world number one was given a knighthood in the New Year Honours after a spectacular season that brought him a second Wimbledon title and Olympic gold medal.