HomeLatest XML Feed Tennis-Two men's doubles players out of French Open after positive COVID-19 test PARIS: Two men's doubles players were removed from the French Open draw after testing positive for COVID-19, the French tennis federation (FFT), who organise the claycourt Grand Slam, said on Wednesday. The FFT added that both players were in the same team but did not name them. "Since the ... Commentary: Tennis star Naomi Osaka showed us athletes are not commodities Taking a hard line with elite athletes – that they are contractually bound to show up before the media - can backfire when there is anxiety among the best performers, says a psychologist. Tennis-Medvedev overcomes slow start to reach French Open third round World number two Daniil Medvedev overcame a slow start to beat unseeded American Tommy Paul 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the third round of the French Open. How safe will the Tokyo Olympics be for Team SG? Experts say the event's success will depend on overall compliance with measures designed to protect participants from COVID-19 Tennis-Curfew set to spoil birthday boy Nadal's party at French Open PARIS: Defending champion Rafa Nadal will mark his 35th birthday on Thursday with his first night-session match at Roland Garros but the Spaniard will have to celebrate the special occasion inside an empty Court Philippe Chatrier. Nadal's second-round match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet is ... Soccer-No goal, but Benzema shines in France's 3-0 win against Wales Karim Benzema missed a penalty and hit the post but delivered a fine performance in his France comeback as the world champions beat 10-man Wales 3-0 in a Euro 2020 warm-up game on Wednesday. Soccer-Saka opens his account as England beat Austria 1-0 in Euro warm-up Teenage winger Bukayo Saka scored his first senior international goal for England on Wednesday as Gareth Southgate's side beat Austria 1-0 in a friendly warm-up for the Euro 2020 championship. Soccer-Germany dominate but settle for 1-1 draw against Denmark Germany twice hit the woodwork and missed more chances before settling for a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2020 warmup match against Denmark on Wednesday. Tennis: Osaka withdrawal puts spotlight on media mandate The waves of anxiety Naomi Osaka described before heading into a post-match press conference might be familiar to French Open finalist Sofia Kenin, whose gut-wrenching exit from the Australian Open was laid bare in front of cameras in February. Tennis: Third-seed Sabalenka beats Sasnovich to move into round three Third-seed Aryna Sabalenka littered Court Suzanne Lenglen with dozens of unforced errors but still beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in their Belarusian battle 7-5 6-3 on Wednesday to move into the third round of the French Open. Tennis: Serena through to French Open third round after second-set blip Former world number one Serena Williams, chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, overcame a second-set blip to reach the French Open third round with a 6-3 5-7 6-1 win against Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu on Wednesday (Jun 2). Football: Ancelotti will demand 'spectacular football' in second Real Madrid stint Carlo Ancelotti said he will demand more goals from Real Madrid's strikers next season and promised to play thrilling, attacking football when he takes charge of the team for the second time. Tennis: Venus and Gauff bow out in first round of French Open doubles Venus Williams and Coco Gauff, 23 years apart in age, fell at the first hurdle of the French Open women's doubles on Wednesday when they lost 7-6(5) 4-6 3-6 to 13th seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai. Tennis: Nishikori scripts second five-set win to reach third round Japan's Kei Nishikori survived his second five-set match at this year's French Open on Wednesday, outlasting Russian 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in a thrilling four-hour battle to win 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the third round. French Open order of play on Thursday REUTERS: Order of play on the main showcourts on the fifth day of the French Open on Thursday (play begins at 0900 GMT unless specified, prefix number denotes seeding): COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (1000 GMT) 1-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) v Magda Linette (Poland) 9-Karolina Pliskova (Czech ... Tennis: Tsitsipas strolls into third round with win over Martinez Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas strolled past Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-4 6-3 in a scrappy contest on Wednesday to reach the third round of the French Open. Cricket: India and New Zealand on equal terms for WTC final, says Kohli India captain Virat Kohli said on Wednesday that India and New Zealand would contest the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final as equals, despite expectations that playing conditions would better suit his opponents. Verstappen leads Formula One to Baku Max Verstappen will start Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Formula One world championship leader for the first time but also with his Red Bull under close technical scrutiny. Soccer-De Bruyne’s Euro participation still unclear - Belgium coach The possibility of Kevin De Bruyne competing for Belgium in the European Championship remains unclear as he recovers from facial fractures, coach Roberto Martinez said on Wednesday. China suspends unregulated sports after deadly ultramarathon BEIJING: China on Wednesday (Jun 2) said it would suspend all sports competitions that lack national safety standards, after extreme weather at an ultramarathon killed 21 runners and sparked calls for more regulation. Beijing's General Administration of Sport said that events suspended included ... Soccer-Strong-minded De Gea will not be affected by penalty miss, says Torres Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea will not dwell on his penalty miss in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, international team mate Pau Torres said, urging his compatriot to help lead Spain to glory at Euro 2020. Soccer-Seven Scotland players not travelling for friendly after COVID positive test REUTERS: Seven Scotland players have not travelled for Wednesday's international friendly match against the Netherlands as a precaution after midfielder John Fleck tested positive for COVID-19, Sky Sports has reported. The Scottish FA said on Tuesday that Fleck returned the positive test at ... Soccer-Swiss hope for goal feast to chase away training blues Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic is hoping for a goal feast against tiny neighbours Liechtenstein in Thursday’s friendly to provide a tonic after more than a week of intense training ahead of the European Championship. Tennis-Zverev storms into third round with straight-sets victory PARIS: German sixth seed Alexander Zverev blew hot and cold with his serve but had enough artillery to take down Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(1) to reach the third round of the French Open on Wednesday. The 182nd-ranked Russian went toe-to-toe with Zverev in the baseline ... Reporter's French Open credentials revoked for asking question from the supermarket Grand slam player news conferences have been under the spotlight after Naomi Osaka announced she would skip them at the French Open and organisers put the hammer down on a reporter for asking a question from a supermarket. Soccer-Dutch coach Van Bommel takes over at VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday appointed former Dutch international Mark van Bommel as their new head coach. Thousands of Tokyo Olympics volunteers quit - NHK Around 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers who signed up to help at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have quit, broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing organisers. Soccer-Signori football ban overturned after trial clears him of match-fixing Former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori had his ban from football overturned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Tuesday after he was cleared of any involvement in a match-fixing scandal. Soccer-Barcelona buy back Emerson in third new signing in three days Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian right back Emerson from Real Betis on Wednesday after exercising their option to buy back the player who they initially signed two and a half years ago. Football: UEFA fail to get Danes to budge on border restrictions for Russian fans at Euro 2020 COPENHAGEN: UEFA said on Wednesday (Jun 2) it had failed to get Denmark to allow Russian football fans entry to the country for their European Championship group stage match with the host nation in Copenhagen. Under the Nordic host country's COVID-19 travel restrictions, non-EU citizens are not ... Cricket-New Zealand win toss and elect to bat against England in first test New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat in the first match of the two-test series against England at Lord's on Wednesday. Japan's hosting of Olympics in COVID-19 pandemic 'not normal', warns top medical adviser TOKYO: Japan's most senior medical adviser said on Wednesday (Jun 2) that hosting the Olympics during the nation's current state of coronavirus infections was "not normal" in one of the strongest warnings yet about risks from the troubled Games. Doctors have said the Olympics, due to start on ... Motorcycling-Remy Gardner to move up to MotoGP in 2022 with Tech3 KTM Australian Remy Gardner, son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne, will move up to MotoGP next season, the Tech3 KTM team announced on Wednesday. Soccer-Survey finds more than 40per cent of fans set to attend fewer games due to VAR REUTERS: A study conducted by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) in England showed more than 40per cent of fans are likely to attend fewer games due to concerns about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The survey, taken by 33,243 supporters, showed more than 94per cent of the ... Badminton: Chinese trio named in BWF's Hall of Fame BEIJING: China's Olympic gold medallists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng have been inducted into the Badminton World Federation's Hall of Fame, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday (Jun 2). Zhang won gold in the women's singles at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and was crowned world ... Tennis-Golfer Wie West praises 'incredibly brave' Osaka American golfer Michelle Wie West said tennis world number two Naomi Osaka was "incredibly brave" to withdraw from the French Open in the wake of her decision to boycott post-match media duties. Teen in Singapore admits to sending death threats to Premier League footballer Neal Maupay SINGAPORE: A Singaporean teen on Wednesday (Jun 2) admitted to harassing English Premier League footballer Neal Maupay by threatening to kill the Brighton & Hove Albion forward and his family in online messages sent last year. Derek Ng De Ren, 19, was in Singapore when he sent the threats to ... Soccer-Former Australia captain Milligan to hang up boots, move into coaching Former Australia captain Mark Milligan will retire at the end of the A-League season and move into coaching at Macarthur FC, the midfielder said on Wednesday. Football: City ready to spend to replace Aguero, says chairman REUTERS: Manchester City will spend in the transfer window to find a replacement for striker Sergio Aguero and also improve the overall quality of the squad, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said. Argentina international Aguero, City's all-time top scorer with 260 goals, will join Barcelona on a two ... Football: After long break, Australia start World Cup qualification 'from scratch' MELBOURNE: After nearly 18 months without an international match, Australia's World Cup qualification cranks back into gear on Thursday (Jun 3) with a clash against Kuwait in the Gulf state and a clean slate for players to cement their positions. Unbeaten in their first four qualifiers before the ... Tennis-Osaka should be applauded for prioritising mental health - Stephens Naomi Osaka should be supported and applauded for her decision to withdraw from the French Open to focus on her mental health, former U.S. Open champion and WTA Players' Council member Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday. Football: Missing semis would be seen as failure for England, says Southgate England manager Gareth Southgate said on Tuesday (Jun 1) that his side will be considered to have failed if they do not reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020. Football: Mancini names uncapped striker Raspadori in final Italy Euro 2020 squad Roberto Mancini named Sassuolo’s uncapped striker Giacomo Raspadori in his final 26-man Italy squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday (Jun 1), but there was no room for AS Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina or Napoli winger Matteo Politano. NBA stars urged to end China endorsements over forced labour WASHINGTON: A US congressional commission on Tuesday (Jun 1) called on American basketball stars to end endorsements of Chinese sportswear firms that use cotton grown in China's Xinjiang region, warning against complicity in forced labour they say takes place there. In a letter to the National ... Tennis: Serena resumes hunt for 24th slam title on French Open Day 4 Seventh seed Serena Williams is back in action on day four of the French Open, where she takes on unseeded Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round. Tennis: Djokovic saunters into French Open round two PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic kicked off his French Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against American Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday (Jun 1) in the first men's match to be scheduled in a night session. With no spectators allowed on Philippe Chatrier court due to a 9pm local curfew ... Football: Russia hold Poland to 1-1 draw in friendly A makeshift Poland fought out a 1-1 draw with visiting Russia in a Euro 2020 warmup on Tuesday after Vyacheslav Karavaev cancelled out Jakub Swierczok's early opener for the home side. Tennis: Cancer survivor Suarez Navarro falls short of dream return, but still a winner Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro fell just short of a dream return to competitive tennis as she lost to Sloane Stephens at the French Open on Tuesday (Jun 1), little more than a month since declaring she had won her battle with cancer. Tennis: Annus horribilis for French men at Roland Garros PARIS: Only three French men reached the second round of the French Open in their worst collective performance since tennis turned professional in 1968. Enzo Couacaud, 26, made the most of a wildcard as he beat Egor Gerasimov on Sunday before being joined by veterans Gael Monfils and Richard ... Cricket: Men’s Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup to be expanded REUTERS: The Men’s Cricket World Cup and Men’s T20 World Cup will be expanded to include more teams and matches from 2027 and 2024 respectively, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. An ICC statement said that the Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams and 54 matches in ... Football: Ancelotti returns to Real for second spell as coach Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday (Jun 1), re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu. Tennis: Japan, sponsors join athletes to support Osaka after French Open withdrawal Naomi Osaka received support from her country Japan, her sponsors, leading sporting figures and tennis fans on Tuesday (Jun 1) after the world number two withdrew from the French Open in a row about media duties, saying she had been suffering from depression and anxiety. Tennis: Nadal in his element as temperature rises Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record-extending 14th French Open title with a straight-sets win over young Australian Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday but it was not as routine as the 6-3 6-2 7-6(3) scoreline suggests. Soccer-France cannot be dependent on Benzema, warns Lloris France cannot become dependent on the returning Karim Benzema if they are to become European champions three years after winning the World Cup, captain Hugo Lloris said on Tuesday. Soccer-England squad for European championship Following is the Engand squad for the June 11-July 11 European Championship, named by manager Gareth Southgate on Tuesday: Tennis: Nadal magic yet to rub off on Auger-Aliassime as he loses to Seppi Toni Nadal moulded his nephew Rafael into the greatest claycourt player the world has ever seen but the magic is yet to rub off on his new charge, Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tennis: Top seed Barty admits 'not 100%' after French Open scare World number one Ashleigh Barty admitted that she's "not 100%" as she marked her return to the French Open for the first time since her 2019 title triumph by overcoming a scare to beat Bernarda Pera to make the second round on Tuesday. Football: Chelsea, Leicester fined over Bridge brawl Chelsea and Leicester have been fined £22,500 ($31,872) by the Football Association after an ugly brawl between the teams at the end of their fiery Premier League clash. Swimming: Sjostrom returns to competition after elbow break Sweden's Olympic 100m butterfly champion Sarah Sjostrom returned to competition in France on Tuesday after having surgery for a broken elbow she suffered falling on ice in February. Cricket: Broad named England vice-captain, Bracey to make debut against NZ Stuart Broad has been named England's vice-captain for the test series against New Zealand in the absence of Ben Stokes, skipper Joe Root said on Tuesday. Brazilian president Bolsonaro agrees on hosting Copa America Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his government is on board with hosting the Copa America soccer tournament later this month, in a last-minute switch after planned host Argentina pulled out due to the coronavirus. Tennis: Ankle injury at press conference ends Kvitova's French Open PARIS: Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after injuring her ankle in a freak fall while performing her post-match media duties on Sunday (Jun 27), the 11th seeded Czech player said in a statement. Two-times Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in ... Tennis-Top-ranked Barty fights through injury to avoid upset opening loss PARIS: World number one Ash Barty managed to play through an injury problem and stave off an upset against American Bernarda Pera with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win in her opening match of the French Open on Tuesday. Returning to the Philippe Chatrier court after her maiden Grand Slam win in 2019, the 25 ... Rugby-Scotland name 17 uncapped players in summer tour squad REUTERS: Interim Scotland head coach Mike Blair will rely heavily on youth for his team's upcoming fixtures in June and July, with eight senior players unavailable having been picked for the British & Irish Lions tour in South Africa. Blair named 17 uncapped players, including Luke Crosbie ... Soccer-Scotland's Fleck out of Euro warmup after positive COVID-19 test REUTERS: Scotland midfielder John Fleck will miss their friendly international against the Netherlands on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, the Scottish FA said. Fleck returned the positive test at the Scottish team's base camp in Spain and was self-isolating in line with Spanish ... Soccer-Positive COVID-19 test rules Cillessen out of Euro 2020 The Netherlands left first choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen out of their European Championship squad after he tested positive for COVID-19 with coach Frank de Boer not prepared to risk how long he needs to recover. Soccer-Messi contract talks going well, more new arrivals imminent, Barca president says Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Monday that talks over a new deal with forward Lionel Messi are progressing well, and that the club will be announcing more new signings shortly. Tennis-Becker worried for Osaka's career following French Open withdrawal PARIS: Naomi Osaka's career could be in danger because of her mental health issues, according to six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The 23-year-old Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday following the controversy surrounding her refusal to take part in post-match media ... Soccer-Bayern's Gnabry ready for goals in his first major tournament Germany's Serge Gnabry would relish a centre forward position at this month's European Championship, he said on Tuesday, as the team are looking to improve their goal-scoring form. Tennis-Suspiciously parked car delays French Open start on Court Simonne-Mathieu Start of play at the French Open between local hope Ugo Humbert and Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania was delayed on Tuesday due to a suspiciously parked vehicle outside Roland Garros, the organisers said. Cricket-IPL organisers brace for UAE leg minus star foreigners As the Indian cricket board seeks to complete this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates, it appears to have accepted that the UAE leg may not feature several of the league's star foreign players. Soccer-Hungary's Szoboszlai to miss Euro 2020 after injury hiatus Hungary will be without influential midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai for the upcoming European Championship after the midfielder failed to recover from injury, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Soccer-Bayern CEO Rummenigge to leave at end of June, six months early Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will leave his post six months early at the end of June, ending his association with the German champions that stretches back to 1974, he said on Tuesday. Soccer-Austria winger cannot travel to England friendly over quarantine threat Austria will have to do without winger Valentino Lazaro for Wednesday’s friendly match against England after failing to secure permission for him to travel without the threat of quarantine. Tennis: Sympathy for Osaka in Japan over French Open withdrawal Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression. Football: Bayern chairman Rummenigge to step down after 30 years After 30 years in charge of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will step down as chairman at the end of the month and will be replaced by former Germany captain Oliver Kahn, according to reports on Tuesday. Olympics: Badminton champion Marin withdraws from Tokyo due to knee injury MADRID: Spain's Olympic women's singles badminton champion Carolina Marin confirmed on Tuesday (Jun 1) that she is unable to defend her crown in Tokyo due to a knee injury. Marin, a five-time European and three-time world champion who beat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India to claim gold at the Rio ... Olympics: Jones to chase third taekwondo gold but no place for Muhammad LONDON: Britain's Jade Jones will fight for a record third taekwondo gold at the Tokyo Olympics but 2016 silver medallist Lutalo Muhammad will not be on the plane to Japan after failing to make the team. Muhammad, 29, famously missed out on gold in the -80kg category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro ... Football: Greenwood withdraws from England squad for Euro 2020 Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has pulled out of England's Euro 2020 squad due to injury, the club announced on Tuesday. Soccer-England's Greenwood out of Euro 2020 due to injury Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been withdrawn from England's provisional squad for the European Championship due to an underlying injury, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. Football: Chile midfielder Vidal recovering from COVID-19 in hospital SANTIAGO: Chile and Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal is recovering in hospital after contracting COVID-19, the Chilean national team announced on Tuesday (Jun 1). A statement said that the 34-year-old tested positive for the virus after initially being hospitalised with severe tonsilitis. “The ... Rugby: O'Connor to savour Super milestone he doubted would come MELBOURNE: Thirteen years after becoming Super Rugby's youngest debutant at the age of 17, James O'Connor will savour his 100th cap in the provincial competition on Friday (Jun 4) when the Queensland Reds face the rampaging Auckland Blues in Brisbane. Though only 30, O'Connor's milestone comes ... Motor racing: Aston Martin team to promote LGBTQ+ awareness in F1 The Aston Martin Formula One team announced on Tuesday a partnership with the Racing Pride movement and said it will work through June to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ diversity in the male-dominated sport. After tough Bolshoi training, British ballerina sets eyes on world stage MOSCOW: Rachel Armstrong will take a leap towards her dream of becoming one of the world's top ballet dancers when she graduates from Russia's renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy this month. Armstrong, 20, is among the few dancers from England to ever graduate from the prestigious institution ... Football: Barcelona confirm Garcia to join from Man City BARCELONA: Barcelona on Tuesday (Jun 1) confirmed that Manchester City defender Eric Garcia would join them on Jul 1 when his contract with the Premier League champions expires. Garcia will return to his boyhood club on a deal until the end of the 2025-26 campaign after three years at City and ... Rugby-New NZR chair Mitchell hopes to resolve Silver Lake issues REUTERS: The new chairman of New Zealand Rugby (NZR), Stewart Mitchell, said the governing body will talk to the players association and seek to resolve concerns about the proposed Silver Lake deal. In April, 26 constituent provincial rugby unions approved the sale of a 12.5per cent stake in ... Football: Australia's all-time scorer De Vanna dropped from Olympic squad SYDNEY: Lisa De Vanna, Australia's most prolific goal-scorer in women's football, has been dropped from the Olympic squad with coach Tony Gustavsson saying there was "no room" for the veteran forward. De Vanna, 36, was omitted from the Matildas' 25-woman squad released on Tuesday (Jun 1) for ... Football: AFC moves World Cup qualifiers to UAE from China SHARJAH, UAE: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that it has moved Group A matches in the region's 2022 World Cup preliminaries to the United Arab Emirates from China. The remaining seven games involving China, the Maldives, Syria, the Philippines and Guam were due to be played in a bio ... Cricket-Boult hoping to strike in Birmingham despite Stead reluctance New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult is hoping to make his international return for the second test against England but may have work to do to convince coach Gary Stead. Soccer-JFA cancels Jamaica game as players unable to board flight to Japan TOKYO: The Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Tuesday it has cancelled a friendly against Jamaica scheduled for later this week after 10 of the visiting players were unable to board a flight due to coronavirus testing issues. The test certificates of eight of the 10 players coming from ... Soccer-Players, fans will both suffer from too much football: Lewandowski Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski said the packed soccer schedule over the next few years is a major problem as players will struggle to deliver their best when there is little time for recovery. Cricket-Afghan removed, Shahidi Afghanistan's new test, ODI captain Afghanistan have removed Asghar Afghan as captain from all three formats and put top-order batsman Hashmat Shahidi in charge of their test and ODI teams, the country's cricket board said. Celtic target Postecoglou puts principles before success No sooner had Eddie Howe been ruled out of the running for the manager's role at Celtic at the weekend than fans of the Glasgow club were scouring the internet for information on the man installed as favourite to replace Neil Lennon. Olympic anxiety leaves Japanese sponsors counting the cost TOKYO: Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be a marketing bonanza, but public opposition and a possible spectator ban over COVID-19 fears have left some Japanese sponsors with an Olympic headache. Around 60 Japanese companies ploughed a record US$3.3 billion into the event, which was postponed for a year ... Football: Criticism, jokes as Copa America moved to Brazil over COVID-19 When COVID-19 overwhelmed Argentina too badly for it to host the South American football championships, officials decided to move the tournament to pandemic-battered Brazil of all places, drawing criticism from epidemiologists and a flurry of jokes. Tennis: Serena 'feels for' Osaka, has also experienced 'very difficult' press conferences PARIS: Serena Williams said she "feels for" Naomi Osaka and has also experienced "very difficult" press conferences in her career after her rival's shock withdrawal from the French Open on Monday (May 31). Japanese star Osaka pulled out of the tournament after being threatened with ... Australian softball team first to arrive in Japan for Olympics OTA, Japan: Australia's softball team became the first athletes to arrive in Japan for the Olympics on Tuesday (Jun 1), in a major step forward for the pandemic-postponed Games as organisers battle COVID-19 fears. The arrival offered a taste of the strict biosecurity measures that the Games will ... Tennis: Top seeds take centre stage on day three at Roland Garros Defending champion Rafa Nadal and Serbia's Novak Djokovic headline day three of the French Open on Tuesday, with women's top seed Ash Barty also in first-round action at Roland Garros. Commentary: Cutting down of trees in Yoyogi raises new frustrations over Tokyo Olympics The Japanese public has a darkening sense of the unstoppable arrival of tens of thousands of athletes and their teams, says the Financial Times’ Leo Lewis. Tennis: Serena survives scare in French Open's first night match LONDON: American Serena Williams survived a scare in the first ever night session match at the French Open as she edged out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6(6) 6-2 in the first round on Monday. Organisers have introduced night matches under the Philippe Chatrier Court lights to provide some late ...

Tennis-Two men's doubles players out of French Open after positive COVID-19 test PARIS: Two men's doubles players were removed from the French Open draw after testing positive for COVID-19, the French tennis federation (FFT), who organise the claycourt Grand Slam, said on Wednesday. The FFT added that both players were in the same team but did not name them. "Since the ... Commentary: Tennis star Naomi Osaka showed us athletes are not commodities Taking a hard line with elite athletes – that they are contractually bound to show up before the media - can backfire when there is anxiety among the best performers, says a psychologist. Tennis-Medvedev overcomes slow start to reach French Open third round World number two Daniil Medvedev overcame a slow start to beat unseeded American Tommy Paul 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the third round of the French Open. How safe will the Tokyo Olympics be for Team SG? Experts say the event's success will depend on overall compliance with measures designed to protect participants from COVID-19 Tennis-Curfew set to spoil birthday boy Nadal's party at French Open PARIS: Defending champion Rafa Nadal will mark his 35th birthday on Thursday with his first night-session match at Roland Garros but the Spaniard will have to celebrate the special occasion inside an empty Court Philippe Chatrier. Nadal's second-round match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet is ... Soccer-No goal, but Benzema shines in France's 3-0 win against Wales Karim Benzema missed a penalty and hit the post but delivered a fine performance in his France comeback as the world champions beat 10-man Wales 3-0 in a Euro 2020 warm-up game on Wednesday. Soccer-Saka opens his account as England beat Austria 1-0 in Euro warm-up Teenage winger Bukayo Saka scored his first senior international goal for England on Wednesday as Gareth Southgate's side beat Austria 1-0 in a friendly warm-up for the Euro 2020 championship. Soccer-Germany dominate but settle for 1-1 draw against Denmark Germany twice hit the woodwork and missed more chances before settling for a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2020 warmup match against Denmark on Wednesday. Tennis: Osaka withdrawal puts spotlight on media mandate The waves of anxiety Naomi Osaka described before heading into a post-match press conference might be familiar to French Open finalist Sofia Kenin, whose gut-wrenching exit from the Australian Open was laid bare in front of cameras in February. Tennis: Third-seed Sabalenka beats Sasnovich to move into round three Third-seed Aryna Sabalenka littered Court Suzanne Lenglen with dozens of unforced errors but still beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in their Belarusian battle 7-5 6-3 on Wednesday to move into the third round of the French Open. Tennis: Serena through to French Open third round after second-set blip Former world number one Serena Williams, chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, overcame a second-set blip to reach the French Open third round with a 6-3 5-7 6-1 win against Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu on Wednesday (Jun 2). Football: Ancelotti will demand 'spectacular football' in second Real Madrid stint Carlo Ancelotti said he will demand more goals from Real Madrid's strikers next season and promised to play thrilling, attacking football when he takes charge of the team for the second time. Tennis: Venus and Gauff bow out in first round of French Open doubles Venus Williams and Coco Gauff, 23 years apart in age, fell at the first hurdle of the French Open women's doubles on Wednesday when they lost 7-6(5) 4-6 3-6 to 13th seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai. Tennis: Nishikori scripts second five-set win to reach third round Japan's Kei Nishikori survived his second five-set match at this year's French Open on Wednesday, outlasting Russian 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in a thrilling four-hour battle to win 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the third round. French Open order of play on Thursday REUTERS: Order of play on the main showcourts on the fifth day of the French Open on Thursday (play begins at 0900 GMT unless specified, prefix number denotes seeding): COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (1000 GMT) 1-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) v Magda Linette (Poland) 9-Karolina Pliskova (Czech ... Tennis: Tsitsipas strolls into third round with win over Martinez Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas strolled past Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-4 6-3 in a scrappy contest on Wednesday to reach the third round of the French Open. Cricket: India and New Zealand on equal terms for WTC final, says Kohli India captain Virat Kohli said on Wednesday that India and New Zealand would contest the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final as equals, despite expectations that playing conditions would better suit his opponents. Verstappen leads Formula One to Baku Max Verstappen will start Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Formula One world championship leader for the first time but also with his Red Bull under close technical scrutiny. Soccer-De Bruyne’s Euro participation still unclear - Belgium coach The possibility of Kevin De Bruyne competing for Belgium in the European Championship remains unclear as he recovers from facial fractures, coach Roberto Martinez said on Wednesday. China suspends unregulated sports after deadly ultramarathon BEIJING: China on Wednesday (Jun 2) said it would suspend all sports competitions that lack national safety standards, after extreme weather at an ultramarathon killed 21 runners and sparked calls for more regulation. Beijing's General Administration of Sport said that events suspended included ... Soccer-Strong-minded De Gea will not be affected by penalty miss, says Torres Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea will not dwell on his penalty miss in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, international team mate Pau Torres said, urging his compatriot to help lead Spain to glory at Euro 2020. Soccer-Seven Scotland players not travelling for friendly after COVID positive test REUTERS: Seven Scotland players have not travelled for Wednesday's international friendly match against the Netherlands as a precaution after midfielder John Fleck tested positive for COVID-19, Sky Sports has reported. The Scottish FA said on Tuesday that Fleck returned the positive test at ... Soccer-Swiss hope for goal feast to chase away training blues Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic is hoping for a goal feast against tiny neighbours Liechtenstein in Thursday’s friendly to provide a tonic after more than a week of intense training ahead of the European Championship. Tennis-Zverev storms into third round with straight-sets victory PARIS: German sixth seed Alexander Zverev blew hot and cold with his serve but had enough artillery to take down Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(1) to reach the third round of the French Open on Wednesday. The 182nd-ranked Russian went toe-to-toe with Zverev in the baseline ... Reporter's French Open credentials revoked for asking question from the supermarket Grand slam player news conferences have been under the spotlight after Naomi Osaka announced she would skip them at the French Open and organisers put the hammer down on a reporter for asking a question from a supermarket. Soccer-Dutch coach Van Bommel takes over at VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday appointed former Dutch international Mark van Bommel as their new head coach. Thousands of Tokyo Olympics volunteers quit - NHK Around 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers who signed up to help at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have quit, broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing organisers. Soccer-Signori football ban overturned after trial clears him of match-fixing Former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori had his ban from football overturned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Tuesday after he was cleared of any involvement in a match-fixing scandal. Soccer-Barcelona buy back Emerson in third new signing in three days Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian right back Emerson from Real Betis on Wednesday after exercising their option to buy back the player who they initially signed two and a half years ago. Football: UEFA fail to get Danes to budge on border restrictions for Russian fans at Euro 2020 COPENHAGEN: UEFA said on Wednesday (Jun 2) it had failed to get Denmark to allow Russian football fans entry to the country for their European Championship group stage match with the host nation in Copenhagen. Under the Nordic host country's COVID-19 travel restrictions, non-EU citizens are not ... Cricket-New Zealand win toss and elect to bat against England in first test New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat in the first match of the two-test series against England at Lord's on Wednesday. Japan's hosting of Olympics in COVID-19 pandemic 'not normal', warns top medical adviser TOKYO: Japan's most senior medical adviser said on Wednesday (Jun 2) that hosting the Olympics during the nation's current state of coronavirus infections was "not normal" in one of the strongest warnings yet about risks from the troubled Games. Doctors have said the Olympics, due to start on ... Motorcycling-Remy Gardner to move up to MotoGP in 2022 with Tech3 KTM Australian Remy Gardner, son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne, will move up to MotoGP next season, the Tech3 KTM team announced on Wednesday. Soccer-Survey finds more than 40per cent of fans set to attend fewer games due to VAR REUTERS: A study conducted by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) in England showed more than 40per cent of fans are likely to attend fewer games due to concerns about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The survey, taken by 33,243 supporters, showed more than 94per cent of the ... Badminton: Chinese trio named in BWF's Hall of Fame BEIJING: China's Olympic gold medallists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng have been inducted into the Badminton World Federation's Hall of Fame, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday (Jun 2). Zhang won gold in the women's singles at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and was crowned world ... Tennis-Golfer Wie West praises 'incredibly brave' Osaka American golfer Michelle Wie West said tennis world number two Naomi Osaka was "incredibly brave" to withdraw from the French Open in the wake of her decision to boycott post-match media duties. Teen in Singapore admits to sending death threats to Premier League footballer Neal Maupay SINGAPORE: A Singaporean teen on Wednesday (Jun 2) admitted to harassing English Premier League footballer Neal Maupay by threatening to kill the Brighton & Hove Albion forward and his family in online messages sent last year. Derek Ng De Ren, 19, was in Singapore when he sent the threats to ... Soccer-Former Australia captain Milligan to hang up boots, move into coaching Former Australia captain Mark Milligan will retire at the end of the A-League season and move into coaching at Macarthur FC, the midfielder said on Wednesday. Football: City ready to spend to replace Aguero, says chairman REUTERS: Manchester City will spend in the transfer window to find a replacement for striker Sergio Aguero and also improve the overall quality of the squad, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said. Argentina international Aguero, City's all-time top scorer with 260 goals, will join Barcelona on a two ... Football: After long break, Australia start World Cup qualification 'from scratch' MELBOURNE: After nearly 18 months without an international match, Australia's World Cup qualification cranks back into gear on Thursday (Jun 3) with a clash against Kuwait in the Gulf state and a clean slate for players to cement their positions. Unbeaten in their first four qualifiers before the ... Tennis-Osaka should be applauded for prioritising mental health - Stephens Naomi Osaka should be supported and applauded for her decision to withdraw from the French Open to focus on her mental health, former U.S. Open champion and WTA Players' Council member Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday. Football: Missing semis would be seen as failure for England, says Southgate England manager Gareth Southgate said on Tuesday (Jun 1) that his side will be considered to have failed if they do not reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020. Football: Mancini names uncapped striker Raspadori in final Italy Euro 2020 squad Roberto Mancini named Sassuolo’s uncapped striker Giacomo Raspadori in his final 26-man Italy squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday (Jun 1), but there was no room for AS Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina or Napoli winger Matteo Politano. NBA stars urged to end China endorsements over forced labour WASHINGTON: A US congressional commission on Tuesday (Jun 1) called on American basketball stars to end endorsements of Chinese sportswear firms that use cotton grown in China's Xinjiang region, warning against complicity in forced labour they say takes place there. In a letter to the National ... Tennis: Serena resumes hunt for 24th slam title on French Open Day 4 Seventh seed Serena Williams is back in action on day four of the French Open, where she takes on unseeded Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round. Tennis: Djokovic saunters into French Open round two PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic kicked off his French Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against American Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday (Jun 1) in the first men's match to be scheduled in a night session. With no spectators allowed on Philippe Chatrier court due to a 9pm local curfew ... Football: Russia hold Poland to 1-1 draw in friendly A makeshift Poland fought out a 1-1 draw with visiting Russia in a Euro 2020 warmup on Tuesday after Vyacheslav Karavaev cancelled out Jakub Swierczok's early opener for the home side. Tennis: Cancer survivor Suarez Navarro falls short of dream return, but still a winner Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro fell just short of a dream return to competitive tennis as she lost to Sloane Stephens at the French Open on Tuesday (Jun 1), little more than a month since declaring she had won her battle with cancer. Tennis: Annus horribilis for French men at Roland Garros PARIS: Only three French men reached the second round of the French Open in their worst collective performance since tennis turned professional in 1968. Enzo Couacaud, 26, made the most of a wildcard as he beat Egor Gerasimov on Sunday before being joined by veterans Gael Monfils and Richard ... Cricket: Men’s Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup to be expanded REUTERS: The Men’s Cricket World Cup and Men’s T20 World Cup will be expanded to include more teams and matches from 2027 and 2024 respectively, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. An ICC statement said that the Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams and 54 matches in ... Football: Ancelotti returns to Real for second spell as coach Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday (Jun 1), re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu. Tennis: Japan, sponsors join athletes to support Osaka after French Open withdrawal Naomi Osaka received support from her country Japan, her sponsors, leading sporting figures and tennis fans on Tuesday (Jun 1) after the world number two withdrew from the French Open in a row about media duties, saying she had been suffering from depression and anxiety. Tennis: Nadal in his element as temperature rises Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record-extending 14th French Open title with a straight-sets win over young Australian Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday but it was not as routine as the 6-3 6-2 7-6(3) scoreline suggests. Soccer-France cannot be dependent on Benzema, warns Lloris France cannot become dependent on the returning Karim Benzema if they are to become European champions three years after winning the World Cup, captain Hugo Lloris said on Tuesday. Soccer-England squad for European championship Following is the Engand squad for the June 11-July 11 European Championship, named by manager Gareth Southgate on Tuesday: Tennis: Nadal magic yet to rub off on Auger-Aliassime as he loses to Seppi Toni Nadal moulded his nephew Rafael into the greatest claycourt player the world has ever seen but the magic is yet to rub off on his new charge, Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tennis: Top seed Barty admits 'not 100%' after French Open scare World number one Ashleigh Barty admitted that she's "not 100%" as she marked her return to the French Open for the first time since her 2019 title triumph by overcoming a scare to beat Bernarda Pera to make the second round on Tuesday. Football: Chelsea, Leicester fined over Bridge brawl Chelsea and Leicester have been fined £22,500 ($31,872) by the Football Association after an ugly brawl between the teams at the end of their fiery Premier League clash. Swimming: Sjostrom returns to competition after elbow break Sweden's Olympic 100m butterfly champion Sarah Sjostrom returned to competition in France on Tuesday after having surgery for a broken elbow she suffered falling on ice in February. Cricket: Broad named England vice-captain, Bracey to make debut against NZ Stuart Broad has been named England's vice-captain for the test series against New Zealand in the absence of Ben Stokes, skipper Joe Root said on Tuesday. Brazilian president Bolsonaro agrees on hosting Copa America Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his government is on board with hosting the Copa America soccer tournament later this month, in a last-minute switch after planned host Argentina pulled out due to the coronavirus. Tennis: Ankle injury at press conference ends Kvitova's French Open PARIS: Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after injuring her ankle in a freak fall while performing her post-match media duties on Sunday (Jun 27), the 11th seeded Czech player said in a statement. Two-times Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in ... Tennis-Top-ranked Barty fights through injury to avoid upset opening loss PARIS: World number one Ash Barty managed to play through an injury problem and stave off an upset against American Bernarda Pera with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win in her opening match of the French Open on Tuesday. Returning to the Philippe Chatrier court after her maiden Grand Slam win in 2019, the 25 ... Rugby-Scotland name 17 uncapped players in summer tour squad REUTERS: Interim Scotland head coach Mike Blair will rely heavily on youth for his team's upcoming fixtures in June and July, with eight senior players unavailable having been picked for the British & Irish Lions tour in South Africa. Blair named 17 uncapped players, including Luke Crosbie ... Soccer-Scotland's Fleck out of Euro warmup after positive COVID-19 test REUTERS: Scotland midfielder John Fleck will miss their friendly international against the Netherlands on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, the Scottish FA said. Fleck returned the positive test at the Scottish team's base camp in Spain and was self-isolating in line with Spanish ... Soccer-Positive COVID-19 test rules Cillessen out of Euro 2020 The Netherlands left first choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen out of their European Championship squad after he tested positive for COVID-19 with coach Frank de Boer not prepared to risk how long he needs to recover. Soccer-Messi contract talks going well, more new arrivals imminent, Barca president says Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Monday that talks over a new deal with forward Lionel Messi are progressing well, and that the club will be announcing more new signings shortly. Tennis-Becker worried for Osaka's career following French Open withdrawal PARIS: Naomi Osaka's career could be in danger because of her mental health issues, according to six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The 23-year-old Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday following the controversy surrounding her refusal to take part in post-match media ... Soccer-Bayern's Gnabry ready for goals in his first major tournament Germany's Serge Gnabry would relish a centre forward position at this month's European Championship, he said on Tuesday, as the team are looking to improve their goal-scoring form. Tennis-Suspiciously parked car delays French Open start on Court Simonne-Mathieu Start of play at the French Open between local hope Ugo Humbert and Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania was delayed on Tuesday due to a suspiciously parked vehicle outside Roland Garros, the organisers said. Cricket-IPL organisers brace for UAE leg minus star foreigners As the Indian cricket board seeks to complete this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates, it appears to have accepted that the UAE leg may not feature several of the league's star foreign players. Soccer-Hungary's Szoboszlai to miss Euro 2020 after injury hiatus Hungary will be without influential midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai for the upcoming European Championship after the midfielder failed to recover from injury, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Soccer-Bayern CEO Rummenigge to leave at end of June, six months early Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will leave his post six months early at the end of June, ending his association with the German champions that stretches back to 1974, he said on Tuesday. Soccer-Austria winger cannot travel to England friendly over quarantine threat Austria will have to do without winger Valentino Lazaro for Wednesday’s friendly match against England after failing to secure permission for him to travel without the threat of quarantine. Tennis: Sympathy for Osaka in Japan over French Open withdrawal Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression. Football: Bayern chairman Rummenigge to step down after 30 years After 30 years in charge of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will step down as chairman at the end of the month and will be replaced by former Germany captain Oliver Kahn, according to reports on Tuesday. Olympics: Badminton champion Marin withdraws from Tokyo due to knee injury MADRID: Spain's Olympic women's singles badminton champion Carolina Marin confirmed on Tuesday (Jun 1) that she is unable to defend her crown in Tokyo due to a knee injury. Marin, a five-time European and three-time world champion who beat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India to claim gold at the Rio ... Olympics: Jones to chase third taekwondo gold but no place for Muhammad LONDON: Britain's Jade Jones will fight for a record third taekwondo gold at the Tokyo Olympics but 2016 silver medallist Lutalo Muhammad will not be on the plane to Japan after failing to make the team. Muhammad, 29, famously missed out on gold in the -80kg category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro ... Football: Greenwood withdraws from England squad for Euro 2020 Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has pulled out of England's Euro 2020 squad due to injury, the club announced on Tuesday. Soccer-England's Greenwood out of Euro 2020 due to injury Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been withdrawn from England's provisional squad for the European Championship due to an underlying injury, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. Football: Chile midfielder Vidal recovering from COVID-19 in hospital SANTIAGO: Chile and Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal is recovering in hospital after contracting COVID-19, the Chilean national team announced on Tuesday (Jun 1). A statement said that the 34-year-old tested positive for the virus after initially being hospitalised with severe tonsilitis. “The ... Rugby: O'Connor to savour Super milestone he doubted would come MELBOURNE: Thirteen years after becoming Super Rugby's youngest debutant at the age of 17, James O'Connor will savour his 100th cap in the provincial competition on Friday (Jun 4) when the Queensland Reds face the rampaging Auckland Blues in Brisbane. Though only 30, O'Connor's milestone comes ... Motor racing: Aston Martin team to promote LGBTQ+ awareness in F1 The Aston Martin Formula One team announced on Tuesday a partnership with the Racing Pride movement and said it will work through June to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ diversity in the male-dominated sport. After tough Bolshoi training, British ballerina sets eyes on world stage MOSCOW: Rachel Armstrong will take a leap towards her dream of becoming one of the world's top ballet dancers when she graduates from Russia's renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy this month. Armstrong, 20, is among the few dancers from England to ever graduate from the prestigious institution ... Football: Barcelona confirm Garcia to join from Man City BARCELONA: Barcelona on Tuesday (Jun 1) confirmed that Manchester City defender Eric Garcia would join them on Jul 1 when his contract with the Premier League champions expires. Garcia will return to his boyhood club on a deal until the end of the 2025-26 campaign after three years at City and ... Rugby-New NZR chair Mitchell hopes to resolve Silver Lake issues REUTERS: The new chairman of New Zealand Rugby (NZR), Stewart Mitchell, said the governing body will talk to the players association and seek to resolve concerns about the proposed Silver Lake deal. In April, 26 constituent provincial rugby unions approved the sale of a 12.5per cent stake in ... Football: Australia's all-time scorer De Vanna dropped from Olympic squad SYDNEY: Lisa De Vanna, Australia's most prolific goal-scorer in women's football, has been dropped from the Olympic squad with coach Tony Gustavsson saying there was "no room" for the veteran forward. De Vanna, 36, was omitted from the Matildas' 25-woman squad released on Tuesday (Jun 1) for ... Football: AFC moves World Cup qualifiers to UAE from China SHARJAH, UAE: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that it has moved Group A matches in the region's 2022 World Cup preliminaries to the United Arab Emirates from China. The remaining seven games involving China, the Maldives, Syria, the Philippines and Guam were due to be played in a bio ... Cricket-Boult hoping to strike in Birmingham despite Stead reluctance New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult is hoping to make his international return for the second test against England but may have work to do to convince coach Gary Stead. Soccer-JFA cancels Jamaica game as players unable to board flight to Japan TOKYO: The Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Tuesday it has cancelled a friendly against Jamaica scheduled for later this week after 10 of the visiting players were unable to board a flight due to coronavirus testing issues. The test certificates of eight of the 10 players coming from ... Soccer-Players, fans will both suffer from too much football: Lewandowski Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski said the packed soccer schedule over the next few years is a major problem as players will struggle to deliver their best when there is little time for recovery. Cricket-Afghan removed, Shahidi Afghanistan's new test, ODI captain Afghanistan have removed Asghar Afghan as captain from all three formats and put top-order batsman Hashmat Shahidi in charge of their test and ODI teams, the country's cricket board said. Celtic target Postecoglou puts principles before success No sooner had Eddie Howe been ruled out of the running for the manager's role at Celtic at the weekend than fans of the Glasgow club were scouring the internet for information on the man installed as favourite to replace Neil Lennon. Olympic anxiety leaves Japanese sponsors counting the cost TOKYO: Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be a marketing bonanza, but public opposition and a possible spectator ban over COVID-19 fears have left some Japanese sponsors with an Olympic headache. Around 60 Japanese companies ploughed a record US$3.3 billion into the event, which was postponed for a year ... Football: Criticism, jokes as Copa America moved to Brazil over COVID-19 When COVID-19 overwhelmed Argentina too badly for it to host the South American football championships, officials decided to move the tournament to pandemic-battered Brazil of all places, drawing criticism from epidemiologists and a flurry of jokes. Tennis: Serena 'feels for' Osaka, has also experienced 'very difficult' press conferences PARIS: Serena Williams said she "feels for" Naomi Osaka and has also experienced "very difficult" press conferences in her career after her rival's shock withdrawal from the French Open on Monday (May 31). Japanese star Osaka pulled out of the tournament after being threatened with ... Australian softball team first to arrive in Japan for Olympics OTA, Japan: Australia's softball team became the first athletes to arrive in Japan for the Olympics on Tuesday (Jun 1), in a major step forward for the pandemic-postponed Games as organisers battle COVID-19 fears. The arrival offered a taste of the strict biosecurity measures that the Games will ... Tennis: Top seeds take centre stage on day three at Roland Garros Defending champion Rafa Nadal and Serbia's Novak Djokovic headline day three of the French Open on Tuesday, with women's top seed Ash Barty also in first-round action at Roland Garros. Commentary: Cutting down of trees in Yoyogi raises new frustrations over Tokyo Olympics The Japanese public has a darkening sense of the unstoppable arrival of tens of thousands of athletes and their teams, says the Financial Times’ Leo Lewis. Tennis: Serena survives scare in French Open's first night match LONDON: American Serena Williams survived a scare in the first ever night session match at the French Open as she edged out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6(6) 6-2 in the first round on Monday. Organisers have introduced night matches under the Philippe Chatrier Court lights to provide some late ...

bymanash June 03, 2021

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Tennis-Two men's doubles players out of French Open after positive COVID-19 test

PARIS: Two men's doubles players were removed from the French Open draw after testing positive for COVID-19, the French tennis federation (FFT), who organise the claycourt Grand Slam, said on Wednesday. The FFT added that both players were in the same team but did not name them. "Since the ...

Commentary: Tennis star Naomi Osaka showed us athletes are not commodities

Taking a hard line with elite athletes – that they are contractually bound to show up before the media - can backfire when there is anxiety among the best performers, says a psychologist.

Tennis-Medvedev overcomes slow start to reach French Open third round

World number two Daniil Medvedev overcame a slow start to beat unseeded American Tommy Paul 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the third round of the French Open.

How safe will the Tokyo Olympics be for Team SG?

Experts say the event's success will depend on overall compliance with measures designed to protect participants from COVID-19

Tennis-Curfew set to spoil birthday boy Nadal's party at French Open

PARIS: Defending champion Rafa Nadal will mark his 35th birthday on Thursday with his first night-session match at Roland Garros but the Spaniard will have to celebrate the special occasion inside an empty Court Philippe Chatrier. Nadal's second-round match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet is ...

Soccer-No goal, but Benzema shines in France's 3-0 win against Wales

Karim Benzema missed a penalty and hit the post but delivered a fine performance in his France comeback as the world champions beat 10-man Wales 3-0 in a Euro 2020 warm-up game on Wednesday.

Soccer-Saka opens his account as England beat Austria 1-0 in Euro warm-up

Teenage winger Bukayo Saka scored his first senior international goal for England on Wednesday as Gareth Southgate's side beat Austria 1-0 in a friendly warm-up for the Euro 2020 championship.

Soccer-Germany dominate but settle for 1-1 draw against Denmark

Germany twice hit the woodwork and missed more chances before settling for a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2020 warmup match against Denmark on Wednesday.

Tennis: Osaka withdrawal puts spotlight on media mandate

The waves of anxiety Naomi Osaka described before heading into a post-match press conference might be familiar to French Open finalist Sofia Kenin, whose gut-wrenching exit from the Australian Open was laid bare in front of cameras in February.

Tennis: Third-seed Sabalenka beats Sasnovich to move into round three

Third-seed Aryna Sabalenka littered Court Suzanne Lenglen with dozens of unforced errors but still beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in their Belarusian battle 7-5 6-3 on Wednesday to move into the third round of the French Open.

Tennis: Serena through to French Open third round after second-set blip

Former world number one Serena Williams, chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, overcame a second-set blip to reach the French Open third round with a 6-3 5-7 6-1 win against Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu on Wednesday (Jun 2).

Football: Ancelotti will demand 'spectacular football' in second Real Madrid stint

Carlo Ancelotti said he will demand more goals from Real Madrid's strikers next season and promised to play thrilling, attacking football when he takes charge of the team for the second time.

Tennis: Venus and Gauff bow out in first round of French Open doubles

Venus Williams and Coco Gauff, 23 years apart in age, fell at the first hurdle of the French Open women's doubles on Wednesday when they lost 7-6(5) 4-6 3-6 to 13th seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai.

Tennis: Nishikori scripts second five-set win to reach third round

Japan's Kei Nishikori survived his second five-set match at this year's French Open on Wednesday, outlasting Russian 23rd seed Karen Khachanov in a thrilling four-hour battle to win 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the third round.

French Open order of play on Thursday

REUTERS: Order of play on the main showcourts on the fifth day of the French Open on Thursday (play begins at 0900 GMT unless specified, prefix number denotes seeding): COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (1000 GMT) 1-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) v Magda Linette (Poland) 9-Karolina Pliskova (Czech ...

Tennis: Tsitsipas strolls into third round with win over Martinez

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas strolled past Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-4 6-3 in a scrappy contest on Wednesday to reach the third round of the French Open.

Cricket: India and New Zealand on equal terms for WTC final, says Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli said on Wednesday that India and New Zealand would contest the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final as equals, despite expectations that playing conditions would better suit his opponents.

Verstappen leads Formula One to Baku

Max Verstappen will start Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Formula One world championship leader for the first time but also with his Red Bull under close technical scrutiny.

Soccer-De Bruyne’s Euro participation still unclear - Belgium coach

The possibility of Kevin De Bruyne competing for Belgium in the European Championship remains unclear as he recovers from facial fractures, coach Roberto Martinez said on Wednesday.

China suspends unregulated sports after deadly ultramarathon

BEIJING: China on Wednesday (Jun 2) said it would suspend all sports competitions that lack national safety standards, after extreme weather at an ultramarathon killed 21 runners and sparked calls for more regulation. Beijing's General Administration of Sport said that events suspended included ...

Soccer-Strong-minded De Gea will not be affected by penalty miss, says Torres

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea will not dwell on his penalty miss in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, international team mate Pau Torres said, urging his compatriot to help lead Spain to glory at Euro 2020.

Soccer-Seven Scotland players not travelling for friendly after COVID positive test

REUTERS: Seven Scotland players have not travelled for Wednesday's international friendly match against the Netherlands as a precaution after midfielder John Fleck tested positive for COVID-19, Sky Sports has reported. The Scottish FA said on Tuesday that Fleck returned the positive test at ...

Soccer-Swiss hope for goal feast to chase away training blues

Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic is hoping for a goal feast against tiny neighbours Liechtenstein in Thursday’s friendly to provide a tonic after more than a week of intense training ahead of the European Championship.

Tennis-Zverev storms into third round with straight-sets victory

PARIS: German sixth seed Alexander Zverev blew hot and cold with his serve but had enough artillery to take down Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(1) to reach the third round of the French Open on Wednesday. The 182nd-ranked Russian went toe-to-toe with Zverev in the baseline ...

Reporter's French Open credentials revoked for asking question from the supermarket

Grand slam player news conferences have been under the spotlight after Naomi Osaka announced she would skip them at the French Open and organisers put the hammer down on a reporter for asking a question from a supermarket.

Soccer-Dutch coach Van Bommel takes over at VfL Wolfsburg

Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday appointed former Dutch international Mark van Bommel as their new head coach.

Thousands of Tokyo Olympics volunteers quit - NHK

Around 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers who signed up to help at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have quit, broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing organisers.

Soccer-Signori football ban overturned after trial clears him of match-fixing

Former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori had his ban from football overturned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Tuesday after he was cleared of any involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Soccer-Barcelona buy back Emerson in third new signing in three days

Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian right back Emerson from Real Betis on Wednesday after exercising their option to buy back the player who they initially signed two and a half years ago.

Football: UEFA fail to get Danes to budge on border restrictions for Russian fans at Euro 2020

COPENHAGEN: UEFA said on Wednesday (Jun 2) it had failed to get Denmark to allow Russian football fans entry to the country for their European Championship group stage match with the host nation in Copenhagen. Under the Nordic host country's COVID-19 travel restrictions, non-EU citizens are not ...

Cricket-New Zealand win toss and elect to bat against England in first test

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat in the first match of the two-test series against England at Lord's on Wednesday.

Japan's hosting of Olympics in COVID-19 pandemic 'not normal', warns top medical adviser

TOKYO: Japan's most senior medical adviser said on Wednesday (Jun 2) that hosting the Olympics during the nation's current state of coronavirus infections was "not normal" in one of the strongest warnings yet about risks from the troubled Games. Doctors have said the Olympics, due to start on ...

Motorcycling-Remy Gardner to move up to MotoGP in 2022 with Tech3 KTM

Australian Remy Gardner, son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne, will move up to MotoGP next season, the Tech3 KTM team announced on Wednesday.

Soccer-Survey finds more than 40per cent of fans set to attend fewer games due to VAR

REUTERS: A study conducted by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) in England showed more than 40per cent of fans are likely to attend fewer games due to concerns about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The survey, taken by 33,243 supporters, showed more than 94per cent of the ...

Badminton: Chinese trio named in BWF's Hall of Fame

BEIJING: China's Olympic gold medallists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng have been inducted into the Badminton World Federation's Hall of Fame, the sport's governing body said on Wednesday (Jun 2). Zhang won gold in the women's singles at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and was crowned world ...

Tennis-Golfer Wie West praises 'incredibly brave' Osaka

American golfer Michelle Wie West said tennis world number two Naomi Osaka was "incredibly brave" to withdraw from the French Open in the wake of her decision to boycott post-match media duties.

Teen in Singapore admits to sending death threats to Premier League footballer Neal Maupay

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean teen on Wednesday (Jun 2) admitted to harassing English Premier League footballer Neal Maupay by threatening to kill the Brighton & Hove Albion forward and his family in online messages sent last year. Derek Ng De Ren, 19, was in Singapore when he sent the threats to ...

Soccer-Former Australia captain Milligan to hang up boots, move into coaching

Former Australia captain Mark Milligan will retire at the end of the A-League season and move into coaching at Macarthur FC, the midfielder said on Wednesday.

Football: City ready to spend to replace Aguero, says chairman

REUTERS: Manchester City will spend in the transfer window to find a replacement for striker Sergio Aguero and also improve the overall quality of the squad, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said. Argentina international Aguero, City's all-time top scorer with 260 goals, will join Barcelona on a two ...

Football: After long break, Australia start World Cup qualification 'from scratch'

MELBOURNE: After nearly 18 months without an international match, Australia's World Cup qualification cranks back into gear on Thursday (Jun 3) with a clash against Kuwait in the Gulf state and a clean slate for players to cement their positions. Unbeaten in their first four qualifiers before the ...

Tennis-Osaka should be applauded for prioritising mental health - Stephens

Naomi Osaka should be supported and applauded for her decision to withdraw from the French Open to focus on her mental health, former U.S. Open champion and WTA Players' Council member Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday.

Football: Missing semis would be seen as failure for England, says Southgate

England manager Gareth Southgate said on Tuesday (Jun 1) that his side will be considered to have failed if they do not reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020.

Football: Mancini names uncapped striker Raspadori in final Italy Euro 2020 squad

Roberto Mancini named Sassuolo’s uncapped striker Giacomo Raspadori in his final 26-man Italy squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday (Jun 1), but there was no room for AS Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina or Napoli winger Matteo Politano.

NBA stars urged to end China endorsements over forced labour

WASHINGTON: A US congressional commission on Tuesday (Jun 1) called on American basketball stars to end endorsements of Chinese sportswear firms that use cotton grown in China's Xinjiang region, warning against complicity in forced labour they say takes place there. In a letter to the National ...

Tennis: Serena resumes hunt for 24th slam title on French Open Day 4

Seventh seed Serena Williams is back in action on day four of the French Open, where she takes on unseeded Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round.

Tennis: Djokovic saunters into French Open round two

PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic kicked off his French Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against American Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday (Jun 1) in the first men's match to be scheduled in a night session. With no spectators allowed on Philippe Chatrier court due to a 9pm local curfew ...

Football: Russia hold Poland to 1-1 draw in friendly

A makeshift Poland fought out a 1-1 draw with visiting Russia in a Euro 2020 warmup on Tuesday after Vyacheslav Karavaev cancelled out Jakub Swierczok's early opener for the home side.

Tennis: Cancer survivor Suarez Navarro falls short of dream return, but still a winner

Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro fell just short of a dream return to competitive tennis as she lost to Sloane Stephens at the French Open on Tuesday (Jun 1), little more than a month since declaring she had won her battle with cancer.

Tennis: Annus horribilis for French men at Roland Garros

PARIS: Only three French men reached the second round of the French Open in their worst collective performance since tennis turned professional in 1968. Enzo Couacaud, 26, made the most of a wildcard as he beat Egor Gerasimov on Sunday before being joined by veterans Gael Monfils and Richard ...

Cricket: Men’s Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup to be expanded

REUTERS: The Men’s Cricket World Cup and Men’s T20 World Cup will be expanded to include more teams and matches from 2027 and 2024 respectively, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. An ICC statement said that the Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams and 54 matches in ...

Football: Ancelotti returns to Real for second spell as coach

Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday (Jun 1), re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.

Tennis: Japan, sponsors join athletes to support Osaka after French Open withdrawal

Naomi Osaka received support from her country Japan, her sponsors, leading sporting figures and tennis fans on Tuesday (Jun 1) after the world number two withdrew from the French Open in a row about media duties, saying she had been suffering from depression and anxiety.

Tennis: Nadal in his element as temperature rises

Rafa Nadal launched his bid for a record-extending 14th French Open title with a straight-sets win over young Australian Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday but it was not as routine as the 6-3 6-2 7-6(3) scoreline suggests.

Soccer-France cannot be dependent on Benzema, warns Lloris

France cannot become dependent on the returning Karim Benzema if they are to become European champions three years after winning the World Cup, captain Hugo Lloris said on Tuesday.

Soccer-England squad for European championship

Following is the Engand squad for the June 11-July 11 European Championship, named by manager Gareth Southgate on Tuesday:

Tennis: Nadal magic yet to rub off on Auger-Aliassime as he loses to Seppi

Toni Nadal moulded his nephew Rafael into the greatest claycourt player the world has ever seen but the magic is yet to rub off on his new charge, Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Tennis: Top seed Barty admits 'not 100%' after French Open scare

World number one Ashleigh Barty admitted that she's "not 100%" as she marked her return to the French Open for the first time since her 2019 title triumph by overcoming a scare to beat Bernarda Pera to make the second round on Tuesday.

Football: Chelsea, Leicester fined over Bridge brawl

Chelsea and Leicester have been fined £22,500 ($31,872) by the Football Association after an ugly brawl between the teams at the end of their fiery Premier League clash.

Swimming: Sjostrom returns to competition after elbow break

Sweden's Olympic 100m butterfly champion Sarah Sjostrom returned to competition in France on Tuesday after having surgery for a broken elbow she suffered falling on ice in February.

Cricket: Broad named England vice-captain, Bracey to make debut against NZ

Stuart Broad has been named England's vice-captain for the test series against New Zealand in the absence of Ben Stokes, skipper Joe Root said on Tuesday.

Brazilian president Bolsonaro agrees on hosting Copa America

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday his government is on board with hosting the Copa America soccer tournament later this month, in a last-minute switch after planned host Argentina pulled out due to the coronavirus.

Tennis: Ankle injury at press conference ends Kvitova's French Open

PARIS: Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after injuring her ankle in a freak fall while performing her post-match media duties on Sunday (Jun 27), the 11th seeded Czech player said in a statement. Two-times Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in ...

Tennis-Top-ranked Barty fights through injury to avoid upset opening loss

PARIS: World number one Ash Barty managed to play through an injury problem and stave off an upset against American Bernarda Pera with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win in her opening match of the French Open on Tuesday. Returning to the Philippe Chatrier court after her maiden Grand Slam win in 2019, the 25 ...

Rugby-Scotland name 17 uncapped players in summer tour squad

REUTERS: Interim Scotland head coach Mike Blair will rely heavily on youth for his team's upcoming fixtures in June and July, with eight senior players unavailable having been picked for the British & Irish Lions tour in South Africa. Blair named 17 uncapped players, including Luke Crosbie ...

Soccer-Scotland's Fleck out of Euro warmup after positive COVID-19 test

REUTERS: Scotland midfielder John Fleck will miss their friendly international against the Netherlands on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19, the Scottish FA said. Fleck returned the positive test at the Scottish team's base camp in Spain and was self-isolating in line with Spanish ...

Soccer-Positive COVID-19 test rules Cillessen out of Euro 2020

The Netherlands left first choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen out of their European Championship squad after he tested positive for COVID-19 with coach Frank de Boer not prepared to risk how long he needs to recover.

Soccer-Messi contract talks going well, more new arrivals imminent, Barca president says

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Monday that talks over a new deal with forward Lionel Messi are progressing well, and that the club will be announcing more new signings shortly.

Tennis-Becker worried for Osaka's career following French Open withdrawal

PARIS: Naomi Osaka's career could be in danger because of her mental health issues, according to six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The 23-year-old Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday following the controversy surrounding her refusal to take part in post-match media ...

Soccer-Bayern's Gnabry ready for goals in his first major tournament

Germany's Serge Gnabry would relish a centre forward position at this month's European Championship, he said on Tuesday, as the team are looking to improve their goal-scoring form.

Tennis-Suspiciously parked car delays French Open start on Court Simonne-Mathieu

Start of play at the French Open between local hope Ugo Humbert and Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania was delayed on Tuesday due to a suspiciously parked vehicle outside Roland Garros, the organisers said.

Cricket-IPL organisers brace for UAE leg minus star foreigners

As the Indian cricket board seeks to complete this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates, it appears to have accepted that the UAE leg may not feature several of the league's star foreign players.

Soccer-Hungary's Szoboszlai to miss Euro 2020 after injury hiatus

Hungary will be without influential midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai for the upcoming European Championship after the midfielder failed to recover from injury, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Soccer-Bayern CEO Rummenigge to leave at end of June, six months early

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will leave his post six months early at the end of June, ending his association with the German champions that stretches back to 1974, he said on Tuesday.

Soccer-Austria winger cannot travel to England friendly over quarantine threat

Austria will have to do without winger Valentino Lazaro for Wednesday’s friendly match against England after failing to secure permission for him to travel without the threat of quarantine.

Tennis: Sympathy for Osaka in Japan over French Open withdrawal

Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression.

Football: Bayern chairman Rummenigge to step down after 30 years

After 30 years in charge of Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will step down as chairman at the end of the month and will be replaced by former Germany captain Oliver Kahn, according to reports on Tuesday.

Olympics: Badminton champion Marin withdraws from Tokyo due to knee injury

MADRID: Spain's Olympic women's singles badminton champion Carolina Marin confirmed on Tuesday (Jun 1) that she is unable to defend her crown in Tokyo due to a knee injury. Marin, a five-time European and three-time world champion who beat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu of India to claim gold at the Rio ...

Olympics: Jones to chase third taekwondo gold but no place for Muhammad

LONDON: Britain's Jade Jones will fight for a record third taekwondo gold at the Tokyo Olympics but 2016 silver medallist Lutalo Muhammad will not be on the plane to Japan after failing to make the team. Muhammad, 29, famously missed out on gold in the -80kg category at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro ...

Football: Greenwood withdraws from England squad for Euro 2020

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has pulled out of England's Euro 2020 squad due to injury, the club announced on Tuesday.

Soccer-England's Greenwood out of Euro 2020 due to injury

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been withdrawn from England's provisional squad for the European Championship due to an underlying injury, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

Football: Chile midfielder Vidal recovering from COVID-19 in hospital

SANTIAGO: Chile and Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal is recovering in hospital after contracting COVID-19, the Chilean national team announced on Tuesday (Jun 1). A statement said that the 34-year-old tested positive for the virus after initially being hospitalised with severe tonsilitis. “The ...

Rugby: O'Connor to savour Super milestone he doubted would come

MELBOURNE: Thirteen years after becoming Super Rugby's youngest debutant at the age of 17, James O'Connor will savour his 100th cap in the provincial competition on Friday (Jun 4) when the Queensland Reds face the rampaging Auckland Blues in Brisbane. Though only 30, O'Connor's milestone comes ...

Motor racing: Aston Martin team to promote LGBTQ+ awareness in F1

The Aston Martin Formula One team announced on Tuesday a partnership with the Racing Pride movement and said it will work through June to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ diversity in the male-dominated sport.

After tough Bolshoi training, British ballerina sets eyes on world stage

MOSCOW: Rachel Armstrong will take a leap towards her dream of becoming one of the world's top ballet dancers when she graduates from Russia's renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy this month. Armstrong, 20, is among the few dancers from England to ever graduate from the prestigious institution ...

Football: Barcelona confirm Garcia to join from Man City

BARCELONA: Barcelona on Tuesday (Jun 1) confirmed that Manchester City defender Eric Garcia would join them on Jul 1 when his contract with the Premier League champions expires. Garcia will return to his boyhood club on a deal until the end of the 2025-26 campaign after three years at City and ...

Rugby-New NZR chair Mitchell hopes to resolve Silver Lake issues

REUTERS: The new chairman of New Zealand Rugby (NZR), Stewart Mitchell, said the governing body will talk to the players association and seek to resolve concerns about the proposed Silver Lake deal. In April, 26 constituent provincial rugby unions approved the sale of a 12.5per cent stake in ...

Football: Australia's all-time scorer De Vanna dropped from Olympic squad

SYDNEY: Lisa De Vanna, Australia's most prolific goal-scorer in women's football, has been dropped from the Olympic squad with coach Tony Gustavsson saying there was "no room" for the veteran forward. De Vanna, 36, was omitted from the Matildas' 25-woman squad released on Tuesday (Jun 1) for ...

Football: AFC moves World Cup qualifiers to UAE from China

SHARJAH, UAE: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said that it has moved Group A matches in the region's 2022 World Cup preliminaries to the United Arab Emirates from China. The remaining seven games involving China, the Maldives, Syria, the Philippines and Guam were due to be played in a bio ...

Cricket-Boult hoping to strike in Birmingham despite Stead reluctance

New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult is hoping to make his international return for the second test against England but may have work to do to convince coach Gary Stead.

Soccer-JFA cancels Jamaica game as players unable to board flight to Japan

TOKYO: The Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Tuesday it has cancelled a friendly against Jamaica scheduled for later this week after 10 of the visiting players were unable to board a flight due to coronavirus testing issues. The test certificates of eight of the 10 players coming from ...

Soccer-Players, fans will both suffer from too much football: Lewandowski

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski said the packed soccer schedule over the next few years is a major problem as players will struggle to deliver their best when there is little time for recovery.

Cricket-Afghan removed, Shahidi Afghanistan's new test, ODI captain

Afghanistan have removed Asghar Afghan as captain from all three formats and put top-order batsman Hashmat Shahidi in charge of their test and ODI teams, the country's cricket board said.

Celtic target Postecoglou puts principles before success

No sooner had Eddie Howe been ruled out of the running for the manager's role at Celtic at the weekend than fans of the Glasgow club were scouring the internet for information on the man installed as favourite to replace Neil Lennon.

Olympic anxiety leaves Japanese sponsors counting the cost

TOKYO: Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be a marketing bonanza, but public opposition and a possible spectator ban over COVID-19 fears have left some Japanese sponsors with an Olympic headache. Around 60 Japanese companies ploughed a record US$3.3 billion into the event, which was postponed for a year ...

Football: Criticism, jokes as Copa America moved to Brazil over COVID-19

When COVID-19 overwhelmed Argentina too badly for it to host the South American football championships, officials decided to move the tournament to pandemic-battered Brazil of all places, drawing criticism from epidemiologists and a flurry of jokes.

Tennis: Serena 'feels for' Osaka, has also experienced 'very difficult' press conferences

PARIS: Serena Williams said she "feels for" Naomi Osaka and has also experienced "very difficult" press conferences in her career after her rival's shock withdrawal from the French Open on Monday (May 31). Japanese star Osaka pulled out of the tournament after being threatened with ...

Australian softball team first to arrive in Japan for Olympics

OTA, Japan: Australia's softball team became the first athletes to arrive in Japan for the Olympics on Tuesday (Jun 1), in a major step forward for the pandemic-postponed Games as organisers battle COVID-19 fears. The arrival offered a taste of the strict biosecurity measures that the Games will ...

Tennis: Top seeds take centre stage on day three at Roland Garros

Defending champion Rafa Nadal and Serbia's Novak Djokovic headline day three of the French Open on Tuesday, with women's top seed Ash Barty also in first-round action at Roland Garros.

Commentary: Cutting down of trees in Yoyogi raises new frustrations over Tokyo Olympics

The Japanese public has a darkening sense of the unstoppable arrival of tens of thousands of athletes and their teams, says the Financial Times’ Leo Lewis.

Tennis: Serena survives scare in French Open's first night match

LONDON: American Serena Williams survived a scare in the first ever night session match at the French Open as she edged out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6(6) 6-2 in the first round on Monday. Organisers have introduced night matches under the Philippe Chatrier Court lights to provide some late ...

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