Thangarasu Natarajan arrived in Australia in November last year as a net bowler for the India squad, never expecting to get a shot at a Test debut Down Under. However, he celebrated his elevation from backup bowler to cricket’s most elite level by taking a pair of key wickets to peg back Australia to 274-5 on the opening day of the series-deciding fourth test at the Gabba on Friday. The 29-year-old left-armer played his first one-day international and his first Twenty20 international last month, and completed the full set of formats when he was given a Test debut. It was a kind of a last-man-standing chance after a string of injuries to bowlers culminated in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the Brisbane match. With one ODI and three T20s of international experience, Natarajan was straight into action, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Siraj, who was leading a bowling attack who had only a combined four previous Test caps, after Australia won the toss and decided to bat. India had Australia in early trouble at 17-2 before Marnus Labuschagne rallied the innings, posting his fifth Test century and sharing partnerships of 70 with Steve Smith (36) and 113 with Matthew Wade (45) to get the hosts to 200-3 and on the verge of accelerating the scoring. That is when Natarajan struck twice, quickly, to slow the momentum. Wade and Labuschange both misjudged his length and top-edged attempted pull shots. Wade was caught at mid-on in Natarajan’s 13th over and Labuschagne, after surviving dropped catches on 37 and 48, was finally out for 108 after facing 204 deliveries when he skied one to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant in the rookie bowler’s 14th over. Natarajan finished the day with figures of 2-63 from 20 overs. Australia all-rounder Cameron Green was unbeaten on 28 and captain Tim Paine was 38
French veteran Stephane Peterhansel in Saudi Arabia yesterday celebrated a record-extending 14th Dakar Rally victory, his eighth in the car category, but the event’s conclusion was clouded by news of the death of French amateur rider Pierre Cherpin, who had been in an induced coma since he crashed on the seventh stage. Peterhansel, a 55-year-old X-Raid Mini JCW driver nicknamed “Mr Dakar” for his unprecedented success, first won the endurance event on a motorcycle in 1991 and switched to cars after five more wins on two wheels. Argentine Kevin Benavides, riding a Honda, became the first South American to win the motorcycle category after the 12th and final stage that ended in Jeddah. The annual rally started in 1978 as a race from Paris to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, but moved from Africa for safety reasons in 2009. It is now held entirely in Saudi Arabia after a stint in South America. Peterhansel, who had led since the second stage, but won only one of the 12, finished 14 minutes, 51 seconds ahead of Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah, a three-time Dakar winner, in a Toyota. Spaniard Carlos Sainz, the defending champion and Peterhansel’s teammate, won the final stage and finished third overall. In the motorcycle class, last year’s champion, Ricky Brabec of the US, won the final stage to finish runner-up to teammate Benavides and complete Honda’s first one-two Dakar finish since 1987. Britain’s Sam Sunderland, the 2017 winner, finished third overall for KTM. “On stage five I was worried, because I crashed so fast and hit my head and my ankle and felt a lot of pain. On that day I said maybe the Dakar is finished for m, but I continued pushing,” Benavides said. “I still have some pain, but at the moment I am more happy than in pain.” Manuel Andujar made it an Argentine double with victory
SOCCER Arsenal’s streak checked Arsenal’s recent resurgence in the Premier League was checked by Crystal Palace as they were held to a dull 0-0 draw on Thursday. Mikel Arteta’s side were bidding for a fourth successive league win, but could find no way through an obdurate Palace, who were the better side in the first half in which defender James Tomkins hit the bar and Christian Benteke went close BASKETBALL No Harden, no problem The Houston Rockets put this week’s franchise-altering trade in the rear-view mirror on Thursday as they began their post-James Harden era with a gutsy comeback NBA win over the San Antonio Spurs. Journeyman Christian Wood scored a team-high 27 points and had 15 rebounds for the Rockets in a 109-105 win over the Spurs a day after Houston sent shockwaves through the NBA when they traded three-time league scoring champion Harden to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a mammoth multi-team deal. Sterling Brown delivered 23 points and Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points and 10 assists for short-handed Houston, who were coming off back-to-back blowout losses at home to the Los Angeles Lakers. Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers won 111-87 over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Toronto Raptors held off the Charlotte Hornets 111-108, The Denver Nuggets beat the Golden State Warriors 114-104 and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled over the depleted Miami Heat 125-108. ICE HOCKEY Oilers’ McDavid dominates Connor McDavid scored three goals and added an assist in a dominating performance to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and an assist, Leon Draisaitl collected four assists and Mikko Koskinen made 38 saves for the Oilers. Elsewhere, the Capitals beat the Sabres 6-4, the Bruins downed the Devils 3-2, the Islanders blanked the Rangers 4-0, the Hurricanes kept a clean
ALL CLEAR: Although a player, a coach and a staff member are under observation after testing positive for COVID-19, officials cleared all other players to continue
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying, the world No. 1, yesterday breezed into the quarter-finals of the Yonex Thailand Open, sweeping aside South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun 21-16, 21-10 in less than half an hour. The 26-year-old’s victory came as the BWF declared the tournament safe to continue following the latest round of COVID-19 testing. “It has been a while since the last tournament, and this is the same for everyone, so [these first few matches] are not easy,” Tai said, after overcoming the 17th-ranked Kim. “I felt better today and had less unforced errors,” she said. Tai is seeking back-to-back titles 10 months apart after winning the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships on her last tournament appearance in March before the COVID-19 shutdown. She next faces Canada’s eighth seed Michelle Li for a place in the semi-finals. World No. 10 Li fought back after dropping the first game against another South Korean, Sung Ji-hyun, before prevailing 15-21, 21-15, 21-14. In men’s singles, Wang Tzu-wei, the world No. 12 from Taiwan, fell to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long. Although Wang managed to force a third set, he ultimately succumbed to the world No. 8 15-21, 21-15, 20-22. Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, the world No. 2, handily beat Shesar Hiren Rhustavito, the world No. 18 of Indonesia, 21-16, 21-19 in less than an hour. In men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin beat Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren 21-14, 21-18. The Yonex Thailand Open is the first of three consecutive tournaments played in strict biosecure conditions and behind closed doors in Bangkok, culminating in the World Tour Finals from Jan. 27. Egyptian mixed doubles player Adham Hatem Elgamal was withdrawn on Monday and a German coach and French staff member are under hospital observation after testing positive for COVID-19 at badminton’s restart tournament. The BWF yesterday cleared all other players to continue, with Thailand’s
Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick on Wednesday was “shocked” as the holders crashed out of the DFB Pokal after defeat at second-division Holstein Kiel, who won a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 6-5, as the second round tie finished 2-2 after extra-time. “It’s a shock. We are enormously disappointed,” Flick told Sky. “It’s all the more annoying that we conceded an equalizer, which made it 2-2 in the last second [of normal time]. Congratulations to Kiel,” he said. “We have to put it behind us and do things better.” Bayern forward Thomas Mueller said the defeat was “brutal.” It was the first time Bayern had been knocked out of the cup by a non-Bundesliga club since losing to then fourth-tier Magdeburg in 2000-2001. After Bayern midfielder Marc Roca was the first player to miss with his team’s sixth penalty, Kiel’s Fin Bartels converted the winning spot-kick to spark wild celebrations. The upset means it was the first time European champions Bayern had been eliminated from a cup competition since Flick took charge in November 2019. Bayern were up 2-1 thanks to goals by Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, either side of a superb Bartels strike, before a last-gasp header by Kiel captain Hauke Wahl on 95 minutes took the game to extra-time, then penalties. “Even if it sounds stupid after a cup defeat against an underdog from Kiel — luck wasn’t on our side,” Mueller said. “It’s certainly not FC Bayern’s best phase,” he added after the European champions also crashed to a 3-2 league defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday last week. “Being knocked out is brutal, we have to let that sink in first,” he said. The German FA gave Bayern permission to postpone the cup tie from late last month. Bayern fielded a near-full strength side with only top-scoring striker Robert Lewandowski, who made a second-half cameo, and centerback
An England cricket fan who waited 10 months in Sri Lanka to watch his team play was yesterday ushered away by police before a ball had been bowled in the first Test. Rob Lewis, who flew out in March last year before the original tour was canceled over the COVID-19 pandemic, and decided to stay until England returned, said he was “very frustrated” by the turn of events. Lewis was ordered off the historic ramparts of Galle Fort, a vantage point which overlooks the city’s cricket ground, just after the national anthems. No spectators are allowed inside the stadium. “I am very frustrated. I waited 10 months to watch this match and the police have kicked me out,” Lewis said. “At least I managed to sing Jerusalem,” he added. During his stay in Sri Lanka, Lewis worked remotely as a Web designer and had stints as a nightclub DJ. He visited Galle Fort on Saturday last week to map out his fallback as it became clear that no spectators would be allowed at the ground. Lewis said he was warned in advance that he would only have restricted access to the ramparts. Three banners that he put up were also removed. “I am going to see the police” chief, he said. “All I want to do is watch the match.” “They gave me half-an-hour to put up three banners and go. That’s all,” Lewis added. “There will be another nine days of play and I hope I will be able to get permission to go up there again.” Sri Lankan police banned all visitors from the 16th-century ramparts, a favorite venue for locals who want to avoid paying for tickets, officially for security reasons. A few journalists were allowed to cover the match from the fort. Fans and media were barred from the stadium because of COVID-19. Sri Lankan journalist Rex Clementine scaled
The Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday limbered up for the expected arrival of James Harden in a blockbuster NBA trade with a 116-109 victory over the New York Knicks. Star forward Kevin Durant scored 26 points to lead seven Nets players in double figures — a performance all the more impressive with just nine Brooklyn players available. News that the Houston Rockets would send their disgruntled star Harden to Brooklyn in a four-team deal electrified the league. It had yet to be confirmed, but the four players reported to be on their way out of Brooklyn — Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Rodions Kurucs and Taurean Prince were unavailable, and coach Steve Nash said they were not at Madison Square Garden. Durant scoffed at the suggestion the proposed deal had made for “drama and chaos” around a team already dealing with the absence of Kyrie Irving for undisclosed personal reasons. “The game simply is enough for us,” Durant said. “The guys are coming out there enjoying playing every day no matter what the circumstance is.” “There’s a lot going on throughout the season, and in this world right now, but basketball is one thing everybody in this locker room enjoys,” he said. Durant, back this season after missing an entire campaign recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, played on back-to-back nights for the first time, logging 30 minutes and connecting on 10 of 18 shots from the field, including three from three-point range. The Nets, with Durant and Irving healthy, were already expected to contend in the East. The addition of former MVP Harden — the league’s top scorer the past three seasons — would only enhance their ability to challenge in a conference where the Milwaukee Bucks have led the way the past two seasons only to come up short in the playoffs. The Bucks notched their third straight win,
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup title defense on Wednesday got off to a roaring start by dominating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on the same night they unveiled their second Stanley Cup championship banner. Canadian forward Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots in the season opening night of the 2020-2021 NHL regular season, which included a five-game slate. The Lightning would not be defending their title in front of home fans right away due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The team showed off their new championship banner at center ice in front of some family members of the players, but decided to wait to raise it to the rafters until ticket-buying fans are allowed back into the arena, which would not be before at least Feb. 7. Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, Mathieu Joseph, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point scored goals for the Lightning, who improved their league-leading winning percentage to 19-7-2 in season openers. Dylan Strome scored late in the game on a power play for Chicago, and goalie Malcolm Subban stopped 28 of 33 shots in his 61st start in the NHL. In Philadelphia, American Joel Farabee finished with a goal and four points as hosts the Philadelphia Flyers scored three unanswered goals in the final period to beat Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. Elsewhere, Morgan Rielly scored in overtime and John Tavares had a goal and two assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Montreal Canadiens 5-4, as the reshuffled seven-team Canadian division got under way. “Good way to open the year with a win,” Rielly said. “We’ve got a lot of areas to get better, but to open with a win, it’s always a good feeling.”
TENNIS Coach jailed for rape A coach who raped four girls aged 12 to 17 was on Wednesday jailed for 18 years by a French court. Andrew Geddes, 53, carried out his attacks at two clubs to the north of Paris, from the start of 2000 and from 2009 to 2014. The court heard his first victim was 12 when she met Geddes in 1999. She said she was raped and sexually assaulted nearly 400 times until she was 14 years old. It was a pattern that was repeated with three other victims, aged 15 to 17, when they were coached by Geddes. The victims said Geddes forced them to sever links with families and friends, and subjected them to a series of violent attacks in his car, in changing rooms or during training courses. BASEBALL MLB halts political giving The MLB on Wednesday said it is suspending all political contributions in the wake of last week’s invasion of the US Capitol by a mob loyal to US President Donald Trump. The NFL also said it would reconsider its donations, but did not commit to suspending them. The MLB was the first of the major US professional sports leagues since the riot to say it would halt lobbying through its PAC, which has donated US$669,375 to US Senate and House candidates since the 2016 election cycle, with 52.4 percent of the money going to Republican candidates, according to Center for Responsive Politics data. Among its lobbying successes was a bill in 2018 that exempted minor league baseball players making as little as US$5,500 per season from federal minimum wage laws, pre-empting a lawsuit from three players filed four years earlier. SWIMMING Keller charged over riot American Olympic swimmer Klete Keller was on Wednesday charged in US District Court for his role in last week’s Capitol riot.
WORTH WATCHING: Spain’s Carolina Marin sailed to victory, while Malaysia’s Liew Daren, ranked world No. 41, was thrilled to beat third seed Anders Antonsen
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, the world No. 2, was yesterday forced into a three-set decider by Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk at the Yonex Thailand Open. The local, who ranks 39th worldwide, came out firing in the first game 16-21, but quickly lost momentum going down 21-10, 21-14. Wang Tzu-wei, the world No. 12 from Taiwan, took three sets to beat France’s 37th-ranked Brice Leverdez 21-12, 14-21, 21-16. In the doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin easily beat Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13 in the first set, before clinching the match 21-18 in the second set. Spain’s Carolina Marin sailed through the first round as she made a fast start to her season, six months before her Olympic title defense. The former world No. 1 made short work of France’s 37th-ranked Qi Xuefei, winning the first game in just 15 minutes before sealing it 21-10, 21-12. “I feel really happy to be back on court after some months without tournaments. I have really missed it a lot,” Marin said. “I wanted to get back this competition feeling, that adrenaline. I came with determination to win, but also to keep my focus on my game plan.” “Winning here is what I want. I would like to win a title here,” she said. Thailand’s best hope, former world No. 1 Ratchanok Intanon, is through to round two after polishing off Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in straight sets 21-15, 21-15. In the men’s singles, third seed Anders Antonsen made a surprise early exit in the first round going down 12-21, 18-21 to Malaysia’s Liew Daren, who is ranked 41st. “Before this tournament I didn’t know I would even play because I was on the reserves list, so to make it at the last minute and also win my first round against the third seed, it has really surprised me,” Liew said. Meanwhile, the
It has been a long, expensive and often turbulent journey, but Manchester United are back in a place they used to know so well: the top of the English Premier League. A 1-0 win at Burnley on Tuesday, secured by a deflected volley from Paul Pogba, lifted United above great rivals Liverpool to the summit of England’s top division after 17 games, approaching the halfway point of the season. “We are exactly where we belong,” United midfielder Nemanja Matic said. The great Alex Ferguson was still in charge the last time United led the standings this deep into a league campaign. That was in the 2 to 012-2013 season and Ferguson would go on to lead United to the title in what proved to be his final season as a manager. Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer do the same? The Norwegian said this week that “no one remembers the January league tables,” but it did not stop him having a look of satisfaction at the final whistle. Quite justifiably, too, given the criticism he has faced in his two years in charge, mostly from those who believe he is not qualified to be a manager at this level. Yet he has done something that David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, his three predecessors following Ferguson’s retirement, were unable to do — at least this far into a season. United was briefly on top in September 2017, while a season-opening win over Leicester City in August 2018 put the team in first place for one day in what proved to be a false position. United moved into a three-point lead over Liverpool that could immediately be wiped out, with Solskjaer’s side heading to Anfield on Sunday. “We’re ready, we’re excited, we’re hungry for it, and it’s a test of character and quality again. We’re in a good
Houston Rockets star James Harden’s frustration with his team boiled over on Tuesday after the team’s second blowout loss to NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers in three days. Harden, the NBA’s top scorer the past three seasons, finished with 16 points on five-of-16 shooting in the 117-100 home loss, in which the Lakers never trailed and led by as many as 30 points. “I love this city,” Harden said. “I literally have done everything that I can. I mean, this situation is crazy. It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.” The season opened last month with Harden the center of trade-demand reports. The Rockets have reportedly discussed possible trades with various teams, but they expect a big return for their star, and no deal is yet in the offing. Guard John Wall, who arrived in Houston this season in the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards, said that team chemistry was lacking. “When you have certain guys that don’t want to buy in, it’s hard,” said Wall, who scored 10 points and handed out five assists on Tuesday. Specifically, Wall said that forging a relationship with Harden had been difficult. “It’s been a little rocky, not going to lie about that,” Wall said. “I don’t think it’s been the best it could be. That’s all I can say.” At 3-6, the Rockets are second from bottom in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant poured in 34 points and handed out 13 assists as the Brooklyn Nets rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 122-116. Durant added nine rebounds and Bruce Brown chipped in 16 points in a clutch performance in place of absent Nets star Kyrie Irving. Brown’s jump shot, off a feed from Durant, knotted the score at 113-113 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds left to play. He followed with a floater
Not known for exuberant victory celebrations, two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin on Tuesday let out a loud scream after crossing the finish line in a night slalom. In the last slalom before next month’s world championships, Shiffrin ended a 13-month victory drought in her strongest discipline and earned her 100th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup podium. Shiffrin said that the win felt like a fresh start. “I felt, like, inspired, I just felt alive. I was pushing. It’s hard to explain. I wish I could explain,” said the American, who was away from the circuit for much of last year because of the death of her father and a back injury. Racing in light snowfall under the lights, Shiffrin sealed a record 44th slalom victory with a time of 1 minute, 47.92 seconds, holding off Katharina Liensberger of Austria by 0.19 seconds. “It feels a little bit like a new beginning,” Shiffrin said. “Most of my wins and my best races are behind me. It’s already happened, and, at 25, it’s weird to think the bulk of my best racing in my career is already over.” “You can’t really move forward until you stop trying to go back, and I’m having a difficult time with that,” she said. “It’s hard not to want that, to just want life to be like it was before Feb. 2. I’m probably going to be struggling with that for a while, but I think that tonight was a pretty big step.” The result earned her a 68th World Cup victory, leaving her 14 victories behind fellow American Lindsey Vonn, who holds the record for most wins by a woman. Those milestones were not on her mind, though, she said. “This slope has kind of tripped me up the last several years. I just wanted to ski strong,” Shiffrin said. “It was really
SOCCER Players hairdos cause furor Germany’s hairdressers are unimpressed by the latest trims on show in the Bundesliga, and have asked the German Football Association (DFB) why the players have been taking to the pitch with fresh cuts. Hair salons in Germany have been shut since Dec. 16 last year as part of strict restrictions imposed by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. In an open letter addressed to DFB president Fritz Keller, the German Hairdresser Association said that the players’ actions encouraged the public to flout health protocols by demanding the same services. “It is with great amazement we noticed that over the last match days of Bundesliga a vast majority of the professional footballers took to the pitch with new haircuts,” the hardressers’ association was quoted as saying by ESPN. “The discontent with the top styled football pros is growing. They lead to customers calling and asking for work on the side, and breaches of the corona regulations like visits at home.” MOTORSPORT Price airlifted to hospital Two-time Dakar motorbike champion Toby Price on Tuesday crashed out of this year’s rally in Saudi Arabia, with the Australian having to be airlifted to hospital after a serious accident as French veteran Stephane Peterhansel took a massive step toward a record 14th title. Peterhansel has one hand on the trophy again after landing his first stage win this year, the Mini driver emerging from the ninth stage Red Sea run over dirt and rocks with a near 18-minute overall lead in the car category. However, the day was marred by Price’s crash which left him dazed after hitting his head. He had started the stage in second place overall, a little over one minute adrift of Chilean leader Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo. At the time of his accident Price had actually taken
VIRUS RISK: India’s Saina Nehwal tested positive for COVID-19 at the Yonex Thailand Open, while three other players were being retested after receiving conflicting results
Taiwanese badminton star Tai Tzu-ying yesterday returned to international competition after an eight-month break with a victory at the Yonex Thailand Open in Bangkok. Twenty-six-year-old Tai, 26, the top-seeded player at the tournament, met 18-year-old Thai player Benyapa Aimsaard in the opening round and narrowly won 21-18, 26-24. Her previous tournament was the Yonex All England Open in March last year, where she won the women’s singles title, before the BWF World Tour was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Benyapa was a last-minute replacement after another Thai player pulled out of the event. It was a rollercoaster match for Tai. She led the first game 18-13 before her opponent scored five straight points to pull even, but she rallied to clinch the game by rolling off the next three points. The world No. 1 struggled to put away her Thai opponent in the second game. She had to save a game point, and needed six game points of her own before taking the match. Although there are no Chinese in the draw, there are still several top-ranked players competing who could test Tai, including her next opponent, Kim Ga-eun of South Korea, who is ranked No. 17. Four other Taiwanese are scheduled to compete today. In the men’s singles, Chou Tien-chen and Wang Tzu-wei are set to meet Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand and Brice Leverdez of France respectively. Meanwhile, sixth-seeded pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin are to take on non-seeded Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in the men’s doubles. Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal yesterday tested positive for COVID-19 at the Thailand Open, as officials rushed to contain a potential outbreak. Nehwal, who was receiving medical treatment at a Bangkok hospital, was one of four players to test positive, the BWF said. However, specimens from the three other
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday shook off foul trouble to score 13 of his 22 points in the second half as his team pulled away for a 121-99 NBA victory over the Orlando Magic. Antetokounmpo, the two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player, showed no sign of the back spasms that forced him out of the Bucks’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, adding six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Khris Middleton scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Bobby Portis chipped in 20 points off the bench as the Bucks notched their fifth win in six games. Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic led all scorers with 28 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough in the first meeting between the teams since Milwaukee ousted Orlando in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in August. Orlando forward Aaron Gordon threw down a dunk over Antetokounmpo early in the fourth to pull the Magic within 88-86. Antetokounmpo responded with a three-pointer and assisted on Portis’ shot from beyond the arc as the Bucks rebuilt their lead. After Gordon’s dunk, the Bucks scored 22 of the next 24 points as they put the game out of reach. “He’s growing in all ways and it was just two huge plays, because the momentum could’ve swung on the dunk,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo’s late-game effort. It was a tight finish in Portland, where C.J. McCollum scored 30 points, including the game-winning pull-up jumper with 9.9 seconds remaining to give the Portland Trail Blazers a 112-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam missed a floater in the closing seconds and the Blazers escaped with a victory after trailing by as many as 17 points. The Blazers posted their third straight win, despite losing center Jusuf Nurkic to a left quadriceps contusion in the
US tennis player Christian Harrison has been fined US$3,000 by the ATP after refusing to take part in a mandatory on-court interview at the Delray Beach Open in Florida as it required him to wear a mask. Harrison, ranked 789th in the world, on Saturday stunned top seed Cristian Garin of Chile 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 for his first victory against a top 50 player. He decided not to wear a mask following his win and declined to be interviewed on court. The 26-year-old spoke out against wearing masks on social media last week saying: “Healthy enough to play 3 hour matches, but I’m an absolute safety hazard walking maskless through a restaurant.” “Christian Harrison was fined US$3,000 for declining the mandatory post-match on-court interview following his second round win over Cristian Garin on Saturday,” the ATP said in a statement. Harrison on Monday reached his maiden ATP semi-final by defeating Gianluca Mager 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. He wore a mask for the subsequent on-court interview and later said on Instagram that he was not aware it was mandatory to wear one for TV interviews. He added that the ATP supervisor had told him that the fine would be rescinded if he appealed and promised to follow tournament rules even if he did not agree with them. “It’s not healthy to wear a mask in the hot sun for more time than absolutely necessary after a tough match. I was given the impression it was optional. I wasn’t told I would be fined,” he said in the post. Meanwhile, Sebastian Korda on Monday kept his nerve to topple second-seeded John Isner 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and reach the semi-finals. Britain’s Cameron ousted 2018 champion Frances Tiafoe 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, while Poland’s Hurkacz advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ecuador’s Roberto Quiroz.
British Paralympian Neil Fachie believes athletes face a moral dilemma over being vaccinated for COVID-19 ahead of high-risk individuals, but said that he would take the jab if it was offered before this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Olympic Broadcasting Services chairman Dick Pound said last week that athletes should be given priority access to the vaccine so that the Tokyo Games could go ahead as scheduled from July 23. More than 15,000 athletes from almost every country are expected to travel to Tokyo for the Olympics and the subsequent Paralympics. “When that news broke, I was speaking to some of my teammates about it and the moral dilemma,” Fachie, who won a track cycling gold medal in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, was quoted as saying by the BBC. “We’re fairly young, fit people who would not be considered high-risk for COVID, and the last thing you want to do is take a vaccine away from someone who needs it far more,” he said. “It’s not a great place to be. Should we get offered the vaccine then I imagine I would take it, but there’s definitely a question mark of am I really deserving or not?” Meanwhile, British rowing great Matthew Pinsent said that the Olympics should be canceled, and Tokyo should then replace Paris as the host city for the 2024 Games. The four-time Olympic gold medalist said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) needed to take the lead. “Once again the IOC need courageous leadership,” he wrote on Twitter. “The idea of Olympic athletes/officials/delegations getting vaccine priority is antithetical.” “The risks of an event with 000s [thousands] of people flying round the world to gather unvaccinated is ludicrous,” he said. Tokyo Olympics organizers yesterday played down a poll showing plunging support for the Games. The comments, less than 200 days before the
West Ham United on Monday staved off potential embarrassment in the FA Cup by scoring an 83rd-minute goal to see off non-league Stockport County FC 1-0 in the third round. A game that was briefly paused in the 15th minute because of a fireworks display near Edgeley Park failed to light up as West Ham struggled to cope with a cut-up, boggy field and driving rain against an opponent from the fifth tier. The Hammers created few chances before central defender Craig Dawson met a Jarrod Bowen cross from the right and steered the ball into the bottom right corner past home goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe. Dawson was pleased with the outcome and the performance, having said that Stockport, who are fourth in the National League, punched above their weight on a cold and wet night. “It was a tough match,” Dawson told BT Sport. “Stockport are doing great in their league and it’s not easy coming to these grounds — so a great performance from the lads tonight.” “It’s been a while since I’ve played in conditions like that, but it’s great to get a goal at the end,” he added. Said Benrahma and Andriy Yarmolenko fired wide for the visitors in the opening 15 minutes before referee Mike Dean briefly halted play due to the loud fireworks. Dawson spared West Ham from falling behind when he blocked a Connor Jennings shot in the 64th minute and Tomas Soucek headed inches wide for the visitors before Dawson finally forced a brave Stockport side into submission. Stockport manager Jim Gannon praised his side’s valiant effort. “The players are disappointed but I think: Is that not a testimony to how they played?” he said. “West Ham had lots of possession, but the lads did really well. It was always a stretch for us, but the performance showed we are a cut above
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