Other Sports
27th January
Kenin brings Gauff’s Melbourne run to an end
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – American Sofia Kenin ended teen sensation Coco Gauff’s run at the Australian Open on Sunday with a 6-7(5) 6-3 6-0 victory to reach her first career Grand Slam quarter-final. The 15-year-old Gauff,...
Golf: China’s Wu takes slender lead into final round in Dubai
(Reuters) – China’s Wu Ashun eagled his opening hole and rode the momentum as he took a one-shot lead after the third round at the Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday. Wu added four birdies and a single bogey on his way to a five-under-par 67 at the Emirates Golf Club as he chases his first...
England on top with bat and ball as South Africa struggle
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – England proved devastating with both bat and ball on Saturday as they scored 400 runs in their first innings and then reduced sorry South Africa to 88 for six wickets at the close of play on the second day of the fourth test at The Wanderers. A record 10th-wicket partnership saw England...
26th January
Kavika to challenge Singh
WORLD Boxing Foundation Australasian heavyweight champion James Singh will meet Jonasa Kavika in the first challenger for the belt this year. “That is what they want and I am ready,” Singh said. The Sigatoka-based boxer said he was blessed to be the current champion and was ready to meet any challenger be it, Kavika or...
Fiji sets target
TEAM Fiji is hoping to take a team of about 50 athletes, officials and staff to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games should all 8 sports qualify to Japan in July. Fiji chef de mission Patrick Bower said the eight sports needed to succeed in their qualifying international competitions in order to make it to the...
Athletics starts competition to gauge squad
ATHLETICS Fiji’s regular season began yesterday as the first weekly Athletics Fiji competition gets to a running start at the ANZ Stadium in Suva. Athletics Fiji president Filimoni Vuli said despite the delay they were keen to get things rolling. “We would have preferred to have begun earlier but the safety of athletes was paramount.”...
Athletics body to tighten rules after Nike’s Vaporfly helps records tumble: sources
LONDON (Reuters) – Athletics’ ruling body will tighten regulations governing shoe technology, two sources familiar with the matter said, after Nike’s popular Vaporfly brand helped re-write running records and sparked debate about whether it was “technological doping.” World Athletics expects to announce the findings of a review into technology used in road and track shoes...
Highlights: Day six at the Australian Open
1440 SWIATEK ADVANCES WITH UPSET WIN OVER VEKIC Unseeded Polish teenager Iga Swiatek knocked out 19th seed Donna Vekic 7-5 6-3 to reach the fourth round and match her best performance at a Grand Slam having reached the last 16 at Roland Garros last year. Pavlyuchenkova beats Pliskova as seeds tumble Kerber reaches fourth round...
25th January
Former D Methot: ‘I’m probably done playing hockey’
Former NHL defenseman Marc Methot told TSN Radio Ottawa 1200 on Thursday that he is unlikely to play again in the NHL. Methot hasn’t suited up since undergoing knee surgery last January while playing for the Dallas Stars. The 34-year-old admitted that he still experiences pain in his knee. “I haven’t made any final or...
Sealed with a kiss, Nadal eases into third round in Melbourne
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal passed up a good few chances for an earlier finish to his night before muscling his way into the third round of the Australian Open with a commanding 6-3 7-6(4) 6-1 victory over Argentine Federico Delbonis on Thursday. The match lacked nothing in quality power tennis but was almost entirely...
LeBron has triple-double as Lakers dump Nets
LeBron James totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 128-113 victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets Thursday night in New York. James posted his 91st career triple-double and 10th this season as the Lakers and won for the 12th time in...
Police issue warrant for Antonio Brown
The Hollywood (Florida) Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for Antonio Brown, two days after the free agent wide receiver and his trainer allegedly attacked a moving company truck driver. Police spokesman Christian Latta said in a news release Wednesday that Brown faces charges of burglary with battery (a felony), burglary of an unoccupied...
24th January
Wozniacki heads into retirement after Melbourne Park defeat
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki headed into retirement on Friday after a 7-5 3-6 7-5 third-round defeat at the hands of Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur ended her participation in the Australian Open. The 29-year-old Dane said last year that Melbourne Park, where she won her lone Grand Slam title two years ago,...
Garoppolo will seek to channel Brady ‘calm’ in Super Bowl
(Reuters) – Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will try to channel his inner Tom Brady “calm” when he leads the San Francisco 49ers into battle against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in Miami on Feb. 2. Garoppolo already has two Super Bowl rings after being Brady’s back-up in New England when the Patriots won...
Vuliwaqa expects large number at first meet of 2020
ATHLETICS Fiji’s president Filimoni Vuliwaqa expects a large number of athletes to attend tomorrow’s first weekly Athletics Fiji competition for 2020 as the regular season begins. Athletics Fiji president Filimoni Vuliwaqa said despite the delay they were keen to get things rolling. “We would have preferred to have begun earlier but the safety of athletes...
Solskjaer wants new faces at ‘stretched’ United
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer conceded his squad is “stretched” and made his strongest appeal yet for new signings to help his team after a miserable 2-0 home defeat to Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday. “We are working to improve and get players in, and hopefully we can...
Rose opts for precision over power – just like Federer
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Justin Rose acknowledges that he cannot compete for distance off the tee with the power hitters of the PGA Tour but the Briton says his precision and game management make him a match for anyone — just like tennis great Roger Federer. Rose, who won Olympic gold in Rio, said trying...
Staal shines as Wild double up Red Wings
Eric Staal notched a goal and an assist after Minnesota honored his 1,000-point NHL career Wednesday night, and the Wild earned a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Saint Paul, Minn. Staal produced the two-point night after the organization recognized the 35-year-old veteran in a pregame ceremony with his family. The Wild presented...
Red-hot Nadal faces Delbonis, says majors tally not a focus
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal’s immediate focus may not be on matching great rival Roger Federer’s tally of 20 Grand Slam titles, but the Spanish world number one would go one step closer at the Australian Open on Thursday with a win over Federico Delbonis. The French and U.S. Open champion opened his campaign Down...
MLB notebook: Hall of Fame adds Jeter, Walker
Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Jeter received votes on 396 of the 397 ballots, falling one vote short of matching former New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera’s unanimous selection in 2019. Jeter, a shortstop, was...
Herro sets club record as Heat down Wizards in OT
Rookie guard Tyler Herro scored a team-high 25 points and Jimmy Butler scored nine of his 24 points in overtime to lead the host Miami Heat to a 134-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Herro set a Heat rookie record with seven 3-pointers, missing only twice. Goran Dragic had 22 points and...
As WNBA boosts pay, women’s hockey players see path forward
(Reuters) – With increased pay, improved travel and a host of new maternity benefits, the WNBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) sent up roars of celebration that reached beyond women’s basketball. For professional women hockey players, the deal was a tantalizing prospect of what could be. “We look to the WNBA as leaders in women’s...
23rd January
Olympic Boxing qualifier postponed
WINSTON Hill and Jone Davule, Fijis boxing hopefuls to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will not be travelling to China at the end of the month due to the sudden Coronavirus outbreak in China. THE Olympic Boxing qualifier that was scheduled to be held in Wuhan, China has been postponed by the National Olympic Committee. Fiji...
Tsitsipas through to Australian Open third round after Kohlschreiber withdraws
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open after his German opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew due to injury, organisers said on Wednesday. ATP Finals champion Tsitsipas, 21, will meet either Canadian 32nd seed Milos Raonic or Cristian Garin of Chile in the third round, having never...
Wozniacki rallies to tame Yastremska in Melbourne
Melbourne (Reuters) – Caroline Wozniacki refused to be rushed into retirement on Wednesday as the former world number one fought back from 5-1 down in the first set to beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open. The Dane had appeared set for an early exit at Melbourne Park,...
Blessed Woods admits age is affecting his game
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Tiger Woods has acknowledged age is increasingly affecting his game but said on Tuesday he was in a good place as he bids for a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour victory in Torrey Pines this week. The American, who makes his season debut at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday, said he...
Osaka rallies after tantrum to reach third round of Australian Open
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Defending champion Naomi Osaka struggled on serve and produced one of the most animated tantrums of the tournament so far before fending off China’s Zheng Saisai to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. After being broken early in the second set, Japan’s Osaka threw her racket, slammed a...
Injured Dhawan ruled out of India’s ODI, T20 squad for NZ tour
(Reuters) – Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of India’s tour of New Zealand with a shoulder injury, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said on Tuesday. Dhawan, a regular opening batsman for India’s limited overs teams, hurt his left shoulder while diving on the field in the series-clinching one-day international win over Australia in Bengaluru...
Super sub Aguero gets winner for City at Sheffield United
SHEFFIELD, England (Reuters) – Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero came off the bench to grab a 73rd-minute winner as they solidified their grip on second place in the Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Sheffield United on Tuesday. City’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus had a first-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson and the keeper,...
22nd January
Need to implement a child protection policy in sports: Mazey
THERE is a need to implement a child protection policy in sports, says Fiji National Sports Commission chairman Peter Mazey. He made the comment while making submissions to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence on the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competition on Tuesday. “We have put in a number of policies...
