BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester City recovered from conceding a very early goal to win 2-1 at Aston Villa on Wednesday (April 21) and move a step closer to the Premier League title after a game in which both sides finished with 10 men. City, who are 11 points ahead of Manchester United with five games left, were caught napping early when Villa took a quick free kick. A pass from Ollie Watkins found John McGinn and he rifled the ball home with 20 seconds on the clock. City equalised in the 22nd minute after goalkeeper Ederson’s long raking ball prompted a slick passing move that Phil Foden finished from the middle of the penalty area. Displaying superb skill and close control, Foden was instrumental in City’s second goal, winning a corner that led to Rodri heading home to give them the lead in the 40th minute. The home side was thrown a lifeline minutes later when referee Peter Bankes upgraded a yellow card for City defender John Stones to red after reviewing video footage of his dangerous challenge on Jacob Ramsey before the break. However, that advantage was cancelled out early in the second half when Villa’s Matty Cash was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession. Set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup Final on Sunday, City took their foot off the gas but were still able to control the rest of the game and close out a win that took them 11 points clear of second-placed Manchester United at the top of the table. City captain Fernandinho praised Foden for his performance. “He’s showed his quality, no doubt about that. He’s matured, chooses better actions, scored today and he’s been awesome, so pleased and happy for him because he’s a nice boy and deserves the best,” he told Sky Sports. Villa stayed 11th in the standings. “The disappointing part for me is the manner of the goals,” said manager Dean Smith. “Matty Cash’s first yellow was harsh but second one was just stupid and reckless, with them having 10 men you won’t get a better chance to beat City.”
MIAMI (AFP) - Russia's Veronika Kudermetova secured her maiden WTA title on Sunday (April 11), defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in straight sets to claim the Charleston clay court title in South Carolina. The 15th-seeded Kudermetova dominated from the outset to claim a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kovinic, ranked 91 in the world. The 23-year-old from Kazan broke Kovinic in the seventh game of the second set for a 5-2 lead and then held comfortably to complete a win in 1hr 36min. "I feel very happy, amazing," Kudermetova said afterwards. "I had a lot of ups and downs and now I'm here with the trophy," added the Russian, who did not drop a set all week in Charleston. Sunday's title marked Kudermetova's second appearance in a final this season, losing the WTA Abu Dhabi against Aryna Sabalenka in January. Kudermetova's Charleston victory came after a tournament which saw nine of the top 10 seeds exit before the quarter-finals on Friday, while world number one Ashleigh Barty exited in the last eight.
DUBAI (REUTERS) - Russian Aslan Karatsev continued his breakthrough year as he claimed his first ATP Tour title by beating Lloyd Harris 6-3 6-2 in the Dubai Championships final on Saturday (March 20). The 27-year-old wildcard overpowered his South African opponent with a barrage of winners to take his record to 12-2 for the season, having only won three Tour-level matches prior to this year. "I am super happy. It was a tight match. I was really nervous," world number 42 Karatsev said on court. "You never know when (success) is coming. I did a good job with my team, with my coach and it has happened now." Karatsev is the third Russian player to win an ATP title this year along with Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev. He announced himself on the big stage when he enjoyed a fairytale run to the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Keep an eye on this guy 👀Congratulations, @AsKaratsev! 👏 pic.twitter.com/OoQfzGBTkB— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 20, 2021
MARSEILLE (AFP) - Top seed Daniil Medvedev won the ATP tournament in Marseille on Sunday (March 14), beating Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 in the final. The Russian, who reached the final of the Australian Open last month, produced 13 aces and saved four of five break points as he racked up the 10th title of his career. The 25-year-old will climb above Rafael Nadal to number two in the world in the ATP rankings on Monday, behind Novak Djokovic. Medvedev will be the first player outside the 'Big Four' of Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to reach number two since Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in July 2005. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Medvedev confirmed to break 15-year grip on rankings by 'Big Four' Related Story Tennis: Medvedev beats Thiem to win ATP Finals title
DOHA (AFP) - Petra Kvitova thrashed Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-1 to win her second Qatar Open title on Saturday (March 6). The fourth-seeded Czech needed just over an hour to see off her fellow two-time Grand Slam winner. It was Kvitova's 28th career title from 38 finals played. "It's been a great run - tough conditions," said Kvitova after her victory. It followed her Doha title of 2018, which also came at the expense of Muguruza. "I'm sorry for the second time, I hope we can meet somewhere else," she added, nodding towards her vanquished rival. Kvitova has won 20 career matches in Doha, the most of any player, passing Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki on 19. Muguruza said that "every day is a new match, congrats to Petra with all the conditions - and for a second time she took the title away from me". "I can't wait to come back next year," added the Spaniard who has lost five times in a row to Kvitova. Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova served first and went ahead, contending with the blustery conditions that shaped her hard-fought semi-final clash with American Jessica Pegula. Muguruza had the benefit of a full rest day on Friday as her semi-final opponent Victoria Azarenka withdrew due to a back injury giving her a walkover into the final. She has, however, had to contend with remote coaching after Conchita Martinez tested positive for coronavirus on arrival in Doha and has been undertaking her duties by Zoom. Kvitova clearly relished the chance of another Qatar Open title, the third time she has contested the tournament, saying afterwards that "it feels like home a little bit". The pair appeared evenly matched, initially picking up a game apiece. Let the confetti fly 🎊@Petra_Kvitova | #QatarTotalOpen2021 pic.twitter.com/MENbUvxb9h— wta (@WTA) March 6, 2021 Kvitova fell behind in the third game, succumbing to a testing drop shot. Muguruza followed that with several unforced errors in her service game allowing Kvitova to briefly go ahead. Kvitova maintained her momentum, going up 5-2 and reaching set point within 35 minutes. Muguruza came out fighting in the second set, winning the first game - but it didn't last. Kvitova let out her trademark shriek when she went up to break point in the third game of the second to Muguruza's visible frustration, and again when she took advantage. That put the Czech 2-1 up at a critical point as the wind intensified. Kvitova had to wait for her third break point of the sixth game of the second set to claim another edge. A double fault on her first championship point did delay the inevitable but Kvitova patiently waited for her week's work to be rewarded.
BANGKOK • Top-ranked Tai Tzu-ying won the women's singles badminton World Tour Finals title in a dramatic cliffhanger yesterday, blocking reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin's bid for a hat-trick of titles in three weeks. The all-Danish men's singles final was equally nail-biting as Anders Antonsen also denied Viktor Axelsen his third tournament win. Marin had defeated the Chinese Taipei player in the past two weeks during the previous Thailand Open tournament finals. But the Spaniard had a shaky start yesterday as Tai exploited holes in her defence early. Marin mounted a successful comeback in the later stages to win the opening game, and was loud and feisty in her verbal celebrations but her visibly annoyed opponent soon found her own voice. In the second game, Tai dominated early and dictated a commanding pace, eventually triumphing easily. The decider was filled with fast and furious rallies - both players repeatedly traded places on the scoreboard - but two late spectacular drop shots were critical in sealing Tai's victory 14-21, 21-8, 21-19. "Before this match today, I kept telling myself that I had to play patiently. In the previous matches, all my mistakes were caused (by) my own impatience," she said. Despite her loss, sixth-ranked Marin was still proud of her campaign in Bangkok. "I'm not really happy but I think it was really three good weeks for me. Two titles and a final, it's very difficult for any player," she said. World No. 4 Axelsen could not control his nerves, with his body language showing immense frustration as errors piled up and shots landed wide en route to losing the first game. He managed to regroup to win the second game, but in the decider, third-ranked Antonsen had all the right answers, triumphing to claim the 21-16, 5-21, 21-17 victory over his ruffled opponent. "In the second game, I was saving up energy for the third game because I knew I didn't have the resources," he said. "I had to be very calculated. I decided it would be smarter to go for the third game." Antonsen is the only man to beat Axelsen in more than a year and the losing finalist admitted he was well beaten. "I think mentally I've used up a lot of energy. Anders played really well and I want to congratulate him," he said. The women's doubles was an all-Korean showdown and fourth-ranked Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan were pushed all the way by sixth-ranked Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong before earning a 15-21, 26-24, 21-19 win. In the men's doubles, seventh-ranked Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin of Chinese Taipei won their third title as many weeks, beating Indonesian duo Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-17, 23-21. In the mixed doubles, Thai third seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai became local heroes, sealing their third title here with a 21-18, 8-21, 21-8 victory over sixth-ranked South Koreans Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A fourth game off for Covid-hit Black Cats LONDON • Sunderland's League One game at Accrington Stanley tomorrow has been postponed, as the Black Cats are still dealing with a recent Covid-19 outbreak in their camp, the English third-tier side said yesterday. Five players and staff tested positive for the virus last week and the cluster has resulted in the club's fourth successive game to be pushed back. All fixtures will be rescheduled to later dates as yet to be confirmed. REUTERS New boy Brady spurs Bucs to NFL play-offs WASHINGTON • Tom Brady threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the first half on Saturday to power the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 47-7 win over the Detroit Lions and lift his team into the National Football League (NFL) play-offs. The 43-year-old quarterback, who joined the Bucs this year after 20 campaigns and six Super Bowl crowns with the New England Patriots, has now guided Tampa Bay into the post-season for the first time since 2007. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Hanyu skates to fifth Japanese title TOKYO • Japan's two-time figure skating Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu won his fifth Japanese national title on Saturday. The 26-year-old, who had been out of action since February, delivered a graceful free skate which netted him 215.83 points for a total of 319.36 at Nagano's Big Hat arena. Hanyu earned his first national title since 2015 to book his place at next year's world Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. XINHUA Norman back home after testing negative ORLANDO • Australian golfing great Greg Norman returned home on Saturday after being discharged from hospital in Florida. He had been admitted on Christmas Day with Covid-19 symptoms. The 65-year-old said he had tested negative for the coronavirus after playing in the Dec 19-20 exhibition PNC Championship in Orlando but fell sick last week. His wife and son have also tested positive. REUTERS
LONDON • Champions Liverpool remain the team to beat in the Premier League but with only a five-point gap separating the leaders and third-placed Manchester United, the title race is still relatively wide open. A win in their next top-flight game at Leicester on Saturday will see the Red Devils, who also have a game in hand, leapfrog them into second. Two home league games against mid-table opposition in Aston Villa and Wolves round out their Christmas schedule. Should United get through those encounters with maximum points, they will set themselves up for a possible top-of-the-table clash at Anfield on Jan 17. Six wins from as many away games have lent credence to their belief and United are on a 10-game league win streak on their travels dating back to last season, the first team to do so since Tottenham in 1960. Until Sunday, their home form - one win in six previous games - had let them down, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side finally carried over their road form to the Theatre of Dreams. In the first league meeting between United and bitter rivals Leeds in almost 17 years, the hosts blew their opponents away, with Scott McTominay scoring twice inside three minutes en route to a 6-2 rout. Another double by Bruno Fernandes and goals by Daniel James and Victor Lindelof put away the visitors, who scored through Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas. Since losing at home to Arsenal on Nov 1, United have won six and drawn one of their last seven league games, dropping points only against Manchester City. But the display against Leeds was their best in that run, purred Solskjaer. The Norwegian said: "It could have been 12-4, it was that kind of game. It was fantastic from the first minute. We had a plan to get after them, go forward. "We've been criticised for our starts but the boys were prepared. We've approached the game really well, we've looked at videos and looked at ways to exploit them but also ways to stop them hurting you. It was a great start. "Just imagine if that had 75,000 people here. It would have gone down as one of the best United performances against Leeds." GOOD PROSPECTS Maybe, just maybe, this group of players can do that. United are in a great position considering how slow they were out of the blocks. FORMER MANCHESTER UNITED CAPTAIN ROY KEANE, tipping his old team to challenge for the title. ON THE RISE Not since 2012-13 when Manchester United won their last title have they been this close to the league leaders at Christmas. SEASON PTS OFF THE TOP 2020-21 5 (game in hand) 2019-20 24 2018-19 19 2017-18 13 2016-17 13 2015-16 9 Doubts remain over United's consistency and defence as Marcelo Bielsa's men could have had plenty more than two goals to show for their verve. Solskjaer also sought to temper the growing belief his side are best placed to challenge Liverpool for the title. One more for the Reds will match United's tally of 20. "It's 13 games into the season - we're a work in progress," he said. "We're getting better, we're getting fitter and stronger but there's still a few details to nail and let's talk about the title later on." But pundits are beginning to share the optimism building at Old Trafford that Solskjaer's men are not just dark horses but genuine title contenders for the first time since 2012-13. Former United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports: "I think over the last few months they've been heavily criticised, particularly over the home record. "I've been quite critical of the back four, the goalkeeper, questioning where this team is going but the name of this game is proving people wrong. "Maybe, just maybe, this group of players can do that. United are in a great position considering how slow they were out of the blocks. "If United can get their house in order at home, there's no reason why United can't stay up there. "I think Liverpool are still the best, but there's no reason why United shouldn't be fancying their chances in terms of pushing Liverpool." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
MIAMI • South Korean Kim Sei-young followed up her first Major title at the Women's PGA Championship with her 12th LPGA crown on Sunday, firing an even-par 70 to win the Pelican Women's Championship by three strokes. "A win is always great," said the world No. 2, who became the first woman since Thai Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to follow a maiden Major title with a Tour triumph in her next start. "I'm very happy to win the 12th tournament, and after winning the Major tournament, it means a lot to me." She finished with a 14-under total of 266 for a three-shot win over Ally McDonald, who carded a two-under 68 in Belleair, Florida. The 28-year-old American had trailed Kim by five coming into the final round, and admitted that while she started the day aiming to close the gap, "once we got to a point, I just tried to take Sei-young out of it and play like a little tournament within the rest of the field". McDonald, who claimed her first LPGA title at the Drive On Championship in Georgia last month, finished two strokes in front of Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow, who fired a 69 for 271. But Kim said she felt some pressure as her lead dwindled to three strokes mid-round. "I was, like, 'OK, Sei-young, focus. Keep going'," she said, adding that the lack of wind after three gusty days made for a tough adjustment. "Very challenging golf today." The 27-year-old said her assurance deserted her after a bogey at the par-three ninth, where her second shot flew the green and she chipped on and two-putted. That erased the gain she had made with a birdie at the par-four sixth hole. "When I turned the ninth hole, I was (feeling) a little bit of pressure before I made the birdie at 14," Kim said, and after that "everything was good". Kim has now passed Shin Ji-yai on the LPGA's all-time win list for South Korean golfers and now trails only Pak Se-ri (25) and Park In-bee (20). Two wins in her last two starts have her feeling confident with the final Major of the pandemic-disrupted season - the Women's US Open - coming up next month in Houston, followed by the Tour Championship in Naples, Florida. "After a win I've always got the extra confidence," she said. "I feel happy when I walk on the course." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LONDON • Jose Mourinho will not countenance Tottenham ever "being considered title contenders" despite being two points off leaders Everton after Monday's 1-0 Premier League win at Burnley. Spurs fans could be forgiven for thinking otherwise after the narrow win at Turf Moor not only propelled them up to fifth in the table, but also means they are now the top scorers in the English top flight with 16 goals from six games. Although considered to be part of the "Big Six", Mourinho's side have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and their last top-flight league title came in 1961. Mourinho's sacked predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, gave the fans hope with his development of young players, taking them to the 2019 Champions League final as well as finishing in the top three on three occasions. However, the Argentinian's failure to deliver silverware perhaps lends itself to experienced campaigner Mourinho's caution. "I will never consider ourselves title contenders," the Portuguese coach said. Harry Kane agreed that it was too early to talk about a title challenge in a season that has offered up several surprising results. However, the England captain is optimistic about the future with the present squad. "We know with the team we have got and the players we have got we can do something special," he told the BBC. "It's still early on. "We need to take each game as it comes. I know it's a cliche but we still have a lot to learn and build on. I think nights like this will give us a lot of confidence. "These are the games you need three points if you are going to be up there at the end of the season." Key to Spurs' vibrancy has been Kane's understanding with South Korea forward Son Heung-min, the Englishman setting his teammate up for their winner. Kane has already broken his personal record for assists in a Premier League season with eight to set up Son's eighth goal of the campaign. The pair have now combined for 29 league goals - only Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard managed more, with 36 for Chelsea - and Mourinho lauded Kane's selflessness after he cleared off the line as the hosts threatened to equalise. "In the last minute, he was pressing and sliding tackles, trying to stop attacks," he said. "When you want to win, you do everything for the team. There is no space for individuals or prima donnas. Harry has this spirit and he is fantastic. "The way the team plays, he is very comfortable because he is good in the box and also magnificent outside the box." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
After weeks of uncertainty, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) confirmed yesterday that Brunei DPMM will not be back to defend their Singapore Premier League (SPL) title this season. The FAS said in a statement that it was informed that DPMM are "unable to participate in their upcoming fixtures, because there are currently no provisions in Brunei that allow them to travel to Singapore". It added: "There is also currently no confirmation as to when travel can resume at all, due to the evolving Covid-19 situation worldwide." The SPL will continue without its defending champions, said the FAS, so that "the league concludes in time in order for Singapore's representatives for 2021's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions to be ascertained". After a seven-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SPL resumed on Oct 17. While DPMM received a bye that game week, they missed the Oct 12 deadline to confirm their participation in the nine-team league. Their match against Hougang United last Sunday was then postponed as they were unable to travel. DPMM general manager Ali Haji Momin said the 2015 and 2019 champions aim to be back for the 2021 season, and added: "We were looking forward to defending our title this season. However, despite our best efforts, the travel rules have meant that it is not possible for us to do so. "We are tremendously grateful for the patience and kind understanding of the FAS over the last few weeks as we both sought a solution to this matter. We wish the other eight teams the best of luck for the rest of this season." DPMM coach Adrian Pennock said they are disappointed but "respect the government's regulations because it is best to be safe than sorry". He added: "That's it for us this season, and as all of us are on one-year contracts until the end of the year, we will have to meet the management to see where we go from here." DPMM's withdrawal means the result of the only match they played this season - a 2-0 win over Tampines Rovers at Bandar Seri Begawan on March 6 - will be voided. However, Tampines coach Gavin Lee does not see it as any advantage even if the other teams no longer have the opportunity to go for six points against DPMM. NO WAY OUT We were looking forward to defending our title this season. However, despite our best efforts, the travel rules have meant that it is not possible for us to do so. ALI HAJI MOMIN, DPMM general manager, on the situation his side are facing. Lee said: "It's a shame they will not be taking part because we would like to play them, but there is a bigger picture and we understand the decision. "We cannot be thinking about what could have been. All our attention is on our next game against Albirex and the games after that." Calling the situation "unfortunate", FAS president Lim Kia Tong is looking forward to DPMM's return next year. He said: "I am certain SPL supporters and the other participating clubs were looking forward to see the reigning champions defend their title. "However, we recognise that these are extraordinary circumstances, and the current situation leaves us with extremely limited options. Brunei DPMM has been a valued participant of the SPL for a better part of the decade and remains an integral part of our league." Thirty-seven games remain in the revised fixtures list, with teams playing each other twice instead of thrice for big stakes: a trophy, one spot in the AFC Champions League - the continent's top club competition - and two berths in the second-tier AFC Cup.
COLOGNE (Germany) • Top seed Alexander Zverev bagged his first ATP crown of the year after beating Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 to lift the bett1Hulks Indoor title in Cologne yesterday. The German, who lost the US Open final last month and exited the French Open in the fourth round, needed only 80 minutes to get the better of the 20-year-old Canadian thanks to a dominant service performance. Zverev won 80 per cent of his first service points and an overwhelming 88 per cent on his second serve, while he also converted four of 10 break points to hand Auger-Aliassime - who is still searching for his first title - a sixth defeat in a final. "I had a very tough final in New York and the next final I played here, I wanted to come out and obviously play my best tennis," the 23-year-old said. "Felix, you're an unbelievable player. I know it doesn't mean much right now, but I'm sure you're not only going to win one title, you're going to win multiple titles in your career, bigger titles than this." Victory gave Zverev his 12th ATP title and his third on home soil after he won the Munich Open in 2017 and 2018. He has already qualified for the season-ending ATP Finals in London next month but will remain in Cologne as the top seed at the bett1Hulks Championships, which start today. Auger-Aliassime, who lost his first ATP final in February last year at the Rio Open, said: "I just played bad from start to finish." There was another win for a home favourite yesterday, when Russian Andrey Rublev took the honours at the St Petersburg final for his fourth title of the year. The 22-year-old defeated Borna Coric 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 as the Croatian finished runner-up here for a second straight year. Rublev now has 34 ATP Tour match wins this season, behind only world No. 1 Novak Djokovic (37) - the only other man with four titles this term. REUTERS