Author: Reuters

Posted on

MotoGP: Álex Márquez reigns in Spain to take title lead as brother Marc crashes

  • Álex leads Marc Márquez in title race after Jerez win
  • Fabio Quartararo second, Francesco Bagnaia third

Gresini Racing’s Álex Márquez claimed his first MotoGP race victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, taking the championship lead from his elder brother Marc, who crashed early in the race and finished 12th.

After seven second-place finishes in sprints and races this season, Álex secured a dream race win on home turf in front of over 100,000 fans, with the Spaniard imploring them to increase the volume as he took the last few corners on the final lap in Jerez.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Tadej Pogacar dances up Mur de Huy to claim victory in Flèche Wallonne

  • World champion surges clear on race's brutal final climb
  • Kévin Vauquelin second, with Tom Pidcock coming third

Tadej Pogacar bounced back in style after his Paris-Roubaix and Amstel Gold Race heartbreaks as he claimed a second Flèche Wallonne title with an early attack in the finale on Wednesday.

The world champion attacked when 400 metres from the finish on the brutally steep Mur de Huy and never looked back, prevailing over France’s Kévin Vauquelin and third-placed Tom Pidcock of Britain.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Andre Agassi to come out of retirement for pro pickleball tournament

  • The 54-year-old is a former world No 1 in tennis
  • He’ll play mixed doubles as the pickleball US Open

Former tennis world No 1 Andre Agassi will make his professional debut in the fast-growing sport of pickelball next week when he teams up with top ranked Anna Leigh Waters for the mixed doubles at the US Open Pickleball Championships.

Invented in 1965 by a group of American friends, pickleball is a fast-paced paddle sport similar to tennis and badminton played on smaller courts using a perforated plastic ball, and interest has skyrocketed in recent years.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Oscar Piastri ‘proud’ after becoming first Australian in 15 years to lead F1 title race

  • McLaren driver aims even higher after winning Saudi Arabian GP
  • ‘I want to be leading it after round 24, not round five,’ he says

Oscar Piastri put Australia on top of the Formula One world championship for the first time since 2010 on Sunday but the McLaren driver said he was still a long way from where he wanted to be despite his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory.

After the barrage of celebration fireworks had subsided over the Red Sea and the business of packing up had begun in the paddock, he said there was a lot more winning to do.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Tennis body defends ‘uncomfortable’ shower rule as criticism bubbles over

  • ITIA responds after reminder about anti-doping rules
  • Mark Petchey says that the statute is ‘unacceptable’

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has come under fire after it issued a reminder about anti-doping rules, saying players chosen to give samples must remain in full view of chaperones if they choose to take a shower first.

In a note sent to players via the tours that has found its way on to social media, the ITIA said although it had worked hard to ensure that showers after matches can amount to permissible delays to doping control it was not an “entitlement”. It requested players opting to freshen up first to strictly adhere to the requirement to stay in full view of the chaperone observing them at all times, and that failure to do so would be taken extremely seriously by the ITIA.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Serena Williams says she’d ‘have gotten 20 years’ if caught like Jannik Sinner

  • Serena Williams calls out hypocrisy of Sinner ban
  • Williams says ‘I would have gotten 20 years’ if caught
  • World No 1 Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol

Serena Williams says she would have been hit with a 20-year ban if she had failed drug tests like men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who received a three-month suspension in February.

“I love the guy, love this game,” Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam winner, told Time magazine this week after being named one of its 100 most influential people. “He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Bayern’s Josip Stanisic admits pushing ballboy was ‘a bit stupid’ in exit at Inter

  • Defender reacted after ballboy threw ball away from him
  • Bayern were chasing goal to force extra time at San Siro

Bayern Munich’s Josip Stanisic said it was “stupid” of him to push a ballboy off his stool after he tossed the ball away in stoppage time of their Champions League match against Inter on Wednesday.

A 2-2 draw in the second leg at San Siro enabled Inter to advance to the semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Fan hands himself in after bottle thrown at Van der Poel during Paris-Roubaix

  • Dutchman struck on way to third consecutive victory
  • Alpecin-Deceuninck and UCI join with condemnation

The spectator who threw a bottle at Mathieu van der Poel during Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix has surrendered to Flemish police. French justice officials launched an investigation after the Dutchman had a plastic bottle hurled at his face during his triumphant ride to a third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory.

Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that the spectator who launched the projectile had since surrendered to Flemish police. And public prosecutor Filiep Jodts told the BBC: “We can confirm that the man presented himself to the police. An official report was drawn up, in which his statement was recorded. The Public Prosecution Service will decide in the coming days what action should be taken.”

Continue reading...
Posted on

European football: Scott McTominay double keeps Napoli on Inter’s title trail

  • Napoli three points off top after beating Empoli 3-0
  • Atlético overcome lowly Valladolid 4-2 in La Liga

Napoli cruised to a 3-0 home win over Empoli on Monday, with Scott McTominay striking twice and Romelu Lukaku also on target as the hosts kept pace with Inter. Antonio Conte’s side were feeling the pressure after Inter’s 3-1 home win against Cagliari on Saturday, but they cut the gap back to three points with six matches to go. Napoli are seven points clear of Atalanta in third as the Serie A title battle narrows to a two-horse race.

It took 18 minutes for Napoli to open the scoring as Lukaku battled free in midfield and passed to McTominay, whose low long-range shot bounced over Devis Vásquez’s outstretched hand and into the corner of the net.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Marc Márquez wins Qatar MotoGP after collision with brother on first lap

  • Ducati rider’s first win at Lusail circuit since 2014
  • Maverick Viñales in second, Francesco Bagnaia third

Ducati’s Marc Márquez returned to the top step of the podium with victory at the Qatar Grand Prix despite damaging his bike in a collision with his brother Alex on the first lap. Marc, who had taken his fourth successive pole with a lap record as well as a fourth sprint victor on Saturday, won at the Lusail International Circuit for the first time since 2014.

Red Bull KTM’s Maverick Viñales was second, pending an investigation for tyre-pressure infringements, while Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia came third ahead of VR46 Racing’s Franco Morbidelli, who briefly led the race early on. Victory moved Marc Márquez up to 123 points at the top of the rider’s standings, 17 points ahead of Gresini Racing’s Alex, while Bagnaia is third on 97 points.

Continue reading...
Posted on

European football: Mbappé sees red but Real Madrid hold on against Alavés

  • Forward dismissed for reckless first-half tackle
  • Atalanta back in winning ways against Bologna

Kylian Mbappé’s reckless foul left Real Madrid with a nervy second half before they saw out a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Alavés, who also finished the match with 10 men.

Eduardo Camavinga gave Real the lead in the 34th minute, scoring from outside the box with a brilliant curled shot, after an earlier goal by Raúl Asencio was ruled out following a video assistant referee check.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Carlos Alcaraz storms back against injured Musetti to win Monte Carlo Masters

  • Spanish second seed wins 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
  • Musetti suffers leg injury in final set

Carlos Alcaraz stormed back to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory against an ailing Lorenzo Musetti to win the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco.

The second-seeded Spaniard claimed his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title and first since Indian Wells in March 2024. It was the 18th career title for the four-time grand slam winner, who turns 22 next month.

Continue reading...
Posted on

European club football: Inter sink Cagliari to tighten grip at top

  • Arnautovic and Martínez on target in 3-1 victory
  • Barcelona stretch La Liga lead with win at Leganés

Inter Milan cruised to a 3-1 win at home to Cagliari thanks to goals from Marko Arnautovic, Lautaro Martínez and Yann Aurel Bisseck to keep their grip on top spot in Serie A on Saturday.

Inter are six points clear of second-placed Napoli, who host lowly Empoli on Monday, with six rounds to go.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Bonuses for Wallabies wins in Rugby Australia’s new $240m TV broadcast deal

  • Improved deal struck with Nine Entertainment over five years
  • Extra money to reward key wins during 2026-2030 period

Rugby Australia has signed a five-year extension to its broadcast rights agreement with Nine Entertainment in a deal worth up to $240m. It runs from 2026-2030 and includes performance incentives linked to Wallabies wins, Nine-owned newspapers reported.

“[It] represents a significant uplift on Rugby Australia’s current broadcast agreement and follows a successful organisational reset in 2024,” RA said in a statement.

Continue reading...
Posted on

‘That’s a little bit much’: Jason Day asked to tone down his fashion choices at 2025 Masters

  • Australian forced to make changes to planned Augusta wardrobe
  • Former No 1’s outfit fell short of tournament standards last year

Jason Day turned plenty of heads with his outfit choices at last year’s Masters but said on Tuesday he will not be sporting such bold ensembles this week after Augusta National requested he sport a more reserved look.

The Australian former world No 1, who left Nike in early 2024 to join Malbon Golf, had some interesting outfits ready for the year’s first major this week but has since had to make changes.

Continue reading...