Sports — International

Hornets’ Parker makes triumphant return to San Antonio

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Charlotte point guard Tony Parker’s emotional return to San Antonio on Monday ended with a 108-93 Hornets victory and an ovation from Spurs fans who still consider him one of their own. Parker, of France, won four NBA championships in his 17 seasons in San Antonio, part of the Spurs’ famed “Big Three” alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who forged a deep friendship with […]

Go away! No one likes you: Tomic blasts Davis Cup skipper Hewitt

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) – Firebrand Bernard Tomic has launched an extraordinary attack on fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt, saying “no one likes him any more” while claiming he has ruined the national tennis system. The combustible 26-year-old unloaded on the Australian Davis Cup captain and two-time Grand Slam champion after being bundled out of Melbourne Park at the first hurdle late Monday. He alleged there were deep divisions in the Australian men’s game. “It’s all Lleyton. […]

Rockets lose Swiss big man Capela for 4-6 weeks: reports

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Swiss center Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets will miss the next four to six weeks of the NBA season with a right thumb injury, according to multiple reports Monday. The Houston Chronicle and ESPN reported that Capela, who suffered the injury in a Sunday loss to Orlando, underwent an MRI Monday that showed right thumb ligament damage. Capela, who signed a five-year deal worth a reported $80 million, was […]

Serena kickstarts quest for record 24th Slam

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Serena Williams kickstarts her bid to match Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles on Tuesday in her first return to Melbourne Park since winning in 2017 while eight weeks pregnant. The American giant, now 37, has kept a low profile in the lead-up to the opening Grand Slam of the year, avoiding any pre-tournament press conferences to focus on her game. Seeded 16, she opens against Germany’s Tatjana Maria […]

Tensions rise as Nadal backs under-pressure ATP boss

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Rafael Nadal Monday threw his support behind ATP Tour chief Chris Kermode as he fights to save his job, and hit out at not being consulted by the players’ council over such an important issue. Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported at the weekend that a move was under way to topple the Briton among a section of players unhappy at the way the game is being run. The ATP players council, headed […]

Red-hot Curry delivers 48 pts, Ibaka lifts Raptors over pesky Wizards

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Stephen Curry scored 48 points and drained 11 three pointers as the Golden State Warriors stretched their win streak to four straight with a 119-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Curry tallied 24 points in the second half and scored the final seven for two-time defending league champion Golden State. He also made the game-winning shot in a contest that Dallas led by five, 113-108, with just […]

Federer ‘shocked’, Djokovic ‘hurt’ by Murray retirement bombshell

by Daniel HICKS Agence France Presse MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Roger Federer admitted Sunday he was shocked that tennis was to lose “legend” Andy Murray this year while long-time friend Novak Djokovic said the bombshell news had “hurt” him. Both paid tribute to the former world number one on the eve of the year’s first Grand Slam with Federer adding that the Scot should be “incredibly proud” of what he had achieved. Murray on Friday […]

Ibaka strikes as NBA-best Raptors outlast Wizards

  LOS ANGELES, United State (AFP) — Serge Ibaka drained the go-ahead three-pointer with 15.2 seconds left in the second overtime Sunday to lift the Toronto Raptors to a 140-138 NBA victory over the Washington Wizards. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 41 points. That included 10 in overtime as Toronto finally put away the Wizards in a game in which the Raptors led by as many as 23. The Raptors, who improved to an […]

Andy Murray to retire, Australian Open could be last event

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — A tearful Andy Murray on Friday announced he would likely retire this year due to severe pain from a hip injury, saying next week’s Australian Open could be the last tournament of a glittering career. The former world number one and three-time Grand Slam winner broke down at a press conference in Melbourne as he said the pain had become almost unbearable. “I can play with limitations. But having the limitations […]

Aldridge scores 56 in Spurs double OT thriller over Thunder

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LaMarcus Aldridge tallied a career-high 56 points as the San Antonio Spurs overcame Russell Westbrook’s triple double by outgunning the Oklahoma City Thunder 154-147 in a double overtime thriller on Thursday. Aldridge’s epic performance saw him surpass his previous career high of 45 points which he set against Utah last March. He rattled off seven points in the second overtime as the Spurs outlasted the Thunder one day after […]

Veteran Wade powers Heat to blowout win over Celtics

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Dwyane Wade came off the bench to score 19 points and Justise Winslow had 13 points and a career-high 11 assists as the Miami Heat hammered the Boston Celtics 115-99 on Thursday. The Heat, who led by as many as 26 points, used a balanced attack to beat the Celtics as a half dozen players scored in double figures in front of a crowd of 19,600 — their 400th […]

DNA request made in Cristiano Ronaldo rape case

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Las Vegas police have asked soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo to submit a DNA sample as part of their investigation into rape made against him. The Juventus forward has vehemently denied the accusations — with his lawyer, Peter Christiansen, telling AFP the request was standard procedure. “Mr Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is […]