BELEM, Brazil (Reuters) -Brazil lived up to expectations by smashing Bolivia 5-1 at home in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers opener on Friday, with Neymar surpassing the late great Pele as the country's top scorer. The 31-year-old Neymar, who recently joined Saudi side Al-Hilal, bounced back after missing a penalty in the first half, scoring two...
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Daniil Medvedev believed he would have to play at an 11 out of 10 level on Friday if he was to beat world number one Carlos Alcaraz and get to the U.S. Open final for a third time. The third seeded Russian would prevail 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 6-3 in a fascinating encounter under...
PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik proved that they know how to dig deep and win when it matters. Aaron-Wooi Yik were pushed hard by fellow countrymen Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi but showed great tenacity to prevail 19-21, 21-19, 21-11 in a pulsating men’s doubles quarter-final match at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in...
PETALING JAYA: The Independent mixed doubles players are under pressure following the rise of fresh pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei. But former international Goh Liu Ying sees the healthy rivalry as the perfect recipe for Malaysia to push for two pairs to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games next year, when the qualifying period ends...
PETALING JAYA: China can be deemed a happy hunting ground for Safawi Rasid (pic). The Johor Darul Ta’zim winger scored two goals in the AFC Under-23 Championships for Harimau Muda in Changshu, China in 2018, and many believe he could continue his luck when the national team play in two international friendlies in Chengdu this week. The...
NEW YORK (Reuters) -After two late-night matches at Flushing Meadows third seed Daniil Medvedev finally finished work 'early' on Monday by taming Australian Alex de Minaur 2-6 6-4 6-1 6-2 to move into the U.S. Open quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years. Medvedev has been working the graveyard shift at the U.S. Open, with...
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Former U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev beat sixth seed Jannik Sinner 6-4 3-6 6-2 4-6 6-3 late on Monday to move into the quarter-finals of the year's final Grand Slam. Zverev's win earned him a meeting with defending champion and top seed Carlos Alcaraz, and the 26-year-old German will look to keep his...
(Reuters) - Serbian Borisa Simanic underwent surgery to remove a kidney after taking a blow to his midsection against South Sudan at the Basketball World Cup last week, Serbia's basketball federation said on Monday. South Sudan's Nuni Omot has apologised for the incident, though match officials saw no foul play. "After Simanic was operated on for the...
(Reuters) - Brazil's forward Antony has been withdrawn from the squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru following assault allegations, the country's football confederation (CBF) said in a statement on Monday. The decision was taken after Brazilian media outlet UOL published allegations from Antony's ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin accusing him of physical assault. Antony...
PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia, despite the pressure mounting on him to produce improved results, has no choice but to ride out the storm and hope for a breakthrough in the super 1000 China Open which begins today. The Malaysian’s campaign in the World Championships was ended by Dane Anders Antonsen who went on to reach...
