Ducati call up Superbike rider Bulega to replace Marquez in final races
World Superbike runner-up Nicolo Bulega will replace injured MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in the final two rounds of the season in Portugal and Valencia, Ducati said on Friday.
Japan Sport News
No room for old scars as Springboks prepare for Japan battle
LONDON :Several South Africa players lining up against Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday carry vivid memories of the 'Miracle of Brighton', an upset that shook the Rugby World Cup a decade ago and which still sends shivers down Springbok spines today.
Bencic out of Hong Kong last eight as tennis injury list mounts
HONG KONG: Top seed Belinda Bencic pulled out of the Hong Kong Open quarter-finals on Friday as the Tokyo Olympic champion became the latest in a long line of players to suffer a late-season injury. The Asian “swing” on the WTA Tour has been particularly hard hit by injuries and pullouts in recent weeks, placing renewed scrutiny on the demanding tennis schedule. Bencic, who was ranked 421 in the world at the start of the season but has climbed to 11, was supposed to meet Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in the last eight in Hong Kong. “So disappointed to have to withdraw today from my quarter-final match here in Hong Kong due to my thigh injury,” said the 28-year-old Swiss, who won gold at the Covid-delayed Olympics in 2021. “I’ve played a lot of tennis in the past few weeks and did everything I could to stay healthy, but it was not to be.” Bencic beat Linda Noskova last weekend to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and cap a remarkable comeback, a year after returning to tennis from having a baby. Noskova reached the final in the Japanese capital after Elena Rybakina withdrew injured ahead of their semifinal. The tournament in Hong Kong was hit even before it began with the withdrawals of former world number one Naomi Osaka and the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Both ended their seasons early through injury. Daria Kasatkina, who has won eight WTA titles, was also initially scheduled to compete in Hong Kong but she too brought the curtain down prematurely on her season. “The schedule is too much, mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone,” the 28-year-old, who this year switched nationality from Russia to Australia, said in early October.
Rugby LIVE: England raise major complaints about Australia as Joe Marler ruffles feathers
International rugby is back and England face Australia to kick off the autumn proceedings. The World Rugby Test window doesn't open until next weekend but there are a whole host of rugby nations in action this weekend.
Dodgers mull Ohtani roles for potential World Series Game 7 - ESPN
TORONTO — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will consider using Shohei Ohtani as an opener or even as an outfielder in Game 7 if Los Angeles forces the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays to the limit.
Ohtani, World Series Relief Pitcher? Roberts Says It's 'An Option' For Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani could pitch out of the bullpen for the Los Angeles Dodgers when the World Series goes back to Toronto this weekend.
Cricket’s remarkable growth in the UAE continues
DUBAI: People in the UK continue to ask me if cricket is really played in the UAE. When I reply yes, the usual assumption which follows is: mainly by expats, I guess.
Canada’s U17 women’s soccer squad to meet Brazil in World Cup quarterfinal
Canada scored three goals in each half en route to a comfortable 6-0 win over Zambia in Round of 16 play Wednesday, setting up a quarterfinal date with Brazil at the FIFA Women's U17 World Cup in Sale, Morocco.