sports

Liem beat his rival 3.5 – 2.5 in blitz chess to advance to the fourth round of the tournament. Earlier, the two players drew their first and second game in the standard event so they had to play rapid games to decide the winner. Liem will face Levon Aronian of Armenia in the next round. By reaching the fourth round of 16 players, Liem will walk away with at least US$ 25,000. The FIDE World Cup 2019 is a 128-player single-elimination chess tournament held from September 9 to October 4. The matches from round one to round six consist of two classical games. The finalists of the tournament will qualify for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2020. The total prize fund is $1.6 million, with the winner taking away US$ 110,000.VNA Tags: FIDE World Cup Vietnamese player Grandmaster Le Quang Liem … [Read more...] about Vietnamese player defeats European champion in FIDE World Cup

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton lived up to his status as pre-race favourite for the Singapore Grand Prix when the Mercedes driver soared to the top of the timesheets with a storming lap in the second free practice session at a floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit on Friday (Sep 20). Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton takes part in the second practice session for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on Sep 20, 2019. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman) The Briton, who has won four times in Singapore, is well on course for a sixth world title after recording eight victories in 2019. His scintillating form after two practice sessions around the demanding 23-turn layout suggest he will be celebrating a ninth triumph of the campaign on Sunday night. Hamilton spent the first session churning out race simulation laps on the more durable hard compound tyres as he clocked the third fastest time behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's … [Read more...] about Hamilton sets scintillating pace in second Singapore practice

Three Yamahas outpaced Marc Marquez in the second practice session for the Aragon GP on Friday (Sep 21) but the Spaniard's time from the morning session remained the quickest. Marc Marquez was fastest in the first free practice for the Aragon Grand Prix. (Photo: AFP/Jose Jordan) Maverick Vinales, Valentino Rossi and Fabio Quartararo were the fastest in the afternoon but none of the trio were able to approach Marquez's earlier time of 1min 46.689sec. "Today we started very well and actually we ended quite well too," said Marquez. Vinales set the best afternoon time in 1:48.014, 0.057sec ahead of factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, with Quartararo, who rides for a Yamaha satellite team, 0.103sec slower. If the forecast rain arrives on Saturday morning for the third practice session, it could make it more difficult for the others to stop five-time top-class world champion Marquez taking pole position. Apart from Marquez, who escaped a crash unscathed, all the other riders … [Read more...] about Marquez remains fastest despite Yamaha challenge

Barcelona expect to record revenues of more than €1 billion for the 2019-2020 season, becoming the first football club to pass the mark, the Catalan club announced on Thursday (Sep 19). Barcelona predict they will become the first football club to record €1 billion in revenue this season. (AFP/PAU BARRENA) According to figures released ahead of the general meeting of their "socios" (supporters, shareholders) scheduled for Oct 6, Barca expect a revenue of €1.047 billion (US$1.16 billion) in the fiscal campaign just started, which is six per cent more than last season when the club generated €990 million. "It's an historic record for a sports club, it's better than the NBA and NFL franchises and other football clubs," Barcelona managing director Oscar Grau told a news conference. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu had set a strategic goal of being the first outfit to reach the one billion euro mark by the end of his presidency in 2021. Main … [Read more...] about Barcelona predict €1b income this season

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Australian star Jason Day and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama will compete in a Skins Game next month in Japan, organisers announced late Wednesday. Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (left) and Australian Jason Day will join Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in next month's Skins Game in Japan. (AFP/STUART FRANKLIN) "The Challenge: Japan Skins" will pit 15-time major winner Woods against McIlroy, Matsuyama and Day as top stars from four continents will play Oct 21 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan. "There are so many fun elements to 'The Challenge' that will have me wanting to take home that title - playing with Hideki on his home turf, Tiger coming back to Japan with a green jacket - the motivation is certainly there for me," said four-time major winner McIlroy. "I'm a huge fan of the skins format. I love the way it rewards attacking play and think it suits my game quite well. Any time I can go directly at pins to try and make birdies and eagles, … [Read more...] about Woods, McIlroy, Day and Matsuyama to play Japan Skins Game

Last season's runners-up Arsenal romped to an impressive 3-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Europa League opener on Thursday (Sep 19) as Mason Greenwood spared Manchester United's blushes and Rangers got the better of Feyenoord. Arsenal's players celebrate after English midfielder Joe Willock (centre) scored the opening goal at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. (AFP/Daniel ROLAND) On a night which featured five British clubs in action, Unai Emery's much-changed side enjoyed the best result of all with youngsters Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka scoring in Germany. In between, Dominik Kohr was sent off for last season's beaten semi-finalists Frankfurt, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made sure of the win for Arsenal in the Group F clash. "Everybody can be happy and continuing in this competition is important, so it was good to get a good win, especially away from home," said Emery. Their next game will be at home to Standard Liege, who beat Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0 on … [Read more...] about Man Utd, Arsenal, Rangers all claim Europa League wins

Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka beat qualifier Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in straight sets on Wednesday (Sep 18) to reach the Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals. Japan's Naomi Osaka hits a return against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova in women's singles round of 16 at the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Osaka on Sep 18, 2019. (Photo: Jiji Press/AFP) Making her first appearance at the tournament following a first-round bye, top seed Osaka outclassed Tomova, ranked 181st in the world, 7-5, 6-3 in Osaka, western Japan. "I was a little nervous at the beginning," admitted Osaka, seeking to clinch her first victory at the home event after being runner-up in 2016 and 2018. Osaka, who crashed out of this month's US Open in the last 16, started slowly, losing the first three games in the first set, but later found her rhythm with solid serves and crisp volleying to secure the first set. Tomova's quick court coverage caused Osaka difficulty throughout the match but in the end … [Read more...] about Osaka blazes into Pan Pacific quarters

Valencia's Spanish forward Rodrigo Moreno celebrates after scoring against Chelsea during the UEFA Champion's League Group H football match. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP) The hosts dominated possession, but were toothless in attack after losing promising midfielder Mason Mount to an early injury and were punished 16 minutes from time when Rodrigo grabbed all three points for the Spaniards. Lampard's men should still have rescued a point, but Ross Barkley fired a late penalty over the bar. "Without a doubt (we deserved more). Probably a win, but at least a draw. We conceded with one shot on target," said Lampard. "It's a harsh lesson of Champions League football, a game we've played pretty well in and we lose it. "The good thing is we have five more games to turn it around." Valencia had arrived in London still reeling from the unpopular sacking of coach Marcelino last week, who had led the club to two top-four finishes in La Liga and the Copa del Rey last season in his two seasons in … [Read more...] about Chelsea pay penalty of Barkley miss in defeat by Valencia

Napoli's Spanish forward Fernando Llorente (centre) scores past Liverpool's Spanish goalkeeper Adrian during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match. (Andreas SOLARO/AFP) Liverpool survived a 1-0 defeat in Naples in the group stage last season to go on and win their sixth European Cup, and this time a 2-0 reverse at the San Paolo made them the first reigning champions to lose their opening game in the competition since 1994. Both sides had chances in the Group E clash before the hosts won a late penalty with barely 10 minutes remaining when Jose Callejon went down under an Andy Robertson challenge. Dries Mertens beat Adrian from 12 yards and substitute Fernando Llorente - who played for Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool in last season's final - then took advantage of a rare defensive lapse by Virgil van Dijk to make it 2-0 in stoppage time. "I don't think it's a penalty. What can I say, for me, it is clear and obvious no penalty," Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said of the … [Read more...] about Napoli beat holders Liverpool in Champions League opener

Fernando Llorente warned he was looking for revenge on Liverpool in Napoli's Champions League opener on Tuesday, after being beaten by the Reds in last season's final with former club Tottenham. Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti (right) and Spanish forward Fernando Llorente (left) attend a press conference before their Champions League opener against Liverpool. (AFP/Andreas SOLARO) The Spanish striker, 34, signed a two-year deal with Carlo Ancelotti's side in the summer after being released by Tottenham and is looking for some payback for Spurs' defeat in Madrid. "It was very painful to lose the final, there is a desire for revenge, yes, but it is especially the opportunity to show that we can be at the level of a team as strong as Liverpool," Llorente told reporters in Naples. Liverpool have reached the last two Champions League finals, beating Tottenham in the Spanish capital in June after losing to Real Madrid 12 months earlier. But Jurgen Klopp's side lost their opener last … [Read more...] about Napoli”s Llorente aiming for “revenge” in Liverpool rematch