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Update day two: Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open
Chinese interest ends
China’s Xu Xin and Chen Meng, in the eyes of many favourites for gold, suffered a quarter-final mixed doubles defeat. They were beaten by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yin-Ju and Cheng I-Ching in three straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-9).
“I think we had better mindset. The first two games were easier but the third game was quiet tough. We just told ourselves to carry out tactics more firmly. Our opponents were nervous today.” Cheng I-Ching
“Today I did not give too much pressure to our opponent.” Xu Xin
Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open: Schedule of Play Thursday 30th June to Sunday 2nd June
Success against the odds and from two players who are very different; style is the obvious. Lubomir Pistej is a powerful right hander true to the best European traditions, Yu Ziyang, the quicksilver left hander.
Lubomir Pistej has proved himself supremely reliable in the past decade, he is the backbone of the Slovakian men’s team, always he will give a totally committed performance. He possesses a very strong work ethic, a role model in that respect. He has no lack of talent but he is not a player who is going to produce the ridiculous; a strong, honest work ethic has been his forte.
He demonstrated his qualities to the full at the Liebherr 2017 World Championships, he reached the fourth round, losing to Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto. Last year at ITTF Challenge Series tournaments he was a semi-finalist in Belarus, the runner up in Slovenia. Just as in Shenzhen he has proved himself a most worthy competitor but as yet to reserve the top step of the podium.
Now consider Yu Ziyang, he is trying to establish himself in his nation’s men’s team, just he has chosen the most difficult of all!
However in 2014 did we not think that would happen? In that year was crowned world junior champion in Shanghai, having some five months prior won the men’s singles title on the ITTF World Tour in Japan beating Jun Mizutani in the final. At the time he was 16 years old and the youngest to achieve the feat.
Did we not think that those two wins were springboards to higher things? It hasn’t happened, yet watching him play, the undoubted natural skills evident it should have happened.
Can it happen in Shenzhen? In round two both face awesome tasks, Lubomir Pistej confronts Fan Zhendong, the top seed, Yu Ziyang confronts Germany’s Timo Boll, the no.5 seed.
Win or lose, for each it is an opportunity to make a mark.
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Kyle Larson is returning to USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship competition for rounds two and three of the 15th edition of Indiana Midget Week.
Larson will compete on Wednesday at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway and Thursday at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind.
Larson, a five-time Monster Energy Cup Series winner and recent victor of the Monster Energy All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will drive the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian No. 97 in the pair of Midget races.
Larson’s first USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature win came during Indiana Midget Week in 2011 at Bloomington Speedway. He won again in 2012 at Kokomo Speedway and again in 2013 at Gas City. His two most recent Indiana Midget Week victories both came at Montpelier Motor Speedway, in 2016 and ’18. Larson finished runner-up in the Indiana Midget Week standings in 2011, six points shy of Bryan Clauson.
Larson will be joined on the Indiana Midget Week tour by teammates and series regulars Logan Seavey, the defending USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget champion, as well as Tucker Klaasmeyer, Tanner Carrick, Jesse Colwell, Holley Hollan and the returning Tanner Thorson.
Thorson Back From Injury, Joins Kunz For Midget Week
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Tanner Thorson, who suffered serious injuries in a highway crash on March 4, will return to the cockpit of a USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget in time for the start of the 15th annual edition of Indiana Midget Week June 4-9.
Thorson will make his return to the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian team for the upcoming six-race mini-series aboard the Walker Filtration-sponsored No. 98. The team reunites after a successful run that resulted in 12 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature wins and the 2016 series championship.
Two of Thorson’s 12 series victories came during Indiana Midget Week, including his first triumph in 2015 at Gas City I-69 Speedway and in 2016 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind. Among other notable victories for the Minden, Nev., native are the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 2015 and the Gold Crown Midget Nationals in 2015 and 2016.
Thorson was injured earlier this year in a multi-car incident on Highway 99 in Modesto, Calif. Thorson underwent surgery for a broken left arm and right foot and also sustained a cracked sternum, broken ribs and a punctured lung.
The accident occurred while Thorson was on his way back home to the Tri-C Motorsports team’s Sacramento, Calif., shop after competing in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car events at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In the first two events of the 2019 USAC National Midget season, Thorson finished ninth on the opening night of Winter Dirt Games X at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., and seventh in the second event where he charged from 24th to seventh to earn hard charger honors.
“I’m back! Excited to get back with these guys for my comeback/race week,” Thorson said in an Instagram post earlier Thursday.
I’m Back! Excited to get back with these guys for my come back race/week! @USACNation @KeithKunz pic.twitter.com/J378L4yf00
— Tanner Thorson (@Tanner_Thorson) May 30, 2019
Windy conditions aside, Kordas off to 2-under start at U.S. Women's Open
Jessica and Nelly Korda opened the U.S. Women’s Open with matching scores of 2-under 69, and they sit five shots back of leader Mamiko Higa. But their rounds were wildly different in terms of entertainment.
This trip to Country Club of Charleston marks the 12th U.S. Women’s Open that Jessica has played in, today was her 37th round in the event, and her score of 69 ties her lowest round at the USGA championship.
For Jessica, it was a rather uneventful day with just three birdies and two bogies.
“I think we can all appreciate any round at 1 over, even, or under par is fantastic out there, especially this afternoon,” Jessica said, “and try and go back out there tomorrow and do the same thing.
Nelly’s round, on the other hand, proved to be a bit more work, as she carded seven birdies and five bogeys.
“Kind of up and down day,” Nelly said. “It was pretty windy out there. So just tried to stay calm, collected.”
The windy conditions in South Carolina shocked many players and made the stroll around the course a bit more challenging. Only 24 players were under par in the first round.
“I think it was windy on Monday, and then it really calmed down on Tuesday, Wednesday, so we really didn’t have that much wind during the practice round. When I got on the range today, it was a shock that it was windy,” Nelly said.
Straight off NCAA title, Duke freshman Kim (66) T-2 after first round at U.S. Women's Open
The best story after the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open didn’t come from a big-name LPGA player. It came from Gina Kim, Duke freshman, who helped her team to the NCAA Women’s Championship title just two weeks ago and now sits in a tie for second after the first round.
The 19-year-old shot an opening-round 5-under 66, which matches the lowest round for an amateur in U.S. Women’s Open history.
As for the amount of adrenaline she’s got after helping her team to its seventh national title? “A lot.”
“I’ve been trying to calm myself down, just get myself together, get ready for this tournament,” Kim said. “But obviously, winning a national title with my team was amazing.”
Seven Blue Devils, past and present, are teeing it up in this week’s event. And after years of competitive golf, Kim said this was as locked in as she’s ever felt in a tournament. The random shouts of “Go Duke!” didn’t hurt, either.
Kim admits the pressure shots she hit at Blessings Golf Club have helped her more than she thought they would. More specifically, she recalled the fairway bunker shot she hit to three feet on No. 18, making a birdie, and sending her team to the championship match.
“I still have that video on my phone,” Kim said. “I actually watched it before I teed off today, just to remind myself that I was definitely ready to be able to do what I wanted to do.”
Her round included six birdies, three bogeys and an eagle. After starting her round on No. 10, she finished eagle-birdie, but she almost finished eagle-albatross when her 3-wood approach from 241 yards slid right over the hole.
“Being able to finish out strong like that really shows me that I'm ready to be here, and I'm definitely ready to do whatever I can to keep myself in it,” Kim said.
But even coming straight off a national title and playing the U.S. Women’s Open at 19 years old, Kim said she wasn’t expecting much for her first round. Even those small expectations were shattered.
“I’ve just been blessed with this round. I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest. My goal was just to play, have some fun, you know, just stay happy out there,” Kim said. “But being able to come out like this, it’s definitely more than what I asked for, so I’m definitely grateful to the people who supported me.”
Kim tees off at 9:01 a.m. on Friday and sits one shot behind leader Mamiko Higa.
Other NCAA Championship stars making their mark on the U.S. Women’s Open are Maria Fassi and Jennifer Kupcho.
Fassi, who just graduated from Arkansas, is coming off winning the individual title at the NCAA Women’s Championship and opened with a 1-over 72. Kupcho, who just graduated from Wake Forest and is the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, finished one better at even-par 71.
Inter Milan have appointed former Juventus and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, the club announced on Friday.
Conte's replaces Luciano Spalletti, who was sacked after two seasons with the club. The Nerazzurri finished fourth in the Serie A standings on the final day of the season thanks to a 2-1 win over Empoli, qualifying for the Champions League.
Conte is also reunited with highly regarded former Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta. The pair worked closely together to lead Juventus to three consecutive league titles between 2011 and 2014 before Conte left to manage Italy and then Chelsea, where he won the Premier League title in his first season and ended his second with triumph in the FA Cup.
? | OFFICIAL
Antonio Conte will be Inter's new Coach!#WelcomeAntonio pic.twitter.com/kFk8tktl7z
— Inter (@Inter_en) May 31, 2019
Conte has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea last summer, due in large part to a lengthy and acrimonious legal battle which only ended this month with a Premier League manager's arbitration tribunal ruling in his favour.
Chelsea have been ordered to pay Conte around £9 million -- the amount owed for the final unfulfilled year of his contract at Stamford Bridge -- and the Italian, now free to resume his career, has returned to Serie A.
Conte's blend of touchline passion and winning tactics made him hugely popular with the majority of Chelsea supporters, but his relationship with the board became damaged beyond repair, highlighted by his repeated public and private complaints about transfer policy.
He also clashed with Diego Costa and David Luiz, while others began to grow weary of his methods. In the wake of Chelsea's FA Cup win in 2018, Willian obscured Conte in a team celebration photograph posted on his Instagram account.
Conte's refusal to resign unless the final year of his contract was paid in full, coupled with Chelsea's delay in securing Maurizio Sarri from Napoli as his replacement, created an ugly public standoff that resulted in him leading the first few days of preseason before being sacked on July 13.
Chelsea withheld Conte's compensation, claiming that several of his actions -- including his decision to inform Costa by text message that he was no longer in his plans -- had led him to breach his contract.
Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN FC that Conte argued that Chelsea's delay in sacking him resulted in him missing out on potential job opportunities elsewhere, with Paris Saint-Germain appointing Thomas Tuchel and Real Madrid turning to Julen Lopetegui prior to his departure.
Blues' Sundqvist suspended for Game 3 after hit
ST. LOUIS -- Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist has been suspended for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final for delivering an elbow to the head of Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
The NHL's department of player safety announced the suspension Thursday after a hearing with Sundqvist, who was assessed only a two-minute minor penalty for boarding for the hit that knocked Grzelcyk out of Game 2 and possibly longer.
Sundqvist and Grzelcyk are each out for Game 3 on Saturday. Grzelcyk didn't travel with the Bruins, and coach Bruce Cassidy said the 25-year-old was in concussion protocol and considered day-to-day.
"I know they're trying to get those hits out of the game," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. Either Steven Kampfer or John Moore will go in for Grzelcyk.
While some Bruins players were reluctant to weigh in on the hit, former Blues captain David Backes was critical in the aftermath of Wednesday's Game 2.
"It's from behind, elevated, into his head, into the glass," Backes said. "If that's a two-minute penalty, I think there's going to be a shortage of defensemen in this series by the end of it. That's in somebody else's hands. That's something I think if I'm making that hit, I'm probably watching from the bleachers for a few."
Losing Sundqvist is another blow for St. Louis, which had already been without injured forward Robert Thomas and defenseman Vince Dunn.
"He's a big part of our team," captain Alex Pietrangelo said about Sundqvist. "He plays big minutes night in and night out and in every situation."
Blues coach Craig Berube didn't want to elaborate on Thomas' status but said upon landing that Dunn was close to returning after missing five games for a puck to the face. He gave no indication whether Zach Sanford would step in to the vacant forward spot or if St. Louis might instead dress seven defensemen.
After Robby Fabbri stepped in for Thomas in the Blues' Game 2 overtime victory and defensemen who had sat out are now contributing, Berube isn't worried about his team's depth in this situation.
"It's been a big factor, for sure, not only in the playoffs but throughout the last month or two in the season," Berube said. "Our depth is tremendous on the back end and up front. We use everybody. It's been very important."
SEATTLE -- Brad Ausmus disappointed countless Japanese baseball fans Thursday with one decision.
"Japanese baseball fans don't like me right now. Tell them I'm sorry," Ausmus joked.
The first-year Los Angeles Angels manager ruined the potential matchup between Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Seattle's Yusei Kikuchi in the series opener with his decision to sit Ohtani. It would have been the first meeting between the pair in the majors. The duo faced each other in five at-bats when they played in Nippon Professional Baseball.
But that first meeting in the majors will have to wait.
"There is a very good chance they will end up facing each other at some point so I wasn't overly concerned about that," Ausmus said.
Ausmus stressed it was strictly a baseball decision and the plan all along was to rest Ohtani at least one day during the Seattle series with the Mariners set to throw three left-handed starters in the four games. Ausmus liked how Ohtani matched up against Tommy Milone and Marco Gonzales better than he did Kikuchi. Milone and Gonzales will start Saturday and Sunday.
Ohtani has played in 19 games and is hitting .237 with two homers and 11 RBI after missing the start of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Kikuchi got the upper-hand in their limited meetings while playing professionally in Japan, striking out Ohtani three of the five official at-bats. Ohtani did have a single and double in the two other plate appearances.
Ohtani and Kikuchi both attended Hanamaki Higashi High School in Japan but were never teammates. It would have been the second matchup against former Japanese high school teammates in the majors. In 2007, Colorado's Kazuo Matsui and Pittsburgh's Masumi Kuwata faced off in the sixth inning of a game between the Rockies and Pirates. Matsui grounded out. The duo had attended PL Gakuen High School in Osaka.
Seattle manager Scott Servais deadpanned he would have preferred a different name being left out of the Angels lineup.
"He left (Mike) Trout in there," Servais joked.
Leading names assert authority, title hopes alive
Most significantly in class 4, it was a good day for Serbia.
Two groups in the initial phase of proceedings, Borislava Peric-Rankovic, the top seed, remained unbeaten to reserve first place in her group, colleague Nada Matic upset the odds. She beat Germany’s Sandra Mikolaschek, the no.2 seed, in five games (11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6) to claim top spot.
Defeat for Sandra Mikolaschek but not the end of the road; it was her only reverse of the day; thus second place in the group was secured and a passport to the main draw. In all para events where there are two stages, first and second in each group advance to the knock-out rounds.
Problems for the second seed in class 4, it was the same in class 11. Russia’s Elena Prokofeva, the top seed, remained unbeaten but for host nation’s Krystyna Lysiak, the name at the head of the corresponding group, it was different scenario. She finished in runners up spot losing to Hong Kong’s Ng Ming Wui (11-5, 11-9, 12-10).
Testing times but main draw places booked; for the remaining principal names it was success without great alarm.
In group events organised on an all-play-all basis, in class 1-2 Russia’s Nadejda Pushpsasheva ended the day the only unbeaten player. Similarly, in class 9, Poland’s Karolina Pek maintained a perfect record as did Germany’s Lena Kramm, a situation that applied also in class 10. Turkey’s Merve Demir, the top seed, enjoyed a successful day as did Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic.
Meanwhile, in competitions where two stages were involved, Croatia’s Andela Muzinic and Slovakia’s Alena Kanova, the leading names in class 3, remained unbeaten as in class 5 did Jordan’s Khetam Abuawad and Sweden’s Raisa Chebanika.
Similarly, in class 6, Russia’s Raisa Chebanika and Poland’s Katarzyna Marszal secured first positions in their respective groups, as in class 7-8 did Norway’s Aida Dahlen and Germany’s Juliane Wolf.
Play in the women’s singles events concludes on Friday 31st May.
2019 Para Polish Open: Latest results and main draws
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