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First title decided, dream team adds to list

Published in Table Tennis
Saturday, 01 February 2020 10:19

Xu Xin, left handed pen-hold grip, alongside Liu Shiwen, right handed shake-hands grip, is the technically the perfect combination. Once again it prevailed; notably facing a pair, who since first combining last year in early July in Korea, have arguably made the greatest impact and have emerged the major threat to the celebrated Chinese duo.

According to statistics, they have one win to their credit in opposition to Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen but that was without a point being played; last July on the ITTF World Tour in Australia, they were due to meet in the opening round, injury forced Liu Shiwen to withdraw.

Close contests

However, the previous week when they had met in the Korea Republic at the semi-final stage, it had been a closely contested duel; Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen had succeeded in four games (8-11, 11-4, 13-11, 11-8).

On their next encounters, both in finals, it was again success for Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen but even closer than in the Korea Republic. In October at the ITTF World Tour 2019 Swedish Open, it was by the minimal two point margin in the decider (8-11, 11-8, 13-11, 3-11, 11-9). Likewise, in December at the Agricultural Bank of China 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, the contest went to the wire after Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito had established a two games to nil lead (9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9).

Mixed master

It may not be happy reading for Japan but Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito have never lost in straight games to a partnership that surely possesses the mixed doubles master!

On the ITTF World Tour, since the mixed doubles event was first held in late May and early June 2018 at the ITTF World Tour Kaisa China Open in Shenzhen, Xu Xin has won seven times. He is five ahead of his nearest rivals Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju and Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting.

Each have two wins to their name; in 2019 partnering Cheng I-Ching, Lin Yun-Ju won in Hong Kong and China, alongside Doo Hoi Kem, Wong Chun Ting succeeded in Korea Republic and Australia.

  • 2018 ITTF World Tour – Austria – beat Chen Chien-An / Cheng I-Ching (TPE)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Hungary – beat Adam Szudi / Szandra Pergel (HUN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Qatar – beat Masataka Morizono / Mima Ito (JPN)
  • 2019 World Championships – Budapest – beat Maharu Yoshimura / Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Sweden – beat Jun Mizutani / Mima Ito (JPN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals – beat Jun Mizutani / Mima Ito (JPN)
  • 2020 ITTF World Tour – Germany – beat Jun Mizutani / Mima Ito (JPN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Japan – beat Tomokazu Harimoto / Hina Hayata (JPN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Germany – beat Wang Chuqin / Wang Manyu (CHN)
  • 2015 World Championships – Suzhou – beat Maharu Yoshimura / Kasumi Ishikawa (JPN)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – Korea Republic – lost in final to Wong Chun Ting / Doo Hoi Kem (HKG)
  • 2019 ITTF World Tour – China – lost quarter-final to Lin Yun-Ju / Cheng I-Ching (TPE)

An outstanding record and one fact is certain, there is more to come; that is unless Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito know better!

Six Nations: Wales 42-0 Italy highlights

Published in Rugby
Saturday, 01 February 2020 09:22

Winger Josh Adams scores a hat-trick as Wales start their Six Nations title defence with a dominant 42-0 victory Italy in Cardiff.

READ MORE: Adams scores hat-trick as champions Wales trash Italy

WATCH MORE: Howler! Scotland captain Hogg drops ball on try line

Available to UK users only.

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg drops the ball on the try line in their opening game of the Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin.

READ MORE: Ireland hold off wasteful Scotland to earn opening win

WATCH MORE: Through the legs! Biggar's brilliant pass sets up Adams try

Available to UK users only.

Praytor Extends UNOH Internship Partnership

Published in Racing
Saturday, 01 February 2020 08:00

LIMA, Ohio – For the eighth consecutive season, Thomas Praytor is partnering with the University of Northwestern Ohio to utilize students from the college’s High Performance Motorsports Program.

UNOH students Collin Peterson, Christopher Wolford, Kai Campbell and Tim Winecoff will begin working with Praytor during the ARCA season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway next week.

“Over the years we’ve had a lot of UNOH students work with our race team. We take a lot of pride in the guys we’ve trained that have moved on to NASCAR after finishing their school,” said Praytor. “UNOH’s Adam Lowe was my crew chief when we finished fifth in the point standings and former UNOH Intern Tevin Bair returned to our team this year after spending two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It’s a great program for us.”

Located in Lima, Ohio, UNOH’s High Performance Motorsports program was created in 1992 and has been training students with the latest technology available in the industry since.

The equipment and technology provided in the program gives its students extensive and relevant experience throughout the training.

In 2006, UNOH built a seven acre, 70,000 square foot high performance motorsports complex containing cutting edge technology and equipment. It is the largest facility in the country dedicated to learning the science of high performance vehicles.

UNOH’s reputation for producing highly-educated graduates gives them a distinct advantage in today’s competitive workplace.

Attica Raceway Park Sets 24-Event Calendar

Published in Racing
Saturday, 01 February 2020 08:30

ATTICA, Ohio – In less than two months, the roar of racing will return to Attica Raceway Park, as the third-mile clay oval kicks off its 33rd year of racing on Friday, March 20.

The 2020 racing season will see 24 events take place at Attica, with more than $650,000 in feature money scheduled to be paid out.

“John Bores (promoter) and our entire staff are excited for the special events in 2020 including six Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champion races, the 32nd Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic Presented by Racing Optics, the second season of the Attica Fremont Championship Series, the challenge series between the Attica late models and Wayne County Speedway and Oakshade Raceway and several special events for the 305 sprints,” said Rex LeJeune, Director of Operations at ARP.

Tony Stewart’s All Stars will make their first appearance of the year at Attica for the traditional Core & Main Spring Nationals, Friday and Saturday, April 10-11.

Attica Raceway Park will then kick off the All Star’s Ohio Sprint Speedweek on Friday, June 12, with the traveling series heading back to Attica on Friday, July 3.

The All Stars will help Attica wrap up the season with the traditional Attica Ambush on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4-5. The Saturday event will pay $10,000 to win.

The All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Kistler Racing Products AFCS Presented by the Baumann Auto Group will have 10 events for the Callie’s Performance Products 410 Sprints with three paying $4,000 to win on May 15, June 5 and July 24.

The 32nd Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by Racing Optics featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car series will take place Tuesday, July 14.

Attica Raceway Park welcomes new Propane.com/Dirt Nerds Podcast as the sponsor of the UMP Late Models in 2020. The late models have 20 events on the 2020 schedule, including the Attica/Wayne County challenge series on April 17, May 29 and July 31; and the Attica/Oakshade challenge series on May 1, June 26 and July 24.

The late models will battle for $3,000 to win on Friday, May 8 and the June 12 mid-season championship race will pay the feature winner $2,000.

The late models will also have a $2,000 to win affair on Friday, Sept. 4.

The Fremont Fence 305 Sprints will compete in 20 races in 2020 including eight events for the AFCS Presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales, with three of those races paying the feature winner $1,000 on May 15, June 26 and Aug. 21.

Another $1,000 to win affair will be held on Sept. 5.

“We have continued to make improvements each year at Attica including new clay added last fall. Our race teams will be competing for great prize money and point fund thanks to our great sponsors and loyal fans,” said Bores.

USAC Midget Owner Frank Manafort Passes At 78

Published in Racing
Saturday, 01 February 2020 10:19

INDIANAPOLIS — United States Auto Club car owner Frank Manafort, whose cars earned eight USAC National Midget Series wins over the last four years, died Saturday morning after a battle with cancer.

Manafort was 78.

Born in the Northeast, Manafort raced stock cars at Plainville (Conn.) Stadium for many years, winning a Legend car championship in 1996 before transitioning into team ownership.

While his wins weren’t numerous, when Manafort’s FMR Racing entries did go to victory lane, they reached it in the biggest and most-prestigious events in the sport.

His first USAC national win as a car owner came in the fall of 2016, when Brady Bacon wheeled the now-iconic No. 76m to victory lane at Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway during the Jason Leffler Memorial.

That victory, worth $20,000 to Manafort’s operation, was the start of a run by Bacon that included five major triumphs during a two-year span. Bacon added a sweep of the Kokomo (Ind.) Grand Prix doubleheader in 2017 and a November Classic victory at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway late that year as well.

Frank Manafort (left) and Brady Bacon in victory lane at The Dirt Track at IMS. (IMS photo)

Then came the biggest victory of all for Manafort and Bacon.

Bacon took Manafort to the win on the biggest stage of all in September of 2018, piloting the No. 76m to a $15,000 score in the inaugural BC39 at The Dirt Track at IMS, cementing their names forever in the history books at the legendary facility.

When Bacon stepped back into a part-time driving role ahead of the 2019 season, C.J. Leary stepped into the car to start the year before Jason McDougal took over the reins and drove to his first two USAC national midget wins at Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway and Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway.

Fittingly, Bacon secured Manafort’s final victory as a car owner during the Western World Championships in November, driving to a statement victory at Arizona Speedway.

Bacon also earned FMR Racing’s best points finish in USAC national midget competition, ranking third in the standings three years in a row from 2016 to 2018.

The team was sixth in points last year thanks to the combined efforts of Leary, McDougal and Bacon.

Aside from his team’s prowess at the national level, Manafort was also a prolific performer in USAC DMA Midget Series competition, with 39 victories as a car owner between 2013 and ’16.

That stellar record included a sweep of the 13-race DMA schedule in 2016, with Adam Pierson matching Billy Boat’s USAC-record winning streak of 11-straight race wins that year to close the season.

Pierson and Manafort combined to win three-straight USAC DMA championships from 2014 to ’16.

Away from the race track, Manafort was a member of the Board of Directors for the Northeast Motorsports Museum.

Perhaps Manafort’s most well-known driver, and certainly his longest-tenured, Bacon offered a remembrance of his longtime car owner on social media after the news of Manafort’s passing broke.

“It’s so sad to hear of the passing of Frank Manafort this morning,” said Bacon in his statement. “Racing for FMR has been a highlight of my career. Frank was a great friend and a great man. We will miss him.”

Denver freshman Anna Zanusso was among the final additions to the 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Her reaction after receiving her invite was priceless.

Zanusso, who is from Italy and ranked 75th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, has yet to officially be added to the field list on the ANWA website. That list currently includes 70 players, up five from the previous announcement last month. The last handful of additions included Jaravee Boonchant, Amari Avery, Ya Won Lee, Kaitlin Milligan and Brigitte Thibault.

With Zanusso's inclusion, that means 71 of the 72 spots have been filled. The final spot will go to the winner of this month's Asia-Pacific Women's Amateur, unless the champion is already qualified.

The second inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur will take place April 1-4 at Champions Retreat and Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Haaland warns 'there's a lot more to come'

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 01 February 2020 10:57

Dortmund -- Erling Haaland promised "there is a lot more to come" after taking his tally at Borussia Dortmund to seven goals in three matches during the 5-0 Bundesliga win against Union Berlin on Saturday.

Haaland, 19, joined from FC Salzburg in January and has played a key role as Dortmund have revived their Bundesliga title hopes by scoring five goals in three consecutive matches.

"I think it's a mix of hard work and good teammates around me," Haaland told reporters after making his first start for BVB. "My teammates are so good. Then it's getting easy for me. I am enjoying my time so far and there's a lot more to come."

Having come off the bench as a substitute in the previous two games, Haaland had already contributed five goals of Dortmund's 10 as they beat Augsburg 5-3 and Cologne 5-1. Against Union Berlin he needed only 18 minutes to score from a Julian Brandt cross.

He later added a second after another Brandt assist and also won a penalty for Dortmund during a crucial phase of the match midway through the second half. Club captain Marco Reus converted to make it 3-0.

"I didn't think about [scoring] so many goals, but now it's seven and I am enjoying it," he added.

Dortmund officials and players said they were pleased with the Norwegian's arrival at the Westfalenstadion.

"You can't imagine a better start," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, who beat Manchester United and Juventus to Haaland's signature this winter, said.

"His job is to score goals. You can see that with every fibre of his body," he added and, when asked to compare him with other great attackers of the game, Zorc said: "He's only 19 years old. We don't make any comparisons. It makes no sense. Let him just play football and then he will score."

Former Dortmund defender Neven Subotic was willing to make comparisons and likened Haaland to Bundesliga legend Robert Lewandowski and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

"He reminds me of Lewandowski," Subotic, who now plays for Union Berlin, said. "He needs half a chance to score a goal and he's proven it again today. He can score goals from difficult situations.

"It's a mix of Lewandowksi and Aubameyang," he added. "That's a huge compliment for him."

But the headlines not only belonged to Haaland. On Saturday, England international Jadon Sancho set a new league record with the opening goal of the afternoon.

"We have quite a few 19-year olds who are incredible. I just saw the stats. Jadon is the first player under 20-years-old to reach 25 goals in Bundesliga. That's unbelievable," Zorc said. "But maybe Erling will get there too."

Haaland scores two more as Dortmund romp

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 01 February 2020 08:50

Borussia Dortmund enjoyed another dominant afternoon, demolishing Union Berlin 5-0 with two goals from teenage sensation Erling Haaland.

Jadon Sancho opened the scoring in the 13th minute before Haaland added another five minutes later.

Dortmund scored twice more after the break with Marco Reus and Axel Witsel before Haaland drilled in his seventh goal in his three games for the Ruhr valley club so far.

6/10 Martial isolated as Man United devoid of creativity

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 01 February 2020 11:54

Manchester United were unable to reclaim fifth place in the Premier League after they were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Positives

It was a decent performance from a defensive point of view, with the back four coping well against the pace of Adama Traore, and limiting Raul Jiminez to just one serious sight of goal.

Negatives

Despite the arrival of new signing Bruno Fernandes, there is still a seismic void of creativity in the United midfield, leaving the likes of Anthony Martial and Daniel James desperately isolated.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's setup largely negated the threat of Wolves on the counterattack, but the United boss was unable to find the formula to prize open a visiting defence that never looked like conceding.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK David De Gea, 6 -- Had to be alert to claw out a looping Matt Doherty header in the 20th minute, and made a smart save to tip over a Jiminez shot in the 69th.

DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 6 -- Did well defensively to keep Diogo Jota reasonably quiet, but Wolves were happy to let the former Crystal Palace man have the ball in the visitors' half, such is the right-back's lack of attacking instinct.

DF Victor Lindelof, 6 -- Denied Jiminez a certain tap-in at the back post when he intercepted a low cross as Wolves pushed for a first-half opener, but defended unconvincingly against Jota as the Wolves forward raced towards goal shortly after, and again as he got under a set piece and Romain Saiss headed over in the second half. Booked for pulling back Wolves sub Pedro Neto in the 79th minute.

DF Harry Maguire, 7 -- The United captain did well in his defensive one-on-ones, and brought out the ball well from the back in what was a no-frills performance. Could have won it late on when he found space at the back post but fired straight at the keeper.

DF Luke Shaw, 6 -- The Englishman was given a couple of uncomfortable moments by the buccaneering Traore, but the left-back did well to cut out a promising Wolves attack when he smelled danger to tuck in and clear away a through ball in the first half, before getting to grips with Traore as the game wore on. Booked for taking out Wolves substitute Daniel Podence as the visitors sprung a counter.

MF Fred, 7 -- It was a tough battle in the midfield trenches, and the Brazilian was doing the bulk of the dirty work that gave the likes of Fernandes and Andreas Pereira the chance to venture further forward. A solid display.

MF Bruno Fernandes, 6 -- The debutant saw plenty of the ball and kept things ticking over, without providing anything that was hugely penetrative. The closest the Portuguese came to scoring was when he struck sweetly from the edge of the box, but straight at Rui Patricio. Earned himself a booking after 55 minutes for cynically pulling back Jiminez as Wolves looked to break, and faded from the game thereafter.

MF Andreas Pereira, 6 -- It was a combative display from the midfielder, who can count himself fortunate to have escaped a booking following several fouls in the first half. Going forward, the 24-year-old looks short of the technical craft required to be a starter for a club of United's stature. His last action was firing straight at Patricio in the 71st minute, before being replaced my Mason Greenwood shortly after.

MF Juan Mata, 6 -- A frustrating evening for the Spaniard. Often starved of the ball when in pockets of space, and when he did receive it he was surrounded by scores of Wolves shirts. A rare sight of goal saw Mata fire a yard wide from the edge of the box on the hour, before being brought off for Jesse Lingard in the closing stages.

MF Daniel James, 6 -- The winger found himself drifting inside to try to occupy dangerous positions, but with the game mostly being fought in the middle of the pitch, he saw very little of the ball. Out wide, the final ball was severely lacking. Replaced by Diogo Dalot in the 88th minute.

FW Anthony Martial, 6 -- It was a tough evening to be a lone striker, but the Frenchman held the ball up well and will be frustrated there weren't more bodies around him to support his attacks.

Substitutes

FW Mason Greenwood, N/R -- The forward's deflected effort somehow fell into the grateful of arms of Patricio.

MF Diogo Dalot, N/R -- Stooped low and headed wide in the final minute of injury time.

MF Jesse Lingard, N/R -- Unable to make an impact in his late cameo.

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