Sports

MELBOURNE: Serena Williams withdrew from an Australian Open tune-up tournament citing a right shoulder injury on Friday within hours of setting up a semi-final match against top-ranked Ash Barty. The 23-time Grand Slam champion usually doesn’t play in a tournament in the week before a Grand Slam event, but made an exception before last year’s US Open and for this …

CHENNAI: Joe Root scored a century in his 100th Test match to lead England to 263-3 at stumps on the first day of the series opener against India here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. After reaching his 20th Test ton, Root went on to 128 not out in 197 deliveries. He struck 14 fours and a six. Dom …

RAWALPINDI: Second Test, second day, second ball. That’s was the focal point South Africa when hit the jackpot at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday by removing their biggest stumbling block, Pakistan captain Babar Azam, right at the start of day with fast bowler Anrich Nortje leading the way with a richly deserved five-wicket haul. However, by the time the …

Joe Root hit a majestic six to become the first player to hit a double century in his 100th Test as England reached 454 for four at tea on day two of the opening Test against India on Saturday. Root, who resumed on his overnight 128, was on 209 with Ollie Pope on 24 at the break in Chennai. Root, who expertly …

South Africa, in reply to Pakistan’s 272, were bowled out for 201 in their first innings on the third day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Resuming at 104-6, South Africa added 97 runs with Temba Bavuma scoring 44 not out, giving Pakistan a lead of 71 runs. Medium pacer Hasan Ali finished as the best Pakistan bowler …

Pakistan’s Ahmed Mujtaba aka Wolverine defeated India’s Rahul Raju aka The Kerala Krusher in only 56 seconds in the first round of the mixed martial arts (MMA) competition ONE Championship at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. According to a report on the championship’s website, Mujtaba landed the first blow shortly after the athletes touched gloves as he delivered a well-aimed kick …

GILGIT/ISLAMABAD: Three climbers — Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali Sadpara, John Snorri from Iceland and Jp Mohr Prieto from Chile — summited K2 (8,711m) in winter on Friday. However, one climber from Bulgaria lost his life while descending camp 3. Three mountaineers from two groups successfully climbed K2 while 19 others failed to do so. The successful climbers had started moving up …

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has designed a project for the establishment of an international standard cricket stadium in Kalam, the famous tourist resort in Swat district. The proposed stadium will be established on 120 acres already available. The project will be completed with an estimated cost of Rs358 million in two years. Besides other facilities, the proposed stadium will …

MELBOURNE: The Australian Open will begin as scheduled on Monday even though a worker at one of the Melbourne hotels used to quarantine players and their entourages tested positive for Covid-19, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Thursday. The day’s warm-ups at Melbourne Park were called off after the case was annou­nced late on Wednesday, and those who underwent quarantine …

CHENNAI: Rishabh Pant’s batting heroics in Australia were rewarded on Thursday when skipper Virat Kohli confirmed the 23-year-old will keep wicket in the opening Test against England in Chennai, beginning on Friday. India have been torn between Pant and Wriddhiman Saha, who is widely considered the better keeper but was dropped after managing only 13 runs in the opening Test …