Basket, Euroleague: Holders Olympiakos Piraeus and favourites Real Madrid moved to 11 straight Euroleague wins this season after impressive displays in the opening round of the Top 16, the second group stage of the 24-team competition. Led by Vassilis Spanoulis, who has inspired Olympiakos to successive titles, the Greek side overcame an expensively assembled Fenerbahce Istanbul outfit 95-82 after the versatile playmaker scored 28 points against the visitors on Friday. Eight times winners Real Madrid brushed aside Par-tizan Belgrade 80-64 in front of 21,374 fans in Serbia, the second-highest Euroleague attendance ever.
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Snooker: Snooker’s most prestigious invitation tournament, The Masters, will be sponsored by Dafabet for the first time this season. The Masters runs from January 12 to 19 at Alexandra Palace in London and features the world’s leading 16 players, including defending cham-pion Mark Selby (right), world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, world number one Neil Robertson (left), Chinese ace Ding Junhui, Judd Trump and John Higgins, among others. The players will be chasing a top prize of £200,000 in the BBC-televised tournament, which will also be broadcast live in 68 countries with highlights coverage in seven others, reaching millions of viewers around the world.
Winter Sport: Rowan Cheshire has become the first British woman to claim gold in a half-pipe World Cup event after she topped the podium in Calgary on Friday. The 18-year-old recorded a score of 80.40 in her first run and, despite struggling in her second attempt, that proved enough for the Stoke-born skier to take the gold. Switzerland’s Virginie Faivre finished second while Australian Amy Sheehan was third.
Basket, NBA: Centre Pau Gasol almost recorded a triple-double as Los Angeles Lakers snapped their six-game losing streak with a 110-99 NBA victory over Utah Jazz. Gasol finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists, helping the Lakers (14-19) end a three-game skid at home. Lakers’ point guard Kendall Marshall, who got his first start after point guard Jordan Farmar and guard Xavier Henry went down with injuries, scored 20 points and handed out 15 assists, both career bests.
Tennis: Li Na edged out compatriot Peng Shuai 6-4 7-5 to defend her Shenzhen Open title yesterday as the top seed emerged victorious in the second all-Chinese final on the WTA tour. The 31-year-old Li, Asia’s lone grand slam singles champion, overcame a stuttering start before completing her first successful title defence on the women’s tour in an hour and 49 minutes.
Hopman Cup: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga powered France to their first Hopman Cup tennis title against tournament debutants Poland yesterday. The strapping Frenchman gave his side the lead with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory over Grzegorz Panfil, then partnered Alize Cornet to a 6-0 6-2 over Agnieszka Radwanska and Panfil in the deciding mixed doubles rubber at the Perth Arena. World number five Radwanska had levelled the final when she edged out Cornet in three sets.