Tennis: The United States Tennis Association has apologised after a version of Germany’s historic national anthem associated with the Nazi regime was performed before a Fed Cup match. A male soloist at the match on the Hawaiian island of Maui sang the verse beginning with the lines “Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles, uber alles in der Welt”, which translates as “Germany, Germany, above all, above all in the world”. German team member Andrea Petkovic was disturbed by Saturday’s performance, saying: “It was the worst experience that has ever happened to me – horrifying and shocking.”
Rugby: Tributes have been pouring in for former All Black Sione Lauaki after it was announced that the retired New Zealand forward had died overnight at the age of 35. The cause of death was not immediately revealed but the Tonga-born Lauaki had been diagnosed with heart and kidney problems in 2012. Lauaki made his Super Rugby debut for the Waikato Chiefs in 2004 and made his All Blacks debut against Fiji the following year.
Rallying: Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala swept to a stunning victory in Rally Sweden, winning the final three stages yesterday in his Toyota Yaris to climb to the top of the World Championship after two events. The 31-year-old held off the challenge of Estonia’s Ott Tanak, who threw everything he could into the last day, but with Latvala enjoying a 20-second lead going into the final stage it would have taken a major mistake for the Finn to lose.
Golf: Fabrizio Zanotti completed a brilliant final round with a birdie-eagle finish to claim a one-shot victory at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur as the Paraguayan stormed to his second European Tour title. The 33-year-old trailed overnight leader Danny Willett by six shots at the start of the day, aware that only a faultless 18 holes were required to capture a first win since he triumphed in a play-off at the 2014 BMW International Open. He duly obliged, scorching the Saujana Golf and Country Club course with a bogey-free round of nine-under-par 63 to finish with a 72-hole total of 19-under.
Snooker: Barry Hawkins produced a superb display to beat Ryan Day 10-7 and win the World Grand Prix last night. Hawkins, 37, compiled five century breaks, and at one point was looking on course to match Stephen Hendry’s famous record of seven in a final at the 1994 UK Championship. At 9-3 it looked a foregone conclusion but Day managed to put a few seeds of doubt into everyone’s minds when he quickly rattled off four consecutive frames. Hawkins, however, cleared with a simple break of 30 to complete the win.
[attach id=561730 size="medium"]Ilka Stuhec[/attach]
Winter Sport: Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec blasted to victory in the women’s downhill at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in St Moritz, yesterday. Stuhec, 26, claimed her first medal from a World Championships or Olympics, with a faultless run down the icy course at speeds topping out at 125km per hour. Austria’s Stephanie Venier took the silver medal, 0.40 seconds slower, with 2010 Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn 0.45 seconds off the Slovenia’s pace.