Tennis: Slovakia’s third-seeded Daniela Hantuchova successfully defended her Pattaya Open title yesterday, beating fourth seed Russian Maria Kirilenko in a marathon three hour 14-minute battle. The three sets victory 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3 was Hantuchova’s fifth career title, and means the world number 20 is now unbeaten in 10 matches at the Thai resort, where victory this year brings her $37,000.
Athletics: Charles Ndirangu led a Kenyan 1-2-3 finish to win the men’s 12-kilometre race at the Chiba international cross country yesterday. Ndirangu clocked 34 minutes 59 seconds to beat Martin Mathathi in 35:09 and John Gathaiya in 35:38. Mathathi and Gathaiya also compete for Japanese athletic clubs. In the women’s 8km race, Kenya’s Susan Wairinu, who belongs to a Japanese high school in Hiroshima, timed 26:41 to win, beating fellow Kenyan Kimanzi Grace into second in 26:46 and Japan’s Megumi Kinukawa (27:17).
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Alpine Skiing: Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic (picture) won the last super-combined race of the season to successfully defend his World Cup title in the discipline yesterday on the 2014 Sochi Olympic course. Kostelic, who was 1.52secs behind downhill section winner Beat Feuz, produced a flawless performance in the deciding slalom to eventually finish 1.16secs ahead of the Swiss. Thomas Mermillod-Blondin finished third at 1.77secs behind Kostelic who did not appear at the post-race media conference after being taken to hospital with a knee injury.
Basketball, NBA: Jeremy Lin scored 20 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 4.9 seconds remaining, as the New York Knicks defeated Minnesota 100-98 for their fifth victory in a row. Lin, the first US-born NBA player of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage, has captured attention worldwide after coming off the Knicks bench and helping New York to triumphs while stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were absent.
Golf: Rafael Cabrera-Bello became the third consecutive Spanish winner of the $2.5 million Dubai Desert Classic when he won yesterday with a final-round four-under par 68. The 27-year-old, who follows in the footsteps of Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2010 and Alvaro Quiros last year, tallied 18-under par 270 to win by one shot over England’s world no. three Lee Westwood and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher. The win, only the second on the European Tour for the world no.119, is expected to lift him to around 60th in the rankings.