TABLE TENNIS: China’s Fan Zhendong, 16, has taken the table tennis world by storm after winning the GAC Group 2013 ITTF World Tour Super Series German Open in Berlin on Sunday. Fan, who made history the week before by becoming the youngest ever ITTF World Tour champion after winning the Polish Open, has confirmed himself as one of the brightest talents the sport has ever seen after this performance. In the final, Fan beat Olympic bronze medallist Dimitrij Ovt-charov, of Germany, 13-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-1, 11-9.
GOLF: Top Australian golfer Jason Day says he is “devastated” that several members of his extended family were among the thou-sands killed by the typhoon that ripped through the Philippines last week. “I am deeply sad-dened to confirm that multiple members of my family lost their lives as the victims of Typhoon Haiyan,” Day, whose mother Denning is Filipino, said in a statement. An Australian newspaper reports that Day’s grandmother, an uncle and six cousins were killed in the typhoon.
FORMULA ONE: Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne was handed a 20-second post-race penalty for colliding with Mexican Esteban Gutierrez on the final lap of the US Grand Prix on Sunday, dropping the Fren-chman from 12th to 16th place. The drive through penalty was imposed after the finish of the race won by Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel. Sauber’s Gutierrez was classified 13th.
AUTO RACING: Jimmie Johnson added another title to his dominant NASCAR career by clinching the Sprint Cup Series championship with a ninth-place finish at the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday. For Johnson, who only needed to finish 23rd or better at the Homestead-Miami Speed-way to win the Cup, it marked his sixth championship in eight years as he finished 19 points ahead of Matt Kenseth in the final standings. Victory puts Johnson in rare company as he joins Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the only drivers to win at least six NASCAR series championships. Johnson delivered five in a row from 2006-2010.
BASKET, NBA: Forward Jordan Hill had a career outing as Los Angeles Lakers pounded Detroit Pistons 114-99, yesterday. Hill finished with 24 points and 17 rebounds as the Lakers (5-7) ended a two-game skid and handed the Pistons their fifth setback in the past six games. Hill’s previous career-best points total was 21 against New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 12. Point guard Brandon Jennings led Detroit (3-6) with 23 points and 14 assists. Los Angeles closed out the third quarter on a 10-0 run for a 79-71 lead.