Snooker: Snooker’s clash of the titans at the BetVictor Welsh Open turned out a one-sided affair as Ronnie O’Sullivan beat John Higgins 5-1 to reach the semi-finals yesterday. The much-anticipated match-up brought two of the sport’s greatest players together, with nine World Championship titles between them. But it was O’Sullivan, who has five world crowns and is chasing his third Welsh Open title, who proved easily the stronger player as he cruised through to a semi-final meeting with Barry Hawkins or Marco Fu today at 8pm in Newport. O’Sullivan has lost just one frame in each of the five matches he has played in this event.
Other result: Ding bt Walker 5-4.
Motorcycling: Moto2 rider Alex Marinelarena has been placed into an induced coma following a pre-season testing crash at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. The 21-year-old Spaniard, due to contest the 2014 season with the Tech3 Racing Team, suffered a heavy fall on Thursday which initially knocked him unconscious. Although Marinelarena regained consciousness and was able to communicate with the circuit’s medical staff, he was placed into a medically-induced coma on his arrival at Saint-Anne hospital in Toulon.
Tennis: Andy Murray rallied from a set and a break down against Gilles Simon to advance to his first semi-final since he won last year’s Wimbledon while top seed David Ferrer retired with a thigh strain at the Acapulco International. Murray twice fell behind in the second set but recovered immediately to eke out a 1-6 7-6 6-2 victory and stretch a winning streak against his French opponent to 12 matches. Murray’s semi-finals opponent will be Grigor Dimitrov, who needed two hours and 40 minutes to battle past Ernests Gulbis 4-6 7-6 7-5 in the final quarter-final match of the day on Cancha Central.
American Football: Former football star Darren Sharper, wanted by New Orleans police as a suspect in two rapes, was arrested in Los Angeles, where he pleaded not guilty a week ago to charges of drugging four other women and raping two of them. The two women accusing him in New Orleans say Sharper, 38, and an acquaintance, Erik Nunez, 26, each raped them both at the same location on the night of Sept. 23, 2013, according to a New Orleans Police Department statement. No other details of the alleged assaults were disclosed. Sharper’s attorney, Nandi Campbell, said neither she nor her client had any comment.
Rugby Union: Owen Farrell has been absolved of blame by a Rugby Football Union investigation after a match ticket allocated to the England fly-half was sold on a ticketing website this year. The RFU has looked into the circumstances that led to the £70 ticket for last Saturday’s 13-10 RBS 6 Nations victory over Ireland being bought on Viagogo for £440. Although the investigation is continuing, the RFU has already concluded that Farrell should not be punished.
Golf: Rory McIlroy produced a barnstorming back nine, charging home with five birdies, to take the first-round lead at the $6 million Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A year after quitting the tournament mid-round with his game in a shambles, McIlroy cut a contrasting figure on his way to a flawless seven-under-par 63 in relatively benign conditions at PGA National. Five-times major champion Phil Mickelson did not do a lot wrong while carding a 70 in the afternoon while world number one Tiger Woods had an inconsistent 71 in the morning and ended the day tied for 81st in a field of 144.