Shiva, Sachin reach semis of Finland boxing

NEW DELHI: Three-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (60kg) and former youth world champion Sachin Siwach (52kg) were among six Indians to enter the semi-finals and be assured of medals at the 38th Geebee Boxing Tournament in Helsinki, Finland. Thapa, a former world championships bronze medallist, beat Polish Dominik Palak 5-0 in the quarter-final on Friday night after getting an opening round bye. He will next take on Russian Mikhail Varlamov.

INDIA HOLD CHINA

ASTANA:INDIAN men stayed afloat in World Team Chess Championship by holding defending champions China to a 2-2 draw on Friday. After Round 4, India are joint second. Indian women suffered a setback as they were mowed 0.5-3.5 by Russia.

LAHIRI MAKES CUT

ORLANDO:ANIRBAN Lahiri staged a superb fightback to make the halfway cut at Arnold Palmer Invitational with a three-under 69 in Round 2. Lahiri started with a double bogey but managed one-under, helping him improve from tied 72nd to tied 42nd.

DIKSHA TIED SEVENTH

QUEANBEYAN (AUSTRALIA): Diksha Dagar continued her upwardsurge in Women’s New South Wales Open with a sterling Round 3 display that put her in sight of her first top-10 as a pro outside India. She is tied seventh with a five-under 208.

KALVI SCORES NINE

NEW DELHI: A whopping nine goals by Bhawani Singh Kalvi helped Goal Diggers defeat 61 Cavalry 10-6 while Sahgal Stud overcame Udar by 7 goals to 5 ½ in the semi-finals of the Gen Sparrow Cup (4 goal) polo event at the Army Equestrian Centre on Saturday.

DELHI SENIOR DIVISION

NEWDELHI:DEFENDING champions Indian Air Force will take on newly promoted Jaguar FC and Hindustan FC will face Delhi FC on the opening day of the 2018-19 Senior Division Open Clubs Football League Championship here on Sunday.

TAI TZU IN FINAL

NEW DELHI: Top seeds Kento Momota of Japan and Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei reached the final of All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham on Saturday. While Tai beat Akane Yamaguchi 21-13, 10-21, 21-8 in the women’s singles semis, Momota defeated Ng Ka Long Angus 21-19, 21-11 in men’s.

HINGIS BECOMES MOM

PARIS: Former world No 1 and five-time Grand Slam title winner Martina Hingis on Friday became the latest tennis mother after giving birth to a baby girl. Hingis, 38, revealed that she and husband Harald Leemann, the Switzerland team’s Fed Cup doctor, were now parents.

SERENA CRUISES

INDIAN WELLS: Swiss Stefanie Vogele stunned world No 4 Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-0 in Round 2 of BNP Paribas Open on Friday while Serena Williams got the better of Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-3 in a rematch of the 2016 final, which the Belarusian won. Later, Stan Wawrinka made a winning return here, rallying for a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 win over Daniel Evans to reach Round 2.