Ogier seals WRC title in Australia
SYDNEY: France’s Sebastien Ogier secured his sixth consecutive World Rally Championship (WRC) title when his two remaining rivals failed to finish stages on the third day of the season-ending Rally Australia on Sunday.
The M-sport Ford driver’s nearest rival Thierry Neuville of Belgium, who came into the rally three points behind Ogier in the title race, was forced to retire from stage 22 after tearing the left wheel off his Hyundai.
Toyota’s overnight leader Ott Tanak also had a mathematical chance of taking the title but the Estonian’s chances were scuppered when he slid off a gravel track made slippery by rain and hit a tree in the penultimate stage.
Ogier’s fifth place in the rally meant he ended the season with 219 points, 18 clear of Neuville (201) with Tanak third on 181. triumphed in the women’s finals.
The Korean sixth seed, who stunned Japanese world number one Kento Momota in the semis, yielded 12 points in a row in the first game before finding his form after the first break to win 14-21, 21-17, 21-13 in 89 minutes.
In the women’s finals, Okuhara said her victory over a determined Ratchanok Intanon was a massive confidence boost ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Both players were hungry for the win, drawing level 13 times in the second game before the sixthranked Okuhara beat the Thai, a former world champion, 21-19, 24-22 in 64 minutes.
DOVIZIOSO WINS VALENCIA MOTOGP
CHESTE,SPAIN: Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati took advantage of a difficult wet track to win the seasonending Valencia Motogp.
Poor conditions forced the race to be interrupted near its halfway point with Alex Rins in the lead on a Suzuki, but Dovizioso took control after the restart to seal his fourth win of the season.
The Italian rider, who had already secured second place in the championship, started third at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. He finished ahead of Rins and Pol Espargaro of KTM, who earned the first podium of his career.
Seven-time Motogp champion Valentino Rossi started near the back but recovered to second place before crashing with five laps to go. He still secured third place in the championship.
Marquez, who claimed his fifth Motogp title in Japan three races ago, crashed with 21 laps to go after starting fifth.
76ERS BEAT HORNETS DESPITE WALKER’S 60
Losangeles:philadelphia’s Jimmy Butler delivered the overtime dagger as the 76ers withstood 60 points from Kemba Walker in a 122-119 NBA victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
Another nail-biter saw the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors drop a 112109 decision to the Mavericks in Dallas.
Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers saw their promising four-game winning streak come to an end with a listless 130117 loss to the Orlando Magic.