Chong Wei advance in Wuhan
LEE CHONG WEI (caricature) and Zulfadli Zulkiffli advanced to the second round of the Badminton Asia Championship 2016 in Wuhan, China yesterday.
Chong Wei, who is seeded fourth, outclassed Wang Zhengming of China 21-16 and 21-14 in 49 minutes.
In the next round, the world No.2 will be facing Hong Kong’s Vincent Wong Wing Ki who defeated Anthony Ginting of Indonesia, 21-18 and 21-6.
Compatriot Zulfadli Zulkiffli is also through to the second round after a hard fought victory against a Hong Kong player in a match that lasted one hour and 12 minutes.
The 2011 world youth champion will be up against Chen Long of China next. – Bernama
TRIPLE WORLD champion Lewis Hamilton is the only Formula One driver to have won the Russian Grand Prix and, with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg on a red-hot winning streak, needs to keep it that way in Sochi on Sunday.
The Briton will be toiling flat out on May Day, the international workers’ holiday, to deny his German rival a seventh successive win and fourth of the sport’s longest ever season.
Hamilton won the inaugural race around the 2014 Winter Olympic Park and returned last October to repeat the feat after Rosberg had secured pole position but then retired with a throttle failure.
While that victory set Hamilton up for the title, which he took in Texas two weeks later, Sunday’s race has been moved to the Russian national holiday slot with the 2016 championship still in its infancy.
Hamilton is already 36 points behind Rosberg and while he is unlikely to be sending out any Mayday distress signals the Briton is in definite need of a track turnaround.
“There was plenty going through my head after China, as you’d expect,” he said after starting that third race of the season at the back of the grid and finishing seventh.
“But, after all these years, experience has taught me to stay calm and keep pushing forwards when I get knocked back. I’ve been here before a few times now.
“Adversity is part of the journey,” he added.
“There are lots of positives to carry into the next battle. If nothing else, I know after these first few races that I can still overtake.”
Rosberg has not had to do much of that recently, leading from pole in Shanghai and also enjoying comfortable wins in Australia and Bahrain.
Hamilton was also on for a hattrick of wins in Bahrain and China, having won both races there in 2014 and 2015, and Rosberg denied him both.
But the German remains wary of what might happen.
ROMA are keen to sign Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 28, for £15m (RM90m).
NAPOLI legend Diego Maradona believes the club will sell striker Gonzalo Higuain, 28, in the summer – and has urged them to replace him with 22-year-old Spurs forward Harry Kane.
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino says he would “one day” like to return to Paris St-Germain as manager.
BOOKMAKERS have Leicester City, who need one victory to claim the Premier League title, at 25-1 to finish first next season and 50-1 to be relegated.
MANCHESTER CITY striker Sergio Aguero told his Twitter followers he believes his team’s chances are “as good as ever” after they drew 0-0 against Real Madrid in their Champions League semifinal first leg.
REAL MADRID forward Cristiano Ronaldo was caught looking at a picture of himself while watching his side’s 0-0 draw at Manchester City on Tuesday night. The picture was part of Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker’s Instagram feed. Lineker tweeted: “Haha hello @Cristiano.”
MADRID manager Zinedine Zidane caused widespread hilarity by ripping his trousers during the Champions League semifinal first leg against Manchester City.