China’s authorities say unaware of tennis player Peng controversy
China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday stuck to its line that it wasn’t aware of the controversy surrounding tennis professional Peng Shuai, who disappeared after accusing a former top official of sexually assaulting her.
Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters that the matter was “not a diplomatic question and I’m not aware of the situation.”
The ministry has consistently disavowed knowledge of the issue since Peng made her accusation more than two weeks ago.
The 35-year-old former top-ranked player in women’s doubles won titles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. Peng also participated in three Olympics, making her disappearance all the more prominent with Beijing set to host the Winter Games starting Feb. 4.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that Chinese authorities should “provide independent and verifiable proof of her whereabouts and that she is safe.”
NHL SHARKS’ LABANC SUSPENDED ONE GAME »
San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc was suspended for one game without pay by the NHL on Friday for slewfooting St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak.
Labanc was assessed a minor penalty for tripping midway through the first period in the Sharks’ 4-1 loss at St. Louis on Thursday night. The suspension
will cost him $23,625.
Labanc has two goals and two assists in 11 games this season.
College football
BIG CROWD EXPECTED FOR BIG GAME » After playing last year in an empty stadium, Stanford and Cal will be back to playing in front of a near-capacity crowd Saturday.
Stanford officials project attendance of 45,00050,000 for the 124th Big Game, which kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. at 50,424seat Stanford Stadium.
Those projections would be in line with attendance for the past decade, despite stringent COVID protocols and the teams’ lackluster performances this season. Stanford will enter the game with a 3-7 record. Cal is 3-6.
MLB
OAKLAND A’S ACQUIRE FORMER
TOP PITCHING PROSPECT
» The A’s traded cash to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell, who was on the verge of being designated for assignment.
The A’s forked over $100,000 — a fair price to pay to keep the pitcher away from teams ahead of Oakland in the waiver wire order once designated for assignment.
Honeywell, 26, was drafted in the 2014 draft’s second round by the Rays and shot through their minor league system. He ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect by Baseball America in 2018, but underwent Tommy John surgery that year and never returned to form.
Golf BOUTIER MAKES BIG RUN FOR 65 TO OPEN 4-SHOT LEAD AT
TIBURON » What looked to be a wide-open race for the richest prize in women’s golf is now in the hands of
Celine Boutier, who made seven birdies over the last 10 holes for a 7-under 65 and a four-shot lead in the CME Group Tour Championship.
For so much of the windblown second round, a dozen or so players were separated by one shot at Tiburon Golf Club. That included Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko, four-time winners this year in a battle for LPGA player of the year.
Over the final two hours, Boutier left them all in her wake in the chase for the $1.5 million prize. She was at 14-under 130, four ahead of Gaby Lopez of Mexico (68), Evian Championship winner Minjee Lee of Australia (68) and Mina Harigae (69).
Tennis
RUUD JOINS DJOKOVIC, MEDVEDEV AND ZVEREV IN ATP SEMIS » A year ago, Casper Ruud had just cracked the top 30 in the rankings. Look at him now.
As the eighth and final qualifier for the ATP Finals, the 22-year-old Norwegian has joined top-ranked Novak Djokovic, No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the elite season-ending event.
And he’s done so in style. Ruud showed off aggressive tactics in the decisive tiebreaker and served an ace on his second match point in a 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory over Andrey Rublev in his final round-robin match on Friday to secure his unexpected spot in the last four.
The fifth-ranked Rublev had beaten Ruud in all four of their previous matches.