Portuguese PM defends Ronaldo
Portuguese Prime Minister
Antonio Costa has spoken out in defense of soccer star
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been embroiled in a rape accusation.
Speaking to television on the Spanish island of Lanzarote on Saturday, Costa made an appeal to the presumption of innocence, as well as Ronaldo's successful career.
“People need to understand one and for all that there's one thing that is presumption of innocence,” Costa said. "It is not enough for someone to be accused of something to be guilty of it.”
Costa added: “If there's something we have proof of is that he is an extraordinary professional, an extraordinary sportsman, an extraordinary footballer, and someone who has honored and given prestige to Portugal, and certainly what we all wish for is that nothing can ever stain that record of Ronaldo.”
Last week, Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. saying she was raped by Ronaldo in Las Vegas in 2009. Police have re-opened an investigation.
BRONCOS PUNTER ON IR
Punter Colby Wadman was promoted by the Broncos from their practice squad after Denver put scuffling punter Marquette King on injured reserve with a thigh injury.
King has had a poor first month in Denver after signing a three-year, $7 million deal following his release from the Oakland Raiders last spring.
The Broncos brought in Wadman last week to push King, but he had another bad outing against on Monday night and his 35-yard punt gave the Chiefs great field position in the final minutes for their game-winning TD drive in a 27-23 win over the Broncos.
OSAKA FALLS IN CHINA
Anastasija Sevastova beat U.S. Open champion Naomi
Osaka 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to reach the China Open final.
The 20th-ranked Latvian will face the winner of the semifinal between China's
Wang Qiang and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. The 20-year-old Osaka required a medical break in the second set for what appeared to be lower back pain.
NISHIKORI TO JAPAN OPEN FINAL
Third-seeded Kei Nishikori beat Richard Gasquet 7-6 (2), 6-1 Saturday to reach the final of the Japan Open.
Nishikori won 84 percent of first-serve points in front of a home crowd and did not face a break point in the 90-minute win over his eighth-seeded opponent.
Nishikori, who has not won an ATP World Tour title since Memphis in 2016, will face Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's final.
Medvedev became the first qualifier to make the final in Tokyo in 16 years by beating Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-3.