F1 testing halted after shuttle bus drives on track in Bahrain
Sakhir, Feb 28: The afternoon session of Formula 1 preseason testing was briefly interrupted Friday when a shuttle bus drove on the track. In a bizarre scene, a red flag was waved to halt testing as a white bus drove slowly on a runoff area of the track at Bahrain International Circuit. It wasn’t the only oddity of the day. In the morning session, there was a brief red flag after a pane of glass fell from the starter’s box and shattered on the edge of the track. Workers quickly arrived with brooms and swept up the shards. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was fastest on the morning of the final day of testing. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old rookie who took over Lewis Hamilton’s spot at Mercedes, was next at .077 off the pace, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris and then four-time defending champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull. Hamilton, who said Thursday he’s “really enjoying” his Ferrari, drove in the afternoon session. Friday is the third and final day of preseason testing. The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16. (AP)
Mochizuki ends Barton’s dream run, McCabe knocks out Mejia
Bengaluru, Feb 28: Seventh seed Shintaro Mochizuki ended Hynek Barton’s dream run at the Bengaluru Open by knocking out the Czech qualifier from the singles event here on Friday. The 2019 junior Wimbledon Champion defeated Barton 7-6(5), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals, where he will play Australian James McCabe. Earlier, 21-year-old McCabe came from a set down to defeat Colombia’s Nicolas Mejia 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a quarter-final match that lasted two hours and 22 minutes. Great Britain’s Billy Harris also booked his berth in the semi-finals after a thrilling 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 win over second seed Tristan Schoolkate. Second seeds Blake Bayldon and Matthew Romios secured a spot in the doubles final after eliminating unseeded Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani 6-3, 7-6(6). (PTI)
Islamabad United to take on Lahore Qalandar in PSL opener on April 11
Lahore, Feb 28: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be begin on April 11 with a clash between defending champions Islamabad United and two-time champions Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host 13 matches, including two Eliminators and the final on May 18. The confirmation of the PSL schedule means it will will clash with the bigger and more lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to be held between March 22 and May 25. The PSL will feature 11 matches at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium including Qualifier 1 on May 13. Karachi’s National Bank Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches each. The marquee event will also feature three double-headers, with two matches on weekends (Saturday) and one on a national holiday (Labour Day). Peshawar Zalmi will play their five matches at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the winners of the fourth edition, Quetta Gladiators will play five matches at the Gaddafi Stadium. PSL CEO, Salman Naseer said the PSL had grown into a globally recognised tournament, showcasing the best of Pakistan’s cricketing talent. (PTI)
UTT season 6 to begin from May 29 in Ahmedabad
New Delhi, Feb 28: The sixth edition of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), the sport’s premier league in India, will be held from May 29 to June 15 in Ahmedabad, the organisers announced on Friday. The state-of-the-art EKA Arena, a venue that has staged the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and 2019 Intercontinental Cup (football), will be the venue for the event that will be in Ahmedabad for the first time. As UTT continues to grow, eight teams featuring top Indian and international table tennis stars will battle for the crown, with defending champions Goa Challengers looking to claim a historic third title. The upcoming season will feature eight teams split into two groups of four for the draw, with each team playing five ties in the league stage – facing all three opponents in their group once and two randomly drawn teams from the other group. The top four teams at the end will advance to the knockout rounds, leading to the grand finale on June 15. (PTI)