India U-18 hockey teams to play series against Australia
Bhopal, May 5: The Indian men’s and women’s U-18 hockey teams will each take on their Australian counterparts in a four-match series from May 15 to 20 here as part of the Asia Cup preparations. The exposure series that follows the U-18 National Coaching Camp, which began at SAI Bhopal on April 19, will serve as vital preparation for the U18 Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan, beginning later this month. Men’s coach Sardar Singh highlighted the progress made during the camp and the importance of the upcoming matches. “A key focus during this camp has been to strengthen their fundamentals and basics across all positions, so they are better prepared for the demands of modern hockey and can steadily progress towards the senior level.T he upcoming exposure matches against Australia’s U-18 teams are an important step in our preparation.” Women’s coach Rani Rampal echoed a similar sentiment. “The matches against Australia’s U-18 team will give them a great chance to play at a higher level and prepare for the U-18 Asia Cup. It’s an opportunity for each player to showcase their ability and what they have learned,” said Rampal. (PTI)
Tennis: Sawant leads Indian players’ strong show in Tumakuru Open
Tumakuru, May 5: Madhurima Sawant scored a gritty three-set win over Maria Mikhailova, leading an impressive show of Indian players in the opening round of the ITF W35 Tumakuru Open here on Tuesday. Madhurima displayed a fine blend of control and fighting spirit, while overcoming Mikhailova 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. Meanwhile, in an all-Indian clash, Sandeepti Singh Rao got the better of Yashaswini Panwar 6-3, 6-4. Pooja Ingale also came through a tough three-setter, edging past Danica Fernando 7-5, 1-6, 6-4. Sonal Patil delivered one of the most dominant wins of the round, brushing aside qualifier Snigdha Kanta 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the last 16 stage. Amongst the visitors, Ksenia Laskutova registered a notable win over seventh seed Michika Ozeki 6-3, 7-6(2), while fifth seed Elina Nepliy advanced with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Harshini N Nagaraj. The Indian momentum continued in the Women’s Doubles Round of 16. Top seeds Vaidehee Chaudhari and Zuzanna Pawlikowska were in commanding form, defeating Mikhailova and Sandeepti 6-1, 6-2. The fourth-seeded all-Indian duo of Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi and Zeel Desai were equally clinical, cruising to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Yashaswini Panwar and Bela Tamhankar. In one of the standout results in doubles, Aishwarya Jadhav and Aakruti Narayan Sonkusare upset the second-seeded pair of Arina Arifullina and Ekaterina Yashina 6-4, 7-5. The only setback for the home team came when Shreeniti Chowdhury and Meghana G D went down to Ksenia Laskutova and Elina Nepliy. (PTI)
Zahaan wins O’pen Skiff U17 National title for fourth year
Mumbai, May 5: Zahaan Hemrajani claimed his fourth consecutive O’pen Skiff U-17 National title, delivering a commanding performance across eight races in conditions ranging from very light air to medium breeze over small and medium chop. He won seven of eight races outright — dropping only his penalised fifth place as a discard — to finish on a nett score of 7.0 points, the cleanest series scoreline in the fleet. The one blemish on an otherwise perfect scorecard came with a story of its own. Having come from behind in a tightly contested race to cross the finish line first in what had been a photo-finish battle, Zahaan received a penalty for contact with the committee boat mark at the line. He was scored fifth. (IANS)
Van Foreest stuns Magnus Carlsen
Malmo, May 5: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen suffered a rare defeat in classical chess, going down to Jorden van Foreest in a dramatic Round 4 clash at the TePe Sigeman & Co tournament, ending his unbeaten run in the format that had stretched for nearly a year. Carlsen, who had not lost a classical game since his high-profile defeat to D Gukesh at Norway Chess 2025, appeared well-placed to salvage a draw in what turned out to be a tense and fluctuating encounter. However, sustained pressure and time trouble proved decisive as Van Foreest capitalised on late inaccuracies to seal a memorable victory. (IANS)
Wu Yize wins World Snooker title
Sheffield, May 5: Wu Yize conquered the World Snooker Championship title for the first time and became the second consecutive Chinese winner as he beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in one of the all-time great finals. Aged 22 and 202 days, he is the second youngest ever world champion, after Stephen Hendry, who was 21 in 1990. (IANS)
