Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Motor racing-F1 team bosses have their own light-bulb moment
The late McLaren boss Teddy Mayer liked to compare Formula One drivers to interchangeable light-bulbs, declaring “you plug them in and they do the job”, and nowadays the same might be said for team principals. The season kicks off in Bahrain next week with four of the 10 teams under new management since the end of the last campaign.
Tennis-Medvedev downs Murray to claim Doha title
Daniil Medvedev maintained his winning roll to beat Andy Murray in the Qatar Open final and claim his second title in successive weeks on Saturday. Veteran Murray, bidding for his 47th career title but first since 2019, pushed the Russian hard but succumbed 6-4 6-4 in a battle of former world number ones.
Tennis-Krejcikova eyes return to singles big-league after Dubai win
Barbora Krejcikova said she hoped her Dubai triumph can help get her singles career get back on track following an injury-plagued 2022, during which the former French Open champion slid down the world rankings. An accomplished doubles player with plenty of major success, Krejcikova announced herself on the Grand Slam stage in singles when she won the 2021 Roland Garros title and climbed to number two in the rankings the following year.
Boxing-Paul, Fury hit their marks ahead of Saudi celebrity boxing showdown
Jake Paul and Tommy Fury made weight on Saturday ahead of their showdown in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, when both men will put their unbeaten records on the line in a long-awaited contest more about celebrity bragging rights than punching prowess. Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury sported a keffiyeh headscarf and sunglasses as his half-brother Tommy weighed in at 184.5 pounds, half a pound under the cruiserweight limit, while Paul tipped the scales at 183.6.
Motor racing-Da Costa wins depleted Formula E Cape Town ePrix
Antonio Felix da Costa won Formula E’s inaugural Cape Town ePrix with some bold overtaking on Saturday while Porsche team mate and championship leader Pascal Wehrlein drew a blank after a first-lap collision. The victory in the fifth of 16 races this season was Da Costa’s first of the campaign and lifted the 2019-20 champion, who started the race in 11th place, to fourth overall in the standings.
Cactus League roundup: Seth Lugo leads Padres to win
Seth Lugo gave up one run on two hits in his San Diego debut as the visiting Padres defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-2 on Saturday at Glendale, Ariz. Lugo, transitioning from a mostly relief role after seven seasons with the New York Mets, gave up a home run to Gavin Sheets. Lugo hasn’t started a major league game in the regular season since 2020 and has just 38 career starts.
Tennis-Krejcikova stuns top-ranked Swiatek to claim Dubai crown
Barbora Krejcikova beat an out-of-sorts Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-2 in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday to end the top-ranked Pole’s winning run in the Middle East swing and capture her first WTA title of 2023 and sixth overall. “It means a lot. It was a great week and I was improving in every game. Today I showed my best tennis,” Krejcikova said. “Iga motivates me every day, it was a great final and I’m definitely happy with the result.”
Soccer-Arsenal and Man City win, Leeds and West Ham boost survival hopes
Arsenal and Manchester City continued to slug it out in the Premier League title race with wins over Leicester City and Bournemouth respectively on Saturday while at the bottom Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone. Gabriel Martinelli earned Arsenal a 1-0 win at Leicester City to briefly send them five points clear, but City responded with a 4-1 rout of struggling Bournemouth as Erling Haaland netted a club record 27th Premier League goal in a season.
Tennis-Murray bullish about joining 800-win club despite physical limitation
Andy Murray was on the verge of retirement in 2019 due to a niggling hip issue and faced an uncertain future after a second surgery the following year, but the former world number one is now targeting 800 career wins after a run to the Doha final. The 35-year-old fell to a 6-4 6-4 defeat by Daniil Medvedev in the Qatar Open final on Saturday in only his fourth ATP title clash since returning to the tour.
Motor racing-Ricciardo provides a sub-plot from the sidelines
Daniel Ricciardo has no immediate plans to go racing but even from the sidelines of Formula One the Australian will still be providing one of the sub-plots of the season that starts on March 5. The 33-year-old eight times grand prix winner is back at Red Bull as their third driver for 2023, supporting double world champion Max Verstappen and Mexican Sergio Perez in the simulator.
(With inputs from agencies.)
