World Sports News in Brief

Ethiopia's Tefera breaks world indoor 1,500m record

Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera broke the long-standing world indoor 1,500 metres record when he clocked three minutes, 31.04 seconds at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Birmingham, England on Saturday.

Ethiopia's Samuel Tefera celebrates after winning the men's 1500 metres and setting a new world indoor record - IAAF World Indoor Tour - Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - February 16, 2019. (Photo: Action Images via Reuters)
Ethiopia's Samuel Tefera celebrates after winning the men's 1500 metres and setting a new world indoor record - IAAF World Indoor Tour - Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix - Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, Britain - February 16, 2019. (Photo: Action Images via Reuters)

Tefera, 19, clocked three minutes, 31.04 seconds at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting to take down Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj's 1997 record of 3:31.18.

* Californian Gene Littler, a U.S. Open champion and Hall of Fame golfer, has died at the age of 88, the PGA Tour announced on Saturday. Littler, whose silky smooth swing earned him the nickname "Gene the Machine", won 29 PGA Tour events, as well as two in Japan.

* Local favourite Diego Schwartzman recovered from a shaky start to overcome top seed Dominic Thiem 2-6 6-4 7-6(5) on Saturday and set up a final showdown with Italy's Marco Cecchinato at the Argentina Open. Schwartzman will take on Cecchinato in Sunday’s final after the Italian beat another Argentine, Guido Pella, 6-4 6-2.

* Grieving Argentines paid tribute to footballer Emiliano Sala on Saturday at a special memorial in his home region of Santa Fe. The body of the 28-year old Sala, who died in a plane crash last month, was laid out in a gymnasium in the town where he grew up so friends and family could pay their last respects.

* Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been ruled fit to play in next week's Champions League last 16, first leg tie at Liverpool after the Frenchman suffered an injury scare in their Bundesliga win over Augsburg on Friday. Coman scored two goals as Bayern twice came from behind to win 3-2 but turned his ankle towards the end of the game and had to be taken off.

* Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will return to the dugout for a charity match to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the team's treble-winning season, the Premier League club said on Saturday. The 77-year-old Scot will take charge of a legends side against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford on May 26.

* Brazilian Lucas Di Grassi seized a last-gasp victory in a wild finish to the Mexico City ePrix on Saturday, with Belgian Jerome d'Ambrosio returning to the top of the all-electric Formula E standings.

* Three-times Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka battled past Kei Nishikori 6-2 4-6 6-4 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on Saturday to set up a final against Frenchman Gael Monfils.

* Belgium's Elise Mertens rallied from a set down to beat top seed Simona Halep 3-6 6-4 6-3 and clinch her first Premier-level title at the Qatar Open on Saturday.

* Two goals from Krzysztof Piatek helped AC Milan come from behind to beat Atalanta 3-1 away in Serie A and move four points clear in fourth place on Saturday. The result could prove significant in the Champions League race with just one point having separated the sides going into the game.

* RB Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen scored twice to help beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to move within a point of third place, while Werder Bremen's Claudio Pizarro became the league's oldest scorer at 40.

* Monaco beat Nantes 1-0 to record their second home win of the season in Ligue 1 on Saturday to move out of the relegation zone for the first time since September. The result lifts Jardim’s side up to 16th place on 22 points, the first time they have occupied a position of safety since week seven of the season on Sept. 25.

* Mario Balotelli continued his impressive form with Olympique Marseille by scoring the winner as his new club beat Amiens 2-0 to move into the top four in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Reuters