World Sports News in Brief

Zverev tumbles out of Halle quarters after defeat by Goffin

World number four Alexander Zverev’s quest for a first title at the Halle Open came to a grinding halt as the two-times runner-up was stunned 3-6 6-1 7-6(3) by David Goffin in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Alexander Zverev in action during his match against Novak Djokovic on day 12 of the 2019 French Open at Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France, Jun 6, 2019. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Alexander Zverev in action during his match against Novak Djokovic on day 12 of the 2019 French Open at Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France, Jun 6, 2019. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Later, Roger Federer survived a mid-match scare to get past Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3 4-6 6-4 and reach the last-four at Halle for a 15th time as he chases a 10th title in the tournament.

* Australian Hannah Green pitched in from 60 yards to save par early in her second round en route to a four-shot clubhouse lead at the Women's PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota on Friday.

* Reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber continued her build-up to the grasscourt Grand Slam as she beat sixth seed Caroline Garcia 6-3 7-6(5) to reach the semi-finals of the Mallorca Open on Friday. The 31-year-old German, seeking a first title of the year, again showed no sign of the ankle injury that dogged her claycourt season as she ended Garcia's seven-match winning run.

* Olympique Lyon men's team midfielder Elisha Owusu has joined Belgian side Gent in a 1 million euros deal, the Ligue 1 club said on Friday. The 21-year-old, who generally plays as a defensive midfielder, was on loan at Ligue 2 (second-tier) side Sochaux last season and made 33 league appearances for the Montbeliard-based club.

* French Open champion Ashleigh Barty warmed up for Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Friday. The 23-year-old Australian fired six aces, won four break points and won 77per cent of points on her first serve in a match that lasted an hour and 25 minutes.

* Nigeria's preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations have been hampered after several members of the squad went down with an cold-like illness, coach Gernot Rohr said on Friday. The Super Eagles, who kick off their campaign against debutants Burundi in Group B on Saturday, are taking part at the tournament for the first time since they won it in 2013, having remarkably failed to qualify in 2015 or 2017.

* A tantalising glimpse of a future men's tennis rivalry ended with Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime beating Stefanos Tsitsipas to become the youngest player in 20 years to reach the semi-finals of the Queen's Club championships on Friday. The 18-year-old continued a remarkable year with 7-5 6-2 defeat of the floppy-haired Greek who most believe is the most likely of the new generation to start winning Grand Slams.

* Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas set the pace in free practice for the French Grand Prix on Friday. Hamilton lapped Le Castellet's Paul Ricard circuit in one minute 32.738 seconds in the first session, with Bottas second. The Finn turned the tables on the five times champion in the afternoon, laying down a lap of 1:30.937 to push Hamilton into second place, 0.424 slower.

* Barcelona will play a pre-season friendly with Arsenal at their Nou Camp stadium on Aug. 4, the La Liga champions said. The match against the Europa League runners-up is the annual Joan Gamper trophy which is traditionally Barca's final game before the new season.

* Ajax Amsterdam have extended coach Erik ten Hag's contract till the end of June 2022 after he guided the Dutch side to a league and cup double as well as the semi-finals of the Champions League. Ten Hag's original contract was due to end in mid 2020. He took charge of Ajax in December 2017 after the club fired Marcel Keizer.

* Chelsea have appointed their former goalkeeper Petr Cech as technical and performance advisor, the Premier League club announced on Friday. In his new role, the 37-year-old will work closely with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and the first-team coaching staff and travel with the team to away games, the club said in a statement. Cech spent 11 years as a player at Chelsea, winning 13 major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League, before moving to their London rivals Arsenal in 2015.

* Spanish football legend Fernando Torres announced his retirement at the age of 35 on a social media post on Friday. The striker, known as "El Nino" (the kid), began his career with Atletico Madrid, before moving to Liverpool, Chelsea and AC Milan. He left Atletico for a second time at the end of the 2017-18 season to finish his career playing for Sagan Tosu in the Japanese J-League. Torres scored a total of 260 goals in 760 career appearances.

* Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez has been named as the coach of the club's 'B'-team 'Real Madrid Castilla, the club confirmed on Thursday.

Reuters, Xinhua