Chen in semis, Liang and Loh head home
TAIPEI • National shuttler Chen Jiayuan beat Taiwanese Sung Shuo-yun 21-9, 21-9 yesterday in the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix to advance to today's semi-finals.
The Singaporean No. 2 seed faces unseeded South Korean Lee Jang Mi at the Hsing Chuang Gymnasium.
But Liang Xiaoyu lost 19-21, 13-21 to Korean top seed Kim Hyo Min, while Loh Kean Yew went down 13-21, 21-17, 13-21 to the home side's Wang Tzu-wei in the men's singles.
Balestier close gap, but two rivals falter
Warriors FC and Albirex Niigata lost ground in their S-League challenge last night after both lost away, by 1-2 to Courts Young Lions and 0-1 to Balestier Khalsa respectively.
Robert Pericic's late winner for the Tigers took them to 37 points from 22 games, two behind leaders Brunei DPMM, who have played two matches fewer.
Warriors and Albirex have 33 points and 32 points respectively. In the other game, Harimau Muda beat bottom side Geylang 2-0 and stay seventh.
Ko moves closer to regaining No. 1 spot
INCHEON • Lydia Ko carded a blemish-free seven-under-par 65 yesterday, to take a one-stroke lead at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship in South Korea. This boosted her chances of replacing Park In Bee at the top of the women's world rankings.
The 18-year-old New Zealander trailed overnight leader Park Sung Hyun by seven strokes at the start of the second round but finished on 10-under 134, and has a one-stroke lead over American Lexi Thompson (67).
REUTERS
Hung leads by a shot halfway in Macau
MACAU • Chinese Taipei's Hung Chien-yao stormed into the lead on the second day of the Macau Open yesterday with a seven- under-par 64 to total 132.
But he was still only one shot ahead of the tournament's defending champion Anirban Lahiri (67), as well as South Korea's Wang Jeung Hun (68), India's Chiragh Kumar (66) and Brazil's Adilson da Silva (65).
Singapore's Mardan Mamat made the 142 cut by a single shot after slipping to 72, following a opening 69. But compatriot Lam Chih Bing missed out by a stroke despite a fine 68.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Venus goes far in last-ditch Finals bid
HONG KONG • Venus Williams took just an hour to secure her place in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open yesterday in a 6-1, 6-1 victory against a lacklustre Alize Cornet.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner hopes to claw her way into the eight-player WTA Finals in Singapore later this month.
The 35-year-old is currently 11th in the Road to Singapore rankings after a resurgent season.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
German FA probing $10.5m Fifa payout
BERLIN • Germany's Football Association (DFB) said yesterday it was investigating a €6.7 million (S$10.5 million) payment from the country's 2006 World Cup organising committee to Fifa that may not have been used as intended.
REUTERS
