Lee, Marin advance to HK Open final
HONG KONG • Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei beat Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long 21-19, 21-14 in the semi-finals of the badminton Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Lee will meet China's Tian Houwei, who beat Indonesia's Anthony Ginting 18-21, 21-11, 21-6, in today's final. The women's final will see world champion Carolina Marin take on Japan's Nozomi Okuhara.
Smith denies choking man outside NY shop
NEW YORK • Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith has hit back at accusations that he choked a 19-year-old heckler.
"Don't believe everything you read!" the National Basketball Association player said on Friday. The New York Daily News said Justin Brown told police that after Smith ignored a request for a photo, Brown heckled the player, who then shoved him against a wall and put his hands around his throat.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
No loyalty conflict for England coach Jones
LONDON • Eddie Jones has insisted there will be no conflict of loyalties when he coaches England against his native Australia for the first time next year.
He was in charge of the Wallabies when they lost the 2003 Rugby World Cup final to England in Sydney.
On Friday, he was named as England's new head coach.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LPGA Tour nets more events, prize money
NAPLES (Florida) • Next year's LPGA Tour will grow to 34 events with a record total purse of US$63.1 million (S$89 million).
The LPGA renewed 11 sponsorship deals this year, including events in Shanghai and Singapore.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Elkeson goal gives Guangzhou AFC title
GUANGZHOU (China) • A moment of magic from Brazil's Elkeson earned China's Guangzhou Evergrande their second AFC Champions League title in three years yesterday after a tense second leg against Al Ahli.
The striker's instinctive turn and toe-poke goal on 54 minutes finally unlocked the UAE team's defence to earn a 1-0 win after the first leg in Dubai ended goalless.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Aid-package deal with Warner: Beckenbauer
LONDON • Franz Beckenbauer says a contract he signed with former top Fifa official Jack Warner before the vote to decide the host of football's 2006 World Cup was an aid package.
Speaking publicly for the first time on corruption allegations shaking the German football federation, he told the Sueddeutsche newspaper that other members of Fifa's executive committee had also asked for favours.
THE GUARDIAN
