S'pore's hopes lessen after loss to PNG

Singapore's third successive loss in the Men's T20 World Cup Cricket Qualifier in Dubai yesterday severely hampered their chances of progressing to the finals in Australia next year.

They crashed to a 43-run defeat by Papua New Guinea, scoring 137-9 in their 181 chase in the 20-overs contest. They lost to the Netherlands and Kenya after beating Scotland and Bermuda. The Republic play Namibia today.

Federer in semis after Wawrinka withdraws

BASEL • Home hope Roger Federer is through to the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament, after countryman Stan Wawrinka was forced to pull out of the tennis event.

Wawrinka, the seventh seed, defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 on Thursday, but emerged from the match with renewed pain in his ailing back.

REUTERS

Zozo 2nd round rained off, to end on Monday

TOKYO • It will be a Monday finish for the Zozo Championship, 24 hours later than scheduled, after torrential rain washed out play yesterday, tournament officials have announced.

The organisers also said today's rescheduled second round will be played without any fans at the Narashino Country Club in view of concerns about safety. The news will be a massive disappointment to the sell-out crowd.

REUTERS

Celtics rookie Fall on concussion protocol

BOSTON • The tallest National Basketball Association players may be able to reach for the sky but Boston Celtics rookie Tacko Fall found out the painful way that, even without a ball in his hands, he cannot beat a low ceiling.

The 2.26m centre missed Boston's season-opening 107-93 defeat by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. He was placed on concussion protocol after banging his head while washing his hands after a workout at the Celtics' practice facility last week, Massachusetts-based website MassLive.com reported.

REUTERS