Digest

MOTOR SPORTS

Hamilton edges closer to Schumacher record

Lewis Hamilton held on to win the British Grand Prix on Sunday despite a puncture on the last lap to clinch an 87th career win and move within four of Michael Schumacher's Formula One record.

The championship leader's record-extending seventh Silverstone win saw him finish six seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who unexpectedly moved up a place after Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas sustained a puncture with three laps left.

With Hamilton so far ahead, Verstappen went in for a tire change in a bid to gain an extra point for the fastest lap but that pit stop ultimately cost him victory because Hamilton's front left shredded with half a lap to go. Verstappen swallowed up most of the 25-second gap but ran out of time.

"I definitely haven't experienced anything like that. I thought my heart was going to stop," Hamilton said. "Up until that last lap everything was relatively smooth sailing. When I heard his (Bottas' tire) went I looked at mine and it seemed fine."

SOCCER

FIFA fumes as Infantino investigation launched

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will continue in his post, world soccer's governing body insisted on Sunday as it blasted the launch of Swiss criminal proceedings against its leader.

"There was and is absolutely no reason to open any investigation because nothing remotely criminal has happened and there is nothing at all to suggest any form of criminal wrongdoing," FIFA said in a media release.

"The FIFA president will continue to fully assume his functions within FIFA and fulfill his duties and will continue to cooperate with the authorities in Switzerland and around the world."

Special prosecutor Stefan Keller started proceedings on Thursday as part of an investigation into suspected collusion between Infantino and Switzerland's attorney general Michael Lauber, the country's top prosecutor.

Lauber, who offered his resignation on July 24, was in charge of Switzerland's probe into the towering corruption scandal that exploded at the heart of Zurich-based FIFA in 2015.

GOLF

Thomas triumphs to reclaim top ranking

Justin Thomas reclaimed the world No 1 ranking on Sunday by outdueling defending champion Brooks Koepka down the stretch to win the WGC St. Jude Invitational by three strokes.

Thomas, who began the day four shots off the lead, closed with a 65 to thwart Koepka's repeat bid and take the title at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, on a 72-hole total of 13-under 267. China's Li Haotong finished with a 10-over 290.

"It means a lot, especially with how I felt like I did it," said Thomas, who deposes Spain's Jon Rahm as world No 1. "In the past, I struggled with coming from behind. I got wrapped up in how far I was behind and how many people."

The 27-year-old American became the third-youngest PGA Tour player in the past 60 years to reach 13 career wins, behind Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus and just ahead of Rory McIlroy.

Kang captures first title of LPGA return

Danielle Kang held off France's Celine Boutier over the final holes Sunday to win the LPGA Drive On Championship, the tour's first tournament since February after its COVID-19 shutdown.

It was the fourth career title for the 27-year-old American, whose first win was a major, the 2017 Women's PGA Championship, and whose other two came at Shanghai in 2018 and 2019.

"I worked really hard for the last seven months. I'm really excited right now," Kang said.

"I think just keeping patience and trusting all aspects of your golf game brings it out in your golf game. You have got to respect the golf course. Even little putts I didn't take it for granted."

BASKETBALL

Mystery over Butler's quarantine 'curveball'

Jimmy Butler was not with the Miami Heat for practice Sunday, and one of his teammates suggested that he was quarantining away from the team.

The Heat said only that Butler, who scored 22 points in Miami's win over Denver on Saturday, had "an excused absence". But Heat forward Jae Crowder indicated that it wasn't just a day off for Butler.

"We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine or whatever he's in," Crowder said. "It's just a next-man-up mentality from a standpoint of staying locked in and engaged, because we know he's locked in and engaged once he's able to get back with us.

"It's definitely a curveball for all of us to hear stuff like what's going on with him," Crowder added. "You never know what to expect." The NBA has yet to announce that any player has tested positive so far in the bubble at Walt Disney World.

TENNIS

Kyrgios snubs US Open over virus concerns

Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the US Open because of concerns over the coronavirus and in honor of the "hundreds and thousands of Americans" who died from COVID-19.

Kyrgios said in an Instagram post on Sunday that he had no problem with the United States Tennis Association proceeding with the tournament from Aug 31 to Sept 13. But he cited health and safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic as he joined fellow Australian and world No 1 Ash Barty in opting out of the Flushing Meadows Grand Slam tournament.

"I will not be playing this year at the US Open. It hurts me at my core not to be out there competing in one of the sport's greatest arenas, Arthur Ashe Stadium," Kyrgios said in the video. "But I'm sitting out for the people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds and thousands of Americans that have lost their lives, for all of you. It's my decision."

"We can rebuild our sport and the economy," Kyrgios added, "but we can never recover lives lost."

Xinhua - Agencies