Digest

SNOOKER

'Struggling' O'Sullivan to face Selby in semis

Ronnie O'Sullivan fought back from 8-4 down to defeat Mark Williams 13-10 on Tuesday as the 'Rocket' reached the semifinals of the Snooker World Championship for the first time since 2014.

Earlier, reigning champion and world No 1 Judd Trump lost to eighth-ranked Kyren Wilson 13-9.

O'Sullivan, 44, defeated China's top player Ding Junhui on Sunday to book a last-eight berth. He struggled in Monday's opening session as he trailed Williams 6-2, but the five-time world champion came back strongly on Tuesday afternoon, drawing 8-8 with Williams by the end of the second session.

O'Sullivan dominated the concluding session to reach the semifinals for a record-equalling 12th time. However, he was not happy with his form.

"For me, there were a lot of nervy moments," he said. "I was struggling with certain parts of my game so I had to maximize my opportunities when they came up."

O'Sullivan will next face three-time world champion Mark Selby, who crushed Neil Robertson 13-7.

OLYMPICS

Indonesia pins hopes on five sports for 2032

Indonesia will prioritize developing badminton, weightlifting and boxing ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.

Raden Isnanta, from Indonesia's Youth and Sports Ministry, said on Tuesday that his country will also focus on archery and wall climbing, with capital city Jakarta having declared its intention to bid to host the 2032 Games.

Isnanta added that the five sports would potentially contribute medals to Indonesia's total during the Games.

"The grand design focuses on five sports which are expected to be able to deliver medals," he said, adding that the new plan would not mean other sports are abandoned.

Athletes are expected to begin training next year, the official was quoted by local media as saying.

SWIMMING

Ikee returns to pool after cancer diagnosis

Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee has registered for a competition in Tokyo this month, her first since her shock diagnosis with leukaemia last year, local media reported on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old was a strong favorite for 100-meter butterfly gold at her home Olympic Games before revealing last year that she had been diagnosed with the blood-related cancer.

She was discharged from hospital in December after a stay of about 10 months and resumed training in March.

Public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News said on Tuesday that Ikee has registered for a 50-meter freestyle race organized by the Tokyo Swimming Association on Aug 29.

A spokesman for the association declined to comment, saying only that registration for the event was still open. Ikee has documented her fight against the disease online, thanking her legions of fans for their support.

"It was a long and hard time," she said last year in a handwritten message posted on her Twitter account.

GOLF

LPGA forced to call off 2020 Shanghai tourney

The LPGA Tour on Wednesday canceled its 2020 Shanghai tournament after China said it will not hold most international sports events this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

LPGA Shanghai, won last year by American world No 2 Danielle Kang, had been scheduled for Oct 15-18 but has been scratched "given the current health concerns and significant travel restrictions", the tour said in a statement.

" (We) very much look forward to returning to Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai in 2021," it added.

It now appears likely that the men's prestigious $10.5 million World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions, due to take place two weeks later in Shanghai, will also be canceled.

BASKETBALL

Lillard lets loose as Blazers near playoffs

Damian Lillard exploded for 61 points on Tuesday as the Portland Trail Blazers roared toward a place in the NBA playoffs with a 134-131 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Lillard－who had scored 51 points in a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday－once again led from the front for Portland, which is now within touching distance of a postseason berth.

The Blazers talisman nailed a clutch 3-pointer in the closing stages to level the score at 130-apiece and then provided the assist that saw Portland take a 132-130 lead with just under a minute remaining.

The win vaulted Portland above the Memphis Grizzlies into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings with 34 wins and 39 defeats.

The eighth-and ninth-place teams in the West will advance to an elimination game this weekend for the final postseason berth.

PANDEMIC

US college football season canceled

A crumbling college football season took a massive hit Tuesday when the Big Ten and Pac-12 succumbed to the pandemic and canceled their fall football seasons.

"This was an extremely difficult and painful decision that we know will have important impacts on our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and our fans," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said. "We know nothing will ease that."

Despite pleas from players, coaches and US President Donald Trump in recent days to play on, 40 percent of major college football teams have now decided to punt on a fall season, a decision that will cost schools tens of millions of dollars.

Both conferences cited the risk of trying to keep players from contracting and spreading the coronavirus when the programs are not operating in a bubble like the NBA and NHL are doing.

They also cited the broader state of the pandemic in the United States, which has had more than 5 million cases of COVID-19.

Xinhua - Agencies