Digest

SOCCER

Guo'an slips up with second-half collapse

Beijing Guo'an failed to fully capitalize on title rival Shanghai SIPG's loss 24 hours earlier after being held to a 2-2 draw by Wuhan Zall in Suzhou on Sunday.

First-half goals from Cedric Bakambu and Zhang Yuning had Guo'an 2-0 up at the interval. Beijing, though, capitulated after the break, with two headers in the space of three minutes－from Brazilian Leo Baptistao and Ivorian Jean Evrard Kouassi－earning Zall a point.

On Saturday, SIPG suffered its first defeat of the campaign, losing 2-0 to Hebei China Fortune. SIPG remains top of Group B, two points ahead of second-place Guo'an.

Barca's Fati becomes youngest Spain scorer

Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati became the youngest player to score for Spain in a 4-0 Nations League win against Ukraine in Madrid on Sunday.

Fati scored Spain's third goal from outside the area in the 32nd minute to become the country's youngest scorer at the age of 17 years, 311 days. The previous record was held by Juan Errazquin, who scored for Spain in 1925 at 18 years, 344 days.

Fati started his strong performance by dribbling past Oleksandr Tymchyk before he was tripped by Serhiy Kryvtsov in the area. That set up Sergio Ramos to go to the penalty spot in the third minute and score the first of his two goals.

"At his age it is very easy for the hype to get to you, but Ansu is mature enough to stay on the path that he is following," said Spain coach Luis Enrique."He is levelheaded and with his feet on the ground."

OLYMPICS

Tokyo Games staged 'with or without COVID'

Tokyo's postponed Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, IOC vice-president John Coates told AFP on Monday, saying they would be the "Games that conquered COVID".

The Olympics have never been canceled outside of both World Wars and Coates, speaking in a phone interview, was adamant that the Tokyo Games will start on their revised date.

"It will take place with or without COVID. The Games will start on July 23 next year," said Coates, who heads the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission for the Tokyo Games.

"The Games were going to be, their theme, the Reconstruction Games after the devastation of the tsunami," he added, referring to a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011.

In a historic decision, the 2020 Olympics were postponed because of the pandemic and they are now set to open on July 23, 2021.

BASKETBALL

Bucks lose Giannis but beat Heat in overtime

Khris Middleton starred as the Milwaukee Bucks, their backs against the wall and star Giannis Antetokounmpo injured, beat the Miami Heat 118-115 in overtime on Sunday to stay alive in the NBA playoffs.

With reigning NBA MVP Antetokounmpo ruled out after aggravating his sprained right ankle in the first half, Middleton stepped up to score 36 points－including nine of the Bucks' 11 in overtime.

A Middleton 3-pointer put Milwaukee up 116-112 with 6.9 seconds left in the extra session. Miami rookie Tyler Herro drained a 3-pointer to close the gap to 116-115 before Middleton made two free throws to seal the win.

Milwaukee, the Eastern Conference top seeds, trimmed the deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal to 3-1.

CRICKET

Buttler blasts England to T20 series victory

Jos Buttler clouted a six down the ground to secure a six-wicket win for England on Sunday and an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the Twenty20 series against Australia in Southampton.

Opener Buttler carried his bat for an unbeaten 77 off 54 balls, a career best in the T20 International format, with eight fours and two sixes, including the winning runs off Adam Zampa.

England finished on 158-4 in 18.5 overs at an empty Rose Bowl, overhauling Australia's 157-7 in the second of three matches in the series.

Top-ranked Australia chose to bat first and lost opener David Warner for a duck to Jofra Archer before recovering from 3-2 in the second over. Captain Aaron Finch hit 40 runs off 33 balls but the visitor's total always appeared within reach.

England rallied to beat Australia by two runs in a thrilling first T20 last Friday that went down to the final ball.

MOTOR SPORTS

Gasly tops unexpected podium at Italian GP

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly claimed an unlikely victory at a chaotic Italian Grand Prix on Sunday in Monza where world champion Lewis Hamilton received a 10-second stop-go penalty and both Ferraris fail to finish.

Frenchman Gasly, 24, finished 0.415 seconds ahead of McLaren's Carlos Sainz and 3.358 ahead of Racing Point's Lance Stroll on an entirely unexpected podium. All three drivers had never won a race and each had only one top-three finish to their name.

"This is a loss for Mercedes and the big teams, but it's a victory for the sport. That was great entertainment today and it was fantastic to see the young guys fighting out front," Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.

Mercedes' runaway championship leader Hamilton, who started on pole, was penalized for entering the pit lane after it closed to allow crews to clear Kevin Magnussen's stricken car that had come to a stop nearby.

Xinhua - Agencies