Digest

SOCCER

SIPG goalkeeper Yan requires eye surgery

Yan Junling

Shanghai SIPG goalkeeper Yan Junling looks certain to miss the remainder of the Chinese Super League season after his club revealed on Wednesday the 29-year-old requires eye surgery.

Yan, SIPG's first-choice stopper, sustained the eye damage after a collision with Shanghai Shenhua's Bi Jinhao during the scoreless first leg of their CSL quarterfinal last Sunday in Suzhou.

"Yan will undergo eye surgery and will need a long time to recover after the diagnosis," read a statement from SIPG. After coming off the bench on Sunday for the injured Yan, Chen Wei is expected to again deputize in Friday's return leg.

Meanwhile, Guangzhou Evergrande cruised through to the semifinals by thrashing Hebei China Fortune 5-0 on Wednesday for an 8-1 aggregate victory.

Man Utd debt doubles, broadcast revenue falls

English Premier League club Manchester United revealed Wednesday its debt mountain has exceeded $600 million.

The loss was revealed in the club's annual report for 2019-20 which also reported income from broadcasting matches had fallen by almost 42 percent.

Manchester United's net debt is 474.1 million pounds ($602 million) more than double the 203.6 million pounds ($266.4 million) it was 12 months ago, a 132.9 percent rise.

The club reported its commercial revenue for the year was 279 million pounds ($365 million), an increase of 3.9 million pounds ($5.10 million), or 1.4 percent, over the previous year.

Sponsorship revenue was 182.7 million pounds ($239m), an increase of 5.6 percent, over the previous year, while retail, merchandising and product-licensing revenue was 96.3 million pounds ($126 million), a decrease of 5.7 percent, over the prior year.

BASKETBALL

Zion's Pelicans install Van Gundy as coach

Stan Van Gundy

Stan Van Gundy is headed to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he'll take over a promising team that includes 2019 No 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson and reigning Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram.

Van Gundy agreed to a four-year contract, said a person who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been revealed publicly.

The coach said on his Twitter account Wednesday that he was "excited to join a talented New Orleans Pelicans team" and thanked team owner Gayle Benson and others for the opportunity.

"It will be an honor to work with our players and to work for Mrs. Benson and David Griffin, Trajan Langdon, their staff and the great people of New Orleans," Van Gundy wrote."I can't wait to talk to our players and get the process started."

Guo lifts Liaoning to victory over Shandong

Guo Ailun

Guo Ailun starred as the Liaoning Flying Leopards defeated the Shandong Heroes 110-100 in Wednesday's CBA action in the league's bio-secure bubble in Zhuji, Zhejiang province.

Five Liaoning players reached double-digit scores. All-Star guard Guo contributed a double-double with a team-best 29 points and 16 assists. Han Dejun added 22 points.

Shandong's Corperryale Harris had a game-high 43 points. Gao Shiyan, who is on loan to Shandong from Liaoning, notched 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Liaoning edged a tight first quarter 30-28 before Shandong found its offensive rhythm to nudge ahead 54-52 by the interval.

A huge long-range 3-pointer from Gao at the buzzer saw Shandong lead 87-86 by the end of the third period. However, Liaoning's tenacious defense in the fourth proved key and a 12-4 run in the dying minutes sealed victory for the Flying Leopards.

GOLF

Masters champ Scott positive for COVID-19

Adam Scott

Former Masters champion Adam Scott has tested positive for the coronavirus and withdrew from the Zozo Championship at Sherwood Country Club in California on Wednesday, becoming the second high-profile golfer in as many weeks to do so.

Dustin Johnson, the world's No 1 player, tested positive last week at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

Scott has not played since the US Open, and the Australian has played only four times－two majors and two FedEx Cup playoff tournaments－in the four months since the PGA Tour returned following the COVID-19 shutdown.

"While it's difficult news to receive－as I really looked forward to playing this week－my focus now is on recovery for the final stretch of the fall," Scott said in a statement.

Scott, who won at Riviera in February, is No 15 in the world. He is the third player from the top 20 to have tested positive in the last three weeks. The other was American Tony Finau.

BASEBALL

Record ratings low for World Series opener

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Game 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays drew a record-low audience of television viewers for a World Series.

Los Angeles' 8-3 win received a 5.1 rating and 11 share, and was seen by an average of 9.195 million viewers on Fox from 8:06 pm to 11:41 pm EDT on Tuesday, Nielsen Media Research said Wednesday.

The previous low had been set the only other time the Rays were in the World Series, when their 5-4 loss to Philadelphia in Game 3 in 2008 was viewed by an average of 9.836 million that Oct 25, a Saturday night. The start was delayed by rain for 91 minutes to 10:06 pm and the final out was at 1:47 am.

Until now the low for a Game 1 had been the San Francisco Giants'7-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Oct 21, 2012, viewed by an average of 12,191,000 on a Tuesday night.

The Washington Nationals' 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros in last year's opener was seen by an average of 12.283 million on Oct 22, also a Tuesday night.

Xinhua - Agencies