Digest

SNOOKER

Masters champion Yan crashes out at Crucible

Yan Bingtao's bid to become snooker's youngest ever world champion was ended by Shaun Murphy in the second round at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday.

The 21-year-old Chinese trailed 2005 champ Murphy 10-6 overnight, and it looked ominous for world No 10 Yan when his English opponent won the opening two frames of the final session.

Yan, who beat veteran John Higgins in the final of this year's Masters, then pulled one back with a break of 71, but couldn't stop Murphy from wrapping up victory in the next frame.

Murphy will face world No 1 and 2019 champion Judd Trump, who beat David Gilbert 13-8 on Monday, in the quarterfinals. "I'm really excited about it. If you are going to win tournaments like this, they all have to get knocked out at some stage," said the 38-year-old Murphy of the Trump match.

Ding Junhui's first-round conqueror, Stuart Bingham, will face Anthony McGill in the last eight, while Neil Robertson will play Kyren Wilson. The matchup between Mark Selby and Mark Williams is a clash of two three-time world champions.

SOCCER

Ibra probed over links to gambling company

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is being investigated by UEFA for his "alleged financial interest in a betting company", European soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Swedish daily Aftonbladet reported that the 39-year-old AC Milan striker was a partner in Bethard, a Malta-based gaming company.

UEFA's disciplinary regulations state that players should not have a financial interest in betting.

Ibrahimovic has represented Milan in UEFA's Europa League. He came out of international retirement last month after an absence of nearly five years to play for Sweden in two World Cup qualifiers.

"A UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector has today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the UEFA disciplinary regulations by Mr. Zlatan Ibrahimovic for having an alleged financial interest in a betting company," UEFA said in a statement.

BASKETBALL

LeBron rookie card sells for $5.2 million

An "ultra-rare" signed rookie card for four-time NBA champion LeBron James sold for $5.2 million on Monday, breaking the record for the most expensive basketball card ever sold.

It also equaled the record for any sports trading card, matching the amount paid in January for a 1952 rookie card for baseball great Mickey Mantle.

"At the heart of every collector in 2003 was the hope of pulling the ultra-rare LeBron James Rookie Patch Auto Parallel numbered to 23 copies," PWCC Marketplace said in a statement posted to social media.

"With so few ever becoming available and demand increasing by the day, this card is quickly becoming the crown jewel of all sports card investing."

The buyer's identity was not immediately made public.

A transformative figure on and off the court, 36-year-old James is widely considered among the greatest ever to play the game, earning NBA MVP honors four times.

BASEBALL

Korean pitcher Yang ready for MLB debut

Former South Korean standout pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong joined the Texas Rangers on Monday, and was looking to make his MLB debut.

The Rangers selected the contract of the 33-year-old left-hander from their alternate training site before the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Texas optioned struggling rookie center fielder Leody Taveras to the alternate training site. To make room on the 40-man roster for Yang, the Rangers transferred first baseman/outfielder Ronald Guzman from the 10-day to 60-day injured list.

Yang had been on the team's taxi squad for each of the first three road trips this season. He initially signed with the Rangers at the start of spring training after a 14-year career with the Kia Tigers. He was the MVP in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2017, and also the Korean Series MVP that season when the Tigers won the league championship. He won the ERA title in the KBO in 2015 and 2019.

TRACK AND FIELD

Leeper's artificial legs ruled unfair for Tokyo

American runner Blake Leeper has been prevented from competing at the Tokyo Olympics because his two prosthetic legs have been ruled as giving him an unfair advantage.

Leeper is "running unnaturally tall" with his prosthetic legs, the World Athletics mechanical aids review panel determined on Monday.

Last October, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a previous decision by World Athletics that ruled Leeper gets a competitive advantage against able-bodied runners because of the added height his prostheses give him.

"The difference in this new application by Mr Leeper is that he now seeks approval to use (prostheses) that are set so that his standing height is approximately 184 centimeters, which is approximately 5 centimeters less than the standing height of 189.2 centimeters for the (prostheses) that were the subject of the application ruled upon by the CAS," World Athletics said in a statement.

Xinhua - Agencies