Digest

SOCCER

Brilliant Bayern already targeting a terrific 10th

Bayern Munich's players have set their sights on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league title for the ninth successive season on Saturday, celebrating their success with a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to leave him on 39 league goals this season－one short of Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record－as the champion swept Gladbach aside at the Allianz Arena.

"We wanted to show on the pitch that we are German champions," said Lewandowski, who will "keep stepping on the gas" in chasing Mueller's record. "Today was a great game, we played really well and scored a lot of goals."

The victory left Bayern 10 points clear of second-place RB Leipzig, whose 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund ensured Bayern was crowned champion with two games left.

TENNIS

Sabalenka stuns Barty to claim Madrid title

Aryna Sabalenka stunned world No 1 Ashleigh Barty to win the Madrid Open for the first time on Saturday, with the Belarusian putting her success down to losing her fear of playing on clay.

Sabalenka was beaten by Barty in the final in Stuttgart last month but exacted revenge at the Caja Magica, a storming 6-0,3-6, 6-4 victory clinching the biggest title of her career.

The 23-year-old has never gone past the fourth round at a Grand Slam but on this evidence she will be among the contenders at the French Open, which starts in Paris later this month.

"She takes the racket out of my hand when she serves the way she did in the first set," Barty said.

"I guarantee it won't be the last time that it happens. I'll continue to fight and try to find a way back in each and every time."

This was Sabalenka's 10th career title but her first on clay and it will see her rise to No 4 in the world rankings.

"Before I was too much thinking about clay, that this surface is not for me, that it's really tough to play, it's about long rallies," said Sabalenka.

BASKETBALL

Jordan jersey fetches $1.38m at auction

A Michael Jordan game-worn jersey from his 1982-83 season at the University of North Carolina has sold for $1.38 million at auction, Heritage Auctions said Saturday.

"We're extremely proud to have shattered records for a Jordan game-worn jersey," Chris Ivy, Heritage's director of sports auctions, said in a statement.

Adding to the value of the blue and white No 23 Tar Heels jersey is the fact that it's the kit Jordan was wearing on the cover of the March 1983 edition of Sporting News, which declared Jordan the NCAA player of the year.

The season was Jordan's second at UNC, and the season after a freshman Jordan helped take the Tar Heels to the 1982 national championship over a Georgetown team that featured Patrick Ewing.

BOXING

Alvarez treats record crowd to brutal bout

Canelo Alvarez jumped into his trainer's arms while Billy Joe Saunders slumped in his corner with a towel draped over his head.

The wildly popular Mexican fighter added another super middleweight title belt in front of a huge crowd in another fight in Arlington, Texas. Not only did Saunders have his first loss as a pro, the English fighter might have a broken eye socket.

Alvarez set up another victory in his latest Cinco de Mayo bout with a staggering right hand in the middle of the eighth round, sending 73,126 already-screaming fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys into a frenzy.

Saunders' corner waved in defeat before the ninth while treating a cut under his right eye. Alvarez (56-1-2,38 knockouts) added Saunders' WBO belt to his WBA and WBC straps in his third fight in less than five months, and second in Texas.

It was the first loss in 31 fights for the 31-year-old Brit, who was taken to the hospital with a suspected broken orbital bone, fight spokesman Anthony Leaver said.

"It wasn't as difficult as I expected. I know my preparation is good and I improve day-by-day," said Alvarez.

Xinhua - Agencies