Digest

VOLLEYBALL

Chinese women back to winning ways in style

China outlasted Brazil 3-2 to snap its four-match losing streak on Tuesday at the women's Volleyball Nations League in Rimini, Italy.

Zhang Changning scored a game-high 36 points from 32 kills, two blocks and two aces to lift the Chinese women to victory (18-25, 25-22,25-20, 14-25, 15-12). Yang Hanyu, Wang Yuanyuan and Liu Xiaotong contributed 14, 11 and nine points respectively to China's fourth win in nine games.

"I'm very excited about this victory over Brazil. Despite some difficulties, we managed to do something that we wanted," said Zhang, who spearheaded the Chinese team in the absence of star spiker Zhu Ting. "The entire team worked for this victory, it's a team victory. In every skill－block, defense, spike, serve－we did our best to gain this victory."

Having missed the first nine rounds of preliminaries of the VNL, Zhu, Yuan Xinyue and four other regular starters are expected to play for China as the competition resumes on Saturday.

The United States overcame Italy 3-1 to remain the only unbeaten team. Also on Tuesday, second-place Turkey beat Russia 3-2 to improve to an 8-1 win-loss record.

GOLF

Cabrera extradited in domestic violence case

Argentine golfer Angel Cabrera, a two-time winner of major tournaments, was extradited from Brazil on Tuesday to stand trial in his home country on charges of violence against former domestic partners, a prosecutor in the case told Reuters.

Cabrera was arrested at the beginning of the year in Rio de Janeiro after he left Argentina and was placed on the Interpol red list.

He will spend the night in a cell in Iguazu in Argentina's northeastern Misiones province on the border with Brazil before being transferred 800 miles (1,200 kilometers) south to a local jail in Cordoba pending a trial.

Reuters footage showed the 51-year-old sportsman, his hands cuffed in front of him and dressed in a federal police-issue stab vest and ballistic helmet, being transferred into police custody and driven to a police station in Iguazu.

According to a police statement, Cabrera faces charges of minor injuries, threats and theft said to have occurred between 2016 and 2020.

SOCCER

Neymar instrumental as Brazil stays perfect

Neymar scored one goal and created the other as Brazil maintained its perfect start to World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over Paraguay on Tuesday.

Substitute Lucas Paqueta sealed the win deep into injury time in Asuncion as Brazil opened up a six-point lead at the top of South America's single qualifying group after a sixth win out of six.

Brazil got off to a flier with less than four minutes on the clock. Gabriel Jesus, recalled to the starting lineup, crossed from the right and although Richarlison missed his attempted volley, Neymar was unmarked at the back post to finish past goalkeeper Antony Silva.

Paraguay did not crumble, though, and centerback Omar Alderete forced an incredible save out of goalkeeper Ederson with a long-range effort.

BASKETBALL

Embiid takes control to tie series for Sixers

Joel Embiid scored a career playoff high 40 points and added 13 rebounds as the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers toppled the Atlanta Hawks 118-102 on Tuesday to level their Eastern Conference series at 1-1.

Tobias Harris tallied 22 points, Seth Curry finished with 21 and five threes, and Shake Milton came off the bench to score 14 points as the Sixers reserves scored 26 points in the second half in front of a crowd of 18,600 at Wells Fargo Center.

Game three in the best-of-seven series will be played on Friday in Atlanta.

Embiid is playing despite being diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear in his knee. After eliminating the Washington Wizards in five games, Philadelphia came into the series knowing that All-Star Embiid would be playing with a small tear in his right knee.

Trae Young, who was the star of Game 1, finished with 21 points and 11 assists. He came into the game averaging 30.2 points in the postseason.

Xinhua - Agencies