Digest

ROWING

Chinese crews capture two World Cup titles

China's men's and women's quadruple sculls both won their respective finals at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Poland, on Sunday.

The men's team of Zang Ha, Yi Xudi, Liu Zhiyu and Adilijiang Sulitan fended off a strong early challenge from Poland to triumph in 5 minutes and 58.44 seconds.

The Poles faded to third, with Estonia claiming second.

In the women's quadruple sculls, Chen Yunxia, Lu Shiyu, Lyu Yang and Cui Xiaotong won in 6:30.68 ahead of second-placed Switzerland and the Netherlands in third.

In the women's lightweight double sculls final A, China finished fourth, the same as the women's double sculls team.

BADMINTON

Doubles delight for China in Indonesia

China claimed two golds and two silvers at the Indonesia Open in Jakarta on Sunday.

China's top-seeded duo of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong secured the mixed doubles title with a crushing 21-14, 21-16 victory over Japan's Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino, in 41 minutes.

Last Sunday, world No 2 pair Zheng and Huang bagged gold at the Indonesian Masters. "Today's medals and last week's title proved that we are a good team," said Huang.

Their compatriots Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi claimed the men's doubles title by downing their South Korean opponents, Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho, 21-17, 23-21.

China's Wang Zhiyi, 22, finished with a silver medal in the women's singles after losing to Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu-ying 21-23, 21-6, 21-15 in an hour-long contest.

Zhao Junpeng had to settle for men's singles silver after being outplayed in the final by Denmark's world No 1 Viktor Axelsen, 21-9,21-10.

In the all-Japanese women's doubles final, Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida defeated Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota 18-21,21-14, 21-17.

GYMNASTICS

Teenager Wu thrilled with impressive debut

Wu Ran

The Asian Gymnastics Championships concluded on Saturday with China claiming eight of the 14 gold medals on offer in Doha, including the men's and women's team and all-around titles.

Seventeen-year-old Wu Ran was one of the biggest winners on the final day, pocketing two golds－in the balance beam and floor exercise events.

"It was my international debut, so I'm really thrilled with my performance here in Doha," said Wu. "I will keep on improving in the future with the team."

Carlos Yulo of the Philippines also picked up two golds on Saturday－in the vault and parallel bars－adding to his floor exercise gold from Friday.

"Doha is my favorite venue. I like this city and the venue where I won my maiden world championships medal in 2018," said Yulo, who is now based in Japan for training.

South Korea's Yun Jin-seong edged Chinese veteran Lin Chaopan to claim the horizontal bar title, with the tie-break rules needed to separate them. Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan won the bronze.

SOCCER

Van Puyvelde leaves CFA technical role

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on Sunday that Chris Van Puyvelde is leaving his role as technical director after concluding amicable negotiations with the governing body.

The CFA said Van Puyvelde made the decision due to personal reasons and the Belgian will leave for his home country on Monday.

The 63-year-old signed a four-year deal with the CFA in late 2018, tasked with technical development, coaching and the cultivation of youth players.

"We are very thankful for Chris' contributions to the development of Chinese soccer over the past three and a half years. We wish 'the friend of Chinese soccer' all the best in his life and work in the future," read a CFA statement.

The former technical chief of the Belgian Football Association, Van Puyvelde was one of the masterminds behind the Belgium team that finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

TENNIS

Zhang retires in final after grueling schedule

Beatriz Haddad Maia won her second title in seven days after China's Zhang Shuai retired in the final of the WTA Birmingham grass-court event on Sunday.

Haddad Maia was 5-4 up in the first set when Zhang indicated she could no longer play on.

Both players had come through tough semifinals earlier on Sunday against two Romanians, with Haddad Maia defeating former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep and Zhang seeing off Sorana Cirstea, after rain had washed out Saturday's play.

Haddad Maia has now won her last 10 grass-court matches, having lifted another trophy in England at the Nottingham Open on June 12.

After the ninth game of the first set, the 33-year-old Zhang, who also played a doubles match indoors on Saturday, called for the trainer and received treatment for a neck injury before deciding she was unable to continue.

"It was really tough to play after two and a half hours of singles, and also I already played seven matches this week," Zhang said.

"I'm really tired. Really tough to play indoor hard court and then back to grass. My body is not working anymore. Sorry."

Agencies