The China Mail - Sports (English)

Man Utd seek to stop rot as Arsenal host Spurs

Manchester United face old nemesis Vincent Kompany at Burnley this weekend in desperate need of a Premier League win while Arsenal host in-form Tottenham in a tantalising north London derby.

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'Endurance test' as struggling Dortmund tackle rejuvenated Wolfsburg

Rejuvenated Wolfsburg aim for a first Bundesliga win in over 10 years at struggling Borussia Dortmund on Saturday with coach Nico Kovac describing the mission as "an endurance test".

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Garcia, Kenin reach WTA Guadalajara semis

France's Caroline Garcia overpowered Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Thursday.

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Duvernay-Tardif, NFL champ and Covid-fighting doctor, retires

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who won a Super Bowl as an offensive lineman for Kansas City before leaving the NFL to combat Covid-19 as a doctor, announced his retirement from American football on Thursday.

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France star Dupont 'has suspected broken jaw': coach Galthie

France scrum-half Antoine Dupont may have broken his jaw in a high tackle that forced him off the pitch in the 96-0 World Cup thrashing of Namibia on Thursday, coach Fabien Galthie said.

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Shelton to face Fils in Laver Cup opener

US Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton will open for Team World against Team Europe's 19-year-old Arthur Fils of France in the opening match of the team tennis showdown at Rogers Arena on Friday.

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Aubameyang rescues crisis-hit Marseille as Liverpool, West Ham win

In a meeting of two former European champions in crisis, Ajax and Marseille ended a wild shootout in Amsterdam tied at 3-3 on Thursday in the opening round of Europa League group games while Liverpool and West Ham were also first day winners.

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Eugene to host 2024 US Olympic athletics trials

The 2024 Olympic US track and field trials will be held in Eugene, Oregon next June, US sports chiefs confirmed on Thursday.

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France thrash Namibia 96-0, but Dupont injured in high tackle

Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick of tries as France thrashed Namibia 96-0 in a World Cup Pool A match in Marseille on Thursday, but star scrum-half Antoine Dupont went off injured after a high tackle.

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Concussion-free Tagovailoa seeks 3-0 NFL start for Miami

A year after Tua Tagovailoa went down with head injuries that changed how the NFL handles concussions, the Miami quarterback is the league's top passer and the Dolphins are undefeated.

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Klopp wins record 50th European tie but 'everyody will hate it'

After Jurgen Klopp became the first Liverpool manager to win 50 European games on Thursday night he insisted "everybody will hate it."

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Tom Kim grabs French Open lead for Olympics boost

South Korea's Tom Kim carved out a one-shot lead at the rain-hit French Open on Thursday, enjoying the added bonus of an early sight of Le National course which will stage the 2024 Olympics golf tournament.

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Liverpool fight back again to edge LASK on Europa League return

Liverpool fell behind for the fourth time in five matches this season but fought back to beat LASK 3-1 in Linz in the Europa League on Thursday.

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'We'll see': Messi unsure about 2026 World Cup

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said he is unsure about his participation in the next World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026, when he will be 39.

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Lack of opportunities hampering Samoa, says Argentina's Contepomi

Argentina's backs coach Felipe Contepomi admitted on Thursday that World Cup opponents Samoa have been held back by a lack of opportunities as a Tier II nation.

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Putellas, Paredes say Spain players staying to promote change

Spain players Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes said Thursday the majority of the squad agreed to stay to advance change within the Spanish football federation, after they were called up to play for the women's national team against their will.

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'Desperate' Farrell captains England against Chile on return from ban

Fly-half Owen Farrell said on Thursday he was "desperate" to play in the Rugby World Cup after being named as captain on his return from a ban for this weekend's pool game with Chile.

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Farrell captains England against Chile on return from ban

Fly-half Owen Farrell will captain England against Chile on his return from a ban for this weekend's Rugby World Cup pool game, the Rugby Football Union announced on Thursday.

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Burnley boss Kompany ignores Man Utd crisis talk

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany said Thursday he is paying no attention to any talk of a crisis at Manchester United as he prepares to face Erik ten Hag's embattled side on Saturday.

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Marseille owner McCourt backs club president after angry clash with fans

The American owner of French giants Marseille has given his backing to the club's president, who is believed to be considering his position after claiming he was threatened in an angry confrontation with supporters.

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Aki 'honoured' to win 50th cap as Farrell names side to play Springboks

Bundee Aki said it would be "a huge honour" to win his 50th cap for Ireland on Saturday when he lines up for the eagerly-awaited Rugby World Cup Pool B match between the Six Nations Grand Slam winners and defending champions South Africa.

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No visa delays in India MotoGP are 'first win', says Bagnaia

World champion Francesco Bagnaia on Thursday lauded his manager for a timely arrival at India's first MotoGP -- unlike the visa issues faced by other riders.

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Senior Wallabies rally around misfiring Gordon

Australia's senior backs need to take more responsibility to ease the pressure on young fly-half Carter Gordon, experienced centre Samu Kerevi said on Thursday.

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Leaders Inter and Juve renewing old Serie A title rivalries

Inter Milan and Juventus are renewing an old Serie A title rivalry as Italy's two most widely supported clubs head into a busy week leading the way.

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South Africa 'eager' for Ireland crunch: De Klerk

Springbok scrum-half Faf de Klerk said Thursday his teammates are "well prepared and eager" to get on with this weekend's eagerly awaited Pool B encounter with Ireland in Paris.

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Australia's Cummins sees India ODIs as key World Cup preparation

Australian captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday he had fully recovered from a wrist injury and hoped to play all three one-day internationals against hosts India starting Friday.

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South Africa World Cup cricket blow as Nortje, Magala ruled out

Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala have both been ruled out of the Cricket World Cup because of injury, Cricket South Africa announced on Thursday.

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'Proud' Sainz wary of Red Bull revival in Japan

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz said Thursday he was proud of ending Red Bull's unbeaten streak but "wouldn't be surprised" if they do not lose again this season.

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Emotionless Verstappen ready to bounce back in Japan

Runaway Formula One leader Max Verstappen said Thursday he felt "no emotion" at seeing his record winning streak end as he looks to bounce back at this week's Japanese Grand Prix.

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Top seed Jabeur crashes out of WTA Guadalajara Open

Top seed Ons Jabeur was sent crashing out of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Wednesday, losing a grueling three-hour battle to Italy's Martina Trevisan.

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At-a-glance guide to the Hangzhou Asian Games

The 19th Asian Games take place in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from Saturday after a delay of a year caused by China's strict zero-Covid rules.

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From Chopra to Faker: competitors to watch at Asian Games

Some of the finest competitors on the planet will be in action at the Asian Games from Saturday until October 8.

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