Sports

Premier League Darts: Michael van Gerwen confirms play-off spot in night 15 in Leeds

Published

2 weeks ago

May 9, 2024

Seven-time winner Michael van Gerwen clinched his place in the Premier League Darts play-offs despite losing 6-5 to world champion Luke Humphries in the night 15 final in Leeds.

Humphries’ success was his fourth night win of the season, and he matches Van Gerwen and teenager Luke Littler’s record.

It also kept the 29-year-old in contention for top spot, which would see him face the fourth-placed player in the play-offs at London’s O2 Arena on 23 May.

The final week of the regular season will see fixtures decided from the league table standings, so fourth-placed Nathan Aspinall will face Michael Smith, who sits fifth, in the quarter-finals with the winner sealing the final play-off spot.

For Humphries, the victory was a career highlight in the city of his football team Leeds United after they finished third in the Championship and missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League following a poor run of results.

“I knew it was on me. I knew if I lost, it would have been #LeedsAreFallingApartAgain online,” he told Sky Sports.

“This is one of my greatest experiences in darts. My first major win would be second and the World Championship will always be top, but this is third.”

Humphries won nights six to eight earlier in the season but had failed to reach the final since.

He has admitted to feeling tired as he juggles playing in the Premier League for the first time alongside the regular European Tour and Players Championship events.

However, Humphries was back to his scintillating best for large parts of the evening in a venue he considers home.

He wore a special white shirt with blue and yellow trims and, after teasing he would do so in recent weeks, debuted his new walk-on song I Predict A Riot by Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs.

Source link

Sports

Anthony Cacace: ‘If I can win this one I can win them all’

Published

4 hours ago

May 20, 2024

worlddailyinfo

Belfast fighter Anthony Cacace wants to be become the undisputed super-featherweight world champion after winning the IBF belt on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old arrived home on Monday following his shock victory over Joe Cordina in Saudi Arabia.

Sports

West Ham set to appoint Julen Lopetegui as new manager

Published

8 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Simon Stone

West Ham are set to appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager later this week.

The former Spain and Real Madrid coach was identified as the Hammers’ first choice to replace outgoing boss David Moyes and, earlier this month, agreed to take up the role.

Now the Premier League season is over, Lopetegui’s contract will be signed, allowing him to take over for the start of pre-season, which includes a two-week trip to the United States for matches against Crystal Palace and Wolves.

Ironically, Lopetegui spent the second half of the 2022-23 season with Wolves, guiding the club to safety. However, he left on the eve of the new campaign after issues over transfer funding failed to get resolved.

Moyes revealed after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City that he has already received job offers but is likely to spend some time with his family after getting only three weeks off last summer.

The Scot has agreed media commitments with BBC Sport and Talksport at this summer’s European Championships.

Former Spain and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 before moving to Wolves two years later.

Source link

Sports

Nelly Korda: World number one wins Americas Open for sixth win in seven tournaments

Published

16 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Nicola Pearson

Nelly Korda secured her sixth victory in seven tournaments by winning the Mizuho Americas Open on Sunday.

The 25-year-old’s level-par 71 saw her win on 14 under, one shot clear of Australian Hannah Green at the Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City.

Korda started the final day with a two-shot lead but had three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine to be level with Green at the halfway point.

After matching each other down the stretch it was the Australian who blinked first, missing a par putt on the 18th that would have forced a play-off.

The victory means American Korda bounced back at the first opportunity after her winning streak of five came to an end at last week’s Cognizant Founders Cup.

The world number one’s run had included last month’s Chevron Championship, the first major of the season.

It was Korda’s 14th LPGA Tour victory as she became the first American to win six or more times in a season since Beth Daniel won seven times in 1990. American legend Mickey Wright holds the record with 13 victories in 1963.

Korda will next turn her attention to the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, which begins on 30 May.

Source link