Oct 21, 2019   More sports

Tearful Murray wins at Antwerp for first ATP title since March 2017

ANTWERP (AFP) -- Andy Murray won his first ATP title since March 2017 on Sunday with a battling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the Antwerp final.Former world number one Murray, rebuilding his game after career-saving hip surgery earlier this year, fought back from a set and 3-1 down against Wawrinka to claim his 46th career title."It means a lot. The last few years have been extremely difficult," Murray, who broke down in tears at the

Sep 22, 2019   More sports

Wimbledon quarterfinalist Muchova wins Korea Open

Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova captured the Korea Open for her first WTA title on Sunday.Muchova, the No. 3 seed from the Czech Republic, defeated fourth-seeded Maga Linette 6-1, 6-1 in the rain-delayed final at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul.The match was initially scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. but was pushed back by six and a half hours because of downpours, brought on by Typhoon Tapah. The match lasted just over an hour, as Muchova, world No. 45, overwhelmed the 48th-ranked

Sep 16, 2019   More sports

After early tournament exit, half Korean tennis player turns eyes to business

Jessica Pegula's campaign at the Korea Open tennis tournament lasted just one match, but the American player of Korean descent still has much on her plate during her stay in the country -- namely, finding inspiration for her business.Pegula, world No. 60, dropped a grueling match against Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the Korea Open on Monday at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul.After outlasting Bonaventure in the first set, Pegula found herself down 5-0 i

Sep 16, 2019   More sports

Korean-American tennis player feels on cusp of reaching next level

Kristie Ahn's quest for her maiden WTA title got off to a rousing start in Seoul on Monday, as the Korean-American star enjoyed a breezy victory in the land of her parents' birth.Ahn overwhelmed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 6-0, 6-0 in the first round of the Korea Open at Olympic Park Tennis Center. This is Ahn's first appearance at this tournament in three years. She was eliminated in the second round in 2017 and didn't play here in 2018.Ahn is riding high from a fourth-round appearance at t

Sep 9, 2019   More sports

Nadal takes five-set US Open thriller for 19th Slam title

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Rafael Nadal captured his 19th career Grand Slam title in thrilling fashion on Sunday by winning the US Open final, outlasting Russia's Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to seize his fourth crown in New York.The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander moved one shy of Roger Federer's all-time men's record 20 Grand Slam triumphs and became the second-oldest New York champion in the Open era after Ken Rosewall in 1970 at age 35.World number two Nadal took the top prize of $3.85 mil

Sep 1, 2019   More sports

S. Korea routed by Argentina to open FIBA Basketball World Cup

South Korea got blown out by Argentina 95-69 on Saturday to start the men's basketball world championship in China.South Korea, world No. 32, shot just 31.9 percent from the field, including 8-for-23 from behind the arc, in Group B action at the FIBA Basketball World Cup at Wuhan Sports Centre in Wuhan, China. The fifth-ranked Argentina drained six three-pointers in the third quarter alone en route to making 17 of 31 attempts from downtown.Ricardo Ratliffe, a US-born, naturalized center for Sout

Sep 1, 2019   More sports

S. Korean Chung Hyeon falls to Nadal in 3rd round at US Open

Chung Hyeon defeated one left-handed Spanish player at the US Open. He couldn't get past another one.The 170th-ranked South Korean player was dominated by world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the third round of the season's final Grand Slam tournament in New York on Saturday (local time), losing in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Chung defeated Fernando Verdasco, the aforementioned Spaniard southpaw, in Th

Aug 30, 2019   More sports

World martial arts competition kicks off in Chungju

About 3,200 martial arts masters and officials from 106 countries gathered in Chungju, a city in the central South Korean province of North Chungcheong, on Friday to kick off the 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships.The competition, dubbed the Martial Arts Olympics, will continue through Sept. 6 at Chungju Gymnasium and seven other venues in Chungju, about 150 kilometers southeast of Seoul, under the slogan “Beyond the Times, Bridge the World.” A total of 2,414 athletes, accom

Aug 30, 2019   More sports

[Newsmaker] Chung Hyeon stages huge comeback to win 2nd round match at US Open

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has completed a big comeback to reach the third round at the US Open.Chung, world No. 170, defeated the 34th-ranked Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Thursday (local time). Chung rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth set and saved a match point to force a tiebreak. He then charged out to a 5-0 lead before finishing off Verdasco 7-3 in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes.Nex

Aug 28, 2019   More sports

Chung Hyeon rallies to take 1st round match at US Open

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has rallied to win his first round match at the season's final Grand Slam tournament.Chung, ranked 170th, defeated American Ernesto Escobedo (206th) in five sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2, at the US Open men's singles at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Tuesday (local time).By winning the 3:37 marathon affair, Chung has reached the second round at the US Open for the third consecutive year. He will take on Fernando Verdasco of Spa

Aug 25, 2019   More sports

S. Korea beats China to finish 3rd at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea finished third at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday with a straight-set victory over China. South Korea took care of China 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22) at Jamsil Arena in Seoul for its second consecutive third-place finish. At the biennial event in 2017, South Korea also prevailed over China to take the third spot.South Korea is a first-time host of the Asian championship, which was inaugurated in 1975. The country has never won the event, with seven runner-up fin

Aug 24, 2019   More sports

S. Korea falls to Japan in semifinals at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea lost to Japan in the semifinals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Saturday, coming up short in a bid to claim its first continental title on home court.Japan rallied after dropping the first set for a 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 28-26) victory at Jamsil Arena in Seoul and moved on to Sunday's final. It will face the winner of the other semifinal clash between Thailand and China, scheduled for later Saturday.The loser of that match will take on South Korea in the thir

Aug 23, 2019   More sports

S. Korea beats Thailand at continental volleyball tournament, avenges Asian Games loss

South Korea got the better of Thailand at the continental women's volleyball tournament on Friday, avenging a loss from last year's Asian Games.World No. 9 South Korea came away with a hard-fought victory over the 14th-ranked Thailand by the score of 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21). South Korea had fallen to Thailand in the semifinals of the Asian Games in Jakarta last August, getting denied in its bid for a second straight gold medal.Nine of 14 Thai players faced South Korea at the Asian Games

Aug 21, 2019   More sports

8 years, 3 doping cases later, race walker becomes 1st S. Korean with world championships medal

It's been a long time coming, and race walker Kim Hyun-sub has finally become the first South Korean to win a world championships medal, set to receive a prize that he should have been awarded eight years ago on home soil.Kim finished the men's 20-kilometer race walk in sixth place at the 2011 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Daegu, 300 km southeast of Seoul. But three athletes who finished ahead of him have since been stripped of their records bec