Sports News Roundup: Motor racing-Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep; Soccer-Benzema's Real exit 'surprise to everyone', says Ancelotti and more

The twice collegiate champion turned professional 10 days ago after 141 weeks as the world's top-ranked amateur and sealed the title with a tap-in for par at the second playoff hole at New Jersey's Liberty National Golf Course. Basketball-'We ain't so super': Time for Liberty to wake up, says Brondello New York Liberty are a long way from living up to the superteam hype after they squandered a 19-point lead in an 86-82 loss to Chicago Sky on Sunday, coach Sandy Brondello said.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep

Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to stretch his Formula One lead to 53 points and continue Red Bull's sweep of the season with the team's seventh success in as many races. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was second for Mercedes, but 24.09 seconds behind, with team mate George Russell completing the podium on a cloudy but dry afternoon at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

Soccer-Benzema's Real exit 'surprise to everyone', says Ancelotti

Karim Benzema's decision to leave Real Madrid after 14 trophy-laden years was a surprise, manager Carlo Ancelotti said, but insisted that the Ballon d'Or winner has earned the right to choose. The 35-year-old striker will exit Real as a free agent in the close season, with the Frenchman linked with a big-money move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.

Soccer-Milan's Ibrahimovic hangs up his boots at 41

AC Milan's Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Sunday he had decided to end his playing career at the age of 41 after a trophy-laden career at some of Europe's top clubs. The extrovert Swede's Milan contract expires at the end of June and will not be renewed following a season plagued by injuries, prompting him to end a remarkable career.

Soccer-Klinsmann includes detained midfielder Son in South Korea squad

South Korea coach Juergen Klinsmann has included Son Jun-ho in his squad for this month's friendly matches against Peru and El Salvador despite the midfielder's ongoing detention in China in connection with a bribery case in Liaoning province.

Son, who plays his club football for Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan, was listed in the 23-man squad for the games, which will see the Koreans face Peru in Busan on June 16 before playing El Salvador four days later in Daejon.

Golf-Zhang triumphs in playoff to win in pro debut on LPGA Tour

American Rose Zhang prevailed in a tense playoff against compatriot Jennifer Kupcho to claim at the Mizuho Americas Open title and become first woman in more than 70 years to win on her professional debut at an LPGA Tour event on Sunday. The twice collegiate champion turned professional 10 days ago after 141 weeks as the world's top-ranked amateur and sealed the title with a tap-in for par at the second playoff hole at New Jersey's Liberty National Golf Course.

Basketball-'We ain't so super': Time for Liberty to wake up, says Brondello

New York Liberty are a long way from living up to the superteam hype after they squandered a 19-point lead in an 86-82 loss to Chicago Sky on Sunday, coach Sandy Brondello said. The club made headlines with an off-season acquisition spree that included Breanna Stewart, who scored highest average points per game in the league in 2022, and 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, prompting huge fanfare around their bid for a maiden WNBA title.

Tennis-Tsitsipas blasts past Ofner to make French Open quarter-finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas stepped up his bid for an elusive first Grand Slam title as the Greek fifth seed dismantled Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-5 6-3 6-0 on Sunday to book his place in the French Open quarter-finals. Tsitsipas was left broken-hearted after a five-sets defeat by Novak Djokovic in the 2021 Roland Garros final before another loss to the Serbian at January's Australian Open, but the 24-year-old has barely put a foot wrong in Paris this year.

NHL-Vegas ready to turn up the heat after Game 1 win, says Cassidy

The Golden Knights have far more to offer after beating the underdog Florida Panthers 5-2 to open the Stanley Cup Finals, Las Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said on Sunday. Tied at two apiece through the first two periods, defenceman Zach Whitecloud whipped a wrist shot through traffic for the go-ahead goal in the third with captain Mark Stone and Reilly Smith adding to the advantage in Saturday's affair.

MLB roundup: White Sox sink Tigers on walk-off grand slam

Jake Burger hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to give the host Chicago White Sox a 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon. Burger's 12th homer of the season gave Chicago a three-game series sweep. Luis Robert Jr. had two hits and scored two runs for the White Sox. Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer for Detroit.

Tennis-Djokovic, Alcaraz on track for French Open showdown, Sabalenka snubs press again

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz inched closer to a blockbuster French Open semi-final showdown with imperious wins on Sunday as Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka skipped another press conference due to being asked to comment on the war in Ukraine earlier in the tournament. Djokovic, who is chasing a men's record 23rd Grand Slam to leapfrog Spaniard Rafa Nadal in the injured champion's absence, blazed past Peruvian marathon man Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3 6-2 6-2 in a lopsided last-eight clash.

(With inputs from agencies.)