Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Flawless Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim Tokyo title; Cricket-India out to end decade of hurt at home World Cup and more

Manchester United's campaign of woe continued with a 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace but there were no such troubles for Arsenal who, along with Spurs, closed the gap to leaders City to one point with a rampant 4-0 win at Bournemouth. Cricket-England batting power gives them fighting chance England head into the defence of their World Cup title short of ODI practice but unconcerned as they will approach the 50-overs format in the same way they have tests and T20s - with total commitment to attack and confidence in success.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Flawless Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim Tokyo title

Eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova claimed her first title of the season and second overall with a comprehensive 7-5 6-1 win over world number four Jessica Pegula in the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo on Sunday. An aggressive Kudermetova wasted little time unleashing her powerful shots from the baseline and broke American Pegula early for a 3-0 lead, but she dropped her own serve in the fifth game before allowing her opponent to draw level in the first set.

Cricket-India out to end decade of hurt at home World Cup

India's success off the field has not been matched by their performances on it at World Cups over the last decade but with a near-perfect buildup, familiar conditions and recent history on their side, the hosts are favourites to end their title drought. Rohit Sharma and his men head into the 50-overs showpiece event as the world's top-ranked ODI team and with the hopes of a cricket-mad country of 1.4 billion on their shoulders.

Cricket-Classy Australia look to find form at World Cup

Although history has taught cricket fans never to write off Australia at a World Cup, sceptics of their chances of winning the trophy for a sixth time in India in November have more than a little ammunition to call on. The decision to allow Travis Head to recuperate from his fractured hand in the first half of the tournament smacks of desperation for the runs the 29-year-old has been providing at the top of the order.

Motorcycling-Martin declared Japanese GP winner after heavy rain brings out red flag

Pramac Racing's Jorge Martin was declared the winner of the Japanese Grand Prix when it was red-flagged halfway through the race on Sunday due to torrential rain that made conditions treacherous for the riders. Martin was in the lead with Ducati's championship leader Francesco Bagnaia in second while Honda's Marc Marquez was third.

Games-Athletics official in stable condition after being hit by hammer

An athletics official suffered a broken leg and serious bleeding after being hit by a misthrown hammer in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, but his vital signs are now stable, a spokesman for the games said on Sunday. Just before 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Saturday, Kuwait's Ali Zankawi lined up for one of his throws in the men's hammer final at the eastern Chinese city's packed Olympic stadium. But instead of soaring straight onto the outfield, the hammer flew out sideways and low to the right, smashing into the leg of the sitting technical official.

Soccer-Champions City shocked by Wolves, Spurs down nine-man Liverpool

Manchester City slipped to a shock first Premier League defeat of the season when they were beaten 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, while Tottenham Hotspur overcame nine-man Liverpool by the same score thanks to a stoppage-time Joel Matip own goal. Manchester United's campaign of woe continued with a 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace but there were no such troubles for Arsenal who, along with Spurs, closed the gap to leaders City to one point with a rampant 4-0 win at Bournemouth.

Cricket-England batting power gives them fighting chance

England head into the defence of their World Cup title short of ODI practice but unconcerned as they will approach the 50-overs format in the same way they have tests and T20s - with total commitment to attack and confidence in success. While there might be tactical tweaks, and the presence of a "rock" in the shape of Dawid Malan gives a semblance of stability, "Bazball" will still be in the air and captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott will give the team absolute licence to attack.

MLB roundup: Astros, D-backs punch tickets to postseason

Arizona and Houston each celebrated a postseason berth on Saturday night after the Astros defeated the Diamondbacks 1-0 in Phoenix. Houston solidified a spot in the American League playoffs with the victory, clinching at least a wild-card spot. Arizona currently owns the third and final National League wild card thanks to the Cincinnati Reds' 15-6 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Golf-Courageous Cantlay rams taunts down European throats

American Patrick Cantlay silenced the taunts of thousands of European fans to earn his side an emotion-charged point in their desperate battle to stay in the Ryder Cup on Saturday. The 31-year-old was mocked relentlessly by the boisterous galleries at the Marco Simone course throughout his fourballs match alongside Wyndham Clark after reports surfaced that he refused to wear a team cap because of a pay dispute.

Tennis-Swiatek puts focus on improvement and not reclaiming top rank

Iga Swiatek said losing the world number one ranking felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders and the 22-year-old plans to focus on improving her game and not merely chasing points during the home stretch of the season. Swiatek inherited top spot following Ash Barty's retirement in April 2022 and embarked on a superb run of form in the months that followed to claim three more Grand Slam titles after her breakthrough French Open success in 2020.

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