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South Korean An makes winning start at China Open

South Korean An makes winning start at China Open

Reuters23-07-2025
CHANGZHOU, China, July 23 (Reuters) - South Korean women's top seed An Se-young got her China Open campaign off to a winning start after recovering from a first-game wobble to beat Canadian Michelle Li 13-21 21-3 21-10 in the Chinese city of Changzhou on Wednesday.
Paris Olympic singles gold medallist An, 23, will next face countrywoman Sim Yu-jin in the next round.
Women's defending champion and Chinese second seed Wang Zhiyi beat Taiwan's Hsu Wen-chi 21-16 21-9, setting up a second-round clash with Japan's Riko Gunji, who overcame American Beiwen Zhang 19-21 21-10 21-13.
Japanese women's third seed Akane Yamaguchi also progressed after carving out a comfortable 21-12 21-9 victory against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt.
Sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki was the biggest upset of the day in the women's draw as the 18-year-old Japanese went down fighting against India's PV Sindhu, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro singles silver medallist, 21-15 8-21 21-17.
"She's doing well and she's been doing well for quite some time now. It was important for me to win these matches so that it will also give me a morale boost and also that confidence," Sindhu said.
"Sometimes I've been going three games, I've been coming close, yet I've been losing. So, I think it was a good win for me and I need to continue this tempo and keep going ... Even though she's young, she's doing well and she's at the top at the moment."
Sindhu will face 17-year-old compatriot Unnati Hooda in the next round.
Thai women's seventh seed Pornpawee Chochuwong progressed to the second round as Taiwan's Chiu Pin-Chian retired while the former was leading the contest 20-22 21-19 11-5. Chochuwong faces Sung Shuo-yun next, who is also from Taiwan.
In the men's draw, Danish second seed Anders Antonsen made light work of Japan's Yushi Tanaka 21-19 21-15.
Chinese men's third seed Shi Yuqi secured a comfortable 21-16 21-11 over compatriot Weng Hongyang.
Indonesian men's fourth seed Jonatan Christie also stormed into the next round, while eighth seed Alex Lanier was bundled out by fellow Frenchman Toma Junior Popov 22-20 13-21 21-17.
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Is it ‘off his own back' or ‘off his own bat'?
Is it ‘off his own back' or ‘off his own bat'?

Spectator

time29 minutes ago

  • Spectator

Is it ‘off his own back' or ‘off his own bat'?

During the last Olympics, Jane Edwards from Worcestershire wrote to the Times observing that Mrs Malaprop herself would have found stiff competition from commentators saying: 'Edging their bets', 'Having a conflab', 'In one fowl swoop' and 'Off his own back'. The Olympic legacy has certainly included 'off his own back'. It is curious how often it turns up in sporting contexts, considering it is a mangling of a metaphor from cricket, 'off his own bat'. In Trollope's novel from 1869, He Knew He Was Right, in which a brittle-sounding character is called Glascock (which I suspect is pronounced Glasgow), a lesser hero, Hugh Stanbury, asks an old servant of his rich aunt: 'Do you know the meaning of making a score off your own bat, Martha?' Stanbury meant making money by his own efforts instead of inheriting it from his aunt. I suspect that it was for the sake of rhyme that T.S. Eliot remarked of Mr Mistoffelees, the Conjuring Cat, that 'All his/ Inventions are off his own bat'. But this well established figure of speech has been widely turned into the meaningless off his own back. Last month the ITV journalist Paul Brand asked Nikki da Costa whether she was scrutinising the assisted dying debate 'off your own back'. (She was.) When Zia Yusuf quit Reform in June, party sources explained: 'He's resigned off his own back.' The phrase has also become muddled with someone giving you the shirt off his back. The Guardian said of an Iraq veteran: 'Adam would quite literally give you the shirt off his own back.' The Sun, reporting that Luke Littler, the darts champion, was cashing in on his success by selling signed match-worn shirts, said that he was 'peddling the clothing off his own back'. The Sun also found a circumstance where off his own back was neither metaphorical nor erroneous. Dwight Gayle, a Newcastle player, deflected someone else's shot 'into the net off his own back'. After a spell of ill luck, his reaction was suitably dorsal: 'It is a massive weight off my shoulders.'

Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Wilson in quarter-finals, Trump vs Selby latest
Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Wilson in quarter-finals, Trump vs Selby latest

The Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Sun

Shanghai Masters snooker 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Wilson in quarter-finals, Trump vs Selby latest

THE Shanghai Masters is rolling on at speed with the quarter-finals beginning on Thursday! Ronnie O'Sullivan booked his spot in the last-8 with a narrow 6-5 win over fellow Englishman Barry Hawkins on Wednesday. The Rocket will take on Kyren Wilson in the standout quarter-final tie, while World No1 Judd Trump goes head-to-head with Mark Selby in another exciting clash. World champion Zhao Xintong faces Ding Junhui, with the victor playing the winner of O'Sullivan vs Wilson in the semi-finals. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Follow our live blog below... Today, 12:48 By Rob Maul Zhao Xintong 80-4 Chris Wakelin (Frame 1-11) First blood to Zhao Xintong. A break of 68. And how pleased he will be to have got that first frame on the board. There is a lot of interest on how he performs in his homeland and that will settle the nerves. That missed yellow did not cost him. Already he looks in good form. If he carries on like this, it could be a very quick match. A reminder why he is called the Cyclone. Today, 12:42 By Rob Maul Yellow peril A nervy, edgy start to both matches. Plenty of safety battles to begin with. Zhao Xintong and Ronnie O'Sullivan both potted reds but then broke down on yellows. Xintong could only post a score of 12. The Rocket only had one point on the board. A long way to go, of course, but the crowd are really involved in this. It is sold out at the Luwan Gymnasium. Today, 12:36 By Rob Maul Superstar DJ, Here we go It is not often that Ronnie O'Sullivan is overshadowed but he is this time. After some loud, pumping techno tunes – the DJ has really overdone it there – Zhao Xintong makes his way into the arena and is cheered to the rafters. Dressed in a grey waistcoat, the reigning world champion has saluted the fans in Shanghai. All the Chinese fans have their smartphones out and are filming the action. It is a reminder of the reception that Xintong got when he won the world title in May. There were dozens of local punters waiting outside the stage door in Sheffiedl for his departure, with the famous trophy in his hand. Today, 11:10 By Tony Robertson Afternoon matches So who is playing some snooker this afternoon? Well we probably have two of the most highly-anticipated games of the tournament so far commencing at 12:30pm today. The first of these is Ronnie O'Sullivan facing off against Barry Hawkins. Meanwhile, world champion Zhao Xintong is then busy taking on Chris Wakelin. Today, 10:50 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Higgins out as Xiao progresses Higgins and Xiao have played out some really strong snooker this morning. And the Scot was looking likely to get a really high score as he chalked up 41 before an unexpected miss of a red ball. That let Xiao back on the table, and he did not need a second invitation to close out the game. He swept the table going on from there until missing the pink ball to end the match with a score of 80-41. John Higgins 4-6 Xiao Guodong Today, 10:28 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Xiao within one Xiao has enjoyed a very strong performance against Higgins today, with the Scot having really made him work for it. He scored 113 points without reply before missing on the brown ball. The 36-year-old is now within one frame of victory. John Higgins 4-5 Xiao Guodong Today, 10:19 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Carter secures phenomenal comeback win Higgins' slow and steady approach looked to be paying dividends as he moved into the lead over Xiao. And he steadily racked up the points to win the frame 73-21. In the final frame between Williams and Carter, Williams broke the frame, with Carter then immediately getting back into his groove. He swiftly racked up 42 points, which also meant it was a colossal 300 points without reply from Williams. It's as the old saying goes, it's not how you start but how you finish, and this match was the perfect example of that. And the win - topped off by his third century of the match and another cleared table - secured Carter's spot in the quarter-finals tomorrow. Made even more remarkable considering Carter was a late replacement for Mark Allen at this tournament. Mark Williams 5-6 Ali Carter John Higgins 4-4 Xiao Guodong Today, 10:05 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Carter draws level Well who would have seen this coming 40 minutes ago? Carter has found a new lease of life in Shanghai and is now level with Williams going into a decisive frame. He racks up 87 to no reply once again, meaning Williams has now not scored in two whole frames as we enter the make-or-break decider. Meanwhile, Xiao and Williams remain in their eighth frame, with Xiao holding a narrow lead. However, Higgins is currently at the table on a break of 16. Mark Williams 5-5 Ali Carter John Higgins 3-4 Xiao Guodong Today, 09:58 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Xiao takes the lead And Xiao has surged ahead in his game against Higgins after an emphatic frame. The Chinese cueist scored more than a century for the second time in the match with a total of 126 and a break of 104. His final colours even saw him pocket an accidental trick shot on the blue as he missed the pocket he was aiming for before it cannoned back into the opposite pocket. Meanwhile, Carter has now taken back-to-back frames, winning 88-0 to move within one frame of a winner-takes-all decider. Will momentum now carry him through? Mark Williams 5-4 Ali Carter John Higgins 3-4 Xiao Guodong Today, 09:39 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Carter still in the hunt Xiao took an early lead in the sixth frame against Higgins, before the Scot cruised into the lead. Higgins built up a respectable score of 29 while at the table, which included a rarely-seen double-red ball pot, before Xiao returned. And he made the most of it as he chalked up 61 points which was a frame winning score as Higgins managed just one more. Meanwhile, Williams looked completely infallible in frame eight against Carter, that was an ambitious pot on a red that was too tight an angle. Carter had to be nigh on flawless to get back into the frame, and he started well with a stunning long-shot pot after picking a red out of the group. And he eventually ended up taking the lead before needing to pot a difficult red squeezed up against a cushion to all but secure the frame... which he managed to do. Carter fell short of another century, but did manage to clear the table for an impressive 93. Mark Williams 5-3 Ali Carter John Higgins 3-3 Xiao Guodong Today, 09:24 By Tony Robertson Latest scores – Williams on match frame The Higgins - Xiao table is back to playing again, while it was a strong start for Williams in the seventh frame against Carter. Williams played a containing safety to make life difficult for Carter as he went to pot a red after racking up five points, which worked as he missed his spot with the ball kissing the side of the cushion. However, Williams then went too quickly and missed his next shot at a far easier red. On the other table, Higgins slow and steady approach looked set to land him the lead as he scored 60 points before missing a shot. Fortunately for him, Xiao could not take advantage, with Higgins adding one more point to win the frame. Williams and Carter had a real back-and-forth on this frame. It was far from a pretty frame with plenty of missed shots to go around for both players. Carter would have needed two snookers to get back into the game when he went 51-18 down, but decided to concede it to put Williams on match frame. Mark Williams 5-2 Ali Carter John Higgins 3-2 Xiao Guodong Today, 09:04 By Tony Robertson Latest scores - Williams surges ahead Williams has come back from the break with a real spring in his step. Carter started the frame strongly with 22 points after scoring two blacks and a blue with three reds. However, he missed his fourth shot trying to pot a red to invite Williams to the table. Seven missed shots later from the pair and it was Williams at the table, who powered on to score 83 points and take a two-frame lead. A reminder that at this stage, the games are first to six frames. Mark Williams 4-2 Ali Carter John Higgins 2-2 Xiao Guodong Today, 08:51 By Tony Robertson Latest scores - Williams take the lead In the time Xiao took his century, Williams has also been getting in on the act. After seeing Carter pull out two centuries to win two frames which sandwiched his own winning frames, Williams has now brought his own ton to the table. He scored 124 to no reply, getting all the way down to pink before missing his mark. These two are going through shots at least six seconds quicker than their rivals on the other table, and if this pace keeps up it might even be over by 11am. Mark Williams 3-2 Ali Carter John Higgins 2-2 Xiao Guodong Today, 08:46 By Tony Robertson Latest scores - Xiao levels the score with a century With Williams and Carter on a break after rattling through their first four frames, Higgins and Xiao can take the spotlight. Higgins started out with the opening four points of the frame following a foul from Xiao, though neither of them managed to pot a ball until the 18th shot. But Xiao then roared into life to score the game's first century. He racked up 104 points before scuffing his final pot of a red and inexplicably potting the cue ball. Final score of that frame, 104-8. Mark Williams 2-2 Ali Carter John Higgins 2-2 Xiao Guodong Today, 08:39 By Tony Robertson Previous scores Here are the scores from the round two games yesterday. Kyren Wilson and Ding Junhiu fought through close matches to secure a spot in the next round. Although Mark Selby and Judd Trump were far more at ease in their respective games against Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson. Kyren Wilson 6-5 Si Jiahui Mark Selby 6-0 Shaun Murphy Ding Junhui 6-5 Zhang Anda Judd Trump 6-2 Neil Robertson

Rangers advance - for now: The gas man saves day yet again against a regret-ridden foe
Rangers advance - for now: The gas man saves day yet again against a regret-ridden foe

Scotsman

time3 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Rangers advance - for now: The gas man saves day yet again against a regret-ridden foe

Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Just as Rangers' fuel levels started to dip into the reserve zone in the sweltering heat of Athens, up popped their new gas man. Djeidi Gassama had only been on the pitch three minutes when he showed brilliant technique to drill home a high angled ball into the Panathinaikos net on the hour mark. It restored parity in a match that was getting away from the Scottish side and permitted them progress into the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gassama, a £2.3million signing from Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month, is already repaying what many saw as already bargain buy. He netted three minutes into his debut last week, scoring the second goal in a 2-0 win over Panathinaikos in the first leg at Ibrox, and is fast showing his credentials as a super-sub. Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland celebrates the 1-1 draw in Athens against Panathinaikos. | SOOC/AFP via Getty Images The 21-year-old Frenchman will be a starter soon enough, once his fitness is up to speed. Perhaps even next week when Rangers' Champions League qualifying quest comes up against its next opponent in either Servette or Viktoria Plzen. This 1-1 draw in the Greek capital ensured a 3-1 aggregate victory over a Panathinaikos side left addled by regret. Rangers weren't very good in Greece. They passed sloppily, coughed up chances and rarely carried a goal-threat. They were indebted to some smart goalkeeping from Jack Butland but more so to some glaring inadequacies from their hosts, who not just in Athens but in Glasgow displayed profligacy in front of goal and softness at the back. Not that Rangers and their new head coach Russell Martin will grumble much. These are very early days for the boss and his players as he attempts to instil a fresh way of football in Govan. Some feared they would fall at the first hurdle but in a stadium that hosted the Olympics 21 years ago, they cleared it. Whatever technical deficiencies that were on show were cancelled out by grit, guts and determination. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We know why Rangers are work in progress - but that won't cut it in Champions League The likelihood is though that Rangers will need to raise the bar significantly if they are to reach the promised land. Their goal led a charmed life over the two legs and better teams than Panathinaikos lie in wait. Some explanation can be found in the fledgling nature of Martin's tenure, but the cut-throat environment of the Champions League won't mitigate for that The opening exchanges in Athens were similar to eight days ago in Glasgow. Panathinaikos started brighter, were crisper in possession and attacked with more intent. They forced Rangers into mistakes and just like at Ibrox, the Greeks failed to take advantage. By the ten-minute mark, Panathinaikos had forced a flurry of corners. Rangers stood up to an aerial bombardment but then so nearly turned the gun on themselves on 13 minutes when John Souttar left a long ball which Max Aarons dithered upon, allowing Facundo Pellistri to scamper clear into the visitors' penalty box. A heavy touch allowed Jack Butland to narrow the angle and the Uruguayan's shot was straight at him. Jack Butland is unable to stop Panathinaikos taking the lead. | SOOC/AFP via Getty Images Pellistri again misfired from a central position inside the box after Panathinaikos seized on some sloppiness from Nasser Djiga. Not helped by a poor bounce of the ball admittedly, but the ex-Man Utd man really ought to have at least hit the target. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Captain and No 9 Fotis Ioannidis did at least test Butland with a smart header that was just too central to cause any damage. With the exception of a few counter attacks, Rangers spent most of the game in survival mode. The visitors could not get a handle on proceedings and benefitted from their opponents being toothless when asked to sink their teeth into opportunities. Martin would therefore be happy for his team to enter the sheds with their clean sheet in tact. This was not a strong first-half performance from his team, riddled with disorganisation and stray passes. Six minutes of drama as Gassama saves day for Rangers The start of the second half followed a familiar pattern. Rangers could not keep the ball, Panathinaikos could not do anything noteworthy with it. By the 50th minute Rangers were already entering into a phase of game-management - time-wasting is what critics would call it. The home crowd booed in disapproval. Those jeers turned to cheers, however, on 54 minutes when Panathinaikos took the lead. Finally Rangers' resistance waned. The goal wasn't pretty but Panathinaikos did not care. The ball was swung into the box from Rangers' left and Filip Djuricic ambled in unmarked. He did not connect properly with his header but it had enough direction and spin to deceive Butland and slither into the net. The offside flag was raised initially but after a painfully long VAR check, the goal was awarded. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Panathinaikos sensed blood. Souttar gave possession away cheaply on the halfway line and Djuricic stormed forward, only for his low cross to have too much juice on it and evade Ioannidis. Mohamed Diomande tries to drive Rangers forward in Greece. | SOOC/AFP via Getty Images What a moment that was, because on the hour-mark, Rangers levelled the match and restored their two-goal cushion in the tie. Nicolas Raskin drove forward, the ball came to Danilo and while his two efforts were blocked, Gassama caught the ball flush on the volley and it barrelled into the net via the far post. It was a surprising moment given that Rangers had been so inoffensive thus far, but entirely in keeping with the theme of this tie. Whenever Panathinaikos appeared like they were taking control, the Glasgow side pulled a rabbit out of the hat. The Greeks needed to respond. Ioannidis was again a couple of centimetres from connecting with a delicious delivery from out wide. The captain wailed in frustration, knowing that with 20 minutes to go, time was running out. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad

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