The Guardian

Eight-time champion withdraws two days before event O’Sullivan also pulled out 12 months ago Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the Masters two days before the tournament starts on medical grounds. O’Sullivan claimed a record-extending eighth win at the tournament in 2024 but opted against defending his crown 12 months ago, giving the same reason as he has for his latest withdrawal. Continue rea…

Manager takes charge of first game on Saturday in FA Cup ‘It’s not possible to be in this job and not be your own man’ Liam Rosenior is confident he will make the decisions at Chelsea, insisting he would not have agreed to take over as head coach if he doubted his ability to work within the club’s structure. Rosenior, who takes charge of his first game when Chelsea visit Charlton in the FA Cup th…

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They landed in Perth expecting to challenge Australia but after a 4-1 defeat and more off-field revelations, the laid-back approach of McCullum’s regime is in the ECB’s sights It was billed as “the series of our lives” by Brendon McCullum but as he and Ben Stokes looked over towards the podium to watch Steve Smith and Pat Cummins lift the crystal Ashes trophy under an azure sky, the optimism that…

It should have been easier for Wrexham to dump Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup but triumphing on penalties after suffering a late fightback will have made knocking out the Premier League side sweeter. After Callum Hudson-Odoi came off the bench to score a late double to bring parity after 90 minutes, Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo brought back the euphoria with two saves in the shootout to…

At last, Morocco have arrived at the tournament they are hosting. For four games they had played scratchy, crabbed football. Finally, in a spiky, ill-tempered quarter-final, there was something more like the Morocco that reached the semi-final of the World Cup just over three years ago. If the game wasn’t fluent, that was largely Cameroon’s doing as they spoiled and sought treatment. But the host…

Kepler banned after testing positive for epitrenbolone Suspension applies if free agent signs in 2026 Veteran outfielder spent last season with Phillies Free agent outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, Major League Baseball announced on Friday, a ruling that sidelines the veteran as he looks for his next club. Th…

Coach is vying with Michael Carrick to be interim manager Solskjær due at Carrington training base on Saturday Ole Gunnar Solskjær will have face-to-face talks with Manchester United on Saturday over becoming the interim manager until the end of the season. The Norwegian is vying with Michael Carrick for the position and is expected to meet Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, and Jason Wilcox…

If there is one takeaway for England from this Ashes tour it should be how cricket thrives in a nation where it is readily and freely available as the dominant summer pastime The drive to Bowral in New South Wales takes you through some of Australia’s most English countryside. Pastoral hills roll right up to the roadside and finish in grassy verges, flecked with yellow and white wildflowers. Alli…

Paris has shifted this year’s Group of 7 summit after Donald Trump confirmed plans for a major UFC fight card on the White House lawn on 14 June, his 80th birthday France has delayed this year’s Group of 7 summit by one day to avoid a scheduling conflict with an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight card planned at the White House on 14 June, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the…

Players will stay at club’s Seixal training ground Benfica lost 3-1 to Braga in League Cup semi-finals José Mourinho has turned on his Benfica players after the team’s 3-1 defeat by Braga in the Portuguese League Cup semi-finals, suggesting that the squad would be staying at the club’s Seixal training base until further notice. “The players will sleep in Seixal, and on Thursday there is training,…

Warwick and Kempton face 8am Saturday inspections Cautious approach adopted in face of falling temperature The valuable meetings at Warwick and Kempton on Saturday are subject to inspections at 8am due to the threat of overnight frost as cold weather continues to threaten the racing programme. Kempton was initially declared fit for racing on Friday afternoon but a revised forecast for sub-zero te…

National League South side face Grimsby in the third round and those at the club are desparate for the ride to continue Weeks on from the FA Cup third-round draw, inside Weston-super-Mare’s modest clubhouse at their stadium a couple of miles from the holiday haven beachfront, there is still a tinge of incredulity at what might have been. Bridget Bolland, operations manager and one of the mini-arm…

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Deal understood to lift pay to about £300,000 a week Arsenal keen to reward Declan Rice with new deal Bukayo Saka has agreed a new five-year contract at Arsenal that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the club’s history. The England forward’s deal that he signed in May 2023 is thought to be worth about £200,000 a week and is due to expire in 2027. Saka said before the Champions Leag…