Tony Finau set the first round pace at the Charles Schawb Challenge yesterday, reaping the rewards from a change of putting grip to card a blistering six-under-par 64 and claim the lead at Colonial Country Club in Texas.

Afghanistan batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi hit an unbeaten 74 as they stunned former champions Pakistan to win by three wickets with two balls to spare in a thrilling warm-up match in Bristol yesterday.

Any lesser mortal in Bangladesh might have been censured for being absent for the team’s World Cup photo shoot but such is the stature Shakib Al Hasan enjoys that the board merely regretted his no-show and moved on.

Qatar lost to Nigeria 0-4 in their Group D opening match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Tychy, Poland yesterday. Nigeria, runners-up to a Joao Pinto-propelled Portugal in 1989 and a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in 2005, went 2-0 up inside 25 minutes – and both goals were indebted to their left-ba

For RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick, winning today’s German Cup final against Bayern Munich would mean more than just silverware.

For RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick, winning today’s German Cup final against Bayern Munich would mean more than just silverware.

Lionel Messi has said Barcelona’s shock 4-0 defeat by Liverpool which sent them crashing out of the Champions League has ruined their season as they look to complete a domestic double when they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final today.

Reigning champion Simona Halep yesterday said that the pressure was off ahead of the start of her French Open title defence after ending her long wait for a Grand Slam trophy 12 months ago.

Ilnur Zakarin of Katusha soloed to a snow-capped summit finish victory on a chaotic 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday that shook up the overall picture.

No driver on the grid at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix can claim to know the bumps, corners and idiosyncrasies of the Mediterranean principality’s famous streets as intimately as local hero Charles Leclerc.

The visiting Toronto Raptors withstood the early surge by the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, shook it off, and then went on to grind out a 105-99 victory to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Minnesota Twins slammed eight home runs, including two each by Miguel Sano and Jonathan Schoop, on their way to a 16-7 rout over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday afternoon in Anaheim completing a three-game sweep.