Nadal takes five-set US Open thriller for 19th Slam title

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Rafael Nadal captured his 19th career Grand Slam title in thrilling fashion on Sunday by winning the US Open final, outlasting Russia's Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to seize his fourth crown in New York.The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander moved one shy of Roger Federer's all-time men's record 20 Grand Slam triumphs and became the second-oldest New York champion in the Open era after Ken Rosewall in 1970 at age 35.World number two Nadal took the top prize of $3.85 mil

More SportsSept. 9, 2019

S. Korea held to draw by Georgia in tuneup for World Cup qualifying match

With a can't-miss striker coming to the rescue in an otherwise lackluster performance, South Korea managed a 2-2 draw against Georgia in a friendly match in Turkey on Thursday ahead of a World Cup qualifying match.Bordeaux forward Hwang Ui-jo came off the bench in the second half to score both of South Korea's goals at Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium in Istanbul. Jano Ananidze opened the scoring for Georgia in the 40th minute, and Giorgi Kvilitaia netted a late equalizer to round out the scoring.

SoccerSept. 6, 2019

Ex-Chicago Cubs scout hired as new GM for KBO's Lotte Giants

Former Chicago Cubs scout Sung Min-kyu has been named the new general manager for the South Korean club Lotte Giants.The Korea Baseball Organization team announced Tuesday that Sung will succeed Lee Yoon-won, who resigned in July, in the front office.Sung, 37, had been in the Cubs organization for more than a decade, first as a minor league player, then as a minor league coach and, most recently, as the Pacific Rim scouting supervisor and special assignment professional scout.Sung has also dabbl

BaseballSept. 3, 2019

Koreas in discussion on World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang through AFC

Discussions are under way between South and North Korea through the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) about a World Cup qualifier set to be held in Pyongyang in October, the unification ministry said Monday.Last month, North Korea notified the AFC of its intent to host the rare match between the two Koreas on Oct. 15. The two Koreas were placed in the same group for the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. "South Korea's football foundation is discussing details with its

SoccerSept. 2, 2019

S. Korea routed by Argentina to open FIBA Basketball World Cup

South Korea got blown out by Argentina 95-69 on Saturday to start the men's basketball world championship in China.South Korea, world No. 32, shot just 31.9 percent from the field, including 8-for-23 from behind the arc, in Group B action at the FIBA Basketball World Cup at Wuhan Sports Centre in Wuhan, China. The fifth-ranked Argentina drained six three-pointers in the third quarter alone en route to making 17 of 31 attempts from downtown.Ricardo Ratliffe, a US-born, naturalized center for Sout

More SportsSept. 1, 2019

S. Korean Chung Hyeon falls to Nadal in 3rd round at US Open

Chung Hyeon defeated one left-handed Spanish player at the US Open. He couldn't get past another one.The 170th-ranked South Korean player was dominated by world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the third round of the season's final Grand Slam tournament in New York on Saturday (local time), losing in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Chung defeated Fernando Verdasco, the aforementioned Spaniard southpaw, in Th

More SportsSept. 1, 2019

World martial arts competition kicks off in Chungju

About 3,200 martial arts masters and officials from 106 countries gathered in Chungju, a city in the central South Korean province of North Chungcheong, on Friday to kick off the 2019 Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships.The competition, dubbed the Martial Arts Olympics, will continue through Sept. 6 at Chungju Gymnasium and seven other venues in Chungju, about 150 kilometers southeast of Seoul, under the slogan “Beyond the Times, Bridge the World.” A total of 2,414 athletes, accom

More SportsAug. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] Chung Hyeon stages huge comeback to win 2nd round match at US Open

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has completed a big comeback to reach the third round at the US Open.Chung, world No. 170, defeated the 34th-ranked Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Thursday (local time). Chung rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth set and saved a match point to force a tiebreak. He then charged out to a 5-0 lead before finishing off Verdasco 7-3 in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes.Nex

More SportsAug. 30, 2019

Chung Hyeon rallies to take 1st round match at US Open

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has rallied to win his first round match at the season's final Grand Slam tournament.Chung, ranked 170th, defeated American Ernesto Escobedo (206th) in five sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2, at the US Open men's singles at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Tuesday (local time).By winning the 3:37 marathon affair, Chung has reached the second round at the US Open for the third consecutive year. He will take on Fernando Verdasco of Spa

More SportsAug. 28, 2019

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young picks up 4th LPGA win of '19 in Canada

By now, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Ko Jin-young is the best female golfer in the world today.Ko, world No. 1 since July 29, dominated the field to capture the CP Women's Open in Aurora, Canada, on Sunday (local time), for her fourth LPGA victory of the year. With a bogey-free round of eight-under 64, Ko finished at 26-under 262, beating Nicole Broch Larsen of Denmark by five strokes at Magna Golf Club.Ko, a sophomore with six career LPGA titles, didn't commit a bogey all week

GolfAug. 26, 2019

S. Korea beats China to finish 3rd at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea finished third at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday with a straight-set victory over China. South Korea took care of China 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22) at Jamsil Arena in Seoul for its second consecutive third-place finish. At the biennial event in 2017, South Korea also prevailed over China to take the third spot.South Korea is a first-time host of the Asian championship, which was inaugurated in 1975. The country has never won the event, with seven runner-up fin

More SportsAug. 25, 2019

S. Korea falls to Japan in semifinals at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea lost to Japan in the semifinals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Saturday, coming up short in a bid to claim its first continental title on home court.Japan rallied after dropping the first set for a 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 28-26) victory at Jamsil Arena in Seoul and moved on to Sunday's final. It will face the winner of the other semifinal clash between Thailand and China, scheduled for later Saturday.The loser of that match will take on South Korea in the thir

More SportsAug. 24, 2019

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin roughed up by Yankees, loses 2nd straight game

Los Angeles Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin seems to be losing his grip on the Cy Young Award.The South Korean left-hander got rocked by the New York Yankees to the tune of three homers and seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday (local time). The Dodgers lost 10-2 as Ryu suffered his second straight loss and dropped to 12-4 for the season. He hadn't lost consecutive starts since Sept. 5 and 11 last year.Ryu entered the game with a major league-best 1.64 ERA, but it h

BaseballAug. 24, 2019

S. Korea beats Thailand at continental volleyball tournament, avenges Asian Games loss

South Korea got the better of Thailand at the continental women's volleyball tournament on Friday, avenging a loss from last year's Asian Games.World No. 9 South Korea came away with a hard-fought victory over the 14th-ranked Thailand by the score of 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21). South Korea had fallen to Thailand in the semifinals of the Asian Games in Jakarta last August, getting denied in its bid for a second straight gold medal.Nine of 14 Thai players faced South Korea at the Asian Games

More SportsAug. 23, 2019

8 years, 3 doping cases later, race walker becomes 1st S. Korean with world championships medal

It's been a long time coming, and race walker Kim Hyun-sub has finally become the first South Korean to win a world championships medal, set to receive a prize that he should have been awarded eight years ago on home soil.Kim finished the men's 20-kilometer race walk in sixth place at the 2011 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Daegu, 300 km southeast of Seoul. But three athletes who finished ahead of him have since been stripped of their records bec

More SportsAug. 21, 2019

South Korean Lee Duck-hee notches landmark ATP win

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Lee Duck-hee became the first deaf player to win an ATP main draw match on Monday, waiting out a rain delay to beat Henri Laaksonen in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The 21-year-old from South Korea was two points from victory when thunderstorms swept through the area.When he and Switzerland's Laaksonen returned some five hours later Lee quickly polished off a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory."I never expected to get through this one," said Lee, who had won the final three po

More SportsAug. 20, 2019

Competition increases for Korean bid to host 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

The competition for a potential joint Korean bid for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup has increased to nine countries.FIFA announced Tuesday that Belgium has joined South Korea and eight other previous candidates in the running to host the showpiece event in women's football.Also in the running are Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.In April, South Korea submitted a sole bid for the tournament, with FIFA noting that South Korea expressed "int

SoccerAug. 20, 2019

Korea clinches spot in women's volleyball Olympic qualifying tournament

South Korea secured a place in the Asian women's volleyball Olympic qualifying tournament with a victory over Hong Kong at a continental competition on Monday.South Korea defeated Hong Kong 3-0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-22) at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship at Jamsil Arena in Seoul for its second consecutive victory in Pool A.South Korea finished atop its group and will move on to the second round at this tournament while also advancing to January's Olympic qualifying event. The top two teams

Olympic GamesAug. 19, 2019

[Graphic News] Serena still highest-paid woman in sports

　US tennis superstar Serena Williams topped Forbes magazine’s list of the highest-paid women in sports for the fourth straight year.　The business publication calculated that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion earned $29.2 million in the 12-month period ending June 1 -- with just $4.2 million of that coming from prize money.　Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who burst to international stardom with a stunning upset of Williams in the 2018 US Open final and went on to win the Australian Open in

SportsAug. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Arsenal signs Nicolas Pepe for record fee

　Arsenal announced the signing of winger Nicolas Pepe from French side Lille in early August for a club-record fee reported to be 80 million euros ($87 million).　　The deal for the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international eclipses the 63.8 million euros spent on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2018 as the Gunners add another attacking option to their ranks.　　Pepe becomes the most expensive African player ever and the joint-fourth most expensive signing in Premier League history, after Mancheste

SoccerAug. 13, 2019