🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Alex Marquez wins Spanish MotoGP, ending Marco Bezzecchi's streak
via The Namibian5 min read
Alex Marquez secured a comfortable victory in the Spanish MotoGP, bringing an end to overall leader Marco Bezzecchi's streak of five consecutive wins. Marquez, representing Team Gresini Racing MotoGP, finished 1.903 seconds ahead of Bezzecchi. Despite the second-place finish, Aprilia rider Bezzecchi extended his overall lead in the standings by 11 points over Jorge Martin, who placed fourth. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished third, moving to third in the overall standings. The race was described as serene after a chaotic, rain-affected sprint on Saturday, which was won by last season's champion Marc Marquez. Marc Marquez, Alex's brother, started on pole but crashed out on the second lap after being overtaken by Alex. Marc Marquez, who dropped to fifth overall, attributed his fall to a possible side wind or his own mistake, acknowledging his struggles this season and the difficulty of defending his title without consistent podium finishes.
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Jannik Sinner secured a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller at the Madrid Open, extending his winning streak to 19 matches and 24 consecutive Masters 1000 victories. The world number one will proceed to the round of 16. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff overcame a stomach virus that has affected several players in Madrid, defeating Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the round of 16. Gauff, who vomited on court and took a medical timeout, expressed her determination to push through the illness. Other players, including Iga Swiatek, Marin Cilic, and Liudmila Samsonova, have also been impacted by illness at the tournament. Fellow American Jessica Pegula was upset by Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-4.
World champion Tadej Pogacar secured his third consecutive and fourth overall victory at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege cycling race. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider overcame a strong challenge from 19-year-old French cyclist Paul Seixas, finally breaking away with 14km remaining of the 260km race. Seixas finished 45 seconds behind Pogacar, while Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel claimed third place, 1 minute and 42 seconds back. This win marks Pogacar's 13th Monument victory and his fourth triumph in five races this year, with his only non-victory being a second-place finish at Paris-Roubaix. Pogacar expressed pride in his team's performance and acknowledged Seixas's impressive strength, noting that he had prepared for a potential sprint duel. Seixas, competing in only his second Monument race, stated he gave his all but Pogacar proved stronger. The race was fast-paced from the start, with an early crash splitting the peloton. Pogacar's team eventually reeled in a breakaway, setting the stage for his decisive attack on the Cote de la Redoute, where he initially distanced all but Seixas. Pogacar then made his final move on the Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons, securing his victory.
Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal, sending Chelsea into the FA Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Leeds. This win comes in the Blues' first match following the sacking of manager Liam Rosenior. Fernandez's first-half header at Wembley provided a much-needed boost for Chelsea, who had been experiencing a turbulent period. Rosenior was dismissed after only 106 days, following a dismal run of five consecutive defeats without scoring, culminating in a 3-0 loss to Brighton. His criticism of the players' desire and spirit after the Brighton match was reportedly the final straw for Chelsea's owners, highlighting a rift within the team. Interim manager Calum McFarlane, stepping up from his role with the club's Under-21 squad, is now leading Chelsea. The team will face Manchester City in the final on May 16. This marks Chelsea's 17th FA Cup final appearance, and they aim to win the trophy for the first time since 2018, potentially salvaging a challenging season.
Must ReadKenya's Sabastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon by becoming the first athlete to complete a marathon in under two hours, finishing in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. This achievement surpassed the previous men's world record of 2:00:35. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, in his marathon debut, finished second with a time of 1:59:41, and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo placed third at 2:00:28. Sawe expressed his belief that his performance demonstrates to the new generation that achieving such a record is possible through preparation and discipline. While Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge previously ran a sub-two-hour marathon in 2019, it was not ratified as a world record due to non-standard conditions. Both Sawe and Kejelcha wore Adidas's new Pro Evo 3 supershoes. Kenyan President William Ruto and Kipchoge praised Sawe's historic run. In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa broke her own women's-only world record, finishing in 2:15:41. Kenya's Hellen Obiri came in second with a personal best of 2:15:53, followed by compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei.