13 Jun 2022

Today's sports news: What you need to know

10:22 am on 13 June 2022

Latest - New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has finished in a tie for fourth at the latest LPGA tournament in New Jersey.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand

Lydia Ko of New Zealand l Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Ko started the day three shots off the pace, but grabbed a share of the lead early in the final round, however two bogeys on the back nine ended her run for the title.

She finished two shots behind Canadian Brooke Henderson who won in a play-off with American Lindsey Weaver-Wright.

Fellow New Zealander Danny Lee has recorded his third top ten finish of the season.

Lee tied for 10th at the Canadian Open in Toronto, ten shots behind the winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile Linn Grant became the first female winner of a (European) World Tour event after the Swede dominated the Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden.

Grant finished nine shots ahead of Scotland's Marc Warren and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

The tournament was played over 72 holes with the men and women playing from their own set of tees.

-RNZ/Reuters

Warriors beaten again

The Warriors made a good start but it didn't last as they were beaten 38-16 by the Sharks in the NRL.

Sharks players celebrate as Josh Curran of the Warriors walks away.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

After trailing 12-0 early the Sharks steadied the ship to run in five tries in 25 minutes to lay the foundation for their eighth win of the season.

Wingers Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa bagged five tries between.

The Sharks, who led 24-12 at half time are now fifth on the table.

Reece Walsh scored a solo try in the seventh minute, his first of the season, while Wayde Egan scored in the 12th minute.

A sixth straight loss leaves the Warriors 14th.

The Panthers stay top of the standings after a 42-6 win over the Knights.

No luck for Kiwi F2 drivers

A frustrating day for both New Zealand drivers Liam Lawson and Marcus Amstrong in F2.

Lawson was third in yesterday's sprint race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, while Armstrong was fourth.

However neither driver had much luck in today's feature race.

Both had time at the front of the field but were involved in crashes, with Armstrong eventually finishing 12th and Lawson 15th.

Armstrong is now sixth in the standings and Lawson 10th.

Proteas beat India

Heinrich Klaasen capitalised on his chance selection to smash 81 off 46 balls as South Africa beat India by four wickets in the second Twenty20 International for a 2-0 series lead in Cuttack.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed three wickets in the powerplay to reduce South Africa to 29-3 in reply to India's modest total of 148-6 after being put into bat.

Klaasen, selected after wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock sat out with a hand injury, smashed five sixes and seven fours in his incendiary knock as South Africa romped home with 10 balls remaining.

Kumar finished with impressive figures of 4-13 but it was not enough to avert their second successive defeat in the five-match series.

The third match will be in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

-Reuters

Berrettini wins in Stuttgart

Matteo Berrettini won the Stuttgart Open for a second time after he beat Andy Murray 6-4 5-7 6-3 to deny the Scot what would have been his first title on grass in six years.

Matteo Berrettini Photo:

Second seed Berrettini, who missed the claycourt swing after undergoing surgery on his hand in March, was playing in his first tournament since Indian Wells and triumphed after Murray had injury issues of his own in the decider.

Murray, who has had hip surgeries that nearly ended his career, was not moving well as the match wore on and though he saved a championship point, he was only delaying the inevitable as Berrettini sealed victory in two hours and 40 minutes.

New Zealand's Michael Venus and German partner Tim Puetz were beaten in the doubles final by Hubert Hurkacz of Poland and Mate Pavic of Croatia.

Meanwhile Stuttgart Open organisers are investigating Nick Kyrgios's claims that he was racially abused during his semi-final loss to Andy Murray yesterday.

"We stand for creating an inclusive environment for all players, staff members and visitors where discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. This attitude is lived by all people involved and responsible," organisers said in a statement.

-Reuters

Roglic wins in France

Primoz Roglic underlined his credentials as one of the hot favourites for the Tour de France this year after the Slovenian Jumbo-Visma rider won the Criterium du Dauphine.

Team Jumbo's Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic competes the 1st stage of the 2021 La Vuelta cycling tour of Spain, an 7,1 individual time-trial race from Burgos to Burgos, on August 14, 2021.

Primoz Roglic Photo: AFP

With his compatriot and two-times Tour winner Tadej Pogacar and Ineos Grenadiers heavyweights absent for this race, Roglic cruised to victory on the back of a strong showing by Jumbo-Visma on the mountainous stages.

Roglic and team mate Jonas Vingegaard were in the breakaway group of riders on the eighth and final stage -- a 137.5 km ride from Saint-Alban-Leysse to Plateau de Solaison.

Once victory was assured, they rode to the finish line holding hands as Roglic pushed the Danish rider forward, allowing him to take the stage and finish second in the overall standings.

New Zealander George Bennett finished 20th overall.

The Tour de France runs from July 1-24.

-Reuters

Tui shines for Black Ferns

Sevens standout Ruby Tui scored her first two test tries as New Zealand continued their preparations for hosting the women's World Cup by blanking Canada 28-0 in the Pacific Four tournament in Auckland.

Ruby Tui of New Zealand Black Ferns celebrates her try.

Ruby Tui scores Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Tui, playing only her second match for the world champions, chipped the ball over the head of Canada fullback Elissa Alarie and regathered to touch down in the 47th minute.

Until that moment, the home side had only two first-half penalties from the boot of flyhalf Hazel Tubic to show for their dominance of possession and territory.

A gritty Canadian defence and the heavy ground at the Trusts Arena played their parts in stymying New Zealand attempts to play an up-tempo game but so did discipline with two Black Ferns sent to the sin bin for repeated ruck and maul offences.

The New Zealanders were inventive at the set piece, however, and lock Maia Roos scored their second try from close range in the 62nd minute after a well-worked lineout move.

In the last five minutes, Chelsea Bremner scored from close range after an electric break from Ayesha Leti-I'iga and Tua added her second try as the Black Ferns put a gloss on the score.

The Black Ferns are undergoing an overhaul in personnel and style under former All Blacks coaches Wayne Smith and Graham Henry after four heavy defeats to England and France in Europe last year.

Victory over Canada, who are ranked third in the world, gave New Zealand two wins out of two in the tournament. Earlier on Sunday, the United States beat Australia 16-14.

New Zealand have won five World Cups and host the ninth edition of the global showpiece from Oct. 8 to Nov. 12.

-Reuters