Italian MotoGP 2018: Jorge Lorenzo wins 1st race of Season

Jorge Lorenzo secured his first MotoGP victory since he joined Ducati in dominant style in the Italian Grand Prix, while Marc Marquez points lead took a hit as he crashed. From second on the grid, Lorenzo surged into an early lead at Mugello ahead of home polesitter Valentino Rossi, with Marquez moving up to third place on the opening lap from sixth with a robust pass on Danilo Petrucci's Pramac Ducati at Turn 2.

Honda rider Marquez then picked off Rossi's Yamaha at the start of the third of 23 laps at the first corner, San Donato, before putting pressure on leader Lorenzo. But on the fifth lap, Marquez lost the front end coming into the Scarperia right-hander, sliding into the gravel trap before remounting.

That left Lorenzo leading Rossi and the second works Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso, who then moved into the runner-up spot on lap 7 at the Casanova-Savelli switchback. At this point, Lorenzo held a slender advantage of 0.7 seconds, but as the race progressed, the Spaniard was able to maintain his pace, pulling out a lead of 1.5s by the 13th lap. The three-time MotoGP champion was able to reel off the remaining 10 laps and ultimately secure his first win since Valencia 2016 and the 45th of his premier class career by a margin of 6.3s.

Dovizioso looked safe for second until his pace slumped dramatically in the closing laps, but he was able to hold off third-placed Rossi by just 0.259s and complete a Ducati 1-2. Rossi's third place came the hard way, as the 39-year-old was forced to overcome Suzuki pair Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins as well as Petrucci. Rins was fifth ahead of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), who moved ahead of Petrucci with three laps to go. Front row starter Maverick Vinales came eighth on the second works Yamaha, resisting a challenge from Nieto Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista, while Johann Zarco was an anonymous 10th on the Tech 3 Yamaha. Completing the points scorers were Pol Espargaro (KTM), Hafizh Syahrin (Tech 3), Tito Rabat (Avintia), Bradley Smith (KTM) and Franco Morbidelli (Marc VDS Honda). Marquez ended up 16th of 17 lead lap finishers, 12 seconds behind Morbidelli.

F1 2018: Daniel Ricciardo wins Monaco Grand Prix

After an impeccable performance in which he brilliantly overcame being restricted to just six of his eight gears, Ricciardo crossed the line just 7.3 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton completing the podium to retain his championship lead.

Raikkonen crossed the line fourth, ahead of Bottas with Esteban Ocon converting a strong qualifying into a 'best-of-the-rest' sixth place for Force India. Pierre Gasly threw his hat into the ring for Driver of the Day - an honor that ultimately went to Ricciardo - with a stunning drive in the Toro Rosso. The Frenchman made the hypersofts last, at a good pace, for nearly half the race, allowing him to move up to seventh. He then drove brilliantly on the supersofts to defend from Hulkenberg to maintain that position. Sainz completed the top 10.

Fernando Alonso failed to see the chequered flag for the first time this season when he pulled up at Ste Devote with smoke emanating from the rear of his car on Lap 53 of the 78. It was a miserable day for Williams, too. Sergey Sirotkin ran 12th early on but picked up a 10-second stop-go penalty for a wheel infringement on the grid, while Lance Stroll suffered two punctures, one of which was caused when he collided with Marcus Ericsson on the opening lap. They were the last classified finishers, more than a lap down.

But the day belonged to Ricciardo and Red Bull, who banished the memories of 2016, when a pit stop error cost the Australian victory here. He still hasn’t had an easy win – each of his now seven F1 triumphs have been challenging – but he won’t care. The Monaco victory is finally his. 

Real Madrid wins UEFA Champions League 2018

It was an epic night, filled with so many different storylines and for Liverpool goalkeeper, Loris Karius, his part in the story will be remembered just as long as Gareth Bale’s incredible bicycle kick or the sight of Salah’s tears.

Bale’s overhead volley, only two minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, will go straight into the list of greatest all-time goals in a Champions League final and put Madrid on their way to emulating the great Ajax and Bayern Munich of the 1970s by winning this trophy three years in a row.

That, however, tells only part of the narrative from a night when the harsh reality for Liverpool is that Karius was a danger to his own team. His mistake for Karim Benzema to open the scoring was bad enough but the error that led to Bale’s second goal was possibly even worse. Liverpool had started so fearlessly. They were quick to the ball, strong in the challenge and utterly determined to play the game at their pace.

Real hasn't lost a Champions League final since 1981, and they become the first team to win three in a row since Bayern Munich in the mid-70s. Liverpool loses the final, loses Salah to injury finishes the season empty handed with one of their own suffering one of the cruelest fates in the sports, carrying guilt he may have a hard time letting go of for some time.

French MotoGP 2018: Marc Marquez extends his lead

Marc Marquez reeled off his third win on the bounce in the French MotoGP as home favorite and pole sitter Johann Zarco crashed out. Marquez took his 38th win in the top category unchallenged from Danilo Petrucci with Italian veteran Valentino Rossi in third.

Zarco had the home fans at Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit dreaming of a rare French win after his record setting pole but the Yamaha Tech star slid out of contention on lap seven. Australian Jack Miller was impressive to finish fourth, after starting the race from seventh on the grid.

In the middle order, Jack Miller on the second Pramac Ducati passed Lorenzo to take fourth. The Ducati rider though wasn't going down without a fight and tried hard to hold on to fifth, despite increasing pressure from Dani Pedrosa of Honda. The Honda rider managed to nudge past Lorenzo into fifth with six laps to go. Lorenzo eventually finished sixth, ahead of Maverick Vinales on the Yamaha. The Yamaha rider made a strong come back in the second half of the race after dropping to 11th midway.

Zarco had the home fans at Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit dreaming of a rare French win after his record setting pole but the Yamaha Tech star slid out of contention on lap seven. The win allowed Marquez (95 points) to extend his lead in the championship to 36 points over Maverick Vinales, who sits in second place on 59.

FA Cup 2018 Final: Chelsea beats Manchester United

Chelsea won its second trophy under “serial winner” Antonio Conte as an Eden Hazard penalty was enough to secure the FA Cup against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

The crucial moment of the final came in a tepid first half as Chelsea's Eden Hazard made a brilliant surge into the united penalty area and was crudely brought down by England defender Phil Jones. Jones was perhaps lucky to escape with just a yellow card, but Hazard got up to slot the penalty kick past David de Gea in the 22nd minute for the only goal of the game.

United, which left injured top scorer Romelu Lukaku on the bench, pushed hard for an equalizer by dominating the second half, but could not find a way through. Thibaut Courtois, recalled by Conte to play in goal after Willy Caballero had played the other games in the cup run, kept United at bay with a string of fine saves, the best from an attempted chip from Marcus Rashford as he rushed through on goal. Alexis Sanchez had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside under the VAR system, while United's record signing Paul Pogba had the best chance to level eight minutes from time, but headed wide from a corner.

It is a season without a trophy for Mourinho and a very dull note on which to sign off for the summer. Conte on the other hand has his second major English honour and the eighth FA Cup of Chelsea’s history, lifting them above Liverpool on seven to draw level with Tottenham Hotspur in third on the same total.

Atletico Madrid won UEFA Europa League 2018

Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Atletico Madrid swept aside Marseille in Lyon to win the Europa League for the third time in nine years. France forward Griezmann opened the scoring by punishing Andre Zambo Anguissa's poor touch to coolly slot home, then casually dinked in a second. Captain Gabi drilled in the third goal late on as Atletico again lifted the trophy they also won in 2010 and 2012.

Another success for Diego Simeone and Atletico, and another success for Spain in the Europa League. Eight of the past nine winners of European competitions have been Spanish – and Read Madrid could make it nine out of 10 in Kiev next week.

La Liga has also provided nine winners of the Europa League in the past 15 years and this was a third in nine seasons for Atletico, two of them under Simeone. It was not a final that will live long in the memory. Atletico played as they tend to at their best, holding their opponents at arm’s length, spoiling when they need to, and winning comfortably without really seeming to extend themselves.

Atletico have been one of Europe's most consistent teams in recent seasons, breaking Barcelona and Real Madrid's stranglehold on La Liga by claiming the title in 2013-14. Second in the Spanish top flight with one match remaining, they are on course for a top-three finish for the sixth straight season and have appeared in two Champions League finals in that period, losing on both occasions to city rivals Real.

F1 2018: Lewis Hamilton wins Spanish Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton needed no luck at the Spanish Grand Prix to secure his second triumph in a row, the Briton cruising to victory with Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas second and Max Verstappen bringing his damaged Red Bull home for P3. It was a straight forward afternoon for the world championship leader, but the race got off to a crazy start.

Hamilton kept out of trouble, though, ultimately finishing an impressive 20s ahead of Bottas to lead the first Mercedes one-two of the season, as Verstappen held his nerve to keep Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel at bay. The other Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo endured a lonely finale, coming home in fifth, while Haas secured a brilliant P6 with Kevin Magnussen.

The Spanish faithful at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will go home happy too, with local heroes Carlos Sainz, who sealed seventh with Renault, and eighth-placed Fernando Alonso in the McLaren securing vital points for their respective teams. And it was another memorable point’s finish for Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, who came tenth behind Force India’s Sergio Perez.

Hamilton’s victory means he now leads Vettel by 17 points in the drivers’ standings, having leapfrogged his rival after Azerbaijan, with Bottas 20 behind the Ferrari man in third. A one-two was the perfect result for Mercedes, who dominated every session here in Barcelona – and they are now ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship. Red Bull will certainly be chuffed too, securing their third Spanish GP podium in a row, but Ferrari have plenty to think about after Raikkonen's DNF and a potential second-placed finish for Vettel slipping away.

Spain MotoGP 2018: Marquez wins and take lead

Marc Marquez won his home Spanish Grand Prix and took the overall MotoGP lead after the reigning champion’s main rivals collided spectacularly. The Honda rider was in a race of his own for the last eight laps after the Ducati pairing of Andrea Dovizioso, the previous championship leader and Jorge Lorenzo collided with Honda Dani Pedrosa while fighting for second place.

Pedrosa, who had wrist surgery less than a month ago, was thrown high over his bike after trying to go past the two Ducati’s on the inside. Lorenzo came across into the corner as Dovizioso went wide, colliding with Pedrosa and sending the two Ducati’s into the gravel. All three riders walked away from the crash. French Tech3 Yamaha rider Johann Zarco was gifted the runner-up slot, 5.241 seconds behind, and is now Marquez's closest rival in the championship.

Four times world champion Marquez, who started the race from fifth place, now has 70 points after four races to Zarco's 58. Dovizioso dropped to fifth overall with 46. Italian Andrea Iannone finished third for Suzuki. Compatriot Valentino Rossi was fifth at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain in a race that saw him reach a career milestone by completing the circumference of the planet in race kilometers.

Rossi has now covered 40,075km in competition over 23 seasons, starting at the 1996 Malaysian Grand Prix. Britain's Cal Crutchlow started on pole position for the LCR Honda team but failed to finish, crashing out at turn one after nine laps and while in fourth place.

F1 2018: Lewis Hamilton wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Ferrari Sebastian Vettel had looked on course for his third win of the season in Baku. Then the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen collided late on, the Safety car was deployed and everything changed.

Valtteri Bottas made his sole pit stop for Mercedes – it gave him the lead and when the unfortunate Vettel tried to overtake at Turn 1 on the restart, the German out-braked himself and instantly dropped out of the podium places. But within a lap, Bottas was also robbed of victory after running over debris and picking up a puncture – it handed the win to team mate Lewis Hamilton, whose triumph over Kimi Raikkonen gave him the championship lead, as Force India also celebrated with an unexpected podium for Sergio Perez.

Vettel trailed home fourth, ahead of Renault’s Carlos Sainz, with rookie Charles Leclerc an incredible sixth for Sauber – his first F1 points. The McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne were seventh and ninth, split by Williams’ Lance Stroll, with Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley getting his maiden point as he completed the top 10. There had been drama from the off at the race start, with Force India’s Esteban Ocon and Williams’ Sergey Sirotkin both eliminated – Ocon went into the wall after contact with Raikkonen as the Ferrari tried to pass at Turn 3, while Sirotkin ran into the rear of the sister Force India of Perez, before getting pinched between Alonso’s McLaren and Nico Hulkenberg Renault.

There was one final piece of drama, though. With victory seemingly his, Bottas ran over a piece of debris on the track, suffering a puncture and allowing Hamilton to cruise to his first Grand Prix victory this season. It means the Briton now leads Vettel in the driver standings, 70 points to 66, with Raikkonen third ahead of Bottas, 48 to 40. In the constructors' stakes, Ferrari have retaken the lead on 114 points to 110.

US MotoGP 2018: Marquez claims dominant win

Defending world champion, Marc Marquez claimed a sixth victory at the Circuit of the Americas, managing to maintain his record of being unbeaten at the track. The Repsol Honda rider started the race fourth on the grid, having incurred a three-place grid penalty after he set the fastest lap in qualifying round. The penalty was a result of blocking Pol Espargaro during qualifying.

When the race started, Marquez took the lead early on, and except for one attempt to get past him, that was made by Andrea Iannone of Suzuki, he was never really threatened. Eventually, he'd win the race with an advantage of 3.5 seconds over Yamaha's Maverick Vinales. For Vinales, it was his return to the podium after a long time, and his first visit to the rostrum in the 2018 season. Iannone managed to finish third, taking his first podium for Suzuki.

Fourth place went to Valentino Rossi, while fifth place went to Andrea Dovizioso. It was a spirited battle that he had with Monster Yamaha Tech3's Johann Marco who had to settle for sixth place. The move also meant that Dovi is now back in the lead of the world championship standings, with Cal Crutchlow's fall resulting in him losing top spot. Dani Pedrosa ended the race seventh on his Repsol Honda, riding with a fractured wrist after his fall in Argentina. Tito Rabat ended the race eighth for Reale Avintia Ducati, while Jack Miller finished ninth. Tenth place went to Aleix Espargaro.

Lorenzo, Danilo Petrucci and Pol Espargaro on the KTM were next, Takaaki Nakagami the first rookie home in 14th, while Alvaro Bautista rounded out the point-scorers. Bradley Smith brought home his KTM in 16th ahead of Scott Redding and Tom Luthi, while Crutchlow clawed his way up to 19th ahead of Xavier Simeon and Franco Morbidelli - the only other finishers - despite a time penalty for cutting the circuit late in the race. The world championship heads to Europe now for the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez on May 6.

Barcelona won Copa Del Rey 2018

Barcelona’s old guard turned on the style with Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta all on the scoresheet, as Sevilla were swept away 5-0 in 2018 Copa del Rey Final.

Barcelona 30th Copa Del Rey win -- and their fourth consecutive victory in the decider -- was among the most dominant final performances you will see anywhere. It also means a domestic double is almost certain, given Ernesto Valverde's side are 12 points clear in La Liga with just five games left to play.

Sevilla had barely strung two passes together when in the 12th minute Barca keeper Jasper Cillessen took out all 10 outfield opponents with a pinpoint, 80-yard pass over the top. Opposite number David Soria thought of coming for it, then didn't -- a big mistake as Philippe Coutinho controlled the ball just 15 yards out and simply squared it for Suarez to hook in.

There was still time before the break for one of the best team goals of the season. A Barcelona lightning move started with Samuel Umtiti at the back, went through Iniesta again, before Messi perfectly cushioned return pass sent Suarez clear to fire in his second. All that was left really was a goal for Iniesta in what seems likely to be his last final as a Barca player. And early in the second half it came, as Messi set him up to round Soria and knock home calmly from a tight angle.

Bengaluru FC won Super Cup 2018

Bengaluru FC won the 2018 Super Cup by defeating East Bengal 4-1 in the final played at the Kalinga Stadium. The JSW Group owned side had earlier ended their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign as runners-up to Chennaiyin FC in the final played over a month ago.

However, they maintained their run of lifting a trophy each season since their inception in 2013/14 with their Super Cup victory. The knock-out competition was introduced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to replace the Federation Cup, which incidentally was won by Bengaluru FC last season.

The Blues entered the tournament in the Round-of-16 phase. They first came from behind to defeat Gokulam Kerala FC 2-1 and then emerged 3-1 winners over I-League runners-up NEROCA FC in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, they faced former I-League rivals Mohun Bagan. They won the game 4-2 despite being a goal and a man down in the first half. 

Meeting another familiar opponent in the final, Bengaluru FC defeated East Bengal 4-1. In a similar start, they let the opposition score first but managed to score four goals to lift the trophy in trying conditions. Venezuelan striker Miku was adjudged as the 'Hero of the Tournament' for his five goals. Captain Sunil Chhetri managed to score six goals with both of them having registered a hat-trick each.

F1 2018: Daniel Ricciardo wins Chinese Grand Prix

A Collision, a safety car and a Red Bull gamble. Those three ingredients delivered the most exciting Grand Prix in recent memory. Sebastian Vettel Led. Then Valtteri Bottas Led. But it was Daniel Ricciardo who came out on top when it mattered.

The Australian than powered off into the distance to secure his first victory since last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Bottas second for the second successive race. Raikkonen took third – a reward for a strong opening phase, which actually resulted in him falling back, and seemingly being hung out to dry by Ferrari as they appeared to try and use him to help bring Vettel back into play.

Verstappen crossed the line fourth, but that turned into fifth as the stewards handed him a 10-second penalty for hitting Vettel. Hamilton salvaged fourth. Nico Hulkenberg was a superb sixth for Renault, with Fernando Alonso getting his elbows out and squeezing Vettel, who was struggling with his tyres, off track in the opening sequence for seventh. Renault’s Carlos Sainz and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen completed the top 10 in a race that will live very long in the memory.

The result tightens up the drivers' championship, with Vettel's lead narrowed to nine points over Hamilton, 54 to 45, with Bottas just five back on 40 and Ricciardo - who also set the fastest lap and picked up the Driver of the Day Award - leaping up to fourth on 37. In the constructors' stakes, Mercedes now have a one-point advantage over Ferrari, 85 to 84, with Red Bull moving into a clear third place on 55.

F1 2018: Sebastian Vettel wins Bahrain Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel hung on from Valtteri Bottas to take victory, Kimi Raikkonen hit his mechanic during a pit stop, Lewis Hamilton fought back and there was a miserable few seconds for Red Bull. Vettel controlled proceedings from the start, but the race opened up when Ferrari and Mercedes opted for differing strategies at their first pit stops. Ferrari chose the soft tyres, Mercedes the mediums.

While Mercedes could go to the end comfortably, it was more of a stretch for Vettel, allowing Bottas to close up and create a grandstand finish. Ultimately, Bottas ran out of laps and Vettel held on to secure his 49th victory in his 200th Grand Prix start. Hamilton crossed the line third, with Gasly finishing a sensational fourth to give Honda their best result since returning to F1 and give Toro Rosso only their 10th top-five finish. Magnussen took an impressive fifth for Haas, ahead of Hulkenberg while McLaren scored double points finish for the second successive race with Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne seventh and eighth respectively.

Hamilton delivered a brilliant comeback drive from ninth on the grid to complete the podium, but there was heartbreak for Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen retired for separate reasons within minutes of the race starting. Vettel led away from pole, with Bottas making use of starting on the clean side of the grid to beat Raikkonen to Turn 1 to take second.

Hamilton, who had started ninth after a five-place grid penalty, kept his nose clean at the start, but was passed by Alonso and then came under attack from Verstappen. Verstappen launched his Red Bull up the inside into Turn 1 and gave Hamilton the squeeze. But in running the Mercedes driver out of road, the duo made contact and Verstappen picked up a puncture.

Argentina MotoGP 2018: Cal Crutchlow wins lead

Cal Crutchlow claimed victory in the Grand Prix of Argentina, a race that will go down in MotoGP history as one of the most bizarre and dramatic of all time. This makes him the first British rider to get to the head of the MotoGP championship standings since Barry Sheene in 1979. Finishing in second place behind the LCR Honda rider was Monster Yamaha Tech 3's Johann Zarco, while Alex Rins took third place for Ecstar Suzuki.

The start of the race was delayed because of safety conditions. Jack Miller lined up on the grid on slick tyres, while the rest of the grid was on wet weather tyres. The rest of the grid then decided to go into the pits and change tyres, because the circuit was drying up. This meant that Miller was at the head of the grid, having qualified on pole, while the rest of the riders started nine rows behind him, but in qualifying order.

There was further drama even before the race started, as Marc Marquez stalled his motorcycle on the grid, and then rode the wrong way down the track to resume his starting position on the grid. It would earn him a ride-through penalty, and would trigger a series of strange; some would say dangerous moves from the Spanish rider who seemed to be in a hurry to catch up. It would begin with a clash with Aleix Espargaro that would result in a one-place penalty for Marquez.

Crutchlow now heads the MotoGP standings with 38 points, while Andrea Dovizioso is second with 35 points, and Johann Zarco, with 28 points is third. LCR Honda moves to the head of the constructor's standings with 41 points, while Monster Yamaha Tech 3 is second with 37 points and Movistar Yamaha ties with them with 37 points too.

F1 2018: Sebastian Vettel wins Australian Grand Prix

Ferrari defeated Mercedes for the successive second year in Australian as Sebastian Vettel made the most of good fortune to snatch victory from Lewis Hamilton in 2018 F1 season opener.

Hamilton looked on course for victory, but Vettel took advantage of running longer and pitting during a virtual safety car period to lead the race before absorbing massive pressure from his old rival to secure his 48th career victory. Reigning world champion Hamilton has now converted just two of his seven pole positions in Melbourne while Vettel’s victory means he has now achieved 100 podiums, joining Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Hamilton in that elite club.

Vettel's team mate Kimi Raikkonen kept Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo at bay to secure the final podium position, but there was heartbreak for Haas as both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean retired from fourth and fifth following a wheel gun issue during their pit stops, which stewards are investigating. Hamilton got away cleanly from pole to maintain the lead into Turn 1 and then held off an optimistic attack from Raikkonen into Turn 3.

Verstappen crossed the line sixth, with Hulkenberg seventh and Valtteri Bottas, who started from 15th after crashing his Mercedes in qualifying, eighth. Carlos Sainz completed the top 10 in the second Renault. Force India finished just outside of the points with Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon 11th and 12th respectively, with Charles Leclerc impressing on his debut with 13th for Sauber. Williams' Lance Stroll and Toro Rosso's Brendon Hartley completed the finishers.

Sergey Sirotkin became 2018’s first retirement, following brake failure, while Pierre Gasly’s Honda engine expired to put the Toro Rosso driver out. Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber failed to finish, too, after he encountered a power steering problem.

Qatar MotoGP 2018: Dovizioso beats Marquez by 0.027s

Ducati Andrea Dovizioso took victory in a closely fought first MotoGP race of the 2018 season in Qatar; just 0.027s ahead of reigning champion Marc Marquez’s Honda. Dovizioso and Marquez formed part of a 10-bike queue that headed the field for much of the race, with poleman Johann Zarco converting pole position into an early lead aboard the Tech 3 Yamaha.

It wasn't until lap 18 of 22 that Dovizioso and Marquez finally made their moves, both passing Zarco at Turn 1 and quickly distancing the Frenchman to engage in their own private duel for victory. In scenes reminiscent of their battles last year in Austria and Japan, the two 2017 title protagonists ran nose to tail for the final laps, with Marquez attempting a pass at the final corner on the last lap.

But Dovizioso managed to edge back ahead exiting the turn, getting superior traction and out dragging Marquez to the finish line by the tiny margin of 0.027s for his ninth career MotoGP victory. Seven tenths behind the lead duo was Valentino Rossi, who passed Zarco on the same lap as Dovizioso and Marquez but couldn't keep up the pace in the closing laps.

Cal Crutchlow was fourth on the LCR Honda, a further two seconds behind, ahead of Danilo Petrucci's Pramac Ducati. Both had been part of the leading group bottled up behind Zarco, but the extra lap they took to clear the satellite Yamaha allowed the leading three to escape. Zarco ended up slumping to eighth at the finish, losing out to the second works Yamaha of Maverick Vinales and the second factory Honda of Dani Pedrosa in the latter stages.

Chennaiyin FC won 2018 Indian Super League

Chennaiyin FC lifted their game to a level befitting the occasion and sent fancied Bengaluru FC crushing to a painful 2-3 defeat, clinching the Indian Super League title. Chennaiyin FC Mailson Alves turned out to be the star of the title with a brace. And there was also some Brazilian touch to the game.

Mailson first scored in the 17th minute, which cancelled Sunil Chhetri's ninth minute opener for the hosts, and then propelled his side to a remarkable lead with another leaping header in the 45th minute. Raphael Augusto, also a Brazilian, added to the home team's agony with his 67th minute strike, leaving the raucous home fans stunned at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, which was packed to the rafters.

Miku scored for Bengaluru in injury time but that proved to be too little, too late. Interestingly, four out of the five goals came through headers. This was Chennaiyin FC's second title triumph in the ISL, tying them with ATK as the most successful team in the tournament. In their quest to find the equalizer, Bengaluru FC often left gap in the back line, and Chennaiyin took full advantage of that to close out the game.

Entering the final after an unbeaten run of 10 games, Bengaluru FC started it in the earnest and affected the first breakthrough. Chhetri's opening goal gave Bengaluru FC the advantage they needed early on in the summit showdown. Chhetri headed in after the impressive Udanta Singh, with a great burst of pace down the wings, made the assist. Bengaluru, who played in 3-4-3 formation, were dominant in the first 10 minutes.

Karnataka won Vijay Hazare Trophy

From the moment he smashed an exquisite cover drive off the very first delivery of the match bowled by Saurashtra Jaydev Unadkat, it was more or less clear that Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal was ready for big one.

It was the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy but Mayank showed no nerves and with the Karnataka players being used to playing such games, they had the last laugh at the end of the day. Saurashtra, who had hoped to pull off an upset win, lost the match by 41 runs at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. This is Karnataka's first domestic trophy of the season after having lost out on the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Asked to bat first, Karnataka failed to last their full quota of overs as they were bowled out for 253 in 45.5 overs. However, the total proved quite a handful for Saurashtra, who in reply, folded up for 212 in 46.3 overs. Saurashtra had a bright start to the day as they were able to send back two of Karnataka's accomplished batsmen with just five on the board. Skipper Karun Nair and KL Rahul fell without troubling the scorers in the third over of the game. However, Mayank, who has been in sublime form this season, never let those setbacks affect his game. He and Ravi Kumar Samarth (48) got the innings back on track with a 136-run stand for the third wicket before he fell.

Mayank dominating innings of 90 off just 79 balls was studded with 11 fours and three sixes. He was in such good knick that even a mistimed shot went over the boundary. It was unfortunate that he fell 10 short of what would have been another well-deserved century. After Mayank departure, the Karnataka batsmen failed to build on the foundation. Pavan Deshpande (49) and Shreyas Gopal (31) took the score beyond the 250 mark.

Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 2018

One of the NFL’s most historically snakebitten clubs ended their 57 year championship drought in the most thrilling way imaginable at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, racing to an early lead against the New England Patriots, going step for step in a track meet with the defending champions and the greatest quarterback ever.

Seventy-four total points. An eye-popping 1,151 yards of combined offense, breaking the previous Super Bowl record before the fourth quarter even started and more than any game in NFL history, regular season or playoffs. Eagles 41, Patriots 33, it was one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played.

With the Eagles nursing a 38-33 lead and just over two minutes left, Philadelphia’s veteran defensive end Brandon Graham finally recorded the first sack of the game for either side. Brady, the three-time league most valuable player and five-time Super Bowl champion, lost control of the ball, which took a fortuitous bounce into the hands of Derek Barnett.

The first half had been a breathless flurry of offense, with the teams combining for nearly 700 yards.. The Patriots accounted for 350 of them, no small feat against Philadelphia’s stout defense. When play resumed, Gronkowski quickly made his presence felt. He gouged the Philadelphia defense for catches of 25 and 24 yards, and then picked up a crucial third down with a 14-yard sideline catch before hauling in a five-yard touchdown grab and punctuating it with a signature spike.

Nick Foles, the 29-year-old understudy who took over for Wentz less than two months ago and who two years ago was mulling retirement, completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, three passing touchdowns and one more receiving. It will almost certainly be his last game with the Eagles, with Wentz, the quarterback of the future who was the odds-on favorite to win Most Valuable Player honors until his late-season ACL injury, set to return when the 2018 season begins.

Big Bash League 2018

An innings of a lifetime from Jake Weatherald helped Adelaide Strikers to their maiden BBL Title. Weatherald clubbed Hobart Hurricanes to all parts of the Adelaide Oval, hitting eight sixes and nine fours in a stunning 115 from just 70 balls. Weatherald's maiden T20 hundred underpinned Strikers' monstrous total of 2 for 202 on a superb batting surface.

The Hurricanes threatened early, courtesy a power play blitz from their captain George Bailey. It resulted in the Strikers' nerves jangling, knowing that there was no Rashid Khan or Billy Stanlake to turn to, as both were absent due to international duty. D'Arcy Short tried his best to reel it in, but could not recapture the tremendous timing and power he displayed through the season.

In Women Big Bash League Sydney Sixers dominated Perth Scorchers from the start to lift their second Women's Big Bash League title in three seasons, drawing inspiration from the exemplary bowling of bowling of Sarah Coyte after she returned to the team late in the tournament following a much-publicized departure from the game for mental health reasons.

Electing to bat, the Scorchers found the early going hard on an Adelaide Oval pitch offering some moisture to the bowlers, and once Coyte struck to deceive and dismiss Elyse Villani, the West Australian side was never able to build the partnerships capable of building a defendable total. Left with a modest chase, the high-powered Sixers batting line-up was never likely to be tested, and galloped home to victory with five overs to spare.

Australian Open 2018

The 2018 Australian Open ended with a high profile bang: Roger Federer one of the most famous and beloved athletes in the world, won his record 20th Major singles title. But the tournament had other memorable champions as well. Caroline Wozniacki grabbed her first-ever Grand Slam trophy -- after two previous appearances in major finals and years of fans wondering whether she had what it takes to win a big one.

And Caro wasn’t the only title-winner in Melbourne to finally overcome the ghost of Grand Slam finals past. The women’s doubles champions, Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, won their first major as a team, nearly four years after coming up one match-win short at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer won his 20th Grand Slam on Sunday, defeating Marin Čilić, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Federer arrived at the tournament a heavy favorite to defend his 2017 title and expectations only rose as he moved through each round with ease, making it to the final without having dropped a set. With this trophy—his sixth at the Australian Open—he joins Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic in a three-way tie for most wins in Melbourne.

One by one, former Grand Slam champions welcomed Caroline Wozniacki to the club late Saturday night at Melbourne Park after her 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 victory over Simona Halep. Billie Jean King was first. She handed the beaming Wozniacki the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, which is awarded to the women’s singles champion at the Australian Open. Chris Evert and Mats Wilander were next.

Pro Wrestling League 2018

India’s Pooja Dhanda stunned World and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis to set up Punjab Royals second straight title triumph at the Pro Wrestling League. The 2013 and 2017 Commonwealth champion, Pooja, who had beaten Helen in the league stage too, repeated her feat in the sixth bout of the day that sealed Haryana Hammers' fate.

World Championship gold medallist Zurabi Iakobishvili showed his class in the next clash, to win 4-0 and clinch the championship for Punjab Royals 5-2 in front of a packed house. Earlier, Anastasija Grigorjeva and Koumba Laroque had won two fights for the Royals while Vladimir Khinchegashvili and Khetik Tsabolov the other two for the Hammers to lock the nine-bout tie at 2-2 after four clashes.

Reigning Olympic champion Vladimir got the Hammers off to a winning start, scoring a comprehensive 4-0 victory over India's Naveen Kumar in the 57-kg competition. Georgia's Vladimir lived up to his reputation, dominating the opening period and racing to a healthy 4-0 lead straightaway. After the breather, he used all his skills and strength to ward off the Indian and comfortably defend his lead to put his team ahead in the nine-bout duel.

The Royals drew level in the second bout, through 2017 World Championship bronze medalist Anastasija Grigorjeva. In an intense fight, she steamrolled India's Sarita Mor 7-2 in the 62-kg women's contest. In the battle of super heavyweights, Punjab's icon player Geno Petriashvili wrestled with a plan to send his side 3-2 up. Geno cruised to an 11-0 lead in the opening round and comfortably won the bout. He has remained unbeaten through the entire league

Hyderabad Hunters won Premier Badminton League Title

Hyderabad Hunters won the third edition of the Premier Badminton League championship with a hard – fought 4-3 win over Bengaluru Blasters in the final. With the match scores tied three-all, the focus shifted to the last match of the evening – mixed doubles. And, to the disappointment of Bengaluru, Kim Sa Rang and N. Sikki Reddy, who played such a big role in the semifinal win, were found wanting losing to R. Satwik sairaj and Pia Zebadiah.

And, to the delight of the vociferous crowd, Satwik and Pia rose to the occasion to ensure a fitting finale. Bengaluru was off to a winning start thanks to the brilliance of veteran Mathias Boe guiding his young partner Kim Sa Rang in the men’s doubles to a fluent win over Markis Kido and Yoo Yeon Seong. At 37, Mathias, former Olympic silver medalist, was too good with his interceptions which effectively nullified the presence of Kido, a doubles legend being former Olympic and World champion.

Later in the first men’s singles, Lee Hyun Il of Hyderabad won the trump match for his side getting the better of Subhanker Dey. The left-hander brought off some amazing smashes and his great acrobatic dives to retrieve almost everything the opponent hit at him. In the second game, Subhanker showed his growing stature in the Indian circuit with a gritty display - mixing his crosscourt smashes and some impressive net dribbles. But it was obvious that he was up against someone who was too good.

For someone who had beaten the reigning World No. 1 last time in 2010 World juniors in four meetings earlier, Praneeth was woefully short of expectations. Nothing went right for him in the face a barrage of stunning smashes and great cross-court returns. The best part of Viktor’s domination was his brilliant backhand which repeatedly tested the World No. 16 and invariably his response was not equal.

The results: Hyderabad Hunters bt Bengaluru Blasters 4-3 (Markis Kido & Yoo Yeon Seong lost to Mathias Boe & Kim Sa Rang 9-15, 10-15; Lee Hyun Il (T) bt Subhankar Dey 15-7, 15-13; B. Sai Praneeth lost to Viktor Axelsen (T) 15-8, 15-10; Carolina Marin bt Kirsty Gilmour 15-8, 15-14; R. Satwiksairaj & Pia Zebadiah bt Kim Sa Rang & N. Sikki Reddy 15-11, 15-12).

2017 Bangladesh Premier League

Records and Chris Gayle are synonymous to each other when it comes to Twenty20 cricket and the explosive West Indies batsman went on to better his plethora of records he made in the shortest format of the game.

Gayle, who smashed an unbeaten 146 off just 69 balls for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League final against Dhaka Dynamites in Dhaka, became the first batsman to cross the 11-000 run mark in T20 cricket. Next in the list is Brendon McCullum with 8526 runs in 309 matches. During the course of his belligerent knock, Gayle also became the first batsman to hit 20 hundreds in T20s, which was studded with 18 towering sixes and five fours. He has also scored two hundreds in T20I for West Indies.

The number of sixes hit by Gayle is also a world record in an innings in the format. His sixes count in T20 cricket reached whopping figure of 819. In the process, Gayle became the first batsman to hit 100 sixes in BPL. He smacked 17 sixes in an unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the IPL 2013.

Gayle, who got a life when he was dropped by Shakib Al Hasan on 22, shared an unbeaten 201-run stand with McCullum - a highest partnership in T20 final - to power Rangpur Riders to 206/1. Bowlers complemented their batsmen effort with a good show, reducing Dhaka Dynamites to 149/9 as Rangpur Riders won the title by 57 runs.

Valtteri Bottas wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Team mate Lewis Hamilton loomed large in his mirrors for most of the race, but Valtteri Bottas soaked up the pressure in style to pull clear at the end and win 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As Mercedes ran away and hid at Yas Marina, Sebastian Vettel came home a distant third for Ferrari, 15 seconds down the road.

Kimi Raikkonen followed his team mate home in fourth, with Max Verstappen keeping the Finn honest throughout as the only Red Bull finisher in fifth, after Daniel Ricciardo became the first retirement on lap 21 with hydraulic problems. Nico Hulkenberg was sixth, lifting Renault ahead of Toro Rosso to sixth in the final constructor standings, with the Forced India’s of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon next up, as McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Williams’ Felipe Massa completed the top ten.

Bottas had the edge on the ultra-soft Pirelli tyres during their opening stints, and had a lead of 2.5s when he pitted on the 22nd lap. Hamilton then led for two laps before pitting, and found himself able to push harder on the supersofts. Despite suggesting that it is impossible to follow another car and challenge it round Yas Marina, he got the gap down to 1.1s on the 29th lap, but Bottas always seemed to have an answer and never looked ruffled as he controlled the pace.

Ricciardo had made a poor start but battled back ahead of Raikkonen in the other Ferrari, but his Red Bull quit after his pit stop on the 21st lap with suspected power steering hydraulics failure. That cost the Australian fourth place overall in the driver standings, as Raikkonen’s fourth place race finish put him on 205 points to his 200. By the flag, Verstappen got within eight-tenths of a second of the Ferrari, but their respective positions were never in doubt.

The best racing took place way down the field, where Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen brought their Haas cars home 11th and 13th, sandwiching Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren. Both the Dane and the Belgian had to come back from early problems, but the other star was Pascal Wehrlein, who dragged his Sauber past Magnussen at one stage only to be blown away on the straight by the Haas. He finished an honorable 14th, only 1.5s off the second Haas, as the vanquished Toro Rosso’s of Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly led Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber home.

Sebastian Vettel wins Brazil Grand Prix

Ferrari Sebastian Vettel took victory in Grande Premio Heineken do Brazil 2017 after holding off Mercedes Valtteri Bottas for 71 laps of Interlagos. However, it was Bottas team mate Lewis Hamilton who was arguably the race’s biggest star, the world champion recovering from a pit-lane start to almost snatch the final podium spot from the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fifth ahead of team mate Daniel Ricciardo, the latter fighting back from a 14th-place grid slot, while Williams’ Felipe Massa narrowly won a race-long battle with McLaren’s Fernando Alonso to finish his final home Grand Prix in seventh. Force India’s Sergio Perez also joined that scrap late on, as Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg completed the top ten.

The race started in dramatic fashion. As Vettel got the jump on polesitter Bottas to lead into Turn 1, chaos soon ensued behind them, with Haas’s Kevin Magnussen making contact with Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren, which in turn ran into Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull. Ricciardo spun across the grass but was able to continue with seemingly minimal damage, but it was race over for Magnussen and Vandoorne. The stewards are investigating the incident.

Seconds later, Esteban Ocon’s run of 27 Grand Prix finishes was ended abruptly after a touch with Romain Grosjean Haas sent the two cars pirouetting off the track in unison. Unlike the Force India driver, Grosjean continued on his way, but he was later handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision. That triggered the safety car, which stayed out until the end of Lap 5. The only other retirement of the race was Brendon Hartley, who was told to bring his Toro Rosso in for a terminal pit stop on Lap 42. There is only race left in 2017 season.

MotoGP 2017: Marc Marquez wins Fourth Title

Marc Marquez won his fourth MotoGP title after challenger Andrea Dovizioso crashed during the season concluding Valencia Grand Prix. Marquez only needed to finish in 11th place or better to seal the title. Starting from pole, the Spaniard steered his Honda to a third-place finish behind race winner Dani Pedrosa.

Marquez had started the race from pole position and led after the start before being passed by Zarco on lap three. He stayed behind the Frenchman until the latter stages before suffering a scare when Marquez passed Zarco to re-take the lead only to go off the track at turn one on lap 23. However, Marquez skillfully managed to stay on his bike and rejoined in fifth behind Spaniard Lorenzo and Italian Dovizioso, who both crashed out to promote him to third.

Dovizioso was the sole rider who could challenge Marquez. His only hope of tipping Marquez for the title was to win the race and see Marquez finish 12th or worse. Instead, the Italian wiped out with six laps remaining. Moments before Dovizioso lost control of his Ducati, Marquez had a scare when he barely managed to keep his bike up and on course for the championship.

Marquez shared the victory with his fans at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo where he cemented his reputation as the top talent in motorbike racing. At 24, Marquez has won four of the last five titles in the top category, to go with two titles he had previously won in the lower classes. Pedrosa, another Honda rider, overtook Johann Zarco late in the race. In Moto2, Miguel Oliviera won ahead of champion Franco Morbidelli. In Moto3, pole-sitter Jorge Martin won the race ahead of champion Joan Mir. It was Martin's first race victory.

Max Verstappen wins Mexico Grand Prix

A tense afternoon in Mexico saw Mercedes Lewis Hamilton secure a fourth drivers title and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a crushing third Grand Prix victory. Hamilton and championship rival Sebastian Vettel came together at the start, dropping both men to the back, and though the Ferrari driver recovered to fourth, the Briton’s ninth was enough to wrap things up with two rounds to go.

Joining the fast-starting Verstappen on the podium were Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Behind Vettel, Esteban Ocon was fifth, split from Force India team mate by Williams’ Lance Stroll. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen, Hamilton and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso completed the top ten. Verstappen dominated the race to score a resounding win, but all eyes were inevitably on the two title protagonists after they touched on the opening lap and the story of how Hamilton recovered from last place to win his fourth world championship overshadowed the Dutchman’s greatest drive.

It all began well, with polesitter Vettel, Verstappen and Hamilton running side by side down to Turn 1 after the start. Vettel was on the inside and kept his pole advantage, but only just from Verstappen, as Bottas braked just enough on the inside to let Hamilton through from the outside line. Hamilton, meanwhile, got a very clean run at the delayed Vettel and had snatched second by the exit to Turn 3, when the German brushed his right-rear tyre, puncturing it.

On top of that, Hamilton climbed to an eventual ninth after a huge fight with Alonso, and with 333 points to Vettel’s 277, the title war was finally over no matter what happens in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. It was a bad day for most of the Renault runners: Sainz flat-spotted a tyre early on to prompt a pit stop and retired with handling issues; Nico Hulkenberg lost seventh place (having at one stage run fourth) with electrical problems; Brendon Hartley’s Toro Rosso succumbed to power loss; and Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull ate another turbocharger. And Marcus Ericsson, who’d had a great run in ninth place early in the race in his Ferrari-powered Sauber, fell prey to cooling troubles to become the other retirement.