Carter beats Selby to reach Shanghai final
"At 8-6 down he [Selby] missed a blue and it gave me a glimmer of hope," said Carter."It was very pleasing to get over the line with a one visit. I've been 5-2 down twice and 8-6 here. I've been looking to go home and move my flight forward. I shouldn't be here now really."Carter was not set to play in the competition he last won in 2010, but invited to replace Mark Allen after the Northern Irishman withdrew because of personal reasons.
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Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
McIntosh eases into 400 medley final, Marchand almost misses out
Aug 3 (Reuters) - Summer McIntosh is on track to finish the world championships with a fourth gold medal after being fastest in the 400 metres individual medley heats while Leon Marchand nearly missed the men's final on the eighth and final day in Singapore on Sunday. McIntosh cruised to victory in her heat in four minutes and 35.56 seconds for the final later on Sunday, nearly 12 seconds shy of her world record (4:23.65) from Canadian trials in June. The biggest cheers might have been for 12-year-old Yu Zidi, though, as the Chinese schoolgirl won her heat to qualify third for the final in 4:36.49, less than a second off the personal best (4:35.53) that clinched the national title in May. Marchand, who took the 200m IM gold after setting a world record in the semi-finals, led halfway through his 400 heat but slowed up almost too much in the breaststroke and freestyle legs as he qualified seventh for the final in the evening session. While nearly three seconds behind Japanese top seed Tomoyuki Matsushita, Olympic champion and world record holder Marchand will be strongly backed to win his third 400 world title. With American Carson Foster, the Olympic bronze medallist, pulling out of the heats with an ankle injury, the United States did not qualify a swimmer in the final for the first time in over 50 years of world championships. New Zealand's defending champion Lewis Clareburt also bombed out of the heats. The U.S. qualified fastest for the men's 4x100 medley relay final with Jack Alexy swimming the anchor leg for the Paris Olympic silver medallists. But Olympic champions China crashed out as the ninth quickest nation along with 11th-ranked Australia. The U.S. women also qualified fastest in the medley relay in 3:54.49, a second clear of second-ranked Australia, with Germany third fastest. Eight gold medals will be contested in a packed programme in the evening session, with German iron man Florian Wellbrock gunning for the men's 1,500 freestyle title to boost his bumper haul after sweeping the open water events. Lithuanian world record holder Ruta Meilutyte will bid for a fourth successive women's 50 breaststroke world title since returning to the pool from a two-year ban for anti-doping rule violations in 2021.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why Son Heung-min is an even bigger Tottenham legend than Harry Kane as South Korean bids emotional farewell after decade in north London
In the same summer that Harry Kane was walking around a golf course with Gary Neville, telling the world he wanted to leave Tottenham, Son Heung-min was quietly telling the club he would commit to them his peak years. What followed, on the back of a new five-year contract, was the South Korean's best season in a white shirt. His reward for 24 goals was a Premier League Golden Boot. That is why his impending exit will be mourned far more than the departure of Kane two years ago. Kane, like Son, is an infinitely likeable character, but when a player agitates for a move, bridges can sway, if not burn. Son's bond with Tottenham's fanbase has always been watertight. Indeed, the only liquid spilt has been the tears that have flowed in the 24 hours since news broke that he is set to play his final game for the club this weekend, here in his native South Korea. And it was Son himself who opened the emotional floodgates when he sat down in Seoul to confirm his wish to go, with Los Angeles FC the destination. We are used to seeing the forward stop, wait and go again, usually with a posse of helpless defenders in his wake. We will never forget his 80-yard dash and dribble to score against Burnley in 2019. This time, there was no such control. On more than one occasion he had to stop and gather his composure, so overcome was he by the message he was relaying. 'Before we start,' he said. 'I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer. 'Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. I just want to share this before we start.' He called it the start, but the only subject entertained in the business-room forum of the skyscraper that doubled as a media suite was, naturally, the end. The end of a decade in north London — 454 games and 173 goals. And, belatedly, a first trophy in May. That Son only arrived in the Europa League final victory over Manchester United as a second-half substitute speaks to part of the reason for his decision to move on — he knows the time is right. So, too, do supporters, the club and new boss Thomas Frank. At 33, there is no shame in that. He has given them his best years, as he promised. But when he stops now, he doesn't get going as quickly as he once did. What has not slowed, and what will never diminish, is the affection felt for him by the fans. Kane, Paul Gascoigne, Teddy Sheringham, David Ginola, each of them might feel somewhat unloved compared to theadoration for Son. The hardest part of his decision had nothing to do with football or finance, really, but in leaving the place and the people he has come to call home. 'It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career,' he eventually went on. 'I have been here for 10 years. It's a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. I just felt I needed a new environment to push myself, to get more out of me. I think I needed a little bit of change. Ten years is a long time. 'I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, a very young age. A boy who couldn't speak English. I leave as a grown man. So thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love. It felt like it was my home. 'But I think it is the right time to leave. I hope that everyone understands that and respects that.' Son also revealed that his decision came long before this tour of the Far East, which will culminate against Newcastle in front of a sell-out 66,000 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday. 'It's been quite a while since I decided to leave the club,' he said. 'The recent days and weeks have been difficult for me. Son previously enjoyed amazing on-field chemistry with record Spurs goalscorer Harry Kane Kane scored more goals for Spurs than Son but the South Korean is perhaps a bigger club icon 'Although I shared it with close friends, it was difficult to stay private on the outside because I'm still the same person, so it shows what's on the inside. Even in such situations, I did my best to not harm the club or my team-mates.' Son, say those close to the club, was clearly more subdued in Hong Kong last week. And, with such an affable guy, that probably is noticeable. For what we will miss most about him is as much theperson as it is the player. He has been a credit to himself, Tottenham and, by extension, English football. You can be certain that those Newcastle fans at the game will applaud his contribution with genuine respect. A few hours after Son left the business forum, pursued by what felt like the entire South Korean press pack, Eddie Howe spoke glowingly of him. 'I think he is one of the legends of the Premier League,' said the Newcastle boss. 'I've never spent time with him, but he seems like an incredible professional and an incredible person. It will be a great moment to share his last game for Tottenham.' Newcastle will no doubt be grateful for the spotlight to be on Son, so pained has their pre-season been. But gratitude is what we all should feel. Son calls it a pleasure to have spent a decade in the Premier League. The pleasure was all ours.
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan rival could land £210k windfall despite not qualifying for tournament
Ali Carter has reached the Shanghai Masters final against the odds - with the snooker star not even qualifying for the tournament - and he could now collect a huge pay packet if he can defeat Kyren Wilson Snooker star Ali Carter could take home the £210,000 jackpot at the Shanghai Masters - even though he didn't qualify for the tournament - after reaching Sunday's final. Carter, a staunch rival of seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, was not supposed to be playing in Shanghai after failing to qualify through his world ranking of just 17th. But world No.10 Mark Allen withdrew from the competition due to personal reasons, which allowed Carter an opportunity to enter as an unseeded player. Allen has stunned fans with his performances after producing a comeback win three times in a row. The first two feats were against Xiao Guodong and Mark Williams, who he beat 6-5 despite finding himself 5-2 down against both men. He had also been one frame and one big break away from exiting the tournament. And in the semi-finals he dusted himself off from 8-6 down against Mark Selby to prevail 10-8 and book his place in the final, where he will face Kyren Wilson. Wilson had secured a 10-5 win over local favourite Zhao Xintong, handing the Cyclone his first defeat since last November after winning six frames in a row. Carter addressed the discussion around his participation in the tournament due to Allen's withdrawal as he admitted he "shouldn't even be here" - and said his secret to success was to "just turn up and play". "It's just surreal, isn't it? When you don't take it too seriousl," he said. "I always want to win, whether I want to play someone at table tennis. But I was just out there competing. "The secret is not to think about anything. Just turn up and play. Whatever happens, happens. Really I shouldn't even be here now. If Mark Allen doesn't withdraw – I hope he is okay by the way – and I'm 40 points behind to Williams at 5-2 down. I'm looking at my watch thinking, well I could get the midnight flight here. All of a sudden, I have won and I'm in the final. Happy days." It comes days after Carter showed his class by hailing long-time rival O'Sullivan for his "unbelievable" performance against him in the World Championship earlier this year. The pair have a storied history of falling outs, with O'Sullivan calling him a "f***ing nightmare" in 2024 and telling him to "sort his life out" in an extraordinary press conference. But Carter but their bad blood to bed as he reflected on their entertaining encounter, saying: 'When I drew Ronnie, I was like oh f***ing hell, but he was good as gold. It's fine between me and him now, but it was the draw no one wanted, wasn't it? "And despite what people say, in the second half of the match he was unbelievable. I missed the boat in the first half really due to not quite being on it and then he got stronger."
