Digest

FIGURE SKATING

Sui and Han reign at Four Continents event

China's Olympic silver medalists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won gold in the pairs event at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul on Saturday.

The defending champions, who finished third in the short program, scored a total of 217.51 points to beat compatriots Peng Cheng and Jin Yang by 4.22 points.

Canadian pair Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro took the bronze medal with 201.80 points. Americans Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson finished fourth with 196.15 points.

SPEED SKATING

Ren races to World Cup gold in Germany

China's Ren Ziwei won gold in the men's 1,500m at an ISU short-track World Cup meet in Dresden, Germany, on Saturday, while compatriot Han Yutong claimed bronze in the women's 1,500m.

Ren was never caught after launching a surprise early break to finish with a winning time of 2 minutes 14.761 seconds.

Han finished third in the'A' final of the women's 1,500m behind two South Koreans－winner Choi Min-jeong and runner-up Noh Ah-rum.

China's Olympic champion Wu Dajing ranked fourth in the men's 1,000m race, clocking 1:25.651.South Korea's Park Ji-won topped the podium in 1:24.997.

BADMINTON

Momota ruled out for another three months

Japanese star Kento Momota, who sustained a broken nose in a traffic accident in Malaysia last month, faces another three months on the sidelines after discovering that he also fractured a right eye socket.

The world No 1's club, NTT, said in a statement that Momota returned to training with the national team last week but did not feel well.

"He was diagnosed with a right eye socket fracture on Friday after leaving the training camp," said an NTT statement.

"He had surgery on Saturday and it was very successful. The surgeon suggests he should take about three months to completely recover."

Zeniya Kinji, secretary-general of the Japanese Badminton Association, had said that Momota would be ready to defend his singles title at March's All England Open Championships in Birmingham.

Momota, who missed the 2016 Rio Olympics due to a suspension for illegal gambling, won 11 international meets last year and is hoping to become Japan's first Olympic men's singles champion at the Tokyo Games.

BASKETBALL

Wolves devour Clippers to halt 13-game skid

The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves were a puzzle too difficult to solve on Saturday, getting 24 points from Jordan McLaughlin and 23 from Malik Beasley to earn a resounding 142-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to end a 13-game losing streak.

Three players were making their debuts for a Timberwolves team that was busy in advance of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. One player who did not suit up was D'Angelo Russell, who was one of the biggest acquisitions on the final trading day.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 22 points with 12 rebounds and nine assists. Beasley made a career-best seven 3-pointers in his Wolves debut. McLaughlin's point total was a career high, while James Johnson added 15 points, also in is Minnesota debut. McLaughlin had 11 assists, while Beasley had 10 rebounds.

The Timberwolves set a franchise record with 26 3-pointers and shot 59.1 percent from distance.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points and Paul George added 21 for the Clippers.

BASEBALL

Benintendi, Boston agree to $10m deal

Outfielder Andrew Benintendi and the Boston Red Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $10 million, two-year contract on Saturday.

He will earn $3.4 million this year and $6.6 million in 2021.

The 25-year-old hit .277 with 51 homers and 259 RBIs in his first three-plus seasons in the major leagues. In 2018, he led all players with 15 runs in the postseason while helping the Red Sox win the World Series. His game-ending catch in Game 4 of the ALCS was The Associated Press' "Play of the Year".

He hit.266 with 13 homers, 68 RBIs and 10 stolen bases last year, when he made $717,500. Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Benintendi had asked for $4.15 million and had been offered $3.4 million when proposed salaries were exchanged last month.

SOCCER

Ronaldo nets scoring record in Juve loss

Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday became the first Juventus player to score in 10 successive Serie A games but the champion fell 2-1 at Hellas Verona to leave an opening to its title rivals.

Ronaldo－who turned 35 last week－broke through after 65 minutes, to hit his 15th goal in 10 games and take his league tally to 20.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is closing in on the all-time Serie A record of scoring in 11 consecutive games held by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.

But Juventus paid for defensive errors with Fabio Borini pulling Verona level with a quarter of an hour to go, before veteran striker Giampaolo Pazzini won the match for the promoted side from the penalty spot four minutes from time following a Leonardo Bonucci handball.

The defeat was the third this season for Maurizio Sarri's side but second in three games after losing 2-1 at Napoli just two weeks ago.