13/04/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | APR 13, 2026 28 R ORY MCILROY charged back late after squandering a six-stroke edge to share the lead with Cameron Young after a wild third round at the Masters yesterday. A chaotic afternoon at Augusta National saw both men plunk key shots into water on the back nine but finish level atop the leaderboard on 11-under 205 through 54 holes, one stroke ahead of American Sam Burns. McIlroy, who started the day with a record six-shot lead, carded a 1 over 73 while Young roared into con tention with a scintillating 7-under 65. “I didn’t have it today,” McIlroy admitted. “I scrambled a lot on the front nine.” Second-ranked McIlroy birdied the 14th and 15th holes to regain the lead but found the trees off the 17th tee on the way to a bogey and his one-over round. “This golf course has a way of, when you’re not quite feeling it, you struggle,” McIlroy said. “You have to dig deep. “I still have a great chance,” McIlroy added. “I’m in the final

Faltering McIlroy, surging Young Rory tied for Masters lead after Amen Corner trouble at Augusta

Samson smashes hundred as CSK notch first win SANJU SAMSON smashed a hundred to lead Chennai Super Kings to their first win of the IPL season after three straight defeats as they beat Delhi Capitals by 23 runs yesterday. India’s T20 World Cup hero Samson hit an unbeaten 115 for his fourth IPL ton and first for Chennai to steer the team to 212-2 at their M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Samson, who survived a dropped catch on 52, delighted the crowd with 15 fours and four sixes in a brilliant 56-ball innings. England all-rounder Jamie Overton then took four wickets after Delhi made a bright start to their chase as Chennai bowled out their opponents for 189. Overton grabbed the crucial wickets of Delhi top-scorer Tristan Stubbs for 60 and his South Africa international team mate David Miller. Samson, who was traded from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai ahead of the cam paign, made his first major con tribution with the bat after fail ures in their previous three losses. “I failed a lot,” said Samson. “Failing a lot tells you how to come back. Mentally, you think if you need to go hard or change the game-plan.” Samson put on 113 runs for the second wicket with Ayush Mhatre, who was retired out on 59. Shivam Dube, who clubbed 20 off 10 balls, stitched together an unbeaten stand of 37 with Samson as the hosts finished their innings strongly. “It was a very good batting wicket,“ said Delhi skipper Axar Patel. “But as I said, if we hadn’t dropped one or two catches in the field, the result could have been different.” In the first match of the day, Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 69 to steer Punjab Kings to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Openers Priyansh Arya, who hit 57 from 20 balls, and Prabhsimran Singh (51) set up Punjab’s chase of 220 in a stand of 99 before Shreyas took over in Chandigarh. – AFP

lead on 209 alongside China’s Li Haotong, who also found water on his way to shooting 69. “I put myself in position,“ Scheffler said. “I just need to get the job done.” McIlroy made double bogey at the 11th when his approach sailed left into a pond and after a bogey at the par-three 12th, his lead had vanished in Amen Corner. McIlroy responded with a 19-foot birdie putt at the 14th and drove the green in two at the par-five 15th to set up a tap-in birdie only for a bogey at 17 to drop him back. “I knew today wasn’t going to be easy,” McIlroy said. “The quality of the chasing pack was very good and a lot of guys played their best golf.” – AFP

American has a prime chance for his first major title. “There certainly is no lead that’s safe out here, but Rory loves it here and no one would be surprised if he had shot 65,” Young said. “It’s just one of those times that if he doesn’t, we have to take advan tage and I got myself here today.” Burns carded a 68 and was one stroke in front of Ireland’s Shane Lowry. Lowry aced the 190-yard par three sixth hole on his way to a 68 that left him in fourth on 207, one stroke ahead of Australian Jason Day and England’s Justin Rose. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free 65 – his lowest career Masters round – to stand four off the

group. That’s where I want to be. I need to be better tomorrow. If I’m going to win tomorrow I have to be better than I was today.” McIlroy, a five-time major winner, hopes to match Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back winners of the green jacket. Third-ranked Young, last month’s Players Championship winner, got off to a scorching start with birdies on five of the first 10 holes. He birdied 13 and 14, his drive at the 13th hitting a tree and landing fortuitously in the fairway, then over came a watery bogey at 15 by curling in a 27-foot birdie putt at the par three 16th. As a result, the 28-year-old

Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz in action during their respective semifinal clashes at the Monte Carlo Masters yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Notices

322

DALAM MAHKAMAH SESYEN DI BUTTERWORTH DALAM NEGERI PULAU PINANG, MALAYSIA GUAMAN SIVIL NO. PB-B52NCC-37-02/2026 ANTARA PUBLIC BANK BERHAD [NO. SYARIKAT 196501000672 (6463-H)] … PLAINTIF DAN YEOH BER BER (NO. K. P. 780215-10-5134) ... DEFENDAN NOTIS IKLAN Kepada:- YEOH BER BER (NO. K. P. 780215-10-5134)

Sinner, Alcaraz battle for No.1 spot

1552, Jalan Tan Sai Gin 14000 Bukit Mertajam Pulau Pinang dan/atau YEOH BER BER

(NO. K. P. 780215-10-5134) 30, Lorong Bukit Permata 2

Taman Bukit Permata 14000 Bukit Mertajam Pulau Pinang

AMBIL PERHATIAN bahawa satu Writ bermeterai bertarikh 27-02-2026 telah dikeluarkan ke atas kamu dalam Mahkamah Sesyen di Butterworth, Pulau Pinang dalam Guaman Sivil No. PB-B52NCC-37-02/2026 oleh Public Bank Berhad yang mempunyai alamat di No. 2644 – 2648,Jalan Chee Bee Noor, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang serta di Tingkat 2, No. 48, Lebuh Bishop, 10200 Pulau Pinang dan diperintahkan bahawa Writ bermeterai tersebut bersama dengan Pernyataan Tuntutan bertarikh 27 02-2026 disampaikan kepada kamu secara penyampaian ganti dengan menampalkan kertas-kertas kausa bersama dengan Perintah untuk Penyampaian Ganti bermeterai di Papan Notis Mahkamah Sesyen di Butterworth,Pulau Pinang dan pada satu bahagian yang jelas kelihatan di alamat-alamat terakhir yang diketahui iaitu 1552, Jalan Tan Sai Gin, 14000 Bukit Mertajam,Pulau Pinang dan/atau 30,Lorong Bukit Permata 2, Taman Bukit Permata, 14000 Bukit Mertajam,Pulau Pinang dan memasukkan satu iklan dalam suatu surat khabar tempatan berbahasa Inggeris iaitu “The Sun” untuk satu (1) terbitan dan bahawa penampalan dan pengiklanan itu hendaklah disifatkan sebagai penyampaian yang sempurna dan cukup bagi Writ tersebut dalam tempoh masa tujuh (7) hari dari tarikh akhir penampalan atau pengiklanan dengan kos penyampaian ganti dijadikan kos dalam kausa. Jika kamu berhasrat untuk membela tindakan tersebut kamu mestilah hadir sama ada secara sendiri atau melalui peguambela kamu di hadapan Mahkamah Sesyen di Butterworth,Pulau Pinang pada 30 04-2026 jam pukul 9.00 pagi . Jika kamu ingkar hadir sedemikian,satu penghakiman boleh dibuat terhadap kamu oleh Mahkamah. Bertarikh 13 April 2026 ________________________ Peguamcara Plaintif NOTIS ini dikeluarkan oleh Tetuan Wong & Loh, Peguamcara Plaintif yang beralamat di 44, Jalan Cantonment, 10350 Georgetown, Pulau Pinang.

Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury, in his first fight since succes sive defeats to unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk, and now with a pro fessional record of 35 wins, two losses and one draw, added: “Let’s give the fight fans what they want. “Do not run from me this time. Ten years in the making. Let’s dance.” Joshua, 36, did not reply immedi ately but eventually said: “I punched you up when we were kids and I’ll Carlo final for the first time with a clini cal 6-1, 6-4 semifinal win over Alexander Zverev in yesterday’s earlier match. The 24-year-old Italian becomes the first player to reach all three finals of the season’s first three Masters 1000 events since Novak Djokovic in 2015. Roger Federer, in 2006, and Rafael Nadal, 2011, are the only two other players to achieve the feat. “I’m very happy,” said Sinner. “We came here trying to give myself some feedback (on clay) and now finding myself in the final means a lot to me.” “Obviously every match, every day is different, so I’m very happy about today’s performance. I felt really solid from the beginning.” – AFP

ryone I would say. I’m fighting for a sec ond Monte Carlo title, he’s fighting for his first one,” said Alcaraz. “It’s going to be a really special one. The No. 1 is on the line, which will make tomorrow even more special.” The 22-year-old Alcaraz is trying to keep hold of top spot and holds a 10-6 lead over Sinner in the head-to-head series. “It’s going to be 17 meetings against him, so I know him pretty well,“ said Alcaraz. “I know that I have to play my best tennis if I want to beat him. “If I’m feeling (the) favourite or not, I would say against him there is no favourite in any match. It depends about who’s playing the best that day.” Sinner eased his way into the Monte

CARLOS ALCARAZ teed up a block buster Monte Carlo Masters final with Jannik Sinner as the world’s top two players will face off for the No. 1 rank ing. Alcaraz ended the fairytale run of local boy Valentin Vacherot in the last four yesterday to stay on track to defend his title in the principality. Alcaraz saw off Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 to reach his 10th ATP 1000 final and improve his record on clay to 26-1 since the start of last year. It will be the first meeting this sea son between Alcaraz and Sinner and will decide who will be world No. 1 today when the new ATP rankings are released. “I think it’s the dream spot for eve

Fury outpoints Makhmudov, calls out Joshua FORMER world heavyweight cham pion Tyson Fury marked his latest return to the ring with a unanimous points win over Arslanbek Fury, who had walked out to the tune Blue Moon in honour of the late Ricky Hatton, who died in September, leaned over the ropes and invited Joshua into the ring after the bout. Joshua refused but the two former world heavyweight champions

punch you up again. “You aren’t going to tell me what to do, I’ve been chasing you for 10 years. I’m the boss, you work for me. I’m the landlord. You work for me.” Fury, eventually reflecting on yes terday’s fight itself, said: “I got 12 rounds against a tough opponent, a knockout specialist. “That is better than a one rounder against a bum. I just took out the num ber five contender in the world with ease.” – AFP

Makhmudov yesterday before imme diately challenging Anthony Joshua to a “Battle of Britain” super fight. Two-time former world champion Fury, back after a 16-month absence, won 120-108 on two of the judges’ scorecards, with the other ruling he had defeated his Russian opponent 119-109 after the maximum 12 rounds.

exchanged words and Fury, 37, was pulled back by the referee before the result was announced. After his victory had been con firmed, Fury, out of retirement for a fifth time, said: “I challenge you,