Sports News Roundup: Leafs clinch first playoff series since 2004; Trophies won't define City legacy, says Guardiola and more

Golf-Gooch holds off Garcia in Singapore playoff for back-to-back LIV tour wins

American Talor Gooch beat Sergio Garcia in a playoff to claim victory in a weather-affected LIV Golf Invitational in Singapore on Sunday and secure a second $4 million winner's pay cheque in as many LIV tour appearances. The American, who also won the LIV Golf event in Adelaide last week, went into the final round tied with Garcia, with Brooks Koepka one stroke behind them in solo third.

Chess-China's Ding Liren defies odds to become world champion

China's Ding Liren was crowned on Sunday as the 17th world chess champion in a tense match against Russian-born Ian Nepomniachtchi in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the last chapter of an odds-defying sequence of events. Thirty-year-old Ding won the rapid chess playoff by 2.5 points to 1.5, capitalizing on Nepomniachtchi's mistakes in time trouble in the last of the shorter-format games, following the pair's 7-7 tie in a psychological battle across 14 longer "classical" games.

MLB roundup: Padres prevail in offensive showcase in Mexico City

Manny Machado's second home run of the game was a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh and Nelson Cruz capped the scoring with a two-run single for his fifth hit -- tying a career high -- on Saturday as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants in a 16-11 slugfest in the first major league game played in Mexico City. Sixteen of the game's 27 runs scored on 11 homers in a game played at the highest elevation (7,349 feet) in major league history at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium. Each team had two sets of back-to-back homers. The Padres finished with six homers to the Giants' five. San Diego also outhit the Giants 17-13, with San Diego drawing 10 of the 15 walks issued in the game.

Soccer-Fenerbahce's Valencia 'fine' after collision in league game

Fenerbahce's Enner Valencia said he was fine after being taken to hospital following a collision with Sivasspor goalkeeper Ali Sasal Vural in a Turkish top-tier game on Saturday. Fenerbahce said Ecuadorian forward Valencia, who was substituted in the first half of the 3-1 win, was taken to a hospital in Sivas by ambulance before returning to Istanbul on the team plane.

NHL roundup: Leafs clinch first playoff series since 2004

John Tavares scored 4:36 into overtime Saturday night as the Toronto Maple Leafs broke a 19-year playoff series drought, beating the host Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Tavares' OT shot skittered past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (20 saves) and clinched a Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time since 2004 -- with the last three games coming in overtime in Tampa. Auston Matthews scored in regulation, and Ilya Samsonov was sharp in stopping 31 of 32 shots.

NHL-Maple Leafs oust Lightning for first playoff series win since 2004

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally exorcised the postseason demons that have haunted the storied franchise for nearly two decades with a 2-1 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday to reach the second round of the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs. John Tavares scored the series winner when he took the puck from behind the Lightning net, skated in front before making a quick turnaround and unleashed a shot that went in off Tampa Bay defender Darren Raddysh's skate.

Tennis-Tsitsipas says 'focus and relaxation' key to improved serve after win over Thiem

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas landed 39 straight first serves en route to claiming a 3-6 6-1 7-6(5) comeback win over Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open, with the Greek crediting his focus and relaxation for his near-perfect serving performance. Tsitsipas looked in danger of falling in his first match of the tournament on Saturday, but he found a way back into it by dominating the second set and then clinching the tie-break in the decider.

Motor racing-I said cat, not cut; Leclerc clarifies radio confusion

Charles Leclerc caused some concern when he reported a 'cut' while leading Saturday's Formula One sprint race in Baku but the Ferrari driver later clarified he was referring to a cat. Asked whether there had been any recurrence of what had sounded like an engine cutout, Leclerc told reporters: "Absolutely not. I said a cat -- which is different.

Olympics-Russian athletes say IOC participation plan 'excessive and discriminatory'

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "excessive and discriminatory", the Russian Olympic Committee's (ROC) athletes' commission said. The IOC sanctioned Russia and its ally Belarus after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but last month recommended that their athletes be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.

Soccer-Trophies won't define City legacy, says Guardiola

Manchester City's legacy under Pep Guardiola will not be defined by the trophies they have won but instead by the joy they have brought to fans, the Spaniard said as his side edge closer to winning their fifth Premier League title in six seasons. City are now just two points behind leaders Arsenal but have played two games less, and could go top later on Sunday with a victory at Fulham. They have also booked their berths in both the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-finals.