Zhang Anda won a tense deciding frame on the black to beat Zhou Yuelong and reach the World Grand Prix final in Hong Kong.
Zhang came out on top in the first of two all-Chinese semi-finals, winning a scrappy final frame to beat Zhou 6-5.
He will play either world champion Zhao Xintong or Xiao Guodong in Sunday’s final.
World number 23 Zhang had to battle hard to make it past his less experienced countryman to reach his fourth ranking final.
Zhou, who beat England’s Ali Carter in a decider to reach the last four, was well placed to win the final frame but ran out of position on the blue when he looked set to clear up for victory.
Zhang scored two centuries – 102 and 121 – and three breaks of more than 50 as he came from behind three times to edge into a 5-4 lead.
Zhou responded with a break of 82 to force the decider but his hunt for an elusive maiden ranking title continues.
Vice President Kassim Shettima on Saturday arrived in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to condole with the government and people of the state over Tuesday’s attack on the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government.
READ ALSO: UN, US Condemn Kwara Attack As Türkiye Vows Military Support
Shettima’s aircraft landed at the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport at about 10:30 in the morning.
Accompanying the vice president were the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, Senator Ali Ndume, and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Shettima was received at the airport by the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu; and the Senator representing Kwara North Senatorial District, Sadiq Umar.
Others were the member representing Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Mukhtar Sagaya; security commanders, some members of the state legislative and executive councils, and local government chairmen.
Others were the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Sunday Fagbemi and other party executive members.
Gunmen killed dozens of people, burned shops and a traditional ruler’s home, and wounded people fled into the bushes after the late Tuesday attack.
The refusal of the villagers to be indoctrinated by an extremist group, Mahmuda, was said to have led to indiscriminate shooting, as two vehicles belonging to the village head were used by the bandits to transport many villagers who were abducted.
The attack on Woro Village in Kwara State came after the military recently carried out operations in the area against what it called “terrorist elements”.
The gunmen also wounded people fled into the bushes after the late Tuesday attack.
Last month, the military said it had launched “sustained coordinated offensive operations against terrorist elements” in Kwara State.
“Troops also stormed remote camps hitherto inaccessible to security forces where several abandoned camps and logistics enablers were destroyed, significantly degrading the terrorists,” the military said in a January 30 statement.
In response to the latest security woes, Kwara State imposed curfews in certain areas and closed schools for several weeks before ordering them to reopen on Monday.
Already, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has visited the community.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says his side’s humbling defeat by France on Thursday will be “for nothing” if they do not get a response against Italy next weekend.
Ireland were beaten 36-14 at the Stade de France to begin their 2026 Six Nations campaign in a game when Farrell was without several regular starters through injury.
The loss, however, was Ireland’s fourth defeat by double-digits in the past 12 months and the side have now dropped to fifth in the world rankings, their lowest position since March 2022.
“I said during the week that whatever happens it has to stand to us because it’s another experience for a different enough group, with all the injuries,” said Farrell.
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Despite Ireland’s struggles against the game’s biggest sides – they have lost seven of their past nine against France, South Africa, New Zealand and England – they have not been beaten by anyone other than that quartet since February 2021.
The side will, therefore, be expected to get back on track against Italy in Dublin on 14 February, but Farrell says whatever the result there needs to be a “response” to the France performance back at the Aviva Stadium.
“I think it was going to be challenging anyway,” he said.
“Italy are not the Italy of old. I think we all realise that. I think they’re a good team.
Ireland v Italy
2026 Six Nations
Saturday, 14 February, 14:10 GMT
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Thanks to their unusual Thursday start to the campaign, Ireland will have nine days to prepare for the visit of the Azzurri.
While the injury count was high coming into the tournament, Farrell felt his side came through their opener relatively unscathed despite “wounded pride, bangs and bruises”, but a fierce selection debate can still be expected.
Farrell rolled the dice to an extent against Les Bleus, dropping James Lowe in favour of Jacob Stockdale and giving Cian Prendergast an opportunity to start in the back row.
Given the nature of the result and the fact that those coming off the bench lifted the performance, admittedly with result already decided, there will be calls for even greater change, but Farrell says he will look at the “in-depth reality” of the game before making decisions.
“It’s obviously at the forefront of our mind, selection and how we get the best response for that,” he added.
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Richard Winton
BBC Sport at Cortina Curling Stadium
Team GB’s mixed doubles curlers moved to the brink of the Winter Olympics semi-finals with three matches still to play, as a statement victory over heavyweights Canada maintained their 100% record.
US honorary coach, hype man and rapper Snoop Dogg was not in the house on Saturday, but Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds made their own headlines, roaring into a 5-1 lead after just three ends before closing out a 7-5 triumph.
The sense is six wins should be enough for a place in the last four and the British pair have already hit that mark to sit top of the round-robin standings.
Three points in the opening end set the tone – and sent a cascade of noise rolling down from the wooden bleachers in the quirky Cortina Curling Stadium – and a series of judicious shots ensured the Scots kept their opponents at arms length.
The GB pair led 5-2 at the halfway interval, before two more fabulous closing throws by Dodds left it at 7-3 with two ends remaining.
Canada were done at that stage, and looked poised to concede as Dodds lined up a final stone to take a point in the seventh. But a rare overthrow instead gifted them two and extended the contest.
Two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen has had surgery on an Achilles injury in the United States but has said “it’s not as bad as it seems”.
In worst-case scenarios, recovery time from an Achilles operation can take up to 10 months, but the 25-year-old Norwegian said on his YouTube channel that he was looking at a rehabilitation plan for the “next couple of months”.
Ingebrigtsen said he first injured his left Achilles last April, but was determined to compete at the World Championships in September, where he failed to win a medal.
The injury flared up again in January and he said it became “100% necessary” to have surgery to remove scar tissue surrounding the paratenon – a protective sheath that surrounds the Achilles tendon.
“This is of course not something to be taken lightly but absolutely the right thing for the longevity of my career, ” Ingebrigtsen posted on Instagram, along with a picture of him sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a protective boot.
14 September 2025
Ingebrigtsen won 1500m gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and took the 5,000m title at the Paris Games in 2024.
But he failed to make the 1500m final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo and went on to finish 10th in the 5,000m final.
Ingebrigtsen added: “My Achilles tendon is absolutely fine and has been for many months – it is the sheath around it that has been causing the issue and unfortunately it has not been able to recover properly,” he said.
“The sheath has been ruined and covered in scar tissue, which is what we have gone in and removed.
“So the surgery by itself is not that big, which is why the recovery time is somewhat short. Hopefully I am not going to be out for very long but it is necessary for me to be healthy again.
“So don’t be concerned – it’s not as bad as it seems.”
Faheem Ashraf made a blistering unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan were given a major scare by the Netherlands in a thrilling opening game at the T20 World Cup.
Much of the build-up to Pakistan’s participation in the tournament has been overshadowed by the spectre of a boycott following Bangladesh’s decision to withdraw over safety concerns.
Any hope that matters on the pitch would be smoother were erased when Pakistan slipped from 98-2 to 114-7 in pursuit 148 during a chaotic few overs in Colombo.
The Netherlands then squeezed the runs and Pakistan’s jittery chase lurched towards the prospect of an upset with 29 runs required off the final two overs, only for Ashraf’s big hitting to get them over the line with three balls to spare.
The Netherlands made a positive start to their innings at the Sinhalese Sports Club after they were asked to bat first as opener Michael Levitt thumped 24 off 15 balls.
Bas de Leede continued the momentum with a composed 25-ball 30 and, at 105-3 with De Leede and Edwards at the crease, the Netherlands looked set to post a competitive total.
But the Associate nation lost their last six wickets for 20 runs as Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub picked up two wickets apiece.
Sahibzada Farhan’s classy 47 off 31 balls guided Pakistan to 98-2 before he slapped Aryan Dutt to cover to start a Pakistan collapse as Roelof van der Merwe and Paul van Meekeren bowled tightly.
Ashraf spared their blushes, though, when he hammered three sixes and a four off the penultimate over from Logan van Beek, the Netherlands missing a chance to dismiss him on seven when Max O’Dowd shelled a catch at long-off.
