PARIS, May 27 — World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the French Open last 16 today with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

The Serb fired nine aces and 30 winners past Bedene and will face Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman for a place in the quarter-finals.

Djokovic, bidding for a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam title, has a perfect 6-0 record over Schwartzman including a five-set win in Paris in the third round in 2017. — AFP

PARIS, May 27 — Coco Gauff, the youngest player left in the French Open, made the last 16 today with a straight-sets win over Kaia Kanepi, the oldest woman in the tournament at 36.

Gauff, the 18-year-old 18th seed, triumphed 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for a second successive year having enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in 2021.

Kanepi, ranked 46, was the junior champion at Roland Garros in 2001, three years before Gauff was born.

Gauff defeated the Estonian on her way to the Parma clay court title in 2021 and goes on to face Belgium’s Elise Mertens for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Mertens reached the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Varvara Gracheva of Russia. — AFP

LONDON, May 27 — Leeds United have signed American midfielder Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

Aaronson will complete the move on July 1 and the 21-year-old will be tied to the club until 2027.

Aaronson made 41 appearances in all competitions for Salzburg this season, scoring six goals and providing 10 assists. He has also played under Leeds manager Jesse Marsch when the American was in charge at Salzburg.

The attacking midfielder played for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer and has scored five goals for the United States national team in 18 appearances.

Leeds secured their top-flight survival on the final day of the season when a 2-1 win at Brentford ensured Marsch's side finished 17th in the table, three points above the drop zone. — Reuters

LONDON, May 27 — Aston Villa have reached an agreement with La Liga club Sevilla to sign Brazilian centre back Diego Carlos for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

Carlos, 29, has been a vital part of the Sevilla team, playing 136 matches over three seasons and he was at the heart of the defence when the Spanish side won the Europa League in the 2019-20 season.

The deal for Carlos, who also won a gold medal with Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics last year, is expected to be finalised after he completes a medical and personal terms are agreed.

Villa have moved swiftly to secure signings for next season after finishing 14th under Steven Gerrard.

They signed defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille and made Philippe Coutinho's loan move from Barcelona permanent. — Reuters

PARIS, May 26 — World number one Iga Swiatek racked up her 30th successive victory today with a 6-0, 6-2 demolition of Alison Riske of the United States to reach the French Open third round.

Poland’s Swiatek, the 2020 champion in Paris, is on the best streak since Serena Williams’s 34-match winning run in 2013. The 20-year-old will face Danka Kovinic of Montenegro for a place in the last 16.

Swiatek raced through the first set against 43rd-ranked Riske in just 21 minutes and was 3-0 up in the second before the American avoided a “double bagel”.

The Pole still managed to take her record of 6-0 sets in 2022 to a season-leading 15. — AFP

PARIS, May 26 — World number two Daniil Medvedev eased into the French Open third round today with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Laslo Djere of Serbia.

Medvedev, who made the quarter-finals in 2021, goes on to face another Serb in Miomir Kecmanovic, the 28th seed, for a place in the last 16.

Djere hit 39 winners today but was undone by 68 unforced errors as Medvedev completed victory in two hours 35 minutes.

“I think Laslo may have had an injury so he was making winners or making mistakes so I thought ‘OK, well, his pain could go away’,” said Medvedev.

“That’s not easy so I had to focus on every point.” — AFP

MILAN, May 26 — After waiting 19 years to lead a team to a trophy as coach, AC Milan's Stefano Pioli's mood was dampened when his Serie A winners' medal was stolen on Sunday.

Milan clinched their first Scudetto in 11 years with a 3-0 victory at Sassuolo on the final day of the season and at the final whistle their supporters invaded the pitch en masse.

The scenes of jubilation were marred, however, when someone took Pioli's medal from around his neck.

He asked for it to be returned on social media, joking that it was the only one he had.

The police tracked down the medal after a fan posted a photo of it on Instagram with the caption 'thanks Pioli'. — Reuters

BRUSSELS, May 26 — Former Manchester City and Belgium defender Vincent Kompany has left Anderlecht after two seasons as head coach, the Belgian club announced on Wednesday.

Kompany joined Anderlecht as player-manager in 2019 before retiring from playing in 2020 to take over as their full-time coach. He led them to a third-place finish this season.

The 36-year-old former City captain has been linked by British media with the manager's job at Burnley, who were relegated to England's second-tier Championship on Sunday.

'Today only one feeling prevails: I am proud that I was able to start this new chapter at the club of my heart,' Kompany said in a club statement.

'I have now been a player and a coach of RSC Anderlecht, but above all I remain a loyal fan.' Anderlecht did not win any trophies under Kompany. — Reuters

MILAN, May 25 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out of action for seven to eight months after the veteran striker underwent successful knee surgery, new Serie A champions AC Milan announced today.

In a statement, Milan said that the 40-year-old striker went under the knife in the French city of Lyon today, an operation which the club said had been scheduled some time ago.

Ibrahimovic has missed large chunks of the past season with injuries, Milan relying on France forward Olivier Giroud in their charge to a first league title in 11 years.

After Sunday’s 3-0 win at Sassuolo which decided the title in Milan’s favour, Swede Ibrahimovic said he had to see how he was physically before he decided whether to carry on playing.

He had already missed Euro 2020 after surgery on his left knee last year before an Achilles tendon problem which cost him his starting position up front for Milan. — AFP