MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 SPORTS Castroneves grabs IndyCar pole BIRMINGHAM: Helio Castroneves, Will Power race in 2010 and captured the pole two years and Team Penske will start from a familiar later. Power said qualifying spot is “huge” at position at the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama: Barber, where there are fewer than normal Up front. good passing spots. He won at the 2.3-mile, Now, the challenge will be finishing there, 17-turn road course in 2011 and 2012. too. Castroneves is confident of a happy end- Power’s strong qualifying was a nice rebound ing for someone on his team Sunday at from his 20th-place finish at Long Beach. Barber Motorsports Park, he’s just not sure “It’s kind of apparent that it’s going to be a who. “Whatever happens, we’ll make sure that race between the teammates, then you have one of the guys wins the race,” the Brazilian kind of Kanaan and Dixon in the mix as well,” said. Castroneves turned in the fast lap of 1 he said. “I feel like we’ve got a little bit of an minute, 7.1925 seconds with rain starting to advantage. We’ve been stronger. You have to come down at the end of a day dominated by keep that in mind when you’re racing those Penske and Chevrolet. He earned his second guys. Every time they get points on you, it’s pole in the Alabama race and second in a row going to add up at the end of the year. this year after finishing No. 2 at Long Beach. “Got to be smart and treat your team- IndyCar officials put up the checkered flag mates as well as you can, but you’ve also got with 1:40 left in the Fast Six with lightning in to win. That’s what’s on my mind.” the area, leaving no one with a chance to Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis make a late run at him. 500 winner, will start 18th. Hunter-Reay will “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” have to play catch-up after winning the last Castroneves said. “I went for it. I saw some two Alabama races. Power and Castroneves very thick drops of rain coming. I’m the first combined to win the first three. Hunter-Reay run out there because I had the first pit. I’m said he got caught behind rookie Francesco just pushing as hard as I can. Dracone and couldn’t finish with a strong “In the end it paid off. I took some calcu- qualifying lap. lated risk. I went out again, then it was a little “We just caught slower traffic there,” bit slippery. Since we were in a very good Hunter-Reay said. “I gave him a huge gap to position already, I didn’t have to take any oth- begin with knowing that he was way off the er chance. “ Power, a two-time winner in pace and just caught him over and over Alabama, will start second, followed by Simon again. “It’s our own team’s fault to put our- Pagenaud for a Team Penske sweep of the top selves in that position.” Points leader Juan LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry poses for a picture with winners of the Men’s race Wilson Kipsang who came second (left), Eliud Kipchoge who three spots. A Penske driver has started seven Pablo Montoya qualified 15th, well behind his came first (centre) and Dennis Kimetto who came third (right) at the 35th London yesterday. —AP straight races from the pole and nabbed the Penske teammates. “It’s tough because on first four starting spots in the opener at St. these tires you really only get one lap and I Petersburg. The rest of the top six includes missed it on that lap,” said Montoya, who won Kipchoge adds London title Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Tony at St. Pete. Making his way up front will be Kanaan. Dixon has podium finishes in all five hard since the lowest starting spot for a win- Barber races in the series, including four run- ner was No. 9 for Power in 2012. Kanaan ners-up but no wins. called Barber “a hard, hard place to pass.” to marathon collection Chevy, which has won two of the first “In my opinion, it’s going to end up on fuel three races, has the top seven qualifiers and strategy and pit strategy,” Kanaan said. “We’re 10 of the first 12. Honda’s only win came from so close. Such quality drivers this year in the Shock win for Tufa in women’s race James Hinchcliffe in the rain-shortened field. We’ll have to see if there’s an opportuni- Louisiana race. ty to pass. We’ll put on a good show for the Castroneves won the inaugural Alabama fans. Barber is always good for that.” —AP LONDON: Eliud Kipchoge led a Kenyan clean sweep of the podium places as he won the men’s yesterday in a time of two hours, four minutes and 42 seconds. Kerber shocks Wozniacki The final mile saw former world 5,000 metres champion Kipchoge sprint clear of Wilson STUTTGART: Germany’s Angelique Kerber Stuttgart in her fourth appearance at the Kipsang, last year’s London winner, with world extended her winning streak to 11 matches German venue. record-holder Dennis Kimetto finishing in third with a three-sets win over Caroline The first set of Sunday’s final was all place. Wozniacki to win the Stuttgart claycourt Wozniacki, who broke Kerber in the fourth Victory saw Kipchoge add the London title to title yesterday. game then held her serve to take a 4-1 lead his wins in last year’s Rotterdam and Chicago Having knocked out three-time champi- before the set was eventually served out. and was his fourth victory in five runs on Maria Sharapova in the second round, The German rallied to control the sec- at the distance. Kerber recovered from losing the final’s first ond, blasting her way out to a 3-0 lead “It was a tough race. My training paid off and set to earn a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over for- before breaking the former world number it went to plan,” said Kipchoge. Some pundits mer world number one Wozniacki. one in the sixth game for a 5-1 lead to had billed the men’s event as a ‘Clash of the “I fought hard until the end and drained serve out the set. Champions’ between Kipsang and Kimetto, their all my reserves of energy,” beamed Bremen- Both players traded breaks in the third first meeting over the marathon. “I was really born Kerber. “I am mega-proud to have before Wozniacki looked to be heading for under-rated,” said Kipchoge. “Everyone was like, won here in front of a home crowd.” Since her second tournament victory of 2015 at ‘Wilson and Kimetto, who will win’?” Kipsang winning the Charleston tournament a fort- 5-3. But Kerber made her shots count and added: “I tried to keep a close watch on him, but night ago, Kerber carried her impressive with the Dane under immense pressure on he had more fuel than me.” recent form onto Stuttgart’s clay courts. the base line, Wozniacki was broken in the The 30-year-old Kipchoge, who went up in Her win over Sharapova was the first ninth and 11th games to give the German distance after his world title success on the track time the Russian had tasted defeat in victory in just over two hours. —AFP in Paris in 2003, beat a field featuring the three- fastest marathon runners of all-time. His winning time was outside Kipsang’s London record of 2hrs 04 mins and 29 secs set last year. Kipsang’s time of 2:04:47 yesterday made him the quick- LONDON: Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia poses with the trophy after winning the women’s race in the est-ever London runner-up, surpassing Stanley 35th London Marathon yesterday. —AP Biwott’s 2:04:55 last year. Kimetto came in third this year in a time of 2:05:50, with Biwott in overcast and cool conditions. blighted by a series of injuries in recent years, fourth place. In the women’s race, there was a “I’ve always dreamed about winning the with illness and fitness problems helping deny shock win for Tigist Tufa as the Ethiopian, who in London Marathon and I can’t say how happy I her an Olympic title. common with Kipchoge was making her London am that this has come true,” said Tufa who beat a Radcliffe crossed the line on Sunday in a time debut, ended four years of Kenyan domination. field featuring the Kenyan quartet of defending of 2:36:55. “Down the last mile I thought, ‘I don’t Tufa was only the ninth-fastest competitor in champion , Keitany, half-marathon care about the time’. I just wanted to thank as the elite women’s field but pulled clear just over world record holder Florence Kiplagat and many people as I could,” Radcliffe said after a mile from the finish. The 28-year-old won by , the London winner in 2013. Edna embracing husband Gary Lough and their two some 18 seconds from Kenya’s Mary Keitany in a Kiplagat finished down the field in 11th place. children, daughter Isla and son Raphael, at the time of 2:23:22. Keitany, the winner of the race in finish. “There was a big sign at Embankment say- 2011 and 2012, just did enough to hold off Tufa’s RADCLIFFE BOWS OUT ing ‘we will miss you’, but it won’t be as much as I compatriot, Tirfi Tsegaye, in the battle for second The race also marked British distance-running will miss you.” place. heroine ’s farewell to the event. In the wheelchair races there was an Tufa, the 2014 champion, No longer among the elite competitors, but run- American double, with Joshua George holding was the first Ethiopian to win the London ning among the main field, the 41-year-old was off Britain’s six-times London champion David women’s race since in 2001, with a bowing out on the same course where in 2003 Weir in a sprint finish, while Tatyana McFadden 25th mile completed in just 5mins 07 secs she set a women’s world record of 2:15:25 that surged away in the women’s event to win the enabling her to make a decisive breakaway in still stands. However, Radcliffe’s career has been event for a third successive year. —AFP Klitschko extends reign STUTTGART: Germany’s Angelique Kerber poses next to the winner’s prize, a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, after winning against Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in NEW YORK: Wladimir Klitschko used fell to 19-1. the final of the WTA Tennis Grand Prix. —AFP his big jab to extend a nine-year reign “There were more exciting and less as world heavyweight champion with exciting wins,” he said. “This one a unanimous points decision over a belongs to ones that were not as Nishikori wins Barcelona title game but limited Bryant Jennings at exciting.” The challenger and his camp Madison Square Garden on Saturday. felt they belonged in the world title Returning to the United States and class despite a relative lack of experi- BARCELONA: Japan’s Kei the Garden for the first time in seven ence, with Jennings boxing for just six Nishikori claimed his second years, the 39-year-old Ukrainian years. consecutive Barcelona Open title regretted not being able to overpow- Jennings, 30, said he proved yesterday with a hard-fought 6- er the American challenger as he out- detractors wrong. “This fight does not 4, 6-4 over Spaniard Pablo boxed his opponent in an 18th con- penetrate my confidence. I’m hoping I Andujar. secutive successful title defence. gained some respect and I know I Andujar had upset Rafael The pro-Klitschko crowd, which gained some fans,” he said. Klitschko Nadal’s conquerer Fabio Fognini numbered more than 17,000, lavished piled up points with his jab, while and David Ferrer on his route to cheers and chants on the champion Jennings scored with rights to the ribs the final and made the perfect and his older brother, former champi- when the champion clinched and start by breaking the world on and now Kiev mayor Vitali caught him a few times with leaping number five’s serve in the first Klitschko, who helped warm up the left-hand leads. game. winner prior to the bout. The champion threw a massive 383 However, Nishikori broke “Bryant Jennings was really mobile jabs according to CompuBox statis- straight back and then sealed and really tough to hit,” said Klitschko, tics, scoring on 92 of them. Jennings the set by breaking once more in sounding apologetic for not supply- connected on 16 jabs. ing a knockout finish to a bout in Jennings fought defensively for the the 10th game. The second set which he was defending five versions first third of the bout with his gloves followed a similar pattern as of the world title. held high over his face, only occasion- Andujar moved into a 4-2 lead, “I couldn’t find the key to land ally springing into action. but Nishikori then upped his lev- punches I wanted to land, punches In the middle third of the 12- el to race through the final four landed on his arms. Unfortunately, I rounder, the American turned more games to seal his ninth career didn’t defend as impressively as I usu- aggressive and by the ninth had title. ally do.” caused a cut under Klitschko’s left eye. “Finally yes, I am the champi- Two judges scored it 116-111 and Klitschko responded with more on, but in the beginning (of the the third judge made it 118-109 for combinations, following up his jab week), I was just playing one Klitschko, despite the champion being with a dangerous right. Jennings was match at at time with so many docked one point in the 10th for hold- unmarked and neither fighter tough players and all the ing. Klitschko, who tied the heavy- appeared in trouble at any point, Spanish players playing here,” SPAIN: Kei Nishikori of Japan lifts his trophy weight record set by Joe Louis in con- though Klitschko finished strong said Nishikori. “I tried to do my after winning the Barcelona Open tennis tour- testing his 27th heavyweight title with a big right hand in the final sec- NEW YORK: Bryant Jennings punches Wladimir Klitschko, of best and I am very happy.” —AFP nament. —AP fight, improved to 64-3 as Jennings onds. —Reuters Ukraine, during the sixth round of a boxing match. —AP