Sport SUNDAY 2 MAY 2021 Al Duhail coach Lamouchi disappointed afteraf Asian Champions League exit We had a good start in the competition, especially in the first threethr matches but then we lost points. We will have to assess our performanceperf as small details were the reason for our early exit. Sabri Lamouchi Sport | 19 FOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE Chelsea 2-0 Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Leeds United, Crystal Palace 0-2 Manchester City Amir Cup final to be played in front of spectators THE PENINSULA – DOHA must have recovered in a period of the 48th edition of the Amir Cup after League matches that were held in time from November 14, 2020 to April Fully vaccinated people and those a 2-1 victory over Al Arabi. Saudi Arabia and India. It was made The Amir Cup Local Organising 24, 2021. Earlier, yesterday, Qatar Football as a precaution after the return of the Committee (LOC) has announced that Fans who attend the final must who have recovered from COVID-19 Association (QFA) announced the clubs to the country, especially those this year’s final match will take place wear a mask, adhere to social dis- before April 24 are eligible to buy postponement of the Amir Cup semi- coming from India since Qatar at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on tancing and sit in the allocated seat tickets while no spectators under final, as a precautionary measure imposed new restrictions in this Friday, May 14, with a limited number according to their ticket. based on the participation of Al Sadd, regard. of fans subject to conditions. Fans must also show their Ehteraz 16 are allowed for the Amir Cup Al Duhail and Al Rayyan in the AFC The decision has been announced Only fully vaccinated people and application upon entering the final match which will take place at Champions League matches. in accordance with the precautionary those who have recovered from stadium and have their temperature QFA said in a statement that it measures and preventive measures COVID-19 are eligible to buy tickets. checked. Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on decided to postpone the two semi- imposed by the Supreme Committee No spectators under 16 are allowed Details related to obtaining tickets Friday, May 14 . final matches of the Amir Cup to be for Crisis Management and the Min- for the Final Match. will be announced at a later time. held on May 9-10 instead of May 6-7 istry of Public Health (MOPH). Vaccinated individuals must have This is the second Amir Cup Final as previously scheduled. Al Sadd and Al Arabi will meet on received their second shot no later to be held in the last five months. Stadium – the fourth FIFA World Cup This decision comes due to the Sunday, May 9 in the first semi-final, than April 30, 2021, while those who The 2020 edition of the compe- Qatar 2022 tournament venue to be participation of Al Sadd, Al Duhail and and Al Duhail and Al Rayyan will play have been infected with COVID-19 tition was played at Ahmad Bin Ali inaugurated by the SC. Al Sadd lifted Al Rayyan clubs in the AFC Champions on May 10. Bottas takes pole for Portuguese GP and denies Hamilton 100th AP – PORTIMAO PORTUGUESE GP GRID (TOP 10) Mercedes’ British driver 1: Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) Lewis Hamilton congratulates Valtteri Bottas took pole position for 2: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas the Portuguese Grand Prix and denied 3: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing Honda) after the qualifying session Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton 4: Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing Honda) yesterday. a record-extending 100th Formula 5: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) One pole yesterday. 6: Esteban Ocon (Alpine Renault) Bottas clinched the 17th of his 7: Lando Norris (Mclaren Mercedes) career and a much-needed one after 8: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) he crashed in the last race and scored 9: Pierre Gasly (Alphatauri Honda) no points. 10: Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin Mercedes) “It’s a good feeling to be on pole, it’s been quite a while,” Bottas said. “I’ve worked very hard this he went outside of the track limits week.” and failed to set a time. That meant He was .007 seconds ahead of his lap time was deleted and gave him Hamilton and .34 ahead of Red Bull’s only one more shot at the two Mer- Max Verstappen, making him the cedes cars. third different pole-sitter in three “It was a really difficult session Australian has seven career wins but Hamilton leads the championship Qatar's Cherif, races. Hamilton and Verstappen to get grip, the car just snapped away was among the five drivers elimi- by one point from Verstappen. Ham- earned the others. from me and went wide,” Verstappen nated from Q1, while Red Bull’s Sergio ilton’s lead is courtesy of him taking Tijan reach “It definitely puts a smile on my said. “It’s been really hit and miss Perez went off track at Turn 4 and a bonus point for the fastest lap at an face. I’ve been strong all weekend and anyway, the whole weekend. The into gravel but had already done incident-packed Emilia-Romagna it makes me really happy to put it all layout of the track is amazing but the enough to get into Q2. GP, which Verstappen won. Hamilton quarter-finals together,” Bottas said. “Qualifying grip is not good.” Hamilton led Q2 from Bottas and won the season-opener in Bahrain. Qatar’s Ahmed Tijan scores against hasn’t been my strong point in the Hamilton also said the track, McLaren’s Lando Norris, while two- Bottas needs to find form after a Dutchmen Steven van de Velde and first two races.” which was relaid with new tarmac time F1 champion Fernando Alonso poor race two weeks ago at Imola, Christiaan Varenhorst during their Hamilton is aiming for his 97th for last year’s race, was very was among the five to go out. where he was involved in a crash main draw - round 1 match of the FIVB win on Sunday, while Bottas goes for awkward to negotiate. Earlier, Verstappen posted the with Williams driver George Russell World Tour - Third Cancun Hub event his 17th victory, and Verstappen his “It was a difficult session for eve- fastest time in the third and final after an overtaking move went in Cancún, Mexico, yesterday. Tijan and 12th. ryone, it’s windy here and quite practice, followed by Hamilton, wrong. Bottas dropped to fifth place his partner Cherif Younousse won 2-0 Verstappen looked in contention slippery,” the British veteran said. Bottas, and Perez. in the standings behind Ferrari’s (21-17, 21-18) to reach the quarter-finals to clinch a fifth career pole after “Valtteri did a great job.” Mercedes topped the first two Charles Leclerc in what could be his of the event. The Qatari pari, ranked impressively topping the third and As late afternoon temperatures practices on Friday, through Bottas final season with Mercedes. 10th in the world with 5,080 points, final practice earlier Saturday, but he cooled in Portugal’s Algarve region, and then Hamilton. “For the mental process, I just put will meet third-ranked Brazil's Alison made a small mistake in the last part it was a bad qualifying run for The Portugal GP is the third race those mistakes to one side,” Bottas Cerutti and Álvaro Morais Filho for a of qualifying - known as Q3 - when McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo. The of the season. said. place in the semi-finals. Barty, Swiatek set up clash Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during on Madrid clay yesterday's qualifying at Algarve International Circuit. AP – MADRID Ashleigh Barty and Iga Swiatek, the two most recent champions of the French Quartararo on pole for Spanish GP, Marquez 14th Open, will meet in the last 16 of the Madrid Open. REUTERS – ANDALUCIA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo SPANISH GP GRID: TOP 10 They won their second-round in action during qualifying yesterday. 1: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha) matches yesterday to set up the first- Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo claimed 2: Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha) time meeting. a second consecutive pole position 3: Jack Miller (Ducati Team) The top-ranked Barty needed three of the season yesterday for the 4: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Team) sets to beat 80th-ranked Tamara Spanish MotoGP and six-times world 5: Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) Zidansek. champion Marc Marquez will start 6: Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) Barty struggled with her first serves, 14th on the grid after crashing during 7: Maverick Viñales (Monster Yamaha) but she compensated by striking nine the third free practice session. 8: Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Gresini) aces and saved nine break points to Quartararo, who leads the cham- 9: Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) outlast Zidansek 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. pionship by 15 points after winning 10: Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) That took her win streak on clay to two of the opening three races this 13 matches after claiming the Stuttgart season, set the early pace in the final title last week. qualifying session before securing As a precaution, Marquez also Swiatek brushed aside Laura top spot with a time of one minute, went to hospital in Jerez for an MRI Siegemund 6-3, 6-3 for the Pole’s ninth 36.755 seconds. scan, before being declared fit to win in a row on clay. The Frenchman will be joined compete for the rest of the weekend. Barty won the French Open in 2019, on the front row by Petronas Marquez failed to rediscover his and Swiatek last year in Barty’s Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli, who fourth consecutive pole on the Jerez where he broke his arm last July, suf- rhythm in Q1, however, and was absence.