TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 SPORTS

Motor racing Photo of the day ‘Three Rs’ spell out championship lead for Hamilton

SINGAPORE: For a Singapore Grand Prix was no point to continue. It was a tough that began with confusion over self-censor- day really.” Despite a tactics-changing safe- ship and concluded with Lewis Hamilton ty car period midway through the race, leading the standings, the race weekend Hamilton staved off the challenge of Red can be summed up by using the ‘Three Rs’- Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo Radios, Rosberg and Reliability. The teams to reclaim a championship lead he last held arrived in Singapore unsure of what engi- in May with five races remaining. neers could or could not tell drivers over Hamilton had mixed feelings over mov- the radio after Formula One had rushed ing into position to secure a second world through a ban on race assistance following title after his 2008 triumph, the Briton’s joy the last grand prix in Monza without going tempered by fears over reliability issues for into a great deal of detail. Mercedes, who suffered their fifth retire- After a series of meetings to thrash out ment of the season. the finer points, the Bernie Ecclestone-insti- “These next five races I just pray that we gated clampdown was relaxed shortly continue,” Hamilton said. “With the issues before Friday practice and the paddock that I’ve had (three retirements), of course breathed a sigh of relief after voicing con- it haunts me every weekend. You never cerns over a lack of preparation time. For know when it’s going to pop up but you Nico Rosberg, it was a weekend to forgot just have to try and remain positive and after he saw his 22-point lead at the top of constantly believing that everything is the standings transformed into a three- going to be alright. “And it’s also the sup- point deficit to Mercedes team mate port that I get from my fans that really just Hamilton when the Briton stormed to vic- keeps me going.” tory on Sunday as the German looked on from the garage. Team Quality Rosberg had told reporters of his hatred The once-dominant Red Bull have been for the demanding two-hour trawl around hamstrung by their own reliability prob- the floodlit streets of Singapore, yet he lems and a Renault power unit that remains Nils Buller performs at the Red Bull Martin Soderstrom Invitational in Uppsala, Sweden. — www.redbull.com would not have been that relieved to have inferior to the Mercedes, but a marked completed his night’s work after just 14 of improvement over recent races points to a the scheduled 61-lap race. stronger title challenge next season. “If you Starting from second on the grid behind look at our pre-season where we complet- Hamilton, Rosberg appeared frozen to the ed less than 2,000km compared to Volleyball to be hot spot as the other 20 cars filed past him on Mercedes, who did more than a season’s the formation lap, the German unable to worth of mileage, it demonstrates the qual- coax any sort of life out of his listless ity of the team we have to turn that situa- Mercedes. His steering wheel was faulty tion around,” team principal Christian and he started the race from the back of Horner said. “To have won three races this ticket for Rio Games field in the pitlane but only managed to season and managed second and third reach quarter distance before calling it a here... We could never have dreamt running day when a lengthy pitstop failed to for 30 minutes earlier in the season let RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s loss to Poland in the resolve his mechanical woes. alone two hours. final of the men’s volleyball world champi- “It’s a great achievement by the whole onship on Sunday was a blow to the South Safety car team to turn it around but of course, it’s Americans, but should boost the sport in two “It was a horrible feeling really, to see never enough. It is the performance gap years at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Poland everybody go. Because then I knew it was that’s missing that we aim to close down. upset three-time defending champion Brazil over,” Rosberg said of his retirement. “Then “But it levels itself out over the year.” The 3-1 in Katowice to end an astounding three- the whole steering wheel just wasn’t work- championship resumes in Japan on Oct 5 ing so I didn’t have any hybrid power and with Hamilton on241 points (with 150 avail- week tournament in Poland that drew more the shifting... I would shift two gears at able), Rosberg on 238, Ricciardo in third than 500,000 fans - including 62,000 for the once all the time and I had no DRS. “The car place on 181, Ferarri’s Fernando Alonso on tournament’s opening match in Warsaw’s just wasn’t working at all and then there 133 and Vettel on 124. — Reuters national stadium. Poland won its only other men’s volleyball title in 1974, and then took Olympic gold in Determined Garcia dumps 1976. “I have no doubt volleyball is going to be a big success at the Olympics,” Ary Graca, a Brazilian who heads volleyball’s world govern- Radwanska out of Wuhan ing body the FIVB, said in an interview from Poland with The Associated Press. He suggest- WUHAN: World number six Agnieszka tournament, but was reeling from her exit ed it would be among the hottest tickets in Radwanska was booted out of the $2.4 mil- in Wuhan.”I think it was tough match from Rio. “I know everybody in Rio,” Graca joked. lion WTA Wuhan Open yesterday by a beginning to the end. I think it was very determined Caroline Garcia of France in a tight game,” she said. “Definitely I could “The politicians are going to asking me for hard-fought three-set battle. Radwanska have done better in the moments that I everything.” Brazil is a dominant player in was looking to book her place in the end of should have really stepped forward.” indoor volleyball and beach volleyball, and the season championships in Singapore with a Meanwhile, Alize Cornet of France set up a sports are probably No 2 in the country strong showing in Wuhan, but was defeat- meeting with world number one Serena behind football. The Olympic volleyball venues ed by a stunning fightback from Garcia, Williams in the second round following her in Rio are also on schedule. Several others KATOWICE: Polish players celebrate with the trophy after winning the FIVB Men’s Volleyball who was a set down in the second-round two-set victory over Romina Oprandi of have been facing well-publicized delays. World Championship final match between Brazil and Poland at the Spodek arena in Katowice, match. Garcia, who had sent Venus Switzerland in her first match yesterday. The Maracanazinho, a 12,000-seat arena Poland on September 21, 2014. — AFP Williams crashing out in the first round, Cornet, who arrived in Wuhan with her located next to the famous Maracana stadium, took the second and third sets at the tie- confidence high after reaching the final at has already been built and will host indoor tournament as “like football” with fans singing, not happen with all matches set to be played break in her two hour and 42 minute duel the WTA Guangzhou Open on Saturday, volleyball. And beach volleyball will be played swaying and chanting. “Football is not so popu- indoors. In addition to three consecutive with Radwanska. took the game with ease at 6-2, 6-1. She at a temporary venue on Copacabana beach. lar here (in Poland) as in the rest of the world, men’s world titles, Brazil’s men were silver The 20-year-old rising star, who is has already beaten Williams twice this year, “Tonight and the last three weeks have shown and volleyball has taken its place,” Graca said. medalists in the last two Olympics, and won ranked 49th by the WTA, punched the air handing the American power-hitter her that volleyball is one of the most popular “It’s amazing the popularity of the volleyball Olympic gold in 2004 and 1992. Brazil lost to and jumped with delight after claiming vic- earliest defeat at Wimbledon for nine years sports in the world,” Graca said. “The huge here.” Volleyball officials say the sellout for the Russia in the 2012 gold-medal match, and fell tory. “I knew I was still close even when I in June, and also winning at Dubai in numbers of fans in Poland have demonstrated opener on Aug. 30 between Poland and Serbia to the United States in 2008 in Beijing. The lost the first set, and that I could maybe win February. Elsewhere in Wuhan, doubles that volleyball can be a spectacular festival of was the largest crowd to attend a volleyball Brazilian women are just as good. They have the second and third,” Garcia said. “I always specialist Sara Errani beat British rising sport and entertainment. This gives us real match since 95,000 crowded into the Maracana won the last two Olympic gold medals - beat- tried to believe in it.” Radwanska’s defeat hope Heather Watson 7-5, 6-4 in their momentum going into Rio 2016 where the in 1983 to see Brazil face the Soviet Union in an ing the United States in both finals - and silver dashed her hopes of claiming a place in opening singles match. The Italian will face Brazilian passion for volleyball will ensure one exhibition match. Graca said if the Olympic at the last two world championships. The next month’s WTA Championships in Alison Riske of the USA at the next stage. final was played at the Maracana, it would be a Brazilian men won beach gold in 2004, and Singapore during the Wuhan tournament. Germany’s Sabine Lisicki defeated Czech of the greatest Olympic competitions of all sellout. “For sure,” he said. That, of course, will the women won gold in 1996.— AP The 25-year-old could have made the sea- world number 15 Lucie Safarova in three time.” Graca described the atmosphere at the son finale, which will feature the top eight sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, while tenth seed Jelena women’s players, with an appearance in Jankovic beat Christina McHale of the USA Saturday’s final. The former world number 6-4, 6-4 in their first-round match. The two said she still hoped to make Singapore Wuhan Open in China’s central province of Playing less extended my with a good performance at the China Hubei features the world’s top 20 women Open in Beijing, which follows the Wuhan players. — AFP career: Number 1 Serena

WUHAN: World number one Serena Williams another all of our bodies at some point betray Meadows, some pundits said she could go on said yesterday that playing less tennis has us,” Williams said, before paying tribute to Li. to break Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slams helped extend her glittering career, as she “For the most part, I think Li Na is great. I think in the Open era. But Williams said she was acknowledged in the wake of Li Na’s retire- I summed it up: She’s a star that is in the sky focusing solely on the short term. “I am not ment that players’ bodies can “betray” them. that always shines. It’s always going to be thinking about number 22 at all,” she said. “I’m The American power hitter was speaking as there.” Following Williams’ victory at Flushing thinking about number 19.” — AFP she prepared to compete in China’s Wuhan Open, a WTA premier-ranked event which will hold its final on Saturday, the day after her Federer replaces injured 33rd birthday. China’s Li Na announced her retirement last Friday at the age of 32, citing chronic knee injuries, just months after she Nadal in the new league won her second Grand Slam. Williams and her sister Venus opted in the past few years to NEW DELHI: Roger Federer has agreed to and offering prize money of $29.7 million. play less, a decision once bitterly criticized by step in and replace old foe Rafa Nadal in the The 28-year-old Nadal missed the US pundits as disrespectful of the game. Indian franchise of the inaugural Open last month after failing to recover But she celebrated her 18th Grand Slam International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), from a right wrist injury he sustained in victory at the US Open earlier this month and organizers said yesterday. Fourteen times practice. shows no signs of losing her status as the grand slam winner Nadal dealt a big blow “I am very disappointed to announce world’s greatest female player. “As for playing to the fledgling tournament by pulling out that I will not be part of the first edition of less, I think throughout my career, I think it’s because of “health problems” hours before the IPTL,” Nadal said. “I was looking forward definitely been able to help me have a longer Federer, the winner of a record 17 slam to representing Indian Aces and playing in career,” Williams said. “I think next year some- titles, stepped in despite initially appearing front of fans in New Delhi in the exciting thing I definitely want to continue to do is apprehensive of the league. new League. really focus on breaking records in the slams “I’m really looking forward to making my “I wish the team the very best and hope and doing the best I can in those events and first trip to New Delhi and playing for the to be back next year.” Men’s world number the ones leading up to those.” Williams said Micromax Indian aces,” Federer said in a one Novak Djokovic, his women’s counter- she spent little time practicing before the $2.4 recorded message. part Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Jo- million Wuhan tournament, but was “ready”. Federer joins retired American Pete Wilfried Tsonga and former women’s top- However, she has spoke in the past of her rig- Sampras, winner of 14 grand slam titles, in ranked players Maria Sharapova, Ana orous physical regime, telling reporters after the Indian franchise of the four-team event, Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki have also her victory in New York: “I train really hard and scheduled to be played from Nov 28 to Dec confirmed their participation. The teams I never want to stop.” 13. Philippines, Singapore and the United will compete in men’s and women’s singles, But following the retirement of China’s ten- Arab Emirates are home to the other teams men’s and mixed doubles and a men’s leg- HUBEI: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska hits a return during her match against nis trailblazer, Williams acknowledged that all and will each host a leg of the competition, ends singles with one set per match, and no Caroline Garcia of France at the Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, in China’s top athletes are at risk when pushing their styled on cricket’s Indian Premier League advantage scoring. — Reuters Hubei province yesterday. — AFP bodies to the limit. “I think at one point or