SUNDAY 6 20 JANUARY SPPORTSORTS CHENNAI BBARTYARTY MMUSCLESUSCLES PPASTAST SHARAPOVASHARAPOVA IINTONTO QQUARTERSUARTERS  DDanielleanielle CollinsCollins stunsstuns WorldWorld NoNo 2 KerberKerber three-time Slam champion Kerber. ‘I just go out fearless, just give it my all.’ Her reward is a last-eight clash with either fi fth seed Sloane Stephens or Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who play later. Hometown hero Barty is also a surprise quarter-fi nalist after bringing Sharapova’s drive to win a fi rst Grand Slam since the 2014 French Open to a grinding halt 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. She will now meet Petra Kvitova, who matched her best Slam performance since a terrify- ing knife attack derailed her career by beating unseeded American 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-1. Melbourne, Jan 20 (AFP): Five-time major winner Sharapova claimed her biggest scalp since completing a drugs ban in 2017 when she rolled defending champion Ashleigh Barty muscled past Maria Sharapova to make the Caroline Wozniacki in round three and looked on track to carry the quarter-fi nals while world number two Angelique Kerber was momentum forward. The 30th seed won the fi rst set but then fell Ashleigh Barty sensationally bundled out of the Australian Open Sunday by a to pieces in front of a parochial crowd who booed her at times, los- Danielle Collins women playing the event for the fi rst time, Danielle Collins ing nine games in a row to surrender the second and go two breaks On a hot day on Margaret Court Arena, the German Wimbledon down in the third. Despite offering some late resistence, and some champion was left stunned by American Danielle Collins unbelievable tennis, there was no way back for the 2008 who humiliated her 6-0, 6-2 in under an hour. Ranked champion. ‘She is an absolute champion,’ Barty, seeded 35 in the world, she is little known on the WTA Tour 15, said of Sharapova. ‘She was never going to go away. I after playing much of her tennis in the US col- knew I had to keep chipping away -- in a sense, trust the lege system and was making her debut in work we’ve done. I know that I can match it with the best.’ the main draw at Melbourne Park. She The diminutive Barty, 22, has been in sizzling form, win- had never won a Grand Slam match ning seven of eight matches this year to back up a title before this year. victory in Zhuhai late last year. Next up is Kvitova, who ‘I may not have won a Grand beat Barty in the fi nal of the warm-up Sydney Interna- Slam match before this tional this month. but I tell you, it’s going Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with 37 Grand Slam to keep happening,’ said 25-year- titles between them, have so far been in fi ne fettle. The Swiss great, old Collins. ‘I better have many the double defending champion who is targeting a record seventh more of these.’ Collins said crown at Melbourne Park, has a tough evening test against young she held no fears about facing Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded 14. PSG claims record SSouthouth UUnitednited FFCC hholdsolds 9-0 home win CChennaiyinhennaiyin FCFC ReservesReserves | NT Bureau | Magesh and cut the ball back for Sudipta to fi nish. Chennai, Jan 20: The visiting team kept the pressure South United FC clawed their way on the CFC Reserves goal on for the back from 3-0 down to score three rest of the half and were seemingly goals to hold Chennaiyin FC reserves denied a couple of penalty shouts. in the Hero second division league Both teams walked in at half-time match played here at SSN Stadium with the visitors still trailing by 2 on Saturday. goals. The game began at SSN Stadium in In the second half, SUFC pushed Chennai with the home team Chen- forward and CFC remained pegged naiyin FC in control and they capital- back in their own half. SUFC won a Paris, Jan 20 (AFP): now a doubt for PSG’s Champions ised on their quick start with some penalty in the 70th minute that Cle- League last-16 tie against Manches- early goals. Krishna Pandit scored in tus stepped forward to drive home. Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cav- ter United next month. ‘It’s possible the 11th minute to give his side an With the score at 3-2, South United ani both scored hat-tricks as Paris he’ll miss a few weeks,’ said the early lead, Rohmingthanga struck kept plugging away looking for an Saint-Germain romped to their German. ‘Marco’s injury changes twice in the next 5 minutes to make equaliser, their labours bore fruit biggest-ever home win with a 9-0 everything. Playing without Marco it what seemed like an unassailable in the 89th minute as Aaron’s cross Ligue 1 thrashing of Guingamp. is completely different, I think it’s 3-0 lead by the 17th minute mark. found Cletus in the middle of the box The runaway league leaders ex- serious. It’s hard.’ PSG wasted little When it looked like CFC were go- and the striker smashed it into the acted sweet revenge on bottom club time in forging ahead, with a won- ing to have an easy cruise to a win, back of the net. Guingamp, who had ended their bid derful 11th-minute goal by Neymar South United FC seemed to settle What had already been a dramatic for a sixth straight League Cup title doing the damage. down and fi nd their groove as they game could’ve got better for South earlier this month in Paris. It was His former Brazil international began creating some dangerous United FC as they had a chance to PSG’s largest victory at the Parc des team-mate Dani Alves picked out chances and found a quick break- score form a corner late on but they Princes, beating an 8-0 win over Di- the world’s most expensive player through in the 22nd minute as Aaron were unable to convert it and had to jon 12 months ago, but fell narrowly with a sumptuous pass over the ran on to a superb through ball from settle for a draw. short of equalling their biggest win top, and Neymar fl icked the ball in total -- a 10-0 French Cup thump- over Guingamp right-back Jordan ing of Cote Chaude in 1994. The Ikoko and slotted in his 19th goal TN enters fi nals capital club, who lead second-placed of the season. Neymar was involved Ashima Duggal wins Divas on Wheels rally | NT Bureau | Lille by 13 points with two games in as PSG all but ended the game as hand, have dropped just four points a contest eight minutes before half- | NT Bureau | Prafulla KS (with Sandhya Chandrashekar) had the Chennai, Jan 20: in their opening 19 matches of the best day, garnering only 1 minutes 48 seconds to claim time, playing a neat one-two with Chennai, Jan 20: season as they bid for an unbeaten Mbappe which allowed the World the fi rst runners’-up position. They had amassed 7 Host Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu will take on the Central Secretari- league campaign. Cup winner to side-foot into the Fast-improving rallyists Ashima Duggal minutes and 36 seconds on Day 1 at in the fi nal of the Hockey India Neymar also scored twice as PSG’s corner of the net. Mbappe added and navigator Amrita Shergill rode on their which prevented them from taking Senior National men’s hockey front three took their combined another goal on the stroke of the opening day’s advantage to capture the chal- the coveted prize. championship (‘B’ Division) after tally for the season to 58 goals, interval, as Cavani’s pass found him Shobha Ravi (with Nilofer Ibra- lenging Divas on Wheels all-women’s car rally it edged out Sports Authority of while Mbappe extended his advan- in acres of space inside the Guin- here on Saturday evening. him) clinched the third place with tage in the Ligue 1 scoring charts an overall penalty of 13 minutes India (SAI), 6-5 via tie-breaker in gamp box. The game was even more Ashima and Amrita had a rough second the semi-fi nal here on Saturday. having netted 17 times in only 14 one-sided after the restart, with and fi nal day, picking up 3 minutes and 28 and 08 seconds. Ashima and Am- appearances. rita, who like to call themselves the In an exciting semifi nal en- Cavani tapping in Juan Bernat’s seconds penalty points in their run from counter in which the lead kept Coach Thomas Tuchel did see underdogs, conceded the second day was much tougher, low cross just before the hour mark, Chikmagaluru to Coorg. But their near faultless driv- changing hands, Tamilnadu and Marco Verratti forced from the fi eld with the self TCs (Time Controls) proving to be a big before nodding Di Maria’s swinging ing on Friday that saw them collect only 2 minutes and SAI were locked 3-all at the end with what he later described as a challenge.’It was a very tough day and we know we delivery past helpless Guingamp 53 seconds penalty ensured that they were not toppled of regulation time. In the penalty made quite a few mistakes,’Ashima said. ‘serious injury’, with the Italian goalkeeper Marc-Aurele Caillard. from the top place. shootout, Tamilnadu converted three of the fi ve attempts, while munities in their village but there SAI managed to score only two, are no proper coaches to train and enabling the home team seal a Lijo & Shyjin make giant leap the aspiring footballers had to place in the fi nal. By reaching the learn all by themselves. ‘Internet fi nal, Tamilnadu also qualifi ed for  Kanyakumari duo is all set to play football in Spain is our best teacher, we used to the ‘A’ Division after a gap of four watch YouTube videos to know years. The fi rst goal was scored | AADITYA ANAND M | let in Kanyakumari, which is also about different training methods by SAI in the in the ninth minute the hometown of Michael Soosairaj, through Bobby Singh Dhami, Chennai, Jan 20: and train accordingly.’ who has had a dream run so far in However, they have Michael before Tamilnadu levelled seven Two 19-year old boys from Kan- ISL, playing for Jamshedpur FC, Soosairaj and his brother Michael minutes later as Shanmugham yakumari, Lijo Francis and Shyjin, the two boys were selected out of Regin, who is playing for Chen- found the mark. whose dream is to play top-fl ight hundreds of participants who at- nai City FC to look up to for The host took a 2-1 lead in the football is soon going to become a tended the trials. inspiration. ‘They always help us 20th minute when Vinodhan reality as they will be travelling Speaking to News Today, they a lot. We have played lot of local converted a penalty corner. In to Madrid to train under coaches said, ‘We are from the fi sherman matches with them. Despite their the 25th minute Mohit Kumar’s at AD Alcorcon, a Spanish second Lijo Francis and Shyjin pose along with AD Alcorcon coaches after community and football is our fa- busy schedule they always give goal in the 25th minute levelled division club. getting selected in the trials. vour sport. Right from the age of us inputs that help us develop,’ the scores. Tamilnadu regained The duo was selected from Tamil- on Wednesday. The trials were will be travelling to Spain in May fi ve we are playing the sport on the said Lijo. the lead in the 40th minute when nadu through the two-day Chennai conducted in fi ve states - Kerala, for a month to get the training and beach, through one of our friends With a dream to play for Chennai Vinod Rayer got one past the leg of the football trials ‘19, that Karnataka, Telangana, Mahar- if they can impress the coaches we came to know about the trials City FC in future, the duo aims rival custodian. In the very next was organised by AD Alcorcon, ashtra and Tamilnadu and two during that period, their stay will and gave it a try. Feeling really to make the most of their oppor- minute SAI equalised with a in association with Football +, an players from each State (both boys also be extended to help them get happy to get selected and can’t wait tunity in Spain and are confi dent penalty corner conversion. With academy based in the city, which and girls across eight to 20 years of better opportunities. Hailing from to go to Spain.’ According to Shyjin, of embarking new journey in top- the scores equal at 3-3, the matcg concluded at Nehru Park, here age) were selected and all of them Eraviputhenthurai, a fi shing ham- there are many local football com- fl ight football. headed to the penalty shoot-out.