Yellow beats pink as Dutch on verge of Giro scrambles for missing out on Euro big winners WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 201517 18 Chung says FIFA commission wants him banned for 19 years Page 19 BEIJING: Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return shot against Wu Di of China during their first round men’s singles match of the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Stadium. — AP Nadal struggles past former ball boy BEIJING: Rafael Nadal stuttered to victory and I think I can play better tomorrow do for next year. quarter-finals of any of the Grand Slams. pairing of Gong Mao-Xin and Michael Venus. against one of his former ball boys at the because I’m practising well.” “My goal is recover the level especially to As for Wu, 24, it completed a journey after It was the first time Novak Djokovic, the China Open yesterday as top-ranked Novak On a heavily polluted day in Beijing, Wu play my best on clay next year.” Nadal and Wu he was a ball boy for the Spanish great at the singles world number one, and Djordje, Djokovic swept imperiously to his 25th anticipated superbly when he lunged for a then yielded the smoggy centre court to Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, and later ranked at 1,502, have collaborated and the straight win in Beijing. forehand volley winner for his first break of Djokovic and the Serb, fresh from winning progressed to become his practice partner. younger sibling did his share of the damage Out-of-sorts Nadal was broken four times the Spaniard early in the first set, and he was- his 10th Grand Slam title in New York, had lit- “As for the ATP Finals (Tennis Masters with some savage forehands. by China’s 230th-ranked Wu Di, who once n’t done yet. tle difficulty dispatching Simone Bolelli 6-1, Cup), I served as the ball boy for Rafa. So Fans were out in force at Beijing’s National tossed him balls and towels in Shanghai, Wu broke again to go ahead in the second 6-1. right now I played Rafa. It’s not a small deal,” Tennis Center to see the unprecedented pair- before winning an error-strewn match 6-4, 6- set but with both players uncomfortable on The five-time champion was all over he said. ing. Novak Djokovic, eight years the elder at 4. Nadal, 29, was playing for the first time serve, Nadal was able to wrap it up after 86 Bolelli’s second serve as he hustled the Italian Among the later matches, Ana Ivanovic 28, is a five-time singles winner at the China since his third-round defeat at the US Open, minutes and progress to a second-round off the court in just 71 minutes to take his ended a seven-year wait for her third win Open. but it was a far from satisfying return as the meeting with Vasek Pospisil. incredible unbeaten record into a sixth China against Venus Williams when she beat last “The crowd got into it. It was exciting. I’m 14-time Grand Slam-winner continued to “I’m practising well, so the level of tennis is Open campaign. week’s Wuhan Open champion 7-6 (7/3), 6-2. very happy for my brother, that he was able grope for form. going to be there sooner or later. I am work- It was an afternoon which underlined the Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic opened his to experience such an atmosphere,” Novak “We don’t need to talk more about confi- ing a lot to make that happen. I think I’m gulf that has opened up between Djokovic new partnership with younger brother Djokovic said. “He never did that before. He dence, rhythm. That’s my level today, and I’m closer to that,” Nadal said. and Nadal, once his close rival but now down Djordje in triumphant style as they won their never experienced such a great crowd. He going to work hard to try to improve my lev- “I know it’s obvious that I need results to to eighth in the world and a shadow of his first ever doubles match at the China Open never played in a big stadium. We enjoyed it el of today,” he said, after reaching the sec- confirm that. But we are almost at the end of fearsome best. yesterday. very much-encouraging each other to the ond round. this season and I have time to keep playing Nadal is using the year’s final events as The Djokovic brothers chest-bumped and first win.” Novak Djokovic earlier won his 25th “But tomorrow is another opportunity. I the last tournaments of the year with the practice for next season, after a forgettable high-fived their way to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), successive China Open match with a 6-1, 6-1 played a match today that I can play better, chance to practise the things that I need to 2015 in which he didn’t progress beyond the 10-5 victory over the China-New Zealand victory over Italy’s Simone Bolelli. — AFP Wawrinka sees off Pistorius family fury as Stepanek in Tokyo release delayed again JOHANNESBURG: Oscar Pistorius’s fami- stant delays in obtaining clarity.” Pistorius TOKYO: Top seed champion Stan Wawrinka mus- have more experience. It’s a little bit of everything.” ly yesterday accused South African offi- was due to leave prison in August, 10 cled into the second round of the Japan Open yes- The spindly Stepanek wore the timid expression cials of bowing to “political and media months after being incarcerated, until terday with a bludgeoning 7-5, 6-3 victory over of a man hoping to avoid having sand kicked in his hype” after the star’s release from prison Justice Minister Michael Masutha made a Czech Radek Stepanek. face by his hulking opponent, and Wawrinka’s one- was again delayed and he was ordered to last-minute intervention and the case Richard Gasquet became the highest-ranked handed backhand-one of the most potent weapons undergo psychotherapy. was referred to the parole review panel. casualty of the first round, the fourth seed skulking in men’s tennis-bullied the Czech into submission. A parole review board on Monday Masutha said officials should only have away after crashing to a 6-4, 6-1 defeat by Spain’s It effectively settled the first set as he chased decided that Pistorius should not yet be begun considering him for parole on the Roberto Bautista Agut, while fellow Frenchman down a decent Stepanek volley to whip the ball allowed out on house arrest despite qual- day he was scheduled for release. Benoit Paire upset eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, back past his opponent, breaking his resistance. ifying for early release 10 months into his The intervention was widely criticised 3-6, 6-1. He ripped another down the line to break at the five-year sentence. by legal experts, but on Monday the French Open champion Wawrinka produced a start of the second set, celebrating with a roar and a In a trial that made headlines around parole review board agreed the decision dazzling performance in the Tokyo sunshine, the pump of his fist, and thereafter was not seriously the world, he was jailed last year for to release the athlete was made prema- Swiss unleashing a series of jaw-dropping back- threatened. Wawrinka, who made his grand slam killing his girlfriend, model and law grad- turely. hands that left his opponent shaking his head in breakthrough at last year’s Australian Open after uate Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s The review board also ordered disbelief. years spent in the shadow of countryman Roger Day 2013. Pistorius to undergo psychotherapy and “After last year I’m just happy to play well and Federer, delivered the coup de grace with his 11th He was found guilty of culpable homi- recommended he should be put under get through the match,” said Wawrinka, who was ace to wrap up only his second win over Stepanek TOKYO: Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland cide-a charge equivalent to manslaugh- firearm restrictions if granted parole. eliminated by Japan’s Tatsuma Ito in the first round in six meetings. reacts after winning the first set against ter-after saying that he shot Steenkamp Pistorius’ family said he was already last year in a stunning upset and faces the same Wawrinka’s quest for a first Tokyo title promises Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek. — AP through a locked bathroom door receiving “regular and ongoing psy- player in his next match. to be a difficult one, with defending champion Kei blamed sickness for throwing in the towel against because he mistook her for an intruder. chotherapy” from psychologists and a “I was struggling with my game this time last Nishikori arguably a slight favourite to capture his American Steve Johnson while losing 6-3, 2-1. Groth “The public, political and media hype social worker, whose reports were con- year but I feel quite fresh and today was a good third Japan Open on a court he has owned in recent sprained his right ankle while trailing Frenchman that was allowed to develop around sidered in the original decision to release start,” added Wawrinka, chasing a fourth title of the years. Meanwhile, Australians Bernard Tomic and Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 2-0. In other matches, Oscar’s trial has undermined his right to him. Pistorius may now still be behind year and the 11th of his career.