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SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017 SPORTS

Clay perfect preparation Toyota lead Porsche as Morocco’s Dirar joins for grass, says Raonic F1 chief starts Le Mans Fenerbahce from Monaco

LONDON: Canada’s Milos Raonic says he is in great shape mentally LE MANS: New Formula One chief Chase Carey waved a gold tassled ISTANBUL: Moroccan international midfielder Nabil Dirar is to join thanks to the clay court season as he prepares to try and go one better French tricolor to start the Le Mans 24 Hour Race yesterday with Toyota Istanbul giants Fenerbahce from French Ligue 1 champions Monaco, the than last year at the grass court tournaments of Queen’s and enjoying a perfect getaway from pole. Briton Mike Conway quickly estab- Turkish side announced yesterday. Dirar, 31, arrived in Istanbul earlier in Wimbledon. The 26-year-old big serving Canadian, runner-up to British lished a healthy lead from the Porsche driven by last year’s winning driver the week and passed a medical. The formal signing is expected in the star Andy Murray at both Queen’s and then Wimbledon in 2016, told Jani Neel. The second of three Toyotas, with former F1 driver Sebastien next days with press reports saying a three-year deal with the option of a The Times he feels even better having recovered from a hamstring Buemi at the wheel, was placed third at the sun-drenched Sarthe circuit. further year will be inked. “Fenerbahce is a very big team injury which he said had been “exhausting mentally”. “Since I Conway is sharing the driving with Stephane Sarrazin and Kamui based on very good players. There are many important have started playing well on grass, the one thing I’ve Kobayashi, the Japanese driver who had electrified Le Mans fans with a names here. We will achieve great things with great accepted is that I won’t play my best tennis (on the sur- record breaking lap to grab pole in qualifying. Toyota are seeking a first players,” Fenerbahce quoted the player as saying. The face),” said Raonic ahead Queen’s which gets underway ever win at the iconic four-wheeled endurance test after 18 attempts versatile Dirar, who can also play in defence, is expect- on Monday. “I’m excited to get out on the grass. It’s since 1985. They came agonisingly close last year only for Kazuki ed to bring much needed reinforcement to Fenerbahce where I can succeed and have great results, hope- Nakajima’s car to break down when in the lead in the final lap. Nakajima is after the side finished well behind champions Besiktas fully this year and in many years to come. sharing the driving with Buemi, and another ex F1 driver, Anthony and surprise runners-up Basaksehir of Istanbul in the “One thing that does wonders for me lead- Davidson. While Toyota are three-handed this year, Porsche are relying on Turkish Super Lig last season. Third place gave ing up to the grass is how much more I only two cars as the German manufacturer goes in search of a third suc- Fenerbahce entry to the third qualifying round of have to put myself through mentally on cessive success. Carey was joined at the start by race organiser Pierre the Europa League but only a Super Lig cham- the clay. —AFP Fillon and Jean Todt, the head of motorsport’s ruling body the FIA. —AFP pionship would satisfy their fans.—AFP Fung squeaks into pole at Queen’s Cup

BANGKOK: Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung “Maybe someone will shoot six or seven squeaked into pole on the third round of under tomorrow and if he does, he the Queen’s Cup in Thailand yesterday but deserves to win it. If I shoot three under it is a crowded leaderboard leaves everything good enough for me on this course.” to play for on the final day. One stroke behind Thaworn and The 27-year-old struck two birdies on his Pagunsan are four more players in with a final three holes to hit a three-under-par 68 good shot of taking the trophy on the final and nip one shot ahead of former Asian day Sunday: Thailand’s rising star Jazz Tour number ones and Janewattananond, Malaysia’s Danny Chia, of the Philippines. Taiwan’s Hung Chien-yao and Filipino Fung has been among the more consis- Angelo Que. tent at the often blustery Santiburi Samui Order of Merit number two S.S.P Country Club on the southern Thai beach Chawrasia is a distant five shots off the lead island of Koh Samui, with 66-68-68 in the while number one and Queen’s Cup title first three rounds of the $500,000 tourna- defender is languishing a full 10 ment. But he will have to fight hard to keep shots behind. veteran local Thaworn, the play- Leading scores after the third round of er with the most career wins, and the $500,000 Asian Tour Queen’s Cup at the Pagunsan, a former number one in 2011, par-71 Santiburi Samui Country Club in off his back. Thailand: Thaworn, 50, struck a magnificent 63 on 202 - Nicholas Fung (MAS) 66-68-68 the second day at the par-71 course on 203 - Juvic Pagunsan (PHI) 68-67-68, Friday but couldn’t bring the same magic Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 70-63-70. on Saturday. 204 - Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 67- Fung said he was aiming to keep consis- 72-65, Danny Chia (MAS) 69-68-67, Hung tent on the final day and not focus too Chien-yao (TPE) 66-71-67, Angelo Que (PHI) much on the cup. 65-70-69. “I just want to shoot another 68 tomor- 205 - Rashid Khan (IND) 65-70-70. row. If I think of winning, there will be a lot 206 - Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 69-67- of pressure,” he said according to a match 70, Pasavee Lertvilai (THA) 69-66-71, Prayad report put out by the organisers. Marksaeng (THA) 65-70-71. —AFP Matsuyama magic leads Asian challenge at US Open

ERIN: Hideki Matsuyama exploded with a he stroked home 22ft effort to move to six magnificent seven-under-par 65 to spear- under for the round. head Asia’s US Open challenge on Friday as A relative lull followed with four straight Li Haotong carved a piece of history for pars but another long-range putt-this time China. Matsuyama, who struggled with a from 28ft-presented him with a seventh two-over-par 74 on Thursday, roared up the birdie on the 13th. leaderboard with a front nine birdie blitz to “The biggest difference was I putted finish the day at five under. very well today,” said Matsuyama, who With just two strokes separating could become only the second Asian-born Matsuyama from the leading group, and no man after South Korea Yang Yong-Eun to major winners in the top 18 players on the win a major this weekend. Yang defeated leaderboard, the Japanese star now looks Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship as good a bet as any to challenge for the in 2009. title this weekend. Elsewhere Friday, Chinese golfing prodi- ERIN: Dustin Johnson drives on the 18th hole during the second round of the US Open tournament Friday, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.— AP Matsuyama’s chances are also boosted gy Li celebrated becoming the first player by the early exit of the three players above from mainland China to make the cut of a him in the world rankings-Dustin Johnson, major. The 21-year-old shot a two-under- GOLF Rory McIlroy and Jason Day. “I’m very excit- par 70 to finish with a level par 36-hole ed and very happy with the score,” aggregate of 144, seven off the lead. Matsuyama said. “There were a couple of The other big Asian mover on Friday Johnson ready for break loose swings out there, but when you was South Korea’s Kim Si-Woo. Kim carded shoot 65, you can take those.” four birdies and two bogeys for a two- Matsuyama’s sizzling run of birdies under-par 70 which left him at five under. began on the par-five first, when he It is the first time in three attempts Kim after US Open flop reached the edge of the green in two has progressed beyond the half-way stage before getting up and down for birdie. of a major championship after missing the A chip to six feet set up a further birdie cut at last year’s PGA Championship and ERIN: World number one Dustin Johnson said trouble on the 13th, three-putting for bogey. “It’s just golf. It’s frustrating but I don’t let it on the second before a superb iron to left this year’s Masters. he plans to take some time off with his family Johnson blamed a failure to generate any- bother me. I feel like I’m playing good. I’ve got him with an easy birdie on the fourth. A sol- The 21-year-old from Seoul, who is still as he struggles to digest his US Open flop. thing with his putter for his woes. four weeks off now. id tee-shot on the par-three sixth gave him riding high after a victory at The Players The 32-year-old American star had arrived “As we all know, this game’s all about put- “I’m looking forward to it very much. I’ll another chance which he rolled in nerve- Championship last month, said that win at at Erin Hills brimming with confidence, ting,” he said. “So it’s pretty simple, I just didn’t work on the game a little bit, and I’ll be ready lessly from 13ft. TPC Sawgrass had infused him with belief buoyed by the birth on Monday of his second get it in the hole fast enough. to play at the British.” —AFP coming into the US Open. PUTTING THE KEY “Players gave a lot of confidence for me,” son, and ready to tear into a course suited to It was the start of three consecutive said Kim, who plans to adopt the same his big-hitting game. birdies. Another sublime wedge from the approach into the weekend. “I’m just going But after two wayward rounds and a fairway to three feet presented him with a to try to the same that I’ve done the last missed cut, defending champion Johnson was McIlroy heading home tap-in on the seventh while on the eighth, two days,” he said. —AFP heading home on Friday resigned to watching the climax of the tournament on TV. “This is the United States Open. It’s a major, after erratic round it means a lot to me,” Johnson said. “I’m definitely disappointed I’m not playing ERIN: Rory McIlroy was left reflecting on footer for birdie on his first and then the weekend, but there is a lot I can take out a missed cut at the US Open for the sec- squandered another chance on 11, where of it. “I feel like I’m striking it very well. So I just ond consecutive year on Friday after once he missed a 12-footer. need to go home, relax a little bit, hang out again struggling to get to grips with the His problems deepened at the par-four with the family and I’ll see you at the Open Erin Hills layout. The world number two, 12th, when his second shot rolled off the Championship in a month.” who earlier in the week suggested play- back of the green. A chip went sailing Johnson, who had struggled to a three- ers unable to find the fairways should past the pin, leaving a long putt to save over-par 75 in the first round, carded three “pack their bags”, is now contemplating par which was duly missed. birdies and four bogeys in a one-over-par 73. an early exit following a second-round 71. He recovered to drain a 13-foot birdie With the cut on another low-scoring day The one-under-par total was a sub- putt on the par-three 13th, but thereafter coming at one over, Johnson seemed poised stantial improvement on Thursday’s six- was unable to build any momentum over to scrape into the weekend after three birdies over-par 78, but with the cut projected at the remainder of the opening nine holes. and a bogey left him at two under, one over one-over-par, it was too little, too late for His inward nine began with a further outright, midway through his second round. the popular Northern Irishman. bogey on the long par-five first, which But three costly bogeys on the back nine McIlroy, however, who had come into was followed by another bogey on the left Johnson needing to pick up strokes down the tournament from an injury layoff after second which left him at eight over. A the stretch which proved beyond him. a niggling rib problem, said he was further bogey on the third left him nine Johnson had started his round with a flour- encouraged by his performance. “I’m over. With little to play for McIlroy then ish, notching back-to-back birdies to immedi- optimistic with where my game is,” he strung together his best sequence of ately move up the leaderboard. said. “Hopefully I’ve got a lot of the bad holes in the tournament, carding four A superb chip to three feet set up the stuff out of my system yesterday and birdies and two pars. But the late birdie birdie on the 597-yard first hole before he some parts today. It’s just a matter of get- spree was not enough to lift McIlroy to then demolished the short par-four second. ting competitive rounds under my belt. safety as the exit door loomed. A 338-yard drive off the tee took him to the “I’ve got a busy summer, so I’m excited to McIlroy meanwhile said a new putter edge of the green and he got up and down in play a lot of golf. I feel like that’s going to being used for the tournament was not two for a birdie. help me to get back into contention and the problem. “I didn’t think it was the put- Yet Johnson was forced to bide his time for hopefully try to win some of these ter, it was the guy on the end of it,” he the next six holes, unable to convert the few things.” said. “It’s all good holing the putts on the birdie chances that came his way. McIlroy, who had stumbled through a practice green, but it’s a different kettle of However a bogey on the ninth checked his lacklustre opening round on Thursday, fish when you get out on the course and HARTFORD: A detail view of the Cobra golf bag used by Rickie Fowler of the United progress, pushing him out to two over. again found the going tough after teeing have to read slope, read downhill, uphill States during the second round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills on Friday in He clawed that back with a birdie on the off on the 10th hole. He missed a five- into the green, side green.” — AFP Hartford, Wisconsin. — AFP 12th, draining a six-foot putt but was soon in