22 Saturday, September 9, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Saturday, September 9, 2017 23 Tour of Britain Stephens to face

London then perfectly positioned to Keys for title Ewan completes treble New York it’s not easy playing a friend.” ustralia’s Caleb Ewan negotiate the final tight right- Aclaimed his third stage hand turn before storming to mericans Sloane Stephens and Madison Stephens, who was wearing a walking victory of the 2017 Tour of the line ahead of Fernando AKeys, both struggling with serious injuries boot in June and ranked 957th in July, has Britain yesterday as Dutch Gaviria (Quickstep), with just three months ago, advanced to their first won 14 of her past 16 matches, with semi- rider Lars Boom maintained Dylan Groenewegen (Lotto Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday. final runs at Toronto and Cincinnati. his overall lead. NL-Jumbo) in third. Stephens, who missed 11 months with a left “I have no words to describe Madison Keys of the US Orica-Scott rider Ewan With two stages remaining foot injury before returning in July, outlasted what I’m feeling, what it took to powered to a convincing win Boom (Lotto NL-Jumbo) leads seven-time Slam champion Venus Williams get here, the journey I’ve been after stage six from Newmarket by eight seconds over team- 6-1, 0-6, 7-5. on,” Stephens said. to Aldeburgh came down to a mate Victor Campenaerts, with “I’m super happy to be in a Grand Slam “It’s incredible. I don’t sprint finish. An early seven- Team Sky’s Vasil Kiryienka a final,” Stephens said. “To do it here, my know how I got here. Your man breakaway opened up a second further back in third. home slam, is obviously more guess is as good as mine. Just gap of almost three minutes and Saturday’s stage is a 185km special. I think hard work. That’s it.” led for nearly 170 kilometres ride from Hemel Hempstead this is what every Stephens beat Keys in the before finally being swept up to Cheltenham before the race player dreams second round at Miami in 2015 with just a few kilometres concludes on Sunday with about.” in their only career meeting. remaining. a 180km stage that starts in US 15th seed “Sloane is a new person Ewan, who won two of Worcester and ends in Cardiff. Keys, who had left wrist right now,” Keys said. “She’s Caleb Ewan leads the field home on stage six (Picture courtesy: theguardian) the first three stages, was (AFP) surgery for the second time so excited to be out on the in 10 months after a first- court again. I’m excited we get round French Open exit, routed to play each other in the US US 20th seed CoCo Vandeweghe Open final.” 6-1, 6-2 in 66 minutes to complete Stephens needed a Ducati’s Petrucci fastest Ronaldo ‘delighted’ the first all-American US Open thrilling break at love in Misano Adriatico, Italy top of the championship two final since Serena Williams beat sister the penultimate game taly’s Danilo Petrucci, on weeks ago in Silverstone. Standings Venus in 2002. and closing hold of “It still doesn’t feel real. I’m still serve to deny two-time board a Ducati, clocked the Dovizioso had to be happy Standings after two opening free practice fastestI time in the opening Friday with the third fastest to be staying at Real shaking,” Keys said. “I played pretty well. champion Williams sessions: Madrid There’s a lot of things in my head right now her first US Open two training sessions ahead time behind Petrucci and 1. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 1min 33.231sec July 31. of Sunday’s San Marino Spain’s Maverick Vinales, on Prosecutors accuse the Real Madrid star so I’m struggling to come up with words. final in 15 years. 2. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) at 0.005sec ristiano Ronaldo, hounded by Sloane Stephens of the Grand Prix. a Yamaha. of evading tax via a shell company based “I knew I had to rise to the occasion. I’m just happy to (AFP) 3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 0.063 allegations of tax evasion in Spain, is United States C be in the final.” In the absence of the Both Spaniard Marc 4. Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 0.115 “delighted” to be staying at Real Madrid, in the British Virgin Islands and another in The friends and Fed Cup teammates will meet Saturday injured Valentino Rossi, the Marquez and Briton Cal 5. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 0.244 according to club president Florentino Ireland, known for low corporate tax rates. at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the biggest match of either’s US Open 2017: women’s singles Italian public will be looking Crutchlow were victims of 6. Cal Crutchlow (GBR/LCR Honda) 0.314 Perez, who called claims that the Portuguese In addition, they say Ronaldo only to another Ducati rider, crashes but able to get back striker might leave the country exaggerated. declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish- career for a top prize of $3.7 million (3.07 million euros). Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final 7. Michele Pirro (ITA/Ducati) 0.360 Sept 5 Venus Williams of “I’ve known her for a long time. She’s one of my closest Sept 7 Sept 9 Andrea Dovizioso, to push on their bikes. (AFP) 8. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP/Ducati) 0.383 “As he said a little while back, he’s related income from 2011 to 2014, while for the podium having gone delighted to be here. No one is better placed what he really earned during that time was the US leaves the friends on tour,” Stephens said. “I love her to death. And Sloane Anastasija 9. Andrea Iannone (ITA/Suzuki) 0.509 court Stephens Sevastova 10. Tito Rabat (ESP/Honda) 0.589 than him to say that,” Perez told Cadena close to 43 million euros. (USA) (LAT x16*) Ser radio. They also accuse him of “voluntarily” 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) Ronaldo strongly denied having evaded refusing to include 28.4 million euros in Stephens *Seeding Stephens 14.7 million euros ($17.5 million) in tax on income linked to the sale of his image rights Williams his image rights when he appeared in court for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish Venus Petra Argentina Williams Kvitova Keys in a preliminary hearing on company. (USA x9) (CZE x13) 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 The four-time World Player of the 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) Year, 32, has been heavily critical of the need ‘two Sept 6 probe into him, leading to rumours that Madison Kaia he might seek to quit Spain. Keys Kanepi “I don’t know what happened this (USA x15) (EST) summer,” Perez said. “A Bola (newspaper) or three Keys 6-3, 6-3 published a story, on what a teammate Vandeweghe might have said (about Ronaldo leaving)... CoCo Karolina In the end, there was nothing. Del Potros’ Vandeweghe Pliskova 6-1, 6-2 “As there was not much to talk about (USA x20) (CZE x1) this summer, they exaggerated,” Buenos Aires, Argentina 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 Perez said, conceding however ario Kempes weighed in on Argentina’s Source: US Open that “Cristiano was angry about Munderwhelming performances Thursday, this tax problem, having been saying the team needed to show more courage summoned, that’s not nice like their compatriot Juan Martin Del Potro at for anyone.” the US Open. Crying game for Ducati Octo Pramac’s rider Danilo Petrucci from Perez added that “Two or three with the heart of Delpo in the Italy takes part in the free practice session there was nothing team and we wouldn’t have many problems in the case against or be criticized,” said the footballer-turned- ‘crummy’ CoCo Ronaldo “that would commentator, a World Cup winner with New York CSKA edge 10-man Amkar constitute a crime”. Argentina in 1978. oCo Vandeweghe admitted she felt “crummy” “He’s hidden Jorge Sampaoli’s slipshod underachievers Cafter being swept off court by American Moscow four points behind the league in the area and the 20-year- nothing and if have taken a hammering from the Argentine compatriot Madison Keys before weeping at her SKA Moscow boosted leaders Zenit St Petersburg. old forward kept his cool to there’s no hiding, media after a string of poor results -- the latest news conference. their morale ahead of the Last season’s runners- hammer the ball into the net there’s no crime,” a 1-1 draw with lowly Venezuela -- left them in The 25-year-old was defeated in just 66 minutes. startC of the new Champions up CSKA dominated at the from 10 yards out. Amkar he said. danger of not qualifying for next year’s World She hit just nine winners and 22 unforced errors League campaign with a 1-0 synthetic pitch of Perm arena poured forwards in attack “It’s possible Cup tournament. while Keys’s figures were 25 and nine. away win at bottom-placed from the start but failed to find seeking for an equaliser but a there’s a different Unlike the footballers, Del Potro is the pride “It’s a pretty crummy feeling right now,” she said Amkar Perm yesterday. A the net in the opening period. combination of poor finishing interpretation (between of Argentina after overcoming fever and a two- before brushing away tears with a catch in her voice. goal by Timur Zhamaletdinov But seven minutes after the and good goaltending by CSKA Ronaldo’s advisers and tax set deficit to beat Austria’s Dominic Thiem “Madison played an unbelievable match. I didn’t set the Muscovites, who face interval the Red Army side’s ‘keeper Igor Akinfeev left the authorities) and he’s cool Juan Martin del Potro and set up a quarter-final victory over Roger CoCo Vandeweghe of the really have much to do with anything out there.” Portuguese giants Benfica on playmaker Alan Dzagoev found 12,000 home crowd frustrated. Cristiano Ronaldo and collected on this issue.” (AFP) Federer at the US Open this week. (AFP) United States (AFP) Tuesday, lifted CSKA into third, the unmarked Zhamaletdeinov (AFP)