THURSDAY-APRIL 15, 2021 Sport 05 Chelsea 0-1 Porto (Agg: 2-1): Blues make Champions With 100 days to go, League semi-finals for first time since 2014 Chelsea reached the Champi- Tokyo scrambles to stage ons League semi-finals for the first time in seven years despite Mehdi Ben Stokes: Taremi's sublime overhead kick England pandemic Olympics giving them a late scare in a 1-0 defeat by Porto, going through 2-1 all-rounder When Japan won the bid to “playbook” with COVID counter- under strain. Our local health cen- on aggregate. host the Olympic Games eight measures, including rules banning ter can’t possibly take care of Porto were intense in the first to miss rest half, but lacking in quality in the years ago, it billed Tokyo as a reli- visits to shops and restaurants. If those athletes in the village,” said final third as neither side registered of Indian able and secure location, contrast- visiting athletes break protocol, it Hideki Hayakawa, director of a shot on target until the 66th ing it with rivals struggling with could result in their being barred Olympic coordination unit at To- minute, when Edouard Mendy did Premier finances and political instability. from competing. kyo’s Chuo ward, where the vil- well to save and hold sub Taremi's But 100 days before the start But Nakamura pledged to lage is located. weak header. League with of the Olympics, the organizers overcome the challenges as “one Hayakawa said that and other This was technically a home face a deluge of challenges and team” and told Reuters it was “im- issues are still being negotiated game for Chelsea, but the 'hosts' broken finger growing uncertainty as the pan- portant to show what we have with the Tokyo government. looked more like the away side in demic rages around the world, af- now, receive feedback, and final- At a ceremony on Wednesday the first half, holding firm while Shannon Courtenay England all-rounder Ben fecting decisions on everything ize the playbook step by step, not to mark 100 days to the Games, attempting to break up Porto's Stokes injured his finger while from athlete safety to spectator to have these discussions behind Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike play. stands by Ebanie Bridges fielding during Rajasthan Royals' numbers to ticket sales. closed doors.” said she was determined to make Porto, who had kept five clean opening match against Punjab The biggest headache is the re- The next update to the rules is the event a success despite diffi- sheets in their six group games, Kings on Monday when he com- surgent coronavirus, with coun- expected this month, he said. culties. desperately needed another here to criticism after memorable pleted a catch in the deep to see tries like India and Brazil battling Nakamura said that the sum- “The fight against an invisible stay in with a chance, and although off veteran West Indies opener new variants and a fresh rise in mer heat poses another obstacle enemy, the coronavirus, is behind cases. In Japan, vaccinations have for Tokyo, and “there will be situ- the one-year postponement (of the break was on for Chelsea, nei- world title fight Chris Gayle been the slowest among developed ations where it’s hard to balance the Tokyo Olympics to 2021), and ther side registered a shot on tar- Ben Stokes will miss the rest get in the first 45 minutes. Shannon Courtenay still be- night and everyone is saying it's economies, as Tokyo has lurched both heat and coronavirus coun- it has been a major ordeal for hu- of the 2021 Indian Premier League Chelsea v FC Porto - UEFA lieves that Ebanie Bridges tried to fight of the year, one of the best in and out of soft lockdowns. In- termeasures,” such as when peo- manity,” Koike said. “I would like with a broken finger. Champions League - Quarter Fi- sell their world title clash for the female fights they have ever seen, fections are on the rise, and experts ple in masks queue outside ven- us to overcome the fight against The England all-rounder ap- nal - Second Leg - Ramon Sanchez- 'wrong reasons' but was glad to so we definitely delivered." worry the city is on the cusp of an ues. the coronavirus and make the peared to sustain the injury while Pizjuan Stadium Chelsea manager deliver 'one of the best female The 27-year-old's accurate jab “explosive” jump in cases. Tokyo government official Games a memorable event. fielding during Rajasthan Royals' Thomas Tuchel reacts during the fights'. and hurtful right hands had re- As a result, foreign spectators Yoichiro Hara, who oversees prep- Some local organizers complain UEFA Champions League match Courtenay was crowned as the pelled the constant aggression from opening match against Punjab arations on public roads around the that information from Tokyo has at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Sta- new WBA bantamweight champi- Bridges, who was left with a bad- Kings on Monday when he com- dium, Seville. Picture date: Tues- on after she defeated Bridges by ly swollen left eye. pleted a catch in the deep to see day April 13, 2021. See PA story unanimous decision following a "She didn't hit that hard but off veteran West Indies opener SOCCER Chelsea. Photo credit punishing fight at the Copper Box she was physically very strong," Chris Gayle. should read: Isabel Infantes/PA Arena on Saturday night. Courtenay said. Stokes dived forwards and Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial The Watford boxer had become "But I have supreme fitness. clung on at long-on but immedi- use only, no commercial use with- embroiled in a heated dispute with It showed throughout and my con- ately shook his left hand in dis- out prior consent from rights hold- Bridges, who wore lingerie to the ditioning that my coaches put me tress before leaving the field for er. 13 April 2021. weigh-in after insisting that more through won the fight. treatment. He did not bowl for the Porto were incredibly energet- female fighters should "embrace" "Even in the last round, after rest of the innings before making a ic, harrying Chelsea high up the their "femininity". what was an absolute war, I was three-ball duck when he batted. pitch from the first minute, but "I still stand by what I said still quite light on my feet. A statement from Rajasthan their only half chance came when beforehand," Courtenay told Sky "I feel like my jab, which man- Royals' said: "Ben Stokes has been Mendy's poor kick out found Jesus Sports. "I didn't like the way that aged to open her up quite nicely, ruled out of the IPL following a Manuel Corona, whose shot was she was trying to sell the fight and and then my fitness is what car- broken finger in last night's game. blocked by the alert Jorginho. I feel like she was selling the fight ried me through." Courtenay now "He will stay with the Royals Chelsea's job was half done at half- for the wrong reasons, talking expects to battle Rachel Ball again, and support the rest of the group time. about lingerie and things like that. an opportunity for her to avenge a in the upcoming matches." The Portuguese side, who "I feel like we delivered on the points defeat last summer. knocked out Juventus in the last The seriousness of Stokes' in- 16 in dramatic fashion, burst out jury will be determined in the next of the traps in the second half again, few days, with the ECB medical have been barred, parts of the torch venues, added that “the symptoms come slowly, and that they learn but Chelsea had a fine chance to team and a UK hand specialist relay have been re-routed, and the of heat exhaustion can be similar about key developments from the extend their aggregate lead on the monitoring the situation. organizers are yet to decide what to those of the coronavirus.” media. Others, like Mie Watanabe, break as an unmarked Christian An ECB spokesperson said: to do with the domestic audience. Hara said his team is consider- readying the road race course in Pulisic failed to get a proper con- "We are aware (of Stokes' injury) This has caused major challenges ing whether medical staff at first- Oyama, a city 90 kilometers (56 nection on Ben Chilwell's cut-back and he will be assessed over the from 10 yards out. coming days on the extent of the for sports venues and travel agen- aid stations should wear full pro- miles) southwest of Tokyo, wor- cies, already grappling with re- tective suits, but with the difficul- ry months of their work could go Pulisic was brilliant for a side seriousness of the injury. At that strictions to block the virus. ty of gauging the prevalence of the to waste. “The fact that we don’t looking to slow the game down and point, we will confirm the next “The situation is constantly virus in July and no decision yet know if roadside spectators will take the sting out of Porto, win- steps. shifting. Even in the last few on the number of spectators, they be allowed is a big problem for us ning 11 fouls, more than every other "In addition, ECB medical and months the coronavirus situation have been unable to decide on how – it means some of our prepara- Chelsea player combined. our UK hand specialist consultant Chelsea v FC Porto - UEFA has changed massively, and it will many stations are needed. tions won’t be needed,” said Wa- are both involved." continue to do so, and it’s very Another challenge is the ath- tanabe, listing items such as tents, Champions League - Quarter Fi- The news comes as a major nal - Second Leg - Ramon Sanchez- challenging to continue prepara- letes’ village, expected to house toilets, and parking spaces. blow to England ahead of a busy tions when we don’t know what 15,000 people from more than 200 Organizers in Oyama have set Pizjuan Stadium FC Porto's 2021 across all formats. England Jesus Corona (left) attempts a shot the situation will be in the future,” countries to compete in 33 sports aside money to buy up to 5,000 face New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pa- on goal during the UEFA Champi- said Hidemasa Nakamura, the top at 42 venues. The organizers have masks for the onlookers - if they kistan and India this summer, be- ons League match at the Ramon organizing committee official over- planned for 126,000 volunteers to are allowed to gather. Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, Seville. fore the T20 World Cup in Octo- seeing logistical preparations for shepherd athletes and spectators “Once we do find out, it’s go- Picture date: Tuesday April 13, ber and the Ashes against Austra- the Games. around the city. ing to be a real scramble,” Wa- 2021. See PA story SOCCER lia at the end of the year. His team has created the first “The medical system is already tanabe said. Chelsea. Photo credit should read: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire. RE- STRICTIONS: Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior Monte Carlo Masters: Britain's Dan Evans claims first consent from rights holder. The first effort on target did not come until the 66th minute tour-level win on clay in four years through Porto sub Taremi, but his British No 1 Dan Evans had missed smash but I came back and break. weak header, unmarked from 12 not won a match on clay at any I thought I played well through- Lajovic led 6-4 but Evans hit yards out, was well held by Mendy level since a qualifying victory over out the whole match to be honest. back to force two match points down to his left. Dusan Lajovic in Rome in May Dusan's a good clay-court player. only to miss a forehand and a Porto only began to throw the 2019, but he ended that streak on It sounds a bit silly but it's better smash - normally one of his most kitchen sink at Chelsea in the final Tuesday with victory over the when I play a clay-courter on this reliable shots. moments, and they were given a Serbian at the Monte Carlo Mas- stuff because they're not used to He saved another three set glimmer of hope through Taremi's ters my game so much." points but Lajovic took his sixth quite magnificent overhead kick Britain's Dan Evans ended a Evans has always struggled on from 12 yards, flying into the top four-match losing streak with his clay and he had not won a match chance, with Evans making his corner past a rooted Mendy from first tour-level victory on clay for on the surface at any level since a frustration clear at the missed op- Nanu's cross. four years at the Monte Carlo qualifying victory over Serbian portunity. Thomas Tuchel made three Masters. Lajovic in Rome in May 2019, But it was Lajovic who made a changes from the first leg; Chris- Evans has lost a succession of while his last tour-level win on the shaky start to the deciding set and tensen, Kovacic and Werner came close contests in recent weeks and dirt was in April 2017 at the Bar- Evans capitalised, fighting off more out, replaced by Thiago Silva, saw two match points come and celona Open where he reached the pressure in the final game before Kante and Christian Pulisic. go in a long second-set tie-break last-16. Porto made just one change as clinching his fourth match point against 2019 runner-up Dusan The match began on Monday Diaz dropped to the bench for Ser- and letting out a loud roar. Lajovic before prevailing 6-3 6-7 but rain washed out play for the gio Oliveira. Rafael Nadal, who is chasing a (11-13) 6-2. day after Evans withstood early But the scare only lasted 60 record-extending 12th title in Mon- He told Amazon Prime Video: pressure to take the opening set. seconds as Chelsea saw out the fi- te Carlo, will open his campaign at "It obviously got a bit ugly in the The 30-year-old from Bir- nal stages, with Thomas Tuchel the picturesque Monte-Carlo second set. It was difficult because mingham missed four match points competing in the Champions Country Club on the French Rivi- League last four for the second the last few matches have been in losing to Italian teenager Loren- tough, especially last week, and I zo Musetti in Cagliari last week era against Argentina's Federico straight season after being defeat- Delbonis, who defeated French- ed in last year's final with PSG. was thinking about that a bit. and nerves were evident from both "It was tough to swallow the men in a dramatic second-set tie- man Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-1.