SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2019 12 Gauff books date with Osaka Salwa Eid strikes again 15-year-old Coco Gauff continues sensational run to set up Naomi Osaka showdown in Diamond League Salwa Eid attained the first place in women’s 400 metres

TDT | Manama

ahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser was crowned champion Bof the women’s 400 me- tres in the prestigious Interna- tional Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League. Salwa defended her crown after winning her race in the Weltklasse Zurich athletics meeting in Switzerland. It was her fifth triumph on this year’s Diamond League series and it Coco Gauff of the US returns the ball against Timea Babos Naomi Osaka of Japan returns a shot to Magda Linette of came in the penultimate round of Hungary Poland of the highly regarded IAAF competition. Salwa Eid competes in women’s 400m race “When I hear people talking Salwa had also previously Top-ranked about someone, I want to have won her 400m races in the Di- HH Shaikh Khalid said that • the opportunity to play them amond League meets in Shang- this victory embodies the ut- defending champion just to assess it for myself,” Osa- We’re both pretty hai, Rome, Rabat and Lausanne. most sponsorship extended to Osaka beat Poland’s ka said. young but I’m a little Meanwhile, compatriots the sports movement in the Magda Linette Gauff, the youngest woman bit newer to the game. Winfred Yavi and Birhanu KNOW WHAT Kingdom of Bahrain in general in the US Open’s last 32 since So I’m just curious Balew had solid performanc- and athletics in particular by Gauff defeated Russia’s Anna Kournikova in to see how my game es. Winfred was seventh in the the Kingdom’s leadership who • 1996, says her doubles match women’s 3,000m steeplechase, has been keen to pave the way Hungarian qualifier with teen partner Caty McNally matches up against and Balew came 10th in the Salwa had also previ- for an ideal environment for the Timea Babos 6-2, on Friday will help her prepare her men’s 5,000m. ously won her 400m national teams to enable them 4-6, 6-4 to reach to face Osaka. COCO GAUFF HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad races in the Diamond to achieve such accomplish- the third round “For me, doubles isn’t a prob- Al Khalifa expressed his pride League meets in ments that reflect the huge de- lem. Almost every tournament at Eid’s win which adds to the Shanghai, Rome, Ra- velopment made by the sports if I can get into doubles, I’m then the final. series of accomplishments bat and Lausanne field in Bahrain. AFP | New York playing it. To me it helps be- “I think she’s a big inspira- achieved in the “Golden Era”, He added that this accom- cause it’s a different game,” tion for everyone. She’s 21. She underscoring that this victory Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, plishment is the result of the S teen sensation Coco Gauff said. has two Slams. She’s still thriv- confirms the successful strat- the Prime Minister, HRH Prince backing of HH Shaikh Nasser Gauff and top-ranked “You get to work on volleys, ing for more. She’s just a super egy being implemented by the Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and HH’s keenness to extend all Udefending champion you get to work on your returns sweet person on and off the Bahrain Athletics Association. the Crown Prince, Deputy Su- the required support to the na- Naomi Osaka will meet in a a lot in doubles. I think that’s court. She competes great out The Deputy President of the preme Commander and First tional teams to ensure they are third-round showdown Satur- actually going to prepare me there. I think she shows us how Supreme Council of Youth and Deputy Prime Minister, and ready to compete against any- day at the US Open, each cu- for Naomi, because doubles to to compete and the way to be Sports and President of Bahrain HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad body in any arena, stating that rious to test her game against me is more faster paced than off the court too.” Olympic Committee escalat- Al Khalifa, Representative of the launch of the “Golden Era” the other. singles. Naomi actually hits the ed his sincere congratulations HM the King for Charity and following the “Year of Gold” in Japanese 21-year-old Osaka ball pretty hard. I think it will Osaka sees self in Coco to HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Youth Affairs and President of 2018 represents a motivation dispatched Poland’s Magda prepare me well for Saturday’s Osaka saw something of her- Khalifa, the King of the King- the Supreme Council for Youth factor for the Bahrainis to se- Linette 6-2, 6-4 while 15-year- match.” self in Gauff when she saw a dom of Bahrain, HRH Prince and Sports on the achievement. cure further positive results. old American Gauff outlasted McNally and Gauff won the young girl quietly enjoying her- Hungarian qualifier Timea Ba- Washington WTA doubles title self in the locker room with bos 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. earlier this month. whatever was playing on her “We’re both pretty young Gauff, ranked 140th, worked headphones. but I’m a little bit newer to the out with Osaka at the Miami “Off the court she seems like Nadal reaches US Open third round in game,” Gauff said. “So I’m just Open two years ago. me. Well, she seems a little curious to see how my game “That was super cool,” Gauff bit more, like she knows matches up against her. said. “I was able to keep the what she’s doing,” Osaka walkover as Kokkinakis hurt “Obviously I want to win. I ball on the court. I was super said with a smile. AFP | New York with a right shoulder injury. of the draw, had opened up fur- just want to enjoy it, have fun, nervous. She was prepping for “But yeah, I saw her in The 33-year-old Spaniard, an ther before Nadal got the break enjoy the battle. We’ll see how a tournament so I didn’t want the locker room. She wasn’t orld number two 18-time Grand Slam winner and of extra rest. it goes.” to mess up her practice.” really talking to anyone. I WRafael Nadal ad- three-time US Open champi- Four other top-10 rivals were Osaka, also the reigning Aus- These days, Gauff appreci- was, like, ‘Oh, looks vanced to the US on, will next face the winner ousted in the first round at tralian Open champion, wants a ates Osaka’s success while still familiar. I’m Open third round of a later match between South Flushing Meadows, leaving pos- first-hand look at the teen sen- so young. just going to by walkover on Korean qualifier Chung Hyeon sible quarter-finals foe Alexan- sation who beat Venus Williams “She’s an amazing player,” talk to her.’ Thursday af- and Spanish 32nd seed Fernan- der Zverev, the sixth seed from in her Grand Slam debut on her Gauff said. “She just made it I know she’s ter Australian do Verdasco. Germany, as his highest-rat- way to the fourth round last possible. Last year, US Open, she super young, Thanasi Kok- Nadal’s path to the final, al- ed rival. And Zverev battled month at Wimbledon before wasn’t really like a big contend- and I know it’s kinakis with- ready eased with “Big Three” through his second five-setter losing to eventual champion er. Obviously now this year she sort of hard to drew from the rivals Novak Djokovic and Rog- Thursday just to reach the third Simona Halep. is. She had that amazing run, transition.” tournament er Federer on the opposite side round. Rafael Nadal US qualifier Townsend stuns Halep in defining moment

AFP | New York after 10 prior losses. the match. I was devastated after I lost to “This was a huge, monumental “This means a lot. It has been Bertens after having a match ritics said Taylor Townsend moment,” Townsend said. “It a long journey,” she said, wiping point,” she said. Cwas too heavy. She couldn’t was a very defining moment for away tears. “That woke me up out of my win big matches. Her game me to realize that I belong here. Townsend will next face an- sleep. Oh, dropshot. I put my wasn’t good enough. Now she is “I’ve had a lot of people other Romanian, 106th-ranked head down and just worked real- being called something else at doubting me being able to break Sorana Cirstea. ly hard and just tried to take the the US Open: giant killer. through. It’s just confirmation Townsend squandered a positives from it, just continue The 23-year-old American more for myself that I’m on match point at Wimbledon and to press forward.” captured the biggest victory of the right path, doing the right lost to Dutch fourth seed Kiki In 2012, the US Tennis Asso- her career Thursday, defeating things.” Bertens in the second round, a ciation asked Townsend, then Wimbledon champion Simo- The 116th-ranked qualifi - loss that literally woke her in the the world’s top-ranked junior na Halep 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to er, who matched her deepest middle of the night. woman, to skip the US Open reach the third round at Flush- Grand Slam run from her debut “Just to be able to get over the girls tournament because of her ing Meadows with her first tri- at the 2014 French Open, broke hump, it’s such an amazing feel- weight and denied her request umph over a top-10 opponent into tears on the court after ing because after Wimbledon, for a wildcard into the US Open. Taylor Townsend of the US hits the ball against Simona Halep of Romania

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