THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021 12

Phil Bauhaus sprints to first stage victory in Slovenia tour Nadal drops set but reaches 14th semi-final overcomes tough test to reach last four

Nadal is now BETTER ’ celebrates after crossing the first 105-2• for his career stage’s finish line in first place at Roland Garros TDT | Manama KNOW AFP | eam Bahrain Victorious Trider Phil Bauhaus sprint- It’s fantastic. The ed to a fine victory yesterday in team was super afael Nadal’s French In addition to Rafael the first stage of the 27th Tour strong. We took Open set streak is over. Nadal’s 13 trophies of Slovenia cycling race. control from the RHis pursuit of a re - at Roland Garros — The event is part of the 2021 cord-breaking 21st four in a row from UCI Europe Tour and it is be- beginning. My title — including 14 at Roland ing held across five stages. teammates did a Garros — remains very much 2005-08, five in a On the opening 151.5km perfect lead-out for intact. row from 2010-14 and stage yesterday, Bauhaus and me, and I am very Nadal shrugged off dropping another four in a row his teammates showed Team proud. And I also take a set in Paris for the first time so far since 2017 — the Bahrain Victorious’ strength. a win for them today. in two years and regained con- Spanish left-hander The race started in Ptuj and trol yesterday, whipping violent - PHIL BAUHAUS Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to ’s Diego Schwartzman won four titles at the it took riders through the hilly forehands punctuated with first US Open, two at Wim- land of Stajerska to Rogaska pumps and yells of “Vamos!” week, is now 105-2 for his career No. 17 seed end- Slatina. Team Bahrain Victo- super strong. We took control en route to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 at Roland Garros. ed Iga Swiatek’s title defense bledon and one at the rious controlled the race from from the beginning. My team- victory over 10th-seeded Diego He is just two wins from by beating her 6-4, 6-4, and the start, managing the day’s mates did a perfect lead-out Schwartzman to reach the sem- eclipsing the men’s mark for unseeded Barbora Krejciko- breakaway of seven riders, who for me, and I am very proud. ifinals at the clay-court major most total Grand Slam singles va stopped the run of 17-year- serted himself quickly after were caught with the help of Jan And I also take a win for them tournament. championships that he current- old 7-6 (6), 6-3. So Schwartzman was ahead 4-3 in Tratnik a few kilometers before today. In the following days, After taking the last nine ly shares with . Sakkari faces Krejcikova on the third. the technical sprint in the final. there are still more opportu- games against Schwartzman, In addition to his 13 trophies Thursday, when the other sem- Nadal would not drop another Bauhaus was delighted with nities to win the races, and as No. 3 seed Nadal will play in at Roland Garros — four in a ifinal will be No. 31 Anastasia game, breaking to go up 5-4, be- the win. He said: “The finish you have seen how our team is Friday’s semifinals against ei- row from 2005-08, five in a Pavlyuchenkova against unseed- fore holding at love to take the was extremely fast with a strong, we expect more wins”. ther No. 1 , in row from 2010-14 and another ed Tamara Zidansek. third set. Then he broke again slight downhill in the last km. Bauhaus along with Bau- what would be a rematch of four in a row so far since 2017 Nadal entered his quarter- to open the fourth and really It was key to be in front at the haus, the team in Slovenia last year’s final and their 58th — the Spanish left-hander won final with a 35-set run at Ro - remove any remaining sense of roundabout 700m to go, and consists of , meeting anywhere, or No. 9 four titles at the US Open, two land Garros that began during suspense. the team did a great job today. , Jonathan Mi- . The Djok- at Wimbledon and one at the the 2019 final. That grew to 36 Schwartzman — now 1-11 We were in the forefront all lan, , Matej Mo- ovic-Berrettini quarterfinal was Australian Open. yesterday, before Schwartzman against Nadal, including a loss the time, we controlled the horic and . scheduled for late yesterday There are four first-time outplayed him for a stretch, sur- in the sem- events all the time, I came The race is the biggest cycling night. Grand Slam semifinalists left in prisingly winning more of their ifinals — started muttering to to the finish in an excellent event in Slovenia. The fight for The other men’s semifinal the women’s bracket, something exchanges that lasted at least himself and bounced his racket position, and as a sprinter, I the green jersey will end in Novo will be No. 5 that last happened at the 1978 nine strokes. off the clay a moment before couldn’t be more satisfied. Mesto. Riders will race across vs. No. 6 . Australian Open. Ah, but what matters is who getting broken again to trail 3-0 “It’s fantastic. The team was 803.7 km over the five days. Nadal, who turned 35 last In yesterday’s quarterfinals, wins the match, and Nadal as- in fourth.

Sakkari, Krejcikova into French Open last four Al Ahli add veteran Manny AFP | Paris aria Sakkari stunned de- Harris to bolster GBA bid Mfending champion Iga Swiatek to become the first Greek woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final at the French Manny Harris Open yesterday. • World number 18 Sakkari replaces fellow- triumphed 6-4, 6-4 over Pol- American Chris ish eighth seed Swiatek and McCullough on will face 33rd-ranked Barbora the Ahli roster Krejcikova of the Czech Repub- lic for a place in the final. Thursday’s other semi-final Bahraini club to sees Russian 31st seed Ana - feature• Manny Harris stasia Pavlyuchenkova tackle and Mike Harris unseeded Tamara Zidansek of as professionals Slovenia. Maria Sakkari of Greece hits a return to Poland’s Iga Swiatek For the first time in the Open for competition era, the French Open semi-fi- then needing six match points nals will feature four women to finish the job. TDT | Manama who have never previously got Gauff, the 24th seed and the this far at the Slams. I never really imagined youngest quarter-finalist at a ahrain champions Al Ahli “I am speechless. It is a dream I’d be standing here major in 15 years, was undone Bhave tweaked their roster coming true. It’s a very nice one day on this court, by seven double faults and 41 ahead of their participation in Manny Harris...new addition to Bahrain’s Al Ahli feeling and I could not have especially in singles, unforced errors. the 40th edition of the Gulf Harris will be teaming up the NBA G League. done it without my team and and being able to win “I never really imagined I’d GBA their support,” said the 25-year- be standing here one day on this Basketball Association ( ) with fellow-American Mike Mike Harris, meanwhile, al- BARBORA KREJCIKOVA Championship with the sign- Harris to bolster the Ahli ros- ready has experience with Ahli, old Sakkari. court, especially in singles, and ing of veteran American guard ter. They are the Bahraini club’s having helped them secure this “We have a long way to go tine Henin remains the last being able to win,” said Krejcik- Manny Harris. two imports for the event. past season’s titles in both the but we made a huge step today.” player to defend the women’s ova, who had been so paralysed Harris replaces countryman Manny Harris is a six-foot, national league as well as the Swiatek had gone into the title in Paris in 2007. by fear before her last 16 victory Chris McCullogh for the com- five-inch guard who played prestigious Khalifa bin Salman match on the back of 22 con- Greece will have two players over that she petition, a team member has most recently in China. He had Cup. secutive sets won at the French in the semi-finals this year after locked herself in a stadium of- confirmed. also suited up in his career with They boost an already formi- Open but her challenge was Stefanos Tsitsipas made it to fice and wept. The tournament is scheduled teams in Israel, Greece, Lithu- dable Ahli squad that features hobbled by a right thigh injury the last four on Tuesday. Krejcikova, now on a to take place later this month ania, Turkey, Ukraine and the top Bahraini talents Mohammed which needed taping during Krejcikova knocked out 10-match winning streak, is in Dubai, and it also acts as the Philippines, among others. Qurban, Maitham Jameel, Hes- a medical timeout early in the American 17-year-old Coco having a busy week. She is also GBA qualifier for this year’s FIBA The 31-year-old had short ham Sarhan, Ahmed Aldurazi, second set. Gauff 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 after saving in the semi-finals of the wom- Asia Champions Cup. stints in the NBA as well as in Subah Hussain, and others. Her defeat means that Jus- five set points in the opener and en’s doubles.

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