June 8, 2021 Double for De Bruyne Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne won the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s Players’ Player of the Year award for the second consecutive 7 season, BBC reported. Sports

Olympic berths at stake for Iranians at Polish meet

Sports Desk the 97kg spot as all three believe they deserve to be in the Olympic squad. ranian freestyle wrestlers will head into the Ziolkowski, Mohammadian, a 2014 world bronze medalist, secured Pytlasinski, Poland Open, starting in Warsaw today, the quota for at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifi- Iknowing success at the event will seal their place in the cation Tournament in April, while Sha’bani marched to the country’s squad at the Tokyo Olympics. gold at the Asian Championships in Almaty a week later. Eight Iranians will compete in four weight classes, while Karimi, meanwhile, will be appearing in an international head coach Gholamreza Mohammadi and his staff will closely tournament for the first time in more than a year after recov- watch their men’s performances in 74kg, 97kg, and 125kg ering from a knee injury, but will hope to build on the 2019 contests. world silver at the Olympics. Iran Wrestling Federation president Alireza Dabir has In the 74kg event, Younes Emami, who won a quota for said both freestyle and Greco-Roman Olympic teams will the country in April’s qualifications, will see competition have to be announced before the end of the month and, with from Mostafa Hossein-Khani, an Asia silver medalist in Al- only 86kg sensation guaranteed a spot in maty. July’s Games, the technical staff is yet to decide over five Meanwhile, Amin Taheri, a bronze winner at the Asian other slots. meet, and 20-year-old Amirhossein Zare’, a world under-23 Mohammad-Hossein Mohammadian, Ali Sha’bani, and champion in 2019, will fancy their chances of a place in To- Alireza Karimi will get their 97kg campaigns underway in kyo when participating at the 125kg contests. the Polish capital today. Additionally, Reza Atri will be the sole Iranian in the Mohammadi will have a tough decision to make over 61kg bouts. BEHNAM TOFIGHI/MEHR NEWS AGENCY

Murray backs Federer’s ‘sensible decision’ Clippers win game seven to pull out of French Open to eliminate Doncic and Mavs

Kawhi Leonard finished with 28 was a great win for us.” rebounds for the Mavericks, who had Former world number one Andy Murray said 20-time Grand returning from injury players are given reduced minutes to points, 10 rebounds and nine assists Doncic continued his superb play a chance to close out the series on Fri- Slam champion Roger Federer made a “sensible decision” to build up their fitness. as the Los Angeles Clippers won in the series despite playing with a day in game six but lost 104-97. withdraw from the French Open to protect his body after two “In tennis you don’t have that luxury of just playing a set game seven at home with a 126- sore neck suffered in game four. He Doncic scored 29 points in the knee operations and opt to focus his efforts on Wimbledon. in first match then 2 sets the next etc and building up that 111 win over the Dallas Mavericks added 14 assists and seven rebounds first half on 10-of-14 shooting from Federer, 39, decided to end his Roland Garros campaign way. to punch their ticket to the second Sunday in his first game seven in the field, including four threes. But on Sunday, a day after winning a gruelling third-round match “I’d argue that it’s quite risky to play multiple 4hr matches round of the NBA playoffs. just the second playoff series of his he managed just six points in the against Dominik Koepfer, Reuters reported. in a row in your 2nd tournaments back in 18 months so to me Los Angeles withstood a 46-point young career. The Mavericks also third quarter. performance from Mavericks star lost to the Clippers in the first round Los Angeles led 100-85 at the Luka Doncic on Sunday to take the last season. end of the third, and then extended Western Conference series 4-3, fi- nally cashing in on home court after the road team had won each of the first six games, AFP reported. “It’s all about the moment,” Leonard said. “You got to be ag- gressive all night and don’t try to make the game be perfect. “We never gave up. We wanted to get better and we did it, especially on the defensive end.” Marcus Morris scored 23 points and Paul George tallied 22 and dished out 10 assists for the fourth- seeded Clippers in front of a pan- demic-limited crowd of 7,300 at Staples Center arena in downtown Los Angeles. The Clippers advanced to the second round to face the top-seeded Utah Jazz with game one on Tues- day in Salt Lake City. The NBA will crown a new champion this season after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated on KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES Thursday. Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (top) dunks the ball during an NBA victory over the Mavericks at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA, US, on June 6, 2021. MARK RUNNACLES/GETTY IMAGES The Clippers are the sixth team Andy Murray (L) and Roger Federer in NBA history to lose the first two games of a series at home and win “We gave everything,” Doncic their lead to 19 points with just Eight-time Wimbledon winner Federer, who has hardly it makes sense to be reactive based on how your body feels, a series. said. “I’m very proud of this team. over nine minutes left in the fourth. played in the last 17 months because of a knee injury, had length of matches etc (sic).” “It was a total team win. We Obviously I hate losing. We hate Dallas cut the led to 114-107 with been due to face Italian ninth seed Matteo Berrettini in the Federer’s decision sparked mixed reactions, with seven- wanted this moment,” said Clippers losing, but I’m proud of my team.” two minutes to go but Reggie Jack- French Open on Monday. time French Open winner Chris Evert saying the Swiss had coach Tyronn Lue. “It was a great Dorian Finney-Smith had 18 points son answered with a clutch three Replying to a tweet from a user who said Federer was “dis- earned the right to do so, while former U.S. Davis Cup cap- test for us, making us battle tested and 10 rebounds and Kristaps Porz- pointer and the Clippers closed it respectful” to other players for “using” the French Open to tain Patrick McEnroe said he understood Federer’s reason- going into the second round. That ingis finished with 16 points and 11 out from there. gain fitness, Murray said: “In basketball, football etc when ing, but it was not a good look.

Deschamps hits back at Mourinho for comments on France

Didier Deschamps has hit back at Jose mer tournament: “I cannot see any weakness. like that,” he said. “Yes, we are favourites due Mourinho for his comments on France being If I had to say one team to win it, I will say to the status of world champions. It is not a favourites at Euro 2020, claiming “I thought them - because the group of players is fantas- pressure, it is the reality, we will not flee the the same thing about his Tottenham team”. tic. debate on the presence of France among the France are being tipped to go all the way “They have to win it. If not, it is an unsuc- favourites of this Euro. at the European Championships, having cessful Euros.” “Obviously, I have a very important attack- reached the final in 2016 before becoming Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham in ing potential, but it’s not just that. There is a World Champions in Russia two years later, April after just 18 months in the role, having balance to be found, through adjustments. I goal.com reported. failed to deliver a single piece of silverware hope to have the ball as much as possible, but Ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs or Champions League football. there are times when we won’t have it, and boss Mourinho attempted to put extra pres- Deschamps referenced the 58-year-old’s we will have to keep our strength.” sure on Les Bleus when discussing their time at Spurs when quizzed on his remarks France will face Germany in their Group F strength in depth last week, prompting Des- by Telefoot, before outlining the way his team opener on June 15. champs to swipe back with a jibe about his ill- will cope with the pressure when the interna- Deschamps’ men are due to take on Hun- fated spell in north London. tional tournament kicks off. gary four days later before completing their Mourinho told The Sun of the weight of ex- “I thought the same thing about his Tot- pool schedule with a repeat of the 2016 final GETTY IMAGES pectation France will be carrying at the sum- France manager Didier Deschamps (R) and Jose Mourinho tenham team, but it did not end up happening against holders Portugal.