Nadal, Djokovic Cruise Through at Roland Garros
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GGOLFOLF | Page 4 Na claims third US PGA Tour title at Colonial Tuesday, May 28, 2019 TENNIS Ramadan 23, 1440 AH Serena survives GULF TIMES scare in Paris, wins 800th match SPORT Page 2 SPOTLIGHT Villa win ‘richest game’ in football AFP called former Chelsea and Eng- London land teammate Ashley Cole as well as Tom Huddlestone into his starting side. n Aston Villa side Cole replaced suspended managed by one life- Scott Malone at left-back, while long fan in Dean Smith midfi elder Huddlestone took Aand captained by an- over from Duane Holmes, in- other in Jack Grealish ended jured in the semi-fi nal victory their three-year exile from the over Leeds. Premier League yesterday with Villa’s Smith, made one un- a 2-1 win over Derby County in enforced change by bringing in the Championship playoff fi nal winger Albert Adomah instead at Wembley. of Andre Green, who dropped A year after losing to Fulham down to the bench. Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action during his first round match against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in Paris yesterday. He won in straight sets. in the same fi xture, Villa were Smith’s side, who had already celebrating a return to Eng- put seven goals past Derby with- lish football’s lucrative top- out reply in two regular season TENNIS/ FRENCH OPEN fl ight that will be worth at least league meetings this season, £170mn ($216mn) and as much were much the better side for as £200mn ($253mn) to the Bir- the fi rst half. mingham club. And their dominance was Anwar El Ghazi put Villa duly rewarded a minute before ahead with a header on the the interval when a precise cross stroke of half-time before John by Egypt’s Ahmed Elmohamady McGinn capitalised on a goal- evaded the Derby defence and keeping error to score Villa’s allowed Netherlands Under-21 Nadal, Djokovic second just shy of the hour international El Ghazi, who had mark. lost his marker, to run in at the Derby substitute Jack Marri- far post and score with a stoop- ott ensured a nervous fi nish for ing header. Villa with a goal nine minutes It was a goal celebrated by from time but it could not pre- the massed ranks of Villa fans at vent County losing in the play- Wembley that included Britain’s off s for the fourth time in six Prince William. cruise through at seasons. For Smith, whose fa- Villa doubled their lead in the ther is suff ering from dementia, 59th minute. this was a poignant victory. El Ghazi’s shot was defl ected “I went to see my old man on high into the air and Derby goal- Friday and I managed to get his keeper Kelle Roos, who waited eyes open for two minutes and for the ball to drop so he could I said to him ‘next time you see complete a catch instead of at- me I’m going to be a Premier tempting a punch, was left Roland Garros League manager’,” Smith told fl oundering as McGinn steered Sky Sports. “He smiled and the ball into the net. ‘IT’S ALWAYS AMAZING TO PLAY HERE, THE NEW CHATRIER IS VERY NICE’ nodded, for me that’s enough.” But at 2-0 down, a desper- Meanwhile an elated Greal- ate Derby raised their game and ish said: “I’m speechless. It was pulled a goal back nine minutes AFP view when Nadal broke after a The Danish 13th seed had re- such a hard game, but when I from time. Paris lengthy game to take a 2-1 ad- tired injured from her two pre- look around and I’ve got John, Florian Jozefzoon’s cross was vantage in the third, and the vious matches in the lead-up Anwar, I believe. It means the nodded back in by Jayden Bogle, Spaniard completed the job on to Roland Garros, and fell away world to go up, we know where and substitute Marriott rolled efending champion his fi rst match point as world badly after a strong fi rst set. this club belongs. a shot into the far corner, al- Rafael Nadal got his bid number 184 Hanfmann blasted “I think she got very lucky at “I’ve stayed here and we’re though Martyn Waghorn may for a record-extending long. the start of the second set and back there now. I’ve led my have got the very last touch. 12th French Open title Djokovic laid down an early took advantage of the opportu- boyhood team to the Premier Injuries and stoppages meant Doff to the perfect start by brush- marker in his bid to hold all four nities she got,” said Wozniacki. League.” Villa, the 1982 European cham- ing aside German qualifi er Yan- Grand Slam titles simultane- Sixth seed and two-time El Ghazi added: “We know pions, had to come through sev- nick Hanfmann, while world ously for the second time, pow- Wimbledon champion Petra and felt the pressure. This club en minutes of additional time. number one Novak Djokovic ering past Polish youngster Hu- Kvitova was forced to pull out has to be in the Premier League But they held their nerve to was also a comfortable victor in bert Hurkacz. before her scheduled opener and it deserves to be there.” join Norwich City and Sheffi eld the fi rst round at Roland Garros The 15-time major champion against Sorana Cirstea with Rams boss Frank Lampard, in United in next season’s Premier on Monday. impressed in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 tri- a left arm injury, but said she his fi rst season as a manager, re- League. Nadal, a 17-time Grand Slam umph and will face Swiss lucky should be fi t for Wimbledon, champion, cruised to a 6-2, loser Henri Laaksonen in round which starts on July 1. 6-1, 6-3 victory on the rebuilt two. “(I’ll be out for) two to three Court Philippe Chatrier to set “I was very solid. I’m happy weeks, so I’ll do some fi tness up a clash with another German with my game today,” said the and everything that I can do to qualifi er — world number 114 top seed. “It’s a long tourna- prepare my body for the tennis Yannick Maden — in round two. ment... But I just want to con- on the grass,” said the Czech. Nadal had suff ered three con- centrate on my next match.” Dutch fourth seed Kiki secutive semi-fi nal defeats ear- Twelve months ago, Djokovic Bertens looked in fi ne fettle, lier in the clay-court season, dropped out of the world’s top 20 though, beating home player but appeared to fi nd his best after a shock quarter-fi nal loss Pauline Parmentier 6-3, 6-4. in an Italian Open title success to Marco Cecchinato and even Elsewhere in the women’s sealed with victory over old rival pondered skipping Wimbledon, draw, Australian eighth seed Djokovic, while his French Open but he has instead reclaimed his Ashleigh Barty saw off American win-loss record now reads 87-2. place at the top of the game. Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-3. “It’s always amazing to play The 22-year-old Hurkacz, In the men’s event, three- here, the new Chatrier is very who has claimed three wins over time Grand Slam champion Stan nice,” the second seed said. “It’s top-10 players this season, had Wawrinka progressed with a been an important place in my no answer to the 2016 French 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 win over career. Open winner, as Djokovic sealed Slovakian Jozef Kovalik. “I played a good tournament a second-round spot without Australian Alex De Minaur, in Rome which was very im- breaking sweat, hitting 27 win- seeded 21st, beat the United portant for my confi dence. Now Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his first round match ners. Earlier yesterday, former States’ Bradley Klahn 6-1, we’ll see.” against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. world number one Caroline 6-4, 6-4, although Georgian The 32-year-old Nadal raced Wozniacki collapsed to a 0-6, 15th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili into a 3-0 lead in the opening set just 40 minutes. ners past his beleaguered oppo- 6-3, 6-3 loss to Russian world and Russian 12th seed Daniil before a second break of serve in The second set was over in a nent. number 68 Veronika Kuderme- Medvedev both exited the tour- Aston Villa’s Mile Jedinak and assistant manager John Terry celebrate the eighth game sealed it after fl ash as Nadal crushed nine win- The winning line honed into tova in the fi rst round. nament. with the trophy after winning the playoff against Derby County. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, May 28, 2019 TENNIS/FRENCH OPEN CLOSE SHAVE SPOTLIGHT Black and white’s all right Serena survives for stylish Barty Reuters but with her confi dence soaring Paris she seems primed to rectify that record this year. “A little bit scratchy, but solid scare in fi rst round ustralian eighth seed enough when I needed it,” was Ashleigh Barty is not her verdict after her victory. “I ‘I made lots of mistakes in the first set and I just said ‘good luck, Serena’ known for extravagant think overall, not knowing Jess Aoutfi ts, preferring to let overly well, I was able to fi gure it AFP Diatchenko, who knocked Maria her tennis do the talking on court, out when I needed to.