Alexis Sanchez
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BASEBALL | Page 4 FOOTBALL | Page 7 Los Angeles Perfect Dodgers Germany fall again out to secure in Arizona WC ticket Friday, September 1, 2017 CRICKET Dhul-Hijja 10, 1438 AH Tons by Kohli and GULF TIMES Sharma set up Indian win over Sri Lanka SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL From Monaco to PSG, the meteoric rise of Mbappe AFP taine and school in a nearby village. team. He made his Ligue 1 debut against Careful with nursing their young main in the League Cup fi nal where he Paris Even at this premature stage the pre- Caen aged just 16. A few weeks later, star, not yet legally an adult, back to full was subdued by Thiago Silva, Didier cocious Mbappe was courting interest Mbappe scored his fi rst goal and was health, Mbappe’s father grew impatient Deschamps selected Mbappe for his from Europe’s elite, but it was Monaco, rewarded with a fi rst professional con- with Monaco’s approach but Jardim France senior debut in March. ylian Mbappe, at just 18 in 2013, who convinced his family that tract through to 2019. turned a deaf ear to any unrest. Since then, and despite the eff orts years old, is destined for the principality was the best place to In the summer of 2016, after scoring Mbappe was made to wait, but he of many in the principality — includ- greatness after joining Paris continue his development. twice to help Monaco’s under-19s beat was eventually handed his chance in ing Prince Albert — to keep Mbappe at KSaint-Germain yesterday fol- It wasn’t easy initially as Mbappe Lens in the Coupe Gambardella fi nal, January and grew in infl uence with each Monaco, it became evidently clear his lowing a whirlwind fi rst full season at struggled to adapt to the demands of he was called up for France at the Eu- appearance as he provided vital contri- future lay elsewhere. Monaco. such a lifestyle, but he quickly changed, ropean Under-19 Championship. Les butions to Monaco’s title chase. The off er of a new contract and a six- The teen sensation arrives at PSG radically overhauling his behaviour to Bleuets dominated the tournament as Thrust into the spotlight, his fear- fold increase in salary as the face of a initially on loan with an option to buy allow his talent to shine. Mbappe struck fi ve goals in as many lessness and redoubtable skills helped new-look Monaco side a year out from in a deal reportedly worth up to 180mn In 2014, Real Madrid invited Mbappe games en route to the title. him shatter records set by a teenage the World Cup in Russia couldn’t con- euros ($214mn), catapulting him into to Madrid at the request of Zinedine Zi- Monaco rebuff ed advances from Eu- Henry on the Mediterranean coast two vince him to stay. second in the all-time most expensive dane, and the 15-year-old found him- rope’s top clubs, notably turning down decades earlier. After the likes of Premier League re- player list behind new teammate Ney- self pictured alongside the club’s Por- an off er of 40 mn euros from Manches- By the end of the season he was Mo- cruits Benjamin Mendy, Bernando Silva mar. tuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. ter City, who were tortured by Mbappe naco’s star attraction. Mbappe scored and Tiemoue Bakayoko, Mbappe is the Born and raised in the Paris suburb But Mbappe’s route to stardom was in last season’s Champions League. 26 goals in all competitions as the club latest protagonist in Monaco’s title- of Bondy, where his father Wilfried was As a supremely gifted youngster, a back in Monaco, where the blistering Monaco promised Mbappe regular ended a 17-year wait for the French title winning team to depart. a coach, Mbappe returns to the French glorious future for Mbappe was pre- speed and fl uid style of an attacker ac- playing time ahead of the 2016-17 cam- while reaching the semi-fi nals of the With the sale of Mbappe, Monaco capital after embarking on a path pre- dicted since his early years. customed to playing on the left wing paign, but a concussion suff ered on the Champions League. will have raked in over 350mn euros viously trodden by former French hero He played in his home town until he quickly seduced Leonardo Jardim. At opening weekend in a 2-2 draw with Despite a hatful of missed chances since pipping PSG to the champion- Thierry Henry, another graduate of was 14, splitting his time between the the advice of the club’s youth coaches, Guingamp forced him onto the side- in the last four against Juventus and a ship, but their depleted team is starting Monaco’s academy. national training centre at Clairefon- he integrated Mbappe into the fi rst lines. heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Ger- to resemble a fi eld of ruins. TENNIS Sharapova battles on at US Open as Zverev crashes out Sharapova, who won the 2006 event, played only one Open tune-up match after a SPOTLIGHT forearm injury but wore down Halep and Babos to prove she’s a threat for a deep run AFP Muguruza could New York jump from ‘cursed’ ormer world number one Maria Sharapova battled back Wednes- day to reach the third round of the to fi rst at US Open US Open while rising star Alexan- Fder Zverev crashed out. Sharapova, who downed second- AFP ranked Simona Halep in her fi rst Grand New York Slam match after a 15-month doping ban, defeated Hungary’s 59th-ranked Timea Babos 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe imbledon champi- Stadium. on Garbine Mu- “It wasn’t my best tennis,” Sharapova guruza has shaken said. “It was scrappy tennis but sometimes Woff her US Open those kind of matches are a lot of fun and “curse.” Now the Spanish third this was one of those days.” seed is taking aim at a third Grand The 30-year-old Russian, who next Slam title and world number one faces Russian-born US teen Sofi a Kenin, ranking. tested positive for meldonium at the 2016 The Venezuelan-born Australian Open, her most recent Grand 23-year-old, already the high- Slam appearance until this week. est ranked woman in her half of “Every day I have the chance I have to the draw, could make herself the forward rather than the ranking play at the US Open is a special day and woman to beat in the chase to because is the fi rst step, to win I’ll look forward to the next one,” 146th- lead the rankings by reaching the matches, getting far in tourna- ranked Sharapova said. last 16 today. ment, and we see after,” Mugu- Sharapova, whose fi ve Grand Slam titles “All I want is to win matches ruza said. include the 2006 US Open, played only one and the ranking sooner or later Muguruza is 3-1 against Ry- Open tuneup match after a forearm injury will come,” Muguruza said. barikova in tournament play, in- but wore down Halep and Babos to prove Muguruza won her fi rst Grand cluding a 6-1, 6-1, triumph in this she’s a threat for a deep run, with Latvian Slam title at last year’s French year’s Wimbledon semi-fi nals. 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova her top- Open, added to her major trophy She also swept their two hard- ranked potential semi-fi nal obstacle. haul in July on All England grass court meetings in 2013 at Indian Fourth seed Zverev, whose fi ve ATP titles and won the last prime US Open Wells and the fi rst round of the this year include a win over Roger Federer tuneup at Cincinnati to make Australian Open. in this month’s Montreal fi nal, fell to 61st- herself a solid favourite on the Muguruza admits just getting ranked Croatian Borna Coric 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 New York hardcourts. this far was a big hurdle to over- (7/1), 7-6 (7/4). Maria Sharapova of Russia in action against Timea Babos of Hungary in their second round match on Wednesday. Muguruza defeated China’s come. “I feel like a relief in a way,” The 20-year-old German had been the 92nd-ranked Duan Ying-Ying Muguruza said. “I’ve been always highest-ranked player in his half of an in- “It’s upsetting because the draw is pret- by beating Germany’s Florian Mayer 6-3, I’m so happy,” Muguruza said. “I just put 6-4, 6-0 Wednesday to reach stuck in this round. I didn’t know jury-hit Open draw. ty open in the bottom part,” Zverev said. 6-3, 6-3. Canadian 18-year-old qualifi er the heart on the court. I knew I had to be all the US Open’s third round for the really why. I’m happy that at least “I felt like I should have been the favorite Denis Shapovalov defeated French eighth the time fi ghting for the ball and in the end fi rst time in fi ve tries. I am one more round up. I still there. I just played a very, very bad match, seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 I won.” “I know I had like a curse and want to go as far as I can.” Pliskova escapes into so it’s unfortunate.” (7/3) to book a third-round date with Brit- Beating Slovakian Magdalena Rybariko- I broke it fi nally.