ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 SPORTS 14

Russian Mishina and Galliamov win pairs free skating Shcherbakova seals Russia’s fi rst World Team Trophy victory OSAKA, Japan, April 18, (AP): World champion Anna Shcherbakova won the women’s free skate to seal Russia’s fi rst- Britain, Canada, Italy advance to 2022 qualifying in BJK Cup ever victory at the fi gure skating World KRALJEVO, Serbia, April 18, (AP): Britain, Canada, Italy and Also advancing were Kazakhstan, Latvia, Netherlands and Po- Team Trophy. Ukraine were among the eight countries that reached the qualifying land. Britain beat Mexico 3-1, Canada defeated Serbia 4-0, Italy First after the short program, the round of the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup with victories. eliminated Romania 3-1 and Ukraine shut out Japan 4-0. Kazakh- 17-year-old Shcherbakova opened with a These were the fi rst matches in the women’s tennis team compe- stan got past Argentina 3-2, Latvia beat India 3-1, Netherlands quadruple fl ip and followed with a triple tition since its name was changed from Fed Cup last year. edged China 3-2 and Poland defeated Brazil 3-2. fl ip-triple toe loop combination en route to a score of 160.58 points. Only the United States and Japan have 133.19 points. Compatriot Karen Chen fi n- points are combined across the four disci- Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto moved up to won previous World Team Trophy compe- ished sixth with 127.24 points. plines with the highest point total winning. titions, fi rst held in 2009. Team USA has Teams from Japan, the United States, A limited number of fans were allowed four victories and Japan has two. Canada, France, Russia and Italy com- into Maruzen Intec Arena even though FIGURE SKATING The biennial World Team Trophy fea- peted. Italy was fourth with 72 points fol- Osaka is experiencing a surge in COV- tures the six best fi gure skating teams from lowed by France with 67 and Canada with ID-19 cases. second place with 150.29 points after an the 2020-21 season. 57. On Saturday, Japan’s second-largest city impressive Matrix routine that included “To fi nally be in fi rst place means a lot Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Gal- recorded over 1,161 cases, the third highest fi ve triple jumps. to us,” Tuktamysheva said. “This is a little liamov of Russia won the pairs free skat- Russia’s Elizaveta Tuktamysheva was practice (for) the Olympic Games. It is im- ing with 151.59 points. Alexa Knierim and daily tally. third with 146.23 points. portant to have World Team Trophy before Brandon Frazier of the United States were With less than a year to go until the Bei- jing Olympics, many of the world’s top The result of the women’s free skate en- the Olympic Games, now we know what second with 133.63 points followed by Russia’s Anna Shcherbakova performs sured Russia, with 125 points, would win to do.” Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan skaters are in Osaka, eager to get in anoth- during the women’s free skating program of its fi rst World Team Trophy. The United U.S. national champion Bradie Tennell with 130.83. er competition after several International the ISU World Team Trophy fi gure skating States - the defending champion - was sec- delivered a solid performance but under- Each country sends two men, two wom- Skating Union events were canceled due to competition in Osaka, western Japan, on ond with 110 followed by Japan with 107. rotated a few jumps. She placed fourth with en, one pair and one ice dancing entry. The the pandemic. April 17. (AP) Chiefs edge Crusaders 26-25 Ko wins Lotte Championship with Brumbies & Force win weekend Super Rugby Australia matches tournament-record 28-under 260 SYDNEY, April 18, (AP): The ACT They showed that confidence by calm- Brumbies beat the Melbourne Rebels ly rallying to regain the lead with 26-20 and the Western Force edged McKenzie’s late penalty, which New South Wales 31-30 in weekend capped his personal 16-point haul. Super Rugby Australia matches. The Chiefs then won a vital turn- The Brumbies led the Rebels 19-7 at over and a lineout in the last seconds halftime. The bonus point earned by of the match to shut out the Crusaders. the Rebels kept the Melbourne side in The Crusaders scored the first try of the hunt for a playoff spot ahead of the match through center Leicester next week’s matches. Fainga’anuku and held a 7-0 lead In Perth, the Western Force also before McKenzie kicked three penal- kept their playoff hopes alive when ties to give the Chiefs a 9-7 advantage Argentinian flyhalf Domingo Miotti after 26 minutes. kicked a penalty after the final siren to Mo’unga kicked a penalty, then lift his side to its one-point victory along with captain Scott Barrett creat- over the Waratahs. ed a try for fullback Will Jordan that The Waratahs were on track for gave the Crusaders a 17-9 halftime their first win of the season after fly- lead. half Ben Donaldson kicked his sixth In a thrilling second half, center goal of the night to give the visitors a Alex Nankivell scored in the 47th min- 30-21 lead. But Jordan Olowofela ute to cut the lead to one point. The scored a try in the 72nd minute and a Crusaders re-established a six-point clutch Miotti conversion from the lead with a try to hooker Codie Taylor sideline reduced the margin to two after a rolling maul in the 53rd minute. points. The Chiefs enjoyed a period of dominance out of which winger Jonah Lowe scored a try to put them ahead RUGBY 23-22 until Mo’unga’s penalty gave the Crusaders a short-lived lead. While the Crusaders still lead the The Waratahs lost a lineout with championship, their recent form makes just seconds remaining to give the them seem anything but invincible. Force one final chance of victory. The Force unleashed phase after phase Their regular offside play has been after the final siren in a bid to find the more heavily penalized this year than winning points, and they got their in the past and Mo’unga’s form as a chance when the Waratahs were penal- playmaker has been mixed. ized for offside. The Dunedin-based Highlanders Miotti stepped up and calmly slotted were clinging to the hope of a playoffs the 21-meter penalty from straight in place until Friday when they beat the front of the posts. Auckland-based Blues 35-29. They The first-place Queensland Reds now have a much stronger role in the had a weekend bye. playoffs race. In Hamilton, New Zealand, Fullback The exceptional Highlanders’ head Damian McKenzie kicked a penalty coach Tony Brown has the leanest Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, hits from the 13th tee during the fi nal round of the Lotte Championship golf tournament, on April 17, in Kapolei, Hawaii. Inset: with two minutes remaining to give roster in Super Rugby Aotearoa but Ko holds the Lotte Championship trophy after winning the golf tournament. (AP) the Hamilton-based Chiefs a 26-25 already has engineered wins over the win over the Christchurch-based Crusaders and the Blues, who started Crusaders in Super Rugby Aotearoa. the season among the title favorites. Korda struggles Indians win by 13 runs The Crusaders still hold a seven- Under Brown, the Highlanders point lead over the Chiefs in the cham- appear likely to become a major force pionship table. But the four-time in the future as they develop their KAPOLEI, Hawaii, April defending champion Crusaders have young lineup. had two losses and a narrow overtime The Blues, in contrast, are headed 18, (AP): Lydia Ko is golf- Mumbai roars back to beat Hyderabad win in their last three games and the for another season of underachieve- ing like she is a kid again. CHENNAI, India, April 18, (AP): Chiefs, with four-straight wins, are ment after losing three of their last In other words, she’s tough Sunrisers Hyderabad failed in its chase heading into the playoffs with more four games. Their inability to secure a to beat. Queensland clinches Australian for the third straight time in the Indian momentum. world-class coach who can draw the Premier League as defending cham- In a seesaw match, the Crusaders best from a star-studded roster has led No one came close at this week’s pion Mumbai Indians won by 13 runs. led 25-23 after a penalty to flyhalf to years of poor performances and Lotte Championship. Ko torched fi rst-class cricket title over NSW Jonny Bairstow made a brisk 43 off Richie Mo’unga in the 66th minute. another false dawn this season which Kapolei Golf Club and tourna- BRISBANE, Australia, April 18, with 3-42. 22 deliveries and fellow opener David The Chiefs, who lost all of their began with promise. ment records in the process. A (AP): Queensland has won its ninth Defending champion New South Warner scored a 34-ball 36 before Hy- matches last season under British and They’ve also seen regular slumps in fi nal-round 65 Saturday left her Sheffi eld Shield fi rst-class cricket title Wales resumed on Sunday at 140-5 derabad collapsed to 137 all out in 19.4 Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland, the form of leading players such as the at 28-under 260 and seven shots in Australia, outclassing New South still trailing by 106 runs. The visitors overs, losing its last eight wickets for have found new confidence this year All Black brothers Rieko and Akira ahead of everybody. Wales by an innings and 33 runs in the were under pressure after test No. 3 47 runs. under caretaker Clayton McMillan. Ioane. It brought back vivid memories of fi nal at Allan Border Field. Marnus Labuschagne completed his Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar claimed the teenager from New Zealand who The Bulls clinched victory before score of 192 runs on Saturday to lift 3-19 and Trent Boult provided Mum- became the youngest golfer – female lunch on the fourth day of the sched- Queensland to a fi rst-innings total of bai a perfect fi nish with 3-28. or male – to rise to No. 1 the world in uled fi ve-day match after leg spinner 389 and a 246-run overall lead. Earlier, Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 2015. She is the LPGA’s youngest-ev- Mitch Swepson (3-68) helped bowl out The Blues sustained just their sec- 35 off 22 lifted Mumbai’s total to er winner, major winner, Rookie and New South Wales for 213 in the visi- ond loss in 14 games against Queens- 150-5 as the West Indian power-hitter Player of the Year. tors’ second innings. land despite boasting a world-class struck two sixes off the last two deliv- Ko, who turns 24 next Saturday, Queensland celebrated after fast bowling attack of Michell Starc, Ha- eries from fast bowler Bhuvneshwar won 14 times in her fi rst 81 starts, in- bowler Brendan Doggett (3-37) zlewood and off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Kumar (0-45). “Great effort from the cluding twice as an amateur in 2012 claimed the fi nal wicket to fall, snar- Indian Premier League duties meant bowling unit, we knew it was not go- and ’13. But she had only won once ing Australian fast bowler Josh Hazle- New South Wales was without Aus- ing to be easy,” Mumbai skipper Ro- since – three years ago – until Satur- wood caught behind for three. tralian test players Steve Smith, Pat hit Sharma said. “The pitch is getting day. Fellow pace bowler Xavier Bartlett Cummins, David Warner and Moises slower and slower, bowlers are always was also impressive for Queensland Henriques. in the game till 20 overs.” Hyderabad looked in control after GOLF Bairstow had quickly bludgeoned four sixes and three boundaries. Hyderabad enjoyed an opening stand of 67 runs “When it doesn’t happen you do before Bairstow was out in unusual doubt,” Ko said. “If I said I didn’t fashion in the eighth over. The Englishman dragged his back In this photo provided by the NHRA, Brittany Force drives in Top Fuel doubt myself at all it would be a lie. qualifying on April 17, 2021, in the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide I wondered if I’d ever be back in the foot onto his stumps and was out hit- Nationals drag races at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las winners circle, but obviously I’m wicket while trying to pull left-arm Vegas. (AP) grateful for all that’s happened in my spinner Krunal Pandya. career so far. “It’s been a fun week in Hawaii and to be back in this position is obviously CRICKET Brittany Force in top spot in super cool.” Ko came up three strokes shy of the LPGA record of 31 under. That was set Mumbai stood out in the fi elding too Top Fuel qualifying in Vegas by Sei Young Kim, who fi nished tied with Krunal’s brother, Hardik, running with Inbee Park, 22-year-old Nelly out Warner in the 12th over and he also LAS VEGAS, April 18, (AP): Brittany We want to go out and win this Korda and Irish rookie Leona Maguire hit the stumps to leave Abdul Samad Force took the No. 1 spot in Top Fuel thing and bring home our first win of at 267. stranded in the 18th over. qualifying in the DENSO Spark Plugs the season.” Park and Kim, both from South Earlier, Sharma scored 32 after he NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Las Robert Hight in Funny Car, Greg Korea, are ranked 2-3 in the world Nelly Korda hits out of a greenside bunker on the fi rst green during the fi nal became the fi rst IPL captain this sea- Vegas Motor Speedway. Anderson in Pro Stock and Matt Smith and Korda is fourth. Kim beat Park round of the Lotte Championship golf tournament, on April 17, in Kapolei, son to bat fi rst after winning the toss. Force had a final qualifying run of in Pro Stock Motorcycle also took top in a Lotte playoff six years ago, while Hawaii. (AP) Sharma provided a decent start of 3.732-seconds at 320.66 mph in her spots in their respective categories at Maguire was in the midst of a brilliant 55 runs off 39 balls with Quinton de dragster for her first No. 1 qualifier of college career at Duke. Saso led after two rounds. Ko and Korda struggled early and when Ko Kock (40), but Hyderabad pulled back the year and 21st of her career. The Park, who vacationed in Hawaii as Korda surged ahead Friday, with Ko’s missed a long birdie putt at No. 8 she through its Afghanistan spinners Mu- former world champion sat out most of DRAG RACING a child, now has fi ve Top-Five fi nishes 21 under score after 54 holes a shot was three shots ahead. That fl ipped a jeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) and Rashid last season because of the coronavirus at Lotte, but no wins. With her 63, she better than Lotte’s 72-hole tournament switch. Khan (0-22). Mujeeb had de Kock pandemic. shared low-round honors Saturday record. That was set at Ko Olina Golf She birdied the next four holes and caught at deep mid-wicket in the 14th “It just shows this team has picked the second race of the NHRA Camping with Jenny Shin. Club, which hosted Lotte its fi rst eight six of her last 10. She was fl awless, over and Bairstow held onto a brilliant up right where we left off,” Force said. World Drag Racing Series season. Shin tied for sixth another two shots years. again. Low rounds were common this legside catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan. “We had a long time being away from Eliminations are Sunday. back with Wei-Ling Hsu, Sarah Schm- It wasn’t a huge surprise. In Ko’s week, but no one came close to catch- But Pollard’s brisk knock in the end the races, and coming back to Hight made it a clean sweep in nitro elzel, reigning US Women’s Open last round two weeks ago she closed ing Ko, who tried to “keep it simple” proved enough for Mumbai to cruise Gainesville (last month), we found our qualifying for John Force Racing, champ A Lim Kim and 19-year-old the ANA Inspiration, the year’s fi rst and admitted she was inspired by to its second win in the tournament af- routine pretty quickly. Coming here earning his 69th No. 1 qualifier thanks Yuka Saso, making her sixth LPGA major, with a 62. In her last 100 holes Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spi- ter losing the opening game to Royal and taking this No. 1 qualifier (spot), to a run of 3.882 at 331.85 in his start. she has just one bogey. eth’s recent wins. Challengers Bangalore. we’re pumped. Camaro.