26 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, May 12, 2019 Thiem ends Federer’s clay court return to reach Madrid Open semis Djokovic, Nadal edge closer to final

MADRID: Dominic Thiem saved two match points being held for him next week in Rome. Otherwise, his and ended the first chapter of Roger Federer’s return next clay event will be the French Open where he last to clay court tennis with a come-from-behind 3-6, 7- played in 2015. “The match was so close,” said Austrian 6 (13/11), 6-4 win and reach the Madrid Open semi- fifth seed Thiem who had also defeated Federer in the finals on Friday. Indian Wells final in March. “I was really lucky to save The 37-year-old Swiss had returned this week to the match points. the surface for the first time in three years-his last clay “Roger was playing unbelievable on the clay. I’m court match was a loss to Thiem in Rome in 2016. While very, very happy to win. He is so special, maybe the Federer was heading out, there were no such problems best ever in tennis, he has something different. “Every for top seed Novak Djokovic who made the last-four time you play him, every point is a big challenge.” when Marin Cilic withdrew and Rafael Nadal, the sec- In the final set, Thiem earned a break for 2-1 as ond seed, who brushed aside Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-2. Federer netted a backhand but the Swiss rallied to break Thiem, the 2018 Roland Garros runner-up and win- back, 4-4. The momentum fizzled out though and a game ner of the Barcelona title last month, prevailed in two later Thiem broke again for 5-4 with a lob winner. hours 10 minutes against Federer having saved two match points in a 15-minute second set tie-break. ‘NICE FEELING’ He will face world number one Djokovic, who The Austrian served out his fourth victory in six advanced on a walkover when Cilic pulled out with a matches against Federer a game later. Meanwhile, stomach virus. Five-time champion Nadal needed just Simona Halep closed in on a return to the top of the over an hour to reach his 11th Madrid semi-final and world rankings after beating Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-7 will face Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, a winner over (2/7), 6-0 to advance to the women’s final. defending champion Alexander Zverev by 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Halep, currently number three in the world, will “It was a good match for me, Stan is not an easy reclaim the number one ranking should she win her opponent regardless of the scoreline,” said Nadal after third title at the Caja Magica. Bencic had defeated his 14th quarter-final in the last 15 years in the Spanish Halep in their last two matches, but the reigning French capital. “I had to play good tennis and reach my best Open champion, who lifted the trophy in Madrid in level.” Federer said he was happy to have made his clay 2016 and 2017, came through in just under two hours. court comeback. “I feel very good about my game. I Halep will play Dutch seventh seed Kiki Bertens, a thought I had some good matches here,” the 20-time finalist in Madrid last year, who defeated 2017 US Grand Slam champion said. “I feel good on the clay Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 7-5. “It’s such a MADRID: Austria’s Dominic Thiem serves to Switzerland’s Roger Federer during their ATP Madrid Open quarter- right now.” nice feeling to be back in the final here. I really enjoy final tennis match at the Caja Magica in Madrid. — AFP Federer now has the option to take up a wild card playing in Madrid, it motivates me,” Halep said. — AFP

named in the side that played at The Dhoni’s ‘Dad’s England leave Oval, was reportedly suffering from a viral infection with his place taken by spinner Yasir Shah. Army’ fight on out Archer as Pakistan Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and elected to bowl first. “It for one more final Pakistan bowl looks like a good pitch and we want to try and bowl first and take early ,” said Safraz. “We know it’s HYDERABAD: M.S. Dhoni’s Chennai Super in 2nd ODI going to be a high scoring game so we Kings shrugged off their ‘Dad’s Army’ label to have to be positive. We’re hoping we reach Sunday’s IPL final against the Mumbai can restrict them to 270-280 and chase Indians with both teams looking to clinch a SOUTHAMPTON: England left out ris- the target.” record fourth title. ing star as they made Meanwhile England captain Eoin Chennai hammered , the kid changes for the second one-day interna- Morgan said: “It looks a very good, stars of the , by six tional against Pakistan at Southampton fresh pitch. We like playing here-we wickets on Friday to reach a record eighth yesterday. have some good memories, and always final in the Twenty20 tournament. The 37- Team officials had lwaysa planned get some fantastic support.” year-old Dhoni is one of 11 members of the 25 that this five-match series would act as a man Chennai squad aged over 30. final audition for places in tournament Teams Australian is 37 and fellow hosts England’s 15-man squad for the England: , , opener , a relative team young- VISAKHAPATNAM: captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays a shot World Cup, which starts later this month. , (capt), Ben ster at 34. Both plundered fifties off the Delhi during the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) second qualifier Twenty20 cricket match To that end, they made three changes Stokes, (wkt), , as Chennai powered past the 147 between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA to their side following Wednesday’s rain- , David Willey, , target with an over to spare and just four Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. — AFP affected no- which saw just 19 wickets lost. overs bowled at . Left-arm Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul- Dhoni, winner of three IPL titles and still a African Kagiso Rabada of Delhi as the IPL’s cricket, they buy him,” cricketer-turned-ana- quick David Willey came in for Archer, Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz key member of India’s World Cup squad, is top -taker. lyst Pommie Mbangwa said on the online fit-again opener Jason Roy returned in Ahmed (capt/wkt), Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, not bothered by questions about his age. “We know what to do in different situa- Cricbuzz chat show. place of -left out on his Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, “I don’t mind that because all this increas- tions, we’ve made the most of our experi- “Yet somehow after a certain period of Hampshire home ground-and Moeen Ali Shaheen Shah Afridi es the anticipation,” Dhoni said at the start of ence,” Watson said after his team’s 100th time they have managed to settle on some was recalled in place of fellow spinner Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Tim the game against Delhi, who were referred to IPL win. “ have a great team, sort of formula that gets them winning for this day game. Robinson (ENG) as the ‘Kid’s Army’. Their captain Shreyas not too many holes in their team,” he games,” said the former Zimbabwe paceman. Meanwhile left-arm quick TV : (AUS) Iyer is 23 and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh acknowledged. Mumbai, owned by Nita Ambani-who is Mohammad Amir, left out of his coun- Match referee: Richie Richardson Pant, the likely successor to Dhoni in the Mumbai, led by India’s star batsman Rohit married to India’s richest man, Mukesh try’s provisional World Cup squad but (WIS). — AFP national side, just 21. Sharma, will be counting on their rivals’ Ambani-has the bragging rights against fatigue to help them win. Chennai this season after beating them three OLD RIVALS Dhoni’s side will get only 48 hours to get times, in the league and playoffs. His dramatic breakthrough victory at Dhoni has reliable old warhorses on every to Hyderabad for the final and recover to take They have also met in three IPL finals, with Tiger win the Masters brought his first major title front to take on the Mumbai Indians, who on a side with what appears to be the right Mumbai winning two. since the 2008 US Open and made it a beat Chennai last Tuesday to secure their mix of youth and experience. Mumbai won their finals in 2013, 2015 — good year to stage a major in May. place in the final. With standout 20-year-old in both against Chennai-and again in 2017 when electrifies PGA “We were very excited about the The 35-year-old West Indies paceman the middle-order and the Pandya brothers- they beat Rising Pune Supergiant. May change before Tiger made his fire- , returned figures of 2-19 to Hardik and Krunal-as well as big-hitting Chennai won theirs in 2010 against move, but will works in Georgia,” Waugh said. “We restrict Delhi to 147 for nine. , Mumbai finished top of the Mumbai, in 2011 and again in 2018 after com- thought it was smart. It looks brilliant Leg-spinner , the eldest mem- table after a slow start to the season. ing back from a two year ban over an illegal now. “I don’t know if we could count on ber of the squad at 39, has 24 scalps and is “They are a superstar team. If anyone does gambling scandal involving one of the owners it boost golf? him forever, but that momentum from the just one away from overtaking fellow South anything of repute anywhere in the world of of the franchise. — AFP Masters into the PGA is extraordinary.” Tickets sold out for the weekend. BETHPAGE: Shifting the PGA Volunteer helpers grew. The Steve Waugh-led 2001 Ashes-win- Cup, was on the 2001 visit to Gallipoli and Championship to May in time to be the “So we really expect to have an Aussies head to ning side made a similar pilgrimage, but told cricket.com.au it was a motivating first major after Tiger Woods snapped amazing championship at an amazing Langer missed the trip, something he has experience. an 11-year major win drought was bril- place. Couldn’t be a better kind of story. called “one of the regrets of my career”. Last “The thing that was really rammed home liant timing. An electric atmosphere is I think Bethpage is one of those kind of Gallipoli for year, he took the squad to the WWI battle- to us on that trip was what the ANZAC spir- expected to greet the 15-time major amazing miracles.” Waugh said some of fields of northern France ahead of his first it is all about,” he said, referring to the winner next week at the 101st PGA the mistakes that followed golf growth in World Cup series in charge following the ball-tampering Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Championship at Bethpage Black with the wake of “Tigermania” in 1997 will scandal that rattled Australian cricket. “It really does typify even the modern huge numbers of casual television golf not be repeated the second time around. He said the players learned about “humili- Australian person. fans likely to lift ratings to record levels. “We’ll be sort of more cautious,” inspiration ty and perspective, and understanding how “I’ve been lucky enough to travel around But the PGA of America also hopes Waugh said. “We hope and we expect lucky we are”. “It’s very sobering, and it was the world and play cricket against a lot of Woods winning the Masters last month that we’ll get a participation bump here, an incredible life experience for the boys, opposition teams in a lot of different coun- at age 43 and chasing a 16th major title which we’ve been waiting for for a while, SYDNEY: Australia’s cricketers headed and also it gelled the team together with dif- tries and you just don’t see that same sort of can boost lagging participation numbers and hopefully we can ride it into some- yesterday to the battlefields of Gallipoli for ferent experiences and interpretations of our spirit in a lot of people from other countries. the way his first major win did at the thing beyond him and do it in a prudent inspiration to kick off a gruelling four-month history,” he said. “The will to want to do whatever you can 1997 Masters. but a growth way. “We hope this will tour taking in the defence of their World Cup “We talk a lot about our history and the for your mate, to help your mate in a time of “Obviously Tiger has impact, sort of turbocharge it a little bit.” crown and an Ashes series. humility of times before.” Since his appoint- crisis.” Australia head to the World Cup in the moon landing-it’s not golf, it’s The team, led by , flew out of ment, Langer has worked hard in restoring top form. They won eight straight one-dayers ‘Where were you when?’ kind of stuff,” MORE DAYLIGHT IN MAY Australia late Friday for a multi-day stop in faith in Australian cricket after the against India and Pakistan before winning said PGA of America chief executive The PGA will have slightly more day- Turkey before arriving in England for three “Sandpaper-gate” affair in that their “unofficial” three-game series against Seth Waugh. “We absolutely know the light time than in August and less heat, warm-up games ahead of their opening led to bans for then captain , his New Zealand in Brisbane this week 2-1. fan base will be cranked up. but the grass is still growing in May and World Cup clash on June 1. deputy and opener Cameron While their starting XI is firming up, the “We hope it will have the same effect that could make rough management to “Where we are right now, on the way to Bancroft. batting order remains in flux. , that he had his first go-around on par- 3.5 to 4 inches tricky, said PGA of England for a long campaign representing Cricket Australia on Thursday hailed the and Warner all opened ticipation as well. Hopefully we can ride America chief championships officer our country, hopefully it will be a real cata- team’s once-notorious behaviour as signifi- against New Zealand. It is Warner’s not only the wave and excitement about Kerry Haigh. lyst for gelling together and success,” Langer cantly improved as Langer’s new less-abra- favoured position, but he made just 0 and 2 watching him play, but others wanting to “I think the golf course will be in just said about visiting the World War I site. sive attitude beds in. in his two knocks there since returning play. Hopefully that knock-on effect has outstanding condition,” he said. “The Australia and New Zealand lost more than from suspension. a long-term effect.” cool season grasses should be a lot 10,000 men in 1915 when British and French AUSSIE SPIRIT Smith fared much better, hitting 89 The decision to shift the PGA came healthier. They will be sort of improving, troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Smith and Warner’s one-year suspen- at number four, then 91 not out at three. The two years ago as part of a revamp of the as opposed to in the August date we the Dardanelles Strait in Germany-allied sions are now over and they were welcomed pace attack will almost certainly feature Pat global golf calendar, when Woods was were sort of more on a hanging-on, Ottoman Turkey. It became a defining event back to the Australian fold for three warm- Cummins, , Nathan Coulter- still recovering from the spinal fusion keeping-the-grass-alive mode. “But also for both nations, marking the first time these up games against New Zealand over the Nile and , but questions surgery that would end his nagging back more likely possibly have more chance newly independent countries fought under past week. Former skipper Ricky Ponting, remain as to whether or Adam injuries and allow him to return to elite of wind and probably tougher playing their own flags. who will be Langer’s assistant at the World Zampa will claim the spinner’s spot. — AFP golf success. conditions.” — AFP