Federer Reaches Semis at ATP Finals
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 SPORTS Ruthless Aussies thrash Italy 50-20 TURIN: Wing Nick Cummins scored two nisingly close to victory over the and worked hard through the game to Australia a line-out on Italy’s 22-metre Italy were given brief hope of a fight- of seven Australian tries as the Wallabies Wallabies in a 19-22 reverse last year. score those points. So there was consis- line and led to the Wallabies’ fourth try back when replacement Lorenzo made up for defeat to England with a “After the first half, or at least the first tency there, and we had to work hard in on 50 minutes. Cittadini bundled the ball over shortly commanding 50-20 victory over hapless 30 minutes, I saw some quality play defence at different times.” Italy’s posi- Adam Ashley-Cooper played a piv- after to add five points, but Di Italy at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. from Italy. But we gave away errors tive start was soon brought to heel. otal role, holding off several players and Bernardo’s disappointing afternoon Italy had been looking to capitalise cheaply and at the end of the day our Captain Ben Mowen touched down causing confusion metres from the try- with the boot continued when he on Australia’s morale-sapping 20-13 defence certainly wasn’t up to the job.” for Australia on 15 minutes, with Quade line before offloading to Cummins who missed the conversion. reverse at Twickenham last week to Australia’s dominance was never under Cooper making up for an earlier penalty sneaked aroud him to run in behind the There was no stopping Australia, and score a first, historic win over Australia threat but their defence was given a miss with the conversion before adding posts for his second. the joy on Joe Tomane’s face when he in 16 attempts. But despite going 10-up work-out late on when Tommaso Allan another two points minutes later after Cooper added two points with the scored the Australians sixth try minutes before the quarter-hour thanks notably scored his maiden Italy try in the 79th Tevita Kuridrani went over on 21 min- boot to give Australia a commanding later said it all. Israel Folau added a sev- to a try from Australian-born full-back minute. utes. Cummins scored the first of his 16-point lead. Australia were well into enth for the visitors with 10 minutes Luke McLean, the tourists came steadily But ahead of meeting Ireland in brace just after the half-hour to put their stride and following a line-out remaining, and, staring at one of their into their game and punished Italian Dublin next week, under-fire Australia Australia 19-10 up at the break to give deep in Italian territory just before the heaviest defeats to Australia in recent errors with ruthless efficiency. coach Ewen McKenzie was largely Italy an uphill task in the second half, hour mark took their advantage to 33- years, Italy had no choice but to try to Italy coach Jacques Brunel admitted buoyed by his side’s all-round perform- and with the crowd already lulled into 10. Italy’s defence initially held firm save face. the Azzurri’s usually strong defence sim- ance. “It was a really good scoreboard silence. under wave after wave of Wallaby attack The hosts pushed deeped into ply did not turn up. “Our defence just for us, particularly being ten nil down - If Italy had thoughts of producing a but it eventually caved in and when Will Australian territory in the final minutes wasn’t at its usual level and when you’re the guys worked through that and even stirring fightback, they were soon Genia dug the ball out for Cooper his and were rewarded when second-half up against a team known for their in the end there we showed some char- kicked into touch as the visitors pass to Ashley-Cooper the winger drove replacement Allan, formerly a Scotland speed, you can’t let that happen,” said acter,” said McKenzie. resumed where they had left off. An over at the side of the posts, with player at junior level, went over for his the Frenchman, whose side came ago- “We showed some potency in attack Italian infringement at the scrum gave Cooper kicking the conversion. maiden Italy try in the 79th minute. —AFP Federer reaches semis at ATP finals LONDON: Six-time champion Roger Federer rallied past Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5 yesterday to reach the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals for an 11th time and set up a clash against top-ranked Rafael Nadal. Novak Djokovic will take on debutant Stanislas Wawrinka in the other semifinal at the year-end tournament. Both Federer and del Potro needed a win in their final round robin match to progress LONDON: England’s Joe Launchbury jumps for the ball against Argentina in a line-up from Group B and treated the during their autumn international rugby match at Twickenham Stadium in London, crowd to a tense and entertaining yesterday. —AP back-and-forth match. Federer trailed in all three sets before com- ing out on top. England tame Pumas at “I don’t get a day off, I’ve got to back it up and be ready to go again gloomy Twickenham tomorrow,” Federer said. “I’ll try to make his (Nadal’s) life a bit difficult.” LONDON: England ran in three first- couldn’t handle the ball and couldn’t Only once in 12 appearances has half tries but faded after the interval put on the pitch what we’d done in the Federer failed to advance to the on the way to a 31-12 win over week and that happens,” Argentina last four at the season-ending tour- Argentina at a gloomy Twickenham captain Juan Manuel Leguizamon said. nament for the top eight players. yesterday. Lock Joe Launchbury, cen- “We talked at halftime and said The 17-time Grand Slam winner tre Billy Twelvetrees and winger Chris we should go out and show some has endured a disappointing sea- Ashton crossed the line to put the character and personality and we son and the elite event is his last chance to win a big title in 2013. hosts, bristling with attacking intent, did it. We still have a lot of work to LONDON: Switzerland’s Roger Federer returns against Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro during their Federer had a slow start, strug- 24-6 ahead at halftime. do. We thought in the second half group B singles match in the round robin stage on the sixth day of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tourna- gling to return del Potro’s big serve England, who fought back to beat we could win it. We put pressure on ment in London yesterday. Federer won 4-6, 7-6, 7-5. —AFP in the first set and committing sev- Australia 20-13 last Saturday, strug- England.” — Reuters en forehand mistakes as his rival third game of the second set when fect tiebreaker as del Potro crum- 3-1, del Potro saved a break point gled to maintain their momentum and opened up a 5-1 lead. Federer Federer’s backhand hit the net. The bled, clinching the set with an ace. but fluffed a forehand on the sec- Nicolas Sanchez kicked two penalties came back and broke del Potro at Argentine looked set for an easy But Federer again started slug- ond one, bringing Federer back to reduce the deficit for the Pumas. love as he served for the set but win but failed to build on the gishly in the decider, allowing del into the match. Hitting more confi- But England replacement number the Argentine former finalist saved momentum, double-faulting as Potro to break as he hit two con- dently towards the end, Federer eight Ben Morgan stormed over with a Matches on TV two break points in his next service Federer leveled at 3-3. secutive weak forehands. But the broke to go up 6-5 and saved a barrelling 20-metre run late on and (Local Timings) game before closing it out. Federer then gradually took the blip was temporary and, once break point in the next game the hosts completed a comfortable Capitalizing on his opponent’s upper hand with a brilliant display again, his rival could not take before closing out the match with win to put themselves in good heart ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE errors, del Potro broke again in the at the net and played a nearly pre- advantage of his inconsistency. At his 10th ace. —AP for next week’s game against world champions New Zealand. Tottenham v Newcastle 5:00 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD “It was a forward-orientated battle Aljazeera Sport +9 in the first half,” England hooker and man of the match Dylan Hartley told Sunderland v Man City 7:05 Sky Sports. “At the set-piece they came Aljazeera Sport 1 HD after us but we put them under a load Aljazeera Sport +9 of pressure early on and really happy with the forwards’ performance. Man United v Arsenal 9:10 “Courtney Lawes came into his own Aljazeera Sport 1 HD with his line-out calling. His ability Aljazeera Sport +9 was outstanding. I just wanted to come in and do my role, my job. CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE “Argentina are a class side. We’ve seen Al Ahly v Orlando Pirates 9:00 how they’ve come on in the Aljazeera Sport +2 Championship and they weren’t going to roll over and we saw that until the ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE very end.