SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2019 16 Hami snatches Australian pole Lewis Hamilton clocked a fastest lap of one minute 20.486 to narrowly pip team-mate Valtteri Bottas

AFP | Melbourne been dominant in Formula One in recent years, winning the ercedes’ world cham- drivers’ and constructors’ titles pion Lewis Hamil - five years in a row and Ferrari Mton picked up where Like Lewis I’m a little -- and Vettel -- are desperate to he left off last year to reassert bit blown away by the catch up. his authority and snatch a re- performance we had While the German won in cord-extending eighth pole today. I don’t think Melbourne last year and backed position at the season-opening it up with victory at the next race Australian Grand Prix yesterday. anyone in the team in Bahrain, Hamilton roared The Briton clocked a fastest could have imagined back to sweep 11 of the remain- lap of one minute 20.486 to nar- we’d be in this position ing 19 Grand Prix to comfortably rowly pip team-mate Valtteri after the testing we be crowned champion. Bottas, with Ferrari’s Sebastian had Hamilton topped Q2 in Vettel third, but a massive 0.704 VALTTERI BOTTAS 1:21:014 from Bottas and Ver- seconds behind his arch-rival. stappen, with Vettel running The German will start on the into the gravel at Turn 12, kick- second row with Red Bull’s Max ing up dirt and dust. Verstappen while Ferrari new- ‘Better than this’ Australian Daniel Ricciardo comer Charles Leclerc and Haas’ was a big casualty, finishing 12th Romain Grosjean make up row Vettel, who has won the last in his first outing for new team three. two races in Melbourne, admit- Renault after moving from Red Fellow Haas driver Kevin ted he too was surprised at the Bull. His team-mate Nico Hulk- Magnussen is behind them size of the gap with Mercedes. enberg also missed the Q2 cut, as alongside British young gun Lewis Hamilton driving the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during qualifying for the F1 Australian “I think everybody is, probably did Toro Rosso pair Daniel Kvyat Lando Norris, who steered his Grand Prix at Melbourne grand prix circuit even themselves,” he said. and Alexander Albon. McLaren to an admirable eighth “For sure there is some home- Leclerc topped Q1 with in his debut qualifying session. ing time and said afterwards he But this has proved to be a we have here.” work for us to understand, but 1:22:017 ahead of Hamilton Hamilton, 34, is the pole mas- was “shaking, it was so close out fallacy with the Briton fastest in Bottas was equally stunned by I still think we have a great car, and Bottas. Red Bull newcomer ter in Melbourne, claiming it there”. all three free practice sessions. their pace. we should be better than this. Pierre Gasly was among those eight times and every year since Hamilton, who is bidding for a “Coming from Barcelona, “Like Lewis I’m a little bit We have 58 laps tomorrow to who failed to get out of Q1 2014, although he has only twice sixth world title to move within we have made some really big blown away by the performance get a proper read on where we along with McLaren’s Carlos won a race at Albert Park, in one of Michael Schumacher’s steps in the past few days with we had today,” said the Finn. “I are. Sainz and Racing Point’s Lance 2008 and 2015. record seven, had complained the setup. And it seems to have don’t think anyone in the team “We have got to live with it Stroll. He knocked out his rivals with after pre-season testing in Bar- worked,” he said. could have imagined we’d be today, but tomorrow is a new Robert Kubica, who sustained a blistering lap at the death to celona that Ferrari was much “I really was not expecting to in this position after the testing day,” he added. a puncture in his Williams, was claim an 84th career grid-lead- quicker. see the performance difference we had.” Mercedes and Hamilton have last on his Andreescu to face Kerber Federer, Nadal set up semi-final showdown in Indian Wells final AFP | Indian Wells Kerber dropped her serve in Roger Federer to the opening game of the sec- • anadian sensation Bianca ond set, but broke Bencic twice face Rafael Nadal in first CAndreescu toppled sixth- to lead 3-1 before the Swiss meeting since 2017 ranked Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, clawed back another break. 6-4 on Friday and will face But Kerber, taking full ad- Veteran Rafael Wimbledon champion Angel- vantage of Bencic’s 27 un - Nadal• beat the ique Kerber for the WTA title forced errors in the match, in Indian Wells. won the next three games, to upcoming Karen Germany’s Kerber, ranked clinch it. Khachanov to advance eighth in the world, ended “It’s always tough to play Belinda Bencic’s 12-match against Belinda,” Kerber said. Roger Federer winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 “She played so great in the past Cruises• Past Hubert victory to reach the final in the few weeks. California desert for the first “I was trying to focus only Hurkacz in the Indian time in her third semi-final on my side of the court. I was Wells quarter-final appearance. trying to play concentrated, Kerber won the last four and going for it when I had AFP | Indian Wells games of the opening set and the chance. Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand against Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot to Karen Khachanov the last three games of the sec- “I really enjoy the semi-fi- Hubert Hurkacz of Poland of Russia ond to subdue Bencic, who nals here - it was already twice afael Nadal withstood the was coming off her first WTA here, and I’m really happy to Rchallenge of Russian Karen 3-2, but was immediately broken always a lot on the line,” said title in four years in Dubai. be in the final for the first time Khachanov to set up a block- himself. Federer, who added that so The 22-year-old Swiss, now.” buster semi-final with Roger He saved a set point in a fierce much time has passed since whose career was disrupted Kerber, 31, will be playing Federer at the ATP Indian Wells 10th game that went to deuce their last meeting that his own by a string of back and wrist 18-year-old Andreescu for the Masters Friday despite a flare- three times before Nadal held current five-match winning injuries, had beaten six top-10 first time. up of right knee trouble that to make it 5-5. He couldn’t con- KNOW WHAT streak is of little significance. players in her winning streak, “I’m really looking forward required mid-match treatment. vert a break chance in the 11th “I don’t think those five including world number one to a really tough battle. She’s World number two Nadal, the game as they went to another matches matter that much, to and defending Indian Wells here as a wild card, and she highest seed left in the draw af- tiebreaker which the Spaniard Long-time foes Rafael be honest,” he said. “A lot of time champion Naomi Osaka in the beat a lot of good players,” Ker- ter the early ouster of No. 1 No- again controlled. Nadal and Roger has gone by. fourth round here. ber said. “She has nothing to vak Djokovic, dominated both “Well, I am used to play with Federer have amassed Federer, a 20-time Grand But she couldn’t find a way lose, she enjoys her tennis and tiebreakers to beat the towering some issues, so I just tried to be 37 grand slam titles Slam champion who captured past Kerber, who broke Bencic she’s a great player.” Russian 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2). focused and to keep hold of the his 100th career title at Dubai from 30-0 down in the final Andreescu, ranked 60th in He booked a 39th career situation,” said Nadal who has between them and last month, overcame breezy game of the opening set. the world after starting the meeting with Federer, a five- battled knee tendinitis and oth- built unique relation- conditions on stadium court and year at 152, continued a stel- time champion at Indian Wells er injuries throughout his ca- ship over 15 years and a hungry Hurkacz -- a 22-year- lar run that included a quar- who breezed past 67th-ranked reer. “It’s one of these victories 38 prior matches old ranked 67th in the world ter-final victory over former Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 6-4, today that I’m really proud of.” who was playing in his first world number one Garbine 6-4. Khachanov, who peppered However, they haven’t met Masters 1000 quarter-final and Muguruza. “Hopefully I will be ready for Nadal with 17 aces in the two- since October of 2017, when just the second quarter-final of She’s the first wild card to it,” said Nadal, who recovered hour, 17-minute match, has now Federer triumphed in straight his career. reach the women’s final at In- an early break in the opening lost all six of his career meetings sets in the final of the Shanghai Hurkacz settled his early dian Wells. set and powered through the with the Spaniard. Masters. nerves to produce some enter- “It’s incredible,” she beamed tiebreaker, but called for the He’ll be gunning for a chance taining rallies, but he couldn’t when told of the achievement. trainer to have supportive tape to claim a fourth Indian Wells Extra energy make a dent in Federer’s serve. “Another goal of mine was to applied below his right knee title while Federer is seeking to Federer said he might not feel One break in each set was all make history and I just did.” three games into the second. break out of a tie with Djokovic quite the same tingle of antici- Federer needed to seal the win “I really need a moment to “Of course my goal and my with a record sixth. pation as fans at the prospect of after an hour and 14 minutes. soak this all in. This is just so idea is to be ready for tomor- Nadal leads the head-to-head facing Nadal, but he acknowl- “Overall I’m very pleased with incredible,” an emotional An- row,” he said. rivalry with Federer 23-15, but edged that their clashes always that performance,” said Federer, dreescu told the crowd. “This Although he wasn’t moving Federer has won 11 of their 20 raise the stakes. who has reached the final four Bianca Andreescu of Canada returns past week has been a dream as well, Nadal gained the first hard-court meetings, including “If I play Rafa there’s extra without dropping a set, winning a shot to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine come true.” break of the second set to lead their last five. energy in the building -- there’s 38 of his 39 service games.