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CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 6 Retirement Pogba always had been on welcome at Cook’s mind Barca, says for 6 months Suarez Thursday, September 6, 2018 GOLF Dhul-Hijja 26, 1439 AH Woods, Mickelson, GULF TIMES DeChambeau added to US team SPORT Page 3 TENNIS / US OPEN ‘‘I’mI’m ssorry’:orry’: NNadaladal ddownsowns TThiemhiem iinn eepicpic ttoo mmakeake sseventheventh ssemiemi ‘Tennis is cruel sometimes because I think this match didn’t really deserve a loser’ go be- fore Thiem went long with a smash on the fi rst match point. It was his 58th un- forced error on a night when he sent down 18 aces and fi red 74 winners. “It’s going to be stuck in my mind forever. Forever I’m go- ing to remember this match, for Thiem sure,” said Thiem after his fi rst then grabbed ever hard court match against a 4-3 lead in Nadal. the third which he “Tennis is cruel sometimes stretched to 5-3 but because I think this match then it was his turn to didn’t really deserve a loser. crack as Nadal raced away But there has to be one.” with three games to claim a two The semi-fi nal will pit Nadal sets to one lead. against third seed and 2009 US Thiem was 4-2 ahead in the Open champion Juan Martin fourth set before he was again com- del Potro for the second suc- reeled in and he was two points pared to cessive Grand Slam. from defeat in the 12th game. Del Potro’s 14. Austria’s Dominic Thiem hits a return to Spain’s Rafael Nadal (right) during their US Open men’s Sin- At Wimbledon, Nadal came But he took the tiebreaker “To reach the gles quarter-finals at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York yesterday. (AFP) back from two sets to one down before Nadal just proved the semi-fi nal again to win in fi ve in a quarter-fi nal steadier of the two in the fi nal here in New York in my AFP won through to keep his bid “I suff ered, that’s the right which stretched to almost fi ve set decider. favourite tournament is New York for a fourth title in New York word,” said Nadal after playing hours. Del Potro reached the semi- very special to me,” said Del and 18th Grand Slam crown on his longest ever match at the Thiem broke three times in a fi nals for the third time, defeat- Potro after his eighth win over track. tournament. 24-minute fi rst set on Tuesday, ing John Isner 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 Isner in 12 meetings. efending champion However, the 32-year-old “I said to Dominic I am sorry. handing Nadal just his third (4), 6-2 and ending American “To play John in these kind back Rafael Nadal survived was fortunate to triumph on He’s a great guy, a close friend ‘bagel’ at a Grand Slam. hopes of a fi rst men’s champion of matches, it’s like an epic. again. It an epic US Open another hot and humid night who will have many more op- The top seed won just seven at the event since 2003. “We fought the whole match was too hot quarter-fi nal con- at Flushing Meadows, 24 hours portunities to win the big ti- points in the opener. Del Potro dropped his fi rst and I survived with my serve to play tennis,” Dfrontation to defeat battling after Roger Federer had been tles.” set of the tournament against which was key.” he joked. ninth seed Dominic Thiem dumped out of the tournament Nadal had defeated Thiem in ‘WAKE UP’ 11th seed Isner, who was play- Del Potro admitted the Isner said he need- 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) by John Millman. the Roland Garros fi nal in June “I told myself ‘wake up’,” said ing in his maiden quarter-fi nal 33-degree temperatures ed to change his shirt 11 and reach the semi-fi nals for After suff ering a fi rst set ‘ba- but this was their fi rst meeting Nadal. at his home Slam. proved a real challenge with the times. the seventh time. gel’, Nadal had to battle back away from a clay court. Nadal recovered from be- Despite that, the 29-year- 10-minute heat rule allowing Isner paid tribute to Del Po- In a gripping 4-hour from breaks in the third and “He has a great attitude and ing broken as he served for the old was never broken in the 3 the players a welcome respite tro. 49-minute contest which fourth sets before seeing off the is a great fi ghter,” added Nadal. second set in the ninth game hour 31 minute match where after the third set. “He’s maybe playing some of concluded at 2:04am yester- fi rst top 20 player he had faced In a dramatic fi nal set, Nadal with an immediate break back Isner unleashed 26 aces but was “I had a shower, lay on the the best tennis ever right now day, world number one Nadal at the US Open since 2013. saw fi ve break points come and to level the contest. undone by 52 unforced errors table and I didn’t want to come for him,” said the American. ‘Freaking out’ Osaka ends Japan’s 22-year wait for women’s Slam semi-fi nalist AFP “It really means a lot,” said Osaka sorry. I’m used to Florida heat. She was quickly down two more New York whose post-match, on-court “I like sweating.” breaks at 4-0 before squandering interview endeared her further to a Osaka swept aside 36th-ranked three break points in the sixth game growing legion of fans. Tsurenko in just 57 minutes as the as Osaka glided into a maiden semi- aomi Osaka became the first Osaka celebrated her win calmly Ukrainian’s challenge fizzled out in a final at the Slams. Japanese woman in 22 years and coolly unlike the floods of tears deluge of mistakes. “I hate matches like this,” said Nto reach the semi-finals of a which greeted her last-16 victory The 29-year-old, who had knocked Tsurenko. “I was ill and woke up with Grand Slam yesterday when she de- over Aryna Sabalenka. out world number two and Austral- a viral infection. feated Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-1 in the “I cried a lot last time and there were ian Open champion Caroline Woz- “I didn’t want to pull out as it’s a last-eight of the US Open, admitting lots of people making fun of me. So niacki in the second round, hit 31 Grand Slam quarter-final but she she was “freaking out” inside. this time I went straight to the net. unforced errors and won just seven played well.” Osaka wasn’t born when compatriot “I was freaking out inside and my points off the Japanese star’s serve. Keys, the runner-up to Sloane Kimiko Date made the Wimbledon whole body was shaking but overall Osaka broke in the second and sixth Stephens last year, takes a 3-0 semi-finals in 1996 but now the I am most proud of not breaking a games of the opening set which was record over Suarez Navarro into her 20-year-old has the opportunity to racquet.” wrapped up in just 24 minutes. quarter-final later Wednesday. go one better by reaching a maiden Osaka, the daughter of a Japanese The crisis soon deepened for Spanish 30th seed Suarez Navarro, Grand Slam final. mother and Haitian father, said she Tsurenko, who had needed the playing in her second US Open To get to Saturday’s championship enjoyed playing in the blistering best part of three hours on Monday quarter-final, has made this stage match, the 20th seed will have to heat of New York which has been to beat Czech teenager Marketa by seeing off French sixth seed get past either US 14th seed Madi- such a talking point of the tourna- Vondrousova in a match where Caroline Garcia as well as former son Keys or Spain’s Carla Suarez ment. she almost collapsed due to heat champion Maria Sharapova in the Navarro. “I really don’t think it’s that hot, exhaustion. fourth round. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, September 6, 2018 SPORT TENNIS / US OPEN RUGBY Pros trudge through Jones won’t rule out heat, England return for Path clear but juniors suspended troubled Cipriani AFP at Flushing London Meadows ngland boss Eddie Williams not Jones has told Danny Reuters Cipriani that the New York troubled Gloucester Estar can still rescue his inter- national career. weltering conditions Cipriani made his fi rst Eng- continued to play havoc at land start for a decade in South Sthe US Open on Tuesday Africa earlier this year. looking ahead as off icials were forced to But the fl y-half was fi ned suspend junior matches on the £2,000 ($2,594) after admit- outside courts, while the main ting charges of common as- Top seeds out, Serena has a chance to win her seventh US Open showcourts were turned into sault and resisting arrest dur- saunas leaving drained players ing his club’s pre-season tour drenched in sweat. of Jersey. play for seven weeks after be- While Flushing Meadows has Cipriani was also sanctioned ing banned following his red sweated out tournaments in by the Rugby Football Union.