12 Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Sports Kvitova, Pliskova sisters set to clash at Prague tournament Pique ‘pessimistic’ over Davis Cup finals

AFP/TNN shape we’ll be in without play- AFP As the days go by, I suppose we Prague ing any tournaments.” Madrid will have a little more clarity.” The 30-year-old Kvitova Spain, one of the worst- Two-time Wimbledon cham- had lost the final of Qatar To- Barcelona football affected countries by the pan- pion Petra Kvitova, the Pliskova tal Open in Doha to Belorusian Gerard Pique said Sunday he demic, started a four-phase sisters and other top-100 Czech Aryna Sabalenka on February was “pessimistic” that the Da- plan last week to relax the strict players are set to clash at a ten- 29 earlier this year. vis Cup Finals, which his com- confinement rules applied nis tournament in Prague on The Czech had earlier lifted pany finances, would be held in since mid-March. May 26-28, organisers said on the famed Falcon Trophy in Qa- Madrid this year. In the more advanced Sunday. tar in 2018 defeating Spaniard Pique’s Kosmos investment phases of the plan, a maximum “This is the first event Garbine Muguruza. group has a 25-year deal worth of 400 people will be allowed to the Czech Tennis Association World number three Karo- $3 billion with the Internation- attend open-air events and just (CTS) has prepared for play- lina Pliskova and her twin sister al Tennis Federation. 50 if they are held indoors. ers at a time when they can’t Kristyna, ranked 69th, are also However, he believes that Spain won the first edition travel because of the (corona- likely to play. the November 23-29 finals in of the new-look Davis Cup in virus) pandemic,” tournament CTS head Ivo Kaderka said the Spanish capital could fall 2019, beating Canada 2-0 in spokesman Karel Tejkal said in income from the tournament victim to the coronavirus. the final in Madrid. a statement. would be used to help minimise “There is a lot of uncertain- All professional tennis has The women’s event will the impact of the COVID-19 ty, we try to be aware of what been in cold storage since mid- bring together Kvitova, 12th in disease in the Czech Republic the government says regarding Barcelona football star Gerard March with Wimbledon can- the WTA rankings, 26th-ranked which has seen over 8,100 con- sports and to whether we can Pique whose company finances celled for the first time since Karolina Muchova and 31st- firmed cases and more than 270 put spectators inside the Caja the Davis Cup Finals. the Second World War and ranked Barbora Strycova. deaths so far. Magica,” Pique told Movistar Roland Garros moved back to “I’m looking forward to The men’s event will feature television. “I think that nobody at the September and October. playing a tournament after a world number 65 Jiri Vesely, “I would say I am a bit pes- moment has the certainty that The ATP and WTA will not Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova seen in action at the Qatar long time,” said Kvitova. the winner of this year’s ATP simistic, because a Davis Cup we can put fans in or if it will resume until July 13 at the Total Open tennis tournament in Doha. (AFP) “I’m really curious about the tournament in Pune, India. without fans is difficult. have to be behind closed doors. earliest.

Atalanta teenage midfielder Rinaldi dies from brain German Cup final planned aneurysm

AFP/DPA for July 4; DFB also Milan Atalanta midfielder An- drea Rinaldi died, aged 19, on Monday three days after suffering a brain aneurysm. The teenager became ill schedules other events on Friday while training at his home in Como, in the DPA Monday’s decision comes “I am very confident that However, the clubs are north of Italy, and passed Frankfurt after the German Football we will also get the permis- split on whether to resume away in hospital in Varese. League (DFL) last week got sion from the political side in the , there is oppo- Rinaldi came through The German Cup final has permission from state au- a timely manner to continue sition against the possible Atalanta’s youth system been rescheduled for July 4, thorities to restart the Bun- the third division, the wom- use of neutral venues, and after joining the Bergamo after the completion of the desliga and second division. en’s and of course several clubs have said they club at the age of 13, play- Bundesliga season, the Ger- Action will resume on Satur- the DFB Cup,” DFB president can’t implement the hygiene ing through to the under-19 man Football Federation day and the leagues are to end Fritz Keller said. concept. side. (DFB) said on Monday. in late June. “Our plans are in full In addition, third-division He won an under-17 Scu- The DFB also set the semi- The DFB still requires swing so that we can finish side Carl-Zeiss Jena is not detto and Italian Super Cup finals for June 9 and 10 at a this final approval that it can the cup season properly on even allowed to resume team with the club and was on board meeting. Holders Bay- complete its events as well. the pitch,” he added, nam- training until at least May 25 - loan this season to fourth- ern Munich are to play Eintra- They include the men’s third ing the games behind closed the day before the restart - by tier Serie D side Legnano, cht Frankfurt and fourth-tier division from May 26 and the doors “the best variant” un- city authorities, the Ostthuer- just outside Milan. Saarbruecken take on Bayer women’s Bundesliga from May der the circumstances. inger Zeitung reported. “A sudden and shocking Leverkusern. 29, also agreed upon on Mon- While the cup has just three Former Bundesliga club tragedy, impossible even The semis were originally day. more matches to play and the Waldhof Mannheim has called to imagine,” said Legnano scheduled for late April and The DFB safety and hy- women’s Bundesliga six rounds, for another vote among the 20 president Giovanni Munafo. the Berlin final for May 23, giene concept is similar the third tier has 11 rounds left clubs whether to continue the The German Cup trophy on display “Andrea fought for three but then the games were post- to that of the DFL, and all the DFB hopes to complete be- season. In a first vote in late prior to the DFB Pokal Final be- days. Unfortunately there poned indefinitely because of games will take place behind fore the end of June with five April 10 of the 20 clubs voted tween RB Leipzig and FC Bayern was nothing to be done. We the coronavirus pandemic. closed doors. midweek rounds. to play on, if permitted. Munich at the Olympic Stadium in could write pages and pages Berlin on May 25, 2019. (AFP) to tell who this golden boy was, exemplary in life and in the game.” Atalanta also paid tribute to the teenager. Italian football teams “Just as on the pitch you Samba-style bank on were always the last to sur- render, this time too you to resume group fought with all your might not to fly away too soon,” Brazilians in World Cup push Atalanta’s statement said. training next week “President Antonio Per- cassi and the entire Atalanta AFP reaching Qatar 2022 are in DPA in order to allow team training family, deeply moved, send real jeopardy. Rome to start on May 18,” the min- their heartfelt sympathy Italian World Cup winner isters said in remarks reported to Andrea Rinaldi’s family Fernando skips down the Lippi quit for a second time in The Italian government has by news agency ANSA. members and AC Legnano.” wing and crosses for Ricardo November after China lost 2-1 approved strict health measures Teams resumed individ- Rinaldi had been hospi- Goulart, who tees up to Syria, despite the presence to prevent the spread of the cor- ual training at their camps talised in critical conditions to smash the ball into the top of Elkeson -- Chinese name Ai onavirus among football teams on May 4 after a two-month on Friday at the hospital in corner. Kesen -- and Yennaris. who are due to recommence nationwide lockdown. They Varese after reportedly los- Alan and Aloisio join in The defeat left China trail- group training next week. are following guidelines that ing consciousness at home. some Samba-style celebra- ing the Group A leaders by “The scientific commit- require footballers and staff tions as a goal made in Bra- eight points, albeit with a tee has approved the careful to undergo swab tests and zil propels China to the 2022 game in hand. approach that has been fol- medical checks. World Cup. The top team in each group lowed so far by the ministries and the domestic Rinaldi It is the stuff of make- automatically reaches the next concerned,” Health Minister federation are now waiting for believe, but the world’s most stage of qualifying, along with Roberto Speranza and Sports a green light to start the league populous nation will soon be the four best runners-up. Minister Vincenzo Spadafora again, after it was halted in able to field a team with a dis- A file photo taken on October 10, 2019 shows China’s (left) and said on Monday. early March with 12 rounds tinctly Brazilian flavour. Brazilian-born Elkeson (both naturalised players now representing ‘Sense of belonging to China’ “The recommendations of remaining. Despite making Elkeson China) celebrating after winning the 2022 Football World Cup qualifier Recruiting foreign-born the committee, which are to Spadafora has repeatedly the first Brazilian-born player between China and Guam in . (AFP) players is not unique to Chi- be considered binding, will be said that when games restart, to represent their national na but it is a new approach forwarded to the federation, matches are to be played be- team last year, China’s hopes ised players to bolster a squad The seventh is for the country and some ex- who will update the protocol hind closed doors. of reaching only a second that remains thin on talent. Guoan’s -born Nico perts, fans and former players World Cup hang in the bal- “Since 2019, Guangzhou Yennaris, who became China’s have voiced concern about the ance after a lacklustre qualify- Evergrande has helped (these) first naturalised footballerquick-fix policy. ing campaign so far. six players... get their Chinese when he made his debut last Chinese state media has However, naturalised for- ID cards and their household year and is now known as Li Ke. generally taken the line that Top 14, Premiership ask World Rugby wards Elkeson and Aloisio are registration in Guangzhou,” The 26-year-old former as long as they improve the both in coach ’s current the state-run Guangzhou Daily Arsenal and England youth national side and win their squad while Goulart, Alan and said. midfielder, whose mother is places on merit, they deserve for input into international calendar Fernando are reportedly close “At the same time, Guang- Chinese, was named alongside to play. AFP While calling for coopera- Goze and Childs, in the to call-ups having finalised or zhou Evergrande and the Chi- Elkeson and debutant Aloisio China are desperate to get Paris tion and solidarity in the face of letter seen by AFP, said their nearly finalised the paperwork nese Football Association have in the squad that is now in to the World Cup again having the COVID-19 outbreak, LNR two bodies had asked World to play for China. been actively promoting these Shanghai for a training camp. made it only once, in 2002, The governing bodies of pro- president Paul Goze and Eng- Rugby on several occasions to All five were born in Brazil, naturalised players to qualify It is the first time in Chi- when they were dumped out fessional rugby union in France lish counterpart Darren Childs be part of the calendar-mak- are offensive players and, ac- for the Chinese men’s national nese football history that three after failing to score a goal or and England have asked to be insisted that professional ing process, but to no avail. cording to transfermarkt.com, football team.” naturalised players have been win a point. involved in drawing up the cal- leagues and European competi- Newly re-elected as World are contracted to Fabio Canna- - World Cup dreams -Ever- called up. That the Brazilians are all endar of post-coronavirus in- tion should not be sacrificed to Rugby president, former Eng- varo’s grande spent 870 million yuan The squad will be limited attacking players reflects how ternational matches. accommodate Tests. land skipper Beaumont faces (CSL) champions Guangzhou ($122 million) in transfer fees, to practice matches because badly China have struggled for In a joint letter sent to The letter was addressed a headache in trying to please Evergrande. wages and other costs on the international games -- among goals in recent years. World Rugby on Monday, to World Rugby president Bill all parties. Another Evergrande play- six players, Soccer News said, them World Cup qualifiers -- China’s approach also mir- France’s LNR and the English Beaumont and chief execu- The coronavirus pandem- er, the former England youth citing the club’s annual report. are suspended because of the rors a trend seen at Chinese Premiership said it was “essen- tive Brett Gosper, and French ic froze the Six Nations with defender Tyias Browning, Soccer News said that sev- coronavirus pandemic. clubs, including Guangzhou tial” that any potential change and English federation heads the final round of matches could also represent China en naturalised players could Although football success, Evergrande whose eight na- in the dates of international Bernard Laporte and Bill to play, while international this year. pull on China’s red shirts this including hosting and even tional titles and two Asian Test windows only came af- Sweeney. It was copied to Eu- tours in the summer look It accelerates a strategy, year as the country attempts winning the World Cup, is a Champions League wins have ter consultation with, and the ropean rugby chiefs and presi- highly compromised given started under ex-coach Mar- to qualify for the Qatar World stated ambition of President relied heavily on South Ameri- agreement of, the professional dents of all professional clubs the lockdown on non-essen- cello Lippi, to bring in natural- Cup. Xi Jinping, China’s hopes of can talent. leagues most affected. in England and France. tial foreign travel.