Sports Friday, May 14, 2021 11 extends contract with Al Sadd as coach, says ‘We achieved a lot together’

Tribune News Network want to do well, and I feel Xavi took over the respon- long been tipped to return Doha proud to continue with Al sibility of coaching the Al Sadd to Camp Nou as head coach Sadd for an additional two first team in the summer of - firstly before Ronald Koe- Xavi Hernandez has signed seasons,” he added. 2019. He has won 6 titles so man’s appointment at the start a new contract as Al Sadd and Regarding the rumours in far with the team, and has also of 2020-21 and after Joan expressed delight at extending the media about the existence reached the final of the 2021 Laporta’s presidential election his stay at the club. of a clause in his new contract Amir Cup. victory. The former Barcelona leg- that allows him to leave at The 41-year-old has guided But Spaniard Xavi will re- end spoke of his aim to achieve any time, Xavi said: “This is Al Sadd to Qatar Stars League main in charge of Al Sadd until more goals along with the incorrect. I have a two-season (2020-21), Qatar Cup (2020 2023. players and the staff. contract with Al Sadd, and I and 2021), Qatar Super Cup Xavi spent 17 years with “We achieved a lot togeth- respect this contract, and I (2019), Amir Cup (2020) and Barcelona, where he won er, scored goals, won matches also respect the official nego- Qatar Stars Cup (2019) suc- eight La Liga trophies and and titles, and we are all very tiation methods between all cess since becoming coach. four Champions League titles proud of this success. Getting parties. Xavi’s signing of a new among other honours. this kind of support is the best “Our challenge is to con- contract with Al Sadd puts an Xavi also held the record thing any coach can get,” said tinue to improve and develop, end to speculation linking him for most Barca appearances Xavi. and I am very excited to help to La Liga giants Barcelona. before it was broken by Lionel “I have everything I could Al Sadd players do that.” Xavi Hernandez with Al Sadd club officials after signing a new two-season contract as coach. A Barca great, Xavi has Messi this season. Barty sets up Gauff showdown as Swiatek survives scare DPA Swiatek persisted with a Berlin drop shot that seemed to cause difficulties for her and her op- Ash Barty will meet Coco ponent before Krejcikova’s Gauff in the quarter-finals of aim went awry at the end of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. the Internazionali BNL d’Italia the decider. after an impressive defeat of “I had fun when I played Veronika Kudermetova. drop shots because today I Lewandowski cuts The world number one felt them really good,” said claimed her 27th Tour-level Swiatek, who will now face win of this year, seeing off Ku- fifth seed after dermetova 6-3, 6-3 in 81 min- her 6-4, 6-2 beating of Gar- training short as utes to reach the last eight in bine Muguruza. for the first time. “I asked myself a question, Barty admitted it took what would annoy me in that history beckons some time to get used to the situation? So, I tried to do that. “wow factor” of centre court So, yeah, sometimes it didn’t DPA have bettered Mueller’s re- in the Italian capital, but she look pretty, but I’m happy that Berlin cord already had he not been rarely looked under threat I could do that. injured on international duty as she moved to 13-2 on clay “One year ago I wouldn’t Bayern Munich striker Rob- late March. in 2021. even come up with a solution ert Lewandowski cut training His tally has come from The Australian would have like that. That’s a progress.” short on Thursday as the Bun- 27 appearances and includes faced Aryna Sabalenka for the Jessica Pegula followed desliga champions aim to have a hat-trick against Borus- third tournament in a row had up her shock win over Naomi him ready to make scoring his- sia Moenchengladbach last it not been for a sterling per- Osaka by defeating Ekaterina tory on Saturday in Freiburg. time out to move within one formance from Gauff, who Australian Ashleigh Barty returns a shot to Russian Veronika Kudermetova during their match in the Alexandrova in straight sets. Lewandowski has 39 of Mueller and two of a new won 7-5, 6-3 to secure a fourth women’s at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, on Thursday. (AFP) She will now face Petra league goals this campaign, record. quarter-final this year. Martic, who came from a set one short of Gerd Mueller’s With 15 goals in his last “Coco has shown that she game on. She’s aggressive, she ous and very good at what she 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 in a contest down to defeat world number seemingly eternal record of 40 eight outings, Lewandowski’s loves to bring her best tennis can run, she can trust her legs. does. I think it’s going to be lasting nearly three hours. 44 Nadia Podoroska – con- for Bayern in 1971-72. form suggests the best-mark against the players that chal- “I think it’s going to be a new challenge, a clean slate Powerful serving from queror of on Bayern trained for the first is his for the taking either in lenge her the most,” said Barty, important for me to try to for both of us.” Krejcikova and some errant Wednesday. time since moving into their Freiburg or a week later when who has never played against get the match back on my Matters were more diffi- shots from Swiatek gifted the Ninth seed Karolina Plisk- 10-day coronavirus quaran- Bayern host Augsburg to end the American teenager. terms as often as possible. cult for reigning Czech the chance to serve out a ova, who beat Vera Zvonareva tine camp to end the season the season. “She’s played an excep- I know when they’re in her champion Iga Swiatek, who straight-sets win, but Swiatek 7-5, 6-3, will face Jelena Osta- and Lewandowski did “a French Coren- tional tournament thus far. patterns, the way she likes to saved two match points before held firm before taking the tie- penko following her three-set slightly reduced session in or- tin Tolisso also returned to She’s got the ability to take the play, she’s extremely danger- beating Barbora Krejcikova break. defeat of Angelique Kerber. der to manage his workload,” training said Bayern, following the club said. a tendon tear in his left thigh Lewandowski would likely in mid-February. Serena to Ronaldo, Dybala reach centuries in crucial win play in Parma DPA after 28 minutes when the Sas- Cologne on brink Rome suolo defence backed away as following early he dribbled to the edge of the Cristiano Ronaldo scored box and drove a raking shot Rome exit his 100th goal for Juventus to into the far corner of the net. in relegation battle help ’s side beat On the cusp of half-time, DPA Sassuolo 3-1 and keep their Rabiot’s long pass was deftly DPA veteran Funkel, who was ap- Berlin hopes of a top-four fin- controlled by Ronaldo, who Berlin pointed on a short-term basis ish alive. used his second touch to beat last month to try to save the Serena Williams will play It was a night of heroic Ju- with a low With two games remaining doomed looking side. in the Emilia-Romagna Open ventus veterans at Mapei Sta- shot into the corner of the net. in the Bundesliga season, the Hertha in contrast have next week following her early dium, where But Juventus never looked situation for Cologne is simple emerged fighting from their exit in Rome, Patrick Moura- saved a first-half Domenico comfortable and they were - pick up points or join Schalke enforced break following a toglou has confirmed. Berardi penalty before Adrien Juventus’ Paulo Dybala (left) celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after the undone by a neat one-two be- in being relegated to the sec- coronavirus outbreak with The legendary Ameri- Rabiot scored to give the visi- latter scored during the Italian Serie A match against Sassuolo at the tween Manuel Locatelli and ond tier. eight points from four games, can was beaten 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 tors the lead. Mapei-Citta del Tricolore stadium in Reggio Emilia on Wednesday. (AFP) Raspadori, with the latter Veteran coach Friedhelm played in a frantic spell from by Nadia Podoroska in the Ronaldo clinched his cen- beating Buffon low in the cor- Funkel saw his side suffer a May 3, lifting them five clear 1,000th match of her incredi- tury just before the interval, ter Juve’s 3-0 defeat at foul on to ner to give the hosts hope. disastrous 4-1 loss to Freiburg of Cologne and within touch- ble career at the Internazionali becoming the first Juve player home to Milan, with Napoli concede a 16th-minute pen- That hope was all but ex- last time to sit second bottom ing distance of safety. BNL d’Italia on Wednesday. to score 100 goals in his first one point ahead of them in alty, but Berardi’s spot-kick tinguished when Dejan Ku- going into Saturday’s crucial A 2-1 win at Schalke on Williams, who was given three seasons at the club, and the table in the coveted fourth was parried away by the div- lusevski’s pass put Dybala trip to Hertha Berlin - who Wednesday further boosted a bye into the second round Paulo Dybala matched his feat Champions League qualifying ing Buffon, who this week an- clean through on goal and themselves are edging towards Hertha but keeper Alexan- at Foro Italico, was playing by netting his 100th for the spot with two games left to play. nounced he will leave the club the Argentina international safety after emerging from der Schwolow warned “it’s not her first match since losing side in the 66th minute. Rabiot’s careless defend- at the end of the season. chipped Consigli to wrap up coronavirus quarantine. over yet. to Naomi Osaka in the semi- The result was vital af- ing led to ’s Rabiot atoned for his error three vital points. Cologne are second last, “The next important game finals of the Australia Open two points adrift of Arminia is against Cologne on Satur- three months ago. Bielefeld and Werder Bremen, day and that will be another With the French Open get- who visit Augsburg - who are demanding match.” Bremen ting under way on May 30, another two points better off. considered sacking coach Flo- Williams has taken a wildcard Serie A champions Inter stretch winning home run Promoted Bielefeld host rian Kohfeldt but kept him in to get more time on clay under midtable Hoffenheim but place to deliver a useful point her belt in Parma. DPA before Henrikh Mkhitaryan everyone other than Cologne against Bayer Leverkusen last Mouratoglou, the former Rome pulled one back just after the knows a slip could yet be sal- time - though they remain world number one’s coach, half-hour mark. vaged on the final day. winless in eight league games. tweeted: “Change of plans: Ser- Serie A champions Inter Edin Dzeko hit the cross- A loss would not guarantee “Our fighting spirit must ena hasn’t been competing for saw off Roma 3-1 at bar in the second half but Cologne go down but relega- be the basis for the coming a while, and we want to get as on Wednesday to stretch their Inter, who were crowned tion could be confirmed de- weeks,” said Kohfeldt. many matches under our belt as club-record winning home champions with four games pending on the Bremen and “We have to throw every- possible before Roland-Garros league run to 15 matches. remaining, rounded out the Bielefeld results. thing we have into the match - so we’re adding the Emilia- Antonio Conte’s men had win through Romelu Lukaku “We have to pick up and play at our best.” Romagna Open to our schedule. failed to beat Roma on home late on to extend their unbeat- points,” chief executive Horst Bayern Munich visit “We’ll be back in action soil in the league since 2015, en league run to 20 matches. Heldt said. Freiburg with their ninth suc- next week.” Williams will head but they raced into a two-goal Inter travel to dethroned “That’s why we’re just fo- cessive Bundesliga title al- to Paris for the second major of lead in this latest clash inside champions Juventus on Sat- cussing on us. We’re damned ready sealed while Borussia the year in her latest attempt the opening 20 minutes. urday before concluding their to pick up points - if four or six Dortmund and RB Leipzig at matching Margaret Court’s Midfield pair Marcelo Bro- campaign at home to Udinese, Inter Milan’s Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino (L) celebrates with Bel- points will be enough, I can’t have their matches delayed to record tally of 24 zovic and Matias Vecino both while Roma have a derby clash gian forward Romelu Lukaku and Italian midfielder Nicolo Barella (R) after say.” Reaching the play-off Sunday given their German singles titles. scored from clinical finishes with Lazio next weekend. scoring against AS Rome at San Siro stadium on Wednesday. (AFP) spot would be a triumph for Cup final on Thursday.