TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017 SPORTS

SOCCER Swedish football still waiting for next ‘Zlatan’

STOCKHOLM: Swedes have a reputa- junior, Zlatan of the North ... It’s a jour- goalscorer. But despite that, Isak was the team just once. “I’m really keen. Bundesliga club, RB Leipzig. He scored tion as level-headed and patient, and it’s nalistic genre that’s existed for almost not selected for Sweden’s 4-0 win Obviously. This tournament would be twice in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier just as well: they’ll have to wait a while 15 years,” Swedish Radio sports com- against Belarus on Saturday, nor for the my first, because I missed the Under-17 against Belarus. for a new “Zlatan” to suit up on the mentator Johannes Finnlaugsson once friendly against Portugal on Tuesday in one in 2016 and I’m a little bitter about “Together with Victor Nilsson national football squad. Zlatan joked. That was back in 2014, when no Funchal in the Azores. Instead, coach that. So my goal is to be in Poland this Lindelof, he’s part of a new generation Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s all-time high one came close to Ibrahimovic’s star Janne Andersson called on Anderlecht’s summer,” he said. Swedish TV4 commen- of players who have taken important scorer with 62 goals, put an end to his power on the Swedish squad. Isaac Kiese Thelin to replace striker John tator Olof Lundh says he’s following roles in Janne Andersson’s new team. 116-cap international career in June Many young talents have been com- Guidetti. Thelin scored. Isak’s progress with Dortmund, where They can become even better,” Lundh 2016. Since then, the team has had no pared to him over the years, but none he’s only played for a few minutes in the told AFP. Lindelof, a 22-year-old defend- star player of top international calibre to have lived up to expectations upon ISAK ‘MAKING AN IMPRESSION’ German Cup. “It’s clear he’s making an er, will feel at home against European fill Ibrahimovic’s shoes. arriving in the big league. But 17-year- “I want to play on the national team, impression so it could go quickly,” he champions Portugal on Tuesday-he has Some young hopefuls have however old wunderkind Alexander Isak hopes and to do that I have to make a good told AFP. But for now, other, older play- played for Benfica since 2012. shown promise, like Emil Forsberg and he’ll be different. The AIK forward was impression,” Isak told football channel ers are trying to make up for the gaping Last week he was preparing the Alexander Isak. sold to Borussia Dortmund in January Fotbollskanalen in January. But for now, hole left by Ibrahimovic’s absence. game against Belarus when he Commentators have repeated the for a reported 10 million euros ($10.7m), he’s setting his sights on the Euro Wearing Ibra’s old number 10 is 25- learned that he had been elected to phrase so often it’s almost comical. “The just two weeks after becoming Championships for the under-21s, year-old offensive midfielder Emil the Portuguese All-Star team by his next Zlatan. Or the new Zlatan, Zlatan Sweden’s youngest ever international where he’s still a novice having made Forsberg, who plays for another peers. —AFP Kerber reaches Miami fourth round, Keys falls

MIAMI: Top seed Angelique Kerber pleased. “I think I played my best match of advanced to the fourth round at the Miami the year,” Halep told the WTA. “I was confi- Open on Sunday but eighth seed Madison dent, and knew what I had to do ... every- Keys was sent packing. thing went pretty well for me tonight. On a day when Simona Halep, Svetlana “I felt good when I came to site and was Kuznetsova and Venus Williams also won sure that it was going to come together their third round matches, Kerber did not because I work every day. At one point, it have it all her own way against 61st-ranked has to come. “I felt the best that I have this American Shelby Rogers. year. I can move without pain or anything The German, however, proved too and I’m confident, which is the most strong, breaking five times for a 6-4 7-5 important thing.” Russian seventh seed win on the main stadium hardcourt at Kuznetsova, the runner-up last year, stayed Crandon Park. “It’s always good to have on track for another tilt at the champi- close sets, especially when you win them onship when she beat American qualifier at the end. They give you confidence that Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-2. A week after los- you can go out in your next match know- ing the Indian Wells final to compatriot ing you can win close matches because Elena Vesnina, Kuznetsova’s stronger sec- you’ve just done it a day ago,” Kerber told ond serve proved the difference as she was reporters. broken just once while breaking her oppo- “You win the match, you’re always hap- nent four times. py about your performance. The next challenge for 2006 champion Keys, in her second event since return- Kuznetsova will be 11th seed Venus ing from wrist surgery, was the only seed Williams, a three-time Miami champion, to lose on Sunday, falling to 72nd-ranked who was far too good for Romanian quali- Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena 7-5 7-5. fier Patricia Maria Tig 6-3 6-0. Third seed Halep took less than an hour British 10th seed Johanna Konta and to polish off qualifier Anett Kontaveit of Australian 14th seed Sam Stosur also won Estonia 6-3 6-0 with an aggressive per- their third round matches, Stosur earning a formance that left the Romanian very date with Halep. — Reuters

KEY BISCAYNE: Rafael Nadal, of Spain, returns the ball to Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany, during the Miami Opentennis tournament, Sunday, in Key Biscayne, Fla. — AP

TENNIS Nadal wins in 1000th match, Raonic withdraws with injury

MIAMI: Rafa Nadal celebrated his 1,000th tour “One thousand matches is a lot of matches. the late afternoon, Kei Nishikori also took three level match with a come-from-behind victory Obviously that’s good news because that says I sets and nearly three hours to advance under a over German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber to am having a long career,” Nadal told reporters. high noon sun, outlasting Spain’s Fernando reach the fourth round of the Miami Open on “During a lot of years, I heard that I’m going Verdasco 7-6(2) 6-7(5) 6-1. Sunday. World number 31 Kohlschreiber was on to have a short career, so it’s something impor- Nishikori, the runner-up to Novak Djokovic fire early, ripping through the first set in only 21 tant for me. I remember the first match very well last year, fired 37 winners but Verdasco, aided by minutes but fifth seed Nadal flipped the switch because it was at home in Mallorca. It was my persistent swirling winds, used his varying pace and turned the match on its head to prevail 0-6 first victory on the ATP and was a great feeling.” and depth to rattle Japan’s number one, induc- 6-2 6-3 on the main stadium hard court at Nadal said he had not done much wrong in ing 48 unforced errors. Crandon Park. the first set against an opponent who was in the Milos Raonic withdrew before his match It was the first time Nadal had failed to win a zone. “He was doing everything good, so that’s against American qualifier Jared Donaldson, game in the first set of an ATP tour match since sport. I lose the set because he was playing too blaming a persistent hamstring injury. 2008, the ATP said. The 30-year-old Spaniard good. That’s it. “But a match is long and the posi- “It’s related to the previous injury I sustained ignited the near-capacity crowd with a typically tive thing is I held the pressure well this after- almost four weeks ago... in Delray Beach,” the determined comeback to clinch his 822nd career noon after a very tough first set. I resisted well in Canadian told reporters. Raonic said he would victory. He joins a small group of 11 players the first few games of the second set and then I not return to the tour until he felt 100 percent fit. headed by Jimmy Connors (1,535) to have think I played a great second and third set.” “That could be in two weeks, that could be a played at least 1,000 matches. While Nadal played in the relative comfort of little bit longer.” — Reuters

GOLF Johnson wins Match Play to

KEY BISCAYNE: Angelique Kerber, of Germany, hits a return to Shelby Rogers during the Miami Open tennistournament, Sunday, in Key Biscayne, Fla. — AP sweep World Championships

AUSTIN: The final day lasted longer than Dustin “It got a little faster than I would have liked down with two holes to play. “I just made a Johnson wanted. The outcome was what every- starting on about 16,” he said with a smile. “But I swing as hard as I could,” Rahm said. “And some- Lee Mi-Rim runs away one expected. Johnson, a golfing machine with was able to hang in there.” Johnson was 4 up how the ball went under the first tee, rose just no discernible weakness and hardly any pulse, with six holes to play when Rahm, a bold over the next one ... and went through to 100 won the Dell Technologies Match Play on Spanish rookie with a big game, hit driver over yards. I don’t know what happened. I think with LPGA Kia Classic Sunday for his third straight victory, this one the water and onto the 13th green to win the either Seve, God, someone right there or both making him the first person to sweep the four hole with a birdie. He stuck a wedge close on of them just made a gap in the trees and made LOS ANGELES: South Korean Lee Mi- attempt short, and she had a good look World Golf Championships. the 15th for another birdie. Rahm hit a shot my ball go through there.” Indeed, it was the Rim fired seven birdies in a seven-under at a long birdie at the last. He had to work the hardest for this title. through the trees on the 16th and won the hole kind of magic Spanish great Seve Ballesteros for par 65 on Sunday to post a record- Throughout much of the round it was Johnson was taken to the 18th hole in the semi- with a 30-foot birdie. And just like that, he was 1 so long produced.—AP equalling triumph in the LPGA Kia Classic Ryu giving chase. She started the day final before making an 8-foot putt to beat in Carlsbad, California. five-strokes off Lee’s lead, but pulled Hideto Tanihara, and then Jon Rahm rallied from Lee’s 20-under par total of 278 within three shots with three holes to 5 down with 10 holes to play until his fearless matched the tournament record set by play. Although she was unable to convert charge fell short on the final hole. Cristie Kerr in 2015 — when the several birdie attempts on the back nine, Johnson tapped in a 30-inch putt for a 1-up victory, completing a dominant week in which American powered past Lee for a two- world number five Ryu said she was he never trailed in the 112 holes he played over shot victory. encouraged by her performance. seven matches. Determined not to be disappointed “I think everything is right there,” Ryu “What am I going to say that you guys don’t again, overnight leader Lee opened her said. “I just need to keep it patient and know?” Rahm said. “If his putter had been hot, I round with a birdie and birdied every need to trust myself I’m good. Even wouldn’t have had a chance, no question. ... It’s other hole on the front nine as she though I haven’t won any tournament I amazing how he’s able to keep cool the entire pulled away from the field. just cannot really blame anything. I felt round. It amazes me. And he’s just a perfect, She finished six strokes in front of like everything is pretty great.” complete player.” compatriot Ryu So-Yeon, who carded a Ernst had five birdies in her bogey- Johnson now has 15 victories in his career, 66, and American Austin Ernst, who post- free effort. She started the day four off six of them dating to his first major at the U.S. ed a 67. “I was a little nervous, but I made the lead and said she kept an eye on the Open last summer at Oakmont. Three of them it,” said Lee, who also added birdies at 15 scoreboard-where she saw Lee racing were World Golf Championships at the and 16 before she was done. away from the field. Bridgestone Invitational, the Mexico Lee said her ball-striking was better “She was at 20-under,” Ernst said. “I Championship and the Match Play. He won the this year than it was two years ago, when knew at that point you’re basically play- HSBC Champions in Shanghai in 2013. she couldn’t hold on to her third-round ing for second place unless she does Asked to size up his feat, Johnson said, lead. She claimed her third LPGA Tour something coming down the stretch. “Pretty good.” There’s really not much else to victory and her first since winning twice “My game was really solid. Today was say. He led 94 percent of the holes he played in her rookie season of 2014. really a solid round of golf. Hit a bunch of at Austin Country Club, a tournament record. Her total could have been even more greens. Gave myself a lot of the good He won 46 of those 112 holes. When asked about his pulse on Saturday, Johnson said, AUSTIN: Dustin Johnson poses with his trophy after defeating Jon Rahm, of Spain, at the Dell impressive. At 16 she left an eagle looks.” — AFP “It’s beating.” Technologies Match Play golf tournament at Austin County Club, Sunday, in Austin, Texas. —AP