SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019 12 Nadal keeps semi hopes alive Rafael Nadal sweats on semis spot at ATP Finals after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas AFP | London A pumped-up Nadal main- tained his momentum in the ear- afael Nadal recovered to ly stages of the deciding set, put- beat Stefanos Tsitsipas ting consistent pressure on his R6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-5 yester- opponent’s serve but he failed to day but faces an anxious wait KNOW WHAT convert a clutch of break points. to find out whether he will play Nadal earned two more break Roger Federer in the last four at points in the 11th game and this the ATP Finals. Rafael Nadal has never time made it count as Tsitsi - The Spanish top seed is pin- pas put a backhand wide and ning his hopes on Daniil Medve- won the ATP Finals he served out to win the match. dev beating defending champion After the match Nadal re - Alexander Zverev in the evening ceived the trophy for finishing match in Group Andre Agassi in the year as the top-ranked play- London. er. Nadal’s efforts will count for orably towards a tie-break. “I’m super happy,” he said. nothing unless Medvedev, who The Greek sixth seed came out “Honestly, after all the things now has nothing to play for, on top, hammering an ace on his I went through in my career in beats Zverev. A win for the Ger- first match point to seal the set. terms of injuries I never thought man would send Nadal home. The second set followed a sim- at the age of 33-and-a-half I “I don’t know if I will see you ilar pattern until the fifth game, would have this trophy in my tomorrow because it depends when a Tsitsipas double-fault hands again. on the match of this evening but handed Nadal two break points “It’s something really, really I did all the things that I could -- the first of the match. emotional for me. A lot of work today,” said Nadal. The Spaniard could not capi- in the shadows to be where we “I fought until the end two talise but he upped the pressure are today.” days ago and today, so if I am in Tsitsipas’s next service game Six-time champion Federer, able to play in front of you to- and earned another break point, who was in Group Bjorn Borg, Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas morrow against Roger it will be a which the Greek again survived. secured a spot in the semi-finals huge honour. If not, I really hope miserable start at the O2 Arena, vedev, the Russian fourth seed, yesterday’s match after beating But Nadal earned a fourth for the 16th time in his career to see you next year.” being outplayed by Germany’s on Wednesday and give himself Medvedev and Zverev. break point in Tsitsipas’s next on Thursday by beating Novak Nadal, who has already se - Zverev. a chance of qualifying from the Serve dominated in the first service game and this time the Djokovic in straight sets. cured the year-end number one But the 19-time Grand Slam round-robin phase. set yesterday, with neither Na- Greek player slapped a regula- Austrian fifth seed Dominic ranking, has never won the end- champion produced an aston- Tsitsipas, 21, had already qual- dal nor Tsitsipas facing a break tion forehand wide and Nadal Thiem also qualified for Satur- of-season tournament and had a ishing comeback to defeat Med- ified for the semi-finals before point as the match drifted inex- went on to level the match. day’s semi-finals. Agarwal hits double ton France, England join Euro big guns AFP | Paris he Euro 2020 line-up began as India seize control Tto take shape on Thursday after big-hitters France and AFP | Indore, India England qualified for next year’s finals alongside Turkey ayank Agarwal struck and the Czech Republic. his second double World champions France Mcentury in four Tests reached the tournament with- as India built a giant 343 first out having to kick a ball thanks innings lead over Bangladesh to Turkey sealing their own on day two of their opening qualification after a goalless Test. draw with Iceland in the day’s The 28-year-old opener, who early match. has hit three tons including two Chelsea outcast Olivier Gir- double hundreds in his last five oud then moved to within two France’s forward Olivier Giroud shoots to score Test innings, hit eight sixes and international goals of France 28 fours in his 243. great Michel Platini with a late before break despite furious hat-trick that helped the 2018 Agarwal passed 200 with a six penalty that ensured a come- protests from the Moldovan World Cup semi-finalists dis- off Mehidy Hasan and went on back win over a Moldova side players and their coach, who mantle poor Montenegro 7-0 with his big hits until he was fi- ranked 175th in the world. were convinced Giroud had at Wembley. nally caught at deep mid-wicket The scrappy victory at a chilly fouled goalkeeper Alexei Ko- Kane struck his treble in the by Abu Jayed off Mehidy. He Stade de France put Didier Des- selev in the build-up. first half as Gareth Southgate’s left to another standing ovation. champs’ side two points ahead Giroud then slotted home side racked up five before the India were 493 for six at of Turkey at the top of Group his 39th France goal from the break in England’s 1000th stumps in response to Bang- H ahead of their final match at spot in a confident manner match, making light of the ab- ladesh’s 150 all out on Thurs- Albania on Sunday. that defied the fact he has only sence of Raheem Sterling, who day. Ravindra Jadeja, on 60, The celebratory mood was played 20 minutes for Chelsea was dropped by Southgate ear- and Umesh Yadav, on 25, were initially dampened when Vadim since last month’s international lier in the week after an alterca- at the crease promising more Rata punished abject defend- break. tion with teammate Joe Gomez. fireworks. ing to give Moldova a shock “We wanted to put on a show Jadeja celebrated with his ninth-minute lead. Kane crushes Montenegro in our 1,000th game and with trademark sword dance when India’s Mayank Agarwal plays a shot However Raphael Varane lev- Harry Kane fired England five goals in the first half I think he reach a half-century in 72 Agarwal’s marathon knock elled for the hosts 10 minutes into the Euros in style with a we did that,” said Kane. balls, while Yadav smashed eased Indian nerves after skip- three sixes in his 10-ball blitz. per Virat Kohli was out for a Left-hander Jadeja kept up duck -- his 10th in 83 Tests -- in the attack after a 123-run part- the first session. nership with Agarwal for the Abu, who sent opener Ro - West Indies break record T20 losing streak fourth wicket. 243 hit Sharma packing for six on Agarwal also made 190 with runs were scored by Thursday, got Cheteshwar Pu- AFP | Lucknow, India two key wickets to claim man Pollard said after the game late Ajinkya Rahane, who shot 86, Mayank Agarwal in 330 jara (54) caught at gully soon af- of the match honours as West Thursday. after the hosts resumed the day balls ter the overnight batsman com- est Indies captain Kier- Indies won the game by 30 runs. While paying tribute to Lew- on 86 for one. pleted his fifty with a boundary. Won Pollard was a relieved West Indies, who had lost is, Pollard also said the Carib- Rahane became paceman But it was Kohli’s wicket that man after his side hammered their seven previous T20s this bean bowlers had performed Abu Jayed’s fourth victim of the briefly brought joy to Bangla- Afghanistan to end their long- year, made 164-5 from their 20 “magnificently” despite being innings soon after the tea break. appearance since making his desh after they successfully re- est losing streak in Twenty20 overs and then restricted Af- a bowler short. Pollard himself But Agarwal relentlessly hit debut last year in Melbourne. viewed an lbw appeal rejected internationals. ghanistan to 134-9. took Asghar Afghan and Na- the bowlers to the boundary His previous best was 215 in by the umpire. Replays indi- Opener Evin Lewis hit 68 off “It’s always good to contrib- jibullah Zadran as they were after completing his second the first Test against South Af- cated the ball would have hit 41 balls and Pollard made an ute but it’s always better to con- starting to build threatening 200-plus score in eighth Test rica last month. leg stump. unbeaten 32 of 21 balls and took tribute in the winning cause,” innings. Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 38444680, Email: [email protected] Subscription & circulation: Tel: 36458394 | Email:[email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing .