THURSDAY-MARCH 18, 2021 Sport 05

Rafael Nadal out of Miami Open as Spaniard aims to world player of the recover from a back injury in time for French Open Rafael Nadal is 40-12 at the to Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas the great Spanish speaking com- ATP Masters 1000 event in Mi- at the Australian Open last month. munity FL, who always give me a week - Hashmatullah Shahidi ami but he has been forced to with- Nadal, who also skipped the great support!" draw from this year's event due to ATP 500 event in Dubai, has The Miami Open is a hard a back injury; the 20-time Grand dropped down one place in the court tournament which Nadal has Slam champion says he plans to rankings to third after Russian never won despite reaching the fi- get ready for the upcoming clay- Daniil Medvedev leapfrogged him nal five times between 2005 and court season in Europe earlier this week. 2017. Rafael Nadal has confirmed he "Sad to announce that I won't Nadal, 34, could possibly be will miss the Miami Open that be playing in Miami, a city that I targeting the Monte Carlo Mas- begins later this month in a bid to love," Nadal wrote on Twitter. ters in April and the Madrid Open recover from a back injury in time "I need to fully recover and get in May as he looks to get into top for the clay-court swing. ready for the clay-court season in shape for the French Open at Ro- The Spaniard has not played Europe. Special message to my land Garros where he has won a since his dramatic quarter-final exit fans in the US and in particular to record 13 times. Skynews

Tommy Fury interview: How Jos Buttler says Tyson Fury's brother has ditched 100-cap Eoin KABUL: Hashmatullah Shahi- batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi batsman struck 21 fours and one in the upcoming games as well," Love Island infamy to prove Morgan has di became the maiden double cen- who scored a scintillating double six while batting at a strike rate of Hashmatullah Shahidi said after been a pioneer turion for Afghanistan in interna- century and was rightfully reward- 45.15. Skipper also receiving the Man of the Match himself - 'I don't want freebies' tional cricket as he struck 200 not ed the Man of the Match award scored 164 while opener Ibrahim award. for English out in Afghanistan's sixth-ever test for his efforts. Zadran chipped in with 72 as Af- Shahidi thus became the first "Nobody ever pushed me into he had, by that time, already won match. As opposed to getting rolled ghanistan helped themselves to a ever double centurion for Afghan- boxing," says Tommy Fury who his first two professional boxing white-ball After Afghanistan were com- over for just 131 in the first in- dominant situation to ultimately istan and the highest scorer for the is now undefeated in five fights but matches but they had gone under pletely outplayed in the first match nings of the first test match, Af- win the match by 6 . team in international cricket. As a carries the weight of his family the radar, as most boxers' earliest cricket as player of the two-match test series ghanistan won the toss and opted "We didn't play well in the first result, Afghanistan became the name. "I'm not here to try to equal assignments are designed to do. and against Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to bat first this time, finishing their game, it was a disappointing game. joint quickest country to have an anything that anybody else has The mainstream fame he now and could just about prevent an innings at 545/4 declared after 161 But I worked hard and played well individual 200 to their name after done." has due to his frolicking on reality Jos Buttler has lauded Eoin innings defeat, the team bounced overs. here. I wanted to take responsibil- commencing international cricket. Now the younger brother of television was held up as proof that Morgan as a white-ball "pioneer" back strongly in the second test The highest scorer in their in- ity as a senior player and I'm Clifford Roach made 209 for West Tyson Fury has his own spotlight he wasn't a serious boxer. But when after the England captain celebrat- match to win by 6 wickets. nings was Hashmatullah Shahidi pleased that I managed to do that. Indies against England in 1929-30 it comes with criticism that he is a Tommy obliterated three oppo- ed his 100th T20 international cap The architect of the Afghani- who remained unbeaten on 200 off The double century is a big in the team's sixth test match as wannabe and a poser, that his box- nents in the past 14 months, the with a victory over India. stan comeback was middle order 443 deliveries. The number four achievement. I'll try to do the same well. The Kabul Times ing record is inflated just to look criticism evolved to picking holes Vice-captain Buttler was good on social media. Tommy in the quality of those rivals. named man of the match for his Man City 2-0 T20I best 83 from 52 balls Tiger Woods returns home in a comfortable eight- win, Borussia while fast bowler Mark Wood took Monchengladbach 3-31 on his return to the side. after three weeks in hospital "He's been a pioneer for En- (agg 4-0): Pep glish white-ball cricketers, he's al- Guardiola's side ways been someone who has been following serious car crash ahead of the curve, I'd say along- cruise into side Kevin Pietersen," Buttler told Champions League Tiger Woods: "Thank you to the vehicle through the windshield on its side near a steep road police reporters. the incredible surgeons, doctors, by emergency services. say is notorious for crashes. "They were two guys I always quarter-finals nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA In a statement released on The former world No 1 under- looked to in white-balls teams who Manchester City's hopes for a Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Tuesday night, Woods said: "Hap- went surgery that day for multi- could do it a bit differently, take Medical Center. You have all tak- py to report that I am back home ple fractures to his right tibia and Quadruple this season continued the game forward and be ahead of Fury, though, has heard all this It's true that, of Tommy's five the curve. So, he was a pioneer as as they cruised into the Champi- en such great care of me and I can- and continuing my recovery. I am fibula - including having a rod in- not thank you enough." so grateful for the outpouring of serted in the former - with addi- before. Remember, he was always opponents, three had never previ- a player to start with and certain- ons League quarter-finals, winning there, you just didn't notice him. ously won a fight. Combined they ly as a captain and a leader. 2-0 in the second leg of their last- Tiger Woods says he is happy support and encouragement that I tional screws and pins inserted into to be home after leaving hospital have received over the past few bones in his foot and ankle. "Everybody looks at my ca- have 12 wins, five draws, 174 de- "He's taken English white-ball 16 tie against Borussia reer through a magnifying glass feats. They are an uninspiring cricket to a place it's never been Monchengladbach and 4-0 on ag- following a serious car crash in weeks. Rory McIlroy, who has a home California last month. "Thank you to the incredible near Woods in Jupiter, Florida, said with a notebook and a pen," Tom- bunch. before and I think he's done that in gregate. my tells Sky Sports. But it's also true to say that quite an incredible way. I know Pep Guardiola's side were Woods underwent surgery on surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff in an interview last week with talk open fractures to his lower right at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center show host Jimmy Fallon that "Everything I do wrong goes most boxers begin slowly before how much everyone enjoys play- dominant over both matches and straight onto Twitter and Insta- they have a name worth following ing for him and the environment it took just 12 minutes to add to leg and further injuries to his foot and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Woods was "doing better" and it and ankle following a single-vehi- You have all taken such great care would be "great" for him to be back gram." - for Tommy, the process was in that he's created. their 2-0 aggregate lead from the He is among the latest crop of reverse. "The group we have at the first leg. Kevin De Bruyne pow- cle accident in Los Angeles on Feb- of me and I cannot thank you at his home with his family. ruary 23. enough. Woods said it was "touching" up-and-coming boxers with a fa- "He had only been stopped moment is as much fun to play in ered home via the underside of the mous surname - the path most re- once," Tommy says of his most as ever and it's a really good team. crossbar as City extended their The 45-year-old, who was on "I will be recovering at home to see several of his peers wearing his way to Rolling Hills Country and working on getting stronger his trademark Sunday red for the cently trodden by Chris Eubank recent foe, Scott Williams. "A lot He's been a huge driver of that, advantage. Jr and Conor Benn now has Tom- of good names couldn't get him out alongside a few others. He's a self- Soon after, Gundogan added a Club for a publicity shoot when every day." final round of the WGC-Workday the crash happened shortly after Woods' vehicle struck a medi- Championship on the PGA Tour my Fury and Campbell Hatton of there, but I did it in two rounds." less guy but I was trying to re- fine curled finish around Gladbach 7am local time, was pulled out of an strip, rolled and came to a rest in the days after his crash. taking their earliest steps. Williams has lost all 10 of his mind him that today really was goalkeeper Yann Sommer, scoring It comes with critics who cite fights but possesses the remark- about him and it's no mean feat to his 15th goal of the season. hanging onto the successful rela- able honour of having fought two achieve 100 caps." Gladbach - who have now lost tive's coattails but Tommy says: Love Island contestants. He went The skipper has also been in- their last seven games in a row "They don't understand that I the distance with Idris Virgo, a volved in the decision to promote across all competitions, their worst don't feel that pressure because, 2018 contestant and now, like Buttler to open in T20s, having losing run since losing eight in a as a 14-year-old kid, it was already Tommy, an unbeaten prospect. previously been used as England's row between September and No- there. Boxing was Tommy's passion finisher. vember 1989 - had a few sights of "'Look, it's Tyson's brother, and his career before he was sought The wicketkeeper-batsman goal, but nothing that ever truly let's watch him spar!' out by Love Island and accepted has excelled in the role, averaging troubled the Man City defence as "'It's Tyson's brother, let's their invitation, astutely consider- 51.23 at the top of the order, with they breezed into the last eight. watch his first amateur fight!' ing that raising his public profile a strike-rate of 153.10, while sev- They will now be in the hat "It's nothing new to me for would eventually benefit his sport- en of his 11 T20I half-centuries for the Champions League quar- everybody to be judging and criti- ing ambitions. have come since the move, includ- ter-final and semi-final draw on cising me. The 21-year-old is a half- ing his match-winning knock in Friday, as their march towards the "If Trevor from four doors brother of WBC heavyweight Ahmedabad. Istanbul final continues. down doesn't like me, it doesn't champion Tyson Fury (they share "I don't know if [the discus- Both sides had sights of goal change my life. Trevor can keep a father in 'Gypsy' John Fury, the sion over where he should bat in in the opening 10 minutes. Joao spouting whatever he wants about fearsome voice that booms from T20s] will ever end, people seem Cancelo played a sublime ball over me!" the sidelines whenever either is in to quite enjoy talking about it. I the top for Phil Foden, but his flick Tommy shot to fame in the the ring). certainly feel the pressure of that was saved well by Sommer. summer of 2019 on Love Island - AP sometimes," Buttler added.