Established 1961 Sport MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 Nishikori and Pliskova crowned Ruthless India force Australia Curry, Warriors win 3-pointer 25Brisbane International champions 26 follow-on in 30-year first 27 battle with Sacramento Kings Jordan stun holders Australia India soar on day of Asian Cup upsets, Syria and Palestine draw AL-AIN: Jordan’s forward Yousaf Rawashdeh kicks the ball during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup football game between Australia and Jordan at the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium in Al-Ain yesterday. —AFP AL-AIN: Australia made a horror start to their title quick recovery in their remaining Group B games, starting Minutes later, Ryan kept Australia in it when he tipped rout to leave India as unlikely group leaders. “There are defence and unfancied India stunned Thailand on a day of with Palestine on Friday. “If you’re going to lose a game, Baha Abdelrahman’s free kick onto the bar, and while not so many surprises anymore in football,” said Thailand’s upsets in the Asian Cup yesterday. The Socceroos had it’s better to lose your first game,” Arnold said. Australia improved in the second half, they couldn’t find a Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac. expected to make short work of Jordan but Graham “It’s a wake-up call... it’s all about where we can way through. “It’s very difficult to predict winners. Yesterday people Arnold’s men slumped 1-0 in their worst start in four visits improve. We’ll get over it very quickly.” Jordan celebrated Celtic’s Tom Rogic scooped an inviting shot over and expected UAE to win, Australia lost to Jordan. We were to the tournament. wildly with their travelling supporters after Anas Bani- Awer Mabil hit the post, before Jordan’s Amer Shafi pulled aware of India’s quality and they proved it. Later, India also sprang a surprise when they thrashed Yaseen’s first-half header was enough to beat the defend- off a superb double stop in the final action of the game. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them continue in this Thailand 4-1 to top Group A, after the 1-1 draw between ing champions in Al Ain. In Abu Dhabi, veteran striker Sunil Chhetri scored twice manner.” Iran will have taken notice and ahead of their hosts UAE and Bahrain in the tournament opener on “I told them today, ‘God gave you something’, and as India unexpectedly thumped Thailand to make a rip- Group D opener against Yemen, coach Carlos Queiroz was Saturday. today they were playing for the people of Jordan,” said roaring start to their campaign. Chhetri smashed home at pains to play down the tag of favourites. Syria and Palestine rounded off the day with a 0-0 coach Vital Borkelmans. “They were running like they had from the penalty spot after 27 minutes before Thai captain “You can’t play a football game with a credit card say- draw in Sharjah which pushed Australia to the bottom of three lungs,” he added. Teerasil Dangda’s header from a Theerathon Bunmathan ing you’re favourites,” said the former Real Madrid boss, Group B after the first round of games. Australia are tar- Australia had an early warning when Brighton ‘keeper free kick made it 1-1. But Chhetri drilled his second whose Brighton striker Alireza Jahanbakhsh has been ruled geting their third straight final but the Socceroos, weak- Mat Ryan had to keep out Yousef Rawashdeh at his near moments into the second half following a lung-bursting out of the game with a hamstring problem. ened by injuries and retirements, failed to score despite post after QPR’s Massimo Luongo was dispossessed. run down the right from Udanta Singh. “If you don’t play well, you don’t deserve to win. We enjoying 76 percent of possession against Jordan. Jordan’s goal came from defender Bani-Yaseen’s thumping Anirudh Thapa chipped in India’s third in the 68th have to beat whoever we come up against and we will But coach Graham Arnold said he was confident of a header from a corner on 26 minutes. minute before substitute Lalpekhlua Jeje completed the respect Yemen’s ability.” — AFP “He used words that we, FC Jesus made it 4-0 early in the second half before Bayern Munich Bayern, cannot accept and that City score seven Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane added Franck does not have the right to use, further goals. Denis Odoi put Fulham ahead in the hand Ribery as a role-model and player of FC in FA Cup stroll 52nd minute at Craven Cottage but Sam Sturridge Bayern,” added Salihamidzic. On drew Oldham level with a penalty before Callum Thursday, Ribery posted a video on Lang’s header two minutes from time sealed a comeback win. Daniel Iversen compounded ‘heavy fine’ social media showing him in a Dubai LONDON: Premier League champions Manchester Fulham’s misery by saving an Aleksandar Mitrovic steak house owned by celebrity City began their FA Cup campaign with a 7-0 penalty just moments earlier. Turkish restauranteur Salt Bae and thrashing of Rotherham yesterday but Fulham, bat- BERLIN: Bayern Munich yesterday Elsewhere, Barnet beat Championship high-fly- rubbing his hands before tucking into tling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, ers Sheffield United thanks to Shaquile Coulthirst’s said it will impose “a heavy fine” on a huge chop coated in gold. That were beaten 2-1 by fourth-tier Oldham. Franck Ribery over an obscenity- 21st-minute penalty. Watford manager Javi Gracia ostentatious luxury, and the reported Barnet ensured there would be a non-league changed his entire starting side from the team that laced outburst on social media, after cost of the meal, drew ferocious crit- presence in the fourth round with a 1-0 win away to drew 3-3 at Bournemouth, with Venezuela forward the French striker became embroiled icism before Ribery-who earns an second-tier Championship club Sheffield United. Adalberto Penaranda making his Hornets debut in controversy for eating a gold- estimated eight million euros a year Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola may have against non-league Woking. coated steak. with the German champions-hit back. made eight changes from the team that beat But hopes of Woking, 110 places adrift of the The punishment comes after “Let’s start with the envious, the Premier League leaders Liverpool on Thursday but Hornets, enjoying a shock win suffered a setback Ribery lashed out at critics in a still fielded a strong side for the visit of when Will Hughes curled in a 13th-minute shot from string of angry posts on Twitter and angry, surely born because of a Championship club Rotherham, with Raheem broken condom,” read the first of the edge of the area. Instagram on Saturday. It is the latest Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus all start- Watford made it 2-0 16 minutes from time when scandal to engulf the 35-year-old, the posts on Ribery’s Twitter ing as playmaker Kevin De Bruyne returned from Troy Deeney scored from close range. Millwall who is deeply unpopular in his native account. “F**k your mothers, your injury. came from a goal down to beat Championship rivals France but revered by German fans. grandmothers and your whole fami- De Bruyne played in Sterling for a 12th-minute Hull 2-1, substitute Shane Ferguson scoring twice “I had a long talk with Franck and ly tree,” he wrote, having taken care opener and City then scored twice in the closing inside the closing eight minutes. I let him know that we would impose to sanitise the French word stages of the first half. Phil Foden, the England QPR beat Championship leaders Leeds by the a heavy fine on him and he accepted “n*quez”. Salihamidzic made clear Under-21 international, got on the end of a cross same scoreline, Jake Bidwell scoring a 75th-minute it,” the club’s sporting director Hasan that Ribery did not pay the bill him- from Ilkay Gundogan in the 43rd minute before winner for the west London club. Fourth-tier Salihamidzic told journalists in Qatar, self because he had been invited to Rotherham defender Semi Ajayi turned the ball into Newport County are at home to Premier League where the club is on a training camp. the restaurant. — AFP Franck Ribery his own net. Leicester. — AFP.