12 Friday, May 24, 2019 Sports Long season for Al Sadd but, Qatar advance to FIBA 3x3 we’ll bounce back: Afif

AFC Asia Cup 2019 Main Draw He was also equally cru- Tehran Al Sadd will take on Al cial in Al Sadd winning the Duhail in the Round of 16 Qatar Stars League title for FIBA The effects of a long season in a mouth-watering clash. the first time since the 2012- CHANGSHA, China caught up with Qatar Stars 13 season but the have shown League champions Al Sadd ed to give retiring Spanish signs of fatigue over the last After a highly competitive as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to legend Xavi but forward few weeks. Qualifying Draw, Qatar (M), Persepolis in their final 2019 Akram Afif admitted that Al “We started this season Chinese Taipei (M), South Ko- AFC Champions League Sadd had not been at their in August 2018, and we still rea (M), the Philippines (W) Group D match on Mon- best in both matches. have one month to go before and Thailand (W) advanced day. “I would like to con- the season ends. Some peo- to the Main Draw of the FIBA The defeat, gratulate the Perse- ple think that the season is 3x3 Asia Cup in Changsha with Mahdi polis fans but at the over for us, but it is not, as (China). Torabi and same time, I must those with the Qatar national World Cup 2014 winners Ali Alipour say it has been team still have one month Qatar had a clean sweep and scoring for tough for our fans. to play, as we will compete advanced to Men’s Pool B, 2018 finalists “This match in the Copa America next where New Zealand and hosts Persepolis, was difficult for month.” China await. The Philippines came just four us as we are in the Afif, however, said he bounced back after a bad start days after Al fasting month and wasn’t too worried about Al yesterday, but their two losses Sadd had lost it has been a very Sadd’s recent form. on opening day were too much the Amir Cup fi- long season for “What is important for to overcome. nal to Al Duhail. us,” said Afif, who us is that we qualified for Chinese Taipei got a spot It was not played an inte- the AFC Champions League in Pool D after a dramatic win the farewell gral role in Qa- Round of 16 and we are con- over Kyrgyzstan in overtime, Al Sadd tar winning the fident of doing well in the courtesy of a Chun Yun Hao want- AFC Asian Cup knockout stage.” Tissot Buzzer Beater. They Qatar 3x3 team in action at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup Qualifying Draw in Changsha, China on Thursday. UAE 2019 Losing to Persepolis joined Indonesia and Kazakh- title in didn’t cost Al Sadd dearly as stan in the Main Draw. Buzzer Beater with time expir- and join Japan and Sri Lanka 15). Turkmenistan and Iran Feb- they still emerged group win- Last but not least in the ing. What’s next for them in in women’s Pool C after con- are up next for them in wom- ru- ners but what it did was set men’s category, India and Pool C? No less than last year’s ceding just over 6 points per en’s Pool D. ary. up a mouth-watering Round South Korea fought until the 2 finalists, Mongolia and Aus- game on average in the quali- The Main Draw of the of 16 meeting with domestic end for the last spot in the tralia. fying draw. FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup will be rivals Al Duhail for which Main Draw. South Korea got In the women’s category, Thailand got the last ticket livestreamed on youtube.com/ Afif is sure Al Sadd will be the last word after Seung Jun the Philippines still remain to the Main Draw after defeat- FIBA3x3 and facebook.com/ back at their very best. Lee scored his very own Tissot undefeated in the competition ing India in a tough game. (21- FIBA3x. Verstappen predicts Mercedes duo to deliver victory for Lauda

the wall in front of you - and Hamilton and going up the hill to Casino it’s Bottas were the same thing. It’s incredibly intense out there and you have seven-tenths of a to be so focused.” Bottas, who was only 0.081 second clear seconds behind Hamilton, said: of third-placed “It’s been a good day for us on The new Simonne Mathieu tennis court after its inauguration track. In previous years, the car ceremony at Roland Garros in Paris. (AFP) Vettel of Ferrari felt sometimes difficult to drive, on soft tyres but today it was very driveable, responsive and enjoyable. afp “You need to find the limits Roland Garros Monaco on this track and I felt comfort- able to push towards the limit, Max Verstappen conceded that which is a good sign. Now we unveils new look this weekend’s Monaco Grand need to fine-tune the set-up and Prix will see him and Red Bull make sure we keep going in the scrapping to be “best of the rest” right direction. I think we’ve after Lewis Hamilton and Mer- started the weekend on the after years of cedes dominated Thursday’s right foot, but we’re in Monaco free practice sessions. and anything can happen.” The Dutch tyro had been For Ferrari, like Mercedes legal wrangles widely tipped to challenge their also mourning the passing of supremacy, but the defending Lauda, who won two of his five-time world champion and Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton walks in the pits before the second practice session at the Monaco three titles with them, it was afp winter during the work,” said his Silver Arrows team-mate street circuit in Monaco on Thursday, ahead of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. (AFP) another day of cold realization Paris Gilles Jourdan, the head of Valtteri Bottas were seven- and disappointment as Vettel the modernisation project tenths of a second clear of He explained: “We had a ship leader Hamilton and his said Hamilton. wound up third and local hero After years of legal battles which is believed to cost an third-placed Sebastian Vettel of radiator leak because some de- nearest rival Bottas delivered a “I’m really proud of the Charles Leclerc was 10th. and threats to quit its historic overall 350 million euros. Ferrari on soft tyres in second bris flew into the air-box and perfect on-track tribute to their team and naturally our goal is To make matters seem home, Roland Garros will “But the sweat of Mr La- practice. damaged a radiator. We had to team’s former non-executive to try and do something really worse, for Ferrari, there were show off its new look next coste is still there,” he added Verstappen had managed to replace it, but in general it’s all chairman three-time champion positive this weekend. widespread calls from rival week, with a nod to the Eiffel in reference to one of France’s split the two Mercedes men in right. We tried a set-up change, Niki Lauda, who died overnight “We’ve made some small team chiefs in a post-session Tower and a Second World greatest tennis icons, a three- opening practice, but he could but it didn’t work.” on Monday, with another domi- tweaks over the two sessions news briefing for Ferrari to War resistance fighter while time winner in Paris during not repeat that speed in the af- Verstappen’s former Red nant display on the unforgiving and during the sessions as well, lose its unique power of veto on boasting enough plants and the 1920s. ternoon when a radiator leak Bull team-mate Daniel Ric- Mediterranean street circuit. but I’ve been quite happy with changes to the F1 rules. greenery to make even the This year’s tournament hampered his progress. ciardo won last year’s race from In a team statement, they the set-up. Every year we come Red Bull team boss Chris- most demanding environ- will also see the debut of “I think we are quick, but pole position and many observ- were cautious, but praised the back here, it gets faster and you tian Horner said that Ferrari’s mentalist drool. Court Simonne-Mathieu, a not that quick,” said the Dutch- ers believed that he was capable team for rising to the occasion. really notice it when you’re go- long-held historic veto was Ninety years after it was 5,000-seat arena named in man. “I think Mercedes is too of ending Mercedes phenom- “It’s the dream for every ing past the barriers. “outdated” and suggested that built, the French Open’s honour of a WWII resistance quick, but the big gap between enal season-opening run of five driver to come to Monaco and “Coming into Turn 12, you in future the same rules should showpiece Court Philippe hero and a former Roland second and third - I think we one-two finishes. have a car that you can exploit carry so much speed into that apply “for everyone” without Chatrier was demolished Garros champion. The semi- can fill that up.” That was until champion- and utilise your abilities with,” corner, and then there’s just any preferences. soon after the 2018 event fin- sunken arena was a contro- ished. Fast forward 12 months versial development inside and it has been almost com- the nearby Jardin des Serres pletely rebuilt to accommo- d’Auteuil, one of the capital’s date the necessary strength- most beloved green spaces. ening required to support the It was only last May The Kyrgios one-man circus rolls into Paris retractable roof which will be that the French federation in place for the 2020 edition emerged successful after five Reuters a surface he “hates”, with the chair on the court and stormed of the sport’s only clay court bruising years of bitter legal MELBOURNE odds on him taking out any of off after the unheralded Nor- Grand Slam. battles with environmental- the other three Grand Slams not wegian had broken him early in The metal superstructure ists and well-connected local With two completed match- significantly higher. the deciding third set. weighs half that of the Eiffel residents worried over the es on clay, a petulant tourna- And yet, few players will be Goodwill has dwindled to a Tower, around 3,700 tonnes, impact such construction ment default in Rome and that keen to see his name brack- low ebb at home in Australia, said the French Tennis Feder- would have over the gardens’ character assassinations of eted with theirs in the draw, where one TV chat show panel- ation’s director-general Jean- 19th century greenhouses. some of the game’s leading for all the likelihood the lanky list described him last week as a François Vilotte. The roof will The court has been built, players, Nick Kyrgios’s French world number 36 will sponta- “brat” who needs a “slap”. eventually allow for night ses- enclosed by four greenhous- Open build-up has been more neously combust mid-match His casual attitude toward sions to be played even if Ro- es housing “the only plant or less normal by his unortho- and ease their passage into the the game is seen as only a land Garros still lags behind ecosystem of its kind”, say dox standards. next round. front, to hide the fear of what similar developments at the organisers of hosting collec- It may be a little frosty in Kyrgios might never have failure would mean if he buck- other three Slams. tions from South America, the locker room Roland Garros been past the quarter-finals of a led down and tried his hard- The 15,000-capac- Africa, South-East Asia and after the Australian described Grand Slam, but he has shown Nick Kyrgios est. It’s a view that holds some ity Chatrier has expanded Australia. 11-times champion Rafa Na- he has the tools to topple any currency with Kyrgios -- but its shape and size, adding The 10,000-seater Court dal as a sore loser and Novak one of the titans of the game. every night at the coastal resort. His lack of commitment not one he tends to dwell on wooden seats to replace its Suzanne Lenglen remains al- Djokovic as obsessed with being The 24-year-old boasts a “I’m taking the fizz out of the means regular losses to honest for too long. ageing green plastic. Only the though Roland Garros’ Court liked in an explosive podcast in- 2-0 record over Djokovic, is sport,” he said in the “No Chal- tour battlers, like German world “I don’t like waking up every famous red clay of the court One ‘bullring’ is earmarked terview last week. 3-3 in his sometimes heated ri- lenges Remaining” podcast. number 49 Jan-Lennard Struff day and (reading) ‘this guy’s a itself -- where the likes of for demolition once the 2019 The Parisian crowd may valry with Nadal and beat Roger “I’m lucky to be able to prac- who weeks ago dumped him waste of talent’. There’s a limit Rafael Nadal, Novak Djoko- tournament ends. also be a little scornful after he Federer on clay in their first tise for, like, 45 minutes without from the first round in Madrid to this stuff that I can take,” he vic, Roger Federer, Serena In other changes this year, said the French Open “absolute- match in 2015. something going wrong.” after Kyrgios turned up with a said in the podcast. Williams, Naomi Osaka and the west of Suzanne Lenglen ly sucks” compared to Wimble- In one sparkling week in For all his boasts of being “a backpack and only one spare “Deep down I’ve had con- Simona Halep will star from has also undergone a radical don in a video he shot himself Acapulco in March, Kyrgios bit of a genius” on court, Kyr- racket. versations with myself, like, ‘is this weekend -- has remained transformation with six new and posted on social media. downed Nadal, Stan Wawrin- gios’s fitness is dire compared World number 63 Casper it a front?’ But winning a Grand unchanged. courts built to supplement By his own admission, Kyr- ka, John Isner and Alexander to the tour’s hard workers and Ruud was dragged into the Slam .... winning tennis match- “We protected it, we put Court 14 which was a fresh gios has virtually no chance of Zverev to claim the Mexican his mental game has all the for- spotlight at the Italian Open es for me, they don’t make me a concrete slab on it all the addition in 2018. winning the tournament on Open title, all while partying titude of puff pastry. last week when Kyrgios threw a happy.”