6 January 21, 2021 Australian Open Iran’s Abdi Shortlisted for Best Forward Organizers Rule Out of AFC Champions League Team Change of Dates, Format tion for three places at the business end of the field. Mehdi Abdi stepped up magnifi- cently for Persepolis following the suspension of Isa Alkasir as the 22-year-old scored the equalizer against Al-Nassr in the semi-final, with the Iran champion going on to win the penalty shoot-out. Abdi gave his side the lead in the final against Ulsan Hyundai FC and despite Persepolis eventually set- tling for the runner-up spot, the for- ward proved he is indeed a player for the future. MELBOURNE (Dispatches) Grand Slam and called on orga- Ado Onaiwu (Yokohama F. Ma- - Organizers of the Australian nizers Tennis Australia to consid- rinos, JPNA), Lan (Beijing FC, Open have ruled out reducing the er reducing the men’s event from CHN), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al- men’s tournament at the Grand best-of-five sets. Nassr, KSA), Trent Buhagiar (Syd- Slam to best-of-three sets due to On Wednesday, world number players’ inability to train at re- one Novak Djokovic hit back at ney FC, AUS), Baghdad Bounedjah quired level amid the strict CO- criticism of his letter to Australian TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Persepolis Champions League, the-AFC.com and the back four decided with poll- (Al-Sadd, QAT), Yun Ju-tae (FC VID-19 quarantine rules. Open chief Craig Tiley in which football team forward Mehdi Abdi continues its quest to find out who ing for the midfield maestros ongo- Seoul, KOR), Bjørn Johnsen (Ulsan A total of 72 players are current- he suggested easing of quarantine was nominated for the best forward the fans consider the Best XI of the ing, it’s time to turn our attention to Hyundai, KOR), and Junior Negrao ly not allowed to leave their hotel restrictions, saying his good in- of 2020 AFC Champions League team. 2020 edition. the forwards and find out who they (Ulsan Hyundai, KOR) are the nom- rooms for 14 days after some pas- tentions were “misconstrued”. As football lovers across Asia look Over the past three weeks the- consider the top trio. inees for the best forwards of the sengers on three charter flights to As many as 72 players are con- forward to the return of the AFC AFC.com has seen the goalkeeper There are nine players in conten- 2020 AFC Champions League team. Australia tested positive for CO- fined to their hotel rooms for 14 VID-19 infections. days and unable to train for the The rest of the players, who Feb. 8-21 Australian Open af- Mitchell Scores 28, Jazz Beat Pelicans 118-102 travelled by 14 other charter ter passengers on three charter flights from across the world, are flights carrying them to Mel- SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- the first quarter, scoring 15 points allowed five hours daily outside bourne tested positive for the Donovan Mitchell had 28 points while going 6 for 7 from the field. their hotel rooms to spend on pre- novel coronavirus. and seven rebounds, and the Utah He converted a three-point play paring for the year’s first tennis Djokovic reportedly asked for Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans to punctuate an 11-2 run that gave major from Feb 8-21. reduced isolation periods and 118-102 on Tuesday night for their Utah a 29-22 lead. Some players and pundits have having players in hard quarantine sixth straight victory. Mitchell also had a key stretch said they feared the lack of train- moved to “private houses with Mitchell also made four of in the second quarter. He scored ing activities could make athletes tennis courts”, drawing a back- Utah’s 21 3-pointers. Jordan and threw a one-handed wrap- vulnerable to injuries during the lash from Australians. Clarkson added 18 points, six around pass as he was falling out rebounds, and six assists, and re- of bounds out to Bojan Bogda- serve Joe Ingles scored 15 points. novic to set up another basket. Rudy Gobert had 13 points, 18 The two plays bumped Utah back Shakib Stars in Bangladesh rebounds, and three blocks. in front 55-49 before halftime. Improved defensive play has The Jazz carried that momen- Win Over Windies keyed Utah’s surge on the perim- tum into the third quarter. Utah Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, left, goes to the basket as New Orleans eter, and it continued against New made 3-pointers on four straight Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker defends during the first half of Orleans. The Jazz disrupted shots, possessions to extend its lead to an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. crashed the boards, and sprinted 73-55. up the court on numerous posses- Pelicans trailed the entire second verted all five of his first-quarter Utah made eight total 3-point- sions to stay a step ahead of the half after allowing the Jazz to field goal attempts and capped a ers during the quarter. Clarkson Pelicans. make more than 20 3-pointers for 7-0 run with a layup that put New and Ingles scored the final two on Zion Williamson scored 32 the fourth time in six games. Orleans up 20-18. back-to-back possessions to push points for New Orleans, and Williamson gave the Pelicans an Mitchell matched his efficiency. the Jazz lead to 91-69 heading Brandon Ingram had 17. The early lift in the first half. He con- He powered the Jazz offense in into the fourth quarter. Leicester Beat Chelsea to Go Top of Premier League West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph (L) is clean bowled off Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan LONDON (Reuters) - Leices- ball from the right opened the during the first one-day international match between the two countries ter City have moved to the top of Chelsea defense. CANBERRA (Dispatches) - hammed said he was disappointed the Premier League night thanks It is the first time that Leices- Shakib Al Hasan claimed four with his side’s performance. to a 2-0 win at home to Chelsea. ter coach Brendan Rodgers has wickets for eight runs in his in- “It wasn’t easy to start on, but we Wilfred Ndidi scored a first- beat Chelsea in 16 attempts. ternational comeback to set up an didn’t have enough guys getting time shot following a short Tuesday’s first game saw Sam easy six-wicket victory for Bangla- partnerships and those who got corner in the sixth minute, Allardyce suffer a disappoint- desh over West Indies in the first starts didn’t carry on,” he said. one-day international in Dhaka on Mustafizur Rahman, who and James Maddison doubled ing return to the London Sta- Leicester City’s English defender James Justin, left, controls the ball Wednesday. claimed 2-20, seized the early mo- past Chelsea’s Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech during the English Leicester’s lead in the 42nd dium as West Ham beat West Debutant pacer Hasan Mahmud mentum for Bangladesh, trapping Premier League football match between Leicester City and Chelsea at minute after Jamie Vardy’s Brom 2-1 to dent the visitors’ also impressed with the ball, pick- Sunil Ambris in front for seven in the King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on Jan 19, 2021. dummy from Harvey Barnes’ survival bid. ing up 3-28 as the hosts bowled out the second over. the weakened tourists for 122 be- He removed Joshua Da Silva for fore racing to 125-4 in 33.5 overs. nine after a rain break that halted Skipper Tamim Iqbal top-scored play for nearly an hour. Spezia Beat 9-Man Roma 4-2 to Reach Italian Cup Quarters with 44 off 69 while all-rounder Playing his first international af- ROME, Italy (AP) -- Spezia advanced to the quarterfinals of the Italian Shakib played his part with the bat, ter a one-year suspension, Shakib’s Cup with a 4-2 win against nine-man Roma after extra time. hitting 19. left-arm spin immediately put Former Roma winger Daniele Verde and Riccardo Saponara scored in Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein pressure on the West Indies. extra time for Spezia, which next plays Napoli. took 3-26 to give the home bats- He bowled Andre McCarthy for The match changed two minutes into extra time as Roma defender men some trouble but his effort 12 before West Indies’ stand-in Gianluca Mancini and goalkeeper Pau Lopez were sent off within 30 sec- was not enough to defend the visi- captain Jason Mohammed was onds of each other, in separate incidents. tors’ meagre total. stumped off his bowling for 17. Mancini was dismissed following a second yellow card while Lopez Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudul- Nkrumah Bonner went for a duck received a straight red for clattering into Spezia forward Roberto Piccoli. lah Riyad were unbeaten on 19 and leg before wicket in Shakib’s next Spezia had been 2-0 up after 15 minutes, following Andrey Galabinov’s nine runs respectively to complete over to leave the West Indies strug- penalty and Saponara’s first goal of the night. the win, helping Bangladesh take a gling at 56-5. However, Roma got back into the match when Lorenzo Pellegrini con- 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Kyle Mayers hit 40 off 56 balls verted a penalty two minutes before halftime and Henrikh Mkhitaryan Opting to bowl first, Bangladesh and added 59 runs with Rovman leveled in the 73rd. earlier wrapped up the West Indies Powell (28) for the seventh wicket It was more misery for Roma, just a few days after an embarrassing 3-0 innings in 32.2 overs.