6 March 11, 2019 Djokovic, Osaka Earn Hirscher Seals Eighth Straight Overall Victories at Indian Wells World Cup Title beat Fratangelo and improve to 11-1 on the season. Afterward, Djokovic went over to greet former No. 1 Pete Sampras, who sat courtside. ‘’I think I tried too hard in the first set to impress him,’’ the Serb said. Djokovic indicated he was rusty at the start, having taken over a month off after winning the Australian Open in late January. ‘’I was kind of waiting for him to do something with the ball rather than doing it myself,’’ he said. ‘’That resulted in a very close first set. He was the one that was really aggressive and dictating the points from back of the court for entire first set.’’ Venus Williams outlasted No. 3 Marcel Hirscher finished third in Sunday’s slalom to seal his eighth seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in overall World Cup title. the second round. It was just her eighth match of the year. KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia with four races left, one of them a Kvitova served 10 aces and 10 (AFP) - Marcel Hirscher made downhill -- a discipline in which double-faults in the 2 1/2-hour certain of his eighth consecutive neither skier has ever finished Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns to Bjorn Fratangelo at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament match. She became the highest overall World Cup crown when on a World Cup podium, and a Saturday, March 9, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. seeded woman to lose so far. ‘’She’s been playing so well this he completed his second run in maximum of 400 points to ski for. the slalom in Kranjska Gora in The huge Zenhaeusern, who INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - tournament, his highest total at any No. 1 ranking. year. You never know what’s going Slovenia on Sunday. stands 2 metres (6’7”) tall, was Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka, ATP Masters 1000 event. ‘’I learn the most when I lose to come off her racket,’’ Williams both ranked No. 1 in the world, Defending champion Osaka beat matches, and honestly, it was said in an on-court interview. ‘’I The Austrian began the day only seventh after the first run cruised to straight-set victories at Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 in great that I got to play her again just loved the battle.’’ with a huge lead in the overall but was fastest in the second to the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday her first attempt at defending a because I was able to learn from Williams, a three-time standings over Alexis Pinturault beat Kristoffersen by 1.15sec, night. WTA Tour title. the mistakes I did back then,’’ semifinalist at Indian Wells, is the of France with five races to go. for a first career slalom victory, oldest woman in the tournament at Djokovic beat Bjorn Fratangelo Mladenovic upset Osaka in Osaka said. ‘’I just learned to be Hirscher was sixth after the first although the Swiss skier has won 38. She’s seeking her 50th career 7-6 (5), 6-2 in pursuit of a record straight sets two weeks ago at the really positive and not give her run. He stayed on his feet and two World Cup city knockout sixth title in the desert. It was Dubai tournament. It was Osaka’s anything.’’ title. Williams also needed three recorded a time that ensured he races. Djokovic’s 50th match win at the first match since ascending to the Djokovic needed 1 1/2 hours to sets to beat Andrea Petkovic in the first round. would collect enough points to Kristoffersen, who had won win his 20th crystal globe. his last three races, seemed set After all the competitors to add to his streak when he led Bayern Hit Six to Top had finished, Hirscher was by almost half a second after the BERLIN (Dispatches) - Bayern previous record-holder with 195. third behind winner Ramon first run but was only 24th second Munich went top of the Bundesliga Paco Alcacer and Christian Pulisic Zenhaeusern of Switzerland and time down. for the first time since September by scored late goals for Dortmund, Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen. In third, Hirscher took his 138th thrashing Wolfsburg. who won for only the second time Pinturault was seventh. career podium despite a much , who were in nine games in all competitions. The result means Hirscher is less convincing performance than nine points clear at the top in They led when scored December, beat Stuttgart 3-1 but a penalty, which was awarded by 509 points ahead of Pinturault usual. have now slipped behind Bayern on the video assistant referee after goal difference. Jadon Sancho was fouled by Serge Gnabry and Robert Gonzalo Castro. Lewandowski put the hosts 2-0 up Marc-Oliver Kempf’s header Messi Leads Barca Win with close-range finishes before from Castro’s free-kick saw James Rodriguez added a third Stuttgart level but Alcacer scored Before Champions from the edge of the box. from close range after a scramble Thomas Muller, in the box. Chelsea-bound Pulisic League Game Vs Lyon and Lewandowski’s second sealed Robert Lewandowksi has scored 197 Bundesliga goals - more than any added a third in injury time. the rout. other foreign player Bayern, who have won the past Poland forward Lewandowski six German titles, are now two is now the top-scoring foreign 197 goals. Former Bayern striker in the German top flight with Werder goals above Dortmund on goal player in Bundesliga history, with , who is still playing Bremen at the age of 40, was the difference. Guardiola Rips Reports Linking Him to Juventus

MANCHESTER (Dispatches) - Pep stingy Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Guardiola has dismissed reports that Champions League. he’ll be joining Juventus next season. Still, it’s hilarious that Allegri’s seat The Manchester City boss has won is hot even as Cristiano Ronaldo and titles in England, Germany, and Spain, Juve face dismissal from the UCL; and there’s plenty of pressure on Max Juve has a 19-point table lead having Allegri. played one more match than Napoli. And Guardiola is upset by the Guardiola says he’ll be with City for rumors, given that he has two years at least two more seasons. left on his contract and Juve very “Except if they sack me,” he FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side’s second much has a manager right now to go said. “Then after, I go home. But if goal from a penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match with a 19-point lead in Serie A. Manchester City want me I will stay between FC Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou stadium in Juventus is home this week in for two more years and hopefully Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 9, 2019. the UEFA Champions League and another one. I am not going to go to needs to overcome a 2-0 deficit to Juventus in the next two years.” BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - league. With Lionel Messi in top form, That means Barcelona will Petrucci Leads Marquez in Warm-Up at Qatar MotoGP Barcelona looks ready to erase its host French side Lyon in the Champions League frustrations. Champions League on Wednesday DOHA (Dispatches) - Petrucci hit the 0.057s short of Petrucci’s benchmark. Petronas SRT bike. and 0.751s off the pace on the second Messi made sure Barcelona after having taken major steps top of the times in the 20-minute session The only other rider to breach the Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) works Yamaha ahead of a race he backed up consecutive wins over toward securing a domestic with an early lap of 1m55.464s, and then 1m55s mark was Suzuki’s Alex Rins beat Ducati pair Andrea Dovizioso and expects to be “difficult” from his Real Madrid by scoring one goal double over the past two weeks. put himself beyond the reach of his rivals on a 1m54.943s. Jack Miller to sixth, while Espargaro starting slot of 14th. and setting up another to help beat Barcelona will need a win over after improving to a 1m54.807s. Poleman Maverick Vinales was brothers Aleix (Aprilia) and Pol Jorge Lorenzo, who admitted he was Reigning champion Marc Marquez fourth-fastest, just under three tenths (KTM) ensured all six marques were in “pain everywhere” following two the relegation-threatened Rayo Lyon to advance after being held saved his best lap until last, but the off the pace on the best of the Yamahas, represented in the top 10. crashes on Saturday, ended warm-up Vallecano 3-1 and maintain its to 0-0 in the opening leg of their Honda man’s 1m54.864s effort fell ahead of Franco Morbidelli’s satellite Valentino Rossi was 11th-fastest down in 20th place, 1.7s off the pace. comfortable lead of the Spanish round-of-16 tie.