NHL hoping to make Messi nets four goals inroads in China to keep Barcelona with preseason games with perfect record THURSDAY,13 SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 15 Hoskins’ 4 RBIs lead Phillies over Dodgers 6-2 Page 14 PRAGUE: (L to R) Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, Swedish former tennis player Bjorn Borg, former tennis player of Australia Rod Laver,former tennis player of US John McEnroe pose on the stage ahead of the tennis Laver Cup yesteray in Prague, Czech Republic. European players compete against players from the rest of the World during the Laver Cup tournament that runs from from September 22-24. — AFP Nadal, Federer lead Europe in inaugural Laver Cup PRAGUE: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will watch events that Laver Cup organisers hope to the players wouldn’t be here,” the Swiss great Krygios and Canadian Denis Shapovalov. In a bid to keep the pace humming, the set aside their long-time rivalry when they play showcase. “I’ve been watching these guys play told a news conference. “The best (players) in the With five players inside the world’s top 10, the indoor hard court matches at Prague’s O2 Arena for Europe against the rest of the world in the for so many years, it’s going to be a fun week- world are very picky in what (tournaments) they Borg-led European squad is heavily favoured will be best-of-three sets with a 10-point tiebreak inaugural Laver Cup tournament which starts end,” Borg, now 61, told reporters yesterday. “But play, which (is why it) is great they made this a against a world team hit by Argentine Juan deciding the final set. With no player featuring in tomorrow. Team Europe, featuring the world’s make no mistake, we are here to win.” Conceived priority.” “(We’re) looking forward to making Martin del Potro’s late withdrawal due to injury. singles more than twice during the first two days, top two players, are overwhelming favourites to by Federer and his sports management company friendships because we play together and not “I’m expecting a lot of fun but at the same Nadal and Federer could see themselves on the win the three-day tournament, which is named Team8, the tournament is the latest to join a against each other for a change.” time I know it’s going to be very competitive,” the same side of the net in a mouthwatering doubles after Australian great Rod Laver, with a squad crowded calendar and comes on the heels of the 22-year-old Krygios told reporters. “We are the pairing. “We don’t even know if captain Borg is boasting a combined 36 grand slam titles against Davis Cup semi-finals last week. EUROPE FAVOURED underdogs.” going to pick us but, of course, I would love to one for Team World. World number two Federer played down the Team Europe also includes German Alexander The tournament, which will rotate between play with Rafa and see that forehand do damage The teams are captained by Bjorn Borg and impact of another event, saying matches over a Zverev, Croatia’s Marin Cilic, Austrian Dominic Europe and the rest of the world each year, fea- on the other side (of the net),” Federer said. John McEnroe, whose own rivalry starting in the short period were manageable and gave players Thiem and Czech Tomas Berdych. Team World tures three singles and one doubles match each “I’m sure that the crowd would go absolutely 1970s featured a contrast in temperament and on the two teams the chance to build cama- features Americans Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, John day. A win is worth one point on Friday, two on crazy and just because of that it would just be style that made their matches the kind of must- raderie. “I don’t think it’s too much otherwise all Isner and Frances Tiafoe plus Australia’s Nick Saturday and three on Sunday. great to play us potentially.” — Reuters Jake LaMotta, boxing’s ‘Raging Bull,’ dead at 90s MIAMI: Jake LaMotta, the brutish former boxing “The three toughest fighters I’ve ever been up went several years thinking he had beaten a bookie champion whose life of violence in and out of the against were Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray to death in a robbery. As an adult, he was abusive to ring was portrayed in the movie “Raging Bull,” died on Robinson and Sugar Ray Robinson,” LaMotta said. “I women and once severely beat his wife Vicki and his Tuesday, according to one of his daughters. LaMotta, fought Sugar so many times, I’m surprised I’m not dia- best friend after hearing they were having an affair. who admitted intentionally losing a fight at the betic,” he said in a line that he would use often. Mobsters had a great deal of control over boxing dur- behest of mobsters, was in his 90s, listing his birthday Fighting mostly as a middleweight and known as ing LaMotta’s career but he refused to take on a as July 10, 1922, while other sources had the year as the “Raging Bull” and “Bronx Bull,” LaMotta finished his Mafia-connected manager. He did, however, agree to 1921. His daughter Christi LaMotta announced the 13-year career with 83 victories (30 by knockout), 19 throw his 1947 match against Billy Fox in return for a death on her personal Facebook page but did not dis- losses and four draws. He was never knocked out and long-sought chance to fight for a championship. In close the cause of death. in 2002, the authoritative Ring Magazine ranked him his autobiography LaMotta said he had trouble mak- LaMotta’s seventh wife, Denise Baker, told ABC 52nd on its list of the 80 best fighters of the previous ing the Fox fight look convincing. The referee stopped News that the boxer, who had been living in a nursing 80 years. While LaMotta’s strength and volatility made the fight in the fourth round as Fox pounded home in Miami, died of complications of pneumonia. him one of the top fighters of the 1940s and ‘50s, by LaMotta, who was not defending himself. By that Actor Robert DeNiro, who won an Academy Award in his own admission, his paranoid, jealous and self- point, LaMotta wrote, “If there was anybody in the 1981 for his movie portrayal of LaMotta, issued a destructive nature led to a life of turmoil. Garden who didn’t know what was happening, he statement saying, “Rest in Peace, Champ.” must have been dead drunk.” LaMotta was suspend- LaMotta, who grew up in a rough neighborhood EARLY CRIMES ed for several months after the bout and admitted in New York City’s Bronx borough, had a fearless ring LaMotta was a raging bull of a hoodlum as a child. throwing the fight when he testified to a Senate sub- TOKYO: Garbine Muguruza of Spain returns a shot to Monica Puig of Puerto Rico style in which he closed in on an opponent, leaning After being beaten up at school once, LaMotta told committee investigating boxing corruption in 1960. during their second round match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in low and forward, and began battering away with little Reuters his abusive father gave him an ice pick to use The mob did give LaMotta his shot at the title, Tokyo, yesterday. — AP concern about the shots he might take in return. He on his attackers. “And when I went after them with an though, and he made good on it, defeating French- had a reputation for having the strongest chin in the ice pick, they ran away,” he said. “Then I realized I Algerian Marcel Cerdan in 1949 to win the mid- Muguruza beats Puig to reach sport. “Punches never bothered me that much,” he didn’t have to use an ice pick any more. I was good dleweight crown. once told the Times of London. LaMotta’s career was enough with my fists.” He fought other neighborhood LaMotta held the title almost two years before los- Pan Pacific quarter-finals highlighted by a rivalry with the legendary Sugar Ray boys in matches that adults bet on and ended up at a ing it to Robinson in their sixth fight on Feb. 14, 1951, Robinson, who beat LaMotta in five of their six match- juvenile facility for attempting to rob a jewelry store. a bout so fierce it became known as the St. Valentine’s TOKYO: Garbine Muguruza began her reign the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year. es, including an especially ferocious title bout in 1951. Due to an erroneous newspaper report, LaMotta Day Massacre. LaMotta took a brutal pounding from as No. 1 with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Monica Puig Muguruza took over at No. 1 from Robinson but was never knocked down in a fight yesterday, earning a spot in the quarterfinals Karolina Pliskova, who also advanced with a stopped by the referee in the 13th round. of the Pan Pacific Open. 6-2, 6-1 win over Magda Linette. After coast- LaMotta retired three years after that loss to Playing in her first tournament since ing through the first set, the Czech player Robinson. Martin Scorsese’s 1980 “Raging Bull” movie earning the WTA’s top ranking, the broke her opponent with a backhand to the was based on LaMotta’s 1970 autobiography and the Wimbledon champion broke Puig to go up corner in the sixth game before serving out boxer helped DeNiro prepare for the starring role by 5-0 in the second set and then won with her to win.