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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015 SPORTS Hamilton wins Chinese GP Rosberg accuses teammate of selfish driving SHANGHAI: Lewis Hamilton shrugged off accu- sations of selfish driving from beaten team mate Nico Rosberg yesterday after the Formula One world champion led Mercedes to a Chinese Grand Prix one-two finish. If the race ended in anti-climax, with the safety car deployed for the last two laps, the sparks flew afterwards when a seething Rosberg said Hamilton had compro- mised his race by driving too slow. The flare up of tensions between the two, so evident last year, sent Mercedes bosses into fire-fighting mode when they might have hoped to have cel- ebrated reasserting their dominance over Ferrari. The team’s non-executive chairman and former triple champion Niki Lauda made clear whose side he was on. “Sure, everyone drives selfish,” commented the Austrian. “What do you think these guys are here to do? I call them egocentric bastards. “That is the only way to win and the only way to win the championship.” Hamilton, who led AUGUSTA: Jordan Spieth tees off on the 18th hole during the third round of the from pole position and controlled the race pace Masters golf tournament. —AP to Rosberg’s discomfort, was unrepentant after celebrating a 35th career win-and fourth in China-that left him 13 points clear at the top Spieth refuses to crack after three races. “It’s not my job to look after Nico’s race,” said the Briton, who could point also to the fact that under Masters pressure he ended the day with the fastest lap of the race. AUGUSTA: The biggest names in golf put “I knew that something under par Hamilton’s second win in three races left him major pressure on Jordan Spieth but the would be a good round,” Spieth told on 68 points with Vettel on 55 and Rosberg a fur- young American refused to crack, carding a reporters. “The greens kind of baked up ther four points adrift. “Great stuff, Lewis, great two-under 70 on Saturday to take a four- and got quick and slippery. stuff, stellar weekend mate, it’s a full house,” shot lead into the final round of the “Obviously being four-under at one Hamilton’s race engineer told him over the radio Masters. Masters champions Tiger Woods point in the round and closing it out at after he took the chequered flag. Ferrari’s and Phil Mickelson and world number one two-under is disappointing. “Obviously Sebastian Vettel, who stunned Mercedes with a Rory McIlroy all took turns trying to rattle would have liked to have finished the brilliant victory in the previous round in the 21-year-old Texan, but Spieth held round a little bit better but also could have Malaysia, threatened again but his challenge steady on a sweaty Georgia afternoon, set- been worse. faded in the second stint on the medium-com- ting a Masters record 54-hole total of 16- “They are going to bring their game and pound tyres. A third podium in as many races under 200 to better the previous mark of I’ve got to have a relatively stress-free since joining from Red Bull was still a great result 201 shared by Woods and Raymond Floyd. round going; and when I say that, I mean for the four-times champion. Runnerup to Bubba Watson last year in give myself some tap in pars and not have his Masters debut, Spieth will again feature to make so many putts.” SAFETY CAR in Sunday’s final pairing where he will be Competing for the first time in two Vettel would have been as relieved as any joined by Englishman Justin Rose, who months after a self-imposed absence from when engine failure on Max Verstappen’s Toro emerged as a green jacket contender with the PGA Tour to retool his game, Woods Rosso brought out the safety car and thwarted a blazing back nine. flashed glimpses of the form that carried any chance of Kimi Raikkonen overtaking his The 2013 US Open winner, 10 shots back him to four green jackets as he joined Ferrari team mate. Hamilton started the race SHANGHAI: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gives a thumbs-up while holding his of the leader on the front nine, collected McIlroy, Kevin Streelman (70), Kevin Na (70) with his car aggressively angled towards the trophy on the podium after winning the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. —AP five birdies over his final six holes for a five- and Dustin Johnson (73) in a tie for fifth, 10 inside on the grid, seemingly to cover any attack under 67. shots back of the frontrunner. from Rosberg, although he explained that was a hottest and the cars fitted with soft tyres. the first points of the season for Lotus in seventh Phil Mickelson also had a 67 to sit five “I’ve got to go out early and do what I simple mistake. “You can’t reverse and park back They lurked within striking distance through- while Sauber claimed a double points finish with off the pace while Charley Hoffman did a few years ago, I shot 30 or 31,” said up,” he said. Once the lights went out, the Briton out the opening runs and at one point after the Felipe Nasr claiming eighth and Swede Marcus returned a one-under 71 to leave him six Woods refusing to wave the white flag on a surged ahead of his team mate with Mercedes, first pit stops, seemed like genuine contenders. Ericsson rounding out the top 10. back. McIlroy and Woods were among fifth Masters title. “I’m going to have to do Ferrari and Williams then running in pairs. Vettel closed to within two seconds of Daniel Ricciardo, who endured another frus- those at six under after shooting 68s. something like that and continue on the Raikkonen, who was left ruing another Rosberg but fell behind after switching to the trating race in his underperforming Red Bull, was The third round of the Masters is often back nine, at least give myself a chance missed opportunity after qualifying sixth, surged harder compound tyres as Mercedes shadowed ninth with engine partners Renault holding up filled with drama but with Woods, the 14- going in the back nine. past Williams’ Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas off Ferrari’s tactics to avoid being outfoxed by the their hands and taking the blame. time major winner; Mickelson, a three-time “It’s in Jordan’s hands right now, he can the line to slot into fourth behind Vettel. Italians as they had been in Malaysia. Williams, McLaren continued their early season strug- Masters champion; and McIlroy, chasing a run off and make three birdies coming in Although Mercedes were expected to regain replaced by Ferrari as Mercedes’ closest chal- gles with Fernando Alonso finishing a lap down career grand slam, all on the charge the and put a substantial gap between himself their dominant stride in the cooler conditions, lengers, had Massa and Bottas finish fifth and in 12th, while Jenson Button dropped to 14th atmosphere around Augusta National was and the rest of the field. Ferrari kept the Silver Arrows honest for most of sixth respectively. after picking up a time penalty for causing a col- electric with possibilities as Spieth’s com- “But you just never know.” McIlroy made the early running when the track was at his Romain Grosjean had a steady drive to claim lision with Lotus’s Pastor Maldonado. —Reuters posure was put to the test. a spectacular start with an eagle on the Holding a five-shot overnight lead, the par-five second. On the brink of missing the unflappable Spieth had threatened to run cut with nine holes to play on Friday, the away with the year’s first major, widening Northern Irishman grinded his way to eight his lead to seven before a double-bogey at under but stumbled with bogeys at the the par-four 17th. 16th and 18th. After carding just a single bogey “A disappointing finish,” lamented through the opening two rounds, Spieth McIlroy. “But overall felt like I played pretty had three on Saturday along with his dou- well; and as I say, just a little disappointed ble-bogey, but also compiled seven birdies. the way I finished.”—Reuters New Zealand upset Australia to lift Sultan Azlan Shah Cup IPOH: Devon Manchester’s heroics lead. Title holders Australia, who have won between the posts helped New Zealand the tournament eight times, came out fir- upset world champions Australia to take ing and dominated the game but Black the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title in Malaysia Sticks keeper Manchester managed to yesterday. bring out his best despite the Australian After both teams were tied 2-2 in regu- team swarming the New Zealand goal- lation time, the Black Sticks prevailed 3-1 mouth. Both teams created numerous in the shootout to regain the title they last chances but were unable to score with won beating Argentina in 2012. both keepers in superb form. New Zealand should have won the However, after toiling for 50 minutes, game in regulation time but conceded a Australia finally managed to get past contested penalty stroke in the dying sec- Manchester when Jacob Whetton, with an onds of the game. assist from Jamie Dwyer, deflected the ball In the shootout, Australia’s sole conver- past the Kiwi keeper. sion was by Jacob Whetton. Daniel Beale New Zealand looked to have sealed the missed the first attempt while Eddie title after Andy Hayward converted anoth- Ockenden and Aran Zalewski missed the er penalty corner in the 58th minute.

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