Aspire Academy's Student-Athletes Training in Kenya
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NFL | Page 5 GOLF | Page 6 Chiefs, 49ers Landry holds advance to off Ancer Super Bowl for PGA La showdown Quinta crown Tuesday, January 21, 2020 CRICKET Jumada I 26, 1441 AH England thrash GULF TIMES SA by an innings and 53 runs SPORT Page 3 TENNIS Djokovic survives scare as rain causes chaos at Open Federer, Serena and Osaka also advance while Venus is ousted by rising US teenager Coco Gauff AFP While play continued at the played before in the fi rst round of a Melbourne three stadiums with retractable Grand Slam.” roofs, half of the 64 scheduled Later on the covered centre court, matches were postponed, Australian world number one Ashleigh ovak Djokovic survived a scare ensuring a big backlog today Barty recovered strongly from a set to join Roger Federer and Serena down to beat Lesia Tsurenko 5-7, 6-1, NWilliams in the Australian Open 6-2, 6-2 victory over American Steve 6-1. second round as heavy downpours Johnson. In the men’s draw, Greek sixth seed caused chaos yesterday, forcing organ- Williams, on the hunt for a record- Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Federer en isers to postpone a swathe of matches. equalling 24th Grand Slam title, won route to last year’s semis, crushed Sal- Defending champion Djokovic was the fi rst set against Anastasia Potapova vatore Caruso 6-0, 6-2, 6-3. made to sweat before beating Ger- in just 19 minutes as she cruised to a Player anger over smog dominated many’s Jan-Lennard Struff in four sets 6-0, 6-3 win in less than an hour. the fi nal days before the tournament, on the fi rst day, when fears over air “I feel like I can still improve and get which is taking place after bushfi res pollution were replaced by disruption better throughout this tournament, for ravaged large parts of Australia, de- caused by rain. sure. This is a good stepping stone for stroying thousands of homes and kill- While play continued at the three right now,” Williams said. ing 29 people. stadiums with retractable roofs, half However, Williams’ elder sister Ve- Tournament offi cials are closely of the 64 scheduled matches were nus was ousted in stunning fashion by monitoring pollution and will halt play postponed, ensuring a big backlog for 15-year-old Coco Gauff , who won 7-6 and close the three main stadiums’ today. (7/5), 6-3 in a repeat of her fi rst-round roofs if particulate matter suspended Wet conditions are unusual for the upset at Wimbledon last year. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the air hits PM2.5 200. Australian Open, which is more used In the late match, defending cham- reacts after a point against In other results, Canadian 13th seed to extreme heat and was plagued by pion Djokovic dropped his fi rst set Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff Denis Shapovalov argued furiously smog from bushfi res during qualify- since 2006 in the opening round before during their first round match with the umpire over a code violation ing, when players suff ered coughing recovering to beat Jan-Lennard Struff of the Australian Open tennis for throwing his racquet as he lost in fi ts and breathing problems. 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. tournament in Melbourne four sets to Marton Fucsovics. Air quality was rated ‘good’ as the “There is a lot of pressure and a lot of yesterday. Croatian 25th seed Borna Coric was fi rst round started yesterday but about diff erent emotions involved. I defi nite- another fi rst-round loser as he went four hours later play was suspended ly try to remind myself to stay present down to experienced American Sam on outside courts when the heavens and really enjoy,” said the seven-time Querrey, while Australia’s Sam Stosur opened in Melbourne. Melbourne winner, who brought up his bombed out against Caty McNally. World number three Federer was 900th Tour-level victory. out in three sets to Zhang Shuai of was done well before the downpour as broke a net fastening. But former champion Caroline Woz- briefl y hauled off court while the roof Former US Open champion Sloane China — her fourth fi rst-round exit in she dismissed Marie Bouzkova of the “It was really tough for me trying to niacki, playing her last tournament be- was closed on Rod Laver Arena before Stephens was the biggest women’s Melbourne. Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 in 80 min- control my nerves,” said Osaka. “It’s fore retiring, safely reached the second returning to complete a routine 6-3, casualty on day one when she crashed Defending champion Naomi Osaka utes, smashing one powerful serve that tough to play someone you’ve never round as she beat Kristie Ahn 6-1, 6-3. ‘I’m just Olympia’s mom’: Serena’s QATAR BEAT SOUTH KOREA history chase begins with win Melbourne: Serena Williams blitzed the first set in just 19 minutes as she launched her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title with a quickfire demolition of Anastasia Potapova at the Aus- tralian Open yesterday. The 38-year-old American, wearing a lilac dress and matching trainers, and sporting heavily decorated fingernails, powered past the Rus- sian teenager 6-0, 6-3 in 58 minutes. Williams comes into Melbourne in ominous form after breaking her three-year title drought with victory in Auckland — her first since becoming a mother to two-year-old daughter Olympia. Olympia watched her mother win the title last week, and Williams said after easing to victory over Potapova: “It (Auckland) was really special for me and her (Olympia) — I hope for her.” But the American legend, speaking to an ador- ing crowd at the 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena, admitted that Olympia “just cares about Play-Doh”. “I try to tell her I’m someone, you know,” she joked. “(But) I am just known about town as Olympia’s mom — I love that.” Williams threatened to blow away the 18-year- old Potapova — who was temperamental at times — in embarrassingly rapid fashion. But the 90th-ranked Russian, overawed in the first set, fought back and broke Williams’s serve Qatar notched up their in the second, helped by some sloppiness from third win on the trot in the American.Williams double-faulted to go the Asian Handball down a surprise 2-1, but there was never a hint Championship, beating of an upset as the American broke back before South Korea 34-27 in their pulling away to an easy win. Group 2 quarter-final There is huge pressure on Williams as she league match yesterday. eyes the record Grand Slam haul of Australia’s Qatar’s group also includes Margaret Court. Since winning the title in Iran and hosts Kuwait. Melbourne in 2017 she has lost four Slam finals, The top two teams from each time failing to even win a set. the group enter the semi- finals. Bahrain, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE constitute Group 1. Qatar had earlier topped their preliminary group with victories over China and Japan. Qatar are the defending champions. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, January 21, 2020 SPORT TENNIS/AUSTRALIAN OPEN FOCUS Tsitsipas calls for ‘a little more respect’ Teenager Gauff aft er rowdy 1st round Reuters Tsitsipas’ high-powered Melbourne game kept him in control in much of the match, with the only slight blip coming to- tefanos Tsitsipas called wards the end when he failed completes double for fans to be “a lit- to convert three match points tle more respectful” on Caruso’s serve. of his opponents after He fi nally secured victory Sa rowdy fi rst match win over on his own serve with an ace Italy’s Salvatore Caruso at the down the middle of the court Australian Open yesterday. after an hour and 43 minutes. Melbourne’s large Greek Tsitsipas will next face Ger- community was out in full force many’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, eclipse of Venus at the Margaret Court Arena, who beat American Marcos chanting “Ole! Ole! Stefanos Giron 7-5, 6-1, 6-2. Gauff again has the measure of veteran Venus, will meet Romania’s Cirstea in 2nd round Tsitsipas!” as the Athens-born Sixth-ranked Tsitsipas has player put on a commanding been touted as a potential Reuters DAY ONE RESULTS 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 win over Caruso winner at Melbourne Park Melbourne in less than two hours. where he had beaten Roger Fe- Men’s singles Caruso, ranked 95th in the derer in the fourth round amid 1st round world, looked hopelessly out- a sensational run to the semi- oco Gauff shone on her Matteo Berrettini (ITA x8) bt played throughout and his fi nals last year. Australian Open de- Andrew Harris (AUS) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 troubles were compounded The 2019 ATP Finals cham- but yesterday as she Ricardas Berankis (LIT) bt Rob- after a fi nger on his right hand pion is aiming to better that knocked Venus Wil- erto Carballes (ESP) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 started bleeding from a cut performance, saying that he Cliams out of the fi rst round in early in the fi nal set. now has the game to go all the Sam Querrey (USA) bt Borna a repeat of her stunning vic- Coric (CRO x25) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 The crowd did not help way. tory over the seven-times Grand Guido Pella (ARG x22) bt John- matters, with some Tsitsipas “I definitely feel like I’m Slam champion in the Wimble- Patrick Smith (AUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 supporters loudly booing the more experienced now.