15 SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2019 sports

Flawless night for Japan, Uruguay draw after Bahrain in Rome

TDT | Manama Bahrain rose to the top of the world of mixed martial arts new VAR controversy ahrain, the number-one after strong showings in the Branked MMA team in the Asian and African Champion- world, has had a dream start ships, which will likely contin- to their European Open cam- ue through the Euro Open, if Uruguay fight back paign. this Thursday is anything to go • The Kingdom did a clean by. The Kingdom has topped against Japan with help sweep on Day 2 of the IM- the latest rankings, surpassing of VAR controversy MAF-WMMAA European Open Kazakhstan and Sweden in the Championships, which takes process. Tournament guests place in Rome, Italy, winning Between the Junior and Sen- twice• take the lead all 10 of their opening bouts in ior brackets, Bahrain advanced the tournament. with 10 fighters. Ebrahim Dar- through The results are further wish, Ali Yaqoob, Murad Gu- with Luis Suarez and proof of the power of Bah - seinov and Yousif Sayyar won Jose Gimenez pulling rain in the MMA world. The their fights at the Junior cham- Uruguay level Kingdom will host the World pionships, while Ramazan Championships in November Gitinov, Hamza Zrira, Abdul- for the third straight time, as manap Magomedov, Shamil AFP | Porto Alegre, Brazil announced last week by the Alikhanov, Magomed Idrisov, Bahrain MMA Federation, to- and Abbas Khan all came out wo goals from Koji Mi- gether with BRAVE CF and IM- victorious in the first round of yoshi helped Japan se- MAF-WMMAA. the Senior tournament. Tcure a hard-earned point in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay at the Copa America on Thursday. Miyoshi twice fired Japan Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in action into the lead only for Uruguay to level through a controversial Uruguay meanwhile always The 22-year-old Yokohama Bottas bounces back penalty from Luis Suarez and a looked threatening going for- F. Marinos midfielder still had second-half header from Jose ward, with the strikeforce of plenty to do, but ghosted to the to top Hamilton Gimenez. Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez byline before smashing into the The draw means Japan have causing problems for the Japa- roof of the net from a tight angle. an outside chance of reaching KNOW WHAT nese back four. But Japan’s joy was short- the quarter-finals from Group Cavani almost created the lived as Uruguay were gifted an C, with one game remaining opening goal for Suarez in the equaliser with a VAR-assisted against Ecuador. The draw means Japan 12th minute, working a one-two penalty four minutes later. Uruguay, who trounced Ec- have an outside chance with Diego Godin before cross- There appeared to be no uador in their opening game, ing for Suarez. question of a foul after Cavani missed the chance to make cer- of reaching the quar- The Barcelona star howev- and Ueda came together in the tain of their place in the last ter-finals from Group C, er could only direct his chance penalty area with the Uruguay- eight against a Japan team who with one game remain- at goalkeeper , an striker stretching to reach had been trounced 4-0 by Chile ing against Ecuador who gathered safely. a pass. in their opening game. then had a But VAR ruled that Ueda had Japan had been let down by relegated and Take- half-chance for Japan at the oth- fouled Cavani prompting Co- Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas drives during the practice session poor finishing in their defeat fusa Kubo to the bench. er end but his glancing head- lombian referee Andres Rojas to Chile, but were a different Miyoshi meanwhile provided er from a free-kick was easily to point to the spot. AFP | Le Castellet, France investigation. proposition at the Arena do Gre- attacking thrust in a new-look saved. Suarez stepped up to convert British rookie Lando Norris mio as coach Japanese midfield. With Uruguay’s defence look- and Uruguay were level. altteri Bottas outpaced his was a surprise fifth for McLar- range the changes in his starting Abe created a half-chance on ing uncharacteristically vulner- Cavani almost gave Uruguay Vteam-mate Lewis Hamil- en ahead of Max Verstappen’s line-up. 10 minutes but Okazaki was un- able, Japan took the lead on 25 the lead in the 36th minute with ton to top the times in second Red Bull, Carlos Sainz in the Former Leicester City striker able to control his attempted minutes when a long diagonal 25-yard rocket that crashed off free practice at the French second McLaren and local started alongside header and flashed his effort pass from sent the bar but Japan reached the Grand Prix yesterday, as Fer- hope Pierre Gasly in the sec- up front as Moriyasu high and wide. Miyoshi racing clear. break level. rari’s bid to be granted a review ond Red Bull. of Sebastian Vettel’s penalty in Kimi Raikkonen, who fin- Montreal was rejected. ished the session bumping Finn Bottas, who is 29 points over the kerbs at Turn Five, behind defending world cham- was ninth for Alfa Romeo and pion Hamilton in the title race, Kevin Magnussen 10th in his clocked a fastest lap in one Haas. minute and 30.937 seconds to On a sweltering afternoon, outpace the Englishman by with air temperatures of 32 de- four-tenths of a second. grees Celsius and the track at Charles Leclerc was third 55, the teams all struggled with fastest ahead of his Ferra - tyres and grip as the surface of ri team-mate Vettel, the pair the Le Castellet track absorbed running six and seven-tenths the heat. off the pace set by Bottas As in the morning, when on an afternoon of searing Hamilton led Bottas in open- heat. ing practice, there was little Hamilton, who won last to entertain the sparse crowd year’s race from pole, was fast- until the world champion went est in the morning, but had a off through Turns Three and less comfortable time in the Four, taking out a bollard with second session, including an his left rear wheel as he re - Bahrain Tennis Academy (BTA) Director, Dan Barrie with the Award nominees and winners of BTA’s 16th Annual Junior Awards Ceremony at the Dilmun Club in off-track excursion for which turned to the track ahead of Saar. Short-listed players gathered to honour the most outstanding players of the season with 18 awards presented. Wenbo Lu, who was nominated for seven he was called for a stewards’ Verstappen. categories and collected awards in four of them, was the star of the ceremony Zverev crashes out in Halle quarter-finals AFP | Halle Westfalen, Germany hurting himself in the first round, and the tiebreaker. the beginning of Wimbledon on July 1. orld number five Alexander the Halle crowd watched on in dismay The defeat compounds a disap - Goffin will face Italian talent Mat- WZverev crashed out of the ATP as he struggled to find his rhythm pointing grass season so far for Zverev, teo Berrettini in the semi-finals on tournament in Halle yesterday in a against world number 33 Goffin. who suffered another early exit on Saturday. surprise 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (3/7) quarter-fi- The 22-year-old served nine dou- home soil in Stuttgart last week at the Rising star Berrettini continued his nal defeat by Belgium’s David Goffin. ble faults in a rollercoaster match, hands of compatriot Dustin Brown. excellent 2019 form with a 6-2, 7-6 Home favourite Zverev was playing and survived two match points in the The German will be hoping to redis- (7/4) victory over Russian third seed Alexander Zverev reacts during his match with a swollen knee after slipping and third set before ultimately losing in cover his form and fitness in time for Karen Khachanov.