THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 16 Nadal steamrolls to opening win Rafael Nadal wins his second-round match at Monte Carlo in emphatic fashion “I’m really ready for the clay Alexander Zverev season.” • Canadian Auger-Aliassime has eases past Felix made a fast rise in the rankings Auger-Aliassime from 175 a year ago to his current KNOW WHAT position of 33rd. AFP | Monte Carlo Zverev swept the opening set in 30 minutes but had to get through a series of three straight afael Nadal charged out Bautista Agut has now breaks of serve between him of the blocks yesterday lost to Rafael Nadal and his opponent before finally Rto hammer Roberto Bau- in all three of their advancing in 78 minutes. tista Agut 6-1, 6-1 in his open- The third seed broke six times ing match at the Monte Carlo meetings and will next face Italy’s Fabio Masters. Fognini, who reached the third The 11-time champion showed form with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of round when French opponent no sign of the knee problems Felix Auger-Aliassime. Gilles Simon was unable to play which forced him to quit ahead The German, locally based, their match due to back prob- of an Indian Wells semi-final reached the third round as he lems. against Roger Federer a month tamed the 18-year-old who broke Greek sixth seed Stefanos ago. through for a Miami semi-final Tsitsipas moved ahead, defeat- The 32-year-old had ex - last month. ing Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-5. pressed pre-tournament caution “I need to maintain my focus, regarding the health of his knee Upbeat Zverev my concentration, my aggressive -- a worry which appeared to The 21-year-old Zverev played mindset when I’m on the court,” be groundless after a 76-minute the semi-finals in Monte Carlo Tsitsipas said. masterclass. a year ago but has yet to hit his “If all these are combined, Nadal collected the opening stride this season. That may be then I have nothing to fear and five games of the afternoon in starting to change. I have nothing to be afraid of 17 minutes as he set the tone for “This is the first time this sea- when I’m on the court. another dominant display in the son I’ve felt really healthy,” said “This is the first big clay court principality. Zverev, who lost prematurely at tournament, not everyone is very He was equally in control both Indian Wells and Miami, as well prepared for that. It’s been during the second set, where Spain’s Rafael Nadal hits a return to Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut well as in Marrakech last week. a long hardcourt court season he saved three break points in “I’ve been training well but before the clay.” the fourth game and two more on this court, I really enjoy play- “I tried to play solid, dominate Nadal improved his incredible haven’t been able to take that Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the sixth. ing here. with my forehand when I had record here to 69-4 as he takes into matches. defeated Marton Fucsovics of “It was a great start, it’s good “It’s not easy to come back the chance.” aim at a fourth consecutive title “I live just 500 metres from Hungary 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, while to be back here,” the 17-time from injury, I had to do a lot of Bautista Agut has now lost to at the event. here, I’m comfortable on this Pierre-Hugues Herbert stunned Grand Slam winner said. mental work as well to be pre- his Spanish countryman in all Third seed Alexander Zverev court. I’m starting to feel better 2018 finalist and fifth seed Kei “I’ve had some great moments pared. three of their meetings, while rediscovered traces of his best about my game. Nishikori 7-5, 6-4.

Solskjaer calls for squad rebuild Careless United undone by Messi double Reuters | Barcelona cember, giving the team hope of a top-four finish in the Pre- AFP | Barcelona fter their slim hopes of mier League. Aanother famous Cham- He also led them to an his- ionel Messi pounced on two pions League revival were toric comeback after a 2-0 LManchester United mis- stopped dead by first-leg defeat at home to Paris takes to score twice and end and a rampant Barcelona, Ole St Germain in the Champions their hopes of another come- Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his League last 16, going through back at Camp Nou as Barcelona Manchester United side need on away goals with a 3-1 win breezed into the Champions a huge overhaul in order to in the French capital. League semi-finals on Tuesday. return to Europe’s elite. Yet the scale of the long- After an excellent start, Unit- Although United made term surgery his side needs ed were undone twice in four a bright start to their quar- was laid bare at the Nou Camp, minutes by Messi, who first ter-final second leg at the Nou where Barca walked all over nicked the ball off the careless Camp with Marcus Rashford United. Ashley Young and then watched hitting the crossbar early on, “We’ve got good players to as a weak shot from distance they were soon outclassed by work with and at the moment squirmed underneath David de Barca, who eased to a 3-0 win we’ve done really well to get Gea. on Tuesday for a dominant 4-0 to the quarters and challenge Philippe Coutinho, in perhaps aggregate victory. for top four, but we’ve got a his best performance of the sea- “We were fighting against rebuilding job. It starts with son, added a third with a curling a great team and we know the coaches and players, and effort into the top corner and by there’s work to be done but with one or two additions,” the end, an outclassed United I’ve said all along this isn’t go- added the Norwegian. might have been relieved the ing to change overnight,” Sol- “We’re on with the job and score was not more traumatic skjaer told a news conference. have spoken to the players we than 3-0, 4-0 on aggregate. “The next few years are go- need to get the best out of each “We had five uncomfortable drops to his knees after allowing Lionel Messi’s tame shot to squirm under his body ing to be massive to get to the other, create an environment minutes because they came out level that Barcelona and other of top class attitude, world strong,” said Barcelona coach Barcelona and these sorts of against Munich here 20 years teams are at.” class attitude every single Ernesto Valverde. “But then teams.” ago. Solskjaer has restored Unit- day.” there were another 85 minutes Messi now has his 109th and They could have hardly have ed’s confidence and overseen Barca scored their third goal where we weren’t bad.” We had five 110th Champions League goals asked for a better start. United a vast improvement in results when Philippe Coutinho was A dizzying opening spell, in uncomfortable minutes and, potentially, three extra were brilliant for eight min - in his four months in charge left with plenty of space and which Marcus Rashford had hit matches to reduce the gap on utes and could have been ahead since taking the job after Jose time to curl a shot into the top the crossbar, was long-forgot- because they came ’s 126, after within 30 seconds as Rashford Mourinho was sacked in De- corner. ten, even if it could offer Barca’s out strong. But then Juventus were dumped out by raced onto a curving Paul Pog- next opponents some encour- there were another Ajax. Barcelona’s fans celebrat- ba pass and toed away a shot, agement. 85 minutes where we ed that too. which Marc-Andre ter Stegen Liverpool, who take a 2-0 lead weren’t bad Solskjaer had urged his strik- bravely left to graze his own to Porto, are now the most like- ers to be more lethal here but it crossbar. ERNESTO VALVERDE ly obstacle between them and felt ominous that even before Barca were flustered, so much their first Champions League kick-off, Rashford, Anthony so the crowd even cheered with final since they last won this Martial, Romelu Lukaku and relief when played tournament in 2015. Mohamed mous 1999 rescue act against Alexis Sanchez had hit 42 goals his team’s first convincing Salah and Sadio Mane might feel Bayern Munich, on this same this season, while Messi on his pass. emboldened. pitch, were dashed. own had 43. Then, Barcelona had their Instead, United’s pair of ear- “We said all along this was Around an hour before kick- own eight-minute flurry as ly errors made this another not going to change overnight,” off, Alex Ferguson was on United almost conceded a pen- night about Messi and ensured United’s coach Ole Gunnar Sol- the side of the pitch, shaking alty, ruled out after Fred took any faint hopes of repeating skjaer said. “In the next few hands with Ryan Giggs and the ball before bringing down the comeback against Paris years it is going to be a mas - sharing words with Solskjaer, Ivan Rakitic, and then did con- Ole Gunnar Solskjær embraces Lionel Messi after the match Saint-Germain, or even the fa- sive effort to get to the level of the scorer of the winning goal cede, twice, to Messi.