SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2018 16 Hami dominates practice Lewis Hamilton piles even more pressure on Sebastian Vettel with practice double at Japanese Grand Prix

AFP | Suzuka, Japan flatters us a little bit,” he said. Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull “But we’ll see how it is in quali- slotted in behind Raikkonen on ewis Hamilton delivered fying tomorrow.” the timesheets to complete a a psychological blow to Vettel, who also had a near- predictable top six. LSebastian Vettel’s fading miss with Gasly as he went only Esteban Ocon’s Force Formula One title hopes as the fifth fastest in the morning, was seventh fastest in both ses- Briton dominated yesterday’s could be thrown a lifeline by sions, followed by the Haas of free practice for the Japanese the weather. Frenchman Romain Grosjean. Grand Prix. An approaching typhoon Marcus Ericsson moved his Sau- But the reigning world cham- could hit Suzuka on Saturday, ber up one spot to ninth with pion, who leads his Ferrari ri- but it would still be difficult to Brendon Hartley squeezing into val by 50 points with five rac- back against the Silver Arrows. the top 10 for Toro Rosso in the es left this season, survived a “It has been a clean Friday,” afternoon. close shave in the morning ses- insisted Vettel, despite com- sion at Suzuka when he deftly plaining of blistering tyres. avoided smashing his Mercedes “No interruptions, no issue into Pierre Gasly’s Toro Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton steers his car during the second practice session for the Formula One Japanese with the car or anything, so Rosso. Grand Prix now we have to try to obvious- Hamilton went on to clock ly squeeze out everything that a fastest time of one minute, is left in the car for tomorrow.” 28.691 seconds before the Brit- for the German. However, neither issue made Formula One crown. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Max on produced a sizzling lap of Hamilton’s only scare came in much difference to Hamilton’s Verstappen went fourth fastest Lewis Hamilton 1:28.217 to top the timesheets a bizarre incident early on when crushing dominance and the Twist the knife in the afternoon, more than a in the afternoon, almost half-a- he was forced to react sharply to pace shown by Mercedes sug- Yesterday’s showing, he will fan- second off Hamilton’s second quicker than team-mate avoid smashing into the back of gests they will be favourites to cy his chances of twisting the time with Ferrari’s Valtteri Bottas. Gasly’s dawdling car on entry to lock up the front row in Satur- knife into Vettel, who has seen Kimi Raikkonen “This track is awesome,” the chicane. day’s qualifying, as they did in Hamilton win five of the last fifth. whooped Hamilton over team He waved angrily at the Russia last week. six races. radio. “I’m having the best day!” Frenchman after veering off Hamilton controversially But Mercedes team boss Toto Vettel was third fastest, more the road and later needed to pit took his eighth chequered flag Wolff attempted to play down than 0.8 seconds off the pace, as to fix technical gremlins after of the season at Sochi after the significance of the gap to he prepares for what is looking a sensor alarm went off on his Mercedes ordered Bottas to let Ferrari. increasingly like a must-win race car’s dashboard. him through to close in on a fifth “I think probably the lap time Jadeja, bowlers put India in command Nishikori passes Greek test to reach Tokyo semis Kohli quickest to 24th AFP | Tokyo Having failed with his first • two match points, it was third Test ton after Bradman ocal favourite Kei Nishi- time lucky for Nishikori, who Lkori thrashed fifth seed delivered the coup de grace by India declare Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-3 to whipping a forehand past a de- on• 649-9 in first reach the Japan Open semi-fi- flated Tsitsipas to the delight West Indies Test nals yesterday, edging him of a sellout crowd. closer to a third Tokyo title. “I played well from start to Third seed Nishikori, who finish,” said Nishikori, a for- AFP | Rajkot, India won the last of his 11 career mer US Open runner-up who titles in Memphis two years reached New York semi-finals ndian bowlers rattled the ago, made light of the danger last month. West Indies first-innings posed by the young Greek with “I was returning well, which Ireply after Ravindra Jadeja a ruthless victory in just 82 meant I could serve relaxed,” smashed his maiden interna- minutes. added the 28-year-old, who tional century as the hosts got The 2012 and 2014 Japan is chasing a first title since re- a firm grip over the first Test Open winner will have to get covering from a lengthy wrist yesterday. past Richard Gasquet to ad- injury. The tourists were tottering vance to the final for a third Eighth seed Gasquet, a To- at 94 for six at stumps, trailing time after the Frenchman up- kyo runner-up in 2007, played India by 555 runs in their first Indian captain Virat Kohli celebrates after reaching his century (100 runs) as teammate looks on set second seed Kevin Ander- the big points better than innings on day two in Rajkot. son 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) in the South African Anderson as he Roston Chase, on 27, and Keemo dreds in the domestic circuit, Kohli behind Bradman late match. came through two tiebreaks Paul, on 13, were batting at close so I thought I can get hundreds Nishikori broke Tsitsipas for to knock out this year’s beaten of play. in the international level too.” Earlier Kohli became the quick- a second time to nudge ahead Wimbledon finalist. But it was the Indian batting Jadeja -- playing his 38th Test est batsman to reach 24 Test 4-3 before closing out the first Earlier, Canada’s Den - that made the world’s top side -- also got a after send- centuries since the great Don- set with an acrobatic backhand is Shapovalov, who last year so dominant as they posted their KNOW WHAT ing back Sunil Ambris, who had ald Bradman in the morning volley. made unwanted headlines highest total against the West scored 114 in his side’s session. The world number 12 quick- after smashing a ball at an Indies after declaring on 649-9 only tour game last week, for 12. Kohli put together 133 runs ly took a 4-1 lead in the sec- umpire and fracturing his eye at tea. Skipper Virat Kohli hit a The all-rounder though had a for the fifth wicket with over- ond as the potential threat of socket during a Davis Cup landmark ton, top-scoring with India captain Virat near-miss moment on the field night partner Rishabh Pant, a swashbuckling opponent tie, squeezed past German 139. Kohli became the when he playfully waited to run who made a quickfire 92. ranked only three places below Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-6 Fast bowler Mohammed quickest batsman to out who was Kohli, who started on his him never materialised. (9/7), 6-4. Shami then struck early to get reach 24 Test centu- scampering back to reach the overnight score of 72, got to his the two West Indian openers ries after the great non-striker’s end. hundred in his 123rd innings back in the pavilion for seven Jadeja though hit the stumps with a boundary off leg-spinner runs including stand-in-skipper Donald Bradman. with the batsman well short of Devendra Bishoo. Bradman took Kraigg Brathwaite for two. Kohli reached his the crease but his teasing act just 66 innings to achieve the But Jadeja remained the star 24th century in his tested the nerves of the Indian same feat. of the day after making an un- 123rd innings, while fielders including Kohli. India rammed home the ad- beaten 100. The left-handed Australia’s Bradman “Both batsmen were at the vantage after 18-year-old opener batsman stuck around with took just 66 knocks same end, so I thought I could Prithvi Shaw made 134 on day the lower-order to demolish a easily hit the stumps. I was just one to become their youngest toothless West Indian attack. walking at the stumps, and I batsman to score a century on “Obviously after nine years didn’t think he (Hetmyer) will debut. of international cricket I am start running,” jadeja said with The left-handed wicketkeep- scoring a hundred, so it is a spe- a smile. er-batsman Pant brought the cial moment,” Jadeja, who made “Whenever I reached 70-80 “I can’t think what would morning alive with his attacking his international debut in 2009 in the past I thought about my have happened if I hadn’t hit cricket as he hit eight fours and and played his first Test in 2012, hundred, but threw my wick- the stumps, but then I threw it four sixes during his 84-ball said. et away. I have made big hun- and luckily it hit the stumps.” blitz to flatten West Indies. Japan’s Kei Nishikori hits a return against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas

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