FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 NNBABA | Page 5 Lyon beat Nice, Cavaliers pip Marseille school Celtics, to Champions trim defi cit in League spot Eastern fi nals Monday, May 21, 2018 CYCLING Ramadan 5, 1439 AH Yates extends GULF TIMES overall lead with third Giro stage win SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL New PSG coach Tuchel relishes working with ‘artist’ Neymar AFP exceptional player, one of the best in player to win our games.” be the case next season, al-Khelaifi re- Paris the world,” said Tuchel, who was previ- plied: “Yes, for sure.” ously in charge at Borussia Dortmund PSG CHIEF AL-KHELAIFI DISPELS He added: “He (Buff on) is a fantastic but left a year ago and had been a free BUFFON RUMOURS goalkeeper, he’s very charismatic and is ew Paris Saint-Germain agent since. PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi has a true gentleman. I’m sure all the clubs coach Thomas Tuchel insist- “Artists are special players, they need poured water on suggestions Juventus want him.” ed that Neymar is “an artist” special treatment, it’s common sense.” legend Gianluigi Buff on could step in to Areola underlined his feelings about and admitted that the world’s Neymar joined PSG last August from replace the French club’s number one the situation when he told Le Parisien Nmost expensive player will need “spe- Barcelona for a world-record fee of goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola. newspaper Saturday he wanted to “re- cial treatment” as he looked forward to 222mn euros ($264mn). Buff on, 40, played his fi nal game for main number one” at PSG and would starting his new role. He won the French player of the year the Italian giants in a 2-1 win over Ve- leave the club if that were not to be the Tuchel was unveiled to the media at prize despite a foot injury meaning he rona on Saturday, capping a 17-year case next season. the Parc des Princes yesterday evening, has not featured for his club since the career in Turin that harvested seven “Because if I’m not the number one after his appointment on a two-year end of February. consecutive Serie A titles. anymore, it would mean the season deal was confi rmed last week. Tuchel added: “I met a very friendly, Buffon’s contract will expire in I’ve just fi nished has all counted for He will offi cially begin his new job in very open guy for the fi rst time. We a matter of weeks, but asked if the nothing,” said the 25-year-old Areola, time for the start of pre-season train- started talking about soccer and I saw a French capital could be the emblem- whose own deal ends in June 2019. ing in July as he replaces Unai Emery, smile on his face and that is what I want atic Italian’s next destination, al- but the German has already met with to see. Khelaifi told L’Equipe sports daily New PSG coach Thomas Tuchel (right) Neymar. “If we fi nd a way to build a structure yesterday: “We have Areola, he’s our poses with club president Nasser “I met him last Sunday and it was a around him, so he can show all his tal- number one.” al-Khelaifi during his unveiling at Parc very good meeting. He’s an artist, an ent on the pitch, I think we have a key When then asked if that would also des Princes in Paris yesterday. (Reuters) TENNIS Nadal fi ghts back against Zverev for victory in Rome Spaniard wins 56th title on clay, will reclaim the world No 1 ranking today Svitolina lays down French Open marker in Rome AFP ed: “Roland Garros is still a week away, Rome but this gives me confi dence. “Last year, it was the fi rst time for me going into the Grand Slam as a fa- lina Svitolina underlined her vourite. This year, it’s diff erent, I was status as a top favourite for the hoping I was one of the favourites. French Open by sweeping Si- “I’m going to take it as a challenge. mona Halep aside 6-0, 6-4 to It’s very important to take one match Esuccessfully defend her Italian Open at a time, just go out there and enjoy crown yesterday. playing on the big courts, atmosphere. In a repeat of last year’s fi nal at the “Roland Garros is what we are train- Foro Italico, Ukrainian Svitolina, seed- ing for. And I’m gonna give it the best ed fourth, was up against Halep a day shot.” after the Romanian top seed had oust- Halep, who was broken four times ed Russian Maria Sharapova. and lost the opening set in 19 minutes, But Halep’s hopes of overturn- did not win a game until the start of the ing last year’s defeat to her 23-year- second, 24 minutes in. old opponent quickly evaporated in a The world number one saved match completely one-sided encounter that point before bowing out after 67 min- saw the Romanian fail to produce a real utes. challenge. “I was a little bit too stiff with my Svitolina, the world number four, body. I couldn’t stay in the rallies, and has now successfully defended three I missed a lot,” Halep, who was treat- career titles, in Baku, Dubai and also ed off court for a reported back injury Rome; she also won in Brisbane and midway through the second set, said. Dubai this season to take her 2018 title “She was solid. She is solid every Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates his win in the Italian Open final against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in Rome yesterday. (Reuters) total to three. time I play her. She deserved to win, The win also marked Svitolina’s 12th for sure. Reuters and gain an early advantage. career title on what was her eighth fi nal “I want to go (to Roland Garros), to Rome Nadal kept himself alive with a hold in succession. be ready, to feel good, and to win the to love, and two more service games “It was a really good match, from fi rst round. Because always the fi rst went by before play was halted for the my side,” Svitolina said. “I dominated. round is the toughest. afael Nadal made the best of fi rst time with the rain spitting down. I was trying to put lots of pressure on “Women’s tennis has changed and a rain delay to come from be- Nadal emerged after a short break Simona with my game, tried to really every tournament is open. Every- hind in the deciding set and trailing 3-1 and held serve again be- take the ball early and open the court. one has a chance to win, even a Grand beat defending champion fore the heavens opened a second “It’s amazing that I could do this Slam,” said Halep, who lost the 2017 RAlexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the time, forcing the 45-minute delay here a second time and defend. This is French Open fi nal to Jelena Ostapenko. Italian Open fi nal yesterday. that proved decisive. something very, very special.” Thanks to reaching the fi nal in Rome The win gave the Spaniard his 56th The French Open at Roland Garros Halep will take the top seeding for Ro- title on clay and he will reclaim the COMEBACK starts next Sunday, and Svitolina add- land Garros. world number one ranking from Roger The Spaniard broke back immediately Federer when the revised ATP stand- after the restart to draw level at 3-3 ings are released today. and then held to 15 to get his nose in “My fi rst victory here in 2005 was front. one of the most beautiful victories of Scenting blood, Nadal did what my career,” Nadal said after collecting he does best, hounding Zverev into his eighth title in Rome, yet his fi rst coughing up another break point that since 2013. “To have this trophy again he claimed with a stunning crosscourt with me after so many years is really backhand volley. very special.” His confi dence soaring, Nadal Nadal made a shaky start, losing served for the match, gaining two his serve in the opening game before Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev pose with their respective trophies. match points with a trademark fore- bouncing back. hand winner. The 31-year-old top seed broke fi rst time in the match at the start of The youngster went 0-30 down Zverev saved the fi rst, but could do Zverev to level the score and then the second set before breaking Nadal while serving for the set but kept his nothing about the second as Nadal turned up the heat, striking eight to lead 2-0. The 21-year-old came head to win next four points before dropped a short volley over the net to winners and making only four un- into the fi nal as the form player on forcing the decider with a backhand claim the title. forced errors to his opponent’s 10 to the ATP Tour, and he settled into a winner down the line. “You’re the greatest clay court take the opener. rhythm that had Nadal on the back He carried his momentum into the player of all time and I think every- Zverev regrouped, holding for the foot on his favourite surface. third set, breaking Nadal to go 2-0 up body saw that today,” Zverev said.