TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 13

Klopp might quit football post Liverpool Halep to skip US Open Simona Halep the latest to withdraw from US Open over COVID-19 concerns

Halep joins a host of• top players who are passing on playing at Flushing Meadows KNOW WHAT when the next Grand Slam tournament begins on August 31 Also absent from this year’s US Open will be AFP | New York Australia’s top-ranked Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) pose with the Ashleigh Barty, Ukraine’s trophy during the presentation orld number two Si- fifth-ranked Elina Svito- mona Halep joined a lina, number seven Kiki AFP | London Wgrowing list of tennis Bertens, eighth-ranked stars when she said yesterday Swiss Belinda Bencic -- urgen Klopp says he might that she would skip the US Open whom Andreescu beat in Jturn his back on football I will take a year over coronavirus fears. once his present contract with “After weighing up all the the semi-finals last year Premier League champions off and ask myself factors involved and with the -- and past winner Svetla- Liverpool ends in 2024. if I miss football. If exceptional circumstances in na Kuznetsova of Russia, The 53-year-old German had the answer is in the which we are living, I have de- Simona Halep of Romania poses with her champions trophy after winning the currenty ranked 32nd in wanted to take a year off after negative, then that cided that I will not travel to final of the 2020 Prague Open WTA International tennis tournament the world he left Borussia Dortmund in will be it for Jurgen New York to play the @usopen,” 2015 but Liverpool came call- Klopp as a coach tweeted Halep, the current tournament begins on August Svetlana Kuznetsova of Rus- Osaka, who sits in 10th place. ing that October asking him to Wimbledon champion. 31. sia, currenty ranked 32nd in the That leaves 38-year-old Wil- JURGEN KLOPP replace Brendan Rodgers. “I always said I would put my Reigning US Open champion world. liams with a golden opportunity Since then he has guid - health at the heart of my deci- Bianca Andreescu of Canada Serena Williams, seeking a to equal Court’s Slam record, ed them to the Champions “If the answer is in the neg- sion and I therefore prefer to will not play, joining men’s 2019 24th career Grand Slam title to which has been in her sights League trophy in 2019 and this ative, then that will be it for stay and train in Europe.” winner Rafael Nadal in skipping match Margaret Court’s all-time since she won her last major year ended a 30-year wait for Jurgen Klopp as a coach.” The Romanian added: “I the tournament. record, will compete, as will tournament -- the 2017 Austral- the league title. Klopp -- who broke Bayern know the @usta and @ WTA Also absent from this year’s men’s world number one Novak ian Open. However, he told German Munich’s stranglehold on the have worked tirelessly to put US Open will be Australia’s Djokovic. Williams, who suffered a website Sportbuzzer that tak- German title winning it with on a safe event and I wish top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, The only other players from shock quarter-final defeat by ing a year out in 2024 will give Dortmund two years running everyone there a successful Ukraine’s fifth-ranked Elina the WTA top 10 remaining in the Shelby Rogers at the recent WTA him time to reflect on what he (2010/11, 2011/12) -- also re- tournament.” Svitolina, number seven Kiki tournament are world number tournament in Lexington, Ken- wants to do next. vealed what he would miss Halep joins a host of top Bertens, eighth-ranked Swiss three Karolina Pliskova, reign- tucky, has lost four Grand Slam “I will take a year off and least about the high-pressure players who are passing on Belinda Bencic -- whom An - ing Australian Open champi- finals since then, including last ask myself if I miss football,” business of football manage- playing at Flushing Meadows dreescu beat in the semi-finals on Sofia Kenin, who is ranked year’s US Open final to Andree- Klopp said. ment. when the next Grand Slam last year -- and past winner fourth in the world, and Naomi scu.

Mbappe ready to start for PSG against Leipzig, says Tuchel Bahraini footballer tests AFP | Lisbon then to work on his fitness, so gling with an ankle injury. of course he can start,” Tuchel But the France superstar had positive for COVID-19 ylian Mbappe is fit to start told reporters during a virtual a major impact as PSG came Kfor Paris Saint-Germain press conference on the eve of from behind to win 2-1 at the against RB Leipzig in today’s the game. He added: “We will Estadio da Luz, setting up Eric Champions League semi-final in decide after training whether Maxim Choupo-Moting for the Lisbon, coach Thomas Tuchel he can play 90 minutes.” decisive goal in stoppage time. has confirmed. Mbappe started on the bench The club from the French “He played for 30 minutes in the quarter-final against Ata- capital are now through to their against Atalanta and had no re- lanta after spending the weeks first Champions League semi-fi- action. He has had six days since Kylian Mbappe leading up to that match strug- nal since 1995.

De Jong sends gritty Sevilla into Europa League final Reuters | Berlin

Al Karani, right, in action for Bahrain’s under-23 Olympic team in January uropa League thorough- earlier this year (file photo) Ebreds Sevilla reached yet another final as substitute Luuk TDT | Manama or Ahli have also contracted de Jong struck in the 78th min- 20 the virus. The clubs are ex- ute to earn them a gritty 2-1 vic- games have been played Bahraini football player pected to conduct tests on all tory over Manchester United on by Sevilla without being Ahas tested positive for the players. Sunday. beaten in all competitions coronavirus (COVID-19) just In light of this, the BFA United, already beaten in two a few days after playing in announced last night it has domestic semi-finals this sea- an official local match, it has decided to put off the next son, looked on course to make emerged. matches of Muharraq and Ahli, it third time lucky when Bruno League competitions. Muharraq Club forward initially scheduled to be held Fernandes scored from the pen- United were the only Eng- Hassan Al Karani has been in- tomorrow. The association alty spot in the ninth minute. lish club to reach a continen- fected with the disease, a Bah- said that its decision is based But former Liverpool player tal semi-final this season after rain Football Association (BFA) on the directives of the Health Suso levelled in the 26th min- Manchester City were dumped official confirmed yesterday Ministry, stressing keenness Sevilla’s Dutch forward scores past Manchester United’s Spanish ute, and the Spaniards showed out of the Champions League by with TDT. on implementing the official goalkeeper David de Gea all their European know-how Lyon on Saturday. He appeared in a match instructions in compliance to weather a United storm on a when they will be going for their in 20 games in all competitions. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side against Al Ahli last Friday in with precautionary measures humid night in Cologne. sixth title in the competition While Sevilla have a chance may ask themselves how they the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain for combatting the COVID-19 Inspired goalkeeper Yassine since 2006. to restore Spanish pride after allowed this one to slip through Football Premier League. pandemic. Bono came to Sevilla’s rescue “I feel like I’ve been hugged by Barcelona’s horror show in the their fingers though. Al Karani is the first player A key member of the Muhar- on several occasions, and when joy. We know what this side has Champions League quarter-fi- “The keeper’s had a fantas- reported to have tested pos- raq football team, 22-year-old United’s energy levels dipped, been through, today included, nals on Friday, United’s defeat tic game. Of course it’s disap- itive since the resumption of Al Karani has also represented De Jong stole in to snatch victo- and we’ve got such a resilience underlined a poor European pointing that we don’t score. We the national league two weeks Bahrain on the internation- ry. Sevilla will meet either Inter against such intensity,” said season for English clubs, who know we have players who have ago. al level, competing with the Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk in Sevilla coach , provided all four finalists in last the quality to score, but that’s It is still unknown if any oth- Kingdom’s under-23 Olympic the final in Cologne on Friday, whose side are now unbeaten season’s Europa and Champions the game,” Solskjaer said. er players on either Muharraq team in the past.

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