p16_Layout 1 9/29/14 10:46 PM Page 1 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 SPORTS Dolphins rout winless Raiders in NFL return to London’s Wembley LONDON: The Miami Dolphins romped to get out and get some momentum going a 38-14 victory over the woeful and win- felt great,” Dolphins quarterback Tannehill less Oakland Raiders as the National told reporters. Football League returned to London’s Raiders head coach Dennis Allen said Wembley Stadium on Sunday. his team would be evaluating everything it Oakland showed early promise, starting was doing during the long flight home and with a 74-yard drive capped by a three- upcoming bye week. yard touchdown pass from rookie quarter- “We did not play well. We turned the back Derek Carr to tight end Brian ball over and we did not stop them on Leonhardt. defense and gave up too many explosive But from then on it was one-way traffic plays,” Raiders head coach Dennis Allen and by the end of the third quarter the told reporters. Dolphins had an unassailable 38-7 lead For Raiders tackle Menelik Watson the and Carr had left the game with an game represented a return home. Watson ankle/knee injury. was born in Manchester and has a young Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill daughter who lives in England. threw for more than 200 yards in the first “I think the best part was when the half alone as the Raiders capitulated to English anthem came on. That was a little take their record to 0-4. The Dolphins bit emotional because usually it is just the improved to 2-2. American anthem,” he said. Tannehill threw touchdowns to wide “I always blow a kiss when I’m in receiver Mike Wallace and tight end Dion America because I always wish my daugh- Sims while running back Lamar Miller ter and mum could see me play and they rushed for two more to put the game out were there.” The Dolphins took part in the of reach before the end of the third quar- first regular season NFL game to be played ter. In the fourth quarter, back-up Raiders at Wembley Stadium in 2007, losing 13-10 quarterback Matt McGloin threw a 22-yard to the New York Giants. This season marks touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre the first time there will be three NFL games Holmes to give the score a modicum of played in London as the Atlanta Falcons respectability. will face the Detroit Lions on Oct. 26 and “I think we haven’t performed up to our the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Dallas potential in the past three weeks, and to Cowboys on Nov. 9. —Reuters CHINA: Serena Williams of the US returns to Silvia Soler Espinosa of Spain during their women’s singles first round match at the China Open ten- nis tournament. —AFP Serena fights back in China, Cilic through BEIJING: US Open Champions Serena Williams The queen of women’s tennis said she fought opening match. and Marin Cilic powered through their openers hard in her opening match in Beijing to avoid a In the men’s singles competition fourth seed at the $5.4 million China Open yesterday, with “bagel”-a 6-0 set. “I just didn’t want to lose - I did- Cilic did not drop a serve in his defeat of Chinese the women’s number one crushing her oppo- n’t want to lose six love,” she said. “I just started wildcard Yan Bai-but was brought to break point nent after being 5-0 down. Spaniard Silvia Soler- fighting. I was like - ‘Just let me at least try to on his first two service games. Espinosa looked to be cruising to a memorable break here’.” The Croatian, playing his first game since his victory against the power-hitting American in Elsewhere in Beijing, 14-times Grand Slam convincing 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, victory over Japan’s Kei Beijing as she raced to a five-game advantage winner Rafael Nadal returned to action after a Nishikori in New York, took 81 minutes to dis- within twenty minutes. three-month injury layoff, playing alongside pose of his opponent 6-3, 6-4. But Williams’ response was ruthless, taking Pablo Andujar in the doubles. However, the Afterwards, he said he was still adjusting to seven consecutive games to clinch the set with Spaniards were beaten by Tomas Berdych and playing competitively since his maiden Grand an incredible show of force. A startled Soler- John Isner 7-5, 4-6, 10-4. Nadal is the second Slam victory. “I felt that I was playing little bit Espinosa took two games in the following set, seed in the men’s singles and will play Richard better and better after the beginning,” Cilic said. but the number one seed in Beijing closed in on Gasquet of France today. “(I) was still a little bit rusty after a few weeks. victory in 73 minutes with a 7-5, 6-2 scoreline. The biggest surprise of the day was in the Just to start the match, it was a bit different, dif- It was a devastating comeback and a clear women’s singles where tenth seed Serb Jelena ferent conditions.” statement of intent from Williams, who fell at the Jankovic was dumped out by Alize Cornet of The 26-year-old, who was a runner-up in DOVER: Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, celebrates first hurdle at the Wuhan Open last week after France 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Beijing in 2009 and 2011, is chasing points as he with the race trophy in Victory Lane after winning the†NASCAR†Sprint Cup Series retiring from her game with a viral illness. Home-crowd favourite Peng Shuai, who pushes to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in AAA 400. —AFP Williams revealed after her match in Beijing reached the US Open semi-finals earlier this November. that she had undergone doubts about compet- month, beat compatriot Zhang Kailin 6-4, 6-1 to The current world number nine is in fifth ing in the China Open, following her illness in book her place in the next round. position in the race for the London tournament Gordon wins Chase race Wuhan. Seeds Lucie Safarova and Ana Ivanovic also and must remain in the top eight if he is to make “I wasn’t sure if I was going to play or not,” the made it through their first-round matches. Serb the season finale for the first time. Elsewhere in DOVER: At 43, Jeff Gordon entered the bracket. 33-year-old said. “You know, I just started hitting Ivanovic, a former world number one, defeated the men’s competition, fifth seed Grigor season answering questions about “The tracks just keep getting better a couple days ago, taking it day by day. Finally I Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-1. Dimitrov of Bulgaria won his match against retirement. After wins at Kansas, for us as the Chase goes on,” Hamlin said. decided I’m here, I may as well see what hap- The ninth seed in Beijing will play another Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. The Indianapolis, Michigan and Dover for his “This is going to be a great comeback pens. Here I am.” The reigning champion in Swiss player, Romina Oprandi, in the second China Open is being held at the Olympic Park in first four-win season since he had six in story.” Gordon won for the fifth time at Beijing won her sixth US Open earlier this round. Thirteenth seed Czech player Safarova the Chinese capital and will reach its climax on 2007, the four-time NASCAR champion is Dover and first since 2001, when he won month, the 18th Grand Slam title of her career. beat Italian Camila Giorgi 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 in her October 5. —AFP answering questions about winning a the last of his four Cup championships. fifth and hitting the 100-victory mark. “I “I’m excited about our chances, not just don’t think we’re going to get to 100 this these next three, but all the way to year,” Gordon said, “but I hope we get Homestead,” Gordon said. Ferrer folds to Granollers past 93. That would be pretty awesome to get a couple more.” Some things of note at the Dover race: Just enough to guarantee him a spot THAT’S GOT TO BE KAHNE! With TOKYO: World number five David Ferrer’s poor in the winner-takes-all championship crew chief Kenny Francis steadying the start to the ATP’s Asian swing continued yester- race. Gordon doused Team Penske’s hot course after rough pit stops on the No. 5, day when he was dumped out of the Japan streak with a champagne bath in Victory Kahne survived a scramble that saw him Open in the first round by fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Lane, securing an emphatic automatic nudge out Allmendinger for the final Granollers, ranked 44th, fought back for a 4-6 spot in the next round of the Chase for spot. 6-4 6-4 win on the Tokyo hard courts as Ferrer’s the Sprint Cup championship. “I never really got nervous at all and I hopes of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals But Gordon’s entry in the field of 12 just raced real hard the whole time,” in November took another knock. was all but guaranteed even before he Kahne said.