Contador Euro success lifts boosts gloom in Giro lead war-weary Ukraine WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 201518 19 Tense talks on Israel expulsion vote at FIFA Page 19 FRANCE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen at the Roland Garros stadium. — AP Djokovic, Nadal ease through Bouchard crashes at French Open PARIS: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal eased closer to without a European claycourt title for the first time since crashed out at the hands of France’s Kristina Mladenovic. when he swept past Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko. Ferrer, 33 a French Open quarter-final showdown yesterday but 2005 and with many in the sport writing him off as a Bouchard went down 6-4, 6-4 to the world number 44, and seeded seven, won 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to become just the women’s tour poster girl Eugenie Bouchard was a first- spent force. her eighth defeat in her last nine matches. Mladenovic, second active player behind Nadal to win 300 matches round casualty. But in a cheeky riposte to his critics, the 14-time 22, goes on to face either Danka Kovinic of Montenegro on the surface. Top seed Djokovic, bidding to win a first French Open major winner played with the number ‘9’ stitched into or Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic. Ferrer, the Roland Garros runner-up in 2013, goes on and become just the eighth man to complete the career the heels of his tennis shoes to remind people of his The world number 44 has a liking for Court Suzanne to face compatriot Daniel Gimeno-Traver. Croatia’s Marin Grand Slam, defeated experienced Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, astonishing record at the tournament where he has only Lenglen-last year she knocked out Chinese star Li Na at Cilic, the ninth-seeded US Open champion, defeated 7-5, 6-2. ever lost once. the same stage. “To get past the first round in these con- Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Svetlana The victory over 33-year-old Finn, who was playing in Halys, making his Grand Slam debut, was broken five ditions, it’s magnificent,” she said. Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, beat Dutchwoman Kiki his 50th major, was Djokovic’s 23rd consecutive win this times and made 52 unforced errors.Nadal goes on to Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Petra Kvitova Bertens 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 and will next face 2010 winner year. The 28-year-old Serb, seeded to meet nine-time face compatriot Nicolas Almagro for a place in the last needed two and a half hours to see off New Zealand’s Francesca Schiavone of Italy. champion Nadal in the last eight, will next face either 32. “I played well. I changed direction with my forehands world number 80 Marina Erakovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, getting Fifth seed and former world number one Caroline Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller or Paolo Lorenzi of Italy. down the line. After the first three games I was moving broken six times and committing 47 unforced errors. Wozniacki won through to the second round, beating Nadal opened his bid for a 10th title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6- better,” said Nadal. The 25-year-old goes on to face Silvia Soler-Espinosa Italy’s Karin Knapp 6-3, 6-0. 4 win over world number 296 Quentin Halys. Nadal, “I have had ups and downs this season. I am trying to of Spain. Serbian 25th seed Jelena Jankovic, a three-time Italian Knapp came into the event having claimed her seeded a humble six this year-his lowest for a decade- avoid that happening here. But I am here to play well semi-finalist, suffered her first opening-round loss in a second career title in Nuremberg last week. But she was needed just one hour and 50 minutes to see off the 18- and compete. That is my mentality and the goal is always decade when she went down 6-3, 6-4 to Bulgarian quali- the architect of her own downfall with a total of 50 year-old and record his 67th career win at Roland Garros. the same.” fier Sesil Karatantcheva. unforced errors, and Wozniacki now goes on to face The defending champion came into the tournament Canadian sixth seed Bouchard, a semi-finalist in 2014, Spain’s David Ferrer won his 300th claycourt match Germany’s Julia Goerges. —AFP Rockets stave off Uganda athletics playoff elimination coach facing new HOUSTON: Houston’s James Harden scored a play- take a 3-0 lead in the series. The Warriors will try off career-high 45 points while Golden State’s again at home in Game 5 today. sex abuse charges Stephen Curry suffered a scary fall as the Rockets Houston bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to the led from start to finish and beat the Warriors 128- Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals. KAMPALA: A Ugandan athletics coach with his case adjourned until June 5, the 115 on Monday to stave off elimination from the But they face a much bigger challenge in this has been charged with two more cases of Daily Monitor newspaper reported. NBA playoffs. series, as no team in NBA history has won a playoff alleged sexual abuse, police said yester- Earlier this month it was revealed The Rockets scored 45 points in the first quarter series after trailing 3-0. day, with the country’s sports bosses Wemali was also HIV positive and there - equaling a playoff record - to quickly get on top. Houston’s Dwight Howard had 14 points and 12 under renewed pressure over the scan- are fears the virus may have been spread They were up by 22 in the second quarter when rebounds, and received a flagrant 1 foul early in the dal. Uganda, an emerging distance run- further among other runners, with league MVP Curry landed on his head in a nasty third quarter after throwing an elbow at Andrew ning country that is establishing itself as reports adding that several athletes are spill and missed about 12 minutes before return- Bogut’s head. He would be suspended by accumu- a challenger to the dominance of Kenya also pregant by the coach. The Uganda ing. lation of flagrant foul points if the NBA upgrades it and Ethiopia, was hit with the athletics Athletics Federation (UAF) has been Curry’s first field goal after returning was a 3- to a flagrant 2 after review. sex abuse scandal last year. accused of dragging their feet or even pointer that got Golden State within six points “I hope not,” Howard said when asked about It broke after the country’s star dis- trying to cover up the scandal, and is with less than 8-1/2 minutes remaining. But that possibility. “But there’s nothing I can do about tance runner and Commonwealth gold now facing threats of a boycott. Harden, who had 17 points in the fourth quarter, it at this point. It’s never my intention to hurt any- medallist Moses Kipsiro made public Yesterday, Kapchorwa’s district chair- scored the next seven points as part of 10 straight body on the floor. My reaction was to try to get complaints from his female teammates person warned that together with athletes by Houston to push the lead to 114-98 and effec- him off me, but I can’t react that way.” against Peter Wemali, until recently the they would boycott UAF activities until its head coach of a training camp in eastern head, Dominic Otucet, was sacked. tively end it, cutting the series deficit to 3-1. The Warriors made 20 3-pointers and Houston HOUSTON: Golden State Warriors guard Uganda. “Our children are being raped, they are Harden’s match-winning performance made up had 17 to set an NBA record for most 3-pointers Andre Iguodala (9) looks to pass around for a disappointing output in Game 3. “I always combined in a playoff game. The two additional charges, con- being beaten and no one from UAF is Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) firmed by police spokesman Fred helping,” Sam Cheptoris told the Daily want to take it out on my opponent in a good way,” Curry was injured after he jumped in the air during the second half in Game 4 of the NBA Harden said. “Just being aggressive, taking shots, as Trevor Ariza was about to go up for a shot. Enanga, mean Wemali is now accused of Monitor. basketball Western Conference finals. — AP getting to the basket, not really forcing anything Ariza saw him and stopped abruptly, causing sexually abusing a total five girls. The two A boycott could affect Uganda’s partici- and allowing the game to come to me.” Curry to be upended in midair when he crashed ly getting up and walking off the court. “It was all charges relate to girls living near the pation in the World Athletics Championships Klay Thompson had 24 points and Curry added into Ariza’s shoulder. His head hit the court and minor stuff compared to how it looked,” Curry camp, and not runners. The coach in China in August, which the nation’s 23 for Golden State, which had been looking to it propelled him up and back onto the floor said. “But I’ll get some good rest and be ready to appeared in a court in Kapchorwa in Olympic marathon gold medallist and secure its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975 where he remained for several minutes.