SPORTS Wednesday, March 15, 2017 23 Man Utd charged London anchester United were Venus Williams of the United States charged yesterday by the MFootball Association (FA) with failing to control their players during the explosive FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea, English football’s ruling body said. United’s Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera was sent off in Kerber, the first half shortly after referee Michael Oliver warned captain Chris Smalling about the continual fouling of Chelsea’s playmaker Eden Hazard. Marcos Rojo was also caught on camera seemingly stamping Venus on Hazard’s chest in the second half of the match which Chelsea won 1-0 to oust the holders, although the Argentine defender has not been charged. Angelique Kerber of The FA have taken exception advance Germany celebrates more to the reaction of the players when Olivier sent Indian Wells of balls back, and going for it when I France’s Mladenovic, who has round berth with a 6-4, 6-2 victory off Herrera, with several ngelique Kerber might yet have the chance.” already lifted one trophy and reached over Lucie Safarova. surrounding the official and celebrate her return to number Kerber, who rose to number one in another WTA final in 2017, had no Williams, seeded 12th in her second arguing with him over the Aone with an Indian Wells title after the world with her US Open triumph trouble notching another top-five tournament since a runner-up finish decision. battling past Pauline Parmentier 7-5, last year, is set to regain the summit win. to her sister Serena in the Australian “Manchester United have 3-6, 7-5 to reach the fourth round on no matter how far she goes this week “I perfectly played the game plan Open in January, had saved three been charged for failing Monday. thanks to the injury withdrawal of I had,” Mladenovic said. “Solid at match points en route to a second- to control their players,” a Parmentier, the world number 62 Serena Williams. times, make her play balls and making round victory over Jelena Jankovic, statement from the governing from France, had the two-time Grand She needed two hours and 33 her take some risk. Sometimes when I but needed no heroics against the body read. Slam champion from Germany on minutes in the baking sun on Stadium had the shorter (ball) stepping in, 40th-ranked Czech. “It follows an incident in the ropes with a break and a 4-1 lead Court to get past Parmentier, who playing my heavy shots with the “It’s never easy to play a lefty the 35th minute of the FA Cup in the third set. until this year had never won a forehand. I think that worked pretty because you feel the ball coming quarter final tie against Chelsea But Kerber fought back with match at Indian Wells in five prior well today.” from all different directions. You at Stamford Bridge yesterday a break in the seventh game and appearances. Halep, the 2015 Indian Wells feel unbalanced, but my (Monday). another in a marathon 11th game that Kerber sealed it on her third match champion, wasn’t too discouraged, focus was so laser that it “The club have until 6pm gave her a 6-5 lead and a chance to point -- but not before Parmentier saying the knee trouble that forced felt good to compete in (1800GMT) on Friday, 17 serve for the match. had one last chance to break in the her to pull out of St. Petersburg before these conditions,” said March 2017 to respond “I think I was starting to believe final game. her quarter-final in February had Williams who belted 15 to the charge.” in myself again and trying to take Kerber next faces Russian Elena since limited her training. winners with just nine this challenge and trying to play Vesnina, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 winner over “After the first set my legs were unforced errors, breaking point by point,” Kerber said of her Hungarian Timea Babos. gone,” Halep said. “My tennis legs Safarova four times.” mindset after going down a break in Fourth-seeded Romanian Simona were not here yet.” The American next the deciding set. Halep, yet to regain peak form in faces China’s Peng Shuai, “I was not thinking about what has the wake of a nagging knee injury, Venus powers through who ousted sixth-seeded happened before, just going for it and was dispatched by in-form Kristina Seven-time Grand Slam champion Agnieszka Radwanska of trying to move in good, bring a lot Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3. Venus Williams booked a fourth- Poland 6-4, 6-4. Ronaldinho Muirfield club to visit admits women Pakistan Karachi after 273 years razilian football legend Ronaldinho is set to visit London now become a venue for the British BPakistan as part of a goodwill he prestigious Muirfield golf Open once again. mission to promote the game in course in Scotland voted yesterday Fairweather said: “This is a the cricket-mad country. toT admit women members to the club significant decision for a club which The recently retired 36-year- after 273 years, immediately making was founded in 1744 and retains many old, who won the World Player the historic venue eligible to host the of the values and aspirations of its of the Year twice and was part of British Open again founding members. the 2002 World Cup winning team, The Honourable Company of “The rules of the club will be changed issued a short video message on Edinburgh Golfers overwhelmingly accordingly with immediate effect. Twitter saying simply “Pakistan, I am voted in favour of admitting women Women have played golf coming” as he unfurled a Pakistani flag. members for the first time by 498 to at Muirfield since 1904, though only as News of Ronaldinho’s visit has generated 123, club captain Henry Fairweather guests, not as members. excitement among fans, and comes as the South said. The club said the current waiting Asian nation seeks to revive international The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of list suggested that new candidates for sports fixtures that were disrupted by a militant St Andrews (R&A), the sport’s joint- membership could expect to wait two attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in 2009. Ronaldinho governing body with the United States to three years, or longer, to join the Golf Association, said Muirfield could club.