BASEBALL | Page 5 CRICKET | Page 7 Bellinger hits Amla leaves for cycle as England with Dodgers beat a mountain Marlins 7-1 to climb Monday, July 17, 2017 FOOTBALL Shawwal 23, 1438 AH Mourinho rules out GULF TIMES Ronaldo move aft er United rout Galaxy SPORT Page 4 35-year-old Federer, written off by many, won a record eighth Wimbledon crown. Only one word can describe him... AFP the entire tournament. Slam in Australia in January on his return to be Cilic’s only glimmer of hope. pose himself. London “He’s a hero,” Federer said of his opponent. the tour before adding the Indian Wells and The 28-year-old held serve on the resump- Twelve months ago, Federer was defeated Miami Masters back-to-back and a ninth NASTY FALL tion but the lethal barrage continued, Federer in fi ve sets in the semi-fi nals by Milos Raonic Halle grasscourt title. Federer broke in the next game when his op- stretching his lead over his friend to 4-1. oger Federer won a record eighth and promptly shut down his season to rest a He also skipped the entire claycourt sea- ponent suff ered a nasty fall on the worn sur- Cilic dropped the set 6-1 and called a med- Wimbledon title and became the knee injury. son. face which was to ultimately undermine his ical timeout to have his left foot bandaged tournament’s oldest champion “I’ve got to take more time off ,” joked Fe- challenge. and take a painkiller. Sunday with a straight-sets victory “It’s disbelief I can achieve such derer, playing in just his seventh event of the Federer then served up two love serv- His discomfort was refl ected in his Rover injury-hit Marin Cilic who dramatically year. ice games before claim- ing the statistics. heights. I wasn’t sure I would ever broke down in tears midway through the fi nal. be here in another fi nal aft er last year... “I’ll be gone again for the next six months! opener 6-3 off a Cilic By the end of the second set, he had Federer claimed his 19th Grand Slam title But I always believed. I kept on I don’t know if it will work as well again.” double fault, the served just two aces compared to the 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and at 35 is Wimbledon’s oldest believing and dreaming I could Cilic, who had spent four and a half hours Croatian’s second 130 he had fi red past bamboozled oppo- men’s winner of the modern era, succeeding get back” — Roger Federer more than Federer getting to the fi nal, said of the fi nal. nents in his previous six rounds. Arthur Ashe, who was almost 32 when he won retiring with his injury was never an option. The Swiss su- Federer pounced again with a break in 1976. “It’s disbelief I can achieve such heights. I “I never give up in a match. I gave it my perstar swept for 4-3 and wrapped up the one- However, the Swiss superstar’s 11th Wim- wasn’t sure I would ever be here in another fi - best — it’s all I can do,” said Cilic who was still into a 3-0 lead sided fi nal with a second serve bledon fi nal, and 29th at the majors, will also nal after last year,” said Federer, who turns 36 emotional at the trophy presentation. in the second ace to complete his corona- be remembered for the moving sight of the in three weeks’ time and who has now broken “I had an amazing journey here. I played set and at the tion after just 1hr 41 min- popular Cilic breaking down in tears after the tie for seven Wimbledon titles he shared the best tennis of my life. I really want to changeo- utes. slipping 3-0 behind in the second set. with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw. thank my team — they gave so much ver, Cilic Fittingly, he too The seventh seeded Croatian, the 2014 US “I had some tough ones in the fi nals, los- strength to me.” slumped in wept at the end. Open champion, sobbed inconsolably and ing two against Novak (Djokovic). Beneath a star-studded Royal his court- side buried his head in his towel as his title dream “But I always believed. I kept on believing Box where Prince William and wife chair in tears and in obvious Roger Federer (below) slipped away. and dreaming I could get back. Kate rubbed shoulders with actors pain. claimed his 19th Grand He had his left foot taped at the end of the “Here am I today with the eighth. It’s Hugh Grant and Bradley Cooper, Cilic The trainer and doctor Slam title after defeating second set but it was in vain as Federer be- fantastic, if you keep believing you can had his fi rst break point in the fourth were summoned before Cilic Marin Cilic (left) 6-3, 6-1, came the fi rst player since Bjorn Borg in 1976 go far in your life.” game. hid his head in his towel in a 6-4 and at 35 is Wimbledon’s to win Wimbledon without dropping a set in Federer won his 18th It was saved by Federer and it was to desperate attempt to com- oldest men’s winner of the modern era. Gulf Times 2 Monday, July 17, 2017 TENNIS SPOTLIGHT WIMBLEDON Hingis, Jamie Murray Cilic says blister win mixed doubles caused meltdown ‘It was just a feeling that I knew that I cannot give my best on the court, that I cannot give my best game and my best tennis, especially at such a big match’ Britain’s Jamie Murray (L) and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis hold their Wimbledon mixed doubles winners trophies yesterday. By Agencies day with a crushing 6-0 6-0 vic- London tory over the pairing of Taiwan’s Hao-Ching Chan and Romanian Monica Niculescu. artina Hingis The second-seeded Russian clinched her 23th pair have now won three of the Grand Slam title as grand slam events in doubles the Swiss star and following their triumph at the MScottish partner Jamie Mur- French Open in 2013 and the US ray beat Henri Kontinen and Open a year later. Heather Watson 6-4, 6-4 in the The fi nal lasted 54 minutes and Wimbledon mixed doubles fi nal the Russians, runners-up at the All yesterday. England Club in 2015, had to save Just hours after her compa- just two break points in the entire triot Roger Federer won a record match against the pairing playing eighth Wimbledon singles in their fi rst season together. crown, Hingis made it a double The top-seeded duo of Ameri- celebration for Switzerland on can Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Centre Court. Czech Lucie Safarova had to with- Top seeded Hingis and Murray, draw before the second round af- the brother of men’s world number ter Mattek-Sands suff ered a severe one Andy, saw off Finland’s Kon- injury in a singles match. tinen and Britain’s Watson. “It’s not bad for us!” Hingis Marathon men Kubot and Melo said of a memorable day for her win men’s doubles crown and Federer. Poland’s Lukasz Kubot and “I’m really pleased I contacted Brazil’s Marcelo Melo won the Jamie before Wimbledon. I’m re- Wimbledon men’s doubles title ally happy how we played. on Saturday after beating Oliver “We knew before the fi nal a Marach and Mate Pavic 5-7 7-5 British player was going to win 7-6(2) 3-6 13-11 in an epic test of the mixed doubles. I’m just hap- endurance. py it was mine.” The match had to be fi nished Hingis, 36, has now amassed under the Centre Court fl ood- six mixed doubles Grand Slam lights with play suspended at titles, 12 Grand Slam women’s 11-11 in the evening gloom for the doubles crowns and also won fi ve roof to be closed. Switzerland’s Roger Federer (L) applauds as Croatia’s Marin Cilic gets up to receive his Wimbledon runner’s up trophy after Federer won their men’s singles final yesterday. major singles titles, including Marach and Pavic were caught Wimbledon in 1997. cold and broken in their fi rst Reuters noting that he had felt the injury during fortunately I still felt the pain,” he said. “It was really bad luck but I Murray got his hands on the service game after the restart, London his semi-fi nal with Sam Querrey. “Every time I had to do a reaction fast, wanted to give my best and try as Wimbledon mixed doubles sil- leaving the victorious pair to fall “It was tough emotionally because I fast change of movement, I was unable to much as I could. But it was tough verware 10 years after fi rst win- to the fl oor in an exhausted cel- know how much went into the prepara- do that,” he added. when you are in that situation ning it with Jelena Jankovic. ebration after clinching victory arin Cilic, thrashed by Roger tion in the past few months. Cilic said his tears were not as a direct because you know there is not The 31-year-old also won the in a match lasting four hours and Federer in straight sets in “It was really bad luck but I wanted to result of the pain but were an emotional much chance to win” Australian and US Open men’s 39 minutes.