EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU DELHI FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 SPORT 19 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Berrettini prevails over Monfils in a thrilling five­setter To meet Nadal, who grinds out a win over Schwartzman; teenager Andreescu makes women’s semifinals court. “While I was playing I in which the 23­year­old Ita­ US OPEN thought, this is one of the lian won titles in Budapest Reuters best matches I ever saw. I was and Stuttgart en route to a ca­ playing, but I was watching reer­high ranking of 20th in NEW YORK also.” June. Big­serving Italian Matteo Berrettini took another step Big serves Staying on course in his breakthrough season as Berrettini used booming With Roger Federer and 2018 he beat Frenchman Gael serves and stinging forehands champion Novak Djokovic Monfils 3­6, 6­3, 6­2, 3­6, 7­6 to overwhelm Monfils, who having already exited, Nadal’s (5) at the U.S. Open on Wed­ struggled with humid condi­ path to a fourth Open trophy nesday to reach his first ca­ tions in Arthur Ashe Stadium has been cleared of familiar reer Grand Slam semifinal. until shortly after the roof hurdles. In the other men’s quarter­ closed during the third set But Schwartzman remind­ finals, Diego Schwartzman, and brought in cooler ed Nadal that danger can lurk the smallest player in 25 temperatures. everywhere, even from an years to reach the last eight, In the decider, Berrettini opponent he had beaten in all gave Rafa Nadal a big fight broke twice for a 4­2 lead but seven previous meetings and and forced the second­seed­ a rejuvenated Monfils, who only lost two sets. ed Spaniard to grind out a despite being bent over in ex­ That caution was well 6­4, 7­5, 6­2. haustion after many points, placed as Schwartzman made Putting away the 13th­seed­ dug deep and raced around the 18­time Grand Slam win­ ed Frenchman took everyth­ the court to fight off three ner work for every point, THE RESULTS ing that Berrettini had as match points to force a final­ with the Argentine fighting Monfils, who struggled set tiebreak. back from two breaks down Quarterfinals: Men: 24­Matteo Berrettini (Ita) mightily with his serve late in But Monfils ran out of Yesss! Matteo Berrettini gives vent to his feelings after thwarting Gael Monfils’ comeback on Wednesday.* AP in the opening two sets. the match, managed to see tricks and it was Berrettini In the women’s section, bt 13­Gael Monfils (Fra) 3­6, 6­3, 6­2, 3­6, 7­6(5); 2­Rafael off four pressure­packed who leaned on his powerful in the first set and had an ear­ hold to love that levelled the about five minutes when rain on his feet between points as Canadian teenager Bianca Nadal (Esp) bt 20­Diego match points until the Italian serve to prevail and become ly 2­0 lead in the second but match at 1­1. forced the closure of the roof. he got a crucial break and Andreescu came from behind Schwartzman (Arg) 6­4, 7­5, finally prevailed. the fourth Italian man to Berrettini took over and Berrettini, the 24th seed, Monfils, with his back firm­ won 88% of his first­serve to overpower Elise Mertens 6­2. “Right now I don't remem­ reach a Grand Slam semifinal broke the fatigued French­ broke twice for a 5­2 lead and ly against the wall to start the points to force the decider. 3­6, 6­2, 6­3 and reach her Women: 15­Bianca Andreescu ber any points. Just the match in the Open Era. man twice before ultimately served out the third set, fourth, suddenly looked full For Berrettini, it marked first Grand Slam semifinal, (Can) bt 25­Elise Mertens (Bel) point,” Berrettini said on Monfils was very efficient firing down an ace to seal a which was interrupted for of energy and was bouncing the latest triumph in a season against Belinda Bencic. 3­6, 6­2, 6­3. Magnificent Smith seizes the day Abhimanyu puts Red in command Linde replaces Smuts His unbeaten hundred takes the team close to Green’s total for India T20Is Press Trust of India dards”, a CSA release said. DULEEP TROPHY Johannesburg Linde has played 75 T20 matches so far, scoring 611 Ashwin Achal Uncapped left­arm spinner George Linde was on Thurs­ runs at a strike rate of 139.81. Bengaluru day named as replacement He also snapped up 77 wick­ Abhimanyu Easwaran (102 for all­rounder Jon­Jon Tre­ ets at a strike rate of 19.3. batting, 173b, 11x4, 2x6) vor Smuts in South Africa’s The squad : Quinton de Kock pushed India Red close to In­ squad for the three­match (Capt.), Rassie van der Dussen dia Green’s first­innings total T20 International series (Vice­Capt.), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, on the second day of their against India, starting Sep­ Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hen­ Duleep Trophy final at the tember 15. dricks, David Miller, Anrich M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Linde was drafted in after Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, here on Thursday. Smuts was pulled out of the Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Ra­ Abhimanyu displayed a squad for “failing to meet bada, Tabraiz Shamsi and Ge­ wide array of shots, dis­ the required fitness stan­ orge Linde. patching the ball to all parts England’s nemesis: It was business as usual for Steve Smith on Thursday as the top­ranked of the ground. The Bengal Test batsman notched up his third career double ton. * RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES opener, who has struggled since making an exceptional Back with a bang: Abhimanyu Easwaran found his touch to Mithali to lead in ODIs, nately for the host, joy None of England’s seam­ 233 against Sri Lanka­A in come up with a long innings. * SUDHAKARA JAIN THE ASHES turned to despair when vi­ ers nor Leach were able to May, came good in great Reuters deo officials deemed Leach seriously trouble Smith and style. the match situation,” he ly reached his highest First Harmanpreet in T20s had delivered a no­ball. in the end, with the third said. Class score. MANCHESTER Earlier, Smith had had a double century of his Test Comfortable The scores: Special Correspondent MUMBAI Steve Smith’s domination of lucky escape when Jofra career — the previous two al­ Abhimanyu was comforta­ Failing to convert starts India Green — 1st innings: Faiz England’s bowling attack in Archer dropped a caught so came against England — ble against the pacers and His teammates Priyank Pan­ Fazal lbw b Unadkat 12, Aksh­ Mithali Raj will lead the In­ the Ashes series reached and bowled chance. in the bag, he fell to the oc­ spinners alike. He was espe­ chal (33, 78b) and Karun ath Reddy run out 16, Dhruv dia women’s team in the new heights on Thursday as England had come into casional spin of captain Joe cially strong off the back­ Nair (20, 24b), however, Shorey c Kishan b Warrier 23, ODI series at home against his magnificent 211 (319b, this match in buoyant mood Root. foot, punching the quicks failed to convert their good Siddhesh Lad c Panchal b Unad­ South Africa, the BCCI an­ 24x4, 2x6) led Australia to but minute by minute, over As Smith headed back to through the cover and point starts. Panchal paid the kat 0, Akshdeep Nath c Panchal nounced. Harmanpreet 497 for eight declared on the by over and run by run, the pavilion, there were still regions. When the slow bow­ price for playing away from b Sarvate 29, Akshay Wadkar b Kaur will lead Indian T20 Unadkat 6, Dharmendrasinh Ja­ second day of the fourth Smith drained away its self­ a smattering of now tire­ lers came on, the 23­year­old his body, edging one from squad for the first three deja c&b Avesh 15, Mayank Mar­ Test at Old Trafford. belief. His 145­run sixth­ some boos from England either danced down the Ankit Rajpoot. kande (not out) 76, Rajesh Mo­ matches in the six­match England lost opener Joe wicket stand with captain fans, recalling his 12­month track or went deep into the Karun — who has scores of hanty c Kishan b Unadkat 0, series. Denly for four, brilliantly Tim Paine (58) and Mitchell ban for his role in a ball­tam­ crease. 99, 166 n.o. and 90 in his last Tanveer Ul­Haq b Warrier 18, The team was named by caught by Matthew Wade at Starc’s blistering unbeaten pering affair, but most at Old After reaching his 13th three innings — committed Ankit Rajpoot c Sarvate b Avesh the All­India Women’s Selec­ short leg after he fended off 54 put Australia firmly in Trafford stood in apprecia­ First Class century, Abhima­ himself too early to pull leg­ 39; Extras (nb­1, b­4, lb­1): 6; tion Committee, after a a rising delivery from Pat control. tion. nyu reached into his pocket spinner Mayank Markande Total (in 72.1 overs): 231. meeting at the Cricket Cummins, to leave it strug­ and took out a ‘Rakhi’ and lost his stumps. Fall of wickets: 1­19, 2­53, 3­ Centre. Mithali Raj. * AP gling on 23 for one at the thread. “That was dedicated Earlier, fighting knocks 54, 4­65, 5­92, 6­99, 7­107, 8­ Harmanpreet will be SCOREBOARD mah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet close. to my sister, Pallavi,” Easwa­ from Markande (76 n.o.), 112, 9­172. Mithali’s deputy in the ODIs, Kaur, Punam Raut, Smriti India Red bowling: Unadkat But the day, in which Aus­ Australia — 1st innings: Marcus 387, 8­438.