SPORT 07 It’S an Honour for Us to Be in the Same Category As Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Tiger Woods Palmer
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THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2019 SPORT 07 It’s an honour for us to be in the same category as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Tiger Woods Palmer. Those are two legends of the game. after confirming he will CRICKET CRICKET For us to have this type of elevation, all play in next year’s Genesis India vs Bangladesh Afghanistan vs the things we want to have happen for the Invitational tournament in 1st Test (World test West Indies tournament are going to happen. Los Angeles. ACTION Championship) in Indore 1st T20 in Lucknow, India TODAY’S Thiem stuns Djokovic to clinch semis berth AFP Austria’s Dominic Thiem LONDON serving against Serbia’s Novak Incredible Nadal Djokovic during their men’s Dominic Thiem produced a scin- singles round-robin match on fights back to beat tillating display of attacking day three of the ATP World tennis to beat Novak Djokovic Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in Medvedev from and qualify for the last four at London, on Tuesday. the ATP Finals on Tuesday, leaving the Serbian facing a brink of defeat shootout against Roger Federer. In the standout match so far REUTERS at London’s O2 Arena, the Aus- LONDON trian fifth seed took the fight to the world number two, recov- Rafael Nadal (pictured) produced an incredible ering from losing the first set to fightback to beat Russian Daniil Medvedev and triumph 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). keep his ATP Finals hopes alive yesterday, Earlier, Federer put himself saving a match point at 1-5 down in the decider back in the mix at the end-of- before winning 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(4). season event with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 The 33-year-old looked beaten as 23-year- win against Italian debutant old debutant Medvedev broke serve twice in Matteo Berrettini in their round- the decider to stand on the brink of a first career robin clash. victory over the Spaniard he pushed to five sets Federer and Djokovic will in an epic US Open final in September. face off today in a repeat of this For once world number one Nadal’s year’s Wimbledon final to trademark fighting spirit seemed to have determine who else will progress deserted him but he saved a match point at 1-5 from Group Bjorn Borg. with a superb drop shot and was suddenly Thiem was forced to play re-energised. high-stakes tennis against the Twice Medvedev served for the match, at 16-time Grand Slam winner, 5-2 and 5-4, but he tightened up and Nadal, taking the breath away with roared on by the 02 Arena crowd, needed no some of his inside-out forehands opponent at the first opportunity his opening round-robin match second invitation to take advantage. and single-handed backhands in the second set and, with Djok- to Thiem. Nadal edged ahead when he held serve at Forced to play at his limit, he ovic’s error count climbing, went The six-time champion was Probably my best 5-5 and when Medvedev trailed 0-30 in the hit 50 winners compared with on to level the match. not at his fluent best on Tuesday next game it appeared the Russian was now a Djokovic’s tally of 27 but also Thiem also drew first blood but ultimately had too much for ever, says Thiem spent force. racked up 44 unforced errors. in the decider but cracked in the his Italian opponent. Medvedev regained his composure in the “This was really one of these sixth game as Djokovic levelled The Swiss upped his game REUTERS nick of time to hold serve with an ace and take special matches, what I’ve prac- the match and appeared to have to take the first set tie-break LONDON the match into a deciding set tiebreak and tised all my life for, all my engineered a switch in comfortably and broke imme- looked dangerous again.again. childhood for,” Thiem said. momentum. diately at the start of the second Austria’s Dominic Thiem described his stunning victory YetYet hehe missedmissed a forehandforehand “Really epic one in an The Austrian successfully set to leave the big-serving Ber- over Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals on Tuesday as with the court gapinggaping after amazing atmosphere, beating a challenged at 30-30 in the 10th rettini with too much to do. probably the best match he has ever played. a longlong rallyrally at 4-5 to givegive legend of our game. And also I’ve game after his forehand was Federer was asked after his The 26-year-old world number five blazed 50 NadalNadal two matchmatch points. qualified for the semi-finals, ruled out, preventing a match win against Berrettini whether winners, many of them jaw-dropping backhands, to MedvedevMedvedev thoughtthought hehe which is the best. point for Djokovic and he his defeat to Djokovic at Wim- beat the five-time champion 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(5) in front had savedsaved the firstfirst one “Coming back from 1-4 toughed it out to level at 5-5. bledon had left emotional or of a spellbound O2 arena crowd. with a backhandbackhand (down in the deciding tie-break) He then broke Djokovic to mental scars. He battled back from 4-1 down in the final set tie- winnerwinner but itit waswas was a little bit of luck, but it was love to earn a chance to serve Djokovic is hunting a sixth break to claim a fourth win in five against the 16-time calledcalled out andand hishis an unbelievable match and one for the match but stumbled and ATP Finals title to pull level with Grand Slam champion and has already booked his HawkeyeHawkeye challengechallenge I’ll never forget. Novak is the best the decider went to a tie-break. Federer’s record and is also semi-final spot. sshowedhowed the ball had player in the world and I had to Still the drama was not finished. seeking to pip Rafael Nadal to “Probably the best match I ever played,” he said. missemissedd thethe lineline by a do something special.” Thiem slipped to 4-1 down but the year-end number one “It was a real classic and epic match which will happen fraction.fraction. In a captivating first set the battled back to win it on his ranking. from time to time at these big tournaments. players swapped a break apiece second match point when On Monday, top seed Nadal “It had everything that a match like this needs. He but Djokovic, a five-time ATP Djokovic dumped a forehand lost his opener in Group Andre was up; I was up. He was playing amazing points; I was Finals champion, edged the into the net. Agassi to defending champion playing amazing points. It’s only about luck, and it was tie-break. Third seed Federer had put Alexander Zverev while Stefanos a little bit more on my side today in the third-set Undaunted, Thiem broke his himself under the cosh by losing Tsitsipas beat Daniil Medvedev. tiebreak.” Three-way battle to be best of the rest heats up in Brazil REUTERS constructors’ standings that get it (third),” added the LONDON determine prize money payouts. 22-year-old. Ferrari’s Leclerc is third in the Interlagos is an old-style circuit, N ) The battle to be best of the restrest drivers’ standings but facing a likely with an exuberant local crowd likely behindbehind the MercedesMercedes driversdrivers 10 place grid penalty at Interlagos to be giving Hamilton plenty of love, heatsheats up in BrazilBrazil thisthis as he seeks to defend a 14 point lead and Vettel is a three times winner weekendweekend withwith ChaCharlesrles over Red Bull’s Verstappen, who is there. Leclerc,Lecl erc, MaxMax in turn five clear of Ferrari’s Vettel. “I think overall it’s been a good VVerstappenerstappen anandd “I think it’s still going to be hunting ground for us and hopefully ! SebastSebastianian VVettelettel hard,” said Verstappen when asked it will be like that again this #" chasinchasingg FormulFormulaa about closing the gap. weekend,” said Germany’s four One’One’ss bbronzeronze “We need a bit of luck as well times world champion. " medalmedal position.position. for that, but I will give everything. Hamilton and team mate Valtteri !" Even ifif MercedesMercedes Of course we had some really Bottas will be looking to carry have clinched both titles,titles, withwith unlucky results but... they (Ferrari) momentum on to Abu Dhabi and Lewis HamiltonHamilton securing hishis sixthsixth should have been miles ahead of us into the winter break, with the Briton "% inin Texas,Texas, therethere remain somesome over the whole year. on 83 career wins and eager to close &' braggingbragging rightsrights to be had as thethe “It’s been a good season in the gap on Michael Schumacher’s 21-race21-race seasonseason headsheads intointo thethe that way, that we’re actually still all-time record of 91. penultimatete round. inn there. I’llIll defi-defi nitely try to “WeWe have two races to go in the ThereThere are alsoalso millionsmillions ofof 2019 season andand we wantwant to end dollarsdollars at stakesttake forfor mid-tablemid-table teamsteams thisthis season on a high,”high,” saidsai team jostlingjostling forfor position in thethe principalprincipal Toto Wolff, whow will notnot bebe in BrazilBrazil -- thet first racerace hehe hashas missedm ssinceince 22013.01 FerrariFerr and RedRed BullBu are !"#$%&' alalsoso lolooking ( ' ahahead,ead their secosecondnd and car to give us new ideas for next “The point we scored in America ththirdird ppositionso year,” said Verstappen, winner of helped move us up to sixth place in securesecure in theth con- two races this year.