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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020 16 Djokovic seals eighth Australian Open Dizzy, dehydrated Novak Djokovic rallies from brink to beat Dominic Thiem in Melbourne released on get an immediate break and the telling him sarcastically: “Great Monday, dis- psychological edge after some job... you made yourself famous.” placing Na- My energy monster rallies. dal. Federer Thiem, though, is as strong ‘Tough luck’ Novak remains third completely mentally as he is physically and With Djokovic still looking Djokovic with Thiem collapsed. When he finally got on the scoreboard distracted, Thiem served out moving up a I was tossing the after another tough service the set -- the first the Serb had place to a ca - ball I started to feel game. dropped in an Australian Open reer-high fourth. dizzy... I couldn’t And against the run of play, final since 2015. title, moving him within two of But it wasn’t easy with the with Djokovic seemingly in con- Djokovic appeared dejected AFP | Melbourne believe what was Rafael Nadal and three of Roger lethargic Serb looking out for happening trol, he broke back, unleashing and was broken twice in set Federer on the all-time list. the count in sets two and three pinpoint groundstrokes. three as Thiem raced to a 4-0 ovak Djokovic admitted “Definitely one of the tough- before he regained his mojo af- NOVAK DJOKOVIC But the world number two was lead, having reeled off six games he was on the brink of est finals I have ever had in ter a medical timeout to grind unrelenting, breaking again on a in a row. Ndefeat with dizziness Australia,” said Djokovic, who down the talented Thiem. be a match where very small double fault as Thiem served to The Serb was heard telling a and dehydration before com- pulled alongside Nadal (12 at Djokovic said he felt dizzy details decide it,” said Thiem. stay in the set. trainer he was tired and after ing through a five-set thriller the French Open) and Federer and sapped of energy, with the Remarkably, a rare Djokovic losing the set, he went for a med- against Dominic Thiem to clinch (eight at Wimbledon) as only trainer telling him he was de- Nerveless start double fault handed Thiem a ical timeout. a record eighth Australian Open the third man ever to win eight hydrated. The Serb, 32, was the over- break to go 2-1 up in set two He came back revitalised and crown and return to world num- or more titles at the same Slam. “My energy completely col- whelming favourite, but the su- with the Serb getting frustrated, the fourth set went with serve ber one on Sunday. “I was on the brink of losing lapsed. When I was tossing the premely fit and fast Thiem, 26, looking at his coaching box and until a Thiem double fault hand- The indomitable Serb the match, I didn’t feel that ball I started to feel dizzy... I always had the weapons to trou- pointing at his head. ed the Serb two break points and stretched his unbeaten streak good. Dominic was dominat- couldn’t believe what was hap- ble him, which he deployed suc- He refocused and once again he converted to regain control. this season to 13 but he had ing from the baseline... then I pening,” he said. cessfully for much of the match, began attacking the Thiem Djokovic drew on all his ex- to rally from two sets to one regained the strength to pull Djokovic had never before taming his serve and unleashing serve, breaking back for 4-4. perience to force another break down to beat the courageous through in the fourth set, and in won a Slam final in seven pre- some explosive groundstrokes. But two time warnings on his in the deciding fifth set to take fifth-seeded Austrian 6-4, 4-6, the fifth it was anyone’s game.” vious attempts when finding However, it was a nerveless serve in the next game rattled a 2-1 lead, and he kept his foot 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a nearly four- Victory ensured Djokovic will himself two sets to one down. start from Djokovic, who com- him and he was broken again, on the gas to claim an eighth hour marathon. once again be world number “If you play a Grand Slam final fortably held then put big pres- with the Serb patting the um- crown from the last 13 Australian It was his 17th Grand Slam one when the new rankings are against him, it’s always going to sure on the Austrian’s serve to pire’s foot at the changeover and Opens. Ronaldo penalty double sends Juve six points clear Ram, Salisbury clinch men’s “Today they gave two penal- doubles title in Melbourne ties against us, maybe the first was there but the second cer- tainly wasn’t.” His side tested Juventus goal- keeper Wojciech Szczesny early with the Pole getting his hand to Federico Chiesa’s back-heel kick and a Pol Lirola effort. Fellow Pole Bartlomiej Dra- gowski denied Rodrigo Bentan- cur at the other end before a VAR review confirmed Fiorentina’s German Pezzella had handled the ball in the area. Five-time Ballon d’Or win- ner Ronaldo made no mistake, slotting in five minutes before Rajeev Ram of the US and Britain’s Joe Salisbury (R) celebrate beating the break. Australia’s Max Purcell and Australia’s Luke Saville His second came 10 minutes | Melbourne from time for a disputed Fed- AFP was making his 58th Grand erico Ceccherini foul on Bent- Slam doubles appearance. ancur. merican Rajeev Ram “I spent probably until 2016 Ronaldo made it 14 goals in Apicked up his first tennis playing prioritizing singles. I nine games to bring his tally to men’s doubles title at a Grand happened to be ranked high 19 this season, including seven Slam on Sunday with partner enough to get into these slams, penalties. Joe Salisbury of Britain, tam- but it (doubles) wasn’t really The former Real Madrid play- ing the local wild card pair- something I worked at, so to Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus shoots the ball er has now scored 50 goals in 70 ing of Max Purcell and Luke speak,” Ram said. games since moving to Juventus Saville in straight sets at the “It feels more like I start- AFP | Milan do scoring. in 2018. Australian Open. ed my doubles career in 2017 “Cristiano Ronaldo continues He also becomes the first Ju- The hometown pair’s sur- and onward ... I’ve been at it ristiano Ronaldo stretched to score repeatedly and for him BETTER ventus player to achieve a run of prise run at Melbourne Park a while for sure. To actually Chis scoring streak to nine it’s important psychological- goals in nine consecutive league came to a screeching halt finally get one is great.” consecutive league games with ly,” said Sarri of the player who games since David Trezeguet in against the 11th seeds, who Ram said he was sick during a penalty double on Sunday as turns 35 years old next Wednes- KNOW December 2005. strolled to a 6-4 6-2 victory in the off-season and took a call Juventus bounced back from day. De Ligt nodded in a Paulo 70 minutes on a balmy after- to not defend his mixed dou- last weekend’s defeat to Napoli “Physically he’s good and Dybala cross in stoppage time noon at the Rod Laver Arena. bles title at Melbourne Park. with a 3-0 win over Fiorentina. making a difference. The other for his first goal at the Allianz Such was the domination of Sunday’s win was also emo- The Portuguese striker slot- forwards are doing well too.” Juventus had fallen Stadium, as Iachini fell to his Salisbury and Ram, who won tional for the American due to ted in both his goals from the Fiorentina, in 14th position, to just their second first league defeat with the Tus- the Australian Open mixed the personal loss he suffered spot in either half in Turin with have had a resurgence since cany side. doubles title with Czech Barb- last year. Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt Giuseppe Iachini took over on defeat of the season Third-placed Lazio will try ora Krejcikova last year, that “My father passed away in heading in a third in injury time. December 24, but suffered their last weekend at Sarri’s to close the gap on Juventus they did not face a single break April of last year with pan - Maurizio Sarri’s side opened first league defeat this year. former club Napoli, against struggling SPAL later on point in the match. creatic cancer,” he said. “He up a six-point lead at the top Club president Rocco Com- despite Ronaldo scor- Sunday. The duo converted one of was the one that started me of the Serie A table on sec - misso was furious at the penalty ing Roma’s hold on fourth howev- their 10 break point chances in in tennis. ond-placed Inter Milan, who decisions. er is now at risk after losing 4-2 the opening set and marched “When something like that travel to lowly Udinese later on “I am disgusted with what to Sassuolo on Saturday. to a one-sided victory with two happens, it shakes you pret- Sunday. I saw today,” blasted the Ital- Atalanta are just a point be- more breaks in the second. ty good. Yes, it’s been chal - Juventus had fallen to just ian-born US businessman who hind in fifth before they play The 35-year-old Ram, who lenging, but sometimes that their second defeat of the sea- bought the Tuscany club last with a wage bill of 350 million relegation candidates Genoa turned professional in 2004, stuff, when it happens, makes son last weekend at Sarri’s for- year.

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