ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021 16

Seattle Mariners’ Ty France hits a ground-rule RBI double during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, on June 1, in Seattle. (AP) – See Page 14 Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Nishikori needs 5 sets to win; Siniakova ousts Kudermetova Zverev keeps it short, advances to 3rd round at PARIS, June 2, (AP): Down 4-1 in the up, has been in excellent form in the another straight-set win Wednesday. third set, decided it buildup to the clay-court major. He is The fifth-seeded Greek player was time to shorten his match at the among the top contenders in Paris fol- excelled at the net and saved 11 break French Open. lowing his title in Madrid, where he points to defeat solid baseliner Pedro He was determined to avoid another beat Rafael Nadal. Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. lengthy fight following a five-set bat- Zverev was joined in the third round Tsitsipas achieved his best result in tle in the previous round, so he applied by qualifier Henri Laaksonen, who hit Paris last year when he lost to Novak pressure on qualifier Roman Safiullin. 53 winners to upset 11th-seeded Djokovic in the semifinals. He arrived in The sixth-seeded German won the Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, the French capital this year on the back next game at love, broke back by push- 6-2. The 29-year-old Swiss had never of an excellent clay-court campaign that ing his rival into unforced errors and beaten a top 20 player before. included titles in Monte Carlo and Lyon. was nearly flawless in the tiebreaker. “I was not expecting that I’d win In the women’s draw, 2019 runner- The reward was a 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 today,” Laaksonen said. “It’s a great up Marketa Vondrousova reached the (1) victory to advance into the third result. I want to improve my game and third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over round at Roland Garros. let’s see what happens.” wild-card entry Harmony Tan. Earlier, “I’m happy to be through in three 10th-seeded Belinda Bencic’s cam- sets. I’m happy not to have played paign at Roland Garros ended with a another five-setter,” Zverev said. “I 6-2, 6-2 loss to , while think it’s going to be important for me Katerina Siniakova saved two match during the course of this tournament.” points to oust 29th-seeded Veronika Zverev, facing a rival he has known Kei Nishikori of Japan was taken to Kudermetova 7-6 (7), 5-7, 7-5. since their days in the boys’ catego- Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka cele- five sets for the second consecutive Ahead of the French Open, ries, dropped his serve three times on brates after defeating Denmark’s match before downing the big-hitting Siniakova made a deep run in Parma, Court Suzanne Lenglen but managed Clara Tauson during their second 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, where she upset top-seeded Serena to catch up with Safiullin. It wasn’t round match on day four of the 6-4. The 23rd-seeded Khachanov was Williams. smooth - he hit 10 double-faults and French Open tennis tournament at treated by a trainer in the fifth set after Bencic struggled with her serve challenged several calls - but he kept Roland Garros in Paris, France, on cutting his right middle finger by hit- throughout and was broken four times his cool when it mattered. June 2. (AP) ting his racket strings in anger. by her Russian rival. The Swiss player A 25-shot rally in the final tiebreak- Nishikori extended his record in five- has never progressed past the third round er epitomized Zverev’s combative atti- five points to seal the match and set matches to 26-7. at the French Open in five appearances. tude. First on the defensive, Zverev extend his perfect record against quali- For the third straight year, Stefanos Also advancing to the third round Germany’s Alexander Zverev plays a return to Russia’s Roman Safiullin turned it around and won the point fiers to four matches on the Paris clay. Tsitsipas will be playing in the third were 15th-seeded Victoria Azarenka during their second round match on day four of the French Open tennis with a passing shot. He took the next Zverev, the 2020 U.S. Open runner- round at Roland Garros following and No. 33 seed Paula Badosa. tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, on June 2. (AP) ‘Barring Armageddon’ Nets ‘bounce’ Celtics, advance Yes. Tokyo Olympics are ‘a go’ despite opposition, pandemic TOKYO, June 2, (AP): Will the clad control under terms of the to Eastern semis versus Bucks postponed Tokyo Olympics open so-called Host City Contract, and despite rising opposition and the it’s unlikely to cancel on its own pandemic? since it would lose billions in The answer is almost certainly broadcast rights and sponsorship “yes.” income. Senior International Olympic Though it portrays itself as a Committee member Richard sporting league of nations, the IOC Pound was emphatic in an inter- is a multi-billion dollar sports view with a British newspaper. business that derives almost 75% “Barring Armageddon that we of its income from selling broad- can’t see or anticipate, these things cast rights. Another 18% comes are a go,” Pound told the Evening from 15 top sponsors. Standard. Andrew Zimbalist, an econo- Tokyo is under a COVID-19 mist at Smith College in state of emergency, but IOC Vice Massachusetts who has written President John Coates has said the extensively about the Olympics, games will open on July 23 - state estimates the IOC could lose about of emergency, or no state of emer- $3.5 billion-$4 billion in broadcast gency. revenue if the Tokyo Games were As an exclamation point, canceled. He suggested a small Australia’s portion of this, between $400 mil- softball team lion and $800 million, might be - the first made up by cancellation insur- major group ance. of athletes from abroad to set up an OLYMPICS Olympic base in Japan - U.S. broadcaster NBCUniversal arrived in is the IOC’s largest single source Tokyo on of income. Tuesday. “The IOC also feels a commit- So the Pound ment by the momentum of history Olympics are to do this,” Zimbalist said in an barreling ahead. But why? interview with The Associated Start with billions of dollars at Press. “Their whole DNA is say- stake, a contract that overwhelm- ing: ‘do it, do it, do it.’ The ingly favors the IOC, and a deci- Japanese government really does sion by the Japanese government not have the right to cancel the to stay the course, which might games. They can go to the IOC and help Prime Minister Yoshihide plead with them, and maybe they Suga keep his job. are doing that.” These factors have overridden Of course, the Japanese govern- scathing criticism from medical ment could stop the Olympics. It bodies that fear the Olympics may would be a public-relations disas- Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) knocks the ball away from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA spread COVID-19 variants, and a ter for the IOC to get into a legal basketball first-round playoff series, on June 1, in Phoenix. (AP) call for cancellation from Asahi battle with Tokyo, so any such Shimbun, a games’ sponsor and deal would be worked out in pri- the country’s second-largest sell- vate. Suns dismantle Lakers, take 3-2 series lead ing newspaper. The United States The IOC’s lofty image belies Department of State has issued a myriad corruption scandals in the Level-4 “Do not travel” warning last several decades. The president NEW YORK, June 2, (AP): James Harden had 34 points, Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and Kevin Durant had 24 for the Nets, for Japan with Tokyo and other of the Japanese Olympic 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first postseason triple- who will face the Milwaukee Bucks in their first appearance in the second areas under a state of emergency Committee was forced to resign double with Brooklyn, leading the Nets into the Eastern round since 2014. The No. 2-seeded Nets will host Game 1 on Saturday. that expires on June 20. two years ago - he was also an IOC Jayson Tatum had 32 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who made the And there’s saving face. Japan member - in a scandal linked to Conference semifinals with a 123-109 victory over the Eastern Conference finals last year but went quickly with Jaylen Brown and has officially spent $15.4 billion bribing IOC members. A similar Boston Celtics in Game 5. Kemba Walker unavailable. on the Olympics, but several gov- scandal surrounded Rio de Evan Fournier added 18 points and ernment audits suggest it’s much Janeiro’s bid to land the 2016 Romeo Langford had 17 starting in more. All but $6.7 billion is public Olympics. place of Walker, who missed his sec- money. Geopolitical rival China is “The Olympics are a very, very Paralympic champion swimmer ond straight game with a knee injury. to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics strong brand. They’re a unique Suns 115, Lakers 85 just six months after Tokyo ends, brand. They’re a monopoly,” wins ‘prestigious’ Spanish prize In Phoenix, Devin Booker scored 30 and could claim centerstage should Zimbalist said. “They are not regu- points after two quiet games and Phoenix Tokyo fail. lated by any government. All of MADRID, June 2, (AP): was 19 and switched from karate sent LeBron James to the locker room A not-for-profit based in those things have created a sense Paralympic champion swimmer to swimming. She has won early, dismantling Los Angeles to take a Switzerland, the IOC has iron- of invulnerability, perhaps.” Teresa Perales has won Spain’s numerous medals at the 3-2 first-round series lead. annual Paralympic Games over the past The Suns won in Los Angeles on Princess of two decades. She is also a moti- Sunday to tie the series and went right Asturias vational speaker and physiother- at the Anthony Davis-less Lakers in award for apist. front of a revved-up crowd in Game 5. sports. The Suns made 14 3-pointers and The judges had just four turnovers against the said on PARALYMPICS NBA’s regular-season defensive effi- announcing ciency leader. the prize Nnuggets 147, Trail Blazers 140, Wednesday The 50,000-euro ($60,900) 2OT that the award is one of eight Asturias priz- In Denver, Michael Porter Jr’s Spanish ath- es handed out each year by a foun- 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the second lete had Perales dation named for Crown Princess overtime helped Denver squelch an become “an Leonor. Other categories include epic comeback by Portland Game 5 of example for millions of disabled art, social sciences and scientific the playoff series. people of how to overcome diffi- research. Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives to the basket past The Nuggets won despite Damian culties and an icon of international Former winners include Lillard’s franchise playoff record 55 In this April 26, 2021 file photo, a Japanese swimmer demonstrates Boston Celtics forward Aaron during a Paralympic swimming test event at the Tokyo Aquatics paralympics.” American Alpine skier Lindsey Nesmith in the first half of Game 5 points and NBA playoff record 12 Perales, 45, lost the use of her Vonn and Formula One racing Center, one of the venues of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and during an NBA basketball first- 3-pointers. Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (AP) legs due to neuropathy when she driver Michael Schumacher. round playoff series on June 1, in Nikola Jokic scored 38 points and New York. (AP) came one assist shy of a triple-double.

THE FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY IN FREE KUWAIT Published by: Arab Times Publishing House

Editor-in-Chief Editorial Office: Telephone: 24813566 & 24849144 Advertising: Tel: 55633481 Annual Subscriptions: Airport Road, Shuwaikh Fax: 24818267 Fax: 24911307 Individuals KD 45/- Companies and Offi cial Tel: 24849144 AHMED AL JARALLAH Departments KD 75 Airmail charges extra for Fax: 24839487 P.O. Box 2270, 13023 Safat, Kuwait E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] overseas