Smith guides Cordoba eye Australian chase Real Madrid scalp after 44-year wait

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24,29 2015 30 Gyan the hero as Ghana beat Algeria Page 31

AUSTRALIA : (center) of hugs Ismail Ahmed after his penalty goal during the quarter-final football match against Japan at the AFC Asian Cup. —AFP UAE, Iraq win in night of upsets

SYDNEY: The United Arab Emirates shocked hold- 1-1 after extra-time, puts Mahdi Ali’s men into a show my respect and humble attitude to ask him -but the defender then conced- against the four-time champions. Japan, looking leg- ers Japan and Iraq sent their arch-rivals crash- semi-final against hosts Australia in Newcastle. how we understand this decision, you tell me.” ed a penalty by clattering into Yaser Kasim, which gy in their fourth game with an unchanged starting ing out as a stunning night of upsets turned the Iraq will play South Korea as they bid to repeat Dhurgham Ismael dispatched. Iraq seemed to have it line-up, pressed without reward until the 81st minute, Asian Cup on its head yesterday. their astonishing 2007 win and bring joy to their ‘PANENKA’ DOUBLE won, but Iranian substitute when substitute Gaku Shibasaki rifled in the equaliser. A double-header of quarter-finals ended in two homeland, where thousands of fans blasted cele- There was no sign of the fireworks to come dramatically headed in at the death of extra-time to The Blue Samurai almost snatched the winner when penalty shoot-outs in Canberra and Sydney, with bratory gunfire yesterday. when talented young striker nod- force penalties. Both sides missed their first kicks but Shibasaki’s free kick flashed wide, but the UAE hung UAE and Iraq surviving moments of intense drama Iraq outlasted Iran 7-6 on penalties after a ded Iran in front on 24 minutes. then scored six each, including Mahmoud’s brilliant on to force the sudden death shoot-out. to come out on top. match of scarcely believable drama ended 1-1 on But sparks flew when Pooladi was cautioned for “panenka”, before Iran’s Vahid Amiry hit the post and And while Abdulrahman chipped the second Their stars shone with UAE wizard Omar 90 minutes and 3-3 after the extra periods. simulation, and then sent off when Williams realised Salam Shakir smashed the winner. “panenka” of the night, Japanese stars Honda and Abdulrahman and Iraq’s Younis Mahmoud, hero of Iran’s coach was incensed at it was his second yellow. A furious Queiroz, fined The later kick-off in Sydney got off to a sombre Kagawa both missed before Ismail Ahmed thumped their 2007 title run, both slotting outrageous Mehrdad Pooladi’s first-half sending-off when he $3,000 for criticising Williams after Iran’s win against start with the UAE wearing black armbands to make the crucial kick home. “I am very proud of my team’s “panenka” penalties in the shoot-outs. received a second yellow card from referee Williams Bahrain, had to be held back as the teams and offi- the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, and Ali performance,” said Japan’s coach Javier Aguirre, who is But Japan’s leading lights Keisuke Honda and for simulation. “Can he (Williams) sleep tonight? It’s cials came off at half-time. Andthe dismissal turned Mabkhout refused to celebrate when he opened the battling a match-fixing claim from his time working in Shinji Kagawa had a night to forget, and 10-man just a question,” said Queiroz, who had to be out to be critical as Iraq levelled through Ahmed scoring in the seventh minute. Mabkhout walked Spain. “We gave everything we had over 120 minutes. Iran were left cursing Australian referee Ben restrained by his players after the dismissal. Yaseen to force extra-time, and then went ahead via away with his arms by his sides when he blasted When the game goes to penalties, it is a 50 percent Williams.UAE’s 5-4 win on penalties, after it finished “If it’s necessary I put my knees to the ground to the head of captain Mahmoud. Iran levelled through home a fierce volley to give his side a shock lead chance of winning.” — AFP Federer toppled as Nadal powers on

MELBOURNE: Rafa Nadal restored a semblance of order to a streetfighter to triumph 6-4 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(5), notching his not going to be very simple today,” he said. “Even in prac- the Australian Open yesterday after Italian Andreas Seppi first win against the Swiss master at the 11th attempt. With tice I still felt the same way. I was just hoping it was one of sent shockwaves through the tournament by toppling the terraces shrieking through the decisive tiebreaker, those feelings you sometimes have and it’s totally not true Roger Federer in one of the greatest Melbourne Park Seppi was superb in the nerve-jangling clinches, and the and you just come out and you play a routine match. Yeah, upsets in recent memory. lunging forehand passing shot that sealed his finest win it was a mistake.” If Sharapova had any hang-ups from her Under the lights of Rod Laver Arena, third seed Nadal will feature on highlight reels for years to come. second-round scare against Alexandra Panova, she con- charged into the fourth round with a demolition of Dudi “It was for sure one of the important shots of my life,” cealed them well during a 6-1 6-1 rout of Kazakh Zarina Sela, all but banishing memories of his painful five-setter the unshaven Italian told reporters. “Against Roger, I never Diyas. Her boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov had watched the against Tim Smyczek two days before. Federer, a four-time went close. I never had the chance. To have this win in my Panova match with his heart in his mouth. Australian Open winner, faces a more lasting agony after career, it’s for sure something big.” Having lived dangerous- Yesterday, it was Sharapova’s turn for nail-biting on the his 11-year run to the Melbourne semi-finals was sensation- ly against Italian Simone Bolelli in the previous round, sec- sidelines as the young Bulgarian contender was dragged ally ended on his centre court domain. ond seed Federer revealed dark premonitions had circled into a five-set dog-fight by Marcos Baghdatis. A 30-year-old battler on a 23-match losing streak his mind as early as Thursday. The big-hearted Cypriot, a famous finalist in 2006, rode against top-10 opponents, 46th-ranked Seppi scrapped like “I felt for some reason yesterday and this morning it was rowdy support from Melbourne’s ethnic Greek fans on Showcourt Three but lost the battle of fitness 4-6 6-3 3-6 6- 3 6-3. Federer’s loss tore open the bottom half of the draw, opening the door for ‘Big Four’ contenders and upstarts like Dimitrov to challenge the establishment. Nadal, on the comeback trail after injury and illness wiped out the last half of his 2014, showed no signs of the cramping that blighted his previous match against Smyczek as he roared past Israeli Sela 6-1 6-0 7-5. “I feel I was very lucky to be through because at 2-1 (on Wednesday) I thought I was going to be on the plane to Mallorca,” Nadal said courtside. “In terms of injuries, I feel free. No pain. In terms of ten- nis. You need to play matches.” Briton Andy Murray also appeared near peak condition in trouncing Portuguese Joao Sousa 6-1 6-1 7-5 at Hisense Arena. But he will have to face his Wimbledon nemesis for a place in the quarter- finals. Dimitrov, who ended Murray’s title defence at his home grand slam, will be the sixth-seeded Scot’s first real test. Another young player expected to rock the tennis order, Canadian seventh seed Genie Bouchard continued her ominous form with a 7-5 6-0 win over Caroline Garcia. Third seed Simona Halep and China’s Peng Shuai, tak- ing on the mantle of retired champion Li Na, also advanced. Australia’s dreams of a first men’s champion in nearly 40 years remain alive, with young talents Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic reaching the last 16, the first AUSTRALIA: Russia’s Maria Sharapova serves during her women’s singles match against Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas time for two locals since Lleyton Hewitt and Mark AUSTRALIA: Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves in his men’s singles match on day five on day five of the 2015 Australian Open.— AFP Philippousis in 2004. — Reuters of the 2015 Australian Open tennis tournament. —AFP