15 SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2019 sports Barty storms to French Open glory so close. It’s been a magical two Austria’s Dominic Thiem returns the ball to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic Ashleigh Barty weeks.” • Barty, who famously took a ends Australia’s 46- break from tennis to play pro- Thiem rides the storm year wait for French fessional cricket in 2015, struck Open title with win 27 winners past an opponent over Vondrousova riddled with nerves. to beat Djokovic The 19-year-old Vondrousova Australia’s AFP | Paris saw her bid to become the first good one to have,” said Thiem Australian Ashleigh Barty • teenage Grand Slam champi- poses with the after the four hour 13-minute dominates in straight- on since Maria Sharapova won trophy ovak Djokovic’s dream match which was played over sets cruise, 6-1, 6-3 the 2006 US Open come to a Nof becoming just the sec- two days. tame end, as the world number ond man in history to hold “To be in the semi-finals with the three best players AFP | Paris 38 made 22 unforced errors, all Grand Slam titles at the against a mere 10 winners. same time twice was crushed of all time (Nadal beat Roger “Congratulations to you and by Dominic Thiem at Roland Federer in the other semi on shleigh Barty ended Aus- your team, you gave me a les- Garros yesterday. Friday) is really amazing.” tralia’s 46-year wait for a son,” Vondrousova said to Barty Thiem downed the world On the challenge of facing AFrench Open singles title at the trophy presentation. number one 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, Nadal, who has had a day more yesterday by thrashing nervous “Even though I 7-5 to set up a repeat of last to recover, he added: “It seems Czech teenager Marketa Von- didn’t get the win year’s final against 11-time that anyone who gets to the drousova in a one-sided wom- today, I’m real- winner and defending cham- final here plays Rafa. en’s final. ly happy with pion Rafael Nadal. “He will be the favourite but Eighth seed Barty got off to everything.” Djokovic, who was second I hope to just leave it all out a strong start and never looked best to Thiem when it came on the court again and we will back, winning 6-1, 6-3 after only Nervous wait to mastering the gloom, wind see.” 70 minutes to claim her maiden Almost 90 minutes after and damp of Paris, was bidding The semi-final had been Grand Slam title. the match was due to start, to join Rod Laver in the Grand controversially suspended The 23-year-old will rise to the players made their way onto Slam history books. overnight Friday with Djok- second in the world behind Court Philippe Chatrier, after hold, leaving Vondrousova firm- However, it’s 25-year-old ovic complaining about the only Naomi Osaka when the Dominic Thiem’s thrilling five- ly on the back foot after only Austrian fourth seed Thiem ‘extreme wind’ in the stadium. latest rankings are released next set win over Novak Djokovic seven minutes of play. who goes on to face Nadal When play was halted, with week, after becoming the first in the men’s semi-finals forced It’s a special place Another break followed as where he will be buoyed by the top seed trailing 1-3 in the Australian winner at Roland Barty and Vondrousova to en- for Australians Vondrousova threatened to fall having defeated the 17-time third set, there was still around Garros since Margaret Court dure a nervous wait. here. Sam (Stosur) apart, but she settled down and major winner four times on two hours of daylight remain- won the last of her five trophies The scheduling had already has done well here got herself on the scoreboard. clay in his career. ing. in 1973. been criticised on Friday as a before and come Barty quickly got back on He will also attempt to be- However, tournament or- She will be best-ranked Aus- sexism row erupted when the track, and wrapped up the first come just Austria’s second ganisers defended the decision tralian woman since Evonne women’s semis were moved so close. It’s been a set after only 29 minutes with Grand Slam men’s champion after winds of up to 80km/h Goolagong Cawley in 1976. away from the showpiece Cha- magical two weeks a crunching forehand winner. after Thomas Muster won in were forecast throughout the “It’s unbelievable, I’m a little trier court. ASHLEIGH BARTY Vondrousova had it all to do in Paris in 1995. evening in Paris. bit speechless. I played the per- In fact, this was the first the second set having managed Thiem did it the hard way, “I congratulate Dominic, fect match today. I’m so proud match on the premier Roland double faulted to gift Barty two just two winners in the opener, squandering a 4-1 final set he played great, especially in of myself and my team, it’s been Garros arena in Vondrousova’s break points, before firing long but she contrived to drop serve lead and two match points be- the important moments,” said a incredible two weeks,” said career, although she did have a to put her opponent 2-0 ahead. again at the first time of asking. fore he sealed his place in the Djokovic. Barty. brief practice session yesterday Barty, who also reached the She finally held serve for the final. “Obviously, when you’re “It’s a special place for Aus- morning. Australian Open quarter-finals first time in the match, though, “It was an amazing match. playing in hurricane-like con- tralians here. Sam (Stosur) has The tension got the better earlier this year, consolidated saving two break points in the It was my first five-set match ditions it’s hard to play your done well here before and come of the Czech early on, as she the break with a confident love third game. at Roland Garros so it was a best.”

Spain crush Faroes Messi scores twice as Leclerc on top as Ferrari rebound in Euro qualifiers Argentina routs Nicaragua AFP | Paris after Hamilton puncture AFP | Los Angeles hree-time former cham- AFP | Montreal, Canada Tpions Spain strolled ionel Messi scored a first- past the Faroe Islands 4-1 Lhalf double as Argenti - ewis Hamilton said he felt and Ukraine hammered na warmed up for the Copa Llike a naughty schoolboy struggling Serbia 5-0 in Fri- America with a comprehen- after hitting the wall in second day’s Euro 2020 qualifying sive 5-1 win over Nicaragua on free practice for Sunday’s Ca- fixtures. Friday in San Juan. nadian Grand Prix as Charles Republic of Ireland’s The Central Americans, who Leclerc led a revived Ferrari James McClean said pre- will participate in this month’s back to the top of the times on Charles Leclerc of Monaco drives his Ferrari during practice match criticism of his team- Gold Cup tournament while Friday. headmaster’s office, wishing to by one-tenth. mates by Denmark players Argentina battle it out in Bra- The defending five-time be back in class.” Hamilton wound up down in served as motivation as they zil, frustrated the home side world champion slid out of the Leclerc topped the times sixth place behind Carlos Sainz claimed a 1-1 draw in Copen- initially. chicane through turns eight and ahead of Sebastian Vettel as of McLaren and Kevin Magnus- hagen. But it was left to captain Lionel Messi in action nine, his rear right wheel slam- Ferrari took full advantage sen of Haas. Spain captain Sergio Messi to spark his side into Scaloni, brought in after ming hard into the barriers. to lead the way in an event - - ‘Innocent mistake’ - Ramos opened the scoring action in their only warm-up Jorge Sampaoli was sacked “It was my mistake,” he said. ful second practice that The championship leader after six minutes before Je- match ahead of the tourna - following a disastrous showing “And I damaged the car. The raised Italian hopes of ending completed only eight laps and sus Navas doubled the lead ment, expertly opening the at the World Cup last summer, boys tried really hard to fix it, Mercedes record run of six missed more than an hour of just before the 20-minute scoring on 37 minutes before is aiming to build a younger but there wasn’t enough time.” consecutive season-opening the session, a possibly vital mark. grabbing another just 96 sec- team and end Argentina’s 26- As a result of the crash, Ham- wins. absence in terms of collecting Klaemint Olsen headed in onds later. year wait for a trophy. ilton nursed his car back to the The Monegasque driver, bit- data, notably on tyre degrada- from a corner after half an Lautaro Martinez, the In- Indeed, in Scaloni’s Copa pits with a puncture and a dam- terly disappointed by a team tion, at the challenging Circuit hour but the 102nd ranked ter Milan forward, also scored America squad only Messi, aged floor. error in his home Monaco event Gilles Villeneuve. side in the world’s hopes of twice, coming off substitutes Sergio Aguero and Angel Di “I don’t remember the last two weeks ago, clocked a best “It was an innocent mistake,” a surprise comeback were bench at half-time to give Maria remain from the one time I missed a whole session,” lap in 1min 12.177sec to out - he added. “I was doing multiple diminished four minutes coach Lionel Scaloni food that was beaten by Germany he added. “It’s definitely not pace the four-time champion by laps on the medium tyre and later by a Teitur Gestsson for thought ahead of opening in the World Cup final in Rio great to watch from the ga- 0.074 seconds and leave Valtteri was really trying to find the own goal. match with Colombia. five years ago. rage -- it feels like sitting in the Bottas of Mercedes third, adrift limit.