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SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2020 ChampionC Hamilton takes Russia pole It’sI nice being on pole but probably here is the worst place to be oon pole, with the draggier cars this year. I’m most likely to get draggedd past tomorrow. Both the cars I’m racing against are oon the medium tomorrow so that’s definitely going to make it hhard to win the race. I’m going to stay positive. Lewis Hamilton Sport |07 Formula 1 World Champion NBA: (EAST. CONF. FINALS) Game 5: Boston Celtics 121, Miami Heat 108 (Tatum 31 pts, Brown 28, Theis 15) * Miami Heat lead series 3-2 FRENCH OPEN Former ACL champions eye quarter-finals spot TODAY'S ORDER OF PLAY COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER Jannik Sinner (Italy) vs 11-Davsid Goffin (Belgium) Al Sadd set for Persepolis ‘final’ 1-Simona Halep (Romania) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain) THE PENINSULA – DOHA Al Sadd's players 17-Anett Kontavseit (Estonia) vs Caroline taking part in a Former champions Al Sadd Garcia (France) practice session 16-Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) vs Andy will be looking to settle for ahead of their AFC nothing less than a quarter- Champions League Murray (Britain) finals berth in the AFC Cham- Round of 16 match COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN pions League (ACL) when they against Iran's 10-Vsictoria Azarenka (Belarus) vs Danka take on Iran’s Persepolis in the Persepolis, which one-off Round of 16 clash Kovsinic (Montenegro) will be played at Jurij Rodionovs (Austria) vs Jeremy today. the Education City Al Sadd, who cruised to the Stadium, today. Chardy (France) pre-quarters with a game to 9-Johanna Konta (Britain) vs spare despite losing to Al Ain in Coco Gauff (US) their last Group match, finished second in Group C behind Al 6-Alexander Zvserevs (Germany) vs Nassr with nine points. Dennis Novsak (Austria) The Qatari side, which has COURT SIMONNE-MATHIEU the strongest attack in the Margarita Gasparyan (Russia) vs 16-Elise competition with 14 goals to Mertens (Belgium) their name so far, will be no easy opponents for Persepolis Anna Karolina Schmiedlovsa (Slovsakia) when the two sides meet for vs Vsenus Williams (US) the seventh time in the history, 23-Benoit Paire (France) vs Kwon and coach Xavi said his team Soon-woo (South Korea) will treat today’s encounter Miomir Kecmanovsic (Serbia) vs 12-Diego ‘like a final’. Speaking during a pre- Schwartzman (Argentina) match press conference, Xavi bin Hamad Stadium, the coach said yesterday: “We are very said: “Education City Stadium excited, we want to win and is a big stadium, but it does not reach the quarter-finals. We change the way we play. Eve- will play against Persepolis, rything is excellent; the con- which is the best Iranian team, ditions are perfect and the Gill’s unbeaten and it will be a difficult game, YESTERDAY’S RESULTS weather is very good and it is like a final, for us.” time to give our best to qualify 70 helps KKR Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA) 1 - 1 (4-3) Shabab Al Ahli Qatar’s most successful for the next round.” side in the continental tour- (UAE) In the meantime, this is the clinch easy nament, Al Sadd have Pakhtakor (UZB) 2 - 1 Esteghlal FC (IRN) sixth time Persepolis have appeared in the competition TODAY'S FIXTURES made it to the knockout stage. win over SRH on 13 occasions, reaching the Persepolis FC (IRN) vs Al Sadd (QAT) Al Sadd coach Xavi “We face a difficult knockout stage six times prior At Education City Stadium (16:40) Hernandez during encounter against a strong and IANS – DUBAI to 2020, winning the title in Al Nassr (KSA) vs Al Taawoun FC (KSA) a press conference organised Al Sadd team,” said 2011 and reaching the semi- yesterday. Persepolis captain Seyed Jalal finals in 2018 and 2019. At Education City Stadium (20:45) Hosseini ahead of the Opener Shubman Gill (70 not out) “It will be an excellent encounter, which is arguably and Eoin Morgan (42 not out) put game and a great opportunity they needed to qualify,” the Persepolis and Esteghlal, and penalty shootout. Otherwise, the biggest clash in the last 16 up 92 runs for the fourth wicket to to qualify for the quarter- Spaniard said. Xavi said the most spirited we will struggle to achieve stage. help Kolkata Knight Riders beat finals. We respect Persepolis “We will face a strong and matches that he has faced in what we are looking for, which “All teams in the AFC SunRisers Hyderabad by seven and we will not forget that they difficult team. We will play for his career are always against is going to the quarter-finals,” Champions League are strong wickets with two overs to spare at knocked us out in the 2018 possession and control of the Iranian teams. Xavi said. and we know Al Sadd have the Dubai International Cricket semi-finals,” the Barca legend match, and this is a key point “I told the players that the The former Al Sadd captain some really good players espe- Stadium yesterday. said. for us. We have an advantage most spirited matches that I also pointed out that the hosts cially in attack, but we have Gill and Morgan helped KKR “We must play with with the rest that the players have faced in my career are will have a full-strength team intelligent analysts who will do survive an early wobble in their balance and great passion in got, but we must be fully always against Iranian teams, against Persepolis, and said: well to analyse the opponents chase of 143 after SRH dragged order to get the win. We hope prepared.” including Persepolis, who play “All the players of the team are and the coaching staff will help themselves to 142/4 wickets in 20 to achieve this by giving our The 2011 winners Al Sadd with great enthusiasm. So we fully prepared and there are us prepare well. It will be a overs. KKR finished at 145/3 in 18 best on the pitch. Our priority SC are the only former cham- need to play with a lot of no absentees.” tough game for both sides,” overs. in the match against Sepahan pions in contention in the West passion, like it’s a final and As for playing at Education Hosseini said. KKR lost opener Sunil Narine was to rest some players after Asia region. There are two always be focused throughout City Stadium after playing the The match kicks off at for a duck in the second over after qualifying, but for Persepolis, Iranian teams in the last 16, the match, even if we reach the previous four games at Jassim 4.40pm. which Nitish Rana smashed a quickfire 26 off 13 balls. Rana hit six fours in his short innings which pro- vided a cushion for Morgan and Gill Qatari, Palestinian Al Ahli SFC edge Shabab Al Ahli on as they looked to regain control of the chase. KKR were momentarily put on FA Presidents meet penalties to seal quarter-final spot the backfoot after Rana and captain Dinesh Karthik fell in a relatively QNA – DOHA AFC – DOHA short period. While Rana was caught behind off T Natarajan in the President of Qatar Football Association (QFA) Al Ahli Saudi FC fifth over, Karthik fell for a duck to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani advanced to the 2020 Rashid Khan in the seventh. Gill and met with his Palestinian counterpart Major AFC Champions League Morgan, however, settled down and General Jibril Al Rajoub, who is currently visiting quarter-finals after regained control of the match. Gill the country. beating Shabab Al Ahli hit five fours and two sixes while The meeting dealt with issues of joint interest Dubai FC 4-3 on Morgan hit three fours and two and expanding cooperation between the two penalties after the 120 sixes. sides. QFA also pledged to provide 100,000 minutes of their Round Earlier, SRH won the toss and medical swabs and 3,000 COVID-19 kits to the of 16 clash ended in a 1-1 chose to bat -- the first time any Palestinian Football Association. draw at Al Janoub team has done that this season. Al Rajoub expressed his appreciation for QFA’s Stadium yesterday. Ahli Saudi FC's forward shoots to score during the AFC Champions Manish Pandey top scored with 51 support, stressing that the Palestinian Football The two sides had League Round of 16 match against UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli yesterday. off 38 balls as SRH scraped their Association is committed to enhancing bilateral met at the same round way to 142/4 in 20 overs. cooperation in light of the big experience of QFA in 2017 when Al Ahli emerged 4-2 back of the net to hand Shabab Al Lima and Youssef Jaber found the Captain David Warner got to to help develop the game in Palestine. winners on aggregate to reach the Ahli Dubai the lead. Within eight net. Abdulrahman Ghareeb scored spend more time in the middle than quarter-finals, before exiting at the minutes of the restart, they had won for Al Ahli and Ganiev kept the he did in the previous match in hands of Persepolis FC. a penalty after Ganiev brought Al margin at one goal with three spot which he faced just six balls before Within five minutes Al Ahli Muwashar down inches inside the kicks taken. Defender Hawsawi con- being dismissed. On Saturday, he Ooredoo Cup: Al Khor thought they had already taken the box. Al Soma stepped up and fired fidently extended Al Ahli’s lead and scored 36 off 30 balls but fell to lead. ’s whipped cross from the spot into the top corner to substitute Saeed Ahmed kept his spinner Varun Chakravarthy just as trounce Al Sailiya 5-1 from the corner was met by Omar equalise for the Saudi side. composure to keep Shabab Al Ahli’s he was looking to shift gears. Al Soma’s powerful header which Goalkeeper Nasser rescued his hopes alive. KKR’s record buy Pat Cummins THE PENINSULA – DOHA beat goalkeeper Majed Nasser but side at the death, with Motaz With the score at 4-3, it was followed up his underwhelming cannoned off the crossbar. Hawsawi setting up Hussain Al down to talisman Al Soma to send show in the first match with a mas- Al Khor recorded a convincing 5-1 win over Al Salman Al Muwashar slotted Moqahwi inside the box, the latter Al Ahli into the next round, but the terful performance yesterday, Sailiya in Round 1 (Group A) of the 2020-21 season home the rebound but was flagged had the goal at his mercy and struck Syian attempted Panenka hit the returning miserly figures of 1/19 in Ooredoo Cup at the Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. offside. on the half-volley with his left, but crossbar, handing the Emiratis a four overs. Al Sailiya took the lead through George Kossi Shabab Al Ahli's Uzbek mid- the Shabab Al Ahli captain produced lifeline that Abdullah Al Naqbi failed BRIEF SCORES: in the 14th minute, but Al Khor staged a brilliant fielder Azizjon Ganiev succeeded in a fine save to send the game into to take, sending his shot high. SRH 142/4 in 20 overs (Manish fightback to score five goals, through Khaled the 29th minute as he collected penalties. Later, at the same venue, goals Pandey 51, David Warner 36; Andre Radwan (30), Mohammed El Sayed (37), Helal Jumaa’s pass 30 yards from goal and Hussein Abdulghani converted from Deagan Ceran (43) and Sardor Russell 1/16, Pat Cummins 1/19) lost Mohammed (57), Said Brahimi (73) and Jassim Al lined a third powerful drive that was from the spot and Khalil hit the Sabirkhojaev (47) sealed a 2-1 win to KKR 145/3 (Shubman Gill 70 not Muraikhi (90+4). deflected off young defender Abdul- crossbar for Shabab Al Ahli for the for Pakhtakor against Esteghlal as the out, Eoin Morgan 42 not out; Rashid Later, in the other Group A match, Al Wakrah baset Al Hindi and left Al Owais Saudis to take the lead. Left-backs Uzbek side marched into the Khan 1/25, T Natarajan 1/27) by and Qatar SC settled in for a one-all draw. helpless to rescue, nestling into the stepped up next and both Lucas quarters. seven wickets Sport SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2020 07 Yamaha's Morbidelli snatches maiden MotoGP pole in Barcelona AFP – BARCELONA Yahama-SRT rider Fabio team next season following the It was a disastrous day for current CATALONIA MOTOGP GRID FRONT ROW Quartararo. announcement of his one-year con- championship leader Andrea : 1. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha-SRT) 1min 38.798sec, 2. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) at 0.210, Franco Morbidelli took pole position “Beating Fabio on a qualifying lap tract extension on Saturday, will take Dovizioso, who is only one point 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.331 for the Catalonia MotoGP yesterday is good because it means that you are third place on the grid. ahead of Quartararo and Maverick SECOND ROW: 4. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati-Pramac) 0.427, 5. as three Yamaha bikes claimed the very fast. I wanted to have a very It will be the first time in over a Vinales but will start Sunday’s race Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 0.573, 6. Johann Zarco (FRA/ entire front row for this weekend’s good lap and tomorrow we will try year that Rossi, 41, will start a Grand 17th on the grid. Ducati-Avintia) 0.580 race at the Montmelo circuit. to have a good race,” said Morbidelli, Prix from the front row. Vinales, another Yamaha rider, is THIRD ROW: 7. Pol Espargaro (ESP/KTM) 0.697, 8. Joan Mir Morbidelli’s time of 1min 38.798sec who sits fifth in the championship “It’s a really great result to be in in the second row alongside Ducati- (ESP/Suzuki) 0.830, 9. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 0.843 came on his final qualifying lap and standings. the front row, especially today which Avintia’a Johann Zarco and Jack Miller FOURTH ROW: 10. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 0.861, 11. Takaaki handed the Italian his first ever Valentino Rossi, who will drop is special because I signed a contract from Ducati-Pramac after finishing Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 0.915, 12. Miguel Oliveira (POR/ MotoGP pole, 0.210sec ahead of fellow down to Yahama-SRT from the factory for next year,” said Rossi. qualifying fifth fastest. KTM-Tech3) 1.390 Celtics edge past Hamilton takes Russia pole with Heat to stay alive in NBA sights on Schumacher's record play-offs REUTERS – SOCHI Formula One championship leader Lewis AFP – MIAMI Hamilton roared back from qualifying drama at the Russian Grand Prix The Boston Celtics roared back yesterday to put his Mercedes on pole in the second half, beating the position for what could be a record- Miami Heat 121-108 on Friday equalling 91st victory. to stay alive in the NBA play- Red Bull’s Max Verstappen seized offs. second place on the starting grid for the Jayson Tatum scored 31 race in Sochi, with Hamilton’s team mate points and pulled down 10 and closest title rival Valtteri Bottas rebounds and Jaylen Brown having to settle for third. added 28 points as six Celtics Hamilton, who has a 55-point lead players scored in double over Bottas in the championship, will figures and Boston cut the equal Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s deficit in the best-of-seven all-time win record if he takes his seventh Eastern Conference finals to victory of the season on Sunday. three games to two. The pole was the 96th of the six-times Goran Dragic led the Heat champion’s career but he ended the with 23 points and Duncan session facing a stewards’ enquiry for not Robinson added 20 for Miami, returning to the track correctly at turn who are trying to reach the two during the first phase of qualifying. NBA finals for the first time The Briton also came within a whisker Mercedes’ British driver Lewis since 2014. of not making it into the top 10. Hamilton waves after taking the pole With their season hanging “It was one of the worst qualifying position after the qualifying session in the balance, the Celtics sessions, it was horrible,” said Hamilton, for the Formula One Russian Grand exploded for 41 points in the waving to the first proper crowd of the Prix at the Sochi Autodrom Circuit in third quarter to turn the tide season after a string of races behind Sochi, yesterday. in a game dominated early by closed doors due to COVID-19. Miami. “You know, heart in your mouth the Under solid pressure from whole way.” The Briton was 15th and still reaching the line with just over a second the draggier cars this year,” said Ricciardo in fifth place for Renault and the Heat defense, the Celtics without a lap time on the board when the to spare and being told to muscle his way Hamilton. Carlos Sainz sixth for McLaren. made just one of their first 12 second phase of the session was halted through, the pressure dissolved. “I’m most likely to get dragged past Neither Ferrari driver made it into the shots and connected on just after Sebastian Vettel crashed his Ferrari He proceeded to smash the track tomorrow. Both the cars I’m racing top 10 with Charles Leclerc, last year’s five of 20 from the field in the and spread debris across the track. record with a blistering lap of one minute against are on the medium tomorrow so pole sitter, qualifying 11th and Vettel 15th first quarter. The clock showed two minutes and 31.304 seconds. that’s definitely going to make it hard to and one place behind Williams’ George Boston trailed by as many 15 seconds to go. Verstappen, who has retired from his win the race,” added the champion, who Russell. as 12 in the opening period, Hamilton had to use all his experience last two races, pushed Bottas off the front starts on soft tyres. Russia’s only representative on the which ended with the Heat to stay calm in the garage and then com- row right at the end with a 1:31.867 effort “I’m going to stay positive, try and grid, AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat, starts 12th. leading 26-18. plete a quick lap and secure his place in -- still more than half a second slower figure out how I can navigate my way Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen lines Miami again built the lead the final top-10 shootout once the pit lane than Hamilton. through.” up last on the grid in what will be a to 12 in the second period and reopened. “It’s nice being on pole but probably Mexican Sergio Perez starts fourth for record-equalling 322nd start for the 2007 finished the first half with a Job done, going fourth fastest after here is the worst place to be on pole, with Racing Point with Australian Daniel world champion. 58-51 lead. But Boston were beginning to see some shots fall, and as they turned up the intensity on Ventura Rebel wins QREC Renaissance Stakes both ends of the floor after the I’m honoured to hear interval Miami had no answer. THE PENIISULA – THE CURRAGH that I am the favourite Marcus Smart’s three- (at the French Open), pointer tied it up at 60-60 and British raider Ventura Rebel yesterday won the Qatar Racing people thinking that I’m Boston took the lead for the and Equestrian Club Renaissance Stakes, a Group 3 race first time in the contest, 62-60, over 1,200m for 3-year-olds and up, took place at The the favourite. But I don’t on Brown’s layup off a feed Curragh. look in that direction. It’s from Kemba Walker. Trained by Richard Fahey, Ventura Rebel, the 3-year- not extra pressure. I’m Walker’s three-pointer old colt who is by speedy sire Pastoral Pursuits and out of used to this kind of with 4:26 left in the third gave the Firebreak mare Finalize, had previously finished 3rd pressure because I’ve Boston a 10-point lead and the in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this Celtics took a nine-point edge summer. This was his first win at Group level and his first been No. 1 seeded in the into the final frame, when they win as a 3-year-old having won twice at 2. past. I’ve been in this continued to pour it on. Eleven lined up in the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club- position. The Celtics will try to build sponsored race and Ventura Rebel, who was wearing cheek- To play Roland Garros in on their momentum against a pieces for the first time, sat handily on the near side, with September, end of Heat team determined to put the runners spread out across the track. They began racing them away in game six today. early and Ventura Rebel pulled into the lead in the final 100 September, it’s a little metres. He held of Forever In Dreams (Dream Ahead x Dora bit weird. But it’s nice de Green) by half a length to win this prestigious prize. Joint- that we have the chance favourite Summerghand (Lope de Vega x Kate The Great) to play at this came in third. Ventura Rebel reaching the finish line to win the Qatar Racing and Equestrian tournament Ventura rebel was a £28,000 yearling at the Tattersalls Club Renaissance Stakes (Group 3) at The Curragh, yesterday. Ascot Yearling Sale, bought by Frederico Barberini from As I said always, many PIC: CURRAGH RACECOURSE Bearstone Stud. He was bred by Crossfields Bloodstock. girls from the top 10, top 15 have a chance to win a Grand Slam. Roland Garros is very Manchester United earn dramatic win open, because it’s clay court but it’s a little bit at Brighton with late Fernandes penalty faster, so also the big hitters can win it easy. REUTERS – BRIGHTON Former champion Manchester United beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 Simona Halep away in the Premier League arrives at the rescheduled yesterday after an incredible French Open as the player finale in which Bruno Fern- to beat in a women’s andes struck the winning draw missing title holder goal from the penalty spot in the ninth minute of Ashleigh Barty and recent stoppage time. US Open winner Naomi Neal Maupay had given Osaka, two of the world’s away the penalty with a top three. handball, which led to a VAR review, after referee Chris Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scores their third Kavanagh had blown the goal from the penalty spot to secure win against Brighton fulltime whistle. & Hove Albion yesterday. Kavanagh eventually gave Jayson Tatum of the the penalty and Fernandes Boston Celtics goes for lashed into the net from the United the lead in the 55th Brighton, who hit the levelled with an own goal from a lay-up against Miami spot, moments after Solly minute after Rashford and woodwork five times, took the Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, Heat during the fourth March had levelled for Brighton Mason Greenwood had goals lead when Maupay coolly who tried to prevent United quarter in Game Five of in the fifth minute of added ruled out for offside and slotted in a penalty in the 40th captain Harry Maguire from the Eastern Conference time. Brighton had seen a penalty minute after a foul by reaching a Nemanja Matic pass Finals on Friday. A brilliant solo strike from decision overturned by a VAR Fernandes. following a free kick but instead Marcus Rashford had given review. But the visitors soon sent the ball into the net.