20 Tuesday, November 21, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Tuesday, November 21, 2017 21 Farah to kick off road career Jana Sri Lanka escape Novotna with a true Mo Farah (file pic) London o Farah will start his career as a full-time road runner by taking part in a London half marathon early next year Mbefore tackling the full distance around the British capital in April, according to The Times. The 34-year-old Briton, a quadruple Olympic and six-time world champion, competed in his final track race in August and winner announced he plans to compete in his third London Marathon on April 22. New Delhi Dickwella was accused The half marathon, named The Big Half, will be held on March espite losingdraw almost of time wasting with 4 and is expected to be Farah’s first event since replacing his BRIEF SCORE Dtwo days of play due Shami giving him controversial coach Alberto Salazar with Gary Lough. to inclement weather, Indian Sri Lanka 294 (Herath 67, an earful following Farah holds the British record for a number of distances, bowlers put up a spirited Mathews 52, Thirimanne 51, which umpires had including the half marathon, and will be aiming to lower Steve show, pushing Sri Lanka Bhuvneshwar 4-88, Shami 4-100) to intervene. And Jones’ current British marathon mark of two hours, seven minutes on the brink but bad light and 75 for 7 (Bhuvneshwar 4-8) then, he produced and 13 seconds. (Reuters) meant the play ended early drew with India 172 (Pujara 52, a ripper to sneak for fifth day in a row and Lakmal 4-26) and 352 for 8 dec. through the defences the first Test ended in a (Kohli 104*, Dhawan 94, Rahul 79, of Chandimal and the India’s Virat Kohli plays a shot draw. When the bails Shanaka 3-76, Lakmal 3-93) Eden crowd found its Alonso does ‘very as singles being a point away from a 3-0 lead were drawn, Indian voice again. Then an champion there in the final set but this time she was seamers had reduced edge from Dickwella in 1998, it was five scuppered not so much by a lack of the visitors to 75/7 under fading didn’t carry to the wicketkeeper as shown well’ in Le Mans car years earlier on the nerve as by an abdominal injury as light, in chase of 231. by the umpire review concluded. same Centre Court the Swiss swept the last set. The new ball pair of Bhuvneshwar ended Dickwella’s London that she really captured Yet, once again, it heightened the Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/8) resistance and went through the guards ernando Alonso performed “very well” during his first the imagination -- and idea that Novotna was one of sport’s and Mohammed Shami (2/34) of Dilruwan Perera (0) in two successive Fexperience of a Le Mans prototype car on Sunday, according sympathy -- of the sports great “chokers” -- one reporter had punched two early holes overs. India were pressing hard for an to Toyota adviser Alex Wurz. world when losing the final once described her cruelly as “No- in Lanka innings when they unlikely win. Sri Lanka, at 75/7, hoping to The double Formula 1 champion completed 113 laps for the to German Steffi Graf. No Novotna, the lady from Choke- dismissed their openers in survive. And they made it through when Toyota world endurance championship team at a test in Bahrain. Her defeat, conjured from Oslovakia” -- but it was a tag that she similar fashion, reducing the umpire Nigel Llong took out the light- Wurz - a two-time Le Mans winner - said: “Fernando is one of the jaws of victory when she lost always challenged feistily. them to 2/2 within four overs. meter one last time and calling it a day. the best race drivers out there. her nerve and confidence, is still “I wanted to win myself, instead of After Virat Kohli’s superlative Sri Lankan dressing room heaved a sigh “So, as you would expect, he adapted quickly to considered one of sport’s great waiting for Steffi to lose,” she once century allowed India to of relief. a rather unique driving style.” meltdowns as Novotna was a point said of the Graf loss. “Unfortunately, declare on 352/8, it was the That the match came so close to a nail- Alonso, who is set to race at Le Mans for away from taking a 5-1 lead in the she started playing better and I did perfect start they would biting end was thanks in part to Kohli’s Toyota in 2018, set a best lap time that was third set only to serve a double fault. not. Does that make me a choker? have hoped for to enforce a 18th Test century, 50th of his international within 0.7 seconds of regular driver Mike It led to a capitulation that was How many chokers get to the result. Umesh Yadav then career. The regular flow of wickets had Conway. painful to behold as Graf, who was to Wimbledon final?” brought one in to trap forced Kohli to accelerate as he began Wurz, who worked closely with Alonso as go on to become one of the all-time She had a very good point. Winning Angelo Mathews lbw after pushing for quick runs and boundaries, he tested at the Bahrain International Circuit, greats, took five games on the trot and 100 tournaments -- 24 WTA singles tea but skipper Dinesh reaching 104 off 119 with 12 fours and said the 36-year-old “supported very good won the final set 6-4. and 76 doubles, including one grand Chandimal (20) and two sixes - the second of which took him and structured feedback during the day”. The failure was all too much for the slam singles and 16 doubles titles -- Niroshan Dickwella (27) to three figures. He had switched gears But he said it was “impossible” to compare then 24-year-old Novotna to take. plus three Olympic medals and the stonewalled the steaming after reaching his maiden fifty at Alonso’s performance with the At the presentation ceremony Fed Cup with Czechoslovakia, made bowlers, adding 47 runs Eden Gardens, which came off other Toyota drivers on the day London afterwards, she broke down her an outstanding champion. for the fifth wicket. 80 deliveries. (TOI) “because we run different imbledon and, in one of the iconic images She finally took the chance to prove Things heated up when programmes and the track champion in Wimbledon annals, burst into it beyond doubt when, a year after temperatures are different, Jana Novotna wasW a true winner tears while being comforted by the losing to Hingis, she lifted the 1998 which all has an influence but it was the misfortune of the Duchess of Kent, the British royal Wimbledon crown, with practically on lap times”. brilliant Czech, who died yesterday who gave her a shoulder to cry on everyone on Centre Court cheering Wurz added: “But aged 49, to always be recalled for -- literally. her, by beating Frenchwoman Nathalie you can see that we one of sport’s most famous and “I know you will win it one day, Tauziat in straight sets. talk of very close heart-rending meltdowns despite don’t worry,” the Duchess told her It seemed fitting that she should lap times between her collection of 100 tennis at that moment. They proved to be afterwards be presented with the our permanent titles. prophetic words. Venus Rosewater Dish as women’s drivers and After Novotna’s death Four years later, Novotna, champion by “the nice lady” who had our ‘rookie’ following a long fight with cancer, whose background as a talented once comforted her. driver and as it’s Wimbledon, the tournament where child gymnast helped her to hone “The Duchess reminded me last year not possible to she really made her name in both a dynamically athletic serve-and- that if I came back for a third time, it compare in such defeat and victory, paid tribute to her volley game perfect for Wimbledon, would be third time lucky for me,” she detail, all I can say as “a true champion in all senses of reached the final again. said at the time. “She said that she was is he did very well the word”. Again, she lost, this time to the very happy that I had finally won this Fernando Alonso (file pic) indeed and it was very nice to work with Jana Novotna (file pic) For even though she was victorious teenage tyro Martina Hingis, after championship.” (Reuters) him.” (BBC)