Established 1961 Sport TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Birdie bomb lifts Rahm to BMW Clippers eliminate Mavericks, Al-Arabi, Al-Nasser and Al-Sahel 14playoff triumph over Johnson 15 Celtics rout Raptors 112-94 15 win in STC Football League SAN SEBASTIAN: Lyon’s players celebrate with the trophy winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League final football match between VfL Wolfsburg and Lyon at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian. —AFP Lyon claims Women’s Champions League title French President Macron tweeted his congratulations at the end of the game SAN SEBASTIAN: Lyon continued their reign as “It is hard to win this trophy but we give everything Griedge Mbock and Amandine Henry injured and Bronze, who is now expected to return to her home Europe’s dominant women’s team on Sunday, beating to win it every year.” Norway’s 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg not country. Wolfsburg 3-1 in the Champions League final to win the Lyon’s latest triumph confirms their status as the fully fit. England forward Nikita Parris was suspended. They are now unbeaten in 65 matches stretching trophy for the fifth year running with Japan star Saki finest club team around even as rivals across Europe But Lyon’s long-serving president Jean-Michel Aulas back over two years, and this is also the third time in Kumagai’s goal proving crucial. step up their investment in the women’s game. continues to be rewarded for his heavy investment in a which Lyon have beaten Wolfsburg in the final, leaving Kumagai netted after Eugenie Le Sommer had hand- Jean-Luc Vasseur’s team women’s team, despite the the Germans still searching for a third Champions ed the French outfit the lead in San Sebastian, giving had previously edged out prize money for winning the League crown to go with their titles in 2013, when they Lyon a 2-0 half-time advantage and leaving Wolfsburg Bayern Munich and Paris Champions League being a beat OL, and 2014. Previous finals between these sides with too much to do even if Alexandra Popp pulled one Saint-Germain in the ‘Final mere 450,000 euros have been close affairs, although on this occasion the back in the second half. Eight’ in Spain’s Basque ($535,000), a tiny fraction of holders started strongly and were rewarded with the Icelandic midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir’s late Country, played out behind Unbeaten in that on offer in the men’s opening goal in the 25th minute. effort made sure of the victory for Lyon, whose fifth con- closed doors because of the competition. Delphine Cascarino cut the ball back for Le Sommer, secutive Champions League crown is their seventh over- coronavirus pandemic. 65 games “It is the stuff of legend and she pounced to convert the rebound after her first all, comfortably a record. They also pipped PSG to because we have had to shot was blocked by goalkeeper Friederike Abt. Five in a row sees them equal the feat achieved by the claim a 14th successive rebuild and innovate every The second goal came in the 44th minute. Ingrid Real Madrid men’s team between 1956 and 1960, in the French title this year and year, but the team showed Engen stopped Amel Majri shooting but only succeeded early days of the European Cup. French President defeated the same team on great resilience and to win a in setting up Kumagai, who scored with a terrific left- Emmanuel Macron even tweeted his congratulations at penalties in the French Cup fifth Champions League in a foot strike from 23 yards. the end of the game. final. This victory, against a row is absolutely incredible,” Wolfsburg pulled one back just before the hour as “Now we need to win a sixth in a row to beat the side who won a German domestic double and were Aulas told Canal Plus. Ewa Pajor set up Popp to head in from close range, but record,” said captain Wendie Renard, who along with Le unbeaten in 40 games before the final, showcased the Here, Lyon were still able to call upon a host of French Lyon made it 3-1 in the 88th minute. When a corner was Sommer and goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi has featured in depth of their squad. internationals and foreign stars like Kumagai, Germany’s not properly cleared, Le Sommer went for goal and her all seven final wins. Lyon were missing four leading stars, with France duo Dzsenifer Marozsan and England right-back Lucy wayward shot was deflected in by Gunnarsdottir. —AFP COVID-19 out of the US National Tennis Center, ing positive for COVID-19. Under New York state The absence of defending champion Rafael Nadal Djokovic in action only players, officials and a handful of media will be rules, any player that tests positive is immediately and Swiss legend Roger Federer gives Djokovic a watching in-person this year. withdrawn and must self-isolate for at least 10 days. prime opportunity to gain ground on his rivals in the “It is strange to see,” said Djokovic, crediting his Most competitors are staying at specific hotels chase for the all-time men’s Grand Slam singles title on day one at love of playing on the New York hardcourts to and are not allowed to travel anywhere other than record. Top seed and three-time US Open winner Ashe, which he described as “the most dynamic and to and from the tournament site and their accom- Djokovic — who has won five of the past seven US Open bubble explosive court” in the game. modation. Grand Slam crowns — has 17 slams, behind Nadal “The circumstances are very unusual but we Some players, including Djokovic, have rented on 19 and Federer on 20. NEW YORK: Overwhelming favorite Novak have to deal with it and try to embrace it,” the private houses that must be guarded 24 hours by Also on Ashe Monday is top-seeded woman Djokovic begins his quest for an 18th Grand Slam Serbian superstar added. security to safeguard the quarantine bubble. Karolina Pliskova, who goes up against 145th title as a unique, spectator-free 2020 US Open gets The US Open marks the first Grand Slam of the Parts of the tennis center grounds were turned ranked Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine. Two-time underway in a COVID-19 quarantine bubble at coronavirus era, and the first since the Australian into makeshift hospital rooms during the worst of Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka is scheduled to Flushing Meadows. Open in January and February, after the global pan- the pandemic in New York in April. play as well, but her status is in doubt due to a left The world number one headlines the opening demic wiped out much of the season, including hamstring injury that forced her to pull out of day of a tennis major that promises to be unlike any Wimbledon. Players are being kept in a tightly con- NO NADAL, FEDERER Saturday’s WTA New York final. other and which is missing several top players due trolled environment to minimize the risk of infection Intense cleaning and safety protocols were put in Serena Williams starts her bid for a 24th career to coronavirus fears. and are being tested for coronavirus regularly place before the US Open allowed players into the Grand Slam women’s singles crown to match the all- Djokovic takes on unheralded Damir Dzumhur of throughout the tournament. bubble. And the number of support personnel for time record set by Margaret Court on Tuesday. Bosnia-Herzegovina in a round-one evening match The men’s draw was disrupted on the eve of the each competitor is limited, as is the number of play- Women’s number one Ashleigh Barty and reign- at an Arthur Ashe Stadium that in normal years tournament Sunday when France’s Benoit Paire was ers allowed into the locker room at any one time. ing champion Bianca Andreescu are among high- buzzes with 23,000 screaming fans. removed after organizers announced that an Players are advised to wear masks when they are profile women skipping the event because of con- But due to strict measures aimed at keeping unidentified player had been withdrawn after test- not on court and must wash their hands regularly. cerns about coronavirus. —AFP.