Sports Friday, September 11, 2020 13 The Younger Games: ‘Hungry’ pretenders seek 1st Grand Slam

AFP ovic was not in my half (of New York the draw) even. So in order to meet him, I would need to be Dominic Thiem and Da- in the final,” he told reporters. niil Medvedev are among the “Right now I still have semi-finalists looking to capi- semis to play. Djokovic is the talise on the absence of the other side of draw, so that’s “Big Three” and win a break- how I think pragmatically, and out maiden Grand Slam title at that’s how I take it.” the US Open. Thiem versus Medvedev The tournament, already for a place in Sunday’s final missing defending champion has all the hallmarks of being Rafael Nadal and Swiss great a classic. Roger Federer through coro- Both are aggressive base- navirus fears and injury, was line players with powerful blown wide open when No- serves and groundstrokes. vak Djokovic was disqualified They also have strong de- for accidentally hitting a line fensive games and like to judge with a ball in the last 16. wear opponents down during His shock departure means lengthy rallies. a first-time Grand Slam cham- “I would say that he comes pion will be crowned at Flush- very close to the big three ing Meadows on Sunday for the players in terms that he can first time since Croatian Marin play his level, his top level, for Cilic won at the US National it doesn’t matter how long. I Tennis Center in 2014. mean, four, five, six hours,” It also means there will Thiem said of Medvedev. be a Grand Slam champion “That’s going to be really, other than Djokovic, Nadal or really difficult.” Federer for the first time since Zverev, just 23 years old, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka takes on Spanish journeyman won the third of his tennis ma- Pablo Carreno Busta in Fri- jors at the US Open in 2016. day’s other semi-final. The circumstances pre- Spain’s 20th seed ben- sent a golden opportunity for efitted from Djokovic’s mo- the next generation of stars -- ment of anger on Sunday, second seed Thiem, third seed progressing to the quarter- Medvedev and fifth seed Al- “We’re going to have a that are hungry for it. come close to winning Grand He also fell at the final hur- dal to five sets in last year’s finals by default. exander Zverev -- to enter the new Grand Slam champion. “I know that all the young Slams before. dle of the French Open, to Na- US Open final. The 29-year-old took ad- pantheon of Slam champions. This is the one thing that we guys are hungry for it, and Thiem, who turned 27 dal, in 2018 and 2019. The Russian insists he vantage of the opportunity by “It’s different,” Zverev know for sure. it’s going to be interesting,” last week, lost the Australian has tried to put any thoughts downing Canadian rising star said, referring to the Big “We don’t know who it is, he added. Open final in five sets to -de ‘Really difficult’ about Djokovic’s absence out Denis Shapovalov in an epic Three’s absence, after reach- but there’s a lot of guys that Both Thiem, from Austria, fending champion Djokovic The 24-year-old Medve- of his mind. five-setter to reach his second ing the last four. want it. There is a lot of guys and Medvedev, of Russia, have earlier this year. dev, meanwhile, forced Na- “The problem is that Djok- US Open semi-final.

Aussie Open aspiring for ’s Morgan has an eye on up to half-full stadiums World Cup in Australia ODI series AFP “I would be jumping up Melbourne and down if that was the re- “I think going away from sult,” Tiley added. what we are strong at will do Australian Open chiefs “That’s our aspiration. us good for a period of time,” are hoping to see Melbourne (But) anything is possible.” he said. “It allows us to focus Park’s stadiums up to half full Tiley has previously said It’s been overcast and that on things that are our weak- at the opening Grand Slam of contingency plans were in nesses as a side, so it creates a 2021 in January. place for Melbourne Park, makes it tacky. That’s the new dynamic.” The fate of the tournament with reduced seating due to sort of we will be remains up in the air with Vic- social distancing, players in a more than likely to play Rashid threat toria state battling a second secure bio-security “bubble” on in in the World A powerful order wave of Covid-19, although the and the likelihood of no over- Cup of 2023. might need to evolve its meth- caseload is dropping. seas spectators. ods, while Jofra Archer and Several big events in the “Players, if they come England Mark Wood will hope to bal- country’s second biggest city, to Melbourne they’ll stay in Eoin Morgan ance their outright speed with including the Australian Rules Melbourne for 14 days and other tools. grand final and a Wallabies we’ll create a bubble between Test skipper Joe Root, argu- Test against the All Blacks, the hotel, transport and the AFP be held in India in 2023, as well ably England’s least explosive have already fallen victim to courts,” he said on Thursday. London a T20 World Cup there next batsman, could play a crucial the pandemic. A key lead-up event to the year, Morgan is embracing the role on sub-continental style But Australian Open chief Australian Open is sched- Eoin Morgan believes England need for change. pitches, while leg-spinner Adil Craig Tiley remains optimistic uled to be the 24-nation ATP must adapt to spinning pitches “It’s a huge benefit to us Rashid will be a key weapon. Sweden sign up that the Grand Slam will go Cup team tournament, with if they are to successfully de- playing at Old Trafford, par- “For me he’s the number ahead, with at least some fans groups games in Sydney, fend their World Cup title in ticularly if we play on the wicket one variation bowler in the to cheer on the players, in con- Perth and Brisbane before the India, and hopes that work can I think we’re going to play on, world at the moment,” said former SA star Rhodes trast to the US Open which is finals in Sydney. begin during the one-day series which will hopefully be slow Morgan of Rashid. “He’s con- spectator free. But with uncertainty over against Australia. and take a lot of turn,” he said. tinuing to improve his game. “Under what we expect the whether players will be able Captain Morgan is antici- “It’s been overcast and that He’s been in as fine form as I’ve in bid to build cricket restrictive conditions to be, 25 to cross state borders without pating a gentle turner at Old makes it tacky. That’s the sort seen him.” AFP my energies in a completely percent crowds would be the quarantining for 14 days, the Trafford, where the arch-rivals of wicket we will be more than As for Root, who was dis- Paris new environment. I can’t wait bottom end and 50 percent newspaper said Tennis Aus- will play three ODIs over the likely to play on in India in the appointed to be overlooked to get started.” would be the top end,” he told tralia was mulling a single next week, with the weather World Cup of 2023 and to play for England’s recent Twen- Former Test The Swedish federation the Melbourne Age. location. conditions and wicket likely to on that for a period of time will ty20 series win over Austral- player Jonty Rhodes has been said cricket was the second- “But a lot’s going to de- “We’re working close- favour slow bowlers. expose us in different areas we ia, the Dubliner added: “Joe appointed as Sweden’s head fastest growing sport in the pend on the condition of the ly with the ATP, and the England’s rise to top spot in need to get better at.” is one of the best players in coach as part of plans for country, seeing a 300 percent environment at that time. players,” said Tiley. the 50-over rankings was built He said over the past few the world. Throughout the “growth and development” of increase in participation over around posting big totals on years England had had to wait last World Cup it was clear the game, the country’s crick- two years. good batting tracks and their to play at Cardiff or Old Trafford what a valuable player he et federation announced on “Our growth targets and tournament triumph last year to experience such conditions, is to us and I think he’s un- Thursday. key areas are directed toward was driven by their pace attack. and that more exposure would dersold a lot of the time in “Swedish Cricket Federa- junior cricket and high perfor- Zverev and Murray to play But with the next edition due to help them. white-ball cricket.” tion to invest in junior cricket, mance,” said Benn Harradine, high performance and growth sports director of the Swedish in Cologne as ATP adds through the appointment of Cricket Federation. South African cricket great, “Jonty will play a pivotal Quick read Jonty Rhodes as head coach,” role in lifting our players as four autumn events said the federation’s statement. well as assisting in securing IPL’s Chennai player rejoins Two teenage cricketers dead Rhodes, who played 52 quality coaching framework DPA team after virus recovery in Bangladesh lightning strike Tests and 245 ODIs for the for the future sustainability of Stuttgart in Germany,” Zverev said in a Proteas, averaged over 35 with the game.” statement. NEW DELHI: Indian paceman Deepak Chahar has DHAKA: Two promising teenage cricketers were the bat in both formats and is Rhodes will start his job in Four more tournaments Organisers said that spec- returned to the bio bubble killed by lightning in Bangladesh Thursday, of- regarded as one of the greatest mid-November. have been added to the men’s tators would be permitted, after recovering from coronavirus ahead of the Indian ficials said, as the death toll during the annual fielders ever to play the game. While Sweden have never tennis calendar in autumn, with the number based on cor- Premier League in the United Arab Emirates. monsoon season rose to at least 350. Since retiring from play- featured strongly in the cricket including back-to-back events onavirus-related restrictions. Chahar, one of two Chennai players who tested Scores of people die every year after being struck ing, Rhodes, who also played world, the game has long been in Cologne, Germany, the ATP Also set to start on Octo- positive for Covid-19 last month, needs to undergo by lightning during Bangladesh’s wet season, which hockey for South Africa, has played by Scandinavian neigh- Tour announced on Thursday. ber 12 is a clay court event in further fitness tests to start training for the runs from April to October. The boys, named by of- been a coach for the bours Denmark. The Cologne indoor events Sardinia. tournament starting September 19. ficials as Mohammad Nadim and Mizanur Rahman, Proteas as well as for Kings XI Several Danes have pro- are set for October 12-18 The fourth new event is in “Deepak Chahar has tested negative twice and is were playing football after rain halted their cricket Punjab in the Indian Premier gressed to first-class cricket and 19-25 and are to feature Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan from back in the team bubble,” Chennai chief executive training at a stadium in Gazipur outside the capital League (IPL). including Ole “Stan” Mortens- among others three-time October 26, like Cologne on Kasi Viswanathan said. Dhaka when they were hit by lightning. “I am really excited to relo- en, who spent 11 years with grand slam champion Andy an indoor hard court. The player will undergo further tests, including a “All of a sudden... lightning struck and I saw three cate to Sweden with my fam- Derbyshire, and Copenhagen- Murray of Britain and Ger- The pandemic has led to a cardio examination, under BCCI (Board of Control boys collapse on the field,” witness Mohammad ily and work together with the born Amjad Khan who played man star Alexander Zverev, complete overhaul of the tennis for Cricket in India) medical team guidance before Palash told AFP. Swedish cricket community,” for Kent and Sussex as well as an Australian and US Open calendar, with no play between he can train. Another uncapped Indian player, “Other players rushed to them and took them said the 51-year-old, currently one Test for England in 2009. semi-finalist. March and August and the en- , is still in isolation and will rejoin to a nearby hospital. Later two of them died.” in Dubai ahead of this year’s Another Scandinavian “It is great that two ATP tire Asian swing in autumn also the team in a few days, part of the squad to play A doctor at Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College delayed IPL. player, Buster Nupen, who events are staged in Cologne scrapped. The season is to end the opener against defending champions Hospital, Rafiqul Islam, confirmed the “This opportunity has was born near Alesund in Nor- in this difficult season. It is with the ATP Finals in London Indians in Abu Dhabi. (AFP) 16-year-olds death from lightning. (AFP) come at a perfect time and I way, played 17 Tests for South always special for me to play from November 15. am grateful to be able to invest Africa between 1921 and 1936.