ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 SPORTS 14

Albuquerque holds off Kobayashi and Van der Zande Racing win record-tying 3rd consecutive Rolex 24 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, Feb 1, (AP): won its record-tying third consecutive Rolex Kuwait’s Al-Dhafeeri completes Group N Rally triumph 24 at Daytona, using a new car and a new lineup to beat some of the best DOHA, Feb 1, (KUNA): Meshari quality of the competition, prom- Kuwait’s leadership, attributing racers in the world. Al-Dhafeeri of Kuwait and his co- ising not to rest on his laurels and his success to the overwhelm- held off Kamui driver Qatari Nasser Al-Kawari strive for greater achievements ing support he has received at Kobayashi and Renger van der Zande won the MERC 2 or Group N home, as he encouraged his - both part of WTR’s winning teams category of Qatar International RALLYING compatriot youngsters to follow the last two seasons and both seeking Rally on Sunday, fi nishing the in his footsteps. to become the fi rst winners of three race in a total time of two hours, Dating back nearly four dec- 17 minutes and 10 seconds. to show how far motorsport has ades, the three-day racing event consecutive Rolex races - to give the come in Kuwait. overhauled Taylor team its fourth win In comments after the win, Al- marked the 41st edition of the Dhafeeri cited the world-class He dedicated the victory to Qatar International Rally. in the last fi ve years at Daytona Inter- national Speedway. race but decided to turn it over to Albu- battling to become the fi rst winning GT Le Mans class. The winning lineup CAR RACING querque because the Portuguese driver drivers of three straight Rolex races. included Nicky Catsburg and Antonio was rested and could tackle track con- The Dutch driver closed on his old Garcia, who was pulled by General ditions that included increased wind team multiple times in the fi nal 25 Motors with seven hours remaining Albuquerque was challenged over speeds. minutes but couldn’t make a pass for when he tested positive for COVID-19. the fi nal 25 minutes by van der Zande, the lead and was eliminated when his The Konica Minolta racing team, (from left to right), Filipe Albuquerque, “We decided we wanted somebody Garcia was tested during the race driving a for as fresh as possible in the car,” Ricky tire blew. weekend so he could return to Spain Racing, until a punctured tire sent van , team owner Wayne Taylor, Helio Castroneves and Ricky “I could see his eyes in my mirrors,” Taylor celebrate with the championship trophy after winning the Rolex 24 Taylor said. “He got in there and was after the Rolex. He drove nearly eight der Zande to the pits with seven min- an absolute monster and carried it at Albuquerque said of van der Zande. hours in the race and was last in the car utes remaining. hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, on Jan 31, in Daytona “He was so hungry for this, especially Beach, Florida. (AP) the end.” Sunday morning. Kobayashi cycled into second but The victory snapped a four-year with the whole story of leaving Wayne “The protocols we have are super didn’t have enough to catch Albuquer- then the Wayne Taylor Racing pro- a whole new engine, with a whole winning streak for Cadillac, which Taylor. I was lucky that they had a serious, the drivers don’t really get to que, who closed out the fi rst overall gram won it overall. new partnership and I thought I need- got a second-place finish from an Ac- puncture.” interact, even in a 24-hour,” Jordan Rolex victory for Acura in the prestig- “As a family, it was a very, very ed something to be consistent. So I tion Express all-star car that included The Ganassi team also suffered a tire Taylor said. “Antonio, I saw him be- ious twice-round-the-clock endurance special day.” hired all the same drivers Roger had,” seven-time NASCAR champion Jim- puncture about two hours earlier when fore the race and that was the last time, race. Wayne Taylor took ownership of his Wayne Taylor said. mie Johnson. Kobayashi carried the six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dix- and even then, we’re always social dis- Wayne Taylor left General Motors new cars - used Acura’s handed down It was WTR’s fourth Rolex win in load for an Action Express lineup on was driving. The team also rallied tancing, we’re always taking the cor- after 28 years at the end of last season when Roger Penske closed his team at fi ve years and fi fth overall, one behind that also included Indianapolis from two penalties incurred by new- rect protocols. to become a factory Acura program. the end of last season - in November Ganassi’s record six victories. The 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and comer , who spent “Surface-to-surface, we’re wearing He brought his oldest son, Ricky, back 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike the last seven seasons in Formula One. gloves, we’re wearing balaclavas and and needed every day during the off- three-straight wins tie Ganassi’s mark. to the team for the refresh and they cel- season to prepare for Daytona. He re- Rockenfeller. The team fell to fi fth in the fi nal stand- helmets in the car, so nothing in the car ebrated the overall victory as youngest placed his entire lineup with newcom- It’s the fi rst Rolex for Castroneves When Taylor switched to Acura, ings. could be a risk for us.” son, Jordan, earned a class victory with er Albuquerque and Acura holdovers and Rossi, who have won four com- he released van der Zande, who was “Absolutely gutted,” Magnussen Era Motorsport won the Le Mans Corvette Racing. , Helio Castroneves and bined Indianapolis 500s. Albuquerque grabbed by Ganassi as the team re- said. “Looked like we had the race Prototype 2 class in an Oreca LMP2; “Today is probably one of the best Alexander Rossi. won in 2018 driving a Cadillac; Ricky turned to sports car racing after a won right there. Renger had really Riley Motorsports won the Le Mans days I’ve ever had,” Wayne Taylor The trio all drove the Acura the last Taylor won in a Cadillac for his fa- one-year hiatus. Kobayashi was not good pace catching (Albuquerque) Prototype 3 class in Ligier JS P320; said, equating it to the 2017 WTR vic- three seasons for Team Penske and ther’s team in 2017. retained by WTR for endurance events and I think he would have had a really and Winward Racing in a Mercedes- tory when both sons drove for him. Taylor hoped would help the transi- Ricky Taylor, who closed out the so he signed on for Daytona with Ac- good chance to win the race.” AMG GT3 won the GT Daytona class, “We won it with Ricky, and Jordan tion. 2017 Rolex win for WTR, was in the tion Express, and former teammates Jordan Taylor closed the race to earn which at 20 entries was the largest won the GT class with Corvette, and “I was getting a whole new car, with car late and had the option to fi nish the Kobayashi and van der Zande were a a 1-2 Corvette Racing fi nish in the class of the 49-car fi eld. Halep, Svitolina advance Reed wins at Torrey Pines Serena through easily in Australian Open tuneup MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb 1, (AP): Serena Williams found a sil- despite rules controversy ver lining in the delayed start to the Australian Open, the season-opening tournament that is starting three weeks later than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time to recover from an Achilles injury that ended her run at last year’s French Open before her second-round match. Extra time with her daughter, albeit in hotel quarantine. The 39-year-old American, a seven- time Australian Open champion, restart- ed her lengthy quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Daria Gavrilova on Monday in a tuneup tournament at Melbourne Park.

TENNIS United States’ Serena Williams makes a forehand return to Austra- There are six tournaments being lia’s Daria Gavrilova during a tuneup staged this week to give players some tournament ahead of the Australian chance at competitive tennis before the Open tennis championships in Mel- fi rst major of the year starts next Mon- bourne, Australia, on Feb 1. (AP) day. Williams is playing in the Yarra Valley Classic, along with top-ranked Earlier, Coco Gauff was up a ser- Ash Barty and defending Australian vice break in the second set and ap- Open champion Sofi a Kenin. peared to be on the verge of victory The fi fth-seeded Williams said she in her fi rst-round match before having was “pushing the limits” just being fi t to fend off Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-7 (6), enough to compete at Melbourne Park. 7-6 (5). Williams played an exhibition match The fi rst Grand Slam tournament of against Naomi Osaka in Adelaide last the year was delayed by three weeks to Friday in her fi rst post-quarantine ac- allow for COVID-19 protocols which tion. required all people arriving in Austral- Against Gavrilova on Margaret ia to spend 14 days in quarantine. Court Arena, she wore a long-sleeve The biggest men’s tournament is shirt throughout the match during a rel- the ATP Cup team event, which starts atively cool summer day in Melbourne Tuesday. The other men’s tournaments and later said she achieved what she are the Great Ocean Road Open and the had aimed to achieve for a second- Murray River Open. round encounter – mainly the 1-1/2 In addition to the Gippsland Tro- hours on court. phy and the Yarra Valley Classic, the WTA has the Grampians Trophy. The Patrick Reed hits from a bunker toward the 14th hole on the South Course during the fi nal round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Williams hit 28 winners and had 19 unforced errors, converted three of her Grampians event is a 28-draw tourna- Torrey Pines, on Jan 31, in San Diego. (Inset): Reed stands on the South Course while holding his trophy for winning the Farmers Insurance Open ment and open only to players who golf tournament at Torrey Pines. (AP) six breakpoints and fended off all four she faced. She will next face Tsvetana were forced into hard lockdown for Pironkova. Williams beat Pironkova in 14 days without the benefit of prac- the US Open quarte-fi nals in Septem- tice because of positive COVID-19 Finau, Schauffele among 5 players tie for 2nd ber and was set to play the Bulgarian at cases on their charter flights to Aus- Roland Garros before injury forced her tralia. SAN DIEGO, Feb 1, (AP): Patrick to withdraw. Jeremy Chardy beat 2014 US Open The extra few weeks off before the champion Marin Cilic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8) Reed was so unaffected by a rules Humphries, Jones win WC bobsled fi nale season meant there was just enough in the fi rst round of the Murray River controversy a day earlier that he won time for the bare minimum preparation. Open. the Farmers Insurance Open by fi ve IGLS, Austria, Feb 1, (AP): Kaillie Humphries and victory for Humphries, and the eighth time Jones has Williams has been stalled on 23 ma- Two Americans advanced in the shots, the biggest margin in his nine Lolo Jones rallied in the second heat to win the helped a sled earn a medal in her last 12 World Cup jor singles titles since the 2017 Austral- ATP tournament, with fi fth-seeded women’s World Cup bobsled season fi nale, a race in starts. ian Open, when she was two months Tommy Paul beating Cameron Norrie career PGA Tour victories. which the U.S. grabbed the gold and silver medals. Katrin Beierl of Austria teamed with Jennifer Jan- pregnant with now-3-year-old daughter 4-6, 7-6 (2) 6-3 and Mackenzie Mc- Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Humphries and Jones had the fastest time in that tina Oluumi Desire Onasanya to fi nish third. That was Olympia. Donald upsetting 14th-seeded Richard Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and second and fi nal heat, moving up from third place and good enough for Beierl to win the season-long points In other matches at the Yarra River Gasquet 7-6 (2), 7-5. fi nishing off his dominating with a birdie on the beating teammates Elana Meyers Taylor and Lake title, even without a victory in any of the season’s Classic, No. 13 Danielle Collins beat Frances Tiafoe, an Australian Open quarter-fi nalist in 2019, lost to Coren- Kwaza by four-hundredths of a second. Humphries eight races. Nina Stojanovic 6-2, 6-1 and seventh- 18th. seeded Petra Martic defeated Vera tin Moutet 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The former Masters champions finished at 14 and Jones fi nished in 1 minute, 47.07 seconds; Mey- Beierl is the fi fth different female pilot in the last Lapko 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Two-time Grand Slam fi nalist Kevin under after a consistent four days at the blufftop ers Taylor and Kwaza crossed the line in 1:47.11. fi ve years to win the World Cup women’s overall Second-ranked , the Anderson opened the Great Ocean municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He It was the 27th career World Cup women’s bobsled crown. top-seeded player in the Gippsland Road Open tournament with a 6-4, 7-5 shared the first-round lead with Alex Noren, was in a Trophy, had a 6-4, 6-4 second-round win over 16th-seeded Feliciano Lopez group one shot off the lead in the second round and into today, I felt good, I felt confident and really went to that first tee.” win over Anastasia Potapova to ad- of Spain. then shared the third-round lead with Carlos Ortiz. to the golf course, plugged in my headphones and Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, vance along with third-seeded Elina No. 13 Aljaz Bedene had a tough Reed said staying mentally strong, as well as good just kind of got in my world with my coach and got Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for sec- Svitolina, No. 8 Karolina Muchova and fi rst-round win, beating Yasutaka play with his wedge and putter, were able to “keep ond. No. 9 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Uchiyama of 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). me in the golf tournament and really allowed me to Reed said he was resiliant. have a fun stroll up 18.” “I knew today was going to be a grind, especially with that leaderboard and seeing how many big Egypt throws weight behind renowned GOLF names were right around there at the top. I knew you were going to have to go out and play on offense. You couldn’t play defense. You had to go out there Kuwaiti ‘nominee’ for FINA’s top post The controversy arose Saturday on the par-4 10th and shoot a number. when Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with “It was kind of shaky there early on in the begin- CAIRO, Feb 1, (KUNA): Egypt on national handball Federation Hassan a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before ning, kind of a couple shots that seemed to kind of get Monday affi rmed support for Kuwait’s Mustafa said in remarks to the Kuwaiti settling into the rough. Without waiting for an offi- a little bit away from me. But I was able to rely on the nominee, the First Deputy Chairman of news agency he was elated with Al- cial, Reed picked up the ball to see if it was embed- short game early and get in a groove there in the the International Swimming Federa- Musallam’s candidacy for the senior ded. Reed told the official that no one in his group, middle of the round.” tion (FINA) Hussein Al-Musallam for post, noting his occupation of a chain as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. He was Hovland had been the closest in pursuit with four FINA’s chairmanship (2021-2025) in of top sports posts and his multiple awarded a free drop and saved par in a round of 70. birdies on the front nine, including on the ninth to get elections due in Qatar on June 5. connections with decision making On Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a to 12 under. But the birdies dried up and he bogeyed The supportive Egyptian stance quarters. 45-foot eagle putt on the No. 6 to get to 12 under and Nos. 14, 15 and 17 – missing a 2-footer on 17 – in a came during a meeting that grouped For his part, Al-Musallam has laud- followed with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. His only round of 1-under 71. Al-Musallam with Yasser Idris, the ed Egypt for throwing its weight be- bogey was on the par-3 eighth, and he rebounded “The front nine was awesome, made four birdies head of the Egyptian Swimming Fed- hind Arab athletes on the international with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He played par the and was just really solid tee to green; made some eration. stage. rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on putts there as well,” Hovland said. “On the back I Al-Musallam is a distinctive per- FINA is the largest association in No. 18. didn’t really feel like I played bad at all, you know, it sonality in sports particularly in swim- the Olympic tournaments, covering “I was allowed to kind of put it behind me when Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the was just a couple of mistakes and it’s so easy to just ming, Idriss said in remarks to KUNA, six games, 49 medals (gold, silver and the head rules official comes up and says you did second tee on the South Course during the fi - let things kind of slip away. affi rming that his aspired win of the bronze). everything you were supposed to do,” Reed said. nal round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf “But it’s cool to kind of be up there having a post would boost the game in Arab The Kuwaiti Swimming Federa- “When you do everything you’re supposed to do, at tournament at Torrey Pines, on Jan 31, in San chance to win. Didn’t work out this time, but I feel states. tion had nominated Al-Musallam for the end of the day that’s all you can control. Going Diego. (AP) like I learned a lot.” Meanwhile, Chairman of the Inter- FINA’s number-one position.