FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 NHL | Page 5 Messi’s Penguins thrash Argentina Predators in down Brazil in Game 5 of ‘Superclasico’ Stanley Cup Saturday, June 10, 2017 ATHLETICS Ramadan 15, 1438 AH Jamaican speedster GULF TIMES Bolt says retirement will just be a joy SPORT Page 4 TENNIS Stan the man between Rafa and La Decima in Paris ‘I have been playing a great event. But Stan is playing unbelievable. It will be a super hard final’ AFP Paris ine-time champion Rafael Nadal marched into a record 10th French Open fi nal after outclassing Austrian sixth Nseed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 yesterday. The Spaniard will face 2015 Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka for the title after the 32-year-old Swiss de- feated Andy Murray in a fi ve-set epic to become the oldest fi nalist in Paris since 1973. Nadal, who won the last of his French Opens in 2014, is bidding to become the fi rst man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam. He leads the head-to-head with Wawrinka 15-3, but the Swiss stunned an injury-hit Nadal three years ago to claim the Australian Open crown. “I have been playing a great event. But Stan is playing unbelievable,” said Nadal. “It will be a super hard fi nal and I will need to play at my very best.” Thiem broke Nadal in the opening game, but the Spaniard swiftly coun- tered with four games to subdue the Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Austria’s Dominic Thiem during their French Open semi-final at Roland Garros in Paris yesterday. (Right) Stan Wawrinka celebrates his win over Andy Murray. (AFP/Reuters) Austrian pretender and run away with the fi rst set. to win a high-octane contest 6-7 (6), “There are two ways of seeing things three grand slam titles, made only one routine backhand into the net as Mur- Wawrinka earned him a 2-0 lead in the Nadal erased two more break points 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-1. and I chose to be positive, knowing that unforced error in the fi rst seven games. ray levelled for 6-6. third set as Murray’s frustration grew. early in the second set as Thiem again The Swiss 2015 champion hit a stag- I was dominating,” said Wawrinka, who He suff ered a bit of a meltdown in the On the following point, the Scot was He regained his composure to dictate threatened, but the sixth seed promptly gering 87 winners as he avenged last has won the three grand slam fi nals he eighth, though, and Wawrinka pounced forced to defend again and he turned the points and break back, but Wawrin- lost his own serve to hand his opponent year’s semi-fi nal defeat by the world has played. to steal his serve. the rally around with a jaw-dropping ka further increased the pressure to the initiative once more. number one. Murray, who arrived in Paris on the defensive lob before fi nishing the point break again for 4-2. With Nadal locked in, the Spaniard Murray absorbed everything back of a woeful claycourt season, said POINT OF THE TOURNAMENT with a forehand winner. Murray was back again thanks to calmly converted the fi rst of three set Wawrinka threw at him for most of the he could take a lot of positives from his On his second opportunity, the Swiss The Swiss netted a forehand return a whizzing backhand winner, and he points with a confi dent volley to leave four hour and 34 minute contest but af- run to the semis. punished Murray for his ill-timed rush as Murray bagged the opening set. pulled off a decisive break for 6-5, Thiem staring into the abyss. ter winning a tense fourth set, Wawrin- “I’m proud of the tournament I had. I to the net with a crosscourt forehand Wawrinka did not dwell on that set- holding to take the lead in the match The 14-time major champion was in ka steamed ahead in the decider as the did well considering. I was one tiebreak passing shot. back and earned three break points in when Wawrinka netted a backhand. total control after Thiem meekly sur- Briton’s armour was fi nally pierced. away from getting to the fi nal,” said Murray broke straight back to even- the seventh game of the second set, There were no break points in the rendered serve to start the third set, The third seed, at 32 the oldest man the Scot, who was runner-up to Novak tually force a tiebreak that featured a converting the fi rst with a trademark fourth set, but Wawrinka was simply Nadal responding with a routine hold to reach the Roland Garros fi nal since Djokovic last year. couple of blazing exchanges that would backhand winner down the line. too good in the tiebreak, taking it with a for a 2-0 cushion. Niki Pilic fi nished runner-up in 1973, “When I came here I was really be in the running for the ‘point of the Murray could not hold his following powerful forehand service return. Wawrinka subjected Murray to a bar- was long frustrated by Murray but nev- struggling. I turned my form around tournament’. service game either, and a perfectly-hit The decider fl ashed by in just half rage of body blows as he broke down the er lost faith despite seeing his opponent really well and ended up having a good After some fast-paced exchanges at inside-out forehand gave Wawrinka the an hour as Wawrinka levelled his grand Briton’s formidable defences to reach rally back from a break down in the fi rst tournament.” the net, Wawrinka moved to set point second set. slam win-loss record against Murray to the fi nal, twice coming from a set down and third sets. Murray, who like Wawrinka owns with a backhand volley but dinked a A third consecutive break for 3-3 with yet another backhand winner. PREVIEW Ostapenko aiming to break through Halep wall Reuters Ana Ivanovic in 2007 and the fi rst unseeded Paris Romania’s Simona Halep Final look Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko women’s fi nalist since Mima Jausovec lost to Chris Evert in 1983. HALEP OSTAPENKO She also has the chance to emulate the darling atvian daredevil Jelena Ostapenko start- Head-to-head 0 0 of Roland Garros, Gustavo Kuerten, by making ed tennis practising against a wall — she Ranking 4 47 the French Open her fi rst career title — the feat would be well advised to remember those Age 25 20 the Brazilian achieved in 1997 on the day Ostap- early experiences when she faces master Height 1.68m 1.77m enko was born. Lof defence Simona Halep in today’s French Open The stars seem aligned for the Latvian, whose 2017 Win-loss record 24-6 28-11 fi nal. 2017 Singles titles 1 0 style is reminiscent of that of Monica Seles. She The 20-year-old, looking to become the fi rst goes for the throat on every shot, always looking unseeded woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen ROAD TO THE FINALS for the lines. Cup since 1933, blazed her way to the fi nal, hit- Ostapenko “She is young, almost careless,” said her ting winners and errors with reckless abandon. SF: beat Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3 semi-fi nal opponent Bacsinszky. “She’s not Third seed Halep, instead, dug herself into her QF: beat Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 afraid of anything. She’s a big hitter. She’s a second French Open fi nal, showing the classical 4th Rd: beat Samantha Stosur (AUS) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 baby. The way she hits is fascinating.” claycourt skills that marked her out as many 3rd Rd: beat Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-1, 6-4 The average speed of Ostapenko’s forehand people’s pre-tournament favourite. 2nd Rd: beat Monica Puig (PUR) 6-3, 6-2 is indeed higher than men’s world number Nowhere was her tenacity and ability to soak 1st Rd: beat Louisa Chirico (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 one Andy Murray at this year’s tournament, a up punishment more apparent than in the quar- frightening prospect for most of her opponents. ter-fi nals when she trailed Elina Svitolina by a HALEP But Halep is the wall. set and 5-1 but somehow found a way to win. SF: beat Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 The Romanian has the nagging ability to force Should she win today she will be the fi rst player QF: beat Elina Svitolina (UKR) 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0 her rivals to go for the extra shot, causing them since Justine Henin in 2005 to win a singles’ title at 4th Rd: beat Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-1, 6-1 to take even more risks. Roland Garros after saving a match point. 3rd Rd: beat Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-0, 7-5 “She puts every ball back,” her semi-fi nal op- With so many big names absent from the draw 2nd Rd: beat Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, 6-3 ponent, Karolina Pliskova, herself a big hitter, this could be Halep’s best chance to land a fi rst 1st Rd: beat Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-3 said. Grand Slam — but that is not all that is at stake.