MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 SPORTS

Carvajal agrees to Coutinho committed to Liverpool Stuttgart captain suffers extend Madrid stay after failed Barcelona move multiple facial injuries

MADRID: Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Dani MADRID: Liverpool playmaker Phillipe Coutinho has said he has no BERLIN: VfB Stuttgart captain Christian Gentner has suffered various Carvajal to extend the defender’s contract by two years agreement to join Barcelona next season and is committed to help- facial injuries after his collision with VfL Wolfsburg goalkeep- to 2022, the club said yesterday. The right back has ing the Merseyside club achieve their ambitions. The 25-year-old er Koen Casteels in Saturday’s Bundesliga game, his club established himself as a key player for Madrid after they Brazil international was Barcelona’s key transfer target but Liverpool said. Casteels leapt high to try and catch the ball in the bought him back from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013. “Real rejected multiple bids from the La Liga side, saying the player was penalty area and his knee caught Gentner in the face in Madrid and Dani Carvajal have agreed an extension to not for sale. On Saturday, Coutinho made his first start of the the process. “Extensive examinations revealed that the player’s contract, binding him to the club until the Premier League season but failed help his side avoid a 1-1 draw Christian Gentner had suffered breaks to the lower and 30th of June 2022,” said Madrid in a statement. against Burnley. He discussed his “complicated month” for the first lateral (parts of his) eye-socket, his nose and his upper- Carvajal, who has lifted three Champions time in an interview with ESPN Brazil. “What happened was a job jaw,” said Stuttgart in a statement. “The 31-year-old will League trophies and one La Liga title since offer and, in life, sometimes you get interested; sometimes you undergo surgery over the next few days and is expect- returning, amongst other silverware, is don’t and, in my case, everyone knows that I got interested, my fam- ed to make a complete recovery.” Stuttgart’s sport- the third player to sign a new deal with ily too,” said Coutinho. “It’s an honour to receive an offer like that, ing director Michael Reschke described it as a Madrid this week, after Marcelo and but it’s also an honour to be here (at Liverpool). “I earned my place “cruel blow” for Gentner. “The most important Isco. — Reuters during the last four, five years and I’ve never had a problem with news though is that he will make a full recov- anyone here.—Reuters ery,” he added.—Reuters

BOXING Golovkin and Alvarez fight to a brutal draw, rematch to come

LAS VEGAS: Canelo Alvarez and had a bad night in a big fight.” It was a Gennady Golovkin argued afterward battle from the opening bell, as Golovkin about who won their middleweight tried to walk Alvarez down only to get hit showdown. No one could argue it wasn’t by sharp counter punches. a great fight. Golovkin retained his mid- Both fighters raised their hands in tri- dleweight titles Saturday night, fighting umph at the final bell and jumped into to a 12-round draw with Alvarez in a bru- the arms of corner men. Then they wait- tal battle that ended with both fighters ed as the scorecards were added up to holding their hands aloft in victory. It see who would leave the ring with the was a fight neither deserved to lose and, belts. “It’s not my fault,” Golovkin said. “I when the scores were tallied, neither did. put pressure on every round.” Golovkin The middleweight bout years in the predicted before the fight that the late making lived up to its hype as the two rounds would resemble a street fight, fighters traded huge punches and went and in a way they did. Both fighters were after each other for 12 rounds. Neither willing to trade, and both had no prob- was down or seriously hurt, but both lems landing hard shots to the head. landed big punches to the head that had Ringside punching stats credited the crowd screaming in excitement. Golovkin landing 217 of 703 punches Alvarez rallied late to win the last while Alvarez landed 169 of 505. three rounds on each scorecard and pull Golovkin had chased Alvarez for nearly out the draw, though both fighters two years, trying to get the signature claimed victory. “I won 7-8 rounds easily,” fight that would pay him millions and Alvarez said. “I was superior inside the make him a pay-per-view draw on his ring.” “Today people give me draw. I focus own. Alvarez, the redhead known as on boxing,” Golovkin said. “Look my belts, Canelo, finally agreed to the match after I’m still champion. I’ve not lost.” Golovkin looked vulnerable earlier this Golovkin was the aggressor through- year against Daniel Jacobs in a decision out and landed punches that had put win that stopped his knockout streak at other fighters to the canvas. But he 23 fights. couldn’t knock Alvarez down, and the But Alvarez said Golovkin didn’t have Mexican boxer more than stood his anything he wasn’t expecting, and that own in exchanges with Triple G. The his power wasn’t what it was made out two were still brawling as the final sec- to be. Golovkin, who moved to Los onds ticked down. Angeles from Kazakhstan to pursue star- SINGAPORE: Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates winning the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix in Singapore yesterday. — AFP Alvarez was leading after the first dom in the ring, said he would welcome three rounds, then Golovkin dominated a second fight MOTOR RACING the middle rounds. After a pep talk from “Of course I want a rematch,” he said. “I his corner, Alvarez came out more want a fight. A true fight. I have my belts. aggressive in the 10th round to pull out I want a championship fight.” Alvarez said the draw. Two scorecards were close, he was more than willing to do it again. Hamilton wins Singapore GP with Golovkin ahead 115-113 on one and “Obviously yes, if the people want it,” a 114-114 draw on the other. But veteran Alvarez said. “He didn’t win, it was a draw. judge Adalaide Byrd inexplicably had I always said I was going to be a step Alvarez winning 118-110, giving him all ahead of him.” as title rival Vettel crashes but two rounds. The Associated Press After the decision was announced, scored it 114-114. both fighters hugged and Triple G whis- SINGAPORE: Lewis Hamilton profited from the down, while Raikkonen expressed his frustration. healthy nine seconds after the change. Golovkin, who has never lost in 38 pered something in Alvarez’s ear. They chaos to win the Singapore Grand Prix and “Just ridiculous,” the Finnish driver said. The safety car came out for a third time, after fights, retained his middleweight titles. then exchanged thumbs-up signs and a extend his championship lead yesterday, while Alonso bravely continued but retired on lap 9. Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber ground to a halt on lap But Alvarez showed that he could not handshake, knowing they had done their title rival Sebastian Vettel lost huge ground after The safety car came out again shortly after, as 39. “Why another safety car?” a clearly annoyed only take the punches of the fighter from jobs well. crashing out on the first lap. Red Bull’s Daniel Daniil Kvyat ploughed his Toro Rosso into the Hamilton said. When the safety car comes out, Kazakhstan but land telling punches of “We knew this was going to be a war,” Ricciardo prevented a Mercedes 1-2 by finishing barriers. By the time the race re-started again on not only does it cut the leader’s momentum it his own. said Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez. ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who placed third. lap 15, Ricciardo had changed tires, but not enables others to bunch up and close the gap. A frenzied crowd of 22,358 at the T- “There were no surprises.” Vettel can have little complaint as he seemed Hamilton. After being 12 seconds behind, Ricciardo was Mobile Arena roared throughout the The draw was the first mark on to cause the first-turn mayhem, despite starting He had to decide when to pit with the 5-kilo- suddenly right behind Hamilton again when the fight as the two middleweights put on Golovkin’s record, which now stands at from pole position. The crash caused a domino meter (3.1-mile) track drying slowly. It was an race re-started. the kind of show that boxing purists had 37-0-1. Alvarez is now 49-1-2, his only effect, taking out his Ferrari teammate Kimi important call, because he needed enough of a But Hamilton did enough to win by 4.5 sec- anticipated. They brawled, used sharp loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Golovkin Raikkonen, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and margin over Ricciardo in order to come back out onds. Nico Hulkenberg retired late on with a jabs and counter punched at times, with entered the ring first, one of the conces- McLaren’s Fernando Alonso. ahead of him. mechanical problem. But his Renault teammate neither one willing to give the other sions he had to make to get the fight Having started from fifth, on one of the With the track still greasy, Ricciardo pitted Jolyon Palmer finished sixth to score his first much ground. with Alvarez despite holding all the mid- toughest tracks in Formula One for overtaking, again before Hamilton eventually came in for his points of the season, on the weekend it was “Congratulations all my friends from dleweight belts. Alvarez, who brings mil- Hamilton could not believe his luck. The field change on lap 30 of 61. Mercedes timed it right, announced he will be replaced by Sainz Jr next opened up perfectly for the British driver to seal and Hamilton’s lead over Ricciardo was still a season. — AP Mexico,” Golovkin said. “I want a true lions of Mexican and Mexican-American his third straight win, seventh of the season and fight. I want a big drama show.” There fans, also got a bigger share of the fight 60th overall. was plenty of drama toward the end of proceeds and top billing. “I capitalized on the incident,” Hamilton said. Allgaier wins NASCAR Xfinity the fight as Alvarez rallied in the late The fight drew a sellout crowd to the “Who could have known that would happen?” rounds and rocked Golovkin with upper- T-Mobile Arena, where Mayweather and He now has a commanding 28-point lead over cuts and big right hands. But just as soon Conor McGregor engaged in their spec- Vettel with just six races remaining. For the high- Series race at Chicagoland as he landed, he often took one back tacle three weeks ago. But while that ly consistent Ricciardo, it was a seventh podium from the slugger so feared that most oth- was more of a reality show than a fight, in the past 10 races. Carlos Sainz Jr. secured a JOLIET: Justin Allgaier threw a victory cessful, because of the way they work er fighters avoided him. There was even this was a battle that had fans on their career-best fourth place for Toro Rosso, with bash in front of his home-state fans. together.” more drama on the scorecards, as Byrd’s feet screaming almost from the opening Force India’s Sergio Perez in fifth. Allgaier pulled away off the final restart Cup regular Kyle Larson was second at score was off the other two by a wide bell. Alvarez was guaranteed $5 million, Vettel took pole with a super performance in and won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Chicagoland. “I was too loose to keep pace,” margin. while Golovkin had a $3 million guaran- qualifying, but his form didn’t translate to the Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Larson said. The 42-year-old Sadler has fin- “That’s the life of a judge,” said Bob tee. Both were expected to make much race. Following a massive downpour several Allgaier, from nearby Riverton, won for the ished second in the final standings three Bennett, executive director of the more on a share of the pay-per-view hours beforehand, more heavy showers soaked second time this season in NASCAR’s sec- times over an Xfinity career that dates to Nevada State Athletic Commission. “She revenue. — AP the Marina Bay circuit just before the 8 pm race. ond-tier series. JR Motorsports had a ban- 1995. He thought he had the car to beat The treacherous conditions might have made ner day with Allgaier’s win and the official headed into last year’s season finale at Vettel a bit nervous, even on a track where he coronation of Elliott Sadler’s regular-sea- Homestead-Miami Speedway until his crew holds the record with four wins. son championship. chief was suspended for the race. Daniel After making a hesitant start, the four-time F1 “This is a race track I’ve loved dearly for a Suarez would become NASCAR’s first champion veered hastily left as he tried to number of years,” Allgaier said. “The whole Mexican champion. counter Verstappen’s strong start. It was a need- connection of being from Illinois and get- “I felt like last year, my team was primed less move, and squeezed Verstappen and ting to go to victory lane was incredible.” and ready to go,” Sadler said. “Then we lost Raikkonen for room, causing them to collide on William Byron and Michael Annett give JR our crew chief for Homestead and that the inside. Motorsports four drivers in the Xfinity Series made it a lot harder to try and be as com- SUPERB START playoffs. Byron, who will replace Kasey petitive. I think the difference is to make Raikkonen’s wobbling car then tagged Kahne in the No. 5 car next year at Hendrick sure we get through the playoff with no Vettel’s before spinning across the track, career- Motorsports, enters the postseason as the mistakes, no issues.” ing spectacularly into Verstappen and Alonso - points leader. Erik Jones started from the pole, led 94 who was in the right place at the wrong time “If we have the opportunity to compete laps and was in position to win the race after making a superb start. against each other at Homestead, once the until he was penalized for changing lanes Hamilton picked his spot, avoiding any dan- green flag drops, it’s every man for himself,” before he reached the start-finish line with ger as he moved into the lead, with Ricciardo Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. Xfinity opens its seven laps left in the race. Jones finished jumping up from third on the grid to second. postseason next week at Kentucky 18th. Allgaier benefited in the No. 7 After a few laps behind the safety car, the race Speedway. The rest of the playoff standings Chevrolet from Jones’ mistake and won at resumed on lap 7 with huge spray flying up from look like this: Allgaier, Sadler, Daniel Hemric, Chicagoland for the second time in his the cars. Brennan Poole, Ryan Reed, Jeremy career. Vettel, meanwhile, was back in the garage Clements, Cole Custer, Blake Koch, Matt “This one, the meaning of it is a lot contemplating the heavily damaged front wing Tifft, Brendan Gaughan and Annett. greater,” Allgaier said. “When we got to the and left of his car. “Sorry guys. Sorry,” he said, Byron has three wins this season and point where we took the white (flag), the contritely. “Really sorry.” In comments made to should be the driver to beat in the seven- emotion just flooded over me and it was British broadcaster Sky, Vettel tried to explain his race postseason. But his No. 9 Chevrolet just incredible.” Allgaier’s parents, in-laws, side of things. “I didn’t see that much,” he said. “I battled transmission issues and he finished cousins and other friends and family cele- saw Max and then next thing I see is Kimi hitting 33rd. Earnhardt said he wasn’t picking a brated with him in the post-race party. But the side of me and Max somewhere there.” favorite among his championship drivers. the moment was truly capped when his 4- Asked about the damage to his title hopes, LAS VEGAS: Gennady Golovkin (R) exchanges blows with Canelo Alvarez (L) during he remained measured. “It’s how this business is,” “These guys work really well together,” year-old daughter was with him for the first their WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight championship fight at the T-Mobile Arena yes- Vettel said. “I’m sure there will be more opportu- Earnhardt said. “The crew chiefs all have a time in victory lane. “I hope she realizes at terday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gennady Golovkin retained his three world mid- nities.” Verstappen, who had started from sec- close relationship that goes beyond JR an older age just how special that moment dleweight titles, fighting to a draw with Mexican star Canelo Alvarez in a showdown ond, trudged to Red Bull’s garage with his head Motorsports. I think that’s why we’re so suc- is,” he said. —AP for middleweight supremacy that lived up the hype. — AFP