SPORTS Sunday, October 1, 2017 23 Malaysian GP Garcia claims Wuhan title

Wuhan set was simpler for Garcia, HamiltonSepang, on pole aroline Garcia who fell to her knees in orld championship overpowered celebration after Barty fired leader Australia’sC Ashleigh Barty a return into the net. willW start from pole position for 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to “For me it was already today’s Malaysian Grand Prix claim her first Wuhan Open such a battle from the first with title rival title yesterday in a thrilling game, it was already very at the back of the grid. see-saw final in the Chinese long,” Garcia said. Hamilton had been off the city. “In the beginning of the pace all weekend in practice Ranked 20 in the second set I was a little bit but his Mercedes team turned world, Garcia battled her down, I couldn’t get my it around in qualifying way through two tight focus again. I just kept Saturday to head Ferrari’s Kimi sets against Barty before going, fight until the end.” Raikkonen and the Red Bull of breezing the third to claim Barty, who was also . the biggest title of her playing in her first ever But Vettel’s world career in two hours and 43 Premier 5 level final, said it championship hopes suffered minutes. had been “a hell of a week, a huge blow when his Ferrari “It was such a fight all the probably the best week of failed to set a time in the first Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (C) celebrates taking pole position week and especially today,” my tennis career”. qualifying session, meaning he next to second fastest Ferrari’s Finland driver Kimi Raikkonen (R) and third the French player said after “My first serve deserted will start last. fastest Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen (L) after the qualifying session the match. me a bit but I put myself in Vettel, 28 points behind “A title is the best thing a position where I was only Hamilton in the title race, lost you can have in tennis, a few points away from the drive on his first flying lap. torrid weekend where he had said Hamilton. “I’m sorry for new unit to fail. that’s why you fight all year final,” said Barty, ranked 37 “It feels like I have no turbo,” failed to be quicker than fifth what happened to Sebastian “Who knows what will long. I’m over the moon for in the world. he said over team radio. in any practice session. but somehow we managed to happen tomorrow,” Vettel said. sure.” “Disappointing to not Hamilton was clearly “We had no idea what turn it around and it is a real “The race is tomorrow not Garcia stormed her way come away with it in the end surprised to be on pole after a was going to happen today,” surprise to be up here with today. We have a very quick car into an early lead in the but sometimes it crumbles these guys. and we saved some tyres. “If it first set but a resilient Barty that way,” she added. Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying results “I’m very grateful to the happened tomorrow it would twice came from a break Barty, who began the team. The car felt good.” be more of a problem. Anything down to force a tiebreak year ranked outside the top 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:30.076 With mechanics unable to can happen -- you saw that in that she went on to 300, trounced French Open 2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:30.121 fix Vettel’s Ferrari before the Singapore two weeks ago how dominate. winner Jelena Ostapenko 3. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:30.541 end of Q1 the German will start everything can change.” The Aussie in the semis, seeing off the 4. (AUS/Red Bull) 1:30.595 5. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:30.758 from the back of the grid unless In Singapore, Vettel had served for last seed at a shock-prone 6. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1:31.478 there are penalties for other started from pole only to crash the match Wuhan. 7. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1:31.582 drivers. on a rain-soaked first lap as twice in the The 21-year-old had 8. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:31.607 Vettel’s engine had been Lewis Hamilton won from second, while already triumphed over 9. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) 1:31.658 changed before qualifying fifth on the grid to extend her opponent former world number 10. (ESP/McLaren) 1:31.704 after a similar gremlin in final his championship lead. also had two one Karolina Pliskova, practice Saturday only for the (AFP) chances to nab Agnieszka Radwanska, the set before seeded nine, and Johanna it was forced Konta, the fifth seed in a into another dream run in the Chinese Sharapova digs deep in China Open tiebreak. city. (AFP) The third Beijing the next round. she faced Sevastova in New finish the season on aria Sharapova got her “I didn’t give in, which I York in the fourth round, but a high. revenge over Latvian think is a really good sign feels she is getting stronger in “Winning is very M16th seed Anastasija Sevastova considering it’s been a few both respects. “When I saw special and when with a gutsy 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-6 weeks since I played and she the draw (Sevastova again), I you lose it’s tough (9/7) victory in the China Open was someone that I lost to in was like, ‘Of course,’” added and you have to go first round yesterday. my previous match,” said a Sharapova with a grin. on and build and It was the five-time Grand relieved Sharapova. Sharapova, who work on things that Slam winner’s first appearance The 30-year-old said that controversially returned to didn’t work out for since she was beaten by “physically and emotionally” tennis in April, said she was you,” she said. Sevastova at the US Open in she did not have it in her when feeling “fresh” and is eager to (AFP) early September and gets her stop-start return from a doping ban back on track. Sharapova, once number one but now ranked a lowly 104 in the world, is a wildcard in Beijing as she works her way back slowly from a 15-month ban for taking the banned substance meldonium. She was far from her best, making a series of unforced errors, but Sharapova dug in and saved match point during an attritional encounter lasting more than three hours in the Chinese capital. Caroline Garcia of France Sharapova, who has also poses with her trophy been wrestling with injury, will take on American qualifier Jennifer Brady or fellow Maria Sharapova of Russia hits a return Russian Ekaterina Makarova in