THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 19

Halep rewarded for French Open patience after risky start

Simona Halep Djokovic reaches third shrugged• off a terrible first set to see off Alison Riske in her Roland Garros opener round at French Open Reuters | Paris Djokovic fought hard to see off plucky Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar in straight op seed Simona Halep Treached the second round sets of the French Open a day later than expected and not without AFP | Paris a fright as she recovered from Simona Halep in action a slow start to beat American ormer champion Novak BETTER Alison Riske 2-6 6-1 6-1 yes- Djokovic reached the terday. works as she lost the open - FFrench Open third round The Romanian world num- ing five games, sprinkling for the 13th consecutive year by KNOW ber one stayed under wraps unforced errors across Court beating Spanish qualifier Jaume until the fourth day of the Philippe Chatrier, but there Munar 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4 yester- tournament after her open- was no sign of panic and her day, while second seed Alexan- Djokovic is one of ing match was cancelled on game eventually clicked into der Zverev staged a fightback the four players to Tuesday evening because of a gear. to win a five-setter with Dusan defeat Roger Federer schedule backlog. The 83rd-ranked Riske won Lajovic. It appeared some of Tues- three games in her previous Djokovic, the 2016 Roland three times in one day’s rain had got into the claycourt meeting with the Garros champion and former year, and one of only twice Roland Garros run - world number one, is seeded two players to beat ner-up but broke serve three 20 this year after struggling to both Roger Federer times in taking the opening set. rediscover his best form after and Rafael Nadal in a Halep quickly reasserted returning from a right elbow Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Spain’s Grand Slam in consec- her authority though with injury. Jaume Munar utive matches It was good that the depth and power of her He wasn’t at his best on Court I came back so groundstrokes stopping Riske Suzanne Lenglen, but goes on to in her tracks -- conceding just face Spain’s 13th seed Roberto “Jaume is a great player, he reach a Grand Slam quarter-fi- Frenchman Benoit Paire on strong. I just 14 points in sets two and three. Bautista Agut for a place in the has lots of quality and good con- nal and was knocked out in the Philippe Chatrier court, win- wanted to relax “It was good that I came last 16. centration. I congratulate him first round at Roland Garros ning 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his my arms, because I back so strong,” Halep, beaten The Serbian 12-time Grand on a great match today.” last year. first Grand Slam event since was moving pretty in last year’s final by Jelena Slam champion fired 39 winners German world number three But Zverev moved into round Wimbledon last year after re- well also at the Ostapenko, told reporters. but 33 unforced errors and was Zverev found himself in deep three for the second time, where covering from a wrist injury. beginning, but my “I just wanted to relax my broken three times by Munar, trouble when trailing by two he will play Bosnian 26th seed The unlikely adventure of Ar- arm was very tight arms, because I was moving the world 155. sets to one against Lajovic, but Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to gentinian world number 190 pretty well also at the begin- “I am very happy to be here the Serbian ran out of gas as it become the first German man to Marco Trungelliti came to an and I couldn’t hit ning, but my arm was very on Suzanne Lenglen and see so finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. win the title since 1937. end as he lost 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 the ball as I wanted tight and I couldn’t hit the ball many people and see the sup- The 21-year-old, a winner of Japan’s Kei Nishikori also to Italian Marco Cecchinato in SIMONA HALEP as I wanted.” port,” said Djokovic. three Masters titles, is yet to staged a comeback to edge out the second round.

Froome climbs WorldTour ranking after Giro toNL-Jumbo) down to fifth and sixth places, respectively. • Froome made the biggest contenders move up, gain, moving up a whopping holds 271 places in the WorldTour commanding lead ranking. He is now seventh with 1,205 points after his Giro d’Ita- Cycling News | Rome lia overall victory, along with wins in stage 14 and 19, and he won the mountain classifica- he 2018 WorldTour rank- tion. Tirreno-Adriatico is the Carlos Betancur Tings have shifted after the only other WorldTour race that first Grand Tour of the season, Froome has competed this year. the Giro d’Italia, concluded in Other big changes in the Betancur could make Rome on Sunday. Overall win- WorldTour ranking after the ner (Team Sky) Chris Froome Giro d’Italia come from Tom mid-season move to UAE has climbed into the top 10, as Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), has three-stage winner Simon though he did not secure a stage behind Sagan and Valverde, whose second place overall Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and victory, his two podium plac- with 1,472 points. moved him up 135 places and Team Emirates four-stage winner es added to his tally. Alejandro Likewise, Viviani won sprint into 13th. Third-placed Miguel pana for the squad at the end (Quick-Step Floors). Valverde (Movistar) remains in stages 2, 3, 13 and 17 at the Angel Lopez (Astana) moved Colombian reported of August. If the move was to Despite the new additions to second place with 1,682 points Giro, along with the overall up 50 places and is now in 17th, • happen, Betancur would join the top 10, however, Peter Sagan after a stellar spring campaign. points classification, which fourth-placed Richard Cara- to be interested and Fabio Aru and Dan Martin as (Bora-Hansgrohe) maintains his Yates’ won mountain stages 9, was enough to move him up paz (Movistar) moved up 110 ‘all possibilities are Grand Tour riders. grip over the series lead with a 11 and 15 during the Giro d’Ita- to fourth place in the World- places to 29th place, and fifth- open’ says agent A mid-season move would commanding 1,914 points. Sagan lia, and wore the maglia rosa Tour ranking with 1,397 points. placed Domenico Pozzovivo be surprising, not least because did not compete at the Italian for 13 days, which bumped him Yates’ and Viviani’s rise pushed (Bahrain-Merida) moved up 35 Cycling News | Rome Betancur is contracted to the Grand Tour but opted for the up 16 places in the WorldTour out Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step places and is now in 24th in the Spanish squad until the end Amgen Tour of California. Al- ranking. He now sits in third, Floors) and Primoz Roglic (Lot- ranking. of 2019 after extending at the arlos Betancur could be end of last season. They are not Cheaded for a surprise unheard of, however. mid-season transfer to UAE Rohan Dennis’ switch to Team Emirates, according to a BMC Racing came in August Eoin Morgan to lead England against Australia, report in Gazzetta dello Sport. 2014 and he too was drafted The Italian sports daily says immediately into their Vuelta that the Colombian, who cur- a Espana line-up. Alessandro Scotland despite broken finger rently rides for Movistar, could Petacchi also made a mid- switch to the squad as soon as year move to Omega Pharma- Reuters | London fielding against Somerset in a England have rested wick- the transfer window is open Quick-Step, though strictly Royal London One-Day Cup etkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler on August 1. speaking, he’d retired earlier in ngland’s limited-overs match and will not play for the for the match in Edinburgh, His agent has told Cycling- the year only to make a come- Ecaptain Eoin Morgan has World XI in Thursday’s charity with Sam Billings drafted in as news that ‘all possibilities are back with the Belgian squad. been included in the one-day Twenty20 game against West replacement in the 13-man open’ and that talks are on - Betancur has had an up and international (ODI) squad to Indies at Lord’s. squad. going. down career since turning pro face Australia and Scotland de- But the 31-year-old is expect- Buttler and pace bowler Tom Betancur finished 15th over- with Acqua e Sapone in 2011. spite suffering a finger injury, ed to regain full fitness ahead Curran will return to a 14-man all at the recent Giro d’Italia, The 28-year-old spent two the England and Wales Cricket of England’s one-off encounter squad for the five-match series and it is suggested that he seasons with the team before Board said yesterday. with Scotland on June 10 before against Australia starting on could be put to service imme- stepping up to WorldTour lev- Morgan fractured the ring they face Australia three days June 13, while Billings drops diately for UAE Team Emir- el with AG2R La Mondiale in finger on his right hand while Eoin Morgan later. out. ates and ride the Vuelta a Es- 2013.