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25 Sports Thursday, October 4, 2018 Vettel needs Suzuka surprise to stay alive in title race Vettel hopes the Red Bulls can get back into the mix to his advantage SUZUKA: Sebastian Vettel may need to rely on a stroke of finish, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel luck at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday if the German Ricciardo claiming second and third. This time, Vettel will wants to keep alive his diminishing hopes of claiming a be hoping the Red Bulls can get back into the mix to his fifth Formula One title. Even victory at Suzuka may be a advantage. case of “too little, too late” for the Ferrari driver, with The former champions showed impressive speed in Lewis Hamilton sitting 50 points clear and just five races Russia, despite engine penalties dropping the cars to the remaining. back of the grid, with Verstappen climbing up from 19th to The simple mathematics mean the Briton, who has won the race lead until a late pit stop saw him finish a cred- five of the last six races for Mercedes, including Russia last itable fifth. weekend, does not even need to register another victory Although Suzuka is expected to again suit the Red this season to claim a fifth world title of his own. Bulls, Mercedes have won the last four races in Japan, “Maybe the next couple of tracks are better suited for three courtesy of Hamilton, and will be favourites to us, we will know when we get there,” said Vettel, who has extend that run. It is a position the German team have five wins to Hamilton’s eight this year and finished third in enjoyed for most of the season yet once again they are Sochi and at the previous grand prix in Singapore. taking nothing for granted. “We need to keep pushing and try. Who knows what “Suzuka will be another challenging weekend for us,” will happen in the next races. “It takes one DNF (did not declared Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff, whose team are 53 finish) and then all of a sudden things look different,” he points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. “It’s a told reporters after Sochi. “Ideally two-which I’m not track that shows some similarities to Silverstone, where we wishing on Lewis but you never know what happens.” didn’t perform as strongly this year as we had done in pre- Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene likened the vious seasons. sweeping, high-speed Suzuka circuit to Silverstone, the “So we’re going to Japan knowing that we all have to British Grand Prix venue where then-championship leader be at our very best if we want to claim the win.” Sunday’s Vettel won in July. “If it goes well, we will know that, race could also mark a happier home coming for Honda, despite the difficult situation in terms of the classification, after the difficult McLaren years, as engine partners to we still have the right tools with which to fight all the way Toro Rosso. to the very end,” the Italian said. Even then, there remains The Japanese manufacturer also absorbed engine a sense that Ferrari are simply clutching at straws. penalties in Russia to position themselves better with an SOCHI: File photo shows third placed Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel celebrates during the podium ceremo- Hamilton won in Japan last year, while Vettel failed to upgraded power unit for their home race. — Reuters ny for the Formula One Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom circuit in Sochi on September 30, 2018. —AFP Nishikori squashes Paire to reach China’s rising star Tokyo quarters Wang admits TOKYO: Local hero Kei Nishikori put down a marker in ‘surprise’ at surge his quest for a third Japan Open title as he outgunned France’s Benoit Paire yesterday to reach the last eight. The third seed, who lifted the trophy in 2012 and 2014, in form completed a 6-3, 7-5 victory despite late resistance from Paire to avenge a semi-final defeat inflicted by the BEIJING: China’s rising star Wang Qiang is hulking Frenchman in Tokyo three years ago. enjoying the hottest streak of her career but Meanwhile, former champion Nick Kyrgios flickered admits that she has surprised herself with her into life for just long enough to dispatch Japan’s swashbuckling form. The 26-year-old is even Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in the first round. being touted as a potential successor to double Nishikori tore out of the blocks, winning the first five Grand Slam champion and China tennis icon Li games before Paire finally got on the scoreboard. Na who retired in 2014. Paire tugged at his beard in despair after Nishikori Wang demolished an injury-hindered Jelena snaffled the opening set but raced to a 3-0 lead in the Ostapenko, the former French Open champion, second set before the Japanese number one rattled off 6-0, 6-0 to surge into round three of the China five straight games. An increasingly prickly Paire pulled Open on Tuesday. On the back of a momentous off an outrageous between-the-legs volley and subse- three months, Wang is now China’s highest- quently levelled with a backhand rocket, letting out a TOKYO: Kei Nishikori of Japan hits the return during his men’s singles second round match against France’s Benoit ranking player at 28th in the world and chasing guttural roar as Nishikori shook his head in disbelief. Paire at the Japan Open tennis championships in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP more WTA titles to go with the two she picked But the world number 12 almost took Paire’s head off up in July and September. to break again for 6-5, further irritating the Frenchman, controversial Aussie became a different animal after eighth seed Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarter- who flirted with a penalty point after kicking his rac- Nishioka, who won his first ATP tour title at last week’s finals. Meanwhile, Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson “Now I’m doing well and this is kind of a sur- quet into his chair. Nishikori, who won the last of his 11 Shenzhen Open, forced a tiebreak in the second set. survived a scare against Australian Matthew Ebden, the prise for all of us,” she admitted after seeing off career titles in Memphis two years ago, closed out the Roused into action, Kyrgios unleashed a string of second seed coming through 4-6, 7-6 (7/1) to reach the Ostapenko in double-quick time in front of a match with a ferocious cross-court forehand that Paire monstrous shots to steam through the breaker. The 23- last 16. The South African plays American Frances delighted Beijing crowd. “I believe at this stage battered wide. year-old, who has complained that playing the late sea- Tiafoe in the last 16. Elsewhere, three-time Tokyo final- when I’m relaxed, I can do better. “I had a few dangerous moments but I stuck to my son tour in Asia makes him feel depressed and lonely, ist Milos Raonic, the tournament’s sixth seed, overpow- “I do not want to focus on ranking or victo- game,” said Nishikori. “It was important to stay with fired 20 aces and sealed victory with a flamboyant ered Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) ries, I just want to be relaxed and enjoy the him and dig in. I’m in the quarter-finals now and hope- backhand overhead after 73 minutes to book a place in to reach the quarter-finals. Russian Daniil Medvedev matches here.” Wang won her first WTA Tour fully I can kick on from here.” the last 16. awaits the Canadian after beating Slovakia’s Martin 250 title at the Jiangxi Open at Nanchang in Kyrgios has been fined for “tanking” matches in Klizan 6-4, 6-3, while Australia’s Alex De Minaur beat July, then her second last month at the DIFFERENT ANIMAL Shanghai the past two years but captured one of his France’s Gilles Simon 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in first- Guangzhou Open. Kyrgios appeared a little distracted at times but the four career titles at the 2016 Japan Open. He faces round action. — AFP She reached the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open last week before retiring hurt, but was rampant against the struggling 12th seed Ostapenko despite still nursing a leg injury. Wang’s run of success also includes an Asian Del Potro seals Games gold medal in Indonesia in August and Shooters all set for she is fast making a name for herself in China ATP Finals spot and abroad. Crown Prince tourney Wang grabbed headlines at the French Open with her straight-sets demolition of Venus as Dimitrov Williams, offering a hint of what was to come. By Abdellatif Sharaa exits Beijing AUSSIE INFLUENCE KUWAIT: Competitions Aside from her undoubted talent, Chinese of HH the Crown Prince fans have warmed to Wang’s personality, prais- Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad BEIJING: Favourite Juan Martin del Potro avoided ing her as steely on the court but good-natured Al-Jaber Al-Sabah began the fate of third seed Grigor Dimitrov to surge into and humble off it. She credits her Australian yesterday in the skeet- the quarter-finals of the China Open and seal his coach Peter McNamara, a former top-10 player trap - 10m pistol and rifle spot at the ATP Finals yesterday.

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