WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 SPORTS

Slumping Ana Ivanovic Hortelano stable Contador predicts shuts down 2016 season after hand operation Quintana’s triumph NEW YORK: Slumping former world number one Ana Ivanovic shut down her MADRID: Spanish athlete Bruno Hortelano is in stable condition MADRID: Three-time Vuelta winner Alberto Contador expects Colombian rider Nairo 2016 season yesterday after an injury-hit campaign ended with a first round loss after undergoing a three-hour operation in a Madrid hospital to Quintana to win his first Tour of Spain in Madrid on Sunday. Movistar Team rider Quintana at the US Open. The 2008 French Open champion said she had taken the decision reconstruct his right hand following a car accident. Hortelano, the holds an advantage of three minutes and 37 seconds over nearest rival, Tour de France to stop playing until 2017 on medical advice. “Unfortunately due to my recurring 200 metre gold medalist at the European Championships in winner Chris Froome with five stages remaining, including Friday’s individual time trial. wrist injury, I have been advised by my doctor to take some time off court Amsterdam in July, was in the passenger’s seat at the time of “Unless Quintana has a bad day, he is the winner of La Vuelta,” Contador told Spanish radio in order to recover and regain my full strength,” the 28-year-old Monday’s accident and suffered severe damage to his right hand. Cadena Ser. Contador is fourth in the general standings, four minutes and Serb said in a statement. “I have also been delaying surgery on “Bruno is stable considering the severity of the injury but after the two seconds behind Quintana. Five seconds separate Contador from my toe which I broke at the Australian Open last year and this is first operation, we are very happy,” Hortelano’s agent Alberto Armas third-placed Johan Esteban Chaves of Colombia. To beat Contador and something I will need to take care of in the coming weeks. “As told reporters. “The operation lasted around three hours. Once win La Vuelta would be a significant achievement for Quintana, the 2014 a result, I am sad to say that I will not be able to continue this progress is made, a second operation will need to be done. “The Giro d’Italia champion. “I’ve had to learn a lot very quickly from figures season. I had to make this difficult decision so that I can fully hand was the most affected area and it has been reconstructed. The like Contador,” Quintana told Marca. “I followed his movements during an recover and play injury-free next year.” Ivanovic lost 7-6 (7/4), little finger is the only one that hasn’t been fully reconstructed. “It’s epic stage of his at Fuente De (four years ago) and I said to myself that if I 6-1 to Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic at the US too early to make a full evaluation but he is in good spirits. “The wanted to be someone important in cycling, I would have to learn what a Open last week in what was her fourth successive defeat. important thing now is that his hand does not get infected.” The 24- rider like Contador did. “There is still some way to go.” Tuesday is the He last win was in Mallorca in June with her form since that year-old Hortelano went to the Rio Olympics but failed to qualify for second rest day of La Vuelta before the riders go on a 117.5km time hampered by her wrist injury. — AFP the 200 metres final. — Reuters ride from Castellon to Llucena today. — Reuters Gatland set to step into the Lions’ den again

LONDON: Warren Gatland will face Australia, a team that gave them a scare in arguably the toughest challenge of his last year’s World Cup final, 42-8 and 29-9 to career should he be appointed coach for win the Bledisloe Cup. With the contracts of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Ireland coach Joe Schmidt and England’s Zealand. Eddie Jones whose Six Nations Grand Slam The combined side, made up of the best champions are set to be well-represented players, from England, Scotland, Ireland in New Zealand-not allowing for second- and Wales, are due to name their coach at a ment to the Lions, officials appeared to press conference in Edinburgh today, with have opted for Gatland over Scotland’s New Zealander Gatland set to be put in Vern Cotter without much hesitation. charge for a three-Test against the All Ian McGeechan, who had the 52-year- Blacks in June and July next year. old Gatland as his assistant when coaching Wales boss Gatland, who has also the 2009 Lions in South Africa, was in no coached Ireland and English Premiership doubt his former deputy should be in side Wasps, as well as New Zealand’s charge next year. Waikato, after a playing career that saw the “He (Gatland) will be named as the head hooker appear for the All Blacks without coach today and I think he is undoubtedly winning a Test cap, guided the Lions to a 2- the right man for the job,” McGeechan 1 series win in Australia on their last tour in wrote in his Sunday Telegraph column. 2013. That success ended the Lions’ run of “Gatland will have some tremendous three straight series defeats. The Lions, players at his disposal...If they can have a however, have won just one series in New real clarity of thinking in their game plan Zealand, back in 1971, and there is a wide- they can challenge New Zealand. spread belief that whoever is appointed “All this talk about the players being coach for the 2017 tour faces rugby union’s smashed because they have to play 10 equivalent of ‘mission impossible’. games is misleading. Not every player will Next year, the Lions’ first match in New play in every game.” Since Gatland took Zealand takes place early in June, just a charge of Wales in 2008, they have won just week after the English Premiership and two out of 33 Tests against the ‘big three’ of Celtic League finals. With many potential South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. squad members set to be involved in those That has led to accusations that Gatland, matches, the Lions coach will have reduced who has led Wales to two Grand Slams, is preparation time with key players prior to too reliant on a limited tactical game plan the Tests. Mark McCall, director of rugby at built on a rush defence. English Premiership champions Saracens, But former England and Lions fly-half has labelled the Lions’ schedule “ludicrous” Stuart Barnes, writing in The Times, said: “I and concerns over their fixture programme remember talking to Paul O’Connell about are compounded by the knowledge they the Kiwi Welshman and his methods. will be up against a superb All Blacks team, “The Irish great rated him an ideal Lions NORTON: Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks on to the 18th green during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tourna- even by the exacting standards of New coach; a half hour with Gatland and the ment in Norton, Mass., Monday. — AP Zealand rugby union. team knew their game plan. With time at a premium, short-hand coaching is as crucial ‘RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB’ as previous Lions experience.” Barnes also Rory McIlroy ends drought The world champions recently saw off highlighted Gatland’s “guts” in dropping Gatland’s Wales 3-0 in a three-Test series in Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll for the 2013 New Zealand. But Wales’ performance series-decider in Australia, saying it proved with Deutsche Bank crown looked positively encouraging after the All he can “handle the pressure that comes Blacks subsequently overpowered with being a Lions coach”. — AFP BOSTON: Rory McIlroy shot a superb six-under- things going through my mind, and one of them Fabian Gomez all tied for fifth place, 10 under for par 65 to end his 16-month PGA Tour title was not winning this tournament,” he added. the tournament, five behind McIlroy. US Open drought with victory in the Deutsche Bank “So 69 holes later - I played some great golf and champion and world number two Dustin Championship on Monday. The Northern Ireland holed some great putts. Johnson recovered from his disastrous third star laid the foundations for a two-stroke victory I’m just really proud of myself, how I hung in round 75 with a 66 to claim a share of eighth over England’s Paul Casey with a bewitching there on the first day and then got some place with six others players at nine under. front nine performance, sinking five birdies to be momentum on Saturday. Then I just went with it. World number one Jason Day finished with a five under at the turn. “It’s nice to get that first win in the States this closing 67 in a six-way tie for 15th at eight under. Two more birdies and a bogey on the back year and hopefully I can take this momentum Meanwhile Olympic champion Justin Rose-who nine at TPC Boston sealed a deserved win for the into the next couple of weeks and ultimately the had started the day level with McIlroy on nine 27-year-old, whose last win on the PGA Tour Ryder Cup.” under-endured a miserable day at the office, came at the Wells Fargo Championship in May plummeting down the leaderboard after an 2015. The win earned McIlroy another $1.53 mil- WILTING ROSE eight-over-par 79. Rose’s round collapsed on the lion and will see him move up to third in the Third round leader Casey had begun the day back nine, when two triple bogeys left him in a next set of world rankings. It also catapulted him three shots clear, but saw his challenge unravel tie for 57th place. from 38th to fourth place in the standings for after posting four bogeys in a two-over-par 73 to McIlroy meanwhile was left hoping Monday’s the lucrative FedExCup post-season series. finish second. win was an omen. His last victory at the The win completed a remarkable turnaround PGA champion Jimmy Walker finished three Deutsche Bank in 2012 was followed by another for McIlroy, who had got off to a disastrous start adrift of McIlroy after shooting a 70. Australia’s win at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick, in his opening round on Friday to be four over world number six Adam Scott was alone in Indiana-the same venue for this year’s tourna- par after his first three holes. fourth place after a six-under-par 65, but had left ment. “It’s funny, four years on, and I win here, Warren Gatland “It’s amazing in this game how things can himself too much work to do to challenge for and going back to Indy where I have great mem- change so quickly,” McIlroy said. “From three the lead. ories from four years ago,” McIlroy said. “I just holes in - four over par - there were a lot of Patrick Reed, James Hahn and Argentina’s had positive vibes going in there.” — AFP BRIEFS Thomas Bach to miss ons Juventus over damages suffered by the Paralympics ceremony loss of their 2006 Serie A title and conse- Tietjens retires after 22 RIO DE JANEIRO: IOC President Thomas quent demotion to Serie B. Juventus were Bach will miss today’s opening ceremony of handed the sanctions following their role in the Paralympic Games in order to attend a the “Calciopoli” match-fixing affair which state event in Germany. The International rocked the world of football in the weeks years as NZ sevens coach Olympic Committee said yesterday that leading up to the 2006 World Cup, won by Bach would attend the official state mourn- Italy. Although one of five clubs involved in ing ceremony today for Walter Scheel, the the scandal, Juventus were handed the WELLINGTON: Gordon Tietjens is retiring as former West Germany president. Bach has stiffest punishment after police wiretaps New Zealand’s coach after 22 years named IOC member Sam Ramsamy of caught Juventus official Luciano Moggi during which he played a major role in the South Africa to represent him at the open- influencing the selection of supposedly development of a sport which made its ing ceremony at the Maracana stadium in partial match referees. Juventus, then Olympics debut this year. Rio de Janeiro. coached by Fabio Capello, were stripped of The 60-year-old Tietjens told a news confer- the 2005 and 2006 league titles and demot- ence yesterday it was time for someone with Biles to release ed to Italy’s second division. Italian media new ideas to take charge of the New Zealand autobiography reports did not say why the club only team. His retirement follows New Zealand’s GRAND RAPIDS: Four-time Olympic gold appealed its 2006 title loss. Juventus, unsuccessful campaign at the Olympics in Rio de medalist Simone Biles is ready to tell the detailing loss of income and damage to the Janeiro. New Zealand was widely considered as a full story behind her rise from prodigy to club’s reputation, cited the Italian Football strong medal chance but lost its opening match champion. Biles, who won five medals Federation (FIGC) and the Italian Olympic to Japan before being eliminated by gold overall at the 2016 Olympics, will release Committee (CONI) in its appeal to the TAR medalist Fij in the quarterfinals. her autobiography “Courage to Soar” on (Administrative Regional Tribunal), a court While New Zealand, under Tietjens, has won Nov. 15. The book will reveal “how chal- with powers to rule on such appeals. the Sevens World Series 12 times since its incep- lenges in her childhood have shaped her tion in 1999, it has not won the title for the past into the young woman and role model she Eriksen signs new two years. Tietjens also coached New Zealand to is today. She shares the ups and downs of Tottenham contract four Commonwealth Games gold medals and is her life, insights into her positive mental LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder credited with spotting and developing a number approach, and her inspiring journey to the Christian Eriksen has signed a four-year of top players, including the All Blacks greats and . pinnacle of her sport.” The 19-year-old Biles contract extension, the Premier League Gordon Tietjens is one of the most decorated American club announced yesterday. Eriksen had He received a New Zealand knighthood for female gymnasts of all time, with 14 world been in negotiations with Tottenham since his services to rugby in 2013 and was the first dling supply of players in New Zealand as many beyond him. championship medals to go along with her early last season and those talks have final- sevens coach to be inducted into the top players shunned the game to concentrate His concentration in recent seasons on size haul in Rio. She is taking a break from com- ly yielded an extended deal worth a report- International Rugby Board’s hall of fame. on their 15s international or Super Rugby over pace has not been effective and was part of petition before deciding whether to make a ed £75,000 per week ($100,000, 90,000 But he struggled to maintain his record of careers. The prospect of an Olympics was the reason for New Zealand’s failure at Rio de push toward the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. euros). The 24-year-old had been linked success in recent seasons as international sevens thought likely to lure leading players back to Janiero. Tietjens still sees the Olympics as the The book includes a forward from 1984 with Manchester United, Paris Saint- became more competitive. Fiji focused its sevens but and high point of his coaching reign. “That was the Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton. Germain and Juventus while the discus- resources on the sevens program, aiming for its were the only All Blacks to commit to the pinnacle of my career,” he said. “I was certainly sions dragged on. But Denmark interna- first Olympic medal, under English coach Ben Olympic campaign. going to consider retiring after then. I had prob- Juventus fail in tional Eriksen, signed from Dutch club Ajax Ryan. And nations which had previously taken Tietjens has been a significantly influential ably done my time and it was time for someone multimillion appeal in August 2013, admitted he was relieved the sport lightly began to devote more figure in the evolution of world sevens and else to come through. MILAN: A Rome court yesterday rejected a to have committed his future to the north resources to its development after it became an many other coaches have copied his tactics and “It has been a great, great journey obviously 444-million-euro lawsuit by Italian champi- London team. Olympics sport. training methods. But it was also clear in the last with a lot of success along the way and a lot of Tietjens was also left to cope with a dwin- two years that the game has continued to evolve great, enjoyable times.” — AP