16 SPORT SATURDAY 26 AUGUST 2017 YESTERDAY’S RESULTS Al Sadd beat Sydney Uni HC: 33-25 Al Sadd off to a flying start FC Barcelona beat Esperance Sportive de Tunis: 42-24 Füchse Berlin beat Esporte Clube Pinheiros: 33-31 HC Vardar beat Naft-O-Gas at IHF Super Globe in Doha Gachsaran: 30-22 The Peninsula The German team opened a two-goal advantage with a osts Al Sadd started counter attack goal scored by their IHF Super Ignacio Plaza Jiminez in the 17th Globe Champion- minute. Pinheiros 6-0 defence ship campaign with could not contain Berlin’s attack flying colours when led by creative Petar Nenadic Hthey defeated Austraia’s Sydney and back court shooters like Uni Handball Club 33-25 at the Marko Kopljar, and it seemed Duhail Sports Complex in Doha the European team were ready yesterday. to run away with the Al Sadd’s squad featured the momentum. likes of 2015 IHF Men’s World In the 21st minute Pinheiros Championship silver medallists goalkeeper Marcos Santos saved Danijel Saric and Abdulla Al a penalty attempt that kept the Karbi and it was clear from the score at 9-12 – but perhaps the outset that the Aussie boys were European team relaxed a little in for a tough task. Sydney Uni too much while their opponents side kept up with the pace of the did not decrease the pressure, game through the opening 10 because the Pan American team minutes, though they trailed by soon came back. Pinheiros three goals after five minutes reduced the score line to one (1-4) before coming back. goal with just over a minute left The six-time Oceania cham- until the break before Nenadic pions began to find their own added the last of half to regain game and closed the gap to two a two-goal advantage for by the time the clock showed 10 Berlin. minutes. Al Sadd remained in Pinheiros worked hard control with a steady two to through the opening minutes of three-goal lead for some min- the second period and were utes, but Sydney Uni continued rewarded when they levelled at fighting and were rewarded with 16-16 seven minutes into the a one-goal deficit thanks largely period. The score remained to the performance of their goal- locked as the clock ticked on, keeper Tomasz Szalkucki. with Pinheiros taking the lead Al Sadd’s Amine Guehis leaps to score against Austraia’s Sydney Uni Handball Club during their quarter-final match of the As the 20-minute mark (23-22) as the last quarter began approached Al Sadd created a IHF Super Globe Championship at the Duhail Sports Complex in Doha yesterday. The Qatari champions defeated Sydney Uni off a fast break scored by Arthur more decisive advantage of three by 33-25 to advance into today’s semi-final in which they will meet the defending champions Füchse Berlin. INSET: Al Sadd’s Flosi after Santos made a diffi- goals (11-8), and Sydney coach Mustafa Alkrad (centre) shoots to score. cult save. Lionel Puyhardy called his first From that point it was a time-out. The hosts kept the to full strength the hosts had by six at 29-23, while at the other tournament with an emphatic Clube Pinheiros, and will there- one-for-one match, with the same score line through to the taken firm control with a six-goal end of the court Maikkel Takken win over Esperance Sportive de fore contest the semi-final score still equal at 27-27 in the half-time whistle however, but score line that appeared to had come into goal. Tunis, qualifying for the semi- against Al Sadd today. 53rd when Santos saved another Sydney Uni left for the break still decide the semi-finalists. In the 57th minute Bonnin final where they will meet the The 2015 and 2016 IHF Super penalty, against Nenadic. Less with a strong chance to decrease The same difference received a red card after three current EHF Champions League Globe champions were level with than two minutes later the Ger- the deficit. remained as Puyhardy called a suspensions and as he left the title holders HC Vardar. their opponents through the first man side created an important A suspension for Pierre Bon- time-out just inside the last quar- court it was clear the game was Vardar made their way to the 15 minutes, with the score at 8-8 two-goal distance however, nin in the opening minutes of the ter of the game (18-24), and over for his team. Al Sadd cele- semi-final with a clear victory of as the first quarter came to an when right wing Mattias half did not help Sydney’s though Sydney fought hard they brated an eight-goal win at the their own, beating Iranian side end. Zachrisson scored a fast break chances, and while he was off the simply could not reduce it. Al buzzer and with it a place in the Naft-O-Gas-Gachsaran by eight At that point, the Fuchse Ber- that took Berlin in front to court Al Sadd pulled further Sadd had replaced Saric with semi-finals, where they will meet goals. lin’s game was clearly dominated 30-28. That was the decisive ahead to lead 18-14 as the Aus- Rasheed Yusuff between the Berlin. Defending champions by two players – centre back moment, and the two-time tralian side received another two posts, and he made a spectacu- Earlier, two-time IHF Super Füchse Berlin followed with a Steffen Fäth and right wing Hans champions held on to the final minutes – this time for Luka Kra- lar save on a fast break in the Globe champions FC Barcelona hard-fought two-goal win Lindberg, who had contributed whistle to finish with the same jnc. When Sydney Uni returned 54th that kept his team in front opened the 11th edition of the against determined Esporte three goals each. score line. Hamilton sets pace ahead of 200th race Pace-setter Hamilton Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium hungry for ‘blood’ Reuters Spa-Francorchamps, equal seven-times world itle contender Lewis Ham- Belgium champion Michael Schu- ilton prepared for his Reuters macher’s all-time record of T200th Formula One race 68 pole positions at Spa with the fastest time in Belgian riple world champion today. Grand Prix practice yesterday, Lewis Hamilton says he That would be a symbolic before rain brought an early end T is hungrier than ever, milestone to reach, with Spa to the day’s action. and out for ‘blood’, as the also marking the 25th anni- The Mercedes driver, who Mercedes driver prepares for versary of Schumacher’s first can equal Michael Schumach- his 200th race in Formula grand prix win, but Hamil- er’s all-time record of 68 pole One this weekend. ton’s thoughts were focused positions in Saturday’s qualify- The 32-year-old Briton is on the task at hand. ing, lapped the longest track on 14 points behind Ferrari’s Reinvigorated by his the calendar with a best time of Sebastian Vettel with nine August break, and smitten by one minute 44.753 seconds. races remaining and has yet his first visit to Cuba, Hamil- Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, to take an outright lead in the ton said he was ready for who had been fastest in the championship against a for- anything and determined to morning session with a time midable opponent. raise his game. of 1:45.502 on ultra-soft tyres Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton prepares to But he expects to remedy Hamilton made his debut while Hamilton stayed on leave the pits for the second practice session at the Spa- that, starting in Belgium with McLaren in 2007, miss- softs, was second on the Francorchamps Circuit in Spa ahead of the Belgian Formula tomorrow. ing the title by a single point timesheets with an afternoon One Grand Prix yesterday. “One thing for sure in this but winning in 2008 - again best that was 0.262 slower second part of the season... is by one point after making a than the Briton. that I’m here for blood. I’m crucial overtake on the last Hamilton also used the Bull on the front row, but the after 15 minutes when Brazil- Williams saying the changed here to win and I’m here to corner of the last lap in ultra-softs to set his best time new cars are significantly faster ian Felipe Massa, who missed chassis could not be readied in stay,” he said. Brazil. before the rain set in with 20 and Hamilton was more then the previous race in Hungary time. “It’s strange. When you’re His move to Mercedes in minutes remaining. three seconds quicker. after feeling dizzy in practice, Fernando Alonso suffered racing for so long, it’s my 2013 brought two more Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s Ferrari’s world champion- crashed heavily into the tyre an early lack of power in his 200th race, you would think championships - in 2014 and team mate, made it two Finns ship leader Sebastian Vettel was barrier at turn seven out of Les McLaren, but still ended up 13th that maybe your passion or 2015 - but he missed out last in the top three while Red Bull’s third and fifth, just 0.01 slower Combes. fastest. The Spaniard was 11th your desire to win would year to now-retired German Dutch teenager Max Verstap- than Verstappen, respectively, He was taken to the medi- after lunch.