Heat melt Toronto Methodology behind as Warriors show Leicester: The Ranieri champion16 class winning blueprint THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016 19 Beware meat from China, Mexico players warned Page 17 MADRID: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (right) vies with Manchester City’s Argentinean defender Nicolas Otamendi (center) and Manchester City’s French defender Eliaquim Mangala during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium yesterday. — AFP Real edge City to set up all-Madrid final MADRID: Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in 28. The hosts were given a huge boost before the luck they needed to swing the tie in their away goal just before the break when Kevin de stantly caused City problems from set-pieces. the Champions League final for the second time kick-off as Cristiano Ronaldo made his return favour with their next attack as Bale was played Bruyne picked out Fernandinho and the Brazilian City boss Manuel Pellegrini turned to the in three years after overcoming Manchester City after a three-game absence due to a thigh injury. in on the right of the City box and his intended midfielder’s low driven shot clipped the outside pace of Raheem Sterling and Kelechi Iheanacho 1-0 in their semi-final second leg yesterday. By contrast, City were dealt a massive injury blow cross spooned up off Fernando and into the far of the post. in place of the ineffectual Yaya Toure and Jesus Brazilian midfielder Fernando deflected Gareth inside 10 minutes when captain Vincent corner to leave Joe Hart helpless. The goalmouth action was all in City’s box Navas for the final quarter. Bale’s cross into his own net after 20 minutes at Kompany was forced off once more with a mus- early in the second period as Hart was called And Pellegrini’s men nearly snatched the goal the Santiago Bernabeu for the only goal of the tie cle problem in an injury-disrupted campaign. Inexperience upon to keep his side in the match. Luka Modric they needed a minute from time when top scor- after the first leg ended goalless. Fernandinho Eliaquim Mangala was forced on to deputise The difference in European pedigree between spurned a huge chance to put the tie to bed er Sergio Aguero’s first serious effort of the tie came closest to taking City to their first ever for Kompany, but City’s makeshift defense wasn’t the clubs couldn’t have been starker as Madrid when he fired straight at Hart as the Croatian dipped onto the roof of the net. Real keeper Champions League final when his shot clipped overly troubled despite the presence of Ronaldo were playing in their 27th semi-final, whilst City seemed surprised himself not to have been Keylor Navas then injured himself in scurrying the outside of the post a minute before half-time. and an in-form Bale in the first 45 minutes. were in the last four for the first time. That inex- flagged offside. from his goal to clear a long through ball. Yet, Real beat Atletico 4-1 after extra-time in Ronaldo was looking to equal his own record of perience looked to be taking hold as City Hart also kept out a Ronaldo header and despite a frantic finale, Madrid continued their Lisbon two years ago to win the competition for 17 Champions League goals in a season, but sent enjoyed decent spells of first-half possession fierce drive from the edge of the box as Madrid record of not conceding a goal at home in the a 10th time and will be hoping for a repeat when his first chance well over the bar with a header without troubling the Real defense. However, pressed. Bale then saw a looping header come Champions League this season to progress to they face Diego Simeone’s men in Milan on May from Dani Carvajal’s cross. However, Madrid got they came within inches of finding the crucial off the bar as, just as in the first leg, Madrid con- their 14th European Cup final. — AFP Refreshed Djokovic makes winning return to Madrid MADRID: Novak Djokovic stepped up his prepa- level match but a few points can make the differ- rations for the French Open as the top seed beat ence.” Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori was teenager Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4 in his opening helped by a collapse from Fabio Fognini as the match at the Madrid Masters yesterday. The Italian served for victory - Asia’s top player com- world number one, who lifted the trophy in the pleted a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 fightback win. “After the first Spanish capital five years ago, has not played in set, he started playing better than me. In the Madrid since 2013 when he lost his opening third, he deserved to win. I don’t know what hap- match to Grigor Dimitrov. The Serb’s success over pened to him in the last couple of games. I had a Croatian youngster Coric was his first clay win of little luck, so I tried to keep up my confidence.” 2016 following a loss in Monte Carlo to Jiri Vesely Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych showed fit- almost a month ago. ness after a stomach virus, advancing over Denis “Second match on the clay-court season for Istomin 6-3, 6-3, while world number nine David me - the first one didn’t go so well for me,” Ferrer beat Denis Kudla 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. French 16th Djokovic said. “I had some time to recuperate seed Gilles Simon will line up against Andy emotionally and mentally. I needed that more Murray in the next round on Wednesday after a than physically because it has been a very suc- defeat of Estoril finalist Pablo Carreno Busta 2-6, cessful but very demanding start of the season, 6-3, 6-4. first four months. I played a lot of matches. I per- formed very solid in opening round, few things Azarenka Pulls Out could have been better against a young player The women’s Madrid Open was hit by a high- that I never played against.” level injury defection as fourth seed and two- Djokovic will next face Spanish specialist time finalist Victoria Azarenka quit before her Roberto Bautista Agut after the 15th seed defeat- match due to lower back pain. The premature ed fellow countryman Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 5-7, 7- exit handed a place in the quarter-finals to quali- 5. Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios dumped out 2013 fier Louisa Chirico. Azarenka, from Belarus and finalist Stan Wawrinka, with the Australian seeing the winner of back-to-back titles in March at off the Swiss 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2) in the second Indian Wells and Miami, had advanced at the MADRID: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic returns a ball to Croatian tennis player Borna Coric during the Madrid Open tournament at the Caja round. Wawrinka, the fourth seed, managed 11 Caja Magica with a pair of straight-set wins, los- Magica (Magic Box) sports complex yesterday. — AFP aces but was unable to break the Kyrgios serve ing just 11 games. The world number five lost while losing his own four times. “It was generally Madrid finals in 2011 and 2012. Her withdrawal the event. Number six Simona Halep heads the to back problems. “I tweaked my back in my first Azarenka was unsure if she would be able to a good match, I had chances in the first set,” came on the day that holder and two-time field after she beat Swiss 10th seed Timea match, it was cold that day,” said Azarenka. “In my play Rome, which begins on Monday. “I want to Wawrinka said. “He was serving well in the big champion Petra Kvitova lost in the third round, Bacsinszky, a title-winner at the weekend in second match, I was in a lot of discomfort. I make a smart decision for the big picture,” she moments. He played better on a few important going out to Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-4. Morocco, 6-2, 6-3. Azarenka joins Roger Federer thought a day off would help, but today during a said. Romanian Irina Begu beat Christina McHale points. His serve was tough to read. it was a high- There are now no top five women’s seeds left in in pulling out of one of the final major tune-ups hit it came back again. I just don’t feel I’m able to 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 while Sorana Cirstea defeated prior to the May 22 start of the French Open due compete today.” German Laura Siegemund 6-4, 7-6 (11/9). — AFP .