Indians pound NZ in Rangers driver’s seat WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11,16 2014 17 Germany look frail in World Cup bid Page 18 LONDON: Australia’s Marinko Matosevic returns against Croatia’s Marin Cilic during the second round match on day two of the ATP Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club. — AFP Matosevic upsets Cilic at Queens LONDON: Australia’s Marinko Matosevic ended Marin Cilic’s “His mum coached him and she did a great job with him, so may have noted the first round provided mixed results for the two reaching the final of the grasscourt event in Nottingham last week attempt to reach a third consecutive Queen’s Club final yesterday we’ll see what happens. “It’s all equal rights these days. Got to other leading men coached by women. following his first-ever match win at a Grand Slam when the world and then aimed a verbal volley at Andy Murray’s decision to hire be politically correct. So, yeah, someone’s got to give it a go. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin, coached by his wife Anastasia, number 60 defeated Dustin Brown in the French Open first round. Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach. Won’t be me.” was beaten 6-4, 6-1 by Czech 15th seed Radek Stepanek, while And he finished off world number 26 Cilic in impressive fash- Cilic won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in 2012 when Although he wasn’t in action yesterday, there was still plenty of Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, coached by his mother Klaudiya, ion to clinch a second round match against Lukas Lacko. “Before, his opponent David Nalbandian was disqualified and the Croatian attention on reigning Queen’s and Wimbledon champion Murray, defeated compatriot Farrukh Dustov 7-6 (9/7), 6-3. With his wife when someone would mention something to do with a Grand made it back to the final last year before losing to Murray. who starts his spell working with Mauresmo in today’s second back home in Volgograd after failing to secure a British visa, Slam, it would make me feel uncomfortable. Now I just feel free to But the ninth seed’s hopes of becoming the first player to round match against France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu. Kukushkin crashed out, but he tipped more men to employ play tennis,” he said. reach three successive Queen’s finals since Andy Roddick from Murray rocked the tennis world when he announced on female coaches in future. “Like I said in Paris, it’s a huge gorilla lifted off my shoulders 2003 to 2005, were shattered by Bosnia-born Matosevic in a 6-4, 6- Sunday that Mauresmo was his choice to replace Ivan Lendl, who “I see a lot of players and coaches, and I see some coaches on now. I have no more worries.” Czech second seed Tomas Berdych 4 first round defeat in west London. quit in March, as his coach for at least the grasscourt season. tour who do almost nothing on tour,” Kukushkin said. was pushed hard by Australian qualifier James Duckworth before Matosevic, 28, was still in combative mood during his post- Mauresmo, a former world number one and Wimbledon “It’s not so important if it’s a man or a woman, what’s impor- the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up edged through to the third round match press conference as he became the first male player to dis- champion, arrived at Queen’s to link up with Murray yesterday, but tant for me is really working hard to build together. “Very few play- with a 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-4 victory. agree with Murray’s shock coaching appointment. kept a low profile, telling reporters “I’ll see you tomorrow” when ers have a female coach but for me there’s no difference between Bulgarian fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov was watched by girl- “For me, I couldn’t do it since I don’t think that highly of the approached after watching compatriot Julien Benneteau lose to a man and a woman. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more women friend and newly-crowned French Open champion Maria women’s game,” said Matosevic, who is coached by compatriot Victor Estrella Burgos. coaching men in the future.” Sharapova, as he advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-3 win Mark Woodforde. Murray, who had lunch with Mauresmo in the players’ lounge, The outspoken Matosevic has been in good form of late, over British wild card entry James Ward. — AFP Ghana thrash S Korea MIAMI: Ghana substitute Jordan Ayew post 10 minutes before halftime, a Blatter urged to go grabbed a hat-trick to stake his claim missed chance the Koreans would rue SAO PAULO: Top European football officials Van Praag said that if Platini does not stand for a starting place in a convincing 4-0 because Ghana soon got a second goal yesterday publicly called on Sepp Blatter to end then UEFA should agree another candidate to win over a sloppy South Korea side in through the lively Asamoah Gyan who his reign as FIFA president amid accusations of stand against the Swiss official. their final World Cup warmup on tucked the ball past Jung after robbing corruption against Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid. Blatter was given a standing ovation when Monday. Kwak Tae-hwi in midfield. Michael van Praag, head of the Dutch foot- he spoke before the African, Asian and North World Cup quarter-finalists in 2010, Gyan ran at the Korea defence and ball association, said Blatter should quit when American-Caribbean confederations on Ghana scored twice in the first half although Kim Young-gwon tried to get his term ends next year. A similar call was made Monday. “This time, before UEFA, he did not get through Ayew and Asamoah Gyan across to cover he was too late to stop by David Gill, vice-chairman of England’s it,” van Praag said. Blatter, 78, has been FIFA’s before the former grabbed two more in the striker firing the ball into the bot- Football Associaton. president since 1998. the second half for the Black Stars. tom corner of the net. Blatter, 78, is expected to use the FIFA The governing body is currently embroiled Kwesi Appiah’s Ghana are in one of Jordan Ayew then grabbed his Congress in Sao Paulo starting on Tuesday to by accusations that Qatar paid for votes when the toughest sections in Brazil with a second of the night with a right-foot announce that he will stand for a new four year FIFA chose Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup. June 16 opener against the United shot into the bottom left of the goal term. The corruption allegations and the Qatar has strongly denied involvement in States before they play European pow- with the Korean defence asleep again mounting pressure on Blatter have threatened wrongdoing, but allegations made in British erhouse Germany and Portugal in raising concerns for coach Hong to further taint the opening of the latest World newspaper The Sunday Times are expected to Group G. Myung-bo. Cup in Sao Paulo on Thursday. Brazil is already be raised at the FIFA congress late yesterday “I don’t look at the scoreline but “It’s very difficult to come back from struggling with protests over the cost of the and today. FIFA investigator Michael Garcia has how we played individually and as a two goals down,” Hong said. Ayew, event. Van Praag challenged Blatter when the completed his report but it will not be handed team,” said Ghana coach Appiah. “We who is the son of former African FIFA leader appeared before the European con- to a FIFA adjudicatory chamber until mid-July. took our chances. Korea attacked well Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, federation UEFA. Some federations are angry Blatter has said no decisions will be taken until but you have to be cautious at the back. saved the best till last when he ghost- because Blatter said in 2011 when he secured September or October. “If my team had lost by four goals it ed into the area to expertly turn the his latest term that it would be his last. FIFA faces mounting pressure as five of its would maybe help me to look at the ball home from close range. ‘Mr Blatter, this is nothing personal but if six major sponsors, who account for hundreds mistakes and correct them before the Ghana, who had lost their previous you look at FIFA’s reputation over the last seven of millions of dollars of finance each year, have World Cup.” warmup match 1-0 to the Netherlands, or eight years, it is being linked to all kinds of called for a thorough investgation of the allega- Ghana lost forward Majeed Waris were eliminated by Uruguay four years corruption and all kinds of old boys’ networks tions. with a thigh injury in the fourth minute ago in a shootout after Luis Suarez things,” Van Praag said he had told Blatter. The embattled FIFA leader has hit back at after a fierce challenge by Ki Sung infamously stopped Gyan’s penalty in Media were kept out of the meeting. critics however by saying that racism is behind Yueng, who was booked, allowing the the last minute of extra time with his “FIFA has an executive president and you the corruption accusations. Blatter hit out at 22-year-old Ayew to be introduced hand and was sent off. are not making things easy for yourself and I do the “storm against FIFA” over the 2022 World from the bench.