SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 16 Red-hot Barty, Seppi China punish Philippines storm into Sydney finals AFP | Sydney Two goals for Wu Lei helped the Asian giants through to the knockout round of the ustralia’s Ashleigh Barty Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi Aclaimed another top 10 scalp to power into the Syd- ney International final yes- KNOW WHAT Sven cancels dinner terday, while veteran Andreas • Seppi upset third seed Diego as China beat Philippines Schwartzman to reach the men’s decider. Seppi had made three Australia beat The 22-year-old Barty is on previous semi-finals Palestine• to bounce a hot run, stretching her un- in Sydney but he had back from Jordan beaten streak to seven match- never gone further es dating back to her career’s defeat in Asian Cup biggest title at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. seeded Belgian Elise Mertens AFP | Abu Dhabi She is one of the form play- in the quarter-finals. ers heading into the Australian She came into the match our Swede Sven-Goran Open next week, but had to with the advantage of hav - Eriksson scrapped dinner to dig deep to scramble past ing twice beaten Dutch star Splans with old foe Marcel- world number nine and sev- Bertens previously, including lo Lippi after China thrashed his enth seed Kiki Bertens (6-7 as recently as last August in Philippines side 3-0 yesterday (4/7), 6-4, 7-5). Montreal. to reach the last 16 of the Asian Her reward is a clash with Seppi edged past Schwartz- Cup. 2015 champion Petra Kvitova man 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, a day after China’s star striker Wu Lei who defeated Belarusian qual- derailing the hopes of top seed fired a brilliant double against ifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich, in Stefanos Tsitsipas, proving he the Filipino ‘Street Dogs’ in Abu another semi-final yesterday. still has what it takes at age 34. Dhabi as Lippi emerged victori- “It’s amazing. It really has The Italian, seeded eight, ous in a heavyweight coaching been a phenomenal week of had made three previous clash. tennis,” said the 15th ranked semi-finals in Sydney -- the As is custom between the two Philippines’ goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard (C) attempts to save a shot Barty, who also made the final first way back in 2006. But he elder statesmen of the game, -- twice,” grimaced Eriksson, Wu magic coveted player and Shanghai’s last year. had never gone further and the loser buys the other dinner, who previously coached the record goalscorer, who has been “I feel like I’ve played great was delighted to get a crack washed down with a vintage match-winner at Chinese club Lippi’s side should have led linked with a move to English all week and have had tough at another ATP title to add to bottle of wine. Shanghai SIPG. after 32 minutes when Wu Xi Premier League side Wolves. opponents every single round three he already owns. But Eriksson had little stom- “If you do that he will punish headed wastefully wide from “He looked very sharp and and I’m really excited to have “It was never easy, he is a ach for the old pals’ act when you and he did with two great point-blank range. scored two goals of fantastic another shot at the title.” great fighter and makes you the septuagenarians embraced goals. We paid a heavy price but But Wu Lei provided the quality,” said the Italian. Barty had already accounted play a lot of balls and you have after the match. we are not home yet. We still spark five minutes before half- “But we are used to seeing for world number one Simo- to run a lot,” said Seppi of the “No, no dinner plans,” have hope -- but small hope, time, turning on the edge of the that quality from him. It is no na Halep and former French Argentinian. “But I played a snapped the former England probably.” box and whipping a right-foot wonder teams in Europe are Open champion Jelena Os- good match today and was manager. “I was not in a very China, runners-up in 1984 shot into the far corner. interested in him.” tapenko before beating 10th happy to close it out. good mood for a long discus- and 2004, top Group C with His second was even better Pulverised 8-1 the last time sion. I just wished (Lippi) good a perfect six points from two as he swivelled to slam a Hao the teams met in 2017, the Phil- luck for the future. games -- ahead of South Ko - Junmin free kick past goalkeep- ippines gave China more of a “We forgot about Wu Lei rea on goal difference -- after er Michael Falkesgaard on the fight this time, having lost 1-0 to beating Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in their volley after 66 minutes to effec- South Korea earlier this week. opening game. tively finish the tie. Kevin Ingreso forced a finger- But they looked far sharper Substitute Yu Dabao added a tip save from China goalkeeper against the Philippines, like the third 10 minutes from time for Yan Junling in first-half stop- No, no dinner plans. former Soviet republic also ap- China, who are looking to im- page time, but Eriksson’s play- I was not in a very pearing in their first Asian Cup. prove on their quarter-final fin- ers faded badly after the break. good mood for a long “I’m very proud of my play- ish in Australia four years ago. South Korea beat Kyrgyzstan discussion. I just ers,” said Lippi, who led his na- Lippi waxed lyrical about the 1-0 in a late kickoff in Al Ain to wished (Lippi) good tive Italy to World Cup victory prolific Wu Lei, China’s most advance to the knockout stage. luck for the future. We in 2006. forgot about Wu Lei -- “They were aggressive, fo- Asian Cup cused and showed a lot of qual- twice ity. If we can continue to play Palestine 0 - 3 Australia SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON like that we have nothing to Philippines 0 - 3 China fear from any team at this Asian Kyrgyzstan 0 - 1 South Korea Cup.” Australia’s Ashleigh Barty hits a return to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands Pakistan bowlers fight back to defy South Africa AFP | Johannesburg, South Africa Markram hit 16 boundaries off South Africa, first innings akistan’s bowlers changed 124 balls in an innings marked by A. Markram c S Ahmed b F Ashraf 90 Pthe course of the third and crisply-struck drives and firm D. Elgar c SAhmed b M Abbas 5 final Test against South Africa clips to leg. H. Amla c Asad Shafiq b S Khan 41 when they engineered a dramat- It was the third time in his T. de Bruyn lbw b M Abbas 49 ic collapse on the first day of the 15-Test career that he had been Zubayr Hamza c S Ahmed b M Amir 41 third and final Test yesterday. dismissed in the nineties. T. Bavuma c S Ahmed b M Amir 8 From being in control on 226 Markram, who had to pass a Q. de Kock c M Abbas b F Ashraf 18 for three at tea, South Africa fitness test after suffering a badly V. Philander lbw b Hasan Ali 1 were bowled out for 262 at the bruised right thigh while field- K. Rabada c S Ahmed b Hasan Ali 0 Wanderers Stadium. ing in the second Test in Cape D. Steyn not out 2 Vernon Philander struck back Town, looked set for his fifth D. Olivier c M Abbas b F Ashraf 0 for South Africa, taking two Test century until he glanced a Extras (lb2, nb4, w1) 7 wickets off successive balls as ball from the medium-paced Fa- Total (77.4 overs) 262 Pakistan reached 17 for two at heem and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Pakistan, first innings Imam-ul-Haq not out 10 the close. Ahmed dived to his left to take a Shan Masood c De Kock b Philander 2 A polished innings of 90 by good catch. Azhar Ali c De Kock b Philander 0 Aiden Markram, coupled with Hashim Amla (41) helped Mohammad Abbas not out 0 some wayward bowling by Markram put on 126 for the Extras (lb5) 5 Pakistan, laid the foundation second wicket after stand-in Total (2 wkts, 9 overs) 17 for some attacking batting by captain Dean Elgar was caught South Africa, who collectively behind off Mohammad Abbas hit 37 fours and a six before tea for five in the second over. runs off 22 deliveries before he on what looked the best batting Theunis de Bruyn (49) and was caught behind off Amir. pitch of a series already won by new cap Zubayr Hamza (41) Left to negotiate a tricky 40 the hosts. Dean Elgar walks off as Pakistan celebrate his wicket both batted brightly in a fourth minutes before the close, Pa- But the runs dried up after the hammad Abbas set the tone Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf wicket stand which was worth kistan lost Shan Masood, their interval as South Africa were after tea, taking two and one Ashraf turns the screw continued to put pressure on 72 off 92 balls at tea. top scorer in the series, for two able to add only 36 for the loss of wickets respectively. Both bowl- Amir left the field four balls the batsmen. But De Bruyn was out in the when a successful review by seven wickets in 19.4 overs, hit- ers gained reverse swing and into his 16th over after falling in Ashraf finished with three for third over after tea and Hamza, South Africa showed he had ting only four more boundaries.