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Home , Cameron Norrie, David de Gea, Isco, Jay Clarke (tennis), Kepa Arrizabalaga

17 TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018 sports

Messi’s penalty miss not Spain coach backs to blame for draw with Iceland, says Maradona Hierro tells critics to give the Spanish goalkeeper ‘time and oxygen’ Reuters | Moscow

Reuters | Krasnodar, Russia backing to Spain’s number one, iego Maradona says Li- who for now is fending off com- Donel Messi’s second-half pain’s under-pressure goal- petition from ’s penalty miss was not the rea- keeper David de Gea has and veteran son Argentina failed to defeat Sthe backing of coach Fer- keeper . Iceland at the World Cup on nando Hierro, who said he will “De Gea is one of the best in Saturday. stick by him for his side’s next the world, he knows how to re- Messi saw his spot kick game against Iran on Wednes- act, and we are showing him a saved by goalkeeper Hannes day despite his performance in lot of love,” said. Por Halldorsson after Alfred the 3-3 draw with Portugal. “We have to help him because Finnbogason had cancelled The United keep- he helps us a lot, and that’s what out Sergio Aguero’s 19th min- er let a tame shot from Cristiano this group is all about.” ute opener. Ronaldo through his arms for A former Spain defender “I don’t blame the players,” Portugal’s second goal on Friday We have our and until last week the Spanish Maradona told Venezuelan tel- and has been criticised in Spain full confidence football federation’s director of evision channel Telesur. for his badly positioned defen- in him, I know football, Hierro has been cata- “I could blame the lack of sive wall when Ronaldo struck Spain’s David De Gea before the match very clearly from pulted into the unexpected po- work rate. But I can’t blame the late equaliser. experience that sition of head coach after Julen the players, much less Messi, “We have our full confidence footballers need Lopetegui was sensationally who gave it all he had. in him, I know very clearly from cheap goals against Switzerland sacked last Wednesday for ne- “I missed five penalties on Argentina’s reacts after experience that footballers need and Argentina. to feel confidence, gotiating a move to Real the match to feel confidence, not just in “He’s had difficult moments not just in the on the eve of the tournament. the good times,” Spain’s interim but you can get over everything good times,” “I came here in a suit and I’m coach Hierro told reporters on with time. Goalkeepers have a going to return in a tracksuit,” the spin and I was still Diego Monday at the team’s base in special psychology, and some- added Hierro. Armando Maradona. I don’t Krasnodar. times action-reaction is not “I was the sporting director think that they dropped two De Gea has repeatedly got his enough. De Gea needs time and but things are how they are, and 24 points because Messi missed club out of jail and was voted oxygen,” added Hierro. get used to debate because it’s in football things like this hap- penalties have been a penalty.” missed by Messi out of player of the year at United last “All players need confi - part of the job. No-one has given pen. Due to these circumstances 103 he has taken Argentina take on Croatia season. But he has made costly dence and I’m going to give him anything for free, and we I have a fantastic challenge, a on Thursday before their final errors in three of his last four that to them. De Gea has taken need to be fair with him.” challenge I’m working on all day group game against Nigeria outings for Spain, also letting in everything naturally, we have to Isco also gave his every day.” next week.

Lions leave Windies Wawrinka eases to opening win at Queen’s Reuters | of half an hour to pocket the a great day.” on survival mode opener, breaking twice, and was Luxembourg’s Gilles Mul- hree-time hardly troubled in the second ler, the man who ended Rafael ESPN Cricinfo | St Lucia Tchampion set as he set up a second round Nadal’s run at Wimbledon last made light work of Britain’s against American fifth seed Sam year after reaching Queen’s eamers helped Sri Lanka in the open- Querrey or young British wild- semi-final, had earlier knocked Sstrides toward a series-lev- ing round of the Queen’s Club card . out Canadian shot-maker Denis elling victory, after Shannon grasscourt tournament yester- “In general (the knee) has Shapovalov in two tiebreaks. Gabriel had completed an ex- day, winning 6-2 6-3. been improving week after Top seed Marin Cilic of Cro- ceptional match haul of 13 for The 33-year-old Swiss, ranked week,” Wawrinka, beaten in the atia was in action later against 121 early in the day. At lunch, 261 in the world after two first round of the , Spain’s Fernando Verdasco. Sri Lanka needed seven fur- knee surgeries, served solidly said on court. “Now I feel really Double Wimbledon cham- ther wickets (six, if Shai Hope, throughout a one-sided contest good on court, strong physically. pion makes his who retired hurt, doesn’t bat on the slick centre court, easing “I will have ups and downs in return after nearly a year out again), with 69 overs left in past an opponent who struggled Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka the next months and need to be with a hip injury on Tuesday which to get them. West Indies to cope with Wawrinka’s power. celebrates winning first round match patient. You need to be ready to when he will face Australian required 241 more runs, having Wawrinka needed just shy against Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie accept frustrating but today was in the first round. been set 296. Roshen Silva of Sri Lanka in action At the crease for the hosts, though, were Shane Dowrich the series so far - and Kraigg - one of the form batsmen of Brathwaite, who can some- Open champion times be immovable when he Murray must overcome mental scorecard gets set. The outcome of this Koepka rises to Test may hinge on their part- world No. 4 West Indies 300 (Smith 61, Ku- nership. challenge after injury: Djokovic With quicks having been AFP | Paris mara 4-86) and 55 for 3 (Brath- penetrative with the new ball Reuters | London waite 32*, Dowrich 0*) trail Sri right through this Test, the ewly-crowned 2018 Lanka 253 and 342 (Mendis 87, first 20 overs of West Indies’ ormer world number one NUS Open champion Dickwella 62, Gabriel 8-62) by innings was always going to be FNovak Djokovic says over- Brooks Koepka climbed to 241 runs crucial to their hopes. But they coming the mental challenge a career-high world rank- didn’t resist for long. will be Andy Murray’s biggest ing of fourth on Monday, obstacle when he returns to KNOW WHAT after successfully defending after a long-term hip in- his title at Shinnecock Hills jury. with a one-shot victory. Murray, who has been side- From the age of 11, The 28-year-old Ameri- North, South Korea agree to lined for almost a year since can, who has missed much losing in the quarter-finals at Murray has been of the season with a wrist joint teams for Asian Games Wimbledon last July, will face learning professional injury, jumped five spots Reuters | Seoul series of basketball matches Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the tennis. He won his from ninth in the rankings, in the North Korean capital of first round at the Queen’s Club first award at age 12. while also gaining valuable he two Koreas agreed Pyongyang on July 3-6, mark- tournament on Tuesday. Ryder Cup points. Tyesterday to march to - ing the anniversary of a July 4, “... I think the biggest chal- Koepka’s rise saw Jordan gether under a unified penin- 1972, inter-Korean agreement lenge will always be mental,” thinking 50 percent of the time Andy Murray Spieth, Rory McIlroy and sula flag and form combined on unification, they said. Djokovic, who is trying to re- about whether or not some - Jon Rahm, who all missed teams to compete in the next The agreement comes amid capture top form after under- thing can happen.” the cut last week, drop a Asian Games, they said in a a range of talks as part of ef- going elbow surgery earlier this The 12-time Grand Slam dangerous is slipping on the place. joint statement, in the latest forts to promote reconcilia- year, told British media. champion also said grass might grass. That’s something that is England’s Tommy Fleet- sign of a thaw between the old tion, including opening mil- “How to get it out of your not be the ideal surface for very unpredictable and grass wood moved into the top 10 rivals. itary hotlines and arranging head, understand that it’s be- Murray to make his return. is always this kind of surface after becoming only the sec- Both sides also agreed at a reunions for families of Ko- hind you, that you’re fine now, “I don’t know the state of his where one wrong footing can ond man in US Open history round of talks on their heav- reans divided by the 1950-53 that you’re healthy and you can hips,” said Djokovic. “But the make something go wrong, es- to fire a final-round 63 as he ily fortified border to hold a Korean War. focus on your game rather than one thing that could be a bit pecially in the hips.” finished second on Sunday.