TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018 16 Ostapenko dumped Wolff wary of ‘freak’ out of HK Open by lowly Kucova AFP | Hong Kong ball can decide the whole Hamilton injury match. That ball was quite far ormer French Open cham- out -- I was surprised the chair AFP | Tokyo Fpion Jelena Ostapenko was umpire didn’t call it,” Ostap- dumped out of the Hong Kong enko said. ith Lewis Hamilton Open yesterday -- by a player “But unfortunately I had run on the brink of cap- ranked 299 places below her. out of challenges and couldn’t Wturing a fifth Formu- The Latvian world number do anything.” la One world title, Mercedes 18 crashed out in three sets Ostapenko, still only 21, team boss Toto Wolff revealed against outsider Kristina Ku- was looking to recover from a he’s living in dread of the Briton cova -- who before Monday poor China Open performance suffering a “freak” injury -- es- had not had a WTA main draw hampered by a wrist injury, but pecially to one of his fingers. in more than a year -- in the instead endured a miserable Hamilton opened a 67-point first round. evening in Hong Kong. lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Third seed Ostapenko She said her 28-year-old op- Vettel with four races left after scraped through the first set ponent had played like she had storming to victory in Japan at 7-5 before losing her way in “nothing to lose”. the weekend, but Wolff clearly the second with repeated net- “Today she was playing at a wants to wrap his star driver in ted ground strokes and Ku- very high level but of course it cotton wool for the remainder cova’s vicious backhand tip- was not the best match and I of the season. ping the scales in the Slovak’s made a lot of unforced errors.” “Absolutely freak incidents favour. Earlier, France’s number happen everywhere,” said the The match ended on a farci- two Alize Cornet swept into Austrian. “I don’t want to even cal note when a shot by Kucova the second round of the Hong think about him breaking a fin- was called in even though it Kong Open Monday -- helped ger!” appeared to land well beyond by a “home” crowd. Hamilton could put Vettel the baseline. An angry Ostap- The eighth seed brushed out of his misery if he wins the enko, out of challenges, then aside Israel’s Julia Glushko 6-1, next race at Austin in two weeks faced a double match point 6-2, to record her first victory and Vettel finishes lower than Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton leaves his car in the pit after his victory and quickly succumbed to go in more than a month after a second -- or if he outscores the down 7-5, 3-6, 2-6. string of first round exits in German by eight points. it done.” ping mad over the tangle with past seven races. “In tennis sometimes one Chinese tournaments. But Wolff has warned against Hamilton was cock-a-hoop af- Verstappen that sent his Fer- But Wolff wants Hamilton complacency after Vettel could ter leading a Mercedes one-two rari spinning off, Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to go full only finish sixth following an for his sixth win in seven races expressed dismay at his rival’s throttle in the remaining races. early collision with Red Bull’s and fourth in a row. nose-diving form. “We like the pressure and em- Max Verstappen. It was also his 71st Formula “In terms of Sebastian’s per- brace it,” he said. “It’s important Australia face tough task “It’s important to stay con- One victory and 50th for the formance, I definitely hadn’t to re-invent yourself as a team centrated,” insisted Wolff. “You Silver Arrows. anticipated that they would tail and set new objectives.” either have the trophy in your Standing over his car, the Brit- off as they have,” he said, after Vettel, beaten by the two after Sohail hits ton hands or you don’t -- and we on said: “Austin is usually a good Vettel’s fading title hopes were Mercedes in Russia a week ear- haven’t got it in our hands.” track for us, so I can’t wait to all but extinguished. lier, tried to put a positive spin AFP | Dubai “A bad result suddenly wipes unleash this beast there.” “I don’t really have an answer on a disastrous Japan race. off a large chunk of your points,” for that, it’s not something I’ve “It’s not been an easy couple ustralia’s openers survived he added. Vettel slump really focused on -- I’m sure of weeks,” he said. “But the spir- Aa torrid 13 over spell to “It doesn’t look likely, but this Hamilton will back himself to Sebastian could tell why.” it in the team is unbroken. finish on 30 without loss after is motor racing. It’s a sport, an- claim a 10th victory of the sea- A rampant Hamilton has “You walk in the garage and Haris Sohail’s maiden century ything could happen. I don’t son in the United States, where scored 168 out of a possible 175 the guys are all fired up, so that guided Pakistan to 482 on the want to dwell too much about he has won every race but one points since the British Grand has certainly helped. We have second day of the first Test in it because it’s bad karma too, since 2012. Prix in July -- a 75-point swing nothing to lose now and we will Dubai yesterday. so let’s just go to Austin and get But as Vettel was left hop - over a misfiring Vettel in the give it everything we can.” Usman Khawaja was un - beaten on 17 and debutant Aaron Finch was 13 not out as Australia negotiated some tight spin bowling from Pa- Bale, De Bruyne in Ballon d’Or list kistan on a pitch which has started to show signs of turn. AFP | Paris Pakistan unleashed four overs from leg-spinner Yasir eal Madrid and Wales First 15 nominees (of 30) for Ballon d’Or Shah and a combined three Rforward Gareth Bale from off-spinners Mohammad and Manchester City’s 1. Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City) Hafeez and Bilal Asif, but both Belgium midfield- 2. Alisson Becker (Brazil, Liverpool) Australian openers looked as- er Kevin De Bruyne 3. Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid) sured. were among the first 4. Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid) Australia trail Pakistan by Haris Sohai in action 15 nominees for the 5. Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, Paris St Germain) 452 runs with all ten wickets Ballon d’Or award 6. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Real Madrid) intact, but they face a big battle announced yester- 7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus) ahead of them with Yasir ex- SCOREBOARD day. 8. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium, Manchester City) pected to pose the main threat. Bale, who 9. Roberto Firmino (Brazil, Liverpool) A sparkling hundred from Australia 30 for 0 (Khawaja scored two goals 10. Diego Godin (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid) left-hander Sohail and a pol- 17*, Finch 13*) trail Pakistan in Real’s triumph 11. Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid) ished 80 from Asad Shafiq in the final of the Champi- 12. Eden Hazard (England, Chelsea) enabled Pakistan to build on 482 (Hafeez 126, Haris 110, ons League against Liverpool, 13. Isco (Spain, Real Madrid an overnight score of 255 for Shafiq 80, Siddle 3-58) by joins his club teammate Karim 14. Harry Kane (England, Tottenham Hotspur) 3, with nightwatchman Mo- 452 runs Benzema among the first wave 15. N’Golo Kante (France, Chelsea) hammad Abbas (one) the only of 30 nominees for the year’s wicket to fall in the morning ures though, hitting a six off best player. session. spinner Jon Holland before De Bruyne was nominated Cup winner with France and Eu- Real Madrid midfielder Isco, Sohail’s patient six-hour cutting him to third man for for helping his club win the ropa League champion at Atletico Liverpool’s Brazilian Roberto knock featured eight fours and two to complete his century. Premier League and his country Madrid, is nominated alongside Firmino and Uruguay’s rugged two sixes, as he added 150 for He was finally dismissed by reach the World Cup semi-finals. international teammate and defender Diego Godin of Atletico the fifth wicket with Shafiq Nathan Lyon, caught behind The winner of the prestigious Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. Madrid also got the nod. who was unlucky to miss out as he tried to cut the off-spin- award organised by France Foot- Eden Hazard gives Chelsea an- For the first time, a Ballon d’Or on his 10th century. ner, having easily surpassed ball magazine will be announced other player in the running after for women players will be award- The pair frustrated the Aus- his previous best of 76 made on December 3. starring alongside De Bruyne at ed this year, with the nominees to tralian attack with some solid against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi Having lost out in the FIFA best the World Cup, with England’s be announced later. batting as Pakistan reached last year. player of the year award to Luka Golden Boot winner Harry Kane In another first, the best un- 329-4 at lunch, with both in Sohail was pleased to go on Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo takes also included. der-21 player will receive the sight of centuries. and post a big score after regu- his place among the 30 nominees Manchester City forward Ser- Kopa Trophy.