18 MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 sports Thiem enters quarters

vourite surface, displayed an first serve. impressive arsenal of weapons In the third set, however, Ni- • in the first two sets before re- shikori stayed in touch as he bagged with an ace in gaining his composure after the served better and finished off under half an hour loss of the third. points at the net, which unset- Japanese 19th seed Nishikori, tled Thiem who grew frustrated. In the first two sets, on the comeback trail after he 07 Nishikori seized his first break is the current ATP world Thiem• won 25 of 25 ended his 2017 season in mid- opportunity at 6-5 to take the year because of injury, seemed to ranking of Austria’s set when Thiem’s forehand flew points on his first serve lose interest in the match in the Dominic Thiem long. The Austrian, who ended second set but eventually man- 10-times French Open champion Reuters | Paris aged to put up a decent fight. Nadal’s streak of 50 consecu- “The first two sets were amaz- tive sets won on clay in Madrid, ominic Thiem ended Kei ing but then he raised his level broke decisively for 4-3 in the Nishikori’s comeback to and it was 50-50. In the end it bagged with an ace in under half fourth set with a trademark fore- Dreach the quarter-finals was very close and I was a bit an hour. hand winner. of the French Open with a 6-2 nervous in the end as it is always It got even worse for Nishikori He then held serve through- 6-0 5-7 6-4 victory on Sunday hard to serve to reach the quar- in the second set as Thiem toyed out to wrap it up on his second and set up a mouthwatering ter-finals of the French Open,” Dominic Thiem in action with him, notably with a stun- match point when Nishikori sent clash with second seed Alexan- said Thiem, a semi-finalist here ning drop-shot service return, a forehand long under the eyes der Zverev. in 2016 and 2017. and the Japanese could manage of Nadal. The Austrian seventh seed, “I love these conditions; it was against Rafa so I could enjoy the and speed for Nishikori, who only nine points in the set. German Zverev is expected to the last man to beat claycourt the first time for me on Court court”, he joked. was overwhelmed in the open- In the first two sets, the Aus- provide a much tougher chal- machine Rafa Nadal on his fa- Philippe Chatrier not playing Thiem had too much power ing set, which the Austrian trian won 25 of 25 points on his lenge in the last eight, however.

England complete rout of Putintseva enters Paris quarters Pakistan inside three days Putintseva to face round performance. • Englad win by an In the morning, man-of-the- 13th seed Madison • match Jos Buttler finished un- Keys in quarter-finals innings and 55 runs beaten on 80 as England ex- KNOW WHAT tended their overnight total to Stuart Broad and 363, a lead of 189 runs, before Reuters | Paris Dominic• Bess both Pakistan were bowled out for take three wickets 134 in their second innings. azakh youngster Yulia Kazakh youngster Stuart Broad and Dominic KPutintseva continued her Yulia Putintseva has Bess both took three wickets impressive run at the French matched her best Reuters | Headingley and captain Root admitted his Open as she beat 26th seed performance at Roland side had been determined to Czech Barbora Strycova 6-4 6-3 Garros by reaching the ngland bounced back from bounce back after their first- in the fourth round yesterday. quarter-finals for the Etheir first test humiliation test debacle. World number 98 Putintse- first time since 2016 to rout Pakistan by an innings “A few of the guys stood up va showed off her wide range and 55 runs in the second test with a point to prove,” he said. of shot-making skills to break at Headingley yesterday and “The senior bowlers set the Strycova twice in the early ex- square the two-match series tone and as a group it was re- changes before serving out the 1-1. ally good. “It swung first day, opening set in 52 minutes. The victory halfway through then seam came into it and Strycova, who was making her the third day was as compre- there was also a bit of spin. It first fourth-round appearance Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in action “It was a fourth-round match hensive as Pakistan’s triumph made for really good cricket.” in Paris, struggled to find her and everyone is play good now. had been at Lord’s, with Eng- Buttler put down a marker rhythm and continued to spray You just have to fight for every land looking a completely dif- for the day, smashing price- the court with unforced errors lenge from Strycova and wrap matched her best performance point.” ferent team from the one who less runs as England added a as Putintseva raced to a 4-1 lead up the victory on Court Su - at Roland Garros by reaching Up next for Putintseva is had subsided to a nine-wicket creditable 61 to their overnight in the second set. zanne-Lenglen. the quarter-finals for the first U.S. Open runner-up and 13th defeat. total to leave Pakistan with a The 23-year-old dropped her Putintseva, who also defeated time since 2016. seed Madison Keys, who is yet Joe Root’s side responded desperate survival mission in serve in the next game but did British number one Johanna “Today I was very tough men- to drop a single set over four to the heavy criticism they conditions that still offered enough to see off a late chal - Konta in the opening round, has tally,” she said after the match. matches in the tournament. received with a virtuoso all- much to the bowlers. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova renew Lorenzo first for Ducati at Mugello, Marquez out rivalry in French Open blockbuster Reuters | Scarperia, Italy

Reuters | Paris pain’s Jorge Lorenzo took Shis first win for Ducati in erena Williams will face her a home one-two for the Ital- Sold rival Maria Sharapova ian team at Mugello yesterday for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 while MotoGP leader Marc years in today’s highly-antic- KNOW WHAT Marquez crashed and failed ipated French Open fourth- to score. round match on Monday. The win ended a long Sharapova’s quarter-final drought for the three-times defeat by Williams at the 2016 Maria Sharapova’s MotoGP champion, who has quarter-final defeat was the last struggled since joining the fac- Lorenzo celebrates on the podium competitive match the Russian by Serena at the 2016 tory outfit at the start of 2017 played for 15 months after she Australian Open was Serena Williams Maria Sharapova and whose last victory was for received a doping ban while the last competitive Yamaha in Valencia at the end “Finally nobody could catch American Williams was on a match she played of 2016. me... to win here with a Ducati maternity break for most of Slam title, will open play on last month. Italian team mate Andrea is like a dream,” said Lorenzo. 2017. Court Philippe Chatrier against In the men’s draw, 10-times Dovizioso was second, with Rossi, who started on pole Williams holds a 19-2 head straight-sets victory over sixth Belgian Elise Mertens. winner Rafa Nadal will meet compatriot Valentino Rossi position, moved up to second to head advantage over twice seeded Karolina Pliskova in the Halep dropped just three German Maximilian Marterer third for Yamaha, making the place overall and is now 23 French Open champion Shara- third round. games during her only previ- for the first time in his career. 39-year-old great the first rid- points adrift of Marquez who pova, who showed signs of re- World number one Simona ous meeting with Mertens in Marin Cilic is up against wily er to score more than 5,000 has 95 points from six races. discovering her best form in a Halep, chasing a maiden Grand the second round Italian . points in the top category. Rossi is on 72.