14 Wednesday, July 3, 2019 Sports Wimbledon: Day Two Flag kick Barty, Kerber Madagascar president charters plane for cruise into Africa Cup fans 2nd round MADAGASCAN President An- dry Rajoelina has chartered a AFP 480-seater plane to take football LONDON fans to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations after the country EIGHT-TIME Wimbledon unexpectedly qualified for the champion Roger Federer over- round of 16. came a first set scare to reach Excitement has been building in the second round on Tuesday the Indian Ocean island nation beating South African debutant as the team emerged on top of Lloyd Harris 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. group B after beating three-time Federer, took time to get tournament winners Nigeria 2-0. going and was helped by his op- There are no direct commercial ponent suffering a calf problem flights from Madagascar to Egypt. midway through the match. “Barea”, who take their nick- “I struggled early on, my name from a breed of local cat- legs were frozen and the ball tle, will play Democratic Republic was not going where I wanted it Federer of Congo or South Africa on Sun- to,” said Federer. day. “After hearing the demands “He was hitting big and of supporters, President Andry things were going quickly. I was Rajoelina and the Madagascan nervous for a set and a half. So state have decided to mobilise it took a good effort from me. an Airbus 380, with Lloyd played a good match.” ends debutant 480 seats, to transport sup- Two-time French Open porters,” Rinah Rakotomanga, champion Dominic Thiem’s communications chief for the lack of ease on grass being ex- presidency, said.(AFP) posed by veteran American serve and volleyer Sam Querrey. Harris’ flutter Rabiot ready for a Querrey, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2017, prevailed fresh start after 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-0. sealing Juve move “There’s still things which are not easy,” said Thiem. FRENCH midfielder Adrien Rabiot “I mean, last year and this in opener is ready to put a difficult six year together I played four grass months behind him and move court matches, which is not a lot on having completed a switch to at all. All the clay court season it Roger Federer in action during his 1st round match against South Africa’s debutant Lloyd George Harris (inset) at the All England Club in London on Tuesday. (REUTERS) Serie A champions Juventus. takes a lot out of me,” added the “The last few months were com- 25-year-old Austrian. very tough and it took a little tant for me to be strong on my plicated for me on a personal Women’s World No. 1 time to get used to the court,” RESULTS: ROUND ONE serve,” she said. and sporting level,” he told reporters at his media presenta- Ashleigh Barty and defending said Barty. “It definitely took MEN: Sam Querrey (USA) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT x5) Cecchinato (ITA) 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5); Matteo Berrettini 6-4; Barbora Zahlavova (CZE) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR Barty may have not been champion Angelique Kerber some time to adjust.” 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-0; Gilles Simon (FRA (ITA x17) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 x32) 6-3, 6-2; Elise Mertens (BEL x21) bt Fiona Ferro nervous but Kerber, who came tion on Tuesday. “But today, I am avoided the fate of second seed Barty, who is bidding to x20) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-2; (7/3); Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Brayden Schnur (FRA) 6-2, 6-0; Monica Niculescu (ROU) bt Andrea into the tournament on the ready to leave it all behind to Naomi Osaka and came through become the first woman since Dan Evans (GBR) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, (CAN) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Petkovic (GER) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Tamara Zidansek (SLO) bt back of being the beaten final- begin this new adventure.” 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x18) bt WOMEN: Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Saisai Zheng (CHN) Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) 6-3, 5-7, 8-6; Wang Qiang their first round clashes safely. Serena Williams in 2015 to James Ward (GBR) 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6; Jo-Wilfried 6-4, 6-2; Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Svetlana (CHN x15) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-2, 6-2; Sloane ist at Eastbourne last Saturday, The 24-year-old Rabiot was Barty beat China’s Zheng win both the French Open and Tsonga (FRA) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4; Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Harriet Dart (GBR) bt Stephens (USA x9) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-2, 6-4; confessed to being so before she frozen out at former club Paris Saisai 6-4, 6-2 while Kerber, the Wimbledon in the same season, Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 7-6 Christina McHale (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Kaia Kanepi (EST) Wang Yafan (CHN) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-2, 7-5; walked out onto Centre Court. Saint-Germain after negotia- fourth seed, beat fellow German drew on the film The Lion King (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 0-6, 6-1; Kei Nishikori (JPN bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; Belinda Bencic Katerina Siniaková (CZE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) Her game appeared to re- tions over a new contract broke x8) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; (SUI x13) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3; 2-6, 6-1, 6-1; Johanna Konta (GBR x19) bt Ana Bogdan Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-3. to describe how she felt leading Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-2, Lauren Davis (USA) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-3, 6-2; (ROU) 7-5, 6-2; Magda Linette (POL) bt Anna Kalinskaya flect that as she lost her serve on down in December. And Rabiot Whilst Barty did not have it into the match. 6-4, 6-4; Steve Johnson (USA) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) Angelique Kerber (GER x5) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, (RUS) 6-0, 7-6 (11/9); Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt several occasions but in the end revealed Juventus goalkeeper all her own way in the first set “Kind of came into it think- 6-4, 6-2, 6-3; Alex De Minaur (AUS x25) bt Marco 6-3; Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Katie Swan (GBR) 6-2, Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2. won comfortably enough. legend Gianluigi Buffon, who being pegged back to 4-4 after ing kind of like hakuna matata “This is the tournament was at PSG last year, was influ- leading 3-0 she had little trou- (Swahili for no trouble and a 23-year-old. knocked out then defending for a place in the last 32. of the year where you really ential in him choosing Turin to ble after winning the first set. title of a song in the film), just Barty plays tricky Belgian champion Garbine Muguruza “It will be an exceptional would like to play your best kick-start his career. (DPA) “The first round is always relax and go for it,” said the Alison Van Uytvanck, who last year in the second round, challenge and it will be impor- tennis,” said Kerber. ‘Thankful’ Serena scraps through unexpected dogfight Holders Cameroon REUTERS 6-2 7-5. But she put the seven- nis tracks to Williams, hav- 29 minutes, Williams had to to face Nigeria as LONDON times champion through her ing only played one previous wait until the eighth game of paces, testing the injuries that match against a top-20 player the second set to break serve SERENA Williams began her have limited the American to and never beaten someone only for the resilient Italian Ghana pinch top spot first-round clash at Wimbledon seven matches since the Aus- ranked higher than 102. to fire straight back and then in complete comfort, but ended tralian Open in January. Yet her staying power level at 5-5. AFP over Guinea-Bissau, and their it screaming in delight as she “She never gave up - it’s against the 23-times Grand After getting her nose back ISMAILIA, EGYPT path to retaining the title finally suppressed Giulia Gatto- good for me to play matches Slam singles champion, who in front, Williams brought up grew increasingly more diffi- Monticone having been dragged like this as I haven’t played too has amassed nearly $89 million match point on Gatto-Mon- DEFENDING Africa Cup of cult with a wounded Nigeria into an unlikely dogfight by the many matches this year,” said in prize money, gave the fans ticone’s serve, pumping her Nations champions Cam- now awaiting them in the next world number 161. Williams. “It’s the best I’ve felt on Centre Court a contest they fists furiously before wrapping eroon will meet Nigeria in a round and hosts Egypt likely The Italian qualifier, who since February. It felt amazing could not have expected when up the encounter following a clash of continental giants in facing the winner of that tie. was making only her second to be on grass after some tough Williams took the opening five lengthy rally and rapid exchange the last 16 after Tuesday’s 0-0 Jordan Ayew struck for Grand Slam appearance at the times on clay.