Sport SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2020 15 Quartararo Thomas grabs US Open lead fastest

AFP – NEW YORK for an eagle and closed with a Woods birdied three in a in Misano birdie at the ninth from inside row from the ninth through 11th Justin Thomas closed with a 120TH US OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP four feet. holes but made three bogeys opening 25-foot birdie putt to seize a First-round scores on Thursday. Top-ranked Dustin Johnson and a double in the last six one-stroke lead after Thurs- 65 - Justin Thomas (USA) and 15-time major winner Tiger holes. day’s first round of the 120th US 66 - Patrick Reed (USA), Matthew Wolff (USA), Thomas Pieters (BEL) Woods each opened on 73. “I needed to finish off the practice Open, while three other major 67 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Lee Westwood (ENG), Rory McIlroy (NIR) Johnson, who won the US round better,” Woods said. winners lurked within two 68 - Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP), Harris English (USA), PGA Tour Championship two Five-time major winner Phil AFP – MISANO ADRIATICO shots. Xander Schauffele (USA), Jason Kokrak (USA), Brendon Todd (USA) weeks ago, managed only two Mickelson shot 79, the 50-year- Third-ranked Thomas, the 69 - Davis Thompson (USA), John Pak (USA), Rickie Fowler (USA), Bryson birdies against a double bogey old left-hander opening birdie- Yamaha satellite team SRT 2017 PGA Championship DeChambeau (USA), Jon Rahm (ESP), Shaun Norris (RSA), Rory Sabbatini and three bogeys. birdie but following with nine was again fastest at Misano winner, fired a five-under par (SVK) Woods, chasing a fourth US bogeys and a in the first practice 65 at Winged Foot with a pack Open title at age 44, grinded all double yesterday for the Grand Prix one back on 66 including Reed, Selected: day but closed bogey-double bogey. of Emilia-Romagna, with the 2018 Masters winner who 72 - Jason Day (AUS), Bubba Watson (USA) bogey for a 73. Fabio Quartararo edging had a hole-in-one, 21-year-old 73 - Jordan Spieth (USA), Tiger Woods (USA), Justin Rose (ENG), Ryan Palmer team-mate Franco American Matthew Wolff and (USA), Dustin Johnson (USA) Morbidelli. Belgium’s Thomas Pieters. 74 - Brandon Wu (USA), Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Gary Frenchman Quar- “This is one of the better Woodland tararo was also rounds I’ve had tee to green,” 79 - Phil Mickelson, Davis Riley (USA) fastest in the Thomas said. “I was very proud opening of my patience. I got off to a practice for good start.” Thomas, who fired game.” There were no spec- 2010 British Open champion. the San the lowest US Open round ever tators to applaud any amazing Four-time major winner Marino Grand at Winged Foot, began with a shots as a coronavirus pan- McIlroy, playing his first major Prix but his birdie, took a bogey at the par-3 demic precaution, the deadly round since becoming a father time on Friday third, answered with an eight- virus having delayed the event with the birth of daughter was almost half a foot birdie at the par-4 sixth and from its usual June date and Poppy two weeks ago, made second quicker than the then reeled off three consec- sidelined Pieters until last three of his four birdies week before. utive birdies starting at the month. on par-3 holes. In the race, Morbidelli par-5 ninth before his Pieters, third in his corona- scored his maiden MotoGP impressive final putt. virus comeback, closed with an victory but Quartararo “It was a good day for me,” eight-foot birdie putt at the crashed twice and lost the Thomas said. “I’ve just played ninth. championship lead. really solidly.” Reed aced the “I kind of knocked the rust On Friday morning, 165-yard par-3 seventh and ran off and came here with a bit of Westwood, Quartararo opted to use one off three birdies in four holes confidence because I’m hitting who would be the of his sets of soft tyres to on the back nine to share the it well,” said Pieters. “Just got to oldest US Open make an early statement lead until Thomas’s last shot at put down a good score and I did winner, sank a 12-foot and outpaced riders who the famed Mamaroneck, New today.” Wolff, the 2019 US birdie putt at the ninth Justin Thomas kept them in reserve, such York, layout. college champion making his hole, his last of the day, to hits a tee shot as Valentino Rossi who was “I was just trying to hit US Open debut, reeled off three match McIlroy. on the 6th 17th on a factory Yamaha. myself a solid iron shot,” Reed consecutive birdies starting at “It was a good round of golf. hole during Andrea Dovizioso, who said of his ace. “I took a little off the par-4 11th and closed with Really solid in every aspect of the first leads the championship, it, 90%, and one-hopped it in.” five pars to share second. the game, so I’m pleased with round of the was seventh. Reed also blasted out of deep Sitting two adrift on 67 were that start,” said Westwood, who US Open at Six-time champion rough to two feet to save par at world number four Rory has 12 top-five major finishes Winged Foot Marc Marquez remains 16. McIlroy, England’s Lee without a victory, three of them Golf Club in sidelined as he recovers “It definitely was a scramble Westwood, chasing his first in US Opens. Mamaroneck, from a broken arm he suf- out there,” Reed said. “What major title at age 47, and South Oosthuizen holed out from New York, on fered in the opening race. kept me in it was the short Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the 148 yards in the second fairway Thursday.

Pole vaulter Team Sunweb rider Denmark’s Soren Kragh Andersen (second left) rides with the escapees on his way to win the 19th stage of the From King Kohli to 107th Tour de France between Bourg-en-Bresse and Champagnole, Duplantis yesterday. breaks Bubka’s Afghan spin wizard: outdoor record Five to watch in IPL AFP – ROME AFP – NEW DELHI Swedish pole vault star Armand Duplantis eclipsed The Indian Premier League starts today, five months late and shifted to Ukrainian legend Sergey the United Arab Emirates because of the coronavirus pandemic. Bubka’s 26-year mark, setting AFP Sport highlights five players to watch in the 53-day Twenty20 a outdoor new pole vault extravaganza. world record of 6.15m at the Diamond League meeting in VIRAT KOHLI (Royal Challengers Bangalore) Rome on Thursday. Captain Kohli will be key to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s hopes in Duplantis, who already the 13th edition of the tournament. holds the world indoor record Tour de France: Kragh wins The star batsman hasn’t been at his best in the T20 tournament, save of 6.18m, bettered the mark of the 2016 edition when he scored 640 runs in 16 matches to guide Ban- 6.14m achieved by Bubka in galore to a runner-up finish.But with ‘King Kohli’ backed by big guns July 1994 in Italy. Stage 19, Roglic in yellow jersey including South Africa’s AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch of Australia, Ban- The 20-year-old suc- galore will be optimistic about doing better than last year, when they ceeded on his second attempt REUTERS – CHAMPAGNOLE, finished third, both 53 seconds claim it for a record-extending finished with the wooden spoon. in a competition he dominated FRANCE behind, as Primoz Roglic eighth time. in perfect warm and windless retained the overall leader’s France’s Remi Cavagna DAVID WARNER (Sunrisers Hyderabad) conditions, but without spec- Denmark’s Soren Kragh yellow jersey. was the only early breakaway Back as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad two years after being replaced tators to celebrate in an empty Andersen claimed his second Roglic leads second- rider and the Deceuninck- over a cheating scandal, Warner is aiming for the top. Stadio Olimpico. audacious solo stage win of the placed and fellow Slovenian Quick Step rider, helped by a The explosive opener smashed 692 runs from 12 matches last year But Norwegian Karsten Tour de France yesterday with Tadej Pogacar by 57 seconds strong tailwind, opened a after being barred from the 2018 edition over the ‘Sandpapergate’ affair Warholm missed out on the a perfectly timed attack late in going into Saturday’s decisive decent gap. He was however during a Test against South Africa.But Warner’s leadership and exploits 400m hurdles world record, the 19th stage, an undulating individual time trial, which caught by the bunch 50km with the bat helped Hyderabad clinch the 2016 title, and he is looking despite winning in a blistering 166.5-km ride from Bourg en should see the Jumbo Visma from the finish and several for a repeat of that in the UAE. 47.07 seconds. Bresse to Champagnole. rider secure his maiden Tour attacks took place within the Two-time world champion The Sunweb rider, who title. Ireland’s Sam Bennett did group of 12 riders, featuring JOS BUTTLER (Rajasthan Royals) Warholm, the second fastest also won the 14th stage in Lyon a good job at keeping triple top sprinters and one-day race Buttler has formed the backbone of England’s one-day batting since 400m hurdler in history, had with an instinctive move in the world champion Peter Sagan specialists, who broke clear their World Cup triumph last year and is a key player of his IPL team, been hoping to topple Kevin finale, jumped away from a at bay, even extending his lead with 25km to go. the Rajasthan Royals. Young’s long-standing mark group of late breakaway riders in the points classification to Kragh Andersen then The wicketkeeper-batsman recently hit his T20 international best of 46.78sec which the to give his team their third 55 points from 52. accelerated away and his move of 77 not out against Australia in what seemed a perfect tune-up for the American set at the 1992 Bar- stage win this year after Marc Bennett is hoping to went unanswered. The Dane IPL.Buttler, who has a strike rate of over 150 in the IPL, plays alongside celona Olympics. Hirschi’s victory in the 12th become the first Irishman to did not look back and quickly fellow countrymen Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer for the inaugural cham- The 24-year-old outdis- stage. Slovenian Luka Mezgec win the green jersey since extended his advantage, his pions, who will be hoping to do better than last year when they finished tanced his rivals but had to took second place on Friday, Sean Kelly in 1989 while Slo- rivals then looking to prepare seventh. settle for a meet record. and Belgian Jasper Stuyven vakian Sagan is looking to for the sprint for second place. ANDRE RUSSELL (Kolkata Knight Riders) A West Indian power-hitter who has single-handedly won games Heat take 2-0 for Kolkata Knight Riders, Russell is any bowler’s nightmare. The all-rounder was the IPL’s Most ValuablValuablee NBA series lead Giannis named Player last year, with 11 wicketsets and 510 runs for Kolkata.The two-time championspions are considconsid-- AFP – MIAMI ering promoting the middle-orderrder batsman to NBA MVP: Report the number three position andd ggetet The Miami Heat turned it up in the maximum out of his attackinging the second half, rallying again play. for a 106-101 victory over the Boston Celtics and a 2-0 lead RASHID KHAN (Sunrisers in the NBA Eastern Conference Hyderabad) finals. Trailing by 17 in the second The Afghanistan spin sensationsation quarter and down 60-47 at passed 300 T20 wickets duringng the halftime, Miami thrashed the recently concluded Caribbean PPremierremier Celtics 37-17 in the third AGENCIES – MILWAUKEE The official announcement was yet to League. Rashid, 21, has plied hishis trade quarter and held on for the come. in T20 leagues across the globeobe victory. Bam Adebayo scored Giannis Antetokounmpo has won his second Antetokounmpo, 25, averaged 29.5 points, but it was his exploits for thehe 15 of his 21 points in the Heat’s consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 63 regular- IPL’s Hyderabad team thatt blistering third quarter. ESPN reported yesterday morning. season games in 2019-20. His numbers in nine grabbed the most attention. The Heat will try to take a The Milwaukee Bucks forward officially playoff games were remarkably similar: 26.7 The world’s top-ranked T20 stranglehold on the best-of- is vying with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron points, 13.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Antetok- bowler has claimed 55 seven series in game three James and Houston Rockets guard James ounmpo also was named the Defensive Player wickets in 46 IPL games and today in the NBA’s quarantine Harden for the honour. of the Year for the 2019-20 season. is handy as a lower-order bubble in Orlando. batsman. Virat Kohli Sport

SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2020 DuplantisD breaks Bubka’s outdoor record It'sI surreal, it's surreal, it's a super-crazy feeling when everything linesl up like that and you do a really good performance. There wwas kind of this confusion between the indoor and outdoor rrecord, it's kind of merged. I already had the world record but I wwanted to clear everything up and be the best outdoors. PoleP vault world record holder AArmand Duplantis Sport | 15

TOUR DE FRANCE: OVERALL LEADER - Primož Roglic (Slovenia) 83:29:41, STAGE 18 WINNER: Søren Kragh (Denmark) 3:36:33

Wolves storm into Round of 16 with dominant win maintain spot in FIFA Brilliant Bounedjah shines rankings THE PENINSULA –

Qatar has maintained its 55th as Al Sadd crush Al Ain 4-0 spot in latest FIFA rankings. Al Annabi have a tally of – DOHA THE PENINSULA Al Sadd's Baghdad 1396 points compared to 1413 Bounedjah celebrates after points for Cameroon who are A brace from Algerian scoring scoring his second goal ranked 54. machine against Al Ain during the The Finnish team is in (26', 70') and goals from Akram AFC Champions League 56th place with 1390 points. Afif (56') and Rodrigo Tabata Group D match played At the Asian level, the (86') sealed a dominant 4-0 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Qatari team ranked fifth in win for Al Sadd against UAE's Stadium, yesterday. Asia. The Japanese team is Al Ain as the Wolves stormed ranked at the top of the Asian into the 2020 AFC Champions teams. Japan are ranked 28th League Round of 16 yesterday. in the world with 1500 points. The crushing win at the Iran are second in Asia and 30th in the world. also meant that Al Sadd's Among Arab teams, Qatar Group D opponents are elim- lead the group, followed by inated from the continental Saudi Arabia (66), Iraq (70), tournament. the UAE (71), Syria (79), Oman The two teams shared six (82), Lebanon (90) and Jordan goals equally the last time they (92). met three days ago, with Bounedjah, and 2019 AFC Player of the Year getting on the scoresheet for Al Sadd, while Kodjo Laba and Bauyrzhan Islamkhan got on the scoresheet for Al Ain supple- mented by an own goal from . left to pick the ball out of the me is the team, andnd I pprpromiserommiisse Al Sadd's coach Hern- net. everyone that I willillll ggiveiivve aallll I andex was over the moon after Laba almost cut the deficit can in every game,”” Bounedjah,BBouunneddjah, yesterday's win at their home in half when he danced and the Man of the Match,tcch, ssasaid.idd. ground. dribbled his way through a The result leavesavvees AlA AAiniinn "We are very happy with forest of defenders before on one point fromfroom ffofourouurr this win. It was a big per- lashing a ball with his left foot, games, with no mathematicalathheemmaattiicaal formance from us. Everything but Al Sheeb managed the chance of catchingngng uupp wwiwithithth was perfect. We created more slightest of touches to deflect second place thus bbebeingeiinng eleelim-limim- chances compared to the last it onto the crossbar and away inated early, whileile All SSaddaddd game, and we were more from danger. have temporarilyy rregainedeggaiainened Akram Afif effective. This is an important Bounedjah added his top spot in Group D anandd hahaveavvee celebrates after win, but we need to keep second of the game for the YESTERDAY’S RESULTS booked their ticketckket ttoo tthehhee scoring Al Sadd's going," Xavi said. former QNB Stars League next round. second goal. “Everyone did a good job champions when he latched GROUP C Elsewhere, at thtthehe EdEEduca-ducuca- today; they were focused on onto a cross from the excep- Sharjah (UAE) 4-2 Al Duhail SC (QAT) tion City Stadium,, A six-goalsixix-ggoaoal our organisation and game tionally experienced Cazorla Al Taawoun FC (KSA) 0-1 Persepolis FC (IRN) thriller saw Sharjahahh FFCC ddedefeatfeeaat model. and hammered in his third Qatari champions Al Duhail SC "We created more chances goal of the campaign 20 GROUP D 4-2 in Group C. compared to the last game, minutes from time. Al Sadd SC (QAT) 4-0 Al Ain FC (UAE) Abdullah Al Ahrak (12') and QFA President participates and we were more effective,” Recently re-signed Rodrigo Al Nassr (KSA) 2-0 Sepahan FC (IRN) Almoez Ali (70 ') scored for the the Barca great added. Tabata came on as a substitute hosts while goals from Majed Bounedjah opened the late in the second half and Surour (62', Caio 90+ 1 ' , Igor Coro- in 70th FIFA Congress scoring just before the half made his mark on proceedings Meanwhile, the star of the nado (75 ') and Khaled Bawazir QNA – DOHA hour mark after receiving a when he left a defender day, Bounedjah said: “Congrat- (18') secured the win for Sharjah. identify a wide range of issues magnificently weighted trailing before placing a shot ulations to everyone the win. The result means Sha- related to measures that would chipped pass from Afif that put in the roof of Eissa’s net with We came into the game with a riah get their first win in the President of the Qatar Football help football adapt to the global him clear on goal - the his left foot to finish the game lot of focus and controlled the AFC Champions League since Association (QFA), Sheikh coronavirus situation. The Algerian made no mistake as off. game completely. We wasted a 2004, moving up to four points, Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed meeting also included dis- he placed the shot to Eissa’s "I’m the happiest person for few chances in the first half, keeping them in the competi- Al Thani, participated in the 70th cussion of the Congress agenda left. Tabata. Yesterday, I told the but in the second half, we tion, while Al Duhail freeze at FIFA Congress which was with the FIFA Annual Report The 2011 AFC Champions players that he’s an example for increased our focus and got the six points. conducted via video confer- 2019, the revised budget for League winners’ lead was them. He’s almost 40, but it’s 4-0 win.” In other matches yesterday, encing. 2019-2022, the detailed budget The QFA President was for 2021, proposed amendments doubled on the stroke of the not an accident that he scored. “The next game against Al Saudi side Al Nassr beat Iran's joined by Hani Ballan, member to the statute, and the regula- hour when Bounedjah bombed He is special, he has a big heart Nassr will be tougher and we Sepahan 2-0 at the Al Sadd of the QFA Executive Committee tions governing the application down the right flank and and everybody loves him. He is must prepare well for it. Stadium while Iran's Persep- and General Secretary of QFA, of the statute of Congress in placed a low through ball to a big, big example for all of us, Whether I score doesn’t matter olis defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Mansoor Al Ansari. addition to the ratification of the Afif, the latter stretched to the players and the technical to me, all that I try to do is to Taawoun 1-0 at the Education The FIFA Council met to minutes of the 69th Congress. meet it and the UAE side were staff," Xavi said after the win. help the team. What matters to City Stadium to top Group C.

ITALIAN OPEN RESULTS

Djokovic fights his way into Rome quarters Men: Third Round Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 7-6 AFP – ROME into the quarter-finals yesterday. Top seed Halep (9/7), 6-3 rallied from 3-0 down in the first set to see off Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) World number one Novak Djokovic won a battle Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in a 7-5, 6-4 victory 6-4, 6-0 with fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic to advance to the that took one hour and 28 minutes. Matteo Berrettini (ITA x4) bt Stefano Travaglia quarter-finals of the Italian Open yesterday. The two-time Rome finalist next meets Yulia (ITA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1) The 33-year-old came through 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 and Putintseva, who battled back from 6-4, 5-2 down Casper Ruud (NOR) bt Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) next plays either Italian Lorenzo Musetti or Ger- to see off fellow Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the 10th Denis Shapovalov (CAN x12) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-7 many’s Dominik Koepfer, who both came through seed, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2. (5/7), 6-1, 6-4 the qualifying rounds. World number four Pliskova dominated 65th- The top seed is warming up on clay at the Foro ranked Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-3 in their third round Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x15) bt Jannik Sinner (ITA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Italico in Rome for the French Open in 10 days time, match. Diego Schwartzman (ARG x8) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 a tournament the 17-time Grand Slam winner The former world number one, who next meets Serbia’s Novak Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-1, 6-3 claimed in 2016. 11th seed Elise Mertens after she got past Danta Djokovic in action Djokovic -- unbeaten this season before being Kovinic 6-4, 6-4. during his ATP Masters Women: Third Round disqualified from the US Open -- double faulted on Ninth seed Garbine Muguruza advanced to her 1000 - Italian Open the first of his three set points in the first-set tiebreak sixth quarter-final this year with a straight-sets win third round match Simona Halep (ROM x1) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 7-5, 6-4 but a quick break in the second put him through in over last year's Rome finalist Johanna Konta. against compatriot Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x10) 4-6, a tournament he has won four times. Muguruza prevailed 6-4, 6-1 against seventh- Filip Krajinovic in 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 On women's side, Simona Halep and defending seeded Konta to reach the last eight in Rome for the Foro Italico, Rome, Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-6 abandon women's champion Karolina Pliskova both eased third time. yesterday. Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x9) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x7) 6-4, 6-1