Langer regains Kiki Bertens Senior retains her PGA lead with Nuremberg title late birdie run

SUNDAY, MAY 28, 201715 18 Raikkonen on pole for Ferrari, Vettel second Page 17

LONDON: Arsenal’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the English FA Cup final soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Wembley stadium yesterday. — AP Ramsey fires Wenger to record 7th FA Cup Arsenal deny Chelsea double

LONDON: Aaron Ramsey scored a 79th-minute head- ing in the coming days, and allowed him to salvage But there were few signs of ring-rust as the former er to earn Arsenal a stunning 2-1 win over Double- something from the most difficult season of his 21- defender produced three crucial last-ditch chasing Chelsea yesterday and deliver embattled year tenure. He is reported to have been offered a blocks to thwart Costa. Chelsea stepped things up in manager Arsene Wenger a record seventh FA Cup. two-year contract and while dissent against him has the second half, with Arsenal goalkeeper David Wenger has been barracked by his own fans and mounted this season, the stirring nature of his side’s Ospina foiling Kante and Moses and Pedro curling failed to secure Champions League qualification for win will surely have won back some of his team’s dis- narrowly wide, before Cesc Fabregas entered the fray the first time in 20 years, but he ends the season by gruntled fans. The Frenchman’s team took a fourth- in place of Nemanja Matic. But Arsenal continued to surpassing Aston Villa’s George Ramsey as the FA minute lead with a goal that will be debated long threaten on the break, Hector Bellerin working Cup’s greatest manager. Alexis Sanchez’s early opener after the final whistle. After blocking N’Golo Kante’s Courtois with a firm, low shot, and in the 68th minute for Arsenal, allowed to stand despite an apparent attempted clearance on the edge of Chelsea’s box, the momentum tilted yet further in their direction. handball, was cancelled out by Diego Costa, only for Sanchez ran through to skewer a shot past Thibaut Already booked for holding back Welbeck on the Ramsey to reply immediately with the second FA Courtois, only for an offside flag to be raised against touchline, Moses was shown a second yellow card for Cup-winning goal of his career. Ramsey. hurling himself to the ground in the Arsenal box in Arsenal, plagued by defensive selection issues, anticipation of an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain chal- claimed a third FA Cup win in four seasons and 13th Mertesacker magnificent lenge that never came. in total, making them the outright most successful Referee Anthony Taylor consulted his assistant ref- Despite going a man down, Chelsea contrived to team in the competition’s history ahead of eree before concluding, correctly, that Ramsey had equalise in the 76th minute when Costa chested Manchester United. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, who not been interfering with play, but replays showed down substitute Willian’s pass before beating Ospina had Victor Moses sent off after he received a second Sanchez had handled the ball when he charged with the aid of a slight deflection off Mertesacker. booking for diving, were thwarted in their attempt to down Kante’s clearance. Arsenal’s play brimmed with But Wenger reacted by sending on Olivier Giroud complete a and FA Cup Double for belief, Mesut Ozil forcing Gary Cahill to clear off his and within a minute of coming on for Welbeck, he the second time. It meant no glorious farewell for own line and Danny Welbeck and Ramsey hitting the crossed from the byline on the left and Ramsey departing skipper John Terry, who will bow out on same post in quick succession from a corner. The charged in to net the winner with a stooping header. 717 appearances and 17 major honors after spending absences of the suspended Laurent Koscielny, the Bellerin shot just wide and Ozil hit the post after cut- the match on the bench. injured Gabriel and the concussed Shkodran Mustafi ting inside Cesar Azpilicueta, but just as in the 2014 LONDON: Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger (2nd left) celebrates with his players on the Victory was rich vindication for Wenger, whose brought club captain into Arsenal final against Hull City, Ramsey’s goal was to prove pitch after the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea yesterday. Arsenal future is due to be decided by a board meet- back three for his first start of the season. the winner. — AFP Arsenal won the game 2-1. — AFP

Chespol stoops to conquer, Dibaba fails Exeter crowned champions EUGENE: Teenaged Kenyan star Celliphine Chespol LONDON: Exeter Chiefs were crowned Devoto. There had been precious little sign of recovered from a lost shoe to win the 3000m steeple- English rugby’s Premiership champions for Wasps’ exciting attacking game but they chase with the second fastest time in history at the the first time yesterday when veteran flyhalf eventually hit their stride with some great Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting on Friday. Gareth Steenson landed a nerveless penalty passing under pressure to send Jimmy Chespol, still just 18, stormed to victory after a thrilling three minutes from the end of extra time to Gopperth over and reduce the halftime duel with Olympic champion and world record holder beat Wasps 23-20 in an epic Twickenham deficit to 14-10. Within four minutes of the Ruth Jebet and fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech over final. Exeter, beaten in the final by Saracens restart Wasps were three points ahead as the closing laps at Eugene’s Hayward Field. last year, had led 14-3 only for Wasps to score impressive number eight Nathan Hughes 17 unanswered points and lead 20-14 mid- forced a turnover then blasted through three Chespol’s hopes of a win looked to have evaporat- way through the second half. tackles before Christian Wade’s kick bounced ed when she stumbled on the water jump on the A late Steenson penalty took the game to beautifully into the arms of Elliot Daly who penultimate lap, appearing to lose her shoe as Jebet extra time and with both teams flagging on a gleefully dived over the line. and Chepkoech pulled ahead. hot afternoon, nearly 80,000 fans were brac- A Gopperth penalty made it 20-14 to Despite stooping to adjust her footwear, the ing themselves for a drop-goal shootout Wasps as Exeter had struggled to make any teenager regained her composure and clawed back before Exeter forced a scrum penalty. impact. However, they regrouped to trim the the lost ground before producing a devastating burst It was fitting that Steenson, who has been lead to 20-17 with a Steenson penalty and of speed up the home straight to finish in 8min at the south-west club for a decade as they then, after a remarkable 34-phase attack, 58.78sec. Only the Kenyan-born Jebet of Bahrain, the climbed from second-tier also-rans to title earned another penalty with 12 minutes to world record holder with 8:52.78, has run faster. “It challengers, was the man to settle it and the go. The Chiefs opted against a virtually guar- was difficult but I try my best. I’m happy of course,” travelling fans exploded when he calmly split anteed three points and instead went for the Chespol said afterwards. the posts. It was heartbreak for Wasps, who scrum, and did the same minutes later as the Chespol’s outstanding performance was the high- had topped the standings during the regular clock ticked down and it looked like poor light of the opening night of the two-day event, season and who had not lost in their last 10 decisions when Wasps forced a turnover. which resumes Saturday with a star-studded pro- final appearances. However, with two minutes to go, they gramme. But few neutrals would begrudge Exeter were given a lifeline when Hughes was In the night’s other main race, the women’s EUGENE: Celliphine Chepteek Chespol of Ethiopia wins the 3000m Steeplechase during the 2017 their moment in the sun, particularly Rob penalised for handling in a ruck and 5000m, Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba failed in her bid to Prefontaine Classic Diamond League at Hayward Field on Friday in Eugene, Oregon. — AFP Baxter, who spent 14 years at the club as a Steenson took the game to extra time for the better the world record of 14:11.15 set by her sister “We lost time in the first 3,000metres and it was hard “I feel like I’m headed in the right direction to player and another eight as head coach. second time since the playoffs were intro- Tirunesh in 2008. to come back after that.” where I want to be. It was really important to come Exeter chairman Tony Rowe said: “Coming duced in the 2002/03 season. Dibaba, the 1,500m world champion, was racing In the long jump, 2012 Olympic champion Brittney out here and tell myself I could perform.” The women’s here last year and losing I know the pain, but The breathless finale was hardly unex- against the clock for the final five laps after leaving Reese of the United States posted a world-leading javelin meanwhile saw a victory for Belarus’s Tatsiana I’m very pleased today. “It is awesome. It was pected after both teams had clinched their the pack behind but could only finish in 14:25.22, well leap of 7.01 metres (23 feet) for victory. Reese’s jump Khaladovich, who topped a strong field which includ- done on a seven year plan so we’re actually semi-finals with last-gasp scores but looked a outside the world record, and her own personal best handed her victory over 2016 Olympic gold medallist ed 2016 Olympic gold medallist Sara Kolak of Croatia on time - but with five minutes to go I didn’t hammer blow for Wasps, who had ended the of 14:15.41 set in 2015. and compatriot Tianna Bartoletta, who could only and Czech world record holder Barbora Spotakova. think we would do it.” Exeter enjoyed the best regular season top of the standings and top of the first half and scored the first two tries. try-scorers. manage a best of 6.83m. Britain’s Lorraine Ugen was Khaladovich claimed victory with her opening Lions-bound wing Jack Nowell got the With the sun beating down and the play- DIBABA UNHAPPY WITH TIME third with a jump of 6.78m. throw of the night, a 66.30m effort which was first, breaking into space after a lineout for a ers visibly wilting, the first 10 minute half was Lilian Rengeruk was a distant second in 14:36.80 “The goal was to come out and jump seven more than a metre further than her closest rival, while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands was third. score that validated those who have ques- scoreless but Exeter upped the ante in the metres, just to see where my training and every- China’s Liu Shiying, who finished second with tioned Wasps’ defence while fullback Phil second and battered at the line relentlessly “I’m happy that I won but I’m not happy about the thing was at,” said Reese, who will be aiming to 65.21m. Kolak was third with a throw of 64.64m time,” Dibaba said through an interpreter. “The pace Dollman added the second - his first of the before finally earning a shot at goal which dethrone Bartoletta at the World Championships in while Spotakova was fourth with a best of season - after great work by centre Ollie Steenson, fittingly, slotted home. — Reuters was real slow and I’m not happy with how we started. London in August. 63.30m. — AFP