MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2015 SPORTS

KAZAN: ’s Nam Yoosun competes in the women’s 400m individual medley event at the 2015 FINA World Championships. —AFP Worlds end as Sun fails to start

KAZAN: Mystery surrounded the conclusion titles not on the blocks, Paltrinieri set a seconds separating the first four. of the world championships yesterday when European record 14 minute 39.67 seconds to Rising Australian Bronte Campbell clocked Medals table ’s twice champion and favorite Sun Yang claim gold. 24.12 seconds to win the women’s 50m failed to start the men’s 1,500m freestyle final But the Italian was nearly made to pay for freestyle, adding to her 100m title. Campbell, KAZAN, Russia: World swimming championships overall medals table after the final day of competition yester- day (gold, silver, bronze, total): won by Gregorio Paltrinieri. As the Italian cel- his opening 800m as pursuing American younger sister of fourth-placed Cate, held off ebrated his first world title the sport’s govern- Connor Jaeger finished 1.53 seconds behind world and Olympic champion Ranomi China 15 10 10 35 Canada 0 4 4 8 ing body FINA said a chest complaint had with Canadian Ryan Cochrane third. Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands by 0.10 sec- United States 13 14 6 33 Denmark 0 2 2 4 caused the Sun to pull out minutes before the France continued its domination of the onds with Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom third. Russia 9 4 4 17 Ukraine 0 2 1 3 distance race, denying him the chance to men’s 50m races with Camille Lacourt retain- Japan’s defending champion pro- Australia 7 3 8 18 Mexico 0 2 0 2 Great Britain 7 1 6 14 claim his third title of the week. ing his 50m title in 24.23 seconds- duced a searing leg to take com- New Zealand 0 2 0 2 France 5 1 1 7 Spain 0 1 2 3 “I feel very sorry that I couldn’t be present the fifth fastest in history as he held off mand of the men’s 400m individual medley 3 3 8 14 Greece 0 1 2 3 for the 1500m,” Sun told reporters. “I didn’t American Matt Grevers and Australia’s Ben final, then stayed composed on the freestyle 3 3 4 10 Poland 0 1 2 3 feel good in my heart. Today I felt really Treffers. section to win in the year’s fastest time. Sweden 3 2 1 6 uncomfortable at the pool during my warm- The women’s 50m breaststroke final pro- Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu was inside world Japan 3 1 4 8 Jamaica 0 1 1 2 up and I had to give up the idea of compet- vided two shocks as Sweden’s Jennie record pace at the final turn as she just held South Africa 2 3 0 5 Croatia 0 1 0 1 ing. I feel really sorry about that. Johansson touched for gold in 30.05 seconds on to defend her title and complete the 200m Germany 2 1 4 7 Lithuania 0 1 0 1 “It happened after the warm-up as I was with Jamaica’s runner-up. Yuliya and 400m individual medley double. 1 4 2 7 Argentina 0 0 1 1 preparing for the competition. It is the first Efimova, the controversial Russian who was Hosszu clocked 4:30.39 over 400m — 0.08 North Korea 1 0 1 2 Belarus 0 0 1 1 Serbia 10 01Malaysia 0 0 1 1 time I have felt uncomfortable in competi- returning to major competition after a drugs seconds outside her Hungarian record-with Netherlands 0 9 0 9 Singapore 0 0 1 1 tion.” Sun was asked about reports that he ban, finished third. fast-finishing Maya DiRado taking silver and had an altercation with a Brazilian swimmer of Canada bronze. during training in the adjacent pool. FIRST FOUR The men’s 4x100m medley relay saw the their wake. final medal table, with 23 in total- eight gold, “I have no comment because it was a Ruta Meilutyte, the Lithuanian favourite, United States regain world bragging rights In the closing women’s 4x100m medley 10 silver and five bronze. Australia finished on morning problem,” he said. In the absence of had twice gone under 30 seconds ahead of with their quartet posting 3:29.93 to leave final, fastest qualifiers China kept up their seven golds with China and Britain locked on Sun, who won the 400m and 800m freestyle the final but finished fourth with only 0.09 Australia and defending champions France in domination to secure gold. The US topped the five each.—Reuters

Nishikori sends Cilic packing

WASHINGTON: Japan’s Kei Nishikori the next days and weeks. “In my next match avenged his loss to Marin Cilic in last year’s I will try and be more focused on my serve, US Open final, defeating the Croatian 3-6, to be more deadly.” 6-1, 6-4 Saturday to reach the ATP and WTA On the women’s side, American Sloane Washington Open final. Stephens reached her first WTA career final The 25-year-old Asian number one ral- by eliminating Australian second seed lied to oust the reigning US Open champi- Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7/4), 6-0. She will play on and advanced to Sunday’s title match for the title against Russia’s Anastasia against US eighth seed John Isner, who Pavlyuchenkova, who advanced 4-6, 6-3 fired 31 aces and saved three match points when top-seeded compatriot Ekaterina to edge American Steve Johnson 6-3, 3-6, Makarova retired with a right leg injury. 7-6 (11/9). Stephens ended her long wait in her Fifth-ranked Nishikori improved to 6-3 84th WTA tournament, having been the all-time against Cilic in their first meeting world’s highest-ranked player without a since he missed a chance to become the finals appearance at 35th, six prior semi- first Asian man to win a Grand Slam title by final losses including the 2013 Australian losing last year’s Flushing Meadows final. Open. “Finally, the long-awaited final,” “It’s great to have revenge,” Nishikori Stephens said. “I don’t know how it’s sup- said. “Today I was playing very much better posed to feel. It’s like OK, what now? Now against Cilic. It was important to play well. people can stop talking about me I’m really Hopefully I will keep it going.” happy to do it.” Isner beat Nishikori four months ago in a Cilic won the first set in 35 minutes but Miami quarter-final in their only prior meet- Nishikori roared back in the second to force ing. “Everything sort of clicked for me that a third. After double-faulting away a break day,” Isner said. “I played extremely well. in the eighth game, Nishikori broke for a 5- That was my best match of the year. I’m 4 lead and held for the triumph. “I started probably going to have to bring that again to hit a little more aggressively in the sec- tomorrow.” ond set,” Nishikori said. “I had to change Isner seeks his 11th career ATP title after mentally a little bit. The third set he came winning last week in Atlanta while Nishikori back and I had to concentrate again.” seeks his 10th career title after crowns at Isner, the 2007 and 2012 Washington Memphis and Barcelona this year. runner-up, and Johnson exchanged lone “It was a great win for me,” Nishikori said. breaks over the first two sets. In the tie- “Overall, I’m playing well, very aggressive. breaker, Johnson missed a forehand on his The last two sets I was very happy with my first match point and Isner fired the first of tennis.” four consecutive aces to save the second. Despite the defeat, eighth-ranked Cilic The drama turned when Isner charged the felt the week was a solid start on the path net and hit a backhand volley winner, then KAZAN: Slobodan Nikic of Serbia (right) looks to pass the ball during the men’s final water polo match between Croatia and Serbia on day fif- to defending his US Open crown. “Overall closed the match with a service winner. “My teen of the 16th FINA World Championships. —AFP I’m pretty satisfied with the way I was play- serve bailed me out,” Isner said. “I’m so ing,” Cilic said. “Definitely it has given me excited to be back in the final. Hopefully some vision of what I’m going to focus on it’ll be third time lucky.”—AFP Serbia sink Croatia to take world title

KAZAN: Serbia won their second world water final on Saturday. The Serbians, reigning with six unanswered goals against the Olympic polo championship as an independent nation in European champions, stormed back from an ear- title holders. an 11-4 rout of traditional rivals Croatia in the ly 2-0 deficit and turned the match on its head Full back Andrija Prlainovic led the winners with three goals and their ironclad defence, superbly marshalled by second-choice goal- keeper Branislav Mitrovic, stifled out the Pliskova stops Lepchenko Croatians at the other end. Trailing 5-2 at halftime, Croatia gave them- CALIFORNIA: Czech Karlina Pliskova stopped trailed 4-2 in the second set before winning selves a glimmer of hope by keeping the deficit upset-maker Varvara Lepchenko in the semi- three games in a row to go 5-4 up before down to three goals at the end of the third quar- finals at the Bank of The West Classic in Pliskova returned the favor by claiming the ter (7-4) but ran out of the steam in the final Stanford, California, on Saturday. next three to close the match out. eight minutes. Lepchenko had ousted top-seeded Pliskova had already assured herself of “It has been the greatest honour in my life to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark earlier in the cracking the top 10 with her strong season captain this team,” Serbia captain Zivko Gocic week, but Pliskova put an end to the Uzbek’s but took pride in Saturday’s victory that told the country’s national RTS television. run with an impressive 6-2 7-5 victory. gives her another chance at her maiden pre- “They are great characters with a big heart.” Pliskova will meet fifth-seeded German mier-level win. “I already knew I’d be in the Prlainovic was named the final’s most valuable Angelique Kerber in Sunday’s final. Kerber met top-10, so I’m even more happy I’m playing player. “We’ve made history tonight because no little resistance in dispatching Elina Svitolina the finals,” Pliskova added. “Now I know I one has won the world title so emphatically,” he 6-3 6-1. belong in the top-10.” This is Pliskova’s fourth said. “It’s been a privilege.” Fourth seed Pliskova looked to be charging trip to a final this year after losses in Sydney, It was the first time the countries had met into the final but Lepchenko put up one more Dubai and Birmingham, where she suc- in a world final in any team sport as inde- WASHINGTON: Kei Nishikori, of Japan, returns the ball against Marin Cilic of Croatia, gritty stand to test the Czech. Lepchenko cumbed to Kerber. —Reuters pendent nations since the former Yugoslavia’s at the Citi Open tennis tournament. —AP break-up. —Reuters