MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2019 16 Federer ousted from Open Rafael Nadal earns an easy straight-set win over Tomas Berdych at

Barty downs Sharapova• to fire Australia’s Open dreams KNOW WHAT Collins slays Kerber on• dream Open debut Australian sporting Marathon man history is littered Bautista• Agut with legendary advance after ending players who own Cilic challenge multiple Grand Slams, including Margaret AFP | Melbourne Court with a record Germany’s Angelique Kerber leaves the court after her defeat against Danielle 24, Roy Emerson with Collins of the US efending champion Rog- 12 and Laver with 11 scalp since completing a drugs Next up for the diminutive er Federer was stunned ban in 2017 when she rolled 22-year-old is Kvitova, who beat Dby fiery Greek Stefanos him. Winning at the end, I can’t Wozniacki in round three and Barty in the final of the warm- Tsitsipas who ended his bid for a describe it.” looked on track to carry the mo- up Sydney International this record seventh Australian Open The Swiss great denied the mentum forward. month. yesterday on a day of upsets that defeat signalled a changing of The 30th seed won the first set The two-time Wimbledon also saw second seed Angelique the guard. but then fell to pieces, eventually champion beat 17-year-old Kerber crash out. Wimbledon winner and 2016 succumbing 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-1 to The Swiss master caved in un- champion Kerber, the bookies’ “I knew I had to keep chip - match her best performance at der the energy and pressure of a favourite along with Serena Wil- ping away -- in a sense, trust the a major since being slashed in a man 17 years his junior to tumble liams after defending champion work we’ve done. I know that I terrifying attack at her home in out 6-7 (11/13), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 Caroline Wozniacki was ousted can match it with the best,” said late 2016 that left her with last- (7/5) in the last 16 on Rod Laver Switzerland’s Roger Federer gestures to the crowd after losing to Greece’s early, was no match for Collins, Barty, seeded 15. ing nerve damage in her fingers. Arena. Stefanos Tsitsipas ranked 35 in the world. World number two Kerber was quarter-finals. 20-year-old, touted among the Collins is little known after also sensationally bundled out Five-time Grand Slam winner new generation of young stars playing much of her tennis in Federer bats away ‘changing of by a woman playing the event Maria Shaparova and fifth seed as a future champion. the US college system and was for the first time, with American were others to “I’m the happiest man on making her debut in the main guard’ talk, to play humiliating the fall, but there was no such drama Earth right now, I cannot de - draw at Melbourne Park. She Wimbledon champion 6-0, 6-2 for a rampant Rafael Nadal who scribe it,” said the 14th seed, who had never won a Grand Slam AFP | Melbourne added. in under an hour. powered into the last eight with is the first Greek in history to match before this year. The long-haired Tsitsipas, The man Federer beat in last a straight sets win over Tomas reach quarter-finals of a Slam. Her next assignment is against wiss great Roger Federer seeded 14, has been touted as a year’s final, sixth seed Marin Berdych. “I’ve been idolising him unseeded Russian Anastasia Sdenied yesterday his defeat future Grand Slam champion Cilic, was also sent packing by Federer was gunning for a 21st (Federer) since the age of six. It Pavlyuchenkova, who beat Ste- to Greek young gun Stefanos and Federer had nothing but Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, Grand Slam title but had a battle was a dream come true for me phens 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 in a late Tsitsipas signalled a changing praise, saying he saw similari- who now plays Tsitsipas in the on his hands from off against the just being on Rod Laver facing night epic. of the guard as he announced ties to himself. he will play the French Open “He has a one-handed back- Chipping away this year for the first time since hand and I used to have long Men’s second seed Nadal, re- 2015. hair, too,” said the world num- turning from foot surgery, bar- But Federer, the defending ber three. relled past former world number champion, played down sug- “Yeah, so maybe a little bit, four Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 gestions it was the beginning sure. He has more of a conti- (7/4) as he stays on track for an of the end for a man who has nental grip than players nowa- 18th Grand Slam title. dominated the sport for so days. That’s a bit more my way “I always say the same when long. than, let’s say, Rafa’s way. I am back for injury,” said the “I’ve heard that story the last “I see him definitely being Spaniard. “I don’t expect nega- 10 years. From that standpoint, high up in the game for a long tive or positive things. I just try nothing new there,” he said. time. That was a good night for to do my work every day and just And in a signal that he is hun- him tonight.” be with (the) right attitude every gry for more, the 37-year-old Federer conceded he had single day.” said he planned to play on clay “massive regrets” about losing He will play world number again this year for the first time and said he didn’t win because 39 Frances Tiafoe for a place in since 2015. he struggled to convert his 12 the semi-finals after the young “It’s a bit of a desire. I’m in a break points, making none of American celebrated his 21st phase where I want to have fun them count. birthday by grinding down Grig- and I’ve missed not doing it,” he “I have massive regrets, you or Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 told reporters of French Open. know, tonight. I might not look (1/7), 7-5. He missed Roland Garros the part, but I am. I felt like I Hometown hero Ashleigh Bar- in 2016 with an injury and have to win the second set,” ty also made the last eight after skipped the clay season last he said. muscling past Sharapova and two years. “I don’t care how I do it, but I will next meet Petra Kvitova. “I don’t feel it is necessary have to do it. Cost me the game Spain’s Rafael Nadal hits a return against Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych Sharapova claimed her biggest to have a big break again,” he tonight. Shoot-out sees Vietnam beat Jordan, reach Asian Cup quarters

AFP | Dubai cause of their disciplinary re- as the ball bent around the wall cord after they finished with an and flew into the top corner. ietnam emerged victorious identical points and goals record However, the goal stung Viet- Vfrom a penalty shoot out to Lebanon. nam into action and they near- with Jordan to become the first However, the Southeast Asian ly hit back when Hung Dung’s team to reach the Asian Cup champions came back from a dipping shot was tipped over by quarter-finals yesterday -- after goal down to force extra time, Jordan goalkeeper Amer Shafi. being the last side to scrape into and they were on balance the Vietnam, who won Southeast the round of 16. stronger and more positive team Asia’s Suzuki Cup in Decem - After extra-time finished at 1-1, over the 120 minutes. ber, levelled six minutes after BT Dung rolled in the decisive Vital Borkelmans’ Jordan the break, when Cong Phuong spot-kick for a 4-2 penalties win came into the game as the form showed great technique to and saluted the crowd after Baha side and they spurned a num- steer home a volley from close Faisal and Ahmed Samir had ber of chances before opening range. missed for Jordan. the scoring six minutes from On the hour-mark, Van Duc The dramatic win upset the half-time. nearly snatched it for the Viet- odds after Jordan were the first Baha Abdel-Rahman, taking a namese but his dink over Shafi to qualify for the knockouts, and free kick from the right edge of was hacked off the line by Anas Vietnam only went through be- the penalty area, hit it just right Bani-Yaseen. Bui Tien Dung converts the winning penalty for Vietnam