WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019 16

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech to retire at Ominous Serena, Djokovic end of season AFP | London

rsenal goalkeeper Petr ACech announced yes- terday that he will retire at the end of the season. make Open statements The 36-year-old, who won four Premier League titles with Chelsea, revealed Alexander Zverev hits ‘perfection’ as he cruises into Australian Open second round his decision on Twitter. He wrote: “This is my cruised past Aljaz Bedene 6-4, 20th season as a profes - Veteran Venus 6-1, 6-4. sional player and it is 20 • years since I signed my first battles back to reach Escape act professional contract, so it second round But eighth seed Kei Nishikori, feels like the right time to who won in Brisbane last week, announce that I will retire Osaka beats the had a lucky escape. at the end of this season.” bugs• to power into The Japanese star looked The Czech, who down and out against little arrived in the Pre- second round known qualifier Kamil Ma - mier League with jchrzak, losing the first two Chelsea in 2004 and Nishikori survives sets before the Pole began badly moved to Arsenal in massive• scare after cramping. 2015, added: “Having qualifier wilts in heat He bravely fought on played 15 years before calling it a day in the Premier after winning just League and AFP | Melbourne two of the next 17 won every games. single tro- focused Serena Williams Elsewhere, 2014 phy pos - sent an ominous Austral- champion Stan Waw- sible, I feel Aian Open warning with a rinka benefited from like I have 49-minute first-round demoli- an opponent pulling achieved tion yesterday as world number out, with Ernests Gul- everything one Novak Djokovic destroyed bis calling it quits af- I set out to his opponent as he targets a re- ter hurting his back achieve. cord seventh title. in the second set. “I will The American giant is bidding Among the wom- continue to to match Margaret Court’s re- en, sixth seed Elina work hard cord of 24 Grand Slam crowns Svitolina easily pro- at Arsenal on her first return to Melbourne gressed, as did Wil - to hopefully Park since winning in 2017 while Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a return against Mitchell Krueger of the US liams’ sister Venus, who win one more eight weeks pregnant. incredibly played her first trophy this sea- Now 37, she kept a low profile ting out of the blistering Mel- bourne Park crown, few are the US Open final to Naomi Osa- Grand Slam tournament son, then I am in the lead-up to the opening bourne heat and said it was good betting against Williams de - ka in September. 22 years ago. looking forward major of the year and came out to be back. spite her lowly seeding and she Japan’s Osaka, seeded four, Seventh seed Karolina Petr to seeing what life of the blocks flying against fel- “The last time I was here I next faces Canadian Eugenie begins her campaign in the Pliskova, who has made Cech holds for me off the low mum Tatjana Maria, pum- was pregnant and playing at the Bouchard who eased past Chi- night match on Rod Laver Arena the quarter-finals in her pitch.” melling her German opponent same time which is insane,” she na’s Peng Shuai. against Poland’s Magda Linette. last two appearances at Cech joined Arse- 6-0, 6-2. said. “It’s weird walking back on Williams played at the mixed Fourth seed Alexander Zverev, Melbourne Park, also went nal in 2015 and has Sporting a striking jade green -– by myself this time -– it feels teams Hopman Cup in Perth who is looking to win his first through, but 10th seed Dar- made 129 appearances jumpsuit and fine mesh stock- good. I have so many memories this month, but her appearance Slam title and establish him - ya Kasatkina slumped out for the Gunners after ings on Rod Laver Arena, the from last time I was here.” yesterday was her first outing on self as a serious threat to Djok- to Switzerland’s Timea winning multiple tro- 16th seed wasted no time in get- Bidding for an eighth Mel - tour since a meltdown in losing ovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal, Bacsinszky. phies at rivals Chelsea.

Viviani wins opening Tour Down Under stage in brutal heat Dhoni, Kohli steer India to win over Australia Australia India gain series- A. Carey c Dhawan b Shami 18 • A. Finch b Kumar 6 levelling win against U. Khawaja run out (Jadeja) 21 Australia forcing the S. Marsh c Jadeja b Kumar 131 series into decider P. Handscomb st Dhoni b Jadeja 20 M. Stoinis c Dhoni b Shami 29 G. Maxwell c Karthik b Kumar 48 AFP | Adelaide, Australia J. Richardson c Dhawan b Shami 2 N. Lyon 12 P. Siddle c Kohli b Kumar 0 eteran wicketkeeper J. Behrendorff not out 1 VMahendra Singh Dhoni Extras (lb4, w6) 10 steered India to a six- Total (9 ; 50 overs) 298 Italian Elia Viviani of Deceuninck - Quick-Step celebrates after winning the victory over Australia in the India first stage of the ‘Tour Down Under’ cycling race second one-day international R. Sharma c Handscomb b Stoinis 43 to level the series in Adelaide S. Dhawan c Khawaja b Behrendorff 32 AFP | Adelaide, Australia “When you start the World yesterday. V. Kohli c Maxwell b Richardson 104 Tour season with the stage win Former skipper Dhoni, play- A. Rayudu c Stoinis b Maxwell 24 taly’s Elia Viviani won a tight and the leader’s jersey here in ing in his 334th ODI, cooly guid- M.S. Dhoni not out 55 Ifinish to take the opening Tour Down Under, it’s the best ed India across the line with D. Karthik not out 25 stage of Australia’s Tour Down way,” said Viviani. four balls to spare to back up a Extras (lb9, w7) 16 Under in brutal temperatures “Now we know we’ve done dazzling century from Total (4 wickets; 49.2 overs) 299 India’s plays a shot in Adelaide yesterday. a good job during the winter Virat Kohli. Deceuninck–Quick-Step’s -- that’s the question we’ve India successfully chased The three-match series now knock of 104 off 112 balls, it was India were sailing along be- Viviani, the omnium gold med- already answered.” down a target of 299 runs set goes to a decider in Melbourne 37-year-old Dhoni who took fore Sydney centurion Rohit allist at the 2016 Rio Olympics Viviani comes into the Tour by Australia who scored 298 for on Friday after Australia won charge to pilot his side home Sharma on 43 top-edged Marcus and one of the world’s lead- Down Under on the back of a nine with Shaun Marsh scoring the opening game in Sydney by with support from Karthik with Stoinis to deep forward square ing sprinters, powered out of successful 2018 season. 131 off 123 balls. 34 runs. an unbeaten 25. where Peter Handscomb, look- the pack to reel in Germany’s The Italian won 18 races, “Tonight was an MS (Dho- Dhoni was physically strug- ing into the setting sun, took a Max Walscheid and claim the including stage 3 at Tour Down ni) classic,” man-of-the-match gling in the hot conditions and safe catch to break up a dan - ochre jersey after the first of Under, overall classification at Kohli said. “He takes the game needed treatment from the team gerous 54-run partnership with six stages. Dubai Tour, four stages at Giro till the end, when only he knows physio to finish his match-win- Kohli. Walscheid of Team Sunweb d’Italia, Hamburg Cyclassics what’s going on in his mind, and ning knock and keep India alive Ambati Rayudu was the third finished second across the line race and three stages at Vuelta he backs himself to hit those big in the series. wicket to fall caught at deep ahead of another Italian in the a Espana. shots at the end. India lost four wickets in their mid-wicket by Stonis off Max- CCC Team, Jakub Mareczko. The riders braved tempera- 39 “And hats off to Dinesh chase after Australia’s total. well for 24. It was a reversal of fortunes tures hovering above 40 Cel- ODI centauries have (Karthik) too, he came in and hit out be- Kohli was annoyed to get out for Viviani, 29, who crashed on sius (104 Fahrenheit) in the been scored by Virat took the pressure off him.” fore he was snapped up by Us- with the job unfinished and six the final lap of Sunday’s Down opening 129-kilometre (80- Kohli When Kohli holed out man Khawaja at mid-wicket off overs left but Dhoni used his Under Classic criterium lead- mile) stage from North Ade- to Glenn Maxwell at deep for 32 from vast experience to get his team ing into the tour. laide to Port Adelaide. mid-wicket to end his stellar 28 balls in the eighth over. safely home.