SPORT SPORT | 14 SPORT | 15 US Open: Serena Belgian rider advances to Van Aert wins last 32, Murray wind-blown Tour crashes out de France stage SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2020 Messi staying at 'club of his life' to avoid court fight AFPAFP – MADRIDMADRID said that at the end of the season I could the only way to leave was to pay the “It wasn’t because of the Champions decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted 700-million-euro release clause. League result against Bayern, I had been Lionel Messi said yesterdayyesterday he will stay to stay and in the end he didn’t end up “This is impossible, and then the thinking about it for a long time. I told at Barcelona, insisting he couldco never keeping his word,” Messi said in an other way was to go to trial. I would the President and the President always go to court against “the clubc of his interview with Goal, released never go to court against Barca said that at the end of the season I could life”. yesterday. because it is the club that I love, that decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted But he launched a stinging “I thought and we were sure that I gave me everything since I arrived, it to stay and in the end he did not end up attack on Barca {resident was free. The president always said that is the club of my life, I have made my keeping his word.” Josep Maria Bartomeu,Ba at the end of the season I could decide life here.” Despite his unhappiness, Messi accusing him of going if I stayed or not and now they hold on Messi had said he wanted to leave insists he will give his all for Barcelona back on an to the fact that I did not say it before the club he joined as a boy after Barce- next season under their new coach agreementagree to June 10 when it turns out that on June lona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Ronald Koeman, with his current con- let him leave 10 we were competing for the league in Munich in the Champions League tract due to expire in June next year. forfo free at the middle of this shitty virus and this quarter-finals in August. “I will do my best. I always want to thet end of disease that altered all the dates.” His lawyers sent a burofax stating win, I am competitive and I don’t like last Messi, 33, added: “And this is the his intention to go for free on August 25 to lose ever... I said before we couldn’t season. reason why I am going to continue in the but Messi says he had made his feelings win the Champions League. Now I don’t “The PresidentPresiden always club... because the President told me that clear to Bartomeu many times before. know what will happen," Messi said. Al Duhail kick off title defence in style THE PENINSULA – DOHA Al Duhail's Mohammed Muntari Wakrah 2-1 in their opening is being congratulated by match of the season. Khalid The reigning champions, Al team-mates after he scored the Muneer took Al Wakrah ahead Duhail began their QNB Stars team's second goal against Umm in the 25th minute, but Al Ahli League (QSL) title defence in Salal, yesterday. replied through Omid Ebrahimi emphatic fashion with a 3-0 (38th minute) and Nabil El win over Umm Salal at the Zhar (51st-minute penalty). Education City Stadium YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Al Wakrah had more of the yesterday. Al Duhail 3-0 Umm Salal ball and chances, but they lacked Luis Martin (fifth minute), Al Ahli 2-1 Al Wakrah in finishing. Mohammed Muntari (36th On the other hand, Al Ahli Al Khor 2-2 Al Arabi minute) and substitute Ali Afif were more pragmatic in their (90+3) scored for The Red approach and reaped the Knights. Boudiaf, Yousef Msakni and rewards for it. Al Duhail started from where Bassam Al Rawi. Khalid Muneer found the they left off, having recently won Luis Martin put Al Duhail in target with an opportunistic their seventh league title. They the lead with a long-range left- strike when Al Ahli goalkeeper edged Al Rayyan by one point in footer. Captain Almoez Ali set Ivanildo Rodrigues fumbled with the final round of the previous him up after Luis Martin played collecting Jassim Ali Al Hashimi’s QSL season to secure the Falcon a one-two with him following cross from the left. Shield two weeks ago. Baba Malick’s clearance. Omid helped The Brigadiers Al Duhail dominated Umm The second goal came when draw level by slotting the ball Salal, who put up a brave fight Muntari rose high to head in home following a corner kick in the game after conceding two Rezaeian’s measured cross from from Nabil El Zhar. goals. However, The Orange For- the right. Nabil struck what turned out tress conceded a late goal as well. Ali Afif, who came off the to be the winner when he con- Al Duhail had two new faces bench for Dudu, added the third verted a penalty, awarded for a in Eduardo Rodriguez (Dudu) goal of the match by giving fin- foul by Murad Naji on Hazem and Ramin Rezaeian, who ishing touches to his own effort Shehata. switched from relegated side Al off a counter-attack on behalf matches being scheduled in at relegation and even occu- them in front of the might of Later, at the same venue, Al Shahania. Overall, their players of the champions who are pre- Doha. pying the bottom of the table Al Duhail. Khor and Al Arabi shared points more than made up for the paring for the 2020 AFC Cham- Umm Salal, who finished in at one stage, had reinforced Meanwhile, at the Al Ahli following a thrilling contest absences of injured key players pions League, which will the 10th position in the the squad in the new season, Stadium, the hosts fought back which saw the teams scoring two like Edmilson Junior, Karim resume soon with all West Zone 2019-20 season after staring but that was not enough for from a goal down to beat Al goals each. Naomi Osaka of Japan hits a forehand against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine (not pictured) on day five Osaka of the 2020 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, yesterday. battles into last 16 AFP – NEW YORK Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka battled into the last 16 of the US Open yesterday, Alkedri, ridden by Jean-Bernard Eyquem, reaching the finish line to win her first requiring three sets to defeat 18-year-old Group victory, the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge-Pouliches (Gr2 PA) at Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk. La Teste-de-Buch, France yesterday. Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, needed RESULTS: 2hr 33min to beat the unseeded world number Men's 137 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 inside an empty Arthur Alkedri lands first group Singles: Ashe Stadium. Third Round The Japanese fourth seed will play either Alejandro Estonia’s 14th seed Anett Kontavelt or Magda win for Al Shaqab Racing Davidovich Fokina, Linette of Poland for a place in the Spain, def. Cameron quarter-finals. Norrie, Britain, 7-6 (2), 4-6, Osaka walked onto the court wearing a THE PENINSULA – LA TESTE-DE-BUCH early stages of the 2,000m contest race 6-2, 6-1. facemask emblazoned with the name of Ahmaud before Alkedri, who was ridden by Jean- David Goffin (7), BEL, def. Filip Arbery, an unarmed black man who was shot Three-year-old Purebred Arabian Bernard Eyquem, showed a nice turn of Krajinovic (26), Serbia, 6-1, 7-6 dead in broad daylight while jogging in the town Alkedri (Mister Ginoux) landed her first foot in the straight, going on to win deci- (5), 6-4. of Brunswick, in southern Georgia, in Group victory when taking the French sively. The Ali bin Hamad Al Attiya- Women's Singles: Third Round February. Arabian Breeders’ Challenge-Pouliches owned My Belle Du Soleil (General) fin- Petra Martic (8), Croatia, def. Varvara Osaka, an activist against racism and police (Gr2 PA) by a two-length margin at the ished second. Gracheva, RUS, 6-3, 6-3. brutality, is wearing different masks honoring line at La Teste-de-Buch, France Bred by Al Shaqab Racing, Alkedri Yulia Putintseva (23), KAZ, def. Aliaksandra victims of social injustice throughout the tour- yesterday. is the second Group winner for the first Sasnovich, Belarus, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. nament. Ahead of her second-round win on The filly, owned by Al Shaqab Racing crop of the sire Mister Ginoux (Amer). Angelique Kerber (17), GER, def. Ann Li, USA, 6-3, 6-4. Wednesday she wore a covering with the name and trained by Charles Gourdain, scored The Al Shaqab Racing stallion is based Naomi Osaka (4), JPN, def. Marta Kostyuk, UKR, 6-3, Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old African-American for the second time in succession, having at the Haras de Thouars and the same 6-7 (4), 6-2. man who died in police custody last year after landed her first victory over a mile back Qatari connections are also responsible Jennifer Brady (28), USA, def. Caroline Garcia (32), being placed in a chokehold and injected with a in July. for breeding Alkedri. Incidentally, this FRA, 6-3, 6-3.