EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU DELHI THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 SPORT 19 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Dimitrov rallies to script an epic win over Federer Serena routs Wang in the quarterfinals to claim her 100th Open win; Medvedev has the measure of Wawrinka DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD US OPEN 78th ranked Dimitrov, DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD dubbed “Baby Fed” because B It will be Dimitrov’s third Reuters of the similarities between appearance in a Major NEW YORK his game and Federer’s, did semifinal after 2014 not look much of a threat, Wimbledon and 2017 Grigor Dimitrov stepped out posting just one win from his Australian Open of Roger Federer’s shadow last eight matches. B Dimitrov entered the US on Tuesday to claim a spot in But the Bulgarian, who Open having won just one the U.S. Open semifinals with had been ranked as high as of his last eight matches a shock 3­6, 6­4, 3­6, 6­4, 6­2 No. 3 , has found some form win over the wounded Swiss. on the New York hardcourts B The Bulgarian won his Dimitrov will now face Da­ and claimed his first win in biggest title at the ATP World Tour Finals in 2017 niil Medvedev on Friday for a eight meetings with the 20­ and finished the year ranked place in final, the Russian ad­ times Grand Slam winner. career­high No. 3 vancing to the last four with a “Even if I would have gone DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD 7­6(6), 6­3, 3­6, 6­1 win over two sets to love down, I another Swiss Stan wouldn’t have give up,” as­ breaking Federer to open the Wawrinka. sured Dimitrov. “I would still fifth and then a second time stay on the court and just try with the Swiss unable to Blistering and clinical to do as much as possible to mount any defence as the In the women’s draw, Serena make sure that whether I rat­ Bulgarian went on to claim Williams claimed her 100th tle him or put him off ba­ the biggest win of his career. win at the Open in style, dis­ lance. I kept on pushing, I “I just needed some treat­ mantling her quarterfinal op­ kept on believing.” ment on my upper — what is ponent Wang Qiang 6­1, 6­0 it — back, neck,” said Feder­ THE RESULTS in a blistering 44­minute per­ Razor sharp, but... er. “Just needed to try to loo­ formance that ended any Federer looked razor sharp sen it up, crack it and see if it Quarterfinals: Men: 5­Daniil questions over a twisted an­ to start the match but was was going to be better.” Medvedev (Rus) bt 23­Stan kle from the previous round. not able to maintain his Incredible performance: Grigor Dimitrov gave it his all to shock Roger Federer and become the lowest­ranked US Open The 37­year­old Serena Wawrinka (Sui) 7­6(6), 6­3, 3­6, 6­1; Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) bt 3­ Ukrainian fifth seed Elina usual high level against the semifinalist in 28 years. * AP was dominant from the start, Roger Federer (Sui) 3­6, 6­4, Svitolina produced a clinical gritty Bulgarian. firing off 25 winners, com­ 3­6, 6­4, 6­2. display to overcome British The turning point came in “I was trying to stay in that down. It’s a best of five sets. did. Before the start of the the court for a medical time pared to zero from 18th­seed Women: 8­Serena Williams No.1 Johanna Konta 6­4, 6­4 the fourth set, Dimitrov fight­ game and make him stay on Anything can happen.” fifth set Federer called for out to deal with a back Wang, and winning 90% of (USA) bt 18­Wang Qiang (Chn) to set up a clash with Serena ing off five break points to the court as much as possi­ the trainer, who, after a brief problem. her first serve points. “I nev­ 6­1, 6­0; 13­Belinda Bencic for a place in the final. win the set and level match at ble,” said Dimitrov. “After Fitness concern conversation with the 38­ When play resumed Dimi­ er thought that I would get to (Sui) bt 23­Donna Vekic (Cro) 7­ Coming into the Open, the 2­2. that he started slowing And something unexpected year­old, escorted him off trov seized his chance, 100,” said Serena. 6(5), 6­3. Smith and Labuschagne steady the ship Onus on me to keep doing well, says Vihari Duo bails Australia out on rain­marred day, after another failure for the openers ‘The first objective was to seize the opportunities that came my way’ THE ASHES EXCLUSIVE difference on this West In­ dies tour,” the 25­year­old Vi­ Reuters V.V. SUBRHAHMANYAM hari said. MANCHESTER HYDERABAD “I was waiting for the big day — to score my maiden Steve Smith continued his High on confidence after be­ Test century. I felt it was an outstanding Ashes form, ing the lead performer with important knock,” he said. striking an unbeaten 60, as the bat in the just­concluded According to Vihari, the Australia recovered from Test series in West Indies, conditions in West Indies another failure by its open­ Hanuma Vihari said it was were a mix of England (seam ers to reach 170 for three at important for him to come and swing) and Australia the close of the rain­affected up with substantial contribu­ (bounce). “If you have not­ first day of the fourth Test tions to cement his place in iced, most of them were 250­ against England at Old Traf­ the Indian team. plus wickets and I think we ford on Wednesday. “It was definitely a crucial did really well to score 400­ Rain caused a delay of ov­ tour for me and the first ob­ plus in the series,” he said. er two hours after lunch but jective was to seize the op­ Vihari hopes to do well plans to extend play to re­ portunities that came my again in the forthcoming gain that lost time were way,” Vihari said in an exclu­ South Africa Test series at abandoned after rain came Child’s play: Steve Smith came to Australia’s rescue with his eighth straight Ashes half­century, sive chat with The Hindu. home. “It is always good to in again during the break for on the opening day of the fourth Test. * REUTERS “The 93 in the second in­ take any tournament or se­ tea. nings of the first Test gave me ries match by match. Hope to The afternoon delay did its supporters to their feet SCOREBOARD lot of confidence. Though I do well again,” he added. little to disrupt Smith, re­ with just the fourth ball of was disappointed at missing On his captain Virat Koh­ turning from missing the last the day. Australia — 1st innings: Marcus Fall of wickets: 1­1 (Warner), 2­ the century, I was glad that I li’s comment that that dress­ Test due to concussion, mak­ Harris lbw b Broad 13, David 28 (Harris), 3­144 could contribute my bit to a ing room feels calm when Vi­ ing his eighth straight Ashes Warner’s agony Warner c Bairstow b Broad 0, (Labuschagne). winning cause on a difficult hari bats, a smiling Vihari half­century. Stuart Broad claimed the Marnus Labuschagne b Overton England bowling: Broad 10­2­ wicket to bat,” he said. hoped it was a sign of bigger Smith and Marnus Labus­ wicket of David Warner for 67, Steve Smith (batting) 60, 35­2, Archer 10­0­28­0, Stokes responsibility in the days to chagne put on 116 for the the fifth time in this series Travis Head (batting) 18; Extras 8­0­36­0, Leach 6­2­18­0, Simple advice pays come. “To be honest, to be third wicket before the latter with the left­hander caught (b­4, lb­8): 12; Total (for three Overton 10­0­41­1. “But, I must say one simple given a chance ahead of oth­ was bowled by Craig Overton behind for a duck as he wkts. in 44 overs): 170. Toss: Australia. advice by Ravi (Shastri) sir — ers itself meant the kind of for 67. made a belated decision to to correct my stance as he confidence the team man­ It was a much­needed leave the ball. the pads of Marcus Harris masena raised his finger and felt I was standing more agement had in me. So, the stand after England had Australia found itself at 28 and, after some considera­ his verdict was upheld by vi­ Silver lining: Despite falling short of a century, Hanuma Vihari upright, and let the knees be onus is on me to keep doing made a great start, bringing for two when Broad rapped tion, umpire Kumar Dhar­ deo review. said his 93 in the first Test gave him lot of confidence.* AP more flexible — made a lot of well,” Vihari said. Dhawan keeps India-A in the hunt Unadkat swings day one Red’s way Bulls snatch a thriller Rain forces contest into reserve day; Hosts need 137 more Green batsmen start well but fall to excellent bowling Delhi edges Jaipur earlier in the day SA-A IN INDIA Deshpande bowled a splen­ DULEEP TROPHY outswinger — moving away did last over and conceded from just outside off. The im­ M.R. Praveen Chandran just a single. Ashwin Achal pressive Warrier was un­ Thiruvananthapuram In reply, Shubman Gill Bengaluru lucky to end up with just the struck two pleasing boun­ one scalp.