Established 1961 Sport MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 Wolff feasts on eagles; Laird Dodgers and Braves chasing Spain edge Swiss 1-0; Germany 14and Cantlay share PGA lead 15 end to MLBís title droughts 15 stun Ukraine in Nations League Nadal wins 13th French Open Nadal demolishes Djokovic, claim record-equaling 20th Grand Slam title PARIS: Spain’s Rafael Nadal (and inset) celebrates after winning against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at the end of their men’s final tennis match at the Philippe Chatrier court on Day 15 of The Roland Garros 2020 French Open tennis tournament yesterday. — AFP PARIS: Rafael Nadal demolished Novak Djokovic 6- We’ve played plenty of times together - one day one top two started under the roof of Court Philippe ered to defeat Argentine compatriot Guillermo Coria in 0, 6-2, 7-5 to win his 13th French Open and equal wins, another the other,” said Nadal. “After all the Chatrier, intensifying the echo of a crowd limited to five sets. Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles things I have been through in my career with injuries, 1,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Djokovic finally got on the board with a service hold yesterday. For world number one Djokovic, the defeat I could not have done it without my family.” Nadal Conventional wisdom suggested that would favor in the first game of the second set but Nadal main- ended his hopes of an 18th Slam and of becoming the said he wasn’t even thinking about matching Djokovic but nobody told Nadal who broke three tained his relentless push, going to a double break for first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors Federer’s record. “It’s been a very tough year. times in the 45-minute opening set. 4-1 as even the Serb’s usual deft touches on the drop twice. Nadal, 34, claimed his 100th match win at Winning here means everything to me so it’s not The Spaniard hit 10 winners and just two unforced shot deserted him. Nadal wrapped up a two-set lead Roland Garros against just two defeats since his 2005 about equalling Roger on 20, for me today it’s just a errors. Djokovic’s error count was 13 with the out-of- with his unforced error count at just six to Djokovic’s debut. The Spaniard, the oldest champion in Paris since Roland Garros victory. sorts Serb even squandering three break points of his 30. Nadal broke for the sixth time for a 3-2 lead in the Andres Gimeno in 1972, claimed the title without drop- “Roland Garros means everything to me. I spent own in the fourth game. More worrying for the world third before Djokovic suddenly restored his reputation ping a set. most of the most important moments of my tennis number one-Nadal improved to 111-0 when winning as the sport’s best returner by carving out his first He finished the one-sided affair with just 14 career here. “Just playing here is a true inspiration. the first set of best-of-five matches on clay in his break of the afternoon for 3-3. However, there was to unforced errors to his opponent’s 52. “Congrats to The love story I have with this court and city is career. It was the first opening set ‘bagel’ in a Roland be no miracle recovery as a double fault handed Nadal Novak for another great tournament. Sorry for today. unbelievable.” The 56th meeting between the world’s Garros final since 2004 when Gaston Gaudio recov- a 6-5 lead and he took the title with an ace. — AFP Swiatek continues transfer Towering Hamilton wins of power in women’s tennis Eifel Grand Prix, equals PARIS: As Rafael Nadal and Novak Melbourne triumph followed Bianca Schumacher’s record Djokovic squared off for the 56th time in Andreescu’s breakout performance at the men’s French Open final, the last year’s US Open, the Canadian taking NUERBURGRING: Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael women’s game is in the throes of a home the title on her main draw debut in Schumacher’s record of 91 Formula One wins yesterday when he youthful revolution as Iga Swiatek was New York. Since Serena Williams col- guided his Mercedes to a narrow, if measured, victory at a frantic crowned its latest first-time Grand Slam lected the last of her 23 Slam crowns at Eifel Grand Prix. Taking full advantage of team-mate and pole-sit- champion. The 19-year-old ensured her the 2017 Australian Open, the likes of ter Valtteri Bottas’ early retirement with engine problems, the run- place in history as Poland’s first major Simona Halep, Sloane Stephens and the away series leader and six-time champion drove a well-judged race singles champion on Saturday, becom- now-retired Caroline Wozniacki have all to claim his seventh victory from 11 contests this year. ing the ninth woman in 14 tournaments gone on to land a breakthrough major. “What a result,” he said on the Mercedes team radio after tak- to secure her maiden Slam title. However, the 29-year-old Halep is Swiatek, who used the coronavirus the outlier in a series of recent major ing the chequered flag clear of Max Verstappen for Red Bull with lockdown to complete her graduation winners, seven of eight who were aged Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in third. In a touching tribute Mick exam, has toyed with the idea of contin- 23 or under at the time. Kenin, Schumacher presented Hamilton with one of his father’s race hel- uing her studies, but will surely now go Andreescu and Swiatek have accounted mets. “Seeing Michael’s dominance for so long I don’t think anyone the same route as her vanquished oppo- for three with Naomi Osaka grabbing especially me could ever think of getting near Michael in terms of nent in the Roland Garros final. Sofia three titles of her own, and top-ranked records,” said Hamilton. NUERBURGRING: Winner Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton Kenin, 21, turned down a scholarship to Ashleigh Barty triumphing at the 2019 On a circuit where Germany’s seven-time champion Schumacher throws his trophy in the air on the podium after the German the University of Miami in 2017 after French Open. The average age of won five times, Hamilton took his second Nurburgring victory - his Formula One Eifel Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring circuit in holding her own against Maria champions in that time is 21.5. By com- previous was for McLaren in 2011. Bottas’ bad luck handed Nuerburg, western Germany yesterday. — AFP Sharapova in the third round of that parison, the average age of the eight Hamilton his chance and almost certainly ended his own title bid as year’s US Open. previous Slam winners was 27.4. “For the Briton moved 69 points clear ahead of him in the drivers’ cham- Leclerc and ‘super-sub’ Nico Hulkenberg of Racing Point. For She went on to win the Australian sure it’s inspiring. I know that there are pionship. Ricciardo’s podium success meant that he had won a bet Hulkenberg, it was a remarkable result coming only 24 hours after Open in January and narrowly missed no limits. Even though you’re really with Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul, requiring the Frenchman to he had jumped into the cockpit of Lance Stroll’s car after a late call out on becoming the first woman to young and you’re an underdog, you can take a tattoo prescribed for him by the Australian. to action from a cafÈ in Cologne. Romain Grosjean, with an injured capture two majors in the same season do a lot in a sport like tennis,” said Sergio Perez finished fourth for Racing Point ahead of Carlos finger, was ninth for Haas ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi of Alfa since Angelique Kerber in 2016. Her Swiatek. — AFP Sainz of McLaren, Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri, Ferrari’s Charles Romeo. — AFP .