Sport TUESDAY 08 SEPTEMBER 2020 DjokovicD apologises after disqualification AsA for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work oon my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growthg and evolution as a player and human being. I apologise to the @usopen tournament and everyone aassociated for my behaviour. Novak Djokovic | 10 Serbian tennis star SPORT Tokyo Games will go ahead ‘with or without COVID-19’: IOC official AFP – SYDNEY Tokyo’s postponed Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the coro- navirus pandemic, IOC Vice-President John Coates said yesterday, vowing they Before COVID, (IOC Serena edges will be the “Games that conquered President) Thomas Bach Sakkari to COVID”. said this is the best The Olympics have never been can- celled outside of the world wars and prepared Games we’ve enter US Open Coates, speaking in an exclusive ever seen, the venues interview, was adamant that the Tokyo were almost all finished, quarter-finals Games will start on their revised date. they are now finished, the “It will take place with or without REUTERS – NEW YORK COVID. The Games will start on July 23 village is amazing, all the next year,” said Coates, who heads the transport arrangements, Serena Williams (pictured International Olympic Committee’s Coor- everything is fine. above) advanced to the US dination Commission for the Tokyo Now it’s been postponed Open quarter-finals after a Games. gritty, tension-soaked 6-3, “The Games were going to be, their by one year, that’s 6-7(6), 6-3 win over Greece’s theme, the Reconstruction Games after presented a monumental Maria Sakkari yesterday. the devastation of the tsunami,” he said, task in terms of The 23-time Grand Slam referring to a catastrophic earthquake re-securing all the winner came up short in the and tsunami in northeastern Japan in second-set tiebreak, with her 2011. venues...: IOC power serve abandoning her “Now very much these will be the Vice-President when she needed it most. Games that conquered COVID, the light John Coates Sakkari carried the at the end of the tunnel.” momentum into the third set In a landmark decision, the 2020 as she started the decider with Olympics were postponed because of the a break. global march of the pandemic and they “Now it’s been postponed by one year, IOC Vice-President reopening its economy, with professional But the 38-year-old are now set to open on July 23, 2021. that’s presented a monumental task in John Coates baseball, football and sumo resuming in American once again showed But Japan’s borders are still largely terms of re-securing all the venues... front of limited numbers of fans, the the battling instincts that has closed to foreign visitors and a vaccine is something like 43 hotels we had to get nation continues to see a steady stream made her one of the all-time months or even years away, feeding spec- out of those contracts and re-negotiate of new coronavirus cases. greats. She broke back to level ulation about whether the Games are fea- for a year later. Japan has already ploughed billions for 2-2 as Sakkari’s forehand sible at all. “Sponsorships had to be extended a of dollars into the Olympics, with the started to misfire. Japanese officials have made clear year, broadcast rights.” With much of that delay only adding to the cost. The six-time Flushing they would not delay them a second time work underway, or accomplished, a task Coates said the IOC was doing its part, Meadows champion marked beyond 2021. There are signs that public force has been set up to look at the dif- putting in “something like an extra her 100th win on Arthur Ashe enthusiasm in Japan is waning after a ferent scenarios in 2021 -- from how $800m to support the international fed- Stadium with a roar that could recent poll found just one in four Japanese border controls will affect the movement erations, whose income isn’t happening be heard all around the want them to go ahead next year, with of athletes, to whether fans can pack this year, and national Olympic grounds. most backing either another post- venues and how to keep stadiums safe. Committees”. “I just kept fighting,” said ponement or a cancellation. The group, comprising Japanese and As Japan, the IOC and thousands of Williams, who lost to Sakkari Coates said the Japanese government IOC officials, met for the first time last athletes wait to see whether the Olympics two weeks ago in the Western “haven’t dropped the baton at all” fol- week. go ahead next year, the ceremonial & Southern Open. lowing the postponement, despite the “Their job now is to look at all the dif- Games flame -- centrepiece of the “monumental task” of putting the event ferent counter-measures that will be “There’s 206 teams... so there’s a aborted torch relay -- is on display in a US OPEN RESULTS back a year. required for the Games to take place,” massive task being undertaken on the Tokyo museum. Men’s Singles: Fourth Round “Before COVID, (IOC President) said Coates, the long-time President of Japanese side.” Tokyo 2020 chief Toshiro A set of giant Olympic rings, weighing Alex de Minaur (21), Australia, Thomas Bach said this is the best pre- the Australian Olympic Committee. Muto on Friday repeated that organisers 69 tons and measuring 15 by 32 metres, def. Vasek Pospisil, Canada, 7-6 pared Games we’ve ever seen, the venues “Some countries will have it (COVID) hoped to avoid a Games without spec- was towed away for maintenance, and (6), 6-3, 6-2. were almost all finished, they are now under control, some won’t. We’ll have tators -- an option that has been mooted last month Tokyo’s National Stadium, Women’s Singles: Fourth Round finished, the village is amazing, all the athletes therefore coming from places given Japan is still limiting audiences at rather than hosting Olympic track and Serena Williams (3), United States, transport arrangements, everything is where it’s under control and some where sports events. field, staged the much lower-key Golden def. Maria Sakkari (15), Greece, fine,” he said. it is not. While the country is cautiously Grand Prix 2020 behind closed doors. 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. Al Sadd hammer Al Sailiya as Al Rayyan beat Al Gharafa THE PENINSULA – DOHA against Al Kharaitiyat and Al Al Sadd players celebrate after winning the QNB stars League Round 2 match by a 5-1 margin Sailiya,” the Barca great said. against Al Sailiya, yesterday. Former champions Al Sadd Going into their last league yesterday claimed their second game before the resumption of big win in the new QNB Stars the Asian campaign, Al Sadd got League (QSL) season, after off to a great start and pushed defeating Al Sailiya 5-1 in their forward from the beginning. Round 2 match yesterday. Al Haydos opened the At the Education City scoring in the 7th minute, before YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: Stadium, captain Hassan Al the new signing Cazorla doubled Al Sadd 5-1 Al Sailiya Haydos, Santi Cazorla, Baghdad Al Sadd’s lead from the penalty Al Kharaitiyat 2-1 Qatar SC Bounedjah, Nam Tae-hee and spot in the 30th minute. Siddiq Al Rayyan 3-1 Al Gharafa Substitute Ahmed Bader Sayyar then reduced the deficit in the scored for the 14-time QSL 41st minute. champions. Algerian goal machine, TODAY'S FIXTURES: Magdi Siddiq scored the sole Bounedjah restored Al Sadd’s Al Wakrah VS Al Duhail goal for Al Sailiya. two goal lead in the 59th minute, At Education City Stadium “All the players were before Tae-hee made it 4-1 in (6:15pm) excellent. The first 25 minutes the 81st minute. Sayyar then were wonderful and we could scored the fifth and final goal in Umm Salal VS Al Khor have killed the match off. We the 87th minute. At Al Ahli stadium (6:15pm) suffered a little after they scored It didn’t take long for the Al Ahli VS Al Arabi the first goal, but we came back opening goal to arrive, and it was At Al Ahli Stadium (8:30pm) in control again at the beginning Al Haydos who got it. Cazorla that goal, and they were able to which meant Mohammed Waad at the top of the table with 6 of the second half, and we were sent an aerial ball over the continue putting pressure on moved to midfield, while points from two matches. much better than Al Sailiya at defence and onto the right wing the Al Sadd defence after the Abdelkarim played as the left- Elsewhere, at the Al Gharafa everything,” coach Xavi Hern- to find the Al Sadd captain, who halftime break as well. Their back. This was followed by a Stadium, newly promoted Al outplayed Al Gharafa 3-1 with andez praised his team's dom- got into the box and dinked the biggest opportunity came in the double change four minutes Kharaitiyat beat Qatar SC 2-1, the help of a brilliant double by inant show after the match. ball over the keeper with great 51st minute, when Ahmed Ham- later, as Yousuf Abdurisag and making a brilliant comeback Yohan Boli. He added: “We are going skill. moudan took a shot from just a Musab Kheder came on to after last weekend's 1-5 defeat The Ivorian scored in the through some beautiful Cazorla then got on the few metres away from goal, but replace Al Haydos and Tarek against Xavi's side.