FOOTBALL | Page 4 CRICKET | Page 7 Barcelona get We enjoy Griezmann but underdogs tag, Atletico contest warns New 120mn euro fee Zealand’s Taylor Saturday, July 13, 2019 ATHLETICS Dhul-Qa’da 10, 1440 AH Samba takes GULF TIMES second spot in 400m in Monaco SPORT Page 2 TENNIS/WIMBLEDON Federer downs Nadal to set up Djokovic duel in fi nal “I’m exhausted, it was tough at the end. Rafa played some unbelievable shots to stay in the match, it was a very high level’ AFP fi rst time in the fourth game of London the third set. He then fought off three break points for a key 4-1 lead, coming out on top in a 23- oger Federer reached shot rally and then a 25-stroke his 12th Wimbledon fi - exchange. nal yesterday, defeating There was no respite for old rival Rafael Nadal, Nadal, an 18-time Slam winner, R11 years after the Spaniard tri- who slipped a break down at 2-1 umphed in their epic 2008 title in the fourth.Nadal saved two showdown at the All England match points in the ninth game Club, a match widely regarded and two more in the 10th but a as the greatest ever played. loose return sealed his fate. The 37-year-old eight-time Federer fi nished with 14 aces champion won 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, and 51 winners. 6-3, 6-4 in the pair’s 40th career Djokovic, meanwhile, will be meeting to move into his 31st looking to add another Wim- Grand Slam fi nal where he will bledon title to the Australian face defending champion Novak and US Open crowns he already Djokovic. holds. Top seed and four-time win- “This has been a remarkable ner Djokovic reached his sixth tournament for me and to be in Wimbledon fi nal, and 25th at the another fi nal is a dream come majors, with a nervy 6-2, 4-6, true,” said the top seed. 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Spain’s Djokovic swept through the 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut. fi rst set with breaks in the sec- “I’m exhausted, it was tough ond and eighth games. It seemed at the end. Rafa played some certain that Djokovic was going unbelievable shots to stay in the to spend a lot less time on court match, it was a very high level,” in this semi-fi nal compared to 12 said Federer. months ago when he needed fi ve “The battles with Rafa are al- sets and fi ve hours and 15 min- ways special. The biggest points utes to beat Nadal. went my way, there were some However, Bautista Agut, who tight ones in the long rallies.” Switzerland’s Roger Federer had already defeated the Serb Federer is the third oldest man reacts after winning his semi-final twice this year, eventually set- ever to play in a Grand Slam fi nal match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal tled and broke for 2-1 in the sec- after 39-year-old Ken Rosewall yesterday at Wimbledon. ond set. Djokovic fought off two featured in the 1974 Wimbledon break points, via a 23-shot rally, and US Open fi nals. loss at a Slam in 11 years in the in the fi fth game. However, he will have his work Roland Garros semi-fi nals. In a But the 31-year-old Bautista cut out on Sunday if he is to se- tight 51-minute opener, Nadal Agut held his nerve to eventually cure a 21st major title as he trails managed to save the only break level the semi-fi nal at 6-4 off a 15-time Slam winner Djokovic point in the eighth game before fortuitous net cord. 25-22 in career meetings. surrendering the advantage of Djokovic, increasingly irritat- “Novak is the defending an early mini-break in the tie- ed by a restless crowd, broke for champion and he has shown that breaker which Federer claimed 4-2 in the third set and held for this week,” added Federer. thanks to fi ve points in a row. 5-2 off the back of a lung-bust- “He has been really solid. I will The Spaniard fi nally carved ing 45-shot rally. The set was se- try and push him to the brink but out the fi rst break of the semi- cured, ironically off another net it will be diffi cult as it’s not for fi nal in the fourth game of the cord which fell this time in the nothing that he is number one. second set, backing it up with a Serb’s favour. “But I am very very excited to hold for 4-1. Bautista Agut, who had say the least.” Nadal then broke again for 5-1 planned to be in Ibiza this week Yesterday’s semi-fi nal was as Federer suff ered a sudden and for his stag party, fought off never likely to match the knife- severe power outage with the break points in the opening edge theatrics of the 2008 fi nal two-time champion comfort- game of the fourth set. although Federer needed fi ve able levelling the contest. But Djokovic was relentless match points to secure victory. Federer, the oldest semi-fi - and tightened his grip, breaking Federer will not mind with nalist in a Grand Slam semi-fi nal twice for a 4-1 lead, and even- his win coming just a month af- Robert Federer, father of Roger Federer, with Roger’s wife Mirka at Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Spain’s Roberto since Jimmy Connors at the 1991 tually claimed victory on a fi fth ter Nadal handed him his worst Wimbledon yesterday. Bautista Agut. US Open, broke Nadal for the match point. Al-Attiyah powers to sixth straight stage win By Sports Reporter before him, al-Attiyah and co- we hesitated, but in the end Dalanzadgad, Mongolia driver Mathieu Baumel went off everything worked out OK,” said course by about three kilometres al-Attiyah. on the stage from Mandalgovi to “It is the sixth victory on the here’s no such thing as a Dalanzadgad. trot for us. Tomorrow is relaxed ‘sure thing’ in rally-raid, But what saved al-Attiyah’s stage- – just 550 kilometres of liaison as Qatar’s Nasser al-At- winning streak was the fact that to go into China, where we will Ttiyah found out during Russian Denis Krotov, who had discover the dunes of the Gobi the Silk Way Rally yesterday. gotten way ahead in his Mini Desert,” he added. On the finish line of the sixth JCW, got stuck with a puncture The second place went to Eric stage, a couple of kilometres and gearbox problems. Van Loon, allowing the Overdrive from the bivouac, the blue sky That allowed al-Attiyah to get Team to score another double. gave way to clouds and some ahead despite having to do a The Dutchman finally beat Math- light rain. Getting out of his Toyo- course correction as the Qatari ieu Serradori (Buggy CR6 SRT) by ta, al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Rac- ace, aiming to win his first Silk just 10 seconds. Overall al-Attiyah ing Overdrive) wasn’t wearing his Way Rally crown, stayed on track is now 40 minutes ahead of the usual sunny smile. He knew he with his sixth straight stage win. Chinese driver Liu Kun (Hanwei had just put at risk his run of five “The special was diff icult to SMG) and 15 minutes up on consecutive stage wins. navigate. You had to really pay Jérôme Pélichet (Optimus Raid Like some of the best bike riders attention. At certain points Lynx), eighth on today’s stage. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, July 13, 2019 SPORT ATHLETICS Samba powers to second in 400m, Gatlin tops 100m By Sports Reporter my rhythm back,” added the opened his Diamond League pic gold medallist and current Monte Carlo 400m hurdles Asian Games season in Shanghai with a world champion who served a gold medallist and the Asian 47.27 second eff ort to win the doping ban between 2006-10, champion. 400m hurdles gold before in- was having none of it, rush- atar’s Abderrah- The World Championships jury forced a break. ing to take a selfi e with a fan at man Samba made a will be held at Doha’s Khalifa Meanwhile, veteran Ameri- the Stade Louis II as he blasted roaring return from International Stadium come can sprinter Justin Gatlin through the line in full knowl- injury, fi nishing sec- September. scored one for the older gener- edge he had won. Qond in the men’s 400m at the Samba won the 400m fl at in ation by outsprinting up-and- The result confi rmed Gat- Diamond League event in Mo- Pretoria, before unsurprisingly coming compatriot Noah Lyles lin’s good form on the Monaco naco yesterday. running away with 400m hur- to victory in the 100m. track having run 19.6sec over Samba, who had set a per- dles gold at the Asian Champi- In balmy conditions, the 200m from lane seven in 2014 sonal best of 44.60 seconds in onships in April, an event that 37-year-old Gatlin kept both and a meet record of 9.78sec in the discipline in South Africa served as a test event for the his nerve and form after an the 100m in 2015. to kick-start his build-up to IAAF World Athletics Cham- average start to streak through Sifan Hassan of the Neth- the World Championships, ran pionships Doha 2019.