20 Friday, January 19, 2018 SPORTS Friday, January 19, 2018 21 Melbourne peaked at 39.9 degrees athletes in our sport. ix-times champion Celsius with reports of 69 “It was about just hanging Novak Djokovic emerged degrees being measured in there.” Sfrom the Rod Laver Arena down on the court Monfils looked in danger furnace and into the third surface. of keeling over from the round of the Australian But 12-times grand slam middle of the second set Open after putting suffering champion Djokovic, playing and throughout the third Gael Monfils out of his his first tournament for six -- pleading with the match Williams’ history of misery with a scrappy victory months because of an elbow umpire to give them more on Thursday. problem, was the more than 25 seconds between Djokovic Both men struggled durable as he recovered from points. physically as air a woeful start to claim a “I was dying on the court temperatures 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-3 win for 40 minutes,” the 31-year- and take his record old told reporters later after over Monfils to having revived in a cold 15-0. tub. decision has been made: championship and the Indy in junior formulae, the Alex Zanardi his contract. “At one point, impressed by the precocious The 14th ”It was really warm. It was bold driver choices seeded Serb tough to breathe. I think it Williams have chosen 500, Jacques came with a big German had made himself On the face of it, Williams’ the whole thing broke down Briton’s appointment. “He’s SergeyA Sirotkin – and not reputation (not to mention hot property after several decision to sign Alex Zanardi and we lost confidence in just a puppy,” was three-time will play Spain’s was the hardest (conditions) Robert Kubica – as the man to a fair bit of baggage) – but years of overachieving in for 1999 looked inspired. each other,” Zanardi would world champion Sir Jackie Albert Ramos- I have played in. partner Lance Stroll in 2018. he still represented F1 for underdogs After all, since arriving in explain. “I certainly thought Stewart’s take. “He’ll mess on survives Vinolas in the third “I tried to cool down. But It’s fair to say the Russian something of a risk, Sauber. the US Champ I’d do better than we did the carpet. He should have round. even with the ice towel, the rookie was a rank outsider especially for a What Car series as and I’m sure they were gone to finishing school “It was brutal,” Djokovic water, I think my body was for the second seat when team with world was hugely an F1 refugee as pissed off as I first...” who wore a compression super warm.” Melbourne furnace sleeve and employed a Djokovic was rumoured Felipe Massa announced his title aspirations surprising, three years was…” Williams’ brave decision to retirement from F1 – but – after all, how however, was earlier the Zanardi’s give youth a chance would truncated service action, to have requested to play as history tells us, this is many drivers had the timing personable failure didn’t stop influence driver market said. his match in the middle far from the first time that made a similar Heinz of Frentzen’s Italian had Williams returning forever. ”I thought, it is going to of the afternoon, despite Williams have made a bold transition? Harald signing leaking transformed to the Champ Car be a big challenge for both the predicted heatwave. move in the driver market… Sure, he’d proved Frentzen out – not to himself well for a third time Lance Stroll to beat Monfils of us. Gael is one of the best (Reuters) masterful in brutish but mention the man into arguably Alex Zanardi in six years however ‘He’s too young!’ cried some. Jacques Villeneuve rather rudimentary IndyCar he’d be replacing. Ordinarily the most – in 2001 they took on ‘He’s only there because Nigel Mansell caused machinery – but could you wouldn’t expect a driver electrifying racer on the Juan Pablo Montoya, though of his Dad’s money!’ cried something of a he cut it in a more- who was leading the world planet. having served as the team’s others. But in late 2016, as Australian Open: sensation in sophisticated F1 title to be at risk of losing his Williams had a long history test driver in the past, the certain quarters poured scorn Sharapova hot 1993 when, beast? The answer seat, but that’s exactly what for employing ‘proper racers’ former F3000 champion on their decision to sign Day 4 highlights having split was quick and happened to Damon Hill in – men like Mansell, Rosberg represented far less of a 18-year-old Lance Stroll to a ith temperatures touching an from Williams emphatic. At 1996, with the Briton being and Jones who would put risk. race deal, Williams remained Wenergy-sapping 40 Celsius and for Sevastova, after winning the first round informed of his fate just as it all on the line in wheel- steadfast. ice-towels in use, third seed Garbine the world of the 1996 his tense championship battle to-wheel situations – and Jenson Button “Would you say the same Muguruza and 2014 winner Stan title, he went season, following with team mate Jacques Zanardi appeared cut from With a space to fill alongside about Max Verstappen and Wawrinka both wilted and were reaches round 3 Jacques knocked out in the Australian Open over to America Villeneuve an exhaustive Villeneuve was reaching its the same cloth. Ralf Schumacher in their putting him in a Red Bull?” and scooped the test programme, zenith. But on the other hand, the 2000 driver line- Claire Williams countered second round on Thursday. Melbourne IndyCar title at the first Villeneuve stuck his car “Frank [Williams] phoned team knew they were taking up (following when asked if it was a Maria Sharapova, in contrast, or Maria Sharapova, it was a case of revenge being served attempt. Three years later on pole ahead of much more me at home and said: ‘I’ve a chance. Yes, Villeneuve Zanardi’s early risk to hand Stroll, laid down her title credentials with Fhot as she fended off her U.S. Open conqueror Anastasija Williams would be involved experienced team mate got to do what’s right for the had transitioned brilliantly departure) who was to graduate dominant win against 14th seed Sevastova 6-1 7-6(4) under a blazing sun to reach the third in another transatlantic Damon Hill. team,’” a magnanimous Hill, from Stateside racing three and few to F1 straight Anastasija Sevastova. round of the Australian Open on Thursday. transaction – only this time whose form had fluctuated years earlier, but since then viable from F3, a race Defending champion Roger Federer The crafty Latvian had knocked Sharapova out of the fourth they’d be the ones getting Heinz-Harald Frentzen wildly in ’95, would later the machinery either side of options, seat. coolly swept into the third round round at Flushing Meadows last year during the Russian’s a driver: 24-year-old Jacques To some extent it was no explain. “I thought: ‘I can’t the Atlantic had diverged logic “Considering Thursday as Novak Djokovic survived return to grand slam action after a 15-month doping ban. Villeneuve. surprise that Williams moved argue with that…’” And so massively, with the grooved- suggested his age he has a gruelling fitness test under the brutal So prior to their Melbourne Park rematch, former champion As the son of legendary for Frentzen in ’97 – having it was that Williams parted tyred, narrow-track F1 cars Williams Jenson Button achieved a huge Melbourne sun. Sharapova said she was primed and ready for another drawn Ferrari driver Gilles compared very favourably to company with the eventual of the day differing hugely would plump amount - he’s won every World No 1 Simona Halep was also out dog-fight against the 14th seed. Villeneuve and a winner of then-double world champion world champion entirely on from the animals Zanardi to hand the role to championship he’s taken convincing in her straight demolition Centre court was already a sizzling frying pan by both the Champ Michael their terms – a very rare state has become so adept at their test driver, F3000 racer part in. Yes he’s going to be a of Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. (scroll) the time the players started hitting up in the first Car Schumacher of affairs indeed. manhandling. Bruno Junqueira. rookie, and yes he will make morning match at Rod Laver Arena. In the end it would prove “I’d pretty much decided mistakes, but from everything So the 35 degree Celsius (95F) heat may a disaster, with Zanardi we should have Junqueira,” we’ve seen he’s a really fast have quickly forced a rethink as Sharapova failing to score a point over the team’s tech chief Patrick learner.” And having put him burst out of the blocks in a hail of the course of the season Head would later explain, through a rigorous on-track Konta knocked out winners to roar through the first set in 23 minutes. before being released a “because we were already development programme, Melbourne Although the next set was a “little dicey,” as she year early familiar with him, and the Williams knew that better efending champion Johanna Konta suffered a reversal wobbled when serving for the match at 5-4, Sharapova from engineers had a high regard than most… Dof last year’s final when she was bundled out in the first was glad to beat a hasty retreat from the broiling for his technical “We should give the guy round of the Sydney International by Agnieszka Radwanska on conditions.