SPORT WednesdayWednesday 3131 May 2017 PAGE | 25 PAGE | 26 PAGE | 27 India crush Bangladeshsh Evergrande Wenger to in Champions Trophy sail into last eight extend Arsenal warm-up match at AFC League reign: Reports Zverev crashes as Murray moves on 2017 FRENCH OPEN Paris Grand Slam competitor, mak- In the women's event, MEN'S SINGLES: YESTERDAY'S RESULTS AFP ing the last 16 in Paris on five Romanian third seed and occasions. 2014 runner-up Simona FIRST R OUND: lexander Zverev, the Murray, the 2016 runner- Halep cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 man seen as a potential up to Djokovic, shrugged off win over Slovakia's Jana Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Laurent Lokoli (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, AFrench Open cham- a second set wobble to defeat Cepelova. 0-6, 6-4 pion, crashed out in the first Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov Halep, who had described Nicolas Almagro (ESP) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, round yesterday as world 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. her chances of playing in 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) number one Andy Murray and Top seed Murray will play Paris as "50-50" due to an Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG x29) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 former winner Stan Wawrinka Martin Klizan of Slovakia who ankle ligament injury, will Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 moved through. was accused a faking an injury face Germany's Tatjana Maria Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Nicolás Jarry (CHI) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 Zverev, just 20 and fresh in his five-set win over French for a place in the last 32. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x9) 6-4, 3-6, from his sensational Rome wildcard Laurent Lokoli. Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei, 6-4, 6-2 Masters demolition of Novak Lokoli was so angry at Kli- the world number 109, Hyeon Chung (KOR) bt Sam Querrey (USA x27) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Djokovic, slumped to a 6-4, zan's actions on court that he stunned seventh seed Johanna Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Spain's refused to shake hands. Konta 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. Jérémy Chardy (FRA) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) Fernando Verdasco, 13 years Third seed and 2015 Konta is the second top 10 Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 his senior. champion Wawrinka was an woman to lose in the first "I played absolute shit, easy winner, defeating Slova- three days after world Stan Wawrinka (SUI x3) bt Jozef Kovalík (SVK) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 that's why I lost," said Zverev kian qualifier Jozef Kovalik number one Angelique Ker- Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 bluntly. 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. ber was dumped out in the Gael Monfils (FRA x15) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-4, 7-5, 6-0 "But life goes on, it's not a Wawrinka saved two set first round. Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Gastao Elias (POR) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 tragedy. In Rome I played fan- points in the second set tie- "I tried very hard and Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) tastic, I won the tournament. breaker before going on to gave myself a big chance. Nick Kyrgios (AUS x18) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-3, 7-6 Here I played bad, I lost first down the 152nd-ranked Every time I tried to run as fast (7/4), 6-3 round. That's the way it goes." qualifier. as I can and get the ball back," In a match controversially Juan Martin del Potro said Hsieh, who won for the WOMEN'S SINGLES: YESTERDAY'S RESULTS suspended on Monday at one marked his return to the just the second time in seven FIRST R OUND: set each, Zverev was defeated French Open after an absence trips to Roland Garros. Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3 in a fog of mistakes and of five years by defeating Konta has yet to win one Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-0, 6-4 despondency. Argentine compatriot Guido match in the main draw in Eugénie Bouchard (CAN) bt Risa Ozaki (JPN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 The beanpole German Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. three attempts. Petra Martic (CRO) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-2, 7-5 committed 50 unforced errors "I love to be playing this There were no such prob- Madison Keys (USA x12) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-3, 6-2 and drew jeers from the tournament again after five lems for fifth-seeded Rome Philippe Chatrier court crowd years," said 2009 US Open champion Elina Svitolina as Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-1 when he took out his frustra- champion Del Potro, who the 2015 quarter-finalist Carla Suárez (ESP x21) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-4, 6-2 tion by hammering his racquet reached the quarter-finals in defeated Yaroslava Shvedova Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 7-5, 6-4 into the clay. his last appearance in Paris of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3. Markéta Vondrousová (CZE) bt Amandine Hesse (FRA) 6-1, 6-0 Left-handed Verdasco, before blowing a two-set lead Canada's Eugenie Bou- Tatjana Malek (GER) bt Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) 6-4, 6-1 playing his 14th Roland Gar- against Roger Federer. chard, a semi-finalist in Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x7) 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 ros and 56th consecutive Japanese eighth seed Kei 2014, shook off a right ankle Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Miyu Kato (JPN) 6-4, 6-0 Andy Murray of Great Britain returns to Andrey major, had lost to Zverev in Nishikori was also a first injury to recover from 0-5 Caroline Garcia (FRA x28) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-2, 6-2 Kuznetsov of Russia in their first round match the first round on clay in round winner, beating down in the first set to beat Barbora Strýcová (CZE x20) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-0 of the French Open at the Roland Garros Madrid earlier this year. unranked Thanasi Kokkinakis Rise Ozaki of Japan 2-6, 6-3, Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Tímea Babos (HUN) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 Stadium in Paris, France yesterday. Murray But he is an experienced of Australia 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. 6-2. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6-3, 7-5 won 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Root gets Strauss' backing ahead of busy season Rizwan Rehmat Strauss, who took over as Director The Peninsula England Test skipper Cricket at the start of May 2015, said Joe Root England's bench-strength was irector of England cricket promising. Andrew Strauss is ready to "Yeah, (happy to see the standard of give new Test skipper Joe cricket in England). I try and watch as Cricket is pushing hard in all Root the time and space he much as I can - either physically or formats in this contest. I genuinely needs to grow as a leader through feedback cricket so I know believe that every game we play Das the Lions prepare for a long home what's happening. I try to get around must have some sort of meaning. summer against South Africa followed every county during every summer," The Test championship, the World One-Day league ... these are great by the Ashes series later this year. Strauss said. opportunities. I wouldn't rule out Root, 26, replaced Essex man Alaist- "I think there are some exciting the idea of four-day Test cricket. If air Cook as captain after England lost young cricketers coming through. We we can get the playing conditions the away series in India last winter. It have benefited this year by having right, the right circumstances, it was Cook who had replaced Strauss as blocks of cricket where you prepare and would be a good thing in some captain at the end of the English sum- train for white ball cricket at a time and parts of the world. One thing we mer in 2012. then you move into red ball game. can't do is love Test cricket to death. Earlier this year, Strauss, the 100- "I think there is a lot of exciting We have to think about how that Test veteran, named Root as the new cricket out there. I have seen a number (Test) format remains relevant. We man to lead England in the home series of them like (Sam) Curran (of Surrey) are in an era where white ball or against South Africa which begins in July. and (Liam) Livingstone (of Lancashire). T20 cricket is taking over. "I had a lot of conversations with Joe Then there is Mason Crane (of Hamp- already. We sat down with him and the shire).