MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 12 Andreescu stuns Serena to win title Teen Bianca Andreescu topples record-chasing Serena Williams to win the US Open title Andreescu held her nerve• to defeat six-time US Open champion in her first Grand Slam final KNOW WHAT • Andreescu’s victory prevented Williams from Serena Williams has lost claiming what would have her fourth grand-slam been her record-tying 24th final in a row major singles championship AFP | New York of Sussex, was seated alongside sister Venus and fashion titan Anna Wintour. eenager Bianca Andreescu be- The American carved out four op- came Canada’s first Grand Slam portunities to hit back the following Tsingles champion Saturday with game, benefiting from a huge stroke a rollercoaster 6-3, 7-5 win over 23-time of luck when a forehand brushed the major champion Serena Williams in the tape and trickled over to haul herself US Open final. back on serve. The 19-year-old Andreescu became Undeterred, Andreescu promptly re- the youngest Grand Slam winner since gained the initiative with another break Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2004 US and looked to be marching towards the Open, handing Williams a fourth con- title when she followed a routine hold secutive defeat in the final of a major to by again breaking the Williams serve again deny her a record-equaling 24th for a 5-1 lead. Slam title. Andreescu brought up championship “It’s so hard to explain in words but point in the ensuing game, but Williams I’m just beyond grateful and truly bless- smacked a forehand winner to stay alive ed. I’ve worked really, really hard for Bianca Andreescu of Canada celebrates with the championship trophy and then rattled off 14 of 17 points to this moment,” said Andreescu, who peg her opponent back at 5-all. had won just two Grand Slam matches lifted the 1990 Roland Garros trophy in titles, Williams made an inauspicious once more as the American served to “I was just fighting at that point, ahead of her US Open main draw debut. her fourth major, for the record as the start at Arthur Ashe Stadium by con- stay in the set. just trying to stay out there a little bit She improved her record over top-10 fastest player to win her first Slam title ceding her opening service game with A forehand winner earned the young- longer,” said Williams, feeding off the opponents this season to 8-0 and will in the Open era. successive double faults. ster a set point, and Williams duly her energy of 24,000 cheering fans as she rise to a career-high ranking of fifth Williams, 37, suffered a second finals gifted her the opener with another briefly sparked hopes of an incredible on Monday. loss in a row at Flushing Meadows, after Generous Serena double fault. comeback. “This year has been a dream come a 2018 defeat against Naomi Osaka best Andreescu, who wasn’t even born Andreescu had failed to even reach “The fans started cheering so hard it true. Being able to play on this stage remembered for a furious tirade against when Williams won her maiden Slam the main draw at Flushing Meadows made me start playing a little bit better against Serena, a true legend of the chair umpire Carlos Ramos. at the 1999 US Open, responded with a the past two years, twice falling in the and fighting a little bit more.” sport, is amazing. “Bianca played an unbelievable comfortable hold, a pattern that repeat- first qualifying round, and her confi- The Canadian stemmed the bleed- “It wasn’t easy at all. I tried to pre- match, I am so proud and happy for you. ed itself until the Canadian threatened dence continued to flow as she surged ing by holding for 6-5 and an errant pare my best like I do every match, I It was incredible tennis out there. If to run away with the opening set. 2-0 ahead in the second -- Williams Williams backhand handed Andreescu tried not to focus on who I’m playing. anyone could win this, outside of Venus, Serving at 2-4, Williams erased five again doubled-faulting on break point. two more shots at the title. Williams I’m really proud of how I dealt with I’m happy it’s Bianca,” Williams said. break points with a combination of That prompted forlorn looks from saved the first with an ace but Andree- everything.” Appearing in a 33rd Grand Slam final, aces and booming groundstrokes but the Williams box, where her close scu secured victory on the next with a Andreescu tied Monica Seles, who and fourth since the last of her 23 major Andreescu was knocking on the door friend Meghan Markle, the Duchess blistering forehand return. Portugal beat Kane nets hat-trick as Coman brace helps France Serbia to claim England romp past first Euro 2020 ease past Albania qualifying win AFP | Belgrade AFP | Saint-Denis, France “It was a big thing,” said Al- peatedly tore their guests apart bania’s Italian coach Edoardo with quick, incisive attacks. eigning European ingsley Coman scored Reja. “The players said they Les Bleus took the lead after Rchampions Portugal Ktwice as world champions wouldn’t start without the right eight minutes when Coman, kick-started their bid to France cruised past Albania 4-1 anthem.” who had not scored on the in- qualify for Euro 2020 after on Saturday to move back to the After the stadium announc- ternational level since March beating Serbia 4-2 in Bel- top of their group in qualifying er apologised to the “Armeni- 2016, outpaced the visiting de- grade on Saturday to secure for Euro 2020. an fans” the correct song was fence as he ran onto a precise their first victory of the “It went well for me,” Coman played. pass from Raphael Varane and qualifying campaign. told French television after be- - ‘Could have won by more’ - toed the ball inside the near Fernando Santos’ side had ing selected man of the match. Perhaps fired up, Albania post. started the defence of their The Bayern attacker was not started aggressively, and man- Then, Olivier Giroud a couple title with two draws but Harry Kane fires home his second penalty to put England into a 4-0 lead part of the victorious French aged a couple of menacing early of feet past the far post, opted goals from William Carval- squad at last year’s World Cup. attacks. to head back to a non-existant ho, Goncalo Guedes, Cris- Reuters | London first time on Tuesday when On Saturday, he replaced Kylian When the visitors did escape teammate rather than nod the tiano Ronaldo and Bernardo another victory will leave them Mbappe, one of three starters France’s forward Kingsley Coman (blue jersey) scores a goal Silva put them second in ngland’s serene progress looking virtually assured of from last year’s Moscow final Group B on five points from Etowards Euro 2020 con- reaching next year’s tourna- who was missing injured. ball over the line. three games. tinued as skipper Harry Kane ment that culminates on home Asked if Coman had finally The Chelsea striker did score They are eight points be- grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-0 soil. put is international career on his 36th international goal in hind leaders Ukraine, who demolition of Bulgaria in It was not a perfect display track, France coach Didier De- The balance sheet the 27th minute. Lucas Her- top the group unbeaten hav- Group A at Wembley on Sat- by England with Bulgaria hav- schamps said: “That was closer was very positive. We nandez escaped down the left ing played five times after urday. ing three good chances, one to what he has been doing for and crossed for Giroud, who their 3-0 drubbing of Lith- Kane opened the scoring when the score was 0-0, but the last year for Bayern. He was could have won by had outpaced the defence, to uania. The hosts’ goals came after 24 minutes and struck England proved far too strong more drawn to the goal. He was more. We did what we sidefoot the ball home. from Nikola Milenkovic and home two penalties after the as they left the visitors lan - more decisive.” had to do, even if we Nine minutes before half Aleksandar Mitrovic. break as well as providing the guishing at the bottom of the Iceland briefly led the stand- relaxed a bit at the time, left back Hernandez won Carvalho opened the assist for Raheem Sterling to group with two points from ings in Group H outright after end a penalty. scoring following a defen- get on the scoresheet. five games. beating Moldova 3-0 earlier DIDIER DESCHAMPS He was up-ended on the edge sive mix-up in the Serbian Gareth Southgate’s side have Kane’s second hat-trick for in the day, and are joined by of the six yard box by Albanian just before half-time. now scored 14 goals in their England, following the one he Turkey, who scored in the last captain Mergim Mavraj. An- Bruno Fernandes crossed opening three Group A games scored against Panama at last minute to edge Andorra, 1-0 as toine Griezmann blasted the into the area, Serbia goal- and lead the table with nine year’s World Cup finals, took well as Les Bleus at the summit from their own half they often spot kick off the underside of keeper Marko Dmitrovic points from Kosovo (8) who his tally to 25 goals in 40 ap- on goals difference.