Sport TUESDAY 31 AUGUST 2021 Play Ronaldo as a striker, says Rooney When you’ve got someone like Cristiano, you want him fresh around the box. He still wants to be the best and I’m sure he will have a big impact on them this season. Wayne Rooney Sport | 15 CYCLING: VUELTA A ESPAÑA Overall ranking: Top 3 1: Odd Christian Eiking 59H 57' 50'', 2: Guillaume Martin, 3: Primož Roglic Qatar gear up for Serbia clash in Debrecen Qatar players in action during a training session ahead of their FIFA World Cup European Qualifying match against Serbia which will take place in Debrecen, Hungary, tomorrow. The reigning Asian champions Qatar, a guest team in the UEFA qualifiers, are pitted in Group A along with European heavyweights Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Serbia, and Azerbaijan. Qatar will 'host' Serbia at their 'home ground', 20,000-capacity Nagyerdei Stadion, before welcoming Christiano Ronaldo-led Portugal on September 4. Qatar will play their home fixtures on European soil to facilitate shorter travel times for their group opponents. Halep, Muguruza among early winners as fans return to US Open AP – NEW YORK Simona Halep and Garbiñe Muguruza, a pair of two-time Grand Slam champions who Results have had their difficulties in Andrey New York, pulled out tough At USTA Billie Jean King Rublev two-set victories yesterday in National Tennis Center the opening round of the US New York Open. Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Flawless Sloane Stephens then had (seedings in parentheses): one even tougher, needing 2 Rublev hours, 10 minutes to edge Madison Keys 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) MEN’S SINGLES downs in a rematch of her victory in FIRST ROUND the 2017 final. Facundo Bagnis, Argentina, Arthur Ashe Stadium was def. Taro Daniel, Japan, 6-3, qualifier far from filled for the start of 6-3, 6-3. that match, possibly because Diego Schwartzman (11), Karlovic fans faced delays entering the Simona Halep returns the ball to Argentina, def. Ricardas Billie Jean King National Tennis Camila Giorgi (not pictured) on day Berankis, Lithuania, 7-5, 6-3, AGENCIES – NEW YORK Center on the day they were one of the 2021 US Open tennis 6-3. allowed to return to the tournament at USTA Billie King Henri Laaksonen, Switzerland, World number seven Andrey tournament. National Tennis Center, yesterday. Rublev made short work of Halep, who had consecutive def. John Millman, Australia, veteran qualifier Ivo Karlovic first-round exits in the 2017 and 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2), 6-1. in the US Open first round on 2018 US Opens, held off Camila caused by the time it took to Today's Order of Play Dusan Lajovic, Serbia, def. Monday, beating the tricky Giorgi 6-4, 7-6 (3). She didn't inspect their bags. Benoit Paire, France, 6-3, 7-5, Croatian 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-3. play in last year's fan-less event. The USTA added that it was (Play starts at 1500 GMT/11 AM ET unless stated, prefix number 2-6, 6-4. The Russian came into the "So for me it was normal to exploring ways to improve this denotes seeding): Peter Gojowczyk, Germany, Arthur Ashe Stadium (1600 GMT/12 PM ET) year’s final Grand Slam having have the people in the stands entry process for the remainder def. Ugo Humbert (23), France, reached the Cincinnati title and the noise that is always in of the tournament, and that the 4-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Sam Querrey (U.S.) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. clash and made a blistering the US Open,” Halep said. "I checking for proof of vacci- 1-Ash Barty (Australia) v Vera Zvonareva (Russia) start on Grandstand, winning started to like it. I start to nation required for entry this 1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune Bernabe Zapata Miralles, the opening three games of the embrace these things. I had fun year was going smoothly and (Denmark) Spain, def. Feliciano Lopez, match before taking the first on court, and I liked some was not a major contributor to Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) v 6-Bianca Andreescu (Canada) Spain, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3, set with ease. people that were screaming in the delays. Louis Armstrong Stadium 6-3. The 42-year-old Karlovic, Romanian also and in English.” Halep missed the French 4-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) v Catherine McNally (U.S.) Andrey Rublev (5), Russia, def. the oldest US Open qualifier in Muguruza, the No. 9 seed, Open and Wimbledon - the two 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) v Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) Ivo Karlovic, Croatia, 6-3, 7-6 the Open Era, launched his advanced with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) major tournaments she has won Federico Delbonis (Argentina) v 7-Denis Shapovalov (Canada) (3), 6-3. comeback in the second set victory over Donna Vekic. - with a left calf injury, and her Alison Riske (U.S.) v 14-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) Daniel Evans (24), Britain, def. but Rublev held his nerve in Those were two of the ear- return to Grand Slam Tennis Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v 14-Alex de Minaur (Australia) Thiago Monteiro, Brazil, 6-3, the tiebreak, which he claimed liest victories as the tournament came at the one where she's had with a forehand winner, before welcomed back spectators after her least success. Long lines and big crowds for the match at 5-4 but 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1. shifting gears in the final set. being played last year without Her loss to Kaia Kanepi in were a readjustment for any recovered to win the final four After racing to a 5-3 lead, fans because of the coronavirus 2018 was the first time the No. players. Keys had to wait while points of the tiebreaker. WOMEN’S SINGLES the 23-year-old former pandemic. 1 seed lost in the first round of serving midway through the Muguruza has also won the FIRST ROUND Flushing Meadows quarter- The grounds were packed the US Open in the professional second set of her match as fans French Open and Wimbledon, Kristina Kucova, Slovakia, def. finalist closed out the match throughout the day and figured era. were late returning to their seats but the US Open is the only major Ann Li, United States, 7-5, 6-1. on the back of his superb to be again at night when She acknowledged after after a changeover. where she hasn't reached the Simona Halep (12), Romania, serve, forcing a backhand defending women's champion that defeat that maybe the noise Halep was in some danger quarterfinals. She was knocked def. Camila Giorgi, Italy, 6-4, error from the towering Kar- Naomi Osaka played her first- of New York just wasn't her again against Giorgi, an Italian out in the first round just two 7-6 (3). lovic on matchpoint. round match. scene, and the sounds were who recently won a hard-court years ago. But she steadied Leylah Annie Fernandez, Meanwhile, it was reported But spectators complained back Monday with the stands title in Montreal for the biggest herself in both tiebreakers that Australian Open runner- of delays, which the U.S. Tennis again allowed to be filled to full victory of her career. The No. 12 against Vekic, who reached the Canada, def. Ana Konjuh, up Jennifer Brady has with- Association said were largely capacity. seed was broken while serving quarter-finals in 2019. Croatia, 7-6 (3), 6-2. drawn from the US Open Anhelina Kalinina, Ukraine, because of an injury. def. Mayar Sherif, Egypt, 4-6, Brady, a semifinalist last 6-1, 6-1. year in Flushing Meadows, has Kaia Kanepi, Estonia, def. Yulia not played competitively since Putintseva (31), Kazakhstan, being forced to retire from her 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2. second-round match against Garbine Muguruza (9), Spain, Jelena Ostapenko in Cincinnati. The US Tennis def. Donna Vekic, Croatia, 7-6 A general view of the (4), 7-6 (5). Association did not specify her USTA Billie King National Sloane Stephens, United injury. Ostapenko, the 2017 Tennis Center during the French Open champion, also match between Simona States, def. Madison Keys, pulled out for medical reasons. Halep (ROU) and Camila United States, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7). On the men's side, Jo-Wil- Giorgi (ITA) on day one Ekaterina Alexandrova (32), fried Tsonga also withdrew. of the 2021 US Open Russia, def. Sara Errani, Italy, The 2008 Australian Open tennis tournament. 6-3, 6-2. finalist has a right leg injury. TUESDAY 31 AUGUST 2021 SPORT 15 Teams warm-up for new QNB Stars League season Players of Al Duhail, Al Rayyan and Al Sadd taking part in training sessions in Doha ahead of the kick off of the new QNB Stars League (QSL) season. Seven-time champions Al Gharafa will take on Al Shamal at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium on September 11 in this season's opening fixture. Most of the teams train without their international players who are currently taking part in the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers for their respective national teams. Teams are also missing the Qatar U-23 team members who are preparing for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Italy chasing record against Play Ronaldo as a striker, Bulgaria in WC Qualifier says Rooney AP – FLORENCE FIXTURES: UEFA QuaLifiers REUTERS – LONDON Newly-crowned European TOMOrrOW Manchester United should play champion Italy is looking to start Group A: Luxembourg vs Azerbaijan, Portugal vs Republic of Ireland, Qatar vs Serbia Cristiano Ronaldo as a striker again where it left off as it chases Group D: Kazakhstan vs Ukraine (16:00), France vs Bosnia and Herzegovina if they are to get the best out a long-standing record.