NNFL|FL Page 5 TENNIS | Page 7 Carr and Djokovic eyes surprising record as Nadal Raiders targets fi rst host Broncos ATP Finals title Sunday, November 15, 2020 FOOTBALL Rabia I 29, 1442 AH ‘Phenomenal Kane GULF TIMES can be highest scorer for England’ SPORT Page 2 RUGBY Argentina stun All Blacks for fi rst ever win over NZ ‘It’s surreal what happened, not just the result but playing, getting on the field after everything that has happened this year’ AFP their frustrations out on a sloppy Sydney All Blacks in a dominant fi rst- half. With New Zealand strug- gutsy Argentina gling to create chances with stunned the All Blacks poor kicking, ill-discipline and 25-15 yesterday to pull too many errors, they incredibly off one of rugby’s big- went to the break 16-3 in front. Agest upse ts, consigning an em- New Zealand staged a second- barrassed New Zealand to their half fi ghtback, but with their fi rst back-to-back defeats in al- eyes on a major upset, Argentina most a decade. grimly resisted intense pressure Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez to post their best-ever result. scored all the Pumas’ points to Argentina got the fi rst points hand them their maiden victory on the board in the fi fth minute over the rugby powerhouse in with Sanchez nailing a pen- the 30 Tests they have played. alty from the half-way line after Mario Ledesma’s side were some push and shove instigated given virtually no chance ahead by New Zealand’s Shannon of the Tri Nations match in Syd- Frizell. ney after the coronavirus hin- It didn’t take long for Richie dered their preparations to just Mo’unga to level the scores but two low-key practice games. Argentina were playing well, But in their fi rst Test since the stringing together plenty of World Cup last year, they pulled phases. off a miracle. Their pressure culminated in “It’s surreal what happened, dangerman Sanchez crossing for not just the result but play- the fi rst try of the game, getting ing, getting on the fi eld after on the end of his own chip kick to everything that has happened touch down under the posts. this year,” said Argentina coach He converted to give his side Ledesma. an unlikely lead which they “Some of the boys haven’t stretched to 13-3 when Sanchez seen their families for four drilled another penalty, with months but they have all been Argentina’s players celebrate their victory over New Zealand in their Tri-Nations rugby match at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney yesterday. Jordie Barrett the off ender. positive... they have been awe- Only a try-saving tackle from some. 24-22 by the Wallabies in Bris- ers and named what many re- “Obviously from an All Black rugby... they have come here toric day for them.” Aaron Smith prevented the Pu- “I think we will remember bane last week and have now garded as the All Blacks’ best view we are bitterly disappoint- with massive energy and a de- Unlike Australia and New mas going further in front after this for a long time, not only the lost back-to-back Tests for the run-on side after last week’s ed with the result, with the way sire to prove something to their Zealand, Argentina did not have Tomas Cubelli broke free, but game but because of the special fi rst time since 2011 when they game, but they were no match we played,” said Foster. country which has gone through a Super Rugby competition to more All Blacks ill-discipline situation,” he added. crashed to South Africa and for a Pumas team helped by “But what I think we saw was a heck of a hard time. help them prepare. But after handed them another penalty It was a humiliating defeat for Australia. former Australian coach Michael a team that despite the disad- “I want to congratulate them months of quarantine, they were which the laser-like Sanchez New Zealand who were shocked Coach Ian Foster axed 10 play- Cheika. vantage of not playing a lot of on the result, it is a bit of an his- chomping at the bit and took again put over. FORMULA 1 Stroll takes maiden pole to upstage Hamilton AFP declared the track was unsafe — fi rstly Istanbul due to the conditions and then, sec- ondly, when Romain Grosjean spun into a gravel trap in his Haas. ance Stroll upstaged Formula The interruptions added 50 min- One’s title-chasing Lewis utes to the schedule as daylight reced- Hamilton yesterday when he ed in the appalling conditions, but the Lgrabbed the fi rst pole posi- brilliant car control of Verstappen and tion of his career at the Turkish Grand his Red Bull teammate Albon was on Prix, the Canadian saying “it feels re- display as they topped the times, the ally good right now”. Dutchman 1.9 seconds clear. The 22-year-old Racing Point driv- In the drama, Leclerc slithered er made the most of drying conditions through to Q2 while Hamilton, his on a treacherous track to end Mer- best lap cancelled for exceeding track cedes’ 13 race domination of qualify- limits, struggled through in 14th ing this year. place. Grosjean was eliminated along Stroll delivered a dazzling fastest with his Haas team-mate Kevin Mag- lap in one minute and 47.765 seconds nussen, the two Williams of George in the closing seconds to usurp his Russell and Nicholas Latifi and Alpha teammate Sergio Perez and then resist Tauri’s Daniil Kvyat. a last surge from Red Bull’s Max Ver- In the severe conditions, the teams stappen. were making extreme use of their The disappointed Dutchman was tyre-warming facilities to ensure second, three-tenths behind Stroll, drivers could fi nd at least some mini- but ahead of Mexican Perez who The six-time champion wound up “It has been a pretty rough ride for mal grip before the rain relented, en- claimed his career-best starting posi- sixth behind Alex Albon in the second me so it feels good. Feels really good couraging some to try intermediates. tion after fi nishing fourth nine times Red Bull and Renault’s Daniel Ric- right now.” In Q2, both Mercedes were clearly in the past. ciardo whose teammate Esteban Ocon This is the fi rst time this season that struggling to keep any heat in their Stroll was the fi rst Canadian to take qualifi ed seventh. neither Hamilton (nine) nor Bottas tyres while Verstappen, oozing confi - pole since Jacques Villeneuve at the “Yes, Yes, Yes boys,” Stroll screamed (four) have topped qualifying. dence, set the pace. 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez and on the team radio. “I can’t really put it Hamilton can seal a record-equal- At the fl ag, the Dutchman was two it was the Silverstone-based Racing into words,” he added. “I’m shocked. I ling seventh drivers’ world title today seconds clear of Albon with Hamilton Point team’s fi rst pole since, racing as didn’t expect to be up here after FP3. if he prevents Bottas from outscoring 2.4 down in third and Bottas seventh Jordan, they did so at the 2009 Bel- “There were a lot of things we him by eight points. while both Ferraris failed to make the gian Grand Prix. weren’t sure about coming into quali- After Friday’s ice rink conditions on cut to the top-ten shootout. The outcome left Mercedes well- fying. We didn’t look that competitive the resurfaced circuit, heavy rain ush- In Q3 Verstappen went four seconds beaten on the weekend when Lewis in Q3.” His surprise qualifying per- ered in even more treacherous chal- clear of nearest rival Bottas before Pe- Hamilton bids to seal a record-equal- formance comes after a diffi cult few lenges in which most of the drivers rez, on intermediates, re-set expecta- ling seventh drivers’ champion- weeks when he had to miss the Eifel slithered and spun. Pole position winner Racing Point’s Canadian driver Lance Stroll (also at left, tions by topping the Dutchman and ship and draw level with seven-time Grand Prix, testing positive for coro- The Q1 session was interrupted driving) celebrates after the qualifying session at the Intecity Istanbul Park circuit prompting a switch of tyres for every- champion Michael Schumacher. navirus the next day. twice for red fl ags, when Race Control in Istanbul yesterday. one else for the fi nal surprising runs. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, November 15, 2020 FOOTBALL NATIONS LEAGUE FOCUS Man United speculation ‘Phenomenal’ Kane has not aff ected my form: Sancho Reuters can be England record London ngland winger Jadon Sancho says his form has dipped slightly this season but dismissed Esuggestions that it is due to me- dia speculation about his club future. The Borussia Dortmund scorer, says Southgate player emerged as Manchester United’s number one transfer target during the close season, with British media reporting Forward is sixth on his country’s all-time scoring chart with 32 international goals that the Premier League side had bid around 100mn euros AFP ($120mn). London Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke ruled out the possibility of Sancho leaving areth Southgate says “phe- the Bundesliga team in the sum- nomenal” Harry Kane is ca- mer. The 20-year-old is yet to pable of becoming England’s fi nd the net in six league games record goal-scorer as the Tot- this season after scoring 17 in Gtenham striker prepares to win his 50th the previous campaign.