6 February 3, 2019 Iran Congratulates Qatar Kyrie Irving Scores 23, Leads Celtics on Winning AFC Asian Cup Past Knicks 113-99 TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s Foreign Ministry has congratulated the Qatari government, nation and national football team on winning the title of the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, held in the United Arab Emirates. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi congratulated Qataris on winning the AFC championship and wished greater successes for the meritorious players and coaches of the Arab country’s national football team. Qatar football team on Friday won its first ever AFC Asian Cup title after beating Japan 3-1 in the final match. Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving (11) shoots the ball over New York To win the title was perhaps unexpected, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (26) during the first half at Madison but to do so in the United Arab Emirates, one Square Garden. of the countries to join with Saudi Arabia, FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) and AFC President Salman Al-Khalifa (2nd-L) present NEW YORK (AP) - Kyrie Damyean Dotson scored 22 points Bahrain and Egypt in breaking off relations the cup to Qatar’s forward Hasan Al Haydos (2nd-R) during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final Irving had 23 points, 10 rebounds and and Kevin Knox had 21 for the football match between Japan and Qatar at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on with Qatar in June 2017, is likely to feel six assists before a Madison Square Knicks, who dropped their 12th February 1, 2019. (AFP) even more satisfying for those in Doha. Garden crowd eager to start the free straight. agent wooing five months early, and Irving is one of the headline names the Boston Celtics beat New York 113- in the 2019 free agent class, and 99 on Friday night in the Knicks‘ first though he said at a Celtics fan event Shiffrin Takes World Cup Slalom for game since trading Kristaps Porzingis. last fall that he intended to re-sign in The trade to Dallas gave the Knicks Boston, that may be no guarantee. money to chase two top free agents He told reporters at the morning Personal-Best 13th Win this summer and fans showed Irving shootaround to “Ask me July 1” if his MARIBOR, Slovenia (AP) - Mikaela Shiffrin that they want him to be one of them, plans had changed. won the last women’s World Cup slalom before cheering him before and during his Irving got a loud ovation when the world championships on Saturday for her return from a two-game absence with starting lineups were announced personal-best 13th victory of the season. a hip injury. and again when he touched the ball ‘’I am really proud of this whole season. My Marcus Morris added 18 points for early in the game. A brief “We want team has done a great job. And here we are,’’ the Celtics, who won for the eighth Kyrie! We want Kyrie!” chant echoed the two-time overall champion said. ‘’It’s time in nine games. through the arena in the third quarter. hard to put it into words,’’ Shiffrin built on a commanding lead of a full second after the opening run to win the Sarri Asks for Patience in race by 0.77 ahead of Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden, who earned her first podium in her Changing Chelsea’s Football 100th World Cup start. Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was 1.15 LONDON (Dispatches) - Chelsea said. behind in third for her 20th career slalom manager Maurizio Sarri says “In one the coach arrived five podium without winning - a World Cup patience will be needed if his vision years ago, in another three years record. for the club is to be fulfilled. ago and in the other two years ago. Olympic slalom champion Frida Hansdotter Sarri’s side lost 4-0 at “I want to remember that in the of Sweden was 1.34 behind in fourth, Bournemouth on Wednesday, less first season [Jurgen] Klopp and while Shiffrin’s main rival, Petra Vlhova of than two weeks after he called his Liverpool were in the middle of Slovakia, was second after the opening run players hard to motivate following the table. I am a dreamer; I want to but dropped to fifth, 1.70 off the lead. a defeat at Arsenal. play my football.” Shiffrin bettered her best mark from last The Italian said Premier League The defeat at Bournemouth, year of 12 victories in a single season. Only rivals Manchester City, Liverpool which saw Chelsea drop out Swiss great Vreni Schneider has won more and Spurs offered a template for of the top four, was their worst races in a one season - 14 in 1988-89. Mikaela Shiffrin success. league result in 22 years and led With five technical events, two super-G races “English football is in the hands to a reportedly “angry” dressing and an Alpine combined event remaining layer of the Radvanje course. last year, when weather forced organizers to of these teams because they had room debrief between the former after the worlds, Shiffrin is a strong favorite Winning both races made the American the move the race to another Slovenian resort, a plan and they were patient,” he Napoli manager and his players. to overtake Schneider. obvious winner of the Golden Fox, a prize Kranjska Gora. Shiffrin certainly had to overcome tough local organizers award to the best skier of the In two weeks, Shiffrin will be aiming for a conditions on Saturday. Spring-like weather weekend, adding the GS and slalom results. record fourth straight slalom world title at the Germany’s Felix Loch Wins with mild temperatures softened the top Shiffrin also won both the GS and slalom championships in Are, Sweden. Luge Race by 0.004 Seconds Australia, Germany, Serbia, Russia Close In on Davis Cup Finals Germany 2-0 up with the doubles the absence of Australian Open and reverse singles all to be played champion Novak Djokovic, as on Saturday. Dusan Lajovic saw off world Philipp Kohlschreiber had opened number 593 Sanjar Fayziev 7-6 the tie in Frankfurt by outlasting (7/4), 6-3, before Filip Krajinovic’s Zsombor Piros 6-7 (8/6), 7-5, 6-4. 6-2, 6-4 win over Denis Istomin in Former champions Australia, Tashkent. Russia and Serbia also took 2-0 Russian youngster Daniil leads. Medvedev survived a scare against John Millman brushed aside Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen in Bosnian number one Damir their opening rubber, winning 7-6 Dzumhur 6-3, 6-2, in Adelaide, (10/8), 6-7 (6/8), 6-2 to give the Germany’s Felix Loch wins luge race by 0.004 seconds before rising star Alex De Minaur visitors the lead in Biel. ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) - In doubles, the Austrian team of beat Mirza Basic 6-3, 7-6 (7/0) to Then world number 11 Karen World champion Felix Loch of Germany Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller claim his first Davis Cup win. Khachanov’s beat 362nd-ranked won a luge race by four-thousandths of won for the third time this season. “It’s a dream come true for me, Marc-Andrea Huesler, 6-3, 7-5. a second Saturday, overtaking Austria’s They edged the German team of Toni Reinhard Egger for his first World Cup Eggert and Sascha Benecken, while Alexander Zverev puts Germany in touching distance of Davis Cup finals. and I’m so happy I finally was The 12 winners in qualifying able to get a win for my country in this weekend will join automatic victory this season. Andris Sics and Juris Sics of Latvia Loch’s time over two runs was 1 took the bronze. Chris Mazdzer and PARIS (AFP) - Alexander Zverev revamped Davis Cup. Davis Cup,” said the 19-year-old qualifiers Croatia, France, United minute, 48.669 seconds. Germany’s Jayson Terdiman of the U.S. placed has crushed Peter Nagy of Hungary The German World No. 3 beat De Minaur. States, Spain, Argentina and Johannes Ludwig was third and ninth. to put Germany within touching the Hungarian, who finished 2018 Serbia also moved to within Britain in November’s finals in the top U.S. finisher was Jonny The women’s race in Altenberg is distance of a place in the finals of the outside the top 600, 6-2, 6-2, to put one win of qualification despite Madrid. Gustafson, 16th. Sunday, followed by a team relay..