ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021 SPORTS 15 Serbia pull away late to win Canada hold off Greece in More slipping and sliding at Olympic qualifying opener BRITISH COLUMBIA, June 30, playing, and how experienced they are, (AP): Andrew Wiggins and Canada and what traditions they have,” Nurse Wimbledon as Djokovic wins survived their fi rst test in the Olympic said. “It never entered our minds that it Qualifying Tournament. wasn’t going to be really hard. I think Wiggins scored 23 points, RJ Barrett winning any game is really hard and added 22 and Canada held off Greece then when you’re playing in mean- 97-91 in Victoria, Canada in the the ingful competition, a good team, a fi rst game at that site’s qualifi er. physical team, a big team and a well- Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored coached team, you’re going to be put 18 for Canada, which trailed by as under some duress.” many as eight points late in the fi rst There are four qualifying tourna- half. The Canadians took the lead for ments - hosted by Canada, Serbia, the good midway through the third Lithuania and Croatia - to determine quarter, then held on at the end. the last four spots in the 12-team fi eld Canada coach Nick Nurse, the coach for the Tokyo Olympics. Those four of the Toronto Raptors, made clear that spots will all be determined on Sun- his team doesn’t expect any game to be day. easy. Greece had fi ve players in double “We’re not under any illusions of fi gures, led by Konstantinos Mito- how good these teams are that we’re glou’s 14 points. Kostas Sloukas and former Florida guard Nick Calathes had 12 for Greece. Infections on rise “I can’t ask any more out of these guys,” said Greece coach Rick Pitino, the Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bach arrives in now at Iona College. “We’re all disap- pointed in losing, but we’re hoping we Tokyo on July 8 can see Canada again.” TOKYO, June 30, (AP): IOC Turkey 95, Uruguay 86 President Thomas Bach will Cedi Osman scored 27 points and arrive in Tokyo on July 8 and Turkey won a back-and-forth nightcap spend three days in isolation in Victoria, ending the game on a 31- before holding meetings leading 14 run. up to the opening of the post- Alperen Sengun scored 15 points poned Tokyo Olympics on July for Turkey, which wasted an 11-point 23, Tokyo organizers and the the early lead and then rallied in the fi nal International Olympic Commit- minutes. tee said Wednesday. Bach is also expected to visit BASKETBALL Hiroshima on July 16, at the same time as his vice president and colleague John Coates is to Omer Yurtseven scored the last seven visit Nagasaki. points of a 10-0 run that gave Turkey a Visiting dignitaries often pay 37-26 lead, its biggest of the game, mid- visits to the way through the second quarter. Uru- cities as a guay chipped away and led by as many reminder of as eight in the fourth, before Osman’s the nuclear 3-pointer with 4:01 left rattled in to put Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a return to South Africa’s Kevin Anderson during the men’s singles second round match on day three of the Wimbledon attacks by the Turkey ahead to stay. Tennis Championships in London, on June 30. (AP) United States Jayson Granger had 25 points and in August 10 assists for Uruguay, which got 16 1945 during points from Mathias Calfani. Sabalenka, Kyrgios advance World War Serbia 94, Dom Rep 76 Messi’s future up in the air II. Serbia’s quest to return to the Olym- Ahead of pics got off to a good start. WIMBLEDON, England, as Barcelona contract ends Bach Bach’s visit, Boban Marjanovic scored 18 points June 30, (AP): Novak COVID-19 cases are rising in and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the sil- Djokovic slid, slipped, skid- MADRID, June 30, (AP): Lionel Mess’s history. But since then, Bar- Tokyo. ver medalists from the 2016 Rio de Messi’s contract with Barcelona is celona has a new coach in Ronald On Wednesday, Tokyo re- Janeiro Games opened their Olympic ded and stumbled into the coming to an end Wednesday with Koeman and a new president after ported 714 new cases - the high- Qualifying Tournament with a 94-76 third round on Wimble- no news from the player or the the resignation of Josep Bartomeu, est in fi ve weeks and the 11th win over the Dominican Republic. don’s slick grass Wednes- club about his future. who was at odds with Messi. straight day in Tokyo that cases The game was tied at 69-69 early The expectation is that the In came are higher than they were seven in the fourth quarter; Serbia, which day by beating Kevin An- 34-year-old Messi, who is play- Joan Lapor- days previously. is playing host to the qualifi er in Bel- derson 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. ing with Argentina at the Copa ta, who won Only about 12% of Japa- grade, outscored the Dominicans 25-7 Djokovic didn’t face a break America, will stay at the Catalan the club’s nese are fully vaccinated. A the rest of the way. club. He reportedly had been close presidential quasi-state of emergency ends “Of course, we’re proud,” Marjanovic point and committed just six un- to reaching a deal to extend his election in on July 12 with the possibility said. “Everybody who comes here wants forced errors, including one with contract for two more years. part because that government offi cials may to make the Olympic Games, the main his forehand. of his good have to reinstate another state of thing. Everybody’s fi ghting for that spot, But footing continued to be an is- relationship emergency that could be in force everybody plays tough, good, and I’m sue on the third day of the tournament, SOCCER with the Ar- when the Olympics open. proud of my team because we didn’t give and Djokovic went sprawling several gentina star. In controversial remarks made up in this game.” times, as did players in other matches Messi’s future has been a mystery He was just over a month ago, Coates was Filip Petrusev scored 17 points and and at least one ball kid. Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka cel- since he had his request to leave the Messi the president asked if the Olympics could be Vasilije Micic added 16 for Serbia. Seven-time champion Serena Wil- ebrates winning a point against club denied at the end of the 2019- when Messi’s held during a state of emergency. “As expected, it was a diffi cult game,” liams retired from her first-round Britain’s Katie Boulter during the 20 season. He ended up staying and career started. Laporta said recently “The answer is absolutely Serbia coach Igor Kokoskov said. match Tuesday with a leg injury after women’s singles second round said he would reconsider his options he was optimistic that Messi would yes,” he replied. Michael Torres Cuevas and Victor she slipped. Roger Federer’s opponent, match on day three of the Wimble- when this season was over. renew his contract. When asked The IOC has pushed on with Liz each had 16 points for the Domini- Adrian Mannarino, had to call it quits don Tennis Championships in Lon- A lot has changed since he an- about Messi’s future on Wednesday, the Olympics despite strong can Republic. after he fell and twisted his knee. don, on June 30. (AP) nounced he wanted to leave the club. he briefl y said “don’t worry.” local opposition, partially be- Persistent rain the first two days Lithuania 76, Venezuela 65 That decision was made not long af- Messi excelled again this season cause it earns almost 75% of its of play created slick conditions. The but was seeded fifth, committed 34 un- ter the team’s embarrassing 8-2 loss despite staying against his wishes. Jonas Valanciunas had 20 points on forced errors to seven for Cornet. income from selling television weather also caused a scheduling to Bayern Munich in the quarterfi - He led the Spanish league in scor- rights. That income has stalled 8 of 9 shooting, plus grabbed 11 re- backlog, with 27 first-round matches Grand Slam underachiever Aryna bounds for Lithuania. Domantas Sabo- Sabalenka is into the third round for nals of the Champions League, one ing with 30 goals and helped the during the pandemic. pushed into Wednesday. of the worst defeats in the club’s and team win the Copa del Rey title. Offi cially, Japan is spending nis and Mantas Kalnietis each scored the first time, thanks to a narrow win $15.4 billion on the Olympics, 12 for Lithuania, which closed the fi rst over a local favorite. although government audits half on an 8-0 run to break a tie and TENNIS The Belarusian advanced by rally- of their suspended first-round match at play past 11 p.m. When they resumed suggest it’s much more. All but kept the lead the rest of the way. David ing past British wild-card entry Katie Wimbledon. on No. 1 Court, Kyrgios broke for an $6.7 billion is public money. Cubillan scored 11 points for Venezu- The retractable roof was open when Boulter 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.