WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021 10 Sri Lanka to tour England after pay-row ban threat Zidansek, Pavlyuchenkova reach semis at French Open Resurgent Pavlyuchenkova faces outsider Zidansek in French Open semi-finals Angelo Mathews (R) and Dimuth Karunaratne run between wickets (file photo) AFP | London ri Lanka’s players have set Saside a pay dispute with national cricket chiefs until the England tour is over, after KNOW WHAT being threatened with bans of up to three years if they did not play. The cricket board has cut Under the proposed fees for 24 national players structure, former Tamara Zidansek hits a return to Paula Badosa Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova hits a return to Elena Rybakina by up to 40 percent in new captain Angelo on her sixth double fault. performance-based contracts, Mathews and current Slovenian Tamara Earlier, the unheralded which the players have reject- Test captain Dimuth Zidansek• battles Zidansek became the first ed. There are so many woman representing Slovenia Both sides failed to conclude Karunaratne would past Paula Badosa to advance to the last four at a suffer the biggest emotions to reach a their talks on the new scheme 12 Grand Slam semi-final Grand Slam after beating in- -- which would mean drastic cuts Anastasia WTA titles have been form Spaniard Paula Badosa 7-5, for the first time. I pay cuts for some senior play- Pavlyuchenkova• outlasts won by Pavlyuchenkova 4-6, 8-6. ers -- by a weekend deadline et Board if the tour was can- throughout her career always had the tennis. “It feels overwhelming. It’s set by Sri Lanka Cricket. celled due to the pay issue. Elena Rybakina to reach but has never made a big Mentally I’m probably hard to take it in this fast,” said But the 24-member squad A lawyer representing the first Grand Slam semi impact at a Grand Slam more solid now. Just Zidansek, who had never gone agreed to play against England cricketers reiterated at the trying to play smarter beyond the second round of a after the authorities warned weekend they did not agree AFP | Paris tennis. I’m working Slam before this year’s Roland they risked bans of up to three with the new pay scheme. “There are so many emotions Garros. years if they refused, official Under the proposed struc- to reach a Grand Slam semi-final harder Zidansek recovered from sources said. ture, former captain Angelo nastasia Pavlyuchen- for the first time,” said 29-year- ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA 3-0 and a double break down “Players have agreed to Mathews and current Test kova reached her first old Pavlyunchenkova who in the first set and saved three abide by the conditions of the captain Dimuth Karunaratne AGrand Slam semi-final had fallen at the quarter-final opener. Pavlyuchenkova broke break points at 6-6 in the de- board for the England tour,” a would suffer the biggest cuts. at the 52nd attempt yesterday stage at the majors on six pre- back in the seventh game before cider against Badosa, the 33rd board official said, asking not Mathews’ annual fee would and will be favoured to make vious occasions since her 2007 the 6ft (1.84m) Russian-born seed with the most clay court to be named. fall from $130,000 a year to the French Open final when debut. Kazakh dominated the tiebreak. wins (17) on the WTA tour this Both sides agreed to address $80,000, while Karunaratne she takes on world number 85 “I always had the tennis. The Russian levelled the tie season. the pay issue after the tour, was offered $70,000, a drop of Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia. Mentally I’m probably more courtesy of breaks in the sixth The Slovene took her second which includes three one- $30,000. Pavlyuchenkova, the world solid now. Just trying to play and eighth games of the second match point to continue her day internationals and three When the new pay plan was number 32, beat doubles part- smarter tennis. I’m working set. dream run. She is two wins away Twenty20 games. unveiled last month, players ner Elena Rybakina 6-7 (2/7), harder.” In a tense decider, there were from emulating Maribor-born The official said Sri Lanka said it was “non-transparent” 6-2, 9-7 in her first quarter-final Rybakina dumped out Serena four breaks in the first six games Mima Jausovec, who won Ro- would have had to pay huge and urged Sri Lanka Cricket to appearance at Roland Garros Williams in the previous round before Rybakina cracked in the land Garros in 1977 while rep- penalties to the England Crick- not hold them at “gunpoint”. since 2011. and raced into a 4-1 lead in the 16th game, going down tamely resenting Yugoslavia. Medvedev and Kudermetova to England face ‘difficult time’ as Robinson lead Russian tennis in Tokyo Twitter row rumbles, says Anderson AFP | London ames Anderson said yes - BETTER Jterday England’s cricketers were trying to learn lessons during a “difficult time” after KNOW paceman Ollie Robinson was suspended over historical racist and sexist tweets. Robinson’s international ca- British Prime Minister reer is on hold after last week’s Johnson on Monday successful Test debut against backed comments New Zealand pending an Eng- from his culture and land and Wales Cricket Board sports secretary that (ECB) investigation into social English cricket’s ruling Daniil Medvedev hits a return (file photo) media messages he posted in 2012 and 2013. body had gone “over AFP | Moscow ident of the Russian Tennis The issue is overshadowing the top” by suspend- Federation, told TASS news the action on the pitch, with the James Anderson in action during training ing James Anderson en’s world No. 2 Daniil agency the men’s team would ECB becoming aware of a sec- ECB and the PCA (Professional Anderson, who will win a re- MMedvedev and Veron- also include Andrei Rublev, ond unidentified player posting Cricketers’ Association),” he cord 162nd cap if he is select- ika Kudermetova, the high- currently 7th in ATP rankings, “historic offensive material” on said. ed for the second Test against of the group and apologised and est-ranked Russian woman, Karen Khachanov, ranked social media and even an inter- “We’ve all been doing work- New Zealand, which starts at you can see how sincere he was, will lead their tennis teams 25th, and Aslan Karatsev, the vention from Prime Minister shops before this series to try Edgbaston on Thursday, said and how upset he was. at the Tokyo Olympics, a surprise semi-finalist at this Boris Johnson. and help improve ourselves Robinson had apologised for “I think as a group, we’ve ap- Russian sports official said year’s Australian Open. Veteran paceman Anderson, as people basically, to try and the tweets. preciated that he’s a different yesterday. Kudermetova, ranked 30th, who is set to become England’s make sure that this sort of thing “Yes, we do make mistakes, person now. He’s done a lot of Russian athletes in Tokyo will be joined in the women’s most-capped Test player this doesn’t happen.” everyone does and as people maturing and growing since will represent the Russian team by Anastasia Pavlyuchen- week, said players were “trying Prime Minister Johnson on we’ve got to try improve and then and he’s got the full sup- Olympic Committee ( ROC) kova, Ekaterina Alexandrova to learn” from the situation. Monday backed comments from make sure this sort of stuff port of the team.” because their country was and Daria Kasatkina. “We’ve realised that it’s im- his culture and sports secre - doesn’t happen and make sure Anderson, 38, was asked how stripped of its flag and anthem Tarpischev added that Elena portant to try and get educat- tary that English cricket’s ruling people are aware it’s not accept- carefully he had reviewed his at the Games for doping of - Vesnina would play doubles ed around these issues, which body had gone “over the top” by able,” said the Lancashire quick. own posts, which date back to fences either with Kudermetova or we’re continuing to do with the suspending the 27-year-old. “(Robinson) stood up in front 2009. Shamil Tarpischev, pres- Vera Zvonareva..