Sport TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2020 Top-seeded Simona Halep wins Italian Open after Pliskova retires from final In 2013 here I started to reach the top of world tennis. Since then I started to play really well and finally, after two finals, I could win this title. Simona Halep Sport |08 GOLF: US OPEN (TOP FIVE) Bryson DeChambeau (274), M. Wolff (280), L. Oosthuizen (282), H. English (283), X. Schauffele (284) Al Shorta’s ACL: Almoez strikes as Al Duhail Fayyadh rues missed edge Persepolis for crucial win opportunity CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA THEAFC.COM — DOHA Star striker Almoez Ali made the Forward Mazin Fayyadh was most of a penalty kick and left to reflect on missed chances struck his third goal in this after Al Shorta played to a 1-1 season’s AFC Champions draw against Islamic Republic League (ACL) as Al Duhail of Iran’s Esteghlal FC in their clinched a crucial 1-0 win 2020 AFC Champions League against Iran’s Persepolis FC in Group A match on Sunday. their Group C encounter which Fayyadh gave Al Shorta the took place at the Education City lead in the 25th minute but a Stadium, yesterday. series of missed chances cost The Qatari forward’s goal the Iraqi side heavily after sub- which came in the 60th minute stitute Amir Arsalan Motahari also took the QNB Stars League equalised for Esteghlal winners to top of the table in A win would have sealed Al their Group. Shorta’s place in the Round of The fixture was of great 16 but they now need group importance to both the teams winners Al Ahli Saudi FC to as only three points separated deny Esteghlal a win tomorrow the top and bottom placed to advance. teams in Group C before the “We dominated the first half kick off yesterday, with Perse- but missed many scoring polis occupying the top spot chances, We also had opportu- with seven points. nities to seal the tie in the A victory was the ‘only second half but failed to take Al Duhail’s forward Almoez Ali (left) scores from a penalty spot against Iran’s Persepolis, yesterday. option’ according to Al them. Duhail’s coach Walid Regragui, “This is football as you get who had emphasised the dangerous play from Ali on That resulted in a penalty in The Iranian side continued punished if you don’t take your importance of a win against Shojae Khalilzadeh. Bashar the 58th minute after an to push forward for an equaliser chances to score goals,” said the the former ACL finalists, fol- Resan curled it over the wall aggressive challenge by Khalil- but failed to break the Al Duhail 23-year-old forward. lowing their shock defeat in but could not get it down in zadeh on Al Duhail’s Belgian momentum until the final “We were affected by the the hands of Sharjah in their time to hit the target. midfieldr Edmilson inside the whistle. lack of official matches for a previous fixture. A quick exchange of passes box. The result means Al Duhail period of six months,” Fayyadh The first half of the match at the other end saw Ramin Al Duhail captain Ali then now have nine points and sit said. saw a keen tussle for the ball Rezaeian break free in space fired home his third goal from above the rest of the pack in “It was very hard for us to YESTERDAY’S RESULTS possession, with both teams down the right, but the former three matches to put the Qatari their race to the knockout stage play in the AFC Champions GROUP C defending well against each Persepolis player watched as side in front. with one more match to go. League which is more difficult Al Duhail SC (QAT) 1-0 Persepolis FC (IRN) other while not many chances his effort was parried by goal- Persepolis almost levelled Persepolis also remain in than the local league. Al Taawoun FC (KSA) 0-6 Sharjah (UAE) were created. keeper Hamed Lak. the scores six minutes later contention with their fate to be “Add to that the fact that we GROUP D With just three minutes to Upon restart, the hosts when Resan tested goalkeeper determined in their final played three matches in only Al Sadd SC (QAT) 1-1 Al Nassr (KSA) the break, Persepolis were stepped up their efforts and Mohammed Al Bakri, but the Al encounter against Sharjah. seven days was very hard for Sepahan FC (IRN) 0-0 Al Ain FC (UAE) awarded a free-kick on the continued to put pressure on Duhail custodian made a bril- us as players in term of fitness,” edge of the area after the Iranian side. liant save to spoil the effort. Additional inputs from theafc.com. he added. Bounedjah gives Al Sadd valuable point THE PENINSULA — DOHA the 13th minute. After being set up equaliser but despite their efforts, Going into the final few minutes by Nam Tae-hee, Hassan Al Haydos the first half would end with Al of the game, the Al Sadd players Baghdad Bounedjah seems to have tried a shot from the edge of the Nassr carrying the narrow pushed forward with urgency and regained his golden 2018 form box but Al Nassr keeper Brad Jones advantage. their efforts finally paid off in the when he scored record-equalling kept it out for a corner. Khoukhi At halftime, Xavi Hernandez 87th minute, when a loose ball fell 13 goals for Al Sadd at the AFC Boualem also had a go moments decided to send on Musaab Khidir to Bounedjah at the edge of the box. Champions League. After scoring later, shooting from distance but in place of Abdelkarim Hassan, Bounedjah gifted his side a point three goals in two games against Al Jones was once again able to parry while Ahmed Suhail replaced when he curled the ball into Jones’ Ain, the feared striker struck a late the ball. Khoukhi Boualem. net after Afif had played a ground equaliser against Al Nassr yesterday At the other end, Al Nassr There were few real chances at pass to Nam, the number 10 beau- to secure a 1-1 draw for the Wolves started making inroads and Abdul- either end in the second half as tifully played the Algeria interna- at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. fattah Adam went clear on goal in well, with the only opportunity of tional in to finish off. The draw gave a much-wanted the 19th minute, only to see his shot note coming in the 58th minute, After the equaliser, Bounedjah point to Al Sadd, taking them to a kept out by a great save from Saad when Guilherme sent a powerful had another chance late on, as he tally of nine, two behind Group D Al Dosari, who had raced off his line shot at goal, only to see it fly over managed to nudge the ball of a points leaders Al Nassr, who are yet to meet him. the crossbar. defender in front of goal, but it to taste defeat. Three minutes later, however, In the 71st minute, Rodrigo rolled away and wide of the post. Khalid Al Ghannam had put Al- Saad was beaten. Al Ghannam sent Tabata replaced Al Haydos to Moments later, the referee signalled Nassr ahead in the 22nd minute a low strike from a tight angle, that freshen up Al Sadd’s attack, while for full time, and the Wolves had to before Bounedjah equalised for Al slipped in past the keeper to give Tarek Salman was also substituted be satisfied with a point. Sadd in the 87th minute. Al-Nassr a 1-0 lead. for Yousuf Abdurisag, who played Al Sadd face Sepahan, while Al Al Sadd started the game slowly, After that shock goal, Al Sadd as the right-back, while Pedro Nassr will face the already elimi- before creating their first chance in pressed forward in search of an moved to the centre of the defence. nated Al Ain FC on Thursday. Baghdad Bounedjah celebrates his goal, yesterday. Djokovic wins fifth Italian Open to make Masters history REUTERS — ROME 18 unforced errors. “I’m proud that I managed Schwartzman, who outplayed to find the fifth gear when I World number one Novak It was a great week, a defending champion Rafa Nadal needed it.” Djokovic overcame a sluggish very challenging week. I in the quarter-finals, snatched Djokovic’s win moves him start to lift his fifth Italian Open found my best tennis another early break in the clear on the list of Masters 1000 title yesterday, defeating second set but Djokovic was titles, one ahead of rival Nadal, Argentine Diego Schwartzman when I needed it most. quick to respond. and sets him up perfectly for an 7-5, 6-3 for a record 36th ATP I’m proud that I managed The top seed stepped up the assault on next week’s Masters crown. to find the fifth gear intensity to break Schwartz- rescheduled French Open. Playing in his maiden ATP when I needed it: man’s serve twice before “Now we turn to Paris and 1000 final, eighth seed Novak Djokovic serving out the match com- I couldn’t ask for a better tour- Schwartzman raced out of the fortably to seal victory -- nament here in Rome,” the blocks to convert two break clinching it with a drop shot. 33-year-old Djokovic, the oldest point opportunities for a 3-0 “It was a great week, a very male winner of the Italian Open lead as Djokovic’s usually challenging week,” Djokovic, title, said.