SPORT Monday 9 October 2017 PAGE | 30 PAGE | 31 PAGE | 35 Ruthless Hamilton Nadal punishes Woods hitting roars to victory Kyrgios to win ‘‘smooths iron shots’ in Japan in Beijing in injury update Al Khor’s Madson Formagini is tackled by Al Kharaitiyat’s Mohamoud Sadd during their QSL Cup match at Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. LEFT: Al Kharaitiyat midfielder Tiberkanine Rachid scores his second goal against Al Khor during their QSL England’s Harry Kane shoots at goal to score against Cup match at Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday. Rachid scored a Lithuania during their 2018 World Cup qualifier at LFF hat-trick as Al Kharaitiyat recorded a resounding 4-2 win in Stadium in Vilnius, Lithuania yesterday. the Group A match yesterday. Pictures: Baher Amin/The Peninsula Kane nets winner for England in final qualifier Reuters for almost two years and the striker repaid his coach’s faith ngland rounded off an with a lively, if sometimes rag- unbeaten World Cup ged, display. Equalifying campaign with With group rivals Poland Harry Kane’s first-half penalty taking an early lead against sealing an uninspiring 1-0 vic- Montenegro, the Danes knew tory over Lithuania in rainy that they could no longer win Vilnius yesterday. the group, but Bendtner and Kane converted from the Pione Sisto were keen to give spot in the 27th minute for his the sell-out crowd at the Parken sixth goal in his last seven Eng- Stadium their money’s worth. land matches after his Sisto let fly with a stinging Tottenham Hotspur team mate shot from distance on the half- Dele Alli tumbled in the area hour mark that was touched under a clumsy challenge from over the bar for a corner, and Rachid hat-trick powers Ovidijus Verbickas in the Group moments later Bendtner missed F match. a glorious chance to put Den- England, who qualified for mark in front as his shot was a sixth successive World Cup blocked by a last-ditch tackle. finals on Thursday when Kane Shortly after, the 29-year- Al Kharaitiyat to victory scored a last-gasp goal in a 1-0 old former Arsenal and defeat of Slovenia at Wembley, Juventus striker had the ball in made several changes to their the net, but the goal was disal- Armstrong Vas The first two quarters of the In the second half, Rachid In the 81st minute, Al Khor lineup but again failed to offer lowed for offside. The Peninsula match saw both the teams fight- opened up the rival defense with reduced the margin to make it much excitement. Bendtner finally paved the ing to get a firm hold over the goal 16 minutes into the second 3-2 with Saoud Mohammed Al Despite overwhelming pos- way for the deadlock to be bro- hat-trick from mid- proceedings. Both teams creat- session. Mohammed Abdulraab Khallaqi beating the off side trap session on the slick artificial ken when he was pulled back fielder Tiberkanine ing openings but were unable to Al Yazidi covered a lot of ground to place his shot past the onrush- surface they struggled to open in the box on the hour mark by Rachid helped Al add any goals against their name on the right flank and square the ing goalkeeper. up a resolute home side with defender Cristian Ganea as he Kharaitiyat to regis- on the scoreboard. ball for a perfectly positioned Rachid struck his third goal chances few and far between attempted a header, and Chris- ter a resounding 4-2 Al Kharaitiyat finally ended Rachid to make it 2-0 in favour of the match, to make sure there in a drab encounter. tian Eriksen stepped up to winA over Al Khor and collect the impasse in the 36th minute of Al Kharaitiyat. were no hiccups for his side at England, unbeaten in 21 convert the spot kick. their second successive win in off a dead ball situation. Al Khor rallied back and the fag end of the match. World Cup qualifiers, finished Ganea was sent off the Group A match of the QSL Al Kharaitiyat defender pulled one back in the 71st The Moroccan, who was top of Group F with 26 points moments later, collecting his Cup at Al Gharafa Stadium Gounerou Josue Mohy, who had minute. entrusted with the spot kick, from 10 matches. second yellow card for drag- yesterday. moved up for the corner kick, Brazilian Madson, who got which was awarded after Adul Elsewhere, Nicklas Bendt- ging down Yussuf Poulsen, but The 32-year-old Belgium- outjumped his marker to con- hold a perfect through pass, Hadi Amin was adjudged to be ner returned to the starting despite being down to ten men, born Moroccan playmaker nect the aerial ball to send it made no mistake in side step- have been brought down line-up to help Denmark secure Ciprian Deac fired home a late struck telling blows in crucial soaring into back of the nets, ping the advancing Al unfairly by the rival keeper in second position in Group E and equaliser for Romania in the stages of the match to give full much to the delight of his Kharaitiyat keeper Saeid Nas- an one-to-one situation, made a place in the playoffs, winning 88th minute. points to his side. team-mates. rollah Monfared and guide the no mistake with the penalty a penalty for his side in a 1-1 Poland beat Montenegro Rachid struck his first goal in Thereafter, both teams ball into an unguarded goal, 2-1. kick sending the goal tender draw with Romania in their 4-2 to finish top of Group E on the 61st minute and added a sec- pressed hard for the goals but Four minutes later, Al the wrong way, to make it 4-2 final World Cup qualifier. 25 points with the Danes sec- ond one in the 75th minute while could not trouble the scorers, Kharaitiyat scored again with and ensure full points for his Manager Age Hareide gave ond on 20, four ahead of completing his hat-trick in the while going into the half time Rachid making no mistake with side. Bendtner, currently plying his third-placed Montenegro and dying minutes to take the match break score of 1-0 in favour of his second attempt after the first Al Kharaitiyat now have six trade at Norwegian side Rosen- seven ahead of Romania, who away from the opposing team. Al Kharaitiyat. try came off the rival keeper, 3-1. points from two matches. borg, his first competitive start finished fourth. Qatar under-19 cricketers ready for ACC Asia Cup Qualifiers Qatar under-19 cricketers pose for a photograph with Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) President Yousef Jeham Al Kuwari, coach Aruna De Silva, team manager Amjad Baig and QCA officials ahead of the Asian Cricket Council Under- 19 Asia Cup Western Region qualifiers. Qatar, along with six other countries will fight for a single qualification spot in the ACC Under 19 Asia Cup tournament which will take place in Kuwait from October 11 to 20. 30 SPORT MONDAY 9 OCTOBER 2017 Ruthless Hamilton roars to Japan win Suzuka, Japan JAPANESE GRAND PRIX AFP Huge blow for Vettel Results and Formula One world championship stand- Vettel saw his title hopes all ings after the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday: ewis Hamilton romped to victory but disappear after he retired 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) at the Japanese Grand Prix yester- with engine problems on the 307 km in 1 h 27:31.193 (average speed: 211 km/h) Lday to close in on a fourth world fourth lap. Hamilton steers his 2. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) at ......... 1.211 title after Sebastian Vettel retired with Mercedes to a crushing eighth 3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) at ...........9.679 engine failure on lap four. win of the year to stretch his 4. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) at .............10.580 The Briton dominated from pole, 5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) at ................ 32.622 Formula One championship steering his Mercedes to a crushing lead over Vettel to 59 points 6. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) at ......... 1:07.788 eighth win of the year, stretching his For- with just 100 left to play for. 7. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) at ............ 1:11.424 mula One championship lead over Vettel 8. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) at ............. 1:28.953 to 59 points with just 100 left to play for. 9. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) at .............. 1:29.883 “Honestly I could only have dreamed frantically on the grid to fix a spark plug 10. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) at .............. 1 lap 11. Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren) at ........1 lap of having this kind of gap,” said Hamil- issue before lights out and Vettel was 12. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) at ............. 1 lap ton after holding off a late charge from quickly complaining of a lack of power. 13. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Toro Rosso) at ............1 lap Max Verstappen in Suzuka. The German, who finished fourth in 14. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) at ...... 1 lap “The team has done a phenomenal Malaysia and crashed from pole in Singa- 15. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) at ........... 2 laps job, they’re just so meticulous so a big pore before that, plummeted to sixth on The other competitors were not classified thank you to the guys.” the first lap before being told to retire the The Red Bulls of Verstappen -- who car as Hamilton roared away into the dis- World championship standings stunned Hamilton to win in Malaysia last tance.