Sports- Themuslimchronicle

Russian speed skater An 'banned from Olympics for doping'

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 08:55:44 GMT

Russia's Viktor Ahn, the most decorated Olympic short track speed skater, has been barred from competing at next month's Pyeongchang Winter Games in his native South Korea, the TASS news agency has reported.

Born Ahn Hyun-soo in Seoul, the skater won three gold medals and a bronze at the 2006 Turin Games for South Korea but was passed over for Vancouver four years later due to a knee injury and after falling out with Korea's skating union.

Ahn then gave up his South Korean passport and switched allegiance to Russia in 2011 and returned to Olympic ice with a vengeance in Sochi in 2014, winning three more golds and a bronze.

"Ahn has been barred from participation in the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang," TASS quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying late on Monday. "His team mates Denis Airapetyan and Vladimir Grigoryev have also been barred."

The report did not provide any reason for Ahn's exclusion from the Games.

The participation of Russian athletes at the 2018 Games has been under a cloud after widespread doping at the Sochi Winter Games was exposed by an independent report for the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has banned Russia from the Feb. 9-25 Pyeongchang Games as a result of its "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system.

It left the door open for Russian athletes with a clean doping history to be invited to compete as neutrals under an Olympic flag, however.

On Friday, the IOC said it had reduced the pool of Russian athletes eligible to compete at next month's Pyeongchang winter Olympics to 389 from 500

Source: AFP

what to do about Federer

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 08:47:01 GMT

Roger Federer’s role as the leading statesman of the locker-room was highlighted once again, as he delivered consolation and advice to the tour’s fastest-rising star Alexander Zverev.

Zverev, the 20-year-old German who has climbed to No 4 in the world, had been devastated to lose to his near-contemporary Hyeon Chung in five sets, and thus continue a dreadful record at the majors. After 11 of these best-of-five set tournaments, he has yet to beat a top 50 player.

But as Zverev admitted in the interview room afterwards, he had received some words of reassurance from Federer – the one player he has always looked up to – in the aftermath of his defeat.

Federer later expanded on the conversation, saying “I just thought some nice words would maybe cheer him up, get him over the loss a few hours earlier. He looked crushed when I saw him. I gave him a tap on the shoulder and said, ‘C'mon, it's not too bad. It could be worse.’

“I said, ‘Be patient about it. Don't put yourself under unnecessary pressure. Learn from these mistakes. Whatever happened happened. Unfortunately you have to believe in the process you're in right now. You're working hard. You're doing the right things. It's maybe not paying off at the slam level, but just stay calm, don't dig yourself in a hole.”

Federer’s intervention came before his own third-round match, which developed into an eye-catching duel of backhands with stylish Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

On a humid evening, Federer was made to sweat for what seemed the first time in the tournament, but still came through by a comfortable 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 scoreline. “We both played a good level,” he said, “so it was fun.”

While Federer was lighting up Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic had to make do with Melbourne’s second-string stadium – Margaret Court Arena – for the second straight match. The scheduling didn’t seem to bother him too much, though, as he put in another textbook performance to dispose of Albert Ramos-Vinolas for the loss of just eight games: 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

The only worry for Djokovic’s fans came when he called the trainer to the court, to work on what looked like a sore hip. “It's nothing major to be concerned about,” he said afterwards. “I’ve never faced a situation where I didn’t compete for six months. It's just things that surface every day.”

Earlier, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares were frustrated to have been eliminated from the men’s doubles by the Indian pairing of Leander Paes – who remains a force at the age of 44 – and Purav Raja. The Indians closed out a 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 victory after saving a match point in the third-set tie-break.

Afterwards, Murray and Soares, who are the doubles representatives on the ATP Player Council, were asked about the prize-money debate that has rumbled away in the background of this tournament.

“I think the players deserve a better percentage of the revenue,” said Murray. “I think seven per cent is not a lot of the share of the pie.

“Ultimately we can’t do anything. That’s why the players get frustrated with the whole grand slam situation because we don’t have a seat at the table. The players get well paid at the grand slams, of course, but that’s not really the point.”

Source: AFP

Ghana looks to convert grassroots rugby into global success

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 08:45:33 GMT

Some of the girls wear hijabs, others are barefoot and the sandy pitch is marked out in charcoal. But the 14 players could be Ghana's rugby stars of the future.

One of them, Maimuna Dawda, used to watch matches on television before she got the chance to hold the oval ball for herself in 2016.

Now, the 14-year-old plays three games of short-format seven-a-side every week at the Kanda Cluster of Schools that she attends in the capital, Accra.

In places like Ghana, where society is still overwhelmingly male-dominated and gender roles remain traditionally assigned, rugby -- where it's played -- is seen as a man's game.

But Dawda wants to prove otherwise and represent her country at the highest level.

"I want to play in a national team and be the best rugby player for Ghana," she told AFP on the sidelines of a schools sevens tournament.

- Increasing participation -

Watching the students from the touchline is Rafatu Inusah, who has been playing rugby since 2009 and was one of the first women in Ghana to do so.

She now works for the Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) as a development officer, helping to implement global governing body World Rugby's "Get Into Rugby" programme.

The scheme is designed to increase the number of players, coaches and referees across the world and is helping the sport to reach more countries than ever before.

Like some of the girls she trains, Inusah, 28, also wears a hijab when she plays and laughs at the idea that Muslim women can't play the sport.

In fact, she said she specifically targets Muslim girls.

"I decided to go into the Islamic school in order to change that perception they have when you are playing rugby (that) 'rugby is not for ladies or girls to play'," she said.

"It's for everybody."

- Gutter to gutter -

Ghana is a member of Rugby Africa, one of the six regional associations of World Rugby, which organises games the length and breadth of the continent.

In 2016, nearly 400,000 African boys and girls took part in development programmes while just over 770,000 men, women and children played the sport.

At the last Olympics in 2016, established rugby giants South Africa and relative newcomers Kenya represented the continent at sevens, which was included at the Games for the first time.

The Springboks won bronze behind Great Britain who were beaten in the final by Fiji. Kenya -- Africa Cup Sevens champions in 2013 and 2015 -- placed 11th out of 12.

The president of the GRFU, Herbert Mensah, believes Ghana -- a country better known for the exploits of its international footballers, the Black Stars -- could become a new challenger.

He said his job often seemed to be "trying to do the impossible" but he wants the sport to be as inclusive and as accessible as possible.

One idea to increase participation is touch rugby on the streets, using the open drains on either side as natural touchlines.

"Gutter to gutter allows them to throw the ball and run in a straight line," explained Mensah.

"If you don't run in a straight line you end up in a gutter. Try to get fancy and you lacerate your face," he says with a laugh.

- Climbing the rankings -

According to World Rugby, there were some 8.5 million registered and non-registered players in 121 countries across the world in 2016.

But over half of them were in just nine countries -- the Six Nations of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy; South Africa; Australia; and New Zealand.

Ghana, which currently has only 13 clubs registered with the GRFU, wants 1,500 players and the game to be taught in 120 schools by 2020.

Yet, the country already has a national team -- and even its own version of the haka, the traditional Maori war cry performed by New Zealand's All Blacks before internationals.

The Ghana Eagles in October last year played in the Africa Cup Sevens Tournament held in Uganda's capital, Kampala, and placed a creditable ninth out of 10.

Just months after becoming a full member of World Rugby, it also won its group in the Rugby Africa regional challenge event -- the lowest tier of the sport on the continent.

That has taken the country into the third tier Bronze Cup for the men's 15s in May this year, while they will try to improve on last year's Africa Cup performance in October.

Longer term, the plan is to target the Olympics and World Cup.

"In five or seven years, I think we will be one of the best sevens sides in the world," Mensah predicted.

"Now we have got to get the new group of younger players coming through who are 10, 11, 12 now, who will have learnt how to play the game from a very young age."

Source: AFP

S. Korea's 'Peace Olympics' meet backlash at home

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 08:44:19 GMT

South Korea's efforts to bring the North to its Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month are provoking a backlash among its own people, with accusations that Seoul risks turning the Games into a "Pyongyang Olympics".

Many are fuming over what they see as exploitation of the South's own athletes for political purposes, and accusing President Moon Jae-In's government of making too many concessions to please its hostile, unpredictable neighbour.

Protesters burned an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Seoul on Monday, along with the North's flag, even as a Pyongyang pop singer concluded a trip to the South to prepare for concerts at the time of the Games.

Seoul has long sought to promote the Games as a "Peace Olympics" that would ease tension on the flashpoint peninsula, where the North has carried out multiple missile launches in recent months, along with its most powerful nuclear test to date.

Now it is scrambling to quell public anger.

In a flurry of sporting diplomacy, the two Koreas agreed this month that the North would attend the Games, the two would march together under a unification flag at the opening ceremony, and they would form a joint female ice hockey team -- a deal approved by the IOC on Saturday.

Under the terms, 12 North Koreans will be added to the 23-strong South Korean squad, with 22 of them -- the same size as other countries' teams -- chosen to take part in each game, including at least three North Koreans.

But the deal is being widely criticised for "robbing" Southern athletes of opportunities to compete at the Olympics in a bid to stage what many describe as a hurriedly-coordinated political show.

A survey earlier this month found 73 percent of South Koreans saw no need for a joint team.

Sports should be free from politics, Seoul's conservative Dong-A daily said in an editorial on Monday, and the team coach's ability to select the team had been compromised.

"The South Korean government is focused on hosting peaceful Olympics, and says 'yes' to everything North Korea wants," it added.

- 'Free ride' -

Joint marches at past sporting events in the 2000s were widely hailed in the South, where civilian contact with the North is prohibited.

But sentiment has since hardened among many in the South in the face of Pyongyang's ever-accelerating weapons drive under Kim, which has seen it subjected to multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions.

Seoul media live-streamed every move of the visit on Sunday and Monday of the North Korean cultural delegation led by Hyon Song-Wol, the leader of Pyongyang's Moranbong girlband.

But the trip was met with largely frosty response on the Internet, where many asked: "Is this Pyeongchang Olympics or Pyongyang Olympics?"

"The North is not only getting a free ride to the event we worked so hard to prepare but also parading this woman like a visiting queen doing us a favour," said one online user.

Many now accuse the dovish president -- who has long backed engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table -- of pandering to Pyongyang.

"We don't find fault with President Moon Jae-In's effort to link the Olympics to his peace initiative for the Korean Peninsula, but the government must think about why its move faces increasing public disgruntlement," Seoul's major JoongAng daily said.

The editorial, published on Monday, added: "No South Korean would believe that the nuclear conundrum will be solved if the government stages a 'joint hosting' of the Games."

Moon's office on Sunday defended its peace gestures, describing them as "necessary" to forge peace and create a much-needed buzz over a Games that have failed to stir much excitement.

"We understand that many citizens, who were worried about the North's missile threats only a month ago, feel puzzled and baffled at the sudden change of mood," Moon's office said in a statement.

"But the Pyeongchang Olympics would not only achieve inter-Korea reconciliation but also offer a lead towards easing tension on the peninsula and forging peace," it said.

Kim and US President Donald Trump last year traded colourful personal insults and threats of war that heightened global fear of a conflict on the peninsula.

Some countries questioned whether it was safe to send their athletes but such concerns have largely died down following the North's announcement it would take part, Moon's office said.

"Having the North participate in the Olympics is an investment for the future," it said.

Source: AFP

Russians challenge doping ban

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 08:42:18 GMT

Dozens of Russian athletes banned by the International Olympic Committee for life over doping began an appeal against their suspension on Monday at the world's top sports court.

The week-long hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) includes appeals from 39 Russians who competed at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi that were tarnished by a vast, Moscow-backed doping scheme, according to multiple independent investigations.

The mass hearing, less than three weeks before the start of 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, is an extraordinary session for CAS and forced the court to temporarily move from its small headquarters in Lausanne to a large conference centre in Geneva.

The first athletes to appear at the court were speed skaters Alexander Rumyantsev, Artem Kuznetzov and Olga Fatkulina, who arrived smiling with a Russian team hoody protecting her head from the rain.

"Now, I think everything will be fine," Fatkulina, a silver medallist in Sochi, told reporters.

CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb told reporters outside the ad hoc court that any athlete who travels to Geneva will be heard "one-by-one during the week".

"We don't yet know exactly if they will all show up," he said.

Another three Russian biathletes who have also appealed against their IOC ban will be heard at a later hearing.

Among the witnesses scheduled to testify is Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's anti-doping lab (RUSADA).

He was the key whistleblower who exposed the cheating programme that IOC president Thomas Bach has described as an "unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympics".

But Rodchenkov will not testify in person. Instead, he will appear via video-link from the United States, where he fled after the sudden deaths of two senior ex-RUSADA executives.

Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren has also been announced as a witness.

McLaren authored the report on Russian cheating for the World Anti-Doping Agency that read in part like a Cold War spy novel, and laid out the workings of the programme -- from the use of secret state agents to pass urine samples out of testing labs through mouseholes.

But none of the testimony will be open to the public.

- 'Lack of proof'? -

The Russians are being represented by Swiss law firm Schellenberg Wittmer, which accused the IOC of punishing their clients "despite a lack of evidence and in violation of their fundamental rights".

In a statement, the firm noted that two winter sport federations -- bobsleigh/skeleton and luge -- had separately raised concerns about the credibility of the IOC bans and urged CAS judges to follow suit.

The IOC took its action after its own inquiry confirmed evidence revealed in two separate WADA investigations.

Many of the details about Russia's state-supported doping programme were first uncovered by a groundbreaking German investigation.

- Road to Pyeongchang -

The Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea start on February 9. Twenty-one of the 42 banned Russians say they want to compete.

CAS has said it will deliver a decision between January 29 and February 2.

But even if any of the Russians secure what would be a surprise victory on appeal, the road to Pyeongchang would still remain complicated.

The IOC has banned Russia from the 2018 Games.

Russians who want to compete are being forced to pass a unique set of anti-doping tests.

Those deemed clean will be allowed to appear in Pyeongchang under a neutral flag as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia".

On Friday, the IOC said the pool of Russians who could potentially be eligible for the 2018 Games had been reduced from 500 to 389.

None of the 42 banned Russians were on the list, making it nearly impossible for any of them to clear their names by the end of the month and then manoeuver their way towards Pyeongchang eligibility by February 9.

Russia's deputy prime minister responsible for sport Vitaly Mutko -- also suspended for life by the IOC over his role in the doping scandal -- said last week that he believed around 200 Russians would ultimately be cleared for Pyeongchang.

Source: AFP

Cricket: Buttler serves up series success for England against Australia

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 09:21:01 GMT

A scintillating century from Jos Buttler brought England a 16-run win and a one-day international series victory against Australia in Sydney on Sunday.

The hosts, set 303 to win by England after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, were always struggling in their chase and eventually managed only 286 for six.

The result gave England an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series, a remarkable turnaround after Australia had trounced them 4-0 in the Ashes Tests.

England ODI captain Eoin Morgan said Buttler had engineered of the best wins he'd been part of.

"Jos was probably the difference between the sides," he said. "On a two-paced wicket he paced it to perfection, played the anchor until about five or six overs out.

"This is one of the best wins from this group."

Australia's hopes largely rested with Steve Smith (45) and Mitchell Marsh (55), but both were dismissed at a crucial stage of the chase, with Smith falling to a contentious low-down catch by Buttler off the bowling of Mark Wood (2-46).

Marcus Stoinis made a late attempt to lift Australia with a punishing 56, but England managed to hold on despite losing pacemen Liam Plunkett to a leg injury early in the Australian innings.

Australian captain Smith said the game was lost in the last few overs of the England innings.

"I thought the way we bowled in the first 45 overs was good, but Jos played exceptionally well, Woakesy too, but we bowled poorly at the end, can't do that to a guy like Jos," he said.

"We were chasing probably 30 too many... batted well but not enough to get over the line."

Buttler, 27, was the only batsman from either team really to get to grips with a slightly slow pitch. His late surge enabled England to reach a total which had seemed out of their reach until the final few overs.

Several English batsmen failed to capitalise on promising starts, but Buttler notched his fifth one-day international century from the last ball of the innings as England helped themselves to 38 off the final two overs.

Buttler himself took 28 runs from the last 11 balls he faced. He faced 83 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes, in a dashing innings that gathered momentum in the last 10 overs.

Just as England appeared to be struggling against a full-strength Australian attack, Buttler found a willing ally in Chris Woakes late in the innings, the seamer making 53 from 36 balls in a match-winning partnership of 113 in 11.5 overs.

Australia recalled pacemen Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the match, the first time in the one-day series that the trio of Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who spearheaded the Ashes win, had been reunited.

The tactic appeared to be working until Buttler and Woakes came together and turned the match on its head. The English were aided by sloppy Australian fielding, with four missed catches and two botched run-out attempts.

The easiest of the catches to go to grass was a howler by Cameron White, who failed to get a hand to a skied chance from Moeen Ali when he was on one.

Marsh was the unlucky bowler, but had his revenge a few minutes later when he bowled Ali for six, continuing the all-rounder´s wretched tour.

Smith dropped Morgan (41) on 18 off spinner Adam Zampa, while Starc got his fingers to a tough caught-and-bowled chance.

Kane strikes but Spurs drop points

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:54:23 GMT

Harry Kane struck his 99th Premier League goal to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw at St Mary's on Sunday after Davinson Sanchez's own goal had given Southampton an early lead.

The result moves Spurs closer to Liverpool in fourth place but it was not enough to lift Southampton out of the relegation zone.

Kane's goal was his ninth in his past five Premier League starts and he is now just a goal away from becoming the 27th member of the '100 Club'.

But with Mauricio Pochettino's side piling on the pressure in the closing stages against his former club, the Argentine will consider this a missed opportunity in Spurs' hunt for a Champions League place.

The form guide appeared to give Southampton little chance of victory but this was a spirited performance from the home side. Mauricio Pellegrino's team had not won since November and dropped into the relegation zone this weekend.

Fans are growing impatient that none of the Â£75 million (85 million euros, $104 million) Liverpool paid for Virgil Van Dijk has yet been invested, with just 10 days left of the transfer window.

Abdoulaye Doucoure's controversial last-minute equaliser for Watford denied Saints two precious points last weekend and pressure is growing on the Southampton manager, who has been the target of fans' frustrations in recent weeks.

Fortunes could hardly be more different for Spurs, managed by former Saints boss Pochettino.

He has never lost a game at St Mary's since leaving the south coast and his team came into this fixture unbeaten in their past five Premier League matches.

Flu struck both teams in the build-up, with Southampton missing Shane Long and Tottenham without Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen.

- Southampton pressing -

Southampton started brightly, pressing Tottenham in a style they themselves have become known for.

Manolo Gabbiadini, making only his second start in 14 games, almost connected with Dusan Tadic's low cross after James Ward-Prowse had found him with an excellent long-range pass.

Tadic again showed his threat down the left when another sweeping move saw Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg almost apply the finishing touch to the Serbian's excellent cross.

Southampton took a deserved lead in the 15th minute when Sanchez deflected past his goalkeeper Michel Vorm after being tempted by Ryan Bertrand's low cross from the left.

Spurs almost levelled two minutes later when Ben Davies's corner eventually dropped to Eric Dier and he shot low against the right post.

But Kane moved onto 99 in the Premier League as he headed in Davies's next corner, beating two Southampton defenders to the ball to score from close range just 197 seconds after Sanchez's own goal.

Both teams continued to press, making for an attractive game in appalling conditions.

Spurs were close to taking the lead with Davies again the provider, this time for Moussa Sissoko, who volleyed his cross just wide.

Jack Stephens should perhaps have put Southampton back in front but he headed over the bar after finding himself unmarked from Ward-Prowse's excellent free-kick.

The rain relented but the intensity of the game did not in the second half. Pochettino's side did not have things all their own way, with Southampton maintaining their high-pressure approach.

But Dele Alli saw more of the ball as the game wore on and shot low just beyond the left post after good work from Mousa Dembele.

Alli then went agonisingly close six minutes from time as Sissoko found him five yards out but Stephens managed to execute a last-ditch block.

Kane was then a whisker away from reaching the century milestone as he shot inches wide of the far post in the closing stages.

Golf: Garcia stamps class in Singapore

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:53:09 GMT

Masters champion Sergio Garcia sealed an emphatic victory at the Singapore Open on Sunday (Jan 21) and said he was "extremely happy" with a rousing start to his 2018 campaign.

The Spaniard carded a three-under-par 68 for a commanding five-shot win as the weather cleared after two days of rain-disrupted play in his first tournament of the year.

Garcia, 38, began the day with a birdie on the first hole and added two more in quick succession before the turn on holes seven and eight.

It was cruise control for the rest of the round as he carded nine straight pars to seal his win with a total 14-under-par 270 at the Singapore Golf Club's Serapong course.

The world number 10 and 2017 European Golfer of the Year had struggled with his putts on Saturday but was on fire as soon as play resumed early Sunday under a hot sun and clear blue skies.

"It's always great to start with a win, to do it here at this golf course against a good field in Asia on conditions that weren't easy," he said.

"Hopefully I can ride on this momentum. I'm extremely happy with how the week went. It was a tough day and a tough week, with the stopping and going," he added.

Garcia will defend his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title from Thursday.

Japan's Satoshi Kodaira, the six-time Japan Golf Tour winner, shared second place with Shaun Norris of South Africa with a total nine-under-par 275.

The Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond and Danthai Boonma were tied in fourth spot after carding eight-under-par 276 overall.

Sean Crocker of the United States and Cameron Davis of Australia carded 69 and 70 respectively for a seven-under-par 277.

Leading scores after the final round of the SMBC Singapore Golf Open (par 71):

270 - Sergio Garcia (ESP) 66-70-66-68

275 - Satoshi Kodaira (JPN) 66-72-66-71, Shaun Norris (RSA) 69-67-69-70

276 - Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 71-68-66-71, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 70-68-65-73

277 - Sean Crocker (USA) 71-70-67-69, Cameron Davis (AUS) 68-70-69-70

278 - Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 71-69-68-70, Gavin Green (MAS) 71-67-69-71, Berry Henson (USA) 70-72-71-65, Lucas Herbert (AUS) 68-70-69-71

279 - Poom Saksansin (THA) 70-69-69-71, Yuki Inamori (JPN) 70-70-67-72, Andy Zhang (CHN) 72-66-71-70, Danny Masrin (INA) 71-66-67-75

Napoli edge Atalanta to extend Serie A lead

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:51:16 GMT

Inter Milan fell further behind in the Serie A title race on Sunday after a scrappy 1-1 home draw with Champions League-chasing Roma left them 11 points behind leaders Napoli.

Matias Vecino equalised with a late header for Inter after Stephan El Shaarawy had capitalised on awful defending to clip home goalkeeper Alisson's huge clearance in the 32nd minute to open the scoring.

Uruguayan Vecino met a whipped Marcelo Brozovic cross to beat an outstanding Alisson, who had made two superb second-half saves from Mauro Icardi, and keep Luciano Spalletti's side in the top four, level on 43 points with third-placed Lazio and three ahead of Roma.

However they are winless in six games in the league and no longer look like title contenders, while Roma, who stay fifth on 40 points, have fallen even further behind after picking up just ten points from a possible 24 since beating Lazio in mid-November.

Eusebio Di Francesco's side are now 12 points behind Napoli, who extended their lead at the top to four points when Dries Mertens ended a long goal drought to give his team a 1-0 victory at Atalanta.

Belgian international Mertens's 65th-minute strike ended a league dry spell that stretched back to October 29, getting behind the defence and flashing his 11th goal of the season past Atalanta goalkeeper Etrit Berisha.

"He (Mertens) had shown some signs of improvement even without scoring goals, so the drought was relative. It was obvious he'd get back to scoring goals eventually," said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri.

Atalanta are down to eighth after the loss and AC Milan's 2-1 win at Cagliari, which came thanks to Franck Kessie scoring twice to drag his team back from a goal down in Sardinia.

Lazio took third thanks to a thumping 5-1 win over Chievo in Rome that saw rising star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic bag a fine brace either side of half-time to put Lazio two up, after Chievo's Manuel Pucciarelli had equalised Luis Alberto's 23rd-minute long-range opener for the hosts.

Substitute Nani laid on Bastos to fire home a deflected fourth with seven minutes left, before the former Manchester United winger added a fifth three minutes later with a fine hit from the edge of the area.

"The boys are enjoying themselves, when we manage to go ahead we often score a lot of goals and that is a great hallmark," said Inzaghi, whose exciting team are now Serie A's top scorers with 53 goals despite having the league's leading scorer Ciro Immobile limp off with a muscle injury after 35 minutes.

- Quagliarella's Indian summer -

Sampdoria are three points ahead of Atalanta in sixth after Fabio Quagliarella fired an excellent hat-trick to down Fiorentina 3-1 in Genoa.

The 34-year-old Italian is enjoying something of an Indian summer and scored in the 30th, 60th and 68th minutes to continue Sampdoria's fine home record that has seen them gather 24 of their 33 points at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

"I am in an environment that I like a lot, a team in which I have a lot of fun and everything else comes from that," said Quagliarella, who has scored 15 times in 20 league appearances.

Bottom club Benevento's mini-revival came to a crashing halt with a 3-0 beating at Bologna, thanks to goals from Mattia Destro, Sebastien De Maio and Blerim Dzemaili.

Benevento had won two games in a row -- there first ever Serie A successes -- going into the winter break but remain on seven points and are now 11 points from safety after Crotone's 3-0 win at second-bottom Verona, which lifted them out of the bottom three.

Elsewhere, Simone Berardi saved a point for Sassuolo with a 1-1 draw at home to Torino after Obi had given the away side a 26th-minute lead, and Udinese played out another 1-1 draw with SPAL, who drop back into the relegation zone despite Sergio Floccari saving a point after Samir's 11th-minute opener.

Relieved Rafa survives test as Dimitrov ousts Kyrgios

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:49:38 GMT

Rafael Nadal battled through a huge test to make his 10th Australian Open quarter-final Sunday as Grigor Dimitrov ousted Nick Kyrgios to join him and Caroline Wozniacki kicked into full gear.

On an overcast and muggy day at Melbourne Park, the Spanish world number one was up against his most dangerous opponent yet in pocket-rocket Diego Schwartzman, one of the smallest men on tour.

The Argentine 24th seed endeared with his astonishingly powerful groundstrokes before Nadal prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 in almost four hours on Rod Laver Arena.

It kept alive his push for a 17th Grand Slam title and also ensured he will remain number one when the new rankings come out after the tournament.

"It was a great battle," said Nadal, who is chasing his second Melbourne title after beating Roger Federer in the 2009 final.

"Of course, I feel little bit tired, but I was able to keep fighting until the end."

He will play sixth seed Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals after the Croat beat Spanish 10th seed Pablo Correna Busta 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (7/3).

The win was Cilic's 100th at a Grand Slam.

"I have played great tennis from the first round against tough opponents and now I am really looking to the next match, it will be definitely be a big challenge," he said of the Nadal clash.

Ordinarily Nadal, as the top seed, would have top billing on Rod Laver in the evening, but not with local star Kyrgios in action.

The maturing Australian 22-year-old pushed world number three Dimitrov close in a hugely entertaining four setter before succumbing 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

Playing Nick is always tricky," said the Bulgarian, as he targets bettering the semi-finals he made last year.

"It was one of those matches you had to take any opportunity that you got."

His reward is a showdown with Briton Kyle Edmund, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win over Italy's Andreas Seppi.

- Play aggressive -

World number two Wozniacki turned on the style in her match to take another step towards a maiden Grand Slam title.

The assured Wozniacki, a semi-finalist in 2011 who has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors, annihilated 19th-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-0 in her most impressive performance to date.

"She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack," she said after crushing the Slovak, who made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.

"I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment."

Her easy passage sets up a last-eight clash with gritty Spaniard Suarez Navarro, who battled back from a set and 4-1 down to shatter the hopes of 32nd seed Anett Kontaviet.

The Estonian had been bubbling with confidence after despatching French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, but nerves got the better of her.

The Spaniard, who has made the quarter-finals in Melbourne twice before, most recently in 2016, credited her fightback with a conscious decision to be more aggressive.

"My team all the time they say (to) me, play aggressive, play aggressive. That's I think what I did," said Suarez Navarro, one of the few who still uses a one-handed backhand.

Looking ahead to Wozniacki, she added: "I know how she plays. I know how tough she is. It will be a really interesting match."

The 37th-ranked Elise Mertens also made the last eight, becoming the first Belgian since Kim Clijsters in 2012 to get so far in Australia.

She posted a straight-sets win over Croat Petra Martic and will now play either fourth seed Elina Svitolina or Czech qualifier Denisa Allertova.

Lewandowski, Mueller star as Bayern go 16 points clear

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:48:31 GMT

Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller claimed goal-scoring milestones as Bayern Munich went 16 points clear in the Bundesliga on Sunday with a 4-2 victory over Werder Bremen.

Mueller has now scored 100 Bundesliga goals in his career while Lewandowski has hit 94 German top-flight goals, making him the highest scoring foreigner in the club's history, following braces for both in a polished second-half display by Bayern's forward pair.

"Mueller has gotten his goal instincts back and Robert Lewandowski has so much class that he capitalises on those situations," enthused Bayern coach Jupp Heynkes.

Bremen took a shock first-half lead when midfielder Jerome Gondorf scored his first goal for the club.

However, Bayern went into the break level after Mueller equalised, then Lewandowski struck with the first of his two second-half headers.

Bayern defender Niklas Suele turned the ball into his own net to make it 2-2 with 15 minutes left, but Lewandowski restored the lead shortly afterwards.

He scored with a towering header to claim his 17th league goal in 18 games this season.

It leaves him as the league's top-scorer, four clear of Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Mueller converted a superb chip over the Bremen defence by James Rodriguez to add gloss to the final scoreline.

Bayern have won 17 from 18 games since Heynckes returned in October for his fourth stint as head coach.

The hosts were troubled when Bremen took a deserved lead on 25 minutes to stun the Munich crowd in freezing temperatures.

Werder's Germany striker Max Kruse slid a pass through the defence and midfielder Gondorf slotted through the legs of Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.

- Schalke held at home -

The ball rolled into the net, despite the efforts of Bayern right-back Joshua Kimmich to clear off the line.

Bremen grew in confidence, but the hosts drew level with a superb equaliser by Mueller just before the break.

Jerome Boateng's pin-point long pass found Mueller's chest and the Germany star slammed the ball home to make it 1-1 four minutes before the break.

Bremen's brave display meant Bayern only took the lead for the first time with an hour gone.

Rodriguez, who has recaptured the form which saw him finish top-scorer at the 2014 World Cup, fired in a cross which Lewandowski headed home.

Suele was left red-faced when the ball clipped his shoulder and rolled past Ulreich on 74 minutes.

However, Lewandowski put Bayern back ahead by leaping to smash home Mueller's cross in the 77th minute.

Lewandowski has now scored 23 goals in 27 games in all competitions this season.

Schalke climbed from sixth to third despite leaking a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to Hanover 96.

Schalke's new signing Marko Pjaca turned his marker in the box and fired home to put Schalke ahead on 16 minutes.

The 22-year-old striker has been loaned to Schalke until the end of the season by Juventus in his bid to win a place for Croatia at June's World Cup.

Leon Goretzka was booed by Schalke fans in Gelsenkirchen, two days after it was announced Friday that the 22-year-old will join Bayern next season.

Hanover equalised four minutes from time when striker Niclas Fuellkrug slipped his marker and fired home his fifth goal in three games and deny Schalke second place.

There is little to separate the chasing pack behind Bayern with just a point between second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt in seventh place.

Real Madrid defy crisis talk

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 08:47:13 GMT

Real Madrid moved back into the top four of La Liga by thumping lowly Deportivo La Coruna 7-1 on Sunday, with Cristiano Ronaldo ending a miserable run of league form with a late double.

But Barcelona still extended their lead to 11 points -- and 19 ahead of Real -- as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both hit a brace in a 5-0 romp at Real Betis.

Ronaldo had only scored four league goals before Sunday's clash with third-from-bottom Deportivo, but the Portuguese added Real's fifth and sixth with a smart volley and a diving header as they moved back above Villarreal and into the Champions League places.

Villarreal had temporarily taken fourth with a 2-1 win over Levante on Saturday after beating Real at the Bernabeu for the first time ever last week.

Gareth Bale and Nacho also bagged braces each side of half-time and Luka Modric curled home a 68th-minute beauty as Real came back from a shock early deficit, a 23rd-minute tap-in from Adrian, to romp to an emphatic victory and ease the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane.

"We needed that. In any case, it's what we were missing in the sense that scoring seven goals at home this season, it's hugely staisfying, and a relief," said Zidane.

The win leaves Real five points behind Valencia in third, after Marcelino's side had two players sent off in a shock 2-1 loss at lowly Las Palmas on Saturday.

Real had come into Sunday's match in crisis following some dismal performances that culminated in last week's defeat to Villarreal, and the mess seemed to have grown deeper when Adrian tapped home Lucas Perez's low cross.

However, the home side reacted immediately and by half-time were 2-1 up thanks to Nacho's neat first-time strike and a superb curling effort from Bale.

The floodgates opened in the second half, with Bale adding his second from a towering header and Luka Modric expertly whipping home Real's fourth.

- Phone check -

Ronaldo met Casemiro's cross to make it five and then crashed home Lucas Vazquez's cross, taking a boot in the face from Fabian Schar in the process.

As Ronaldo was led off the pitch to have his bleeding head quickly patched up he asked to see the phone of one of Real's medical staff and, pointing the camera at himself, used it to check the damage to his face.

Nacho completed the rout in the dying minutes.

Second-placed Atletico Madrid's 1-1 draw with Girona on Saturday meant Barca extended their lead with victory, leaving coach Ernesto Valverde waxing lyrical about Messi.

"You have to enjoy what Messi does -- I've suffered against him as an opposing player and I know what it is," he said.

"What we saw tonight was spectacular. He's the best player ever."

After a goalless first period, Ivan Rakitic opened the scoring on 59 minutes, converting a sublime pass from Suarez.

Messi thumped home the second from outside the box on 64 minutes before he and Rakitic teamed up to present Suarez with a volley on 69 minutes to effectively seal the three points.

Betis were making mistakes at the back and when Zouhair Feddal clumsily gave the ball away on halfway to Suarez, the Uruguayan sent Messi scampering away.

Faced with two defenders, Messi dummied to shoot, drifted past both and calmly slotted home past goalkeeper Antonio Adan.

There was still time for Suarez to complete his brace with a crisp finish after Messi had driven at the heart of an over-matched defence.

The only downside for the league leaders was a hamstring injury to Thomas Vermaelen in the first half that precipitated French centre-back Samuel Umtiti's own return from a hamstring problem.

Earlier, Joseba Zaldua scored a last-minute equaliser as Leganes came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Alaves.

One dead as accident mars fourth leg

Sun, 21 Jan 2018 07:12:41 GMT

A collision between a mainland Chinese fishing boat and the American-Danish team's yacht during the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race left one man dead, police said Saturday, overshadowing a historic victory for the Hong Kong team as the city hosted the race for the first time.

Local group Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag triumphed despite some significant setbacks in the gruelling 5,800 nautical mile stage from Melbourne, Australia, closely followed by China's Dongfeng Race Team in second place.

But the finish was bittersweet for crew members as news rolled in about the accident involving American-Danish team Vestas 11th Hour Racing.

Hong Kong police told AFP that one man from the fishing boat had died after being airlifted to hospital while nine others were rescued from the sea.

In a statement organisers confirmed the death and said the incident happened about 30 miles from the finish, outside of Hong Kong waters at around 1:23 am Saturday.

"The Volvo Ocean Race is deeply saddened to inform that the collision between Vestas 11th Hour Racing, a team competing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, and a fishing vessel has resulted in a fatality of a crew member of the fishing vessel," it said.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the deceased.... All involved organisations are co-operating with the authorities and are fully supporting the ongoing investigation."

All Vestas crew members were safe, the statement said, but the boat was damaged in the collision which tore a hole in its side, and the incident forced the team to officially retire from the fourth leg.

The fishing boat sank following the accident.

The Dongfeng team's website said the Vestas was in second place and being chased by Dongfeng when the collision occurred.

French skipper Charles Caudrelier had offered help to his Vestas counterpart Mark Towill but was told none was required, it said.

"Our first thought is that this is terrible news. We are of course very sad to hear it and very concerned about the fishing boat and await further news on that," Caudrelier was quoted as saying minutes after finishing.

"It is always very dangerous when sailing in these fishing areas when there are so many boats and some have no lights."

- Tough passage -

The seven boats had embarked on the fourth leg in early January, heading north up the east coast of Australia with the navigational challenge of dodging numerous islands.

Scallywag, skippered by Australian David Witt, led the flotilla into their home port at around 0145 am local time, crossing the line in 17 days, 14 hours, 30 minutes and 42 seconds.

A tough passage and time spent recovering a man overboard had challenged the team but Witt said they stuck to a plan to claw their way into the lead.

"I was really impressed by the way we operated over the past couple of days," he was quoted as saying on the race website.

"We had a pretty big lead and then through no fault of our own, about two-thirds of it got taken away. But we stuck to our guns, did what we thought was right and it’s worked out."

Dongfeng arrived just hours later to clinch the runner-up spot, with Caudrelier noting it was great news for Asian sailing.

Dutch group Team AkzoNobel came in third place while Spain's MAPFRE finished fourth, followed by Team Brunel and Turn The Tide On The Plastic.

The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race is the longest in the competition's 44-year history, stretching over eight months and 45,000 nautical miles around the globe ending in The Hague in the Netherlands in late June.

Source: AFP

FedExpress steams on as Sharapova grinds

Sun, 21 Jan 2018 07:10:16 GMT

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic kept up their relentless march towards a semi-final meeting at the Australian Open Saturday as Maria Sharapova suffered a crushing defeat by Angelique Kerber.

The two greats of the game -- who have won 11 Australian Opens between them -- could meet in the last four if they maintain their winning ways.

Defending champion Federer was never troubled by France's Richard Gasquet, who has failed to take a set off him since 2011, as he steamed into the last 16 with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win.

"The second set was tight, the match was close and I had to focus to the very end," said the Swiss 19-time Grand Slam winner, who next plays little-known Hungarian Marton Fucsovics for a place in the quarter-finals.

He added: "So far, so good."

Djokovic was equally convincing in his 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 rout of Spanish 21st seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, although there was concern when he sought a medical timeout for treatment to his lower back.

"It was straight sets but I had to earn my points," insisted the Serb, who is on his way back after six months out with right elbow trouble.

"Obviously for me it's taking it one match at a time but I have to be more humble with my expectations as I haven't played in the last six months."

He next plays South Korea's Chung Hyeon, who shocked fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

With the temperatures a manageable 26 Celsius (79 Farenheit) at Melbourne Park after two days of oven-like conditions, Zverev was beaten in five sets.

He has been hailed as the leader of the tennis new guard but has now failed to go beyond the fourth round in 11 Grand Slams, admitting he has "some figuring out to do".

In a glamour evening tie, Sharapova was no match for Kerber, flopping 6-1, 6-3.

They pair are both 30, former world number ones and were the only two Australian Open winners left in the women's draw, but there was only one player in it.

"This court is special for me and I was trying to enjoy every point," Kerber said of Rod Laver Arena, where she beat Serena Williams in the 2016 final.

Kerber is in scintillating form, having won the lead-up Sydney International, and will face Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei for a place in the quarter-finals.

For Sharapova, who is looking to rediscover her best on her way back from a 15-month drugs ban, it is back to the drawing board.

"I think there are a lot of things that I need to get better at and improve on," she admitted.

- Took its toll-

World number one Simona Halep is lucky to be still in contention after surviving three match points in a titanic struggle against 76th-ranked American Lauren Davis.

She looked out for the count at one point but finally got over the line 4-6, 6-4, 15-13 in a gruelling 3hr 44min epic that took its toll.

"I'm almost dead," the tenacious Romanian said after the incredible battle, in which Davis lost a toenail and Halep served for the match four times.

The former quarter-finalist will now play Naomi Osaka after the Japanese star beat Australia's Ashleigh Barty.

Sixth seed Karolina Pliskova also had a tough test, beating fellow Czech Lucie Safarova 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.

In contrast, US Open finalist Madison Keys was in fine touch as she benefits from the guidance of former great Lindsay Davenport.

Flying under the radar, the 17th seed has surrendered just 16 games on her way to the fourth round after beating Romania's Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-4.

She will next face French eighth seed Caroline Garcia, who was too strong for Belarussian Alaksandra Sasnovich.

Among the men through was Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem and veteran Tomas Berdych, along with American Tennys Sandgren, who had never won a Grand Slam match before this year's Australian Open.

Source: AFP

Failed ski resort looms over Pyeongchang Games' legacy

Sat, 20 Jan 2018 13:30:23 GMT

Only an hour's drive from the Winter Olympics venues in South Korea, a stained mattress lies in an abandoned ski resort, a possible harbinger of the gleaming new facilities' fate.

The Alps Ski Resort was one of the country's first winter sports destinations, attracting tens of thousands of skiers every year until it abruptly shut its doors in 2006.

Now South Korea has spent $800 million on the sporting facilities for next month's Winter Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the absence of future plans for several of them, saying the Games' legacy should be addressed "as a priority".

The remains of the former holiday destination in Heul-ri -- a tiny settlement of around 250 people in the country's far northeast, close to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula -- are not a good sign.

Aged, fading buildings stand below unweeded slopes, where a few bright red chairlifts dangle lifelessly from the cables.

The villagers are bitter.

"It's completely in ruins," said Oh Geum-Sik, who used to run a ski rental shop next to the resort.

"All the businesses are practically dead."

At an altitude of 1,052 metres (3,451 feet), the resort boasted the heaviest natural snowfall in South Korea, with skiers coming to the village long before the facility opened in the 1980s, laboriously trudging up the slopes to enjoy a brief downhill thrill.

A handful of elite athletes grew up with its abundant snow, among them Jung Dong-Hyun, who will compete for South Korea in alpine skiing at the Winter Games in neighbouring Pyeongchang.

Villagers say that in the resort's heyday, cars lined the streets every weekend as skiers from as far as China and Southeast Asia packed its eight pistes, with around 30 percent of customers foreigners.

But its owner went bankrupt in the face of increased competition from more accessible rivals with newer facilities, according to an official at the Goseong County office.

Heul-ri was left in disarray.

- Bitter cold -

"The closure has cost me probably about 700 million won ($660,000)," said Koo Jae-Kwan, who moved to the village 16 years ago to open an inn and a ski rental shop.

Now a rusty clock tower looms over the disused resort, its hands permanently pointing to 6:50 in the bright midday light, and three guard dogs bark furiously at the sight of a rare visitor.

A grubby mattress greets visitors in the lobby and a faded banner promising that "Customer satisfaction begins now" droops loosely above a dried-up swimming pool.

On the wall of a hollow banquet hall hangs a painting of the bustling resort in its prime, and dead plants lie on the dirty floor, wrapped with holiday decorations from more than 10 Christmases ago.

South Korean winter sports destinations have to contend with short slopes, sometimes brutally cold temperatures, and intense competition from Japan, and an official at the Korea Ski Resort Business Association told AFP that most are struggling.

"There has been a drop in the number of visitors and a number of ski resorts have closed," he said.

Beijing banned group tours to the country last year in a row over the deployment of a US missile defence system, crippling its biggest market.

"What will happen after the Pyeongchang Olympics is worrisome," the official added.

"Right now, there are a lot of government-led efforts to create a ski boom ahead of the Olympics. But even now, that hasn't really helped with reviving the ski industry and that will all come to a stop after the Olympics."

- Bell peppers -

Attempts to reopen the Heul-ri resort with new funding have come to naught.

The latest plan from Korean investor Alps Seven Resort promised 80 billion won ($75 million) to renovate the existing slopes and condos, and build more accommodation plus a theme park, a government document showed.

But it failed to meet the deadline for payments and the scheme was scrapped.

Alps Seven Resort could not be reached for comment.

If it had gone ahead, the renovated facility would have opened for business last month, just in time for the Pyeongchang Games.

"Maybe one of the ski competitions could have taken place here," lamented Heul-ri village chief Shin Dong-Gil, adding the resort's 500 rooms could have been a welcome additional accommodation option for Olympic visitors.

Instead, sacks of concrete are piled in the buildings.

Oh now farms bell peppers for a living but still has his 250 sets of ski equipment, hoping that one day he might be able to rent them out again.

But like springtime snow, the villagers' expectations for the resort are steadily melting away.

"I don't think it will ever reopen," said Koo, who has also mothballed his kit -- and his guesthouse.

"It's that one percent of hope. That's the only thing I'm holding on to."

Confident Nadal demolishes Dzumhur

Sat, 20 Jan 2018 10:49:05 GMT

Rafael Nadal continued his sensational run in the Australian Open, shedding just five games in romping to a straight sets win over Damir Dzumhur on Friday.

The Spanish world No.1 took just 1hr 50min to storm into the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 demolition of the 28th seeded Bosnian on Margaret Court Arena.

Nadal, a losing finalist to Roger Federer last year in Melbourne, has lost only 21 games in his three victories to reach the round of 16 after coming into the year's opening Grand Slam with queries over the state of a knee injury.

He will take on Argentina's 24th seed Diego Schwartzman in Sunday's fourth round.

"When you win 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in the third round, is always a great result," Nadal said.

"I needed hours of court, hours of practice, hours of playing sets with different players. That's what I did.

"I think I did a good preparation here. I feel I am playing well. That's all.

"Here I am. I am in the fourth round. That's because I am doing the right things. Let's see how far I can go."

The 16-time Grand Slam champion conceded just 18 unforced errors and only dropped his service once.

The win took the 31-year-old's Australian Open record to 54-11 as he chases his second Melbourne title after beating Federer in the 2009 final.

Nadal was ruthless against the Bosnian, breaking his serve seven times with blistering shot-making.

He breezed through the opening set with two breaks for the loss of just one game in 22 minutes.

He then broke Dzumhur in the opening game of the second and finished off the set with another break for a two sets lead.

Nadal continued to attack Dzumhur and broke him in the second and sixth games to wrap up his night.

Nadal said he would have to be at his best to get past Schwartzman, a quarter-finalist at last year's US Open.

"He's a great player. He had an amazing last year, and he's started again this year playing so well," Nadal said.

"He's won three matches here, playing at very high level. He's a very complete player. He's a player that if I don't play my best, probably I am not going to win. Tough one."

Nadal, who is gunning for a 17th major title, was hampered by a knee injury at the tail-end of the 2017 season.

It forced him to skip the lead-up Brisbane International this month, and he only had a one-match workout at the exhibition Kooyong Classic in Melbourne ahead of the Open.

Nadal needs to reach the quarter-finals to be certain of retaining his world number one ranking after the Australian Open, with Federer breathing down his neck.

Djokovic survives brutal Melbourne heat test

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 06:38:38 GMT

Defending champion Roger Federer cooly swept into the Australian Open third round Thursday as Novak Djokovic survived a gruelling fitness test under the brutal Melbourne sun.

But with temperatures touching an energy-sapping 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and ice-towels in use, third seed Garbine Muguruza and 2014 winner Stan Wawrinka both wilted and were knocked out.

Maria Sharapova, in contrast, laid down her title credentials with dominant win against 14th seed Anastasija Sevastova.

World number one Simona Halep was also convincing in her straight demolition of Canadian Eugenie Bouchard.

Swiss 19-time Grand Slam champion Federer disposed of Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), avoiding the worse of the furnace-like conditions in his night match.

"I practice with him so I had the information I needed," he said, adding that the heat doesn't bother him.

"If you want to get to the top, you've got to play in all conditions."

It was never going to be easy for the German. While Federer had made at least the third round each year since his Melbourne Park debut in 2000, Struff had failed to go further than the second round at any Grand Slam.

Six-time Melbourne champion Djokovic had a much tougher time, coming through a four-setter against Gael Monfils in a thorough examination after being out for six months with an elbow injury.

He lost the first set before Monfils began struggling in the second and was heard at one point telling the umpire: "I'm tired and dizzy."

The Frenchman remarkably recovered to make a fight of it before a relieved Djokovic, seeded 14, came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

"It was tough conditions, brutal, especially the first 90 minutes," he said.

"I'm still not 100 percent, but building. I have a lot of faith and self-belief."

The heat took its toll on a host of players, including Wimbledon champion Muguruza, who suffered with heat-blistered feet.

She was knocked out by 88-ranked Hsieh Su-wei from Taiwan 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 but refused to make excuses.

"I maybe could have done things better, but at the end, she deserves to win," she said.

Wawrinka also failed to progress, clearly still struggling from a lengthy knee injury lay-off in his straight sets defeat by American Tennys Sandgren.

- 'Deserve to smile' -

Russian drawcard Sharapova was on Rod Laver Arena early and avoided the brunt of the weather as she showed why she should be again taken seriously in dismantling Sevastova 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).

It was the Latvian who ended her Grand Slam comeback in the last 16 of the US Open in 2017 as she returned from a drug ban. But not this time.

Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam winner and the 2008 Australian champion, was unstoppable in racing through the first set before a battle in the second.

"You know, it was a warm day. I did my job in two sets against someone that's been troubling in the past for me," she said afterwards.

"I think I deserve to smile out there after that victory."

Being unseeded means she has her work cut out to reach another final.

Next up is in-form 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, who beat Donna Vekic in two easy sets as she starts to rediscover her best again after a miserable last year.

Eighth seed Caroline Garcia also stayed in the title hunt, but she found it hard going against Czech teen Marketa Vondrousova, who pushed her to three gruelling sets.

"My feet are burning," she said. "But we know it's like this in Australia -- the next day it can be freezing."

Dangerous sixth seed Karolina Pliskova also went through, dropping just two games against Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Among men into the third round was fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who came from two sets down to beat American qualifier Denis Kudla, and fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

Source: AFP

dreaming of Augusta in Abu Dhabi

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 06:07:08 GMT

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson spearheads a stellar cast when the $3 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship tees off in the UAE on Thursday -- but his mind is firmly on the US Masters.

Johnson will battle returning former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, current No. 6 Justin Rose, and Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Matt Kuchar who are all within the top 15.

The reigning Europe No.1 Tommy Fleetwood is the defending champion.

Johnson, 33, is returning to Abu Dhabi Golf Club's National course having finished second to Fleetwood last year and just like in 2017, is in blistering form at the start of the year.

In the PGA Tour’s year-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, the American nearly aced a 433-yard par-4 hole en route to winning the champions-only event by a whopping eight shots over Jon Rahm.

Last year, after his runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi, he had won three tournaments in February and March before a freak accident on the eve of the Masters ruled him out of the first major of the season.

Doing well in the Masters is certainly a goal this year for Johnson, but before that he wants to go one better than his 2017 result in Abu Dhabi.

"I felt like this golf course suits me pretty well and I like the setup of it. Last year was the first time being here, obviously playing four rounds in the tournament definitely helps," said Johnson.

"I kind of struggled for a little while last year after Augusta, but I finally felt from the FedEx Cup Playoffs through now, the game is starting to get back into the form it was this time last year where I had a really good run leading into Augusta.

"So it's definitely good. I've been working hard on the game, but the golf swing feels like it's finally getting back to where it was.

"I played well in Hawaii, but that was two weeks ago. This is a completely new week and everybody starts at even par, so I've got to start over again."

- 'Roll with it' -

Johnson said he was eager to get back to Augusta National and compete in the Masters after missing the event last year when he reportedly slipped on a wet staircase and hurt himself on the eve of the tournament.

"I was very disappointed I didn't get to play last year, but things happen," he said.

"So you've just got to roll with it. But it's a place where I always love going to play. I feel like I really like the golf course. The last two Masters I played in, I did very well, and so I’m definitely excited to go back."

England's Rose, who finished 2017 in superb fashion by winning the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and then the Turkish Airlines Open, was hoping to continue with that form early in 2018.

"I think I finished the season with ten straight top-10s, and that's not been done by me and probably not been done by many," said the reigning Olympic champion.

"So that was a really solid, consistent run of golf. And then to throw three wins in there and have a couple of other chances... that was a really, really strong run of golf, and I am looking forward to just keeping that momentum going as soon as possible."

Johnson is paired with McIlroy and Fleetwood for the opening two rounds, while Rose goes out with Olympic silver medalist Stenson and bronze winner Kuchar.

Source: AFP

Nadal dominant as Wozniacki pulls off great escape

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 06:44:36 GMT

Rafael Nadal swept into the Australian Open third round to keep his Grand Slam title hunt on track Wednesday, as Caroline Wozniacki and Grigor Dimitrov pulled off great escapes to stay in contention.

The world number one Spaniard's march towards a 17th Grand Slam crown was never threatened by Argentina's Leonardo Mayer, who took him to a third set tiebreak before being swatted aside 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena.

"Playing this court is always a big motivation for me," said Nadal, who lost last year's final to Roger Federer.

"He was a dangerous opponent and I'm happy to be in the third round.

"For my team and my family, this is our favourite tournament of the year, so I hope to stay around a bit longer," he added.

Nadal, showing no signs of the troublesome knee that bothered him late last season and interrupted his Melbourne lead-up, next plays Bosnian 28th seed Damir Dzumhur.

Surprisingly, he was not the prime time men's night match on centre court, with that honour going to third seed Dimitrov, who survived a huge scare from unheralded qualifier Mackenzie McDonald.

The Bulgarian needed to call on all his experience to down the 186th-ranked American 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 0-6, 8-6.

"I'm very happy with the win, not because the way I played, but because the way I fought," said Dimitrov. "It all came down to a few points here and there."

In contrast to Nadal's easy progress, world number two Wozniacki also struggled against little-known Croat Jana Fett.

The Dane saved two match points and rallied from 5-1 down in an epic third set to keep her dream of a first Grand Slam title alive.

She looked out for the count, and was struggling afterwards to work out how she survived 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 against a player ranked 119.

"That was crazy, I don't how I got back in the match," said Wozniacki, adding that "experience was crucial".

- 'I'm talented' -

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina also came from a set down to overcome spirited Czech Katerina Siniakova 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

The Ukrainian is now on a seven-match win streak and after picking up five WTA Tour titles last year, more than any other woman, is a serious Grand Slam contender.

Her next task is tackling 15-year-old sensation Marta Kostyuk, who became the youngest woman to reach the third round since Martina Hingis got to the quarter-finals in 1996.

Also Ukrainian, she beat local wildcard Olivia Rogowska 6-3, 7-5.

Her win streak at Melbourne Park is now 11 straight matches after claiming the Australian Open girls' title in 2017 and coming through qualifying this year.

"I heard a lot of times that I'm talented, and I know that," said the confident teen. "But I know that only talent will not help me to play good. So I'm working pretty hard."

Svitolina said she knew little about the youngster, and was preparing for a no-holds barred fight.

"She has nothing to lose, so that's why I know she goes just for everything. You know, a little bit like a headless chicken," she said.

French Open champion and seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko also progressed, but she too needed three sets to get past China's Duan Yingying.

On a hot Melbourne day, Croatia's sixth seed Marin Cilic advanced, with last year's Wimbledon finalist easily beating Joao Sousa.

US Open semi-finalist and 10th seed Pablo Carreno-Busta also went through after French veteran Gilles Simon retired injured when trailing 6-2, 3-0.

And fighting former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saw off rising Canadian youngster Denis Shapovalov in a five-set thriller.

But Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a quarter-finalist last year, became the latest seed to slump out in the women's draw, which has been shorn of leading names over the first two rounds.

Venus Williams' conqueror Belinda Bencic also ran out of steam, having no answers against Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum, slumping out 6-1, 6-3.

Source: AFP

Fighting Tsonga digs deep to reel

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 06:41:49 GMT

Former winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fought to the bitter end to overhaul rising Canadian youngster Denis Shapovalov in a five-set thriller at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The 15th seeded Tsonga looked dead and buried down 2-5 in the final set before 18-year-old Shapovalov faltered in only his second five-setter and the experienced Frenchman seized the initiative.

Tsonga, 32, stormed into the third round after a 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win in 3hr 37min on Margaret Court Arena and will now face either Australian 17th seed Nick Kyrgios or Serbia's Viktor Troicki.

It ended his three-match losing run in five-setters, but lifted his career record to 16-10 and reversed his loss to Shapovalov in straight sets in the second round at last year's US Open.

"Since the start I was behind him. I had to fight a lot and make him finish the match. He never did, so it's good for me," Tsonga said.

"But the most important (thing) for me, it's to fight, give my best on court until the last point. That's what I did today.

"I think he deserved to win also today, but I was also courageous and I did my job at the end. I played well. I think I deserve it, too."

It extended Tsonga's record at his best-performed Australian Open Grand Slam to 36-10 after he was runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the 2008 final.

- Keep going -

Shapovalov said he would learn from the experience of losing after holding a winning position.

"There's always nerves in a tennis match. I wasn't thinking about it much," he said.

"I just didn't play a good game on my serve (for the match). Then he picked up his level.

"This was my longest match in the heat. Physically, I feel good. My body is getting a little bit tight on me now.

"Yeah, nothing too bad there. I mean, I'm just going to learn from it and keep going."

Shapovalov quickly jumped out of the blocks, breaking misfiring Tsonga in the fourth game on the way to taking the opening set in 34 minutes.

Tsonga picked up his game and levelled one-set all with a service break in the sixth game.

But the Canadian left-hander hit back, taking the third set with some sensational shot-making, including a running backhand winner on break point and then breaking again in the sixth game.

Tsonga stayed alive and took the match into a fifth set decider with a resolute tiebreaker.

Shapovalov began the final set strongly, breaking Tsonga in the second game and then holding off break points in the following game to lead 3-0.

But Tsonga would not yield and broke Shapovalov as he attempted to serve out the match with a cross court backhand.

Shapovalov began to falter and made mistakes as Tsonga stepped up the pressure and broke the young Canadian again in the 11th game to hit the front 6-5. He didn't need a second chance as he served out strongly for the match.

Source: AFP

Fighting Tsonga digs deep to reel

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 06:41:48 GMT