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Tuesday 30•05•2017
SPORTS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Ferrari clearly favouring Vettel, says Hamilton MONACO, MAy 29 (ReuteRS): Ferrari are giving Sebastian Vettel the Michael Schumacher treatment, according to the German's main title rival Lewis Hamilton. The Briton told reporters after the German handed Ferrari their first Monaco Grand Prix win in 16 years that the Italian team was clearly favouring the championship leader over his team mate Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, had started on pole position but as a result of strategy ended up anchoring Ferrari's first one-two since 2010 instead of standing on top of the podium. "It's clear to me that Ferrari have chosen their number one driver," said Hamilton, who finished seventh and is now 25 points adrift. "They are pushing everything to make sure Sebastian will maximise on all of his weekends. "It's very hard for the leading car to get jumped by the second car unless the team decide to favour the other car, so that is very clear." Schumacher, the sport's most successful driver who
won five of his seven titles with Ferrari from 20002004, famously built a team around him and was seen as the clear number one at Maranello. Hamilton had started 13th after a nightmare in qualifying, with the Briton unable to get his car's tyres performing in the requisite window while Ferrari looked suddenly in a league of their own. Vettel, a four-times world champion and first Ferrari winner in Monaco since Schumacher, has now won three of the six races to Hamilton's two. Finland's Valtteri Bottas also winning in Russia for Mercedes. Despite the setback, Hamilton saw the glass half full.
Djokovic makes winning French Open start PARIS, MAy 29 (ReuteRS): Defending champion Novak Djokovic enjoyed a winning French Open start under new coach Andre Agassi on Monday, cruising past Spain's Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the first round. The 12-times grand slam champion parted company with his entire coaching team earlier this month before inviting American great Agassi to work with him during the French Open. The 30-year-old Serbian, without a tour title since January, found little resistance from Granollers, grabbing two breaks early on in the first set as he chased the 77th-ranked around the court. It was a similar story early in the second set with the world number two returning everything Granollers tried to throw at him as he went 4-1 up before a wobble saw him fail to convert eight set points at 5-3. Djokovic kept his cool to earn the second set and pounced on the Spaniards' accumulating mistakes in the third set to seal victory on his first match point. Meanwhile, returning to
Rafael Nadal brushes aside France's Paire PARIS, MAy 29 (ReuteRS): Rafael Nadal smoothly negotiated the potential stumbling block presented by Frenchman Benoit Paire on Monday, launching his bid for a 10th French Open trophy with a largely routine 6-1 6-4 6-1 win. The heavy favourite for the title looked in imperious form as he steamed through the first set in under half an hour. Paire, described prior to their encounter on Court Suzanne Lenglen as a dangerous opponent by Nadal, played with more freedom in a closer second set as the Spaniard lost his edge. Trading baseline rallies, they exchanged breaks to leave the Frenchman leading 4-3. But Nadal then pulled clear and, with Paire periodically clutching his stomach after a medical time out, the Spaniard took nine of the last 10 games to close out the match in just under two hours. the stage of her greatest triumph inspired defending champion Garbine Muguruza to down 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone 6-2 6-4 in the first round of theFrench Open on Monday. The fourth seed, who had been woefully out of form in the run-up to Roland Garros, never looked in danger of joining Russian Anastasia Myskina as the only reigning women's champion to lose in the opening round of the claycourt grand slam.
The Spaniard outclassed the skilful Italian with her poise and power in muggy conditions. There were several topnotch rallies and Schiavone pulled a few tricks from her bag, threatening in the second set. However, she made too many unforced errors to sustain any form of challenge. "I was so excited to play here against another champion. Francesca is a legend," Muguruza said. She credited her win
to staying composed throughout. "You need to be focused. You need to be calm. Perhaps the public thinks that, okay, she won last year (so this match should be easy), but you need to avoid being (distracted) with these thoughts," she told a news conference. "I could have had anyone as an opponent today, but I need to win my own battles, my own fights." Muguruza raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set and
just when Schiavone was starting to work around her opponent's power as she reduced the arrears to 3-2, the match was interrupted for 10 minutes as a spectator was attended to by first-aiders. The Spaniard won 19 of 20 points after play resumed and led 2-0 in the second set. That is when Schiavone's game fell into place. She broke back and had two break chances in the sixth game, which Muguruza saw off confidently.
The champion then broke decisively for 5-4. Schiavone saved three match points but volleyed wide on the fourth. Muguruza next faces Estonian Anett Kontaveit, one of the in-form players on clay this season who beat the Spaniard in the second round in Stuttgart. "It's a tough draw. It's going to be a tough game. She's enjoying a very good season on clay. She has an aggressive game too," the 23-year-old said.
C M Y K
No win but no regrets as Alonso returns to F1 INDIANAPOLIS, MAy 29 (ReuteRS): Fernando Alonso left the Brickyard on Sunday without a fairytale victory to cap his Indy 500 adventure but had no regrets as he prepared to return to his Formula One day job with McLaren. Alonso's race finished in much the same way as many of his F1 efforts this year, in frustration and a blown engine with 21 laps remaining of the 200. Criticised in some corners for chasing Indy 500 glory rather than competing in the F1 glamour race at Monaco, Alonso said he would not have traded his experience for another drive around the glitzy Mediterranean principality. "It's true that before coming here some of the questions were how you can trade Monaco race for Indy 500," Alonso told reporters after playfully chugging on a car-
ton of milk, the traditional drink of the Indy 500 winner. "I won two times there (Monaco), I won two world championships. "To drive around Monaco for a sixth place, seventh place, even a fifth place ... To be here is not possible to
compare that thing. "I didn't miss Monaco in terms of result." It was a giddy day for Alonso, who delivered the polished performance expected of a former F1 world champion until his car's failure, running up front
and even leading for 27 laps of the race won by Japan's Takuma Sato. Having never raced on an oval track or even driven an IndyCar until this month, the 34-yearold's bravery and skill won the respect of the nearly
MPL: Amur Falcon continues its winning streak two consecutive losses. The Falcons decisive victory, however, was marred by two of its players – Akhum and Kezevituo -picking up yellow cards during the match. Despite the win, Falcon spot in the leader board will also stay the same at 4th position. The fate of the Morung United, currently in 6th position, will be decided by Players of Amur Falcon FC and Morung United FC pose for lens before the start the 61st the outcome of May 30 enmatch of the ongoing Morning Football League at Kohima Local Ground on May 39. counter between MRH SunWhile the match was score after 20 minutes, tak- risers and Merhulietsa FC. KOhIMA, MAy 29 (MexN): Returning to a scoreless till the first half, ing his team formidable 2-0 MPL FIxtuRE winning streak with two con- a resurgent Falcon started lead into the last 15 minMay 30 secutive win, Amur Falcon the 2nd half in an attack- utes of the game. MRH Sunrisers Vs With another goal from FC today registered an em- ing mood making the first Merhulietsa FC phatic 3-0 victory over Mo- breakthrough in the 54th Mele in the 78th minute, Venue: Local Ground, the fate of Morung United rung United FC at the ongo- minute through Seyie. Kohima Akhum doubled the was sealed, suffering their ing Morning Premier League.
300,000 spectators who gave him a rousing standing ovation as his McLaren Andretti Autosport Honda slowed to a stop on the home straight-away. "It was a great experience, the last two weeks. I came here basically to prove myself, to challenge myself," said Alonso. "I know that I can be as quick as anyone in an F1 car. I didn't know if I can be as quick as anyone in an IndyCar. "It was nice to have this competitive feeling, even leading the Indy 500." Although Alonso treated his foray into IndyCar with the seriousness it deserved, it almost seemed a holiday for the Spaniard away from the pressures of his struggling F1 team. But it is back to reality on Monday ahead of the next stop on the F1 calendar in Montreal on June 11. "So for the future, Canada, obviously we will try to keep improving," said Alonso. "I think the car seems to be performing better and better. "I think the second half of the season will be much more competitive and we will enjoy much more."
India rules out cricket series with Pakistan New DeLhI, MAy 29 (IANS): India on Monday said it won't play bilateral cricket series with Pakistan as long as Islamabad continues to support and sponsor cross-border terrorism. Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were to meet in Dubai on Monday to discuss possibilities of a bilateral series. Sports Minister Vijay Goel made it clear that the Indian government will not allow the bilateral cricket series as long as Pakistan continues to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy. "The BCCI should come up with a suggestion or proposal in this regard only after consulting the government.
I had said earlier also that the possibilities of bilateral series with Pakistan are very remote," Goel told reporters here. "As long as Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorists, it will not be possible to have sporting ties between the two countries. Terrorism and sports will not run side by side," he added. India and Pakistan, however, will continue to play each other in international tournaments. The arch rivals from the sub-continent will meet each other in a group clash of the upcoming Champions Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 4. "As far as multi-lateral events are concerned, we have no control over those. So the
two countries will continue to play each other in such tournaments," Goel said. Earlier in the day, BCCI Acting Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary said a bilateral series with Pakistan was possible if the government gave the go-ahead. "We are not averse to a bilateral series with Pakistan. But everything depends on whether the government gives the clearance," Chaudhary told a news channel. "The series will not be possible without approval from the government." Pakistan last visited India in December 2012 for a limited overs series that included three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and two Twenty20 Internationals (T20I).
India has not played Pakistan in a full bilateral series since 2007 when Pakistan visited India to play five ODIs and a one-off Test match. Since then, worsening political ties and accusations of terrorism hurled at Pakistan have stalled bilateral cricket. Recently, the BCCI had urged the ICC not to put Pakistan and India in the same group in global tournaments. The financial health of the cash-strapped PCB depends to a large extent on a bilateral series with India. The two boards had signed an MoU in 2014 according to which the two countries were to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.
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