Nishikori thrashes Tsonga to reach Australian Open quarter-finals Maxwell to miss T20 opener against India SYDNEY—All-rounder Glenn Maxwell will miss Australia’s T20 opener against India in Adelaide with a hamstring injury, acting coach Michael Di Venuto said Sunday. Maxwell flew straight to Melbourne where the seco n d game in t h e threematch series w i l l t a k e place on Frid a y , skipping the opener in Adelaide on Tuesday. “He has still got a little, slight hamstring niggle so he flew straight to Melbourne and will spend a few days in Melbourne at home and join the squad when we get there in a couple of days,” Di Venuto told reporters in Adelaide. Maxwell was also ruled out of the fifth one-day international against India in Sydney on Saturday. The series is seen as a preparation for the T20 World Cup in India in March, with Di Venuto—who has replaced Darren Lehmann while the coach is being treated for deep vein thrombosis—hoping to give every player in the 17-man squad “one or two games at least”. —AFP
Kotoshogiku ends decade-long victory drought for Japanese TOKYO—Kotoshogiku captured the Emperor’s Cup at the New Year Grand Sumo tournament on Sunday, becoming the first Japaneseborn winner for a decade. The 31yearold ranking ozeki—the second-highest level in Japan’s national sport—shoved fellow ozeki Goeido onto the ring to finish the 15-day tourney at 14-1. In recent days Kotoshogiku had fought off Hakuho and Harumafuji, two Mongolian yokozuna or grand champions, as well as his countryman Toyonoshima, all of whom ended at 12-3. It was also Kotoshogiku’s first career victory. “I’m too happy for words,” he said in an interview. The triumph ended a decade-long victory drought for homegrown sumo wrestlers, who have been overpowered by foreign rivals in the nation’s ancient sport.— AFP
Mourinho agent denies Manchester United letter L ONDON —Jorge Mendes has labelled claims Jose Mourinho has written Manchester United a letter to offer his services “absurd and ridiculous”. J o s e Mourinho’s representat i v e Jorge Mendes has laughed off suggestions that the former Chelsea manager has sent Manchester United a sixpage letter to explain his desire to become the club’s next manager. Reports claimed Mourinho had written to the Old Trafford side to outline his plans for the team if he were to replace Louis van Gaal, and why he would be the ideal man for the job. However, Mendes has made it clear a manager of Mourinho’s calibre would never resort to writing such letters.—AFP
Serena serves up glamour clash with Sharapova MELBOURNE—Serena Williams served up a glamour Australian Open quarter-final against arch-rival Maria Sharapova on Sunday as she looks to extend her iron grip over the Russian star.
came through testing three-setters. Radwanska was pushed to the limit by unseeded Anna-Lena Friedsam, winning 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 7-5 with the German, who struggled with injury and cramp, leaving
The world number one and defending champion smacked down Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-1 in just 55 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to ensure the mouthwatering showdown. Sharapova holds the dismal record of never beating her nemesis in 17 contests dating back 12 years. The last time she managed a win was at the WTA Tour Championships in 2004. She now has another chance to finally get the monkey off her back after coming through a 7-5, 7-5 thriller against fast-rising Swiss teen Belinda Bencic. The Russian world number five, who lost to Williams in the Melbourne Park final last year, said she was always looking to improve and used the losses against the mighty American to examine what she could do better. “Absolutely. It’s not like I think about what I can do worse!” she said. “You’re always trying to—always trying to improve. I got myself into the quarter-final of a Grand Slam. “There is no reason I shouldn’t be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous round. It’s only going to be tougher, especially against Serena.” A nonchalant Williams, who rarely looks beyond her next opponent in the draw, claimed she didn’t know Sharapova was now in the way of her bid to win a 22nd Grand Slam and equally Steffi Graf’s Open-era record. “I’ll be ready, she had a really good match—I had no idea I was playing her (Sharapova) next,” she told the courtside interviewer after taming Gasparyan. “That will be a good match, I have nothing to lose. We are both doing the best we can. It’ll be fun.” Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska will face Spain’s 10th seed Carla Suarez in the other quarter-final on Tuesday after both players
the court in tears. “I had no choice, just to fight till the end for each point. That’s what I did,” said the composed Radwanska, who kept her cool as Friedsam wilted. Suarez ended the dream run of local hope Daria Gavrilova 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 to make the last eight for the first time since her tournament debut in 2009. Williams has been in ominous form this year at Melbourne Park and easily swatted aside Gasparyan. It wasn’t vintage Serena but even operating at 50 percent she was too good for the world number 58 and a rout was always on the cards. Williams won three majors—the Australian and French Opens and Wi m b l e d o n — i n 2015 which took her to within one of Graf ’s long-time record of 22. Margaret Court, who was in the stadium to watch Williams play, holds the alltime Grand Slam record of 24. Japan’s Nishikori returns against France’s Tsonga during Sharapova had their men’s singles match of the Australian Open tennis toura much harder task nament in Melbourne.
against Bencic, the WTA’s highest ranked teenager, who has gone from rising star to the real deal over the past year, having already claimed 10 top-10 wins in her career. Coached by Melanie Molitor, mother of Martina Hingis, she won tournaments in Eastbourne and Toronto in a breakout 2015 and was a major hurdle for the Russian. But Sharapova—the last teen to win a Grand Slam title, aged 19 at the 2006 US Open—has also been in good touch in Melbourne, where she won in 2008, and ultimately her experience proved decisive. “These are the players that will ultimately take our spot,” she said of the talented Bencic. “But not just yet.” Japanese star Kei Nishikori stormed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a convincing win over former finalist JoWilfried Tsonga on Sunday. Seventh seed Nishikori won 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just over two hours on Hisense Arena and will face either world number one Novak Djokovic or French 14th seed Gilles Simon in the last eight. It is Nishikori’s third Australian Open quarter-final and fifth overall in Grand Slams, one less than the Japanese record
Cycling: Gerrans claims record fourth Tour Down Under A DELAIDE (Australia)—Australian laps of a circuit through Adelaide, took the front but Ewan bided his time and once
Simon Gerrans claimed a record fourth place in perfect conditions in front of close he decided to make his move none of the Tour Down Under when he finished safely to 100,000 fans lining the streets of the others could go with him. “Obviously it wasn’t just a good week in the peloton after the 90-kilometre final South Australian capital. Dutchman Maarten Tjallingii (Lotto for me, the team showed this week that stage on Sunday. Gerrans finished the UCI season-open- NL-Jumbo) and Belgium rider Thomas De they were by far the strongest,” Ewan ing race nine seconds ahead of fellow Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) broke clear on the said. “It was always going to be hard to go countryman Richie Porte of BMC Racing. fifth lap and stayed away until De Gendt into the race with two ambitions, to win Colombia’s Sergio Henao from Team dropped back on the lap 17. Lieuwe Westra (Astana) crossed the stages and also the GC (general classifiSky was third overall, 11 seconds behind gap and joined Tjallingii on the break, but cation) with Simon. Gerrans. “But we did it perfectly with four stage Gerrans’ Orica Greenedge teammate the pair were caught at the start of the fiCaleb Ewan won the final stage in a sprint nal lap, setting the race up for the sprint- wins and overall.” Gerrans also claimed the sprint title finish, adding to his victory in the open- ers. Team Sky, Tinkoff and Team Dimen- while Henao took out the King of the ing stage on Tuesday. The powerful Ewan surged for the line sion Data all tried to lead their sprinters to Mountain crown.—AFP 80 metres out, winning by a bike length from Australia’s Mark Renshaw (Team Dimension Data) and Italian Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo). However, the day’s racing belonged to Gerrans, whose nine-second overnight lead meant he only had to stay out of trouble Sunday to ensure a win in the general classification. Gerrans has been a dominant force at the Tour Down Under, winning previously in 2006, 2012 and 2014. He staked his claim for this year’s race when he won the third stage to Campbelltown, then backed up with victory in a sprint finish in the fourth stage at the seaside town of Victor Harbor. “We had a dream run this race,” Gerrans said. “Caleb bookmarking the race with the first and last stage wins, obviously me overall and the sprint jersey — I don’t think we could ask for anything more than that. “What a fantastic week it’s Australia’s Simon Gerrans from Orica GreenEdge celebrates as he wins stage six ahead of Britain’s Ben Swift from Sky during the Tour Down Under cycling race in Adelaide on been for us.” Sunday’s final stage, 20 Sunday.
Skipper Azhar buries hatchet with Amir THE rehabilitation of Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir takes another step forward Monday with one-day captain Azhar Ali welcoming him into the side for the series against New Zealand. Ali, who takes over the captaincy from Shahid Afridi for the 50-over game, initially refused to play alongside Amir who is making his return to the international scene after a prison term and five-year ban for spot-
“He bowled well in the T20s. My job is to try to get the best out of him,” Ali said. Pakistan have a strong squad of quick bowlers to choose from with Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali also in the mix. “Obviously we will try to put a combination together which suits these conditions and the wind factor. We’ve been practising bowling into it, everyone is ready,” Ali
Mohammad Amir and Azhar Ali look on during a training session at Wellington on Sunday. fixing. added. But on the eve of the first ODI against Before the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, New Zealand in Wellington, Ali said he had which also involved then Pakistan captain talked to Amir and aims to “get the best” Salman Butt and fellow bowler Mohammad out of the 23-year-old quick bowler if he Asif, Amir was regarded as the hottest propstarts. erty in international cricket. “We have moved on. We are united and As a teenager he took 51 wickets in 14 looking forward to the challenge,” Ali said Tests, 25 in 15 one-day internationals and as the team practised in blustery conditions 23 wickets in 18 Twenty20 matches. on Sunday. New Zealand, meanwhile, had no prob“Whatever my stance was, my job is to lems with Amir’s return and all-rounder lead and keep harmony in the dressing Grant Elliott saw the “trampoline” effect room.” imposed by the giant Irfan as probably more Afridi had no problems having Amir in of a concern. his side for the just completed Twenty20 At around 2.13 metres (seven feet) tall, series, won by New Zealand 2-1 with Amir Irfan is one of the tallest bowlers ever to bowling 11 overs and taking one for 100 play Test cricket and the left-armer’s height over the three matches. posed problems for the batsmen. Pakistani cricket one-day captain Azhar Ali “It’s like batting on a trampoline. It’s a initially refused to play alongside different proposition,” said Elliott, who exMohammad Amir who is …While Afridi pects a lot of bounce in the Basin Reserve backed a second chance for Amir, Ali stayed wicket. away from the first two days of a training “The height that he comes from is very camp before the New Zealand tour saying different so it takes a little bit of getting he would not attend “as long as Amir is used to. there”. “But a great player to come and watch He resumed the captaincy after Pakistan and for the crowd to see bowl. He’s close Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan in- to seven foot and comes in and bowls at tervened and said he has since talked to 140 clicks (kph), so it’s exciting to face.”— Amir and did not expect any problems. AFP
Australia coach in hospital with blood clot SYDNEY—Australia’s cricket coach Darren Lehmann is being treated for deep vein thrombosis and will miss his team’s twenty20 series against India next week, officials said. Lehmann will be replaced by batting coach Michael Di Venuto for the three matches in Adelaide on Tuesday, Melbourne on Friday and Sydney on Sunday, Cricket Australia said. “DVT is not an uncommon condition and it is important to diagnose it early so that it can be safely managed,” Cricket Australia’s chief medical officer John Orchard said in a statement late Saturday. “Darren is stable but he has been advised not to fly in the short term and will therefore require a lay-off before he can return to coaching.” Lehmann was admitted to a Sydney hospital on Saturday night after reporting a swollen calf to medical staff ahead of Australia’s one-day international against India on Saturday. Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which a clot forms in a deep vein, often in a leg. “We will assess the situation on the basis
of medical advice and with Darren’s best interests in mind over the coming days,” Cricket Australia’s team performance head Pat Howard added.—AFP
Australian captain’s wicket was like icing on cake: Jasprit’s sister B IPIN D ANI O BSERVER C ORRESPONDENT MUMBAI—Team India’s new debutant Jasprit Bumrah’s first wicket in international cricket made his family overjoyed in Ahmedabad. The 22-year-old right-arm medium pacer Bumrah dismissed Australian captain Steven Smith off his 17th delivery (caught by Rohit Sharma) at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). “It was like icing on the cake watching him take the captain’s wicket as his first”, Bumrah’s sister, Juhika, speaking exclusively over telephone from Ahmedabad, said. “It was very very overwhelming..it’s an amazing feeling..”. “We are very very proud of Jasprit today. it’s his dream come true and watching him in play today our feelings cannot be expressed in words. We had faith in his ability and believed that he would play for the Indian team one day and that he accomplished today which is huge for all of us”, she added.
“We were hopeful that he might play (in the ODIs) but it still was completely unexpected....We spoke to him last night and he seemed very calm and composed”. “Yes absolutely I have been watching it since the match began...I wouldn’t miss this for anything”, she added. “His debut for the IPL was also a very huge moment as well. Sachin Tendulkar encouraged my brother all through the way and for his first match he told my brother to just stay focused and play with calm”. “Jasprit was born and brought up in Ahmedabad and since his childhood he wanted to play cricket professionally. We have a small knit (Punjabi) family and all three of us, my brother, my mother and me are very very close. I am very sure our father (Jasbirsingh) would have been very proud today watching him grow up to be a part of the Indian cricket team”, she signed off. Jasprit’s mother, Daljit Bumrah is a principal in one of the schools in Ahmedabad.