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SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017

FORMER SPRINTER DEMERITTE: IT’S TIME TO CHANGE OUR PHILOSOPHY PAGE E3 BAHAMAS forward Shaian James drives to the basket against her Suriname defender.

JUSTIN ROBERTS REFLECTS ON PRO CIRCUIT EXPERIENCE By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER spending the majority of his summer playing in professional tennis tournaments in Europe, Justin Roberts was glad to take ten days off to relax and recuperate with good home cooked meals before heading back to school for his senior year. On Friday, Roberts will be returning to the University of South Florida to begin his senior year. But he said the experience he gained on the pro circuit will definitely help to propel his game to the next level. “I played about seven tournaments in the summer, so I had to take some time of to let my body fully recover and let my mind rest,” he said. “Since Monday, I’ve been back training in a full regimen at Albany.” Of the seven tournaments he participated in, Roberts said the last one in Finland turned out to be his best, as he made it to the quarter-final of the men’s singles, beating the number 11th ranked player in NCAA from Stanford, American Tom Fawcett, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round. In the first round, he also ousted the No.6 seeded player Louis Chaix from France 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 before he lost to Jonathan Mridha, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarters. Mridha was the eventual runner-up of the tournament. Roberts, who played two two tournaments in Spain, three in Portugal and another in Belgium, said his appearance in Finland was his best production and gave him a lot of incentive to go back to school. “I had a good end of the season in college and I expected that to continue this summer, but I got injured at the end of the college season and so I had to take some out to recuperate,” he recalled. “I didn’t really pick up where I left off. I had some really rough weeks, but I finished with a pretty good showing at the end. “It wasn’t what I expected, but with the time out that I had during the summer, I’m glad the way I fought through it. It was a summer full of good learning experiences for me.” In those tournaments, Roberts also played in a few doubles, but the results were not as good as he expected either, making a few quarter-finals and losing in the first round in another. At the end of the tour, Roberts has pushed his ATP points total to five and is now ranked at 12, the highest by any Bahamian. As a matter of fact, he’s the only Bahamian with any ATP points. “I feel good. I’m beating better players than I beat last year,” he said. “My fitness level is better and my tennis is much better. I’m progressing very well, which is good. I just have to keep on going.” The stop home for Roberts gave him an opportunity to “slow down my SEE PAGE E3

Bahamas bounces back with win over Suriname By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER losing the opening game of the FIBA U17 Centrobasket Championship for Women 53-39 to Costa Rica, the Bahamas bounced back on Thursday to take their frustration out on Suriname with a 8669 rout. Leading from start to finish, the Bahamas had four players in double figures as forward Valicia Demeritte led the attack by scoring a game high 20 points on 9-for-17 from the field and 2-for6 from the free throw line in 34 minutes and 43 seconds. She also had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Guard Alana Pinder, in a team-leading 36:45 minutes, was next with 17 points, hitting with 3-for-6 shots from the field and behind the three-point arch and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, to

FIBA U17 Centrobasket Championship in Puerto Rico go along with six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Team captain Tanea Bowleg, in 30:15 minutes, also had 7 points on 5-for-12 from the field, 2-for-7 from the three-point line and 5-for-6 from the foul line. Centre Brionte Riley, playing 21:36 minutes, contributed 12 points with 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists. All but two of the Bahamian players, scored in the game. Centre Ulrica Butler had eight points, three rebounds and two steals and centre Michell Butler had six points and five rebounds. The Bahamas, coached by Varel Davis and assisted by Terrarance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney and Deven Johnson, opened an impressive 22-9 lead at the end

of the first quarter. By the half, Suriname cut the deficit to single digits as they trailed 43-35. Both teams scored 22 points in the third as the Bahamas stayed ahead 65-57. But, on a 21-14 spurt in the fourth, the Bahamas coasted to the win. Suriname also had four players in double figures with captain Jolaine Nijman scoring 17 points with four rebounds and three steals. The Bahamas led in all of the shooting categories, except for three-point, which saw both teams shoot 40 per cent. Surinam had a 28-15 advantage on the offensive rebounding, but the Bahamas made up the difference with a 37-23 edge on the defensive end for a total of 52-41 total.

BAHAMAS guard Alana Pinder dribbles around a Suriname defender. A 20-16 margin put the Bahamas ahead in assists, but Suriname had 28-35 difference in turnovers, 22-16 in steals and 2-1 in block shots. The Bahamas, however, committed 25 fouls compared to just 19 by their opponents. SEE PAGE E2

TERAY SMITH: I WANT TO BE IN A FINAL

Sprinter to begin professional training in Jamaica

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net NOW that his collegiate career is over, sprinter Teray Smith has decided to begin his professional training in Kingston, Jamaica. As of September, before he celebrates his birthday on the 28th of that month, Smith will be the first Bahamian male sprinter to move to Jamaica where he will join the Maximising Velocity and Power (MVP) Track Club, headed by Stevie Francis, the coach of Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell and new mom Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. In June, Smith graduated from Auburn University where he was coached by Bahamian assistant coach Henry Rolle. But he admitted at the 16th IAAF World Championships in London, England that he wants to get to the next level as a potential contender in the men’s sprints and Jamaica is the ideal place to hone his skills. “I know it was a long college season for me, so I just wanted to come here and give it my all, which I do every time I step on the track,” Smith said. “But I

TERAY SMITH (right) with his men’s 4 x 100m teammates Warren Fraser, Shavez Hart and Sean Stuart at the World Championships. hate coming out here and getting embarrassed. Every time we come out here we get embarrassed. “I don’t just want to make the team anymore. I want to do something. I want to be in a final. I don’t want to go to the nationals, do well there and then come here to these games and don’t go anywhere. I want to make it to the next round. I’m just tired of us not doing anything.” Smith, 22, qualified to compete in the men’s 200 metres at the World Cham-

pionships where he failed to advance out of the qualifying round, finishing fifth in his heat in 20.77 seconds for 34th overall, which excluded him from the top 24 that advanced to the semifinal. A couple days later, he ran the anchor leg of the men’s 4 x 100m relay team that included Warren Fraser, Shavez Hart and newcomer Sean Stuart. However, the quartet’s seventh place was wiped off the books as they were disqualified on the exchange

between Hart and Stuart. With the wealth of experience that he gained running for Auburn, Smith was hoping that the men’s team would garner some success – as the men’s 4 x 400m team did in the past by getting into the final. “I just hope everybody sees the same vision that I see and just gives it their all,” Smith proclaimed. “This is serious. It’s really frustrating for me. I can’t take this anymore. It’s just too embarrassing for me.” For his part, both indi-

vidually and as a member of the relay team, Smith said he’s going to make the necessary sacrifice to get some professional training in Jamaica. “It’s a sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice,” he stressed. “I want to be great, so I have to do it. I’m looking forward to it.” The Grand Bahamian, sponsored by Puma, said he’s hoping that the change in environment, among some of the best sprinters SEE PAGE E3

PAGE 2, Thursday, August 17, 2017

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BAHAMAS guard Alana Pinder drives to the basket between Suriname defenders as centre Ulrica Woodside looks on.

BAHAMAS BOUNCES BACK WITH WIN OVER SURINAME FROM PAGE E1 Both teams had just eight fast break points, but the Bahamas enjoyed its biggest lead of 19-0, had a 54-44 advantage in points in the paint and a 12-7 edge in points off the bench. Suriname scored 37 points from turnovers with the Bahamas only getting 28. The Bahamas was also 14-11 against Suriname in second chance points but both teams had 12 points each in their biggest scoring attacks. The Bahamas led for 39:43 minutes of the 40-minute game. Today, the Bahamas will have their hands full as they take on hosts Puerto Rico in the feature game at 7pm. Puerto Rico leads Group B with a 2-0 win-loss record, while the Bahamas is sitting in second at 1-1, the same record of Costa Rica, whom they will play on Friday to complete the round robin.

BAHAMAS forward Valicia Demeritte beats a defender to the basket.

Mexico tops Group A at 2-0 with El Salvador and Guatemala trailing 1-1 for second and third respectively. The British Virgin Islands are 0-2 – as are Suriname in fourth place in Group B. The competition system of the tournament consists of two phases. In the Group Phase, the eight participating teams are divided into two groups of four teams. Teams play in the round-robin format for three days. The best two teams from each group will advance to the next phase, where the first place of Group A will play against the second place in Group B and vice versa. The winners of the Semi-Finals will advance to the Gold Medal Match, while the losers will play for the bronze of the continental event. The top-three teams from the tournament will qualify to the FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship 2018.

BAHAMAS centre Ulrica Woodside plays defence as guard Tanera Bowleg (13) and centre Michell Butler (14) looks on.

BAHMAS coaching staff, led by Varel Davis, celebrate. Also joining in are assistant coaches Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney and Deven Johnson.

BAHAMAS’ forward Valici Demeritte soars over three defenders for a basket.

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BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST SPONSOR ATLANTIS, Paradise Island resort today announced Bad Boy Mowers as the first-ever title sponsor for its early-season collegiate basketball tournament. Scheduled to take place November 22-24, 2017, the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis will feature 12-games and a field that boasts a combined 16 Final Four appearances and 5 National Championships. The multi-year agreement between Atlantis and Bad Boy Mowers was brokered by Denver-based Impression Sports & Entertainment. It will mark the first of several strategic partnerships Bad Boy Mowers will execute in 2017. “We couldn’t be more excited to sponsor a tournament of this caliber,” said Lennie Foree, Director of Marketing for Bad Boy Mowers. “The entire organisation, from the event’s planners and organisers to the Atlantis resort itself, is just world-class at every level. For us to be the first title sponsor in its history just makes it even more special. Howard Karawan, president and managing director of Atlantis said: “We’ve worked hard over the last seven seasons to make the Battle 4 Atlantis a premier event, showcasing some of the most exciting talent in college basketball, year after year. “Having a dedicated, premier brand partner like Bad Boy Mowers, who happen to be huge college basketball fans, come aboard is further proof of our success.” Celebrating its seventh year, Battle 4 Atlantis takes place during the week of Thanksgiving at the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort. The games are played in the Imperial Arena, a ballroom transformed into a truly unique basketball venue. Games are televised on ESPN networks throughout the tournament. The Battle 4 Atlantis is known for being the most talented and challenging of all the Division I Men’s early-season college basketball tournaments. This year’s lineup will feature powerhouse programmes including Villanova, Arizona, Purdue, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Southern Methodist University, Western Kentucky, and Northern Iowa.

JUNIOR PLAYERS STILL ALIVE IN TOURNEY THREE of the Bahamas junior tennis players won their matches on Wednesday and are all in the quarterfinal rounds of the SVGTA NLA Junior ITF Tournament in St Vincent & the Grenadines.  Donte Armbrister, the Bahamas’ No. 1 in the player in the boys’ 16 and 18 divisions, defeated the No. 3 seed in the tournament, Milledge Cossu of the USA, in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.   Sydney Clarke, the Bahamas’ No. 1 player in the girls’ 16 division, defeated Kimberly Sabga also in straight sets 6-0, 6-1.   Jacobi Bain, another top junior player, defeated Tomas Del Olmo of the US Virgin Islands in three sets 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.  All three players will play their quarterfinals today.

Thursday, August 17, 2017, PAGE 3

FORMER SPRINTER DOMINIC DEMERITTE: IT’S TIME TO CHANGE OUR PHILOSOPHY By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net HE went out in a blaze of glory as the last athlete to win the IAAF World Indoor 200 metres. After he won the title in 2004 in Budapest, running out of lane six, the event was stopped, leaving his name inked in the history books. These days, Dominic Demeritte, who also won the bronze in the same event the year before in Birmingham, England, serves as a manager of a group of 18 athletes worldwide as well as doing a high school coaching in Atlanta, Georgia. Included in his stable are long jumper Bianca Stuart, sprinters Warren Fraser and Shavez Hart as well as twin brothers Lathone and Latario Collie-Minns, two talented triple jumpers. While he was in London, England to watch some of his athletes perform, he was disappointed by the absence of a few. Most noticeably missing were the twin brothers, who graduated last year from the University of Texas A & M. “Latario succumbed to injuries at the NCAA Championships last year. He’s back up and training with his brother Lathone,” Demeritte revealed. “But he decided to take the year

“I think that we as a country and an association, we’ve been doing things a certain way for so long and we’ve been getting away with it because we have so many talented athletes. But now is the time to change those philosophies because so many countries, even some of the smaller ones, are figuring it out and so the playing field is really levelled.” Dominic Demeritte off to fully recuperate and not rush right back into competition.” Based on the projections for both of them before they got injured, Demeritte said he’s confident that they will be back at top form and ready to take their rightful places in the men’s triple and long jumps with the national record holder Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands. “This was one of those World Championships where anything could happen and for some countries, like the Bahamas in the relays, everything did go wrong,” Demeritte stressed. “But that’s a part of sports. That’s why we play, jump, throw and run. Championships ain’t won on paper and for a lot of countries, including ourselves, we found that out the hard way.” It’s now going to be incumbent on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, according to Demeritte, to go back and prepare for

the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 World Championships, with the heavy focus on Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games. While he’s not involved directly with the BAAA, Demeritte said he’s still called upon to give his advice wherever possible and as a manager, coach and even meet director, he can appreciate what is needed to get the job done. “I think I have some ideas and whether I’m asked to or not, I would love to share them,” he insisted. “I think that we as a country and an association, we’ve been doing things a certain way for so long and we’ve been getting away with it because we have so many talented athletes. “But now is the time to change those philosophies because so many countries, even some of the smaller ones, are figuring it out and so the playing field is really levelled. So we have to go back to the draw-

ing board and reassess what we are doing.” As a Bahamian who has experience on the circuit, Demeritte said he would love to assist the BAAA in the way forward. He said he’s just one of the many former athletes, coaches and administrators who would love to lend their support to steer the country in the right direction. “I miss the atmosphere of going out there and warming up and seeing your rivals and everybody looking at each other and sizing them up before the competition,” he said. “But I would really like to be able to give my assistance to the country in getting our teams better prepared to compete in the future.” Demeritte, winner of a gold (2003 in St George’s) and silver (2005 at home) in the Central American and Caribbean Championships as well as 200m silver and 100m bronze (1996 in San Salvador) at the Jr CAC Championships, has shared the medal podium with his teammates in the 4 x 100m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games (Manchester, England), 2006 CAC Games (Cartagena), 2005 CAC Championships (Nassau) and the Jr CAC Championships (San Salvador). Now 39, Demeritte is a graduate of St John’s College and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a two time NCAA All American.

JUSTIN ROBERTS

REFLECTS ON PRO CIRCUIT EXPERIENCE

FROM PAGE E1

batteries and get recharged for college.” “I’m getting a little restless,” he said. “So it’s time to go back and do some work. I just started working out the last few days, but it’s easier for me to do it when I’m in a routine at school.” While at Albany, Roberts was hitting with his little sister, Savannah, and working out with tennis pro Grant Doyle, who is heading up the proposed Lleyton Hewitt Academy that is being started by the retired Australian player who in 2001 was the No.1 ranked player in the world. As he prepares to return to USF for his senior year, Roberts said his goal is to finish off strong. “I would like to get that All-American title and be an All-American,” he projected. “I just want to be able to play number one for my team and hope that we can do very well as a team. I think this summer sets me up for a good senior year.” Depending on the needs of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff, led by Ashley Fisher, Roberts sees himself battling it out with another team-mate, Alberto Barroso-Campos from Spain, for the top spot. But he’s confident that wherever he plays, he will make a valuable contribution. He is also expected to play doubles with either Barroso-Campos or Peter Bertran from the Dominican Republic. He played

mostly with the latter last season as they compiled a 13-9 win-loss record. “I won’t know until I get back where I will play,” said Roberts, who was also 5-11 in singles as he helped the Bulldogs to an 18-9 team record. That included a 6-1 as they emerged as the American Athletic Conference champions over Tulsa in Memphis, Tennessee before they eventually lost to the Florida Gators in the NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Florida.

Title The 6-feet Roberts also clinched the Bulls’ fourthstraight conference title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Danny Kerznerman of UCF and he helped the Bulls to an upset over No. 16 Mississippi State with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 2 earning him the AAC Player of the Week honours. The Bulldogs will open their 2016/17 season over the weekend of January 13 and 14th in Gainesville against Louisville and Wisconsin. “It’s just a time to grow. I think I’ve improved a lot,” said Roberts as he looks ahead to the upcoming season. “You learn a lot by yourself over the past three years. If I had to do it all over again, if I had to chose between going to college first and then playing pro, I would chose college first.”

The 20-year-old finance major said said he still has a lot to do to enhance his game for the pro ranks. “The more you play, the better you feel,” he said. “It’s more in your head with that belief that you can beat anybody on any given day. “That just comes from being out there and playing more matches, going through the experiences and putting in the time. For my final year in college, I just want to continue improving and get better. With that, the results tend to follow, so I’m just going to push forward.” In moving forward, Roberts said it’s unlikely that

he will be home in December for the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s annual Georgio Baldacci Open Tennis Tournament at the National Tennis Center, which also serves as the selection process for the Davis Cup team.

Points But as the only player with any ATP points, Roberts said he would like to be considered for the team that will play out of Zone III next year. The team of Spencer Newman, Philip Major Jr, Justin Lunn and player/captain Marvin Rolle were relegated from

Zone II in their 4-1 lost to host Bolivia in April. That decision, however, will rest with the BLTA, but Roberts said he’s confident that the Bulls’ coaching staff will grant him permission to participate if he is selected. If he isn’t considered, he will continue to make his impact with the Bulls men’s team. During his trip home, Roberts said he spent a lot of time with family and friends. He also enjoyed the fried snappers, peas and rice and macaroni, but he’s still waiting for the cracked conch, which he hope to indulge in before he leaves on Friday.

TERAY SMITH: I WANT TO BE IN A FINAL FROM PAGE E1 in the world, will pay big dividends in the future. Smith, who previously attended American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida, spent the past four years at Auburn where he made his presence felt. He completed his tenure as a 2017 Outdoor first team All-American (200m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay) and Indoor second team All-American (200m). While the highlight of 2016 was running on the Bahamas’ team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Smith was a 2015 Outdoor Second Team AllAmerican (200m, 4x100m relay); 2014 Outdoor Second Team All-American (200m)

and 2014 All-SEC Freshman Team member (100m, 200m). The 6-foot, 2-inch sprinter’s trip to London followed his Olympic debut last year were he also failed to advance out of the heats of the 200m, his specialty. But he’s confident that with the training he will get in Jamaica, he will be ready to be faster next year at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia from April 4-15. He currently holds a personal best of 10.33 that he ran at the War Eagle Invitational in 2016 in Auburn, Alabama and 20.35 in the 200m, a time he posted at the NCAA Championships in 2015 in Eugene, Oregon.

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NEW YORK JETS’ WHITEHEAD HAVING FOOT SURGERY, RETURN DUTIES UNCERTAIN By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets wide receiver Lucky Whitehead will have surgery this week on his broken foot, leaving the team’s kickoff and punt return duties uncertain. Coach Todd Bowles says Wednesday that Whitehead could potentially return this season, but it’s uncertain how much time he will miss. Whitehead was the front-runner to serve as the Jets’ primary kickoff and punt returner. He was injured during practice Monday and watched Tuesday from the sideline on crutches. Jalin Marshall was the Jets’ main returner last season as a rookie, but is suspended the first four games for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers. Frankie Hammond, Romar Morris, Chris Harper and Marcus Murphy could all be in the mix for the return jobs.

BRONCOS LB VON MILLER RETURNS TO SCENE OF SUPER BOWL MVP By JOSH DUBOW, AP Pro Football Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Von Miller had some pretty good flashbacks when he arrived at Levi’s Stadium for the first time since winning the Super Bowl MVP here just over 18 months ago. The stakes were far lower for a joint practice between his Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers than they were for that Super Bowl win over Cam Newton and Carolina in February 2016 but that didn’t stop the memories. “Walking onto the field this morning, it’s a whole lot different,” Miller said. “It’s a lot more red than what it was last time. Before it was just gold and black and a whole bunch of white, all the Super Bowl stuff. It still had the same feel. San Francisco has always been good to me. The Bay Area has always been good to us. Throughout my whole career I’ve only lost one game here. Preseason, the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers, I’ve only lost one game here. A lot of great memories for me, as a team and as an organisation.” This week also offered Miller a chance for a reunion with mentor Elvis Dumervil, who helped teach Miller the ways of the NFL during his first two seasons as a pro in 2011-12. The two have remained close ever since, seeing each other in the offseason and training together at times and Miller still credits Dumervil for teaching him how to be a leader and an elite pass rusher. “I feel like he is one of my blood brothers,” Dumervil said. “He took me in when I was young and basically showed me the whole script of bringing young guys in and showing them the ropes. That’s where I learned it from. ... It’s great to get Gloom and Doom back on the same field. It’s a blessing.” The Niners and Broncos held the first of two straight joint practices before playing an exhibition game here Saturday night. The players were on their best behavior for day one with only one skirmish coming after San Francisco rookie safety Adrian Colbert delivered a hard hit on Denver tight end Steven Scheu after a catch over the middle early in practice. Niners general manager John Lynch and Broncos coach Vance Joseph helped break it up and San Francisco pulled Colbert for a bit to calm things down as Lynch talked to Joseph and Denver counterpart John Elway. “Both coaches handled their teams really well,” Lynch said. “We had one little scuffle but I’ve never seen one of these joint practices where you haven’t. I thought it was very professional on both sides. Really productive work. We were thrilled with it.”

Thursday, August 17, 2017, PAGE 5

DECADE OF DISAPPOINTMENT: BUCS, JAGS TO END PLAYOFF DROUGHT? By MARK LONG, AP Sports Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars are closing in on a decade of disappointment. To many, it probably feels even longer. The cross-state teams last made the playoffs in 2007, a drought that spans three owners, six general manager, nine head coaches and 15 starting quarterbacks. The similarities in their struggles are staggering yet not all that surprising: They missed repeatedly in the early rounds of the NFL draft and stumbled almost annually in free agency. They also failed miserably to find coaching stability, franchise quarterbacks and all-important pass-rushers. The results are evident. The Bucs are 54-90 over the past nine years, including a 10-win season in 2010 and two nine-win campaigns. That’s a decent record when compared to Jacksonville, which is a measly 42-102 during that span and has double-digit losses in each of the past six years. “I feel like every organiSation has to go through turmoil,” retired Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. “Not really turmoil, but adversity. I’m a big ‘Shawshank Redemption’ fan and my guy said he had to crawl through 500 feet of you-know-what to come out clean on the other side. That’s what you have to go through in this game.” Tampa Bay and Jacksonville have been knee-deep in it for some time. The Bucs have mostly struggled since firing Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden following a fourgame losing streak to end the 2008 season. They had a glimmer of hope under coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Josh Freeman in 2010, but that was shortlived. Mike Glennon and Josh McCown followed at quarterback, along with coaches Greg Schiano and Lovie Smith. None of them proved to be the answer. It certainly didn’t help that the Bucs signed free agent flops such as defensive end Michael Johnson and offensive tackle Anthony Johnson in 2014, or that they whiffed in the draft with defensive tackle Brian Price and receiver Arrelious Benn in 2010, defensive end Da’Quan

TAMPA Bay Buccaneers Jamis Winston during a joint NFL football practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Bruce Lipsky/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

JACKSONVILLE Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles scrambles looking for a receiver during a joint NFL football practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Bruce Lipsky/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Bowers (2011), cornerback Johnthan Banks (2012), tight end Austin SeferianJenkins (2013) and placekicker Roberto Aguayo (2016). All of those were secondround picks who were supposed to help make up the core of the roster. All of those guys are either elsewhere or out of the league. Jacksonville’s draft-day difficulties have come mostly in the first round, with defensive end Derrick Harvey (2008), left tackle Eugene Monroe (2009), defensive lineman Tyson Alualu (2010), quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2011), receiver Justin Blackmon (2012) and left tackle Luke Joeckel (2013) getting paid millions to make little impact for the small-market franchise. None of them remain on the roster, and only Alualu stuck around long enough to get a second contract. The Jaguars have had even less success in free agency, faltering with receiver Jerry Porter and cor-

fence that was one of the NFL’s best down the stretch in 2016, and second-year pro Sean Spence seems poised to give the team its first double-digit sack guy since Simeon Rice in 2005. “When was the last time we went to the playoffs, 2007?” Evans said. “All right, so 10 years. So hopefully we can break that. So yeah, we have a lot to prove. We’re good on paper, but we’ve got to do it. “I see why there’s a lot of excitement. We have a really good team and a really good roster. So hopefully we all stay healthy and put in the work and we can reach our goal, which is the playoffs.” The Jaguars expect to have one of the best defences in the league thanks to the emergence of cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the addition of defensive end Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye and safety Barry Church. If passrushers Yannick Ngakoue

nerback Drayton Florence in 2008 as well as defensive end Aaron Kampman (2010), linebacker Clint Session (2011), receiver Laurent Robinson (2012), guard Zane Beadles (2014), cornerback Davon House (2015), tight end Julius Thomas (2015), defensive end Jared Odrick (2015) and left tackle Kelvin Beachum (2016). None of those mistakes will be on the field tonight when the Jaguars host the Buccaneers in a preseason game. They are distant and unsavoury memories for front offices and fan bases. Now, though, there’s belief in both cities that the postseason dry spell could be ending soon. Tampa Bay thinks Jameis Winston is a budding franchise quarterback and considers speedy DeSean Jackson and Pro Bowler Mike Evans among the top receiver tandems in the league. Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander anchor a de-

and Dante Fowler Jr. make strides, it should be Jacksonville’s best defensive unit in a decade. New coach Doug Marrone is counting on it. He also plans to rely on a ground game featuring rookie Leonard Fournette. The idea is that better defence and a more stout ground game will take pressure off turnover-prone quarterback Blake Bortles. “We have a chance to do some really good things,” said veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, the last link to Jacksonville’s 2007 playoff team. “It’s hard for me to stand up here and make predictions — I really don’t like doing that — but I think coming that first game, we’re going to have our best product within the last decade on that field. “I would like to be part of the team that gets us to where we should be. We haven’t won here in a long time.”

SAVAGE IS HOUSTON’S STARTING QB, BUT WATSON IMPRESSING EARLY By KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Tom Savage is Houston’s starting quarterback for now, but coach Bill O’Brien is keeping a keen eye on rookie Deshaun Watson, charting his progress as the Texans prepare for their season opener. When the Texans traded up 13 picks to take Watson 12th overall in this year’s draft many assumed that the Clemson standout would immediately move into the starting role. Instead the Texans insisted that Savage was their starter and have operated that way throughout training camp with the third-year player getting the bulk of the snaps with the first team. That hasn’t stopped coach Bill O’Brien from being questioned about Watson and his progress every day. Sometimes he’ll talk about the rookie quarterback, but often he steers his comments back to his starting quarterback. “I think we have a really good situation here,” O’Brien said. “We have Tom. He’s had a good camp. He’s thrown the ball well, he’s done some good things ... but Deshaun’s had a good camp, too, so it’s been very productive for both guys.” The interest in Watson was already high after he became the first quarterback the Texans drafted in the first round since taking David Carr with the first overall pick in their first season. But interest got even higher after he threw for 179 yards and ran for a touchdown after taking over for Savage in Houston’s preseason opener against the Panthers last week. While O’Brien often deflects questions about Watson, he did admit that he was one of the best rookie quarterbacks he’s coached and said he often does the little things a quarterback

HOUSTON Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) works on passing during a joint NFL football team practice with the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson)

needs to do to be successful. “He’s ahead of where some rookies I’ve been around have been,” O’Brien said. “I’ve seen him be able to do that. I think he needs to do it more consistently, but he works very hard to get it right. If he doesn’t get it right away on the field, he goes into the meeting room and tries to fix it.” Watson, who threw for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns last season to lead Clemson to a national title, believes he’s made a lot of progress since joining the Texans, but is still looking to get much better. “Honestly, in the spring I knew what I was doing but at the same time my head was swimming,” he said. “But whenever I step on the field today, I can go out there and control the offence and do what they ask me to do and make good decisions, fast. I’m just trying to improve in all areas

and continue to do that.” Whether it’s Savage or Watson who starts, the Texans are looking for consistency at the position after starting eight different players there since 2014. They thought they’d found the solution to their quarterback woes when they signed Brock Osweiler to a $72 million contract before last season, but he was benched for Savage late in the season before being traded to Cleveland in March. Savage has shown potential in limited action, but it’s hard to know exactly what he can do after he’s appeared in just five games with two starts in his two-year career. He likes the way his offence, led by receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Lamar Miller, is coming together and knows getting most of the snaps with the first team in camp has

helped him improve. “It’s different just because I’m getting the reps against the ones, with the ones. That’s been huge for me,” he said. “Just knowing that I can go out there and I can do this and I can take over for this team and handle it.” Savage, who has yet to throw a touchdown pass in a regular-season game, is certainly aware that many people outside of the organisation would like to see Watson under center when Houston opens the season on Sept. 10 against the Jaguars. But he has too many other things to think about to worry about that. “I’m out there competing and that makes both of us better,” he said. “So, we just have to keep going with that. At the end of the day, both of us, we want to win, so we let the coaches handle the rest and we’ll go out there and focus on what we can control.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 17, 2017, PAGE 7

QUALIFIER BARTY KNOCKS OUT VENUS WILLIAMS IN CINCINNATI By JOE KAY, AP Sports Writer

MASON, Ohio (AP) — Venus Williams’ resurgent summer hit a bump Wednesday when he was knocked out of the Western & Southern Open by a qualifier in the second round. Ashleigh Barty rallied for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 upset on a humid afternoon that played to her advantage. Barty, ranked No. 48 on the ATP tour, had never beaten a Top 10 player — going 0-6 — before knocking off the ninth-ranked Williams. Several more upsets further depleted the brackets Wednesday. Numerous top players have pulled out because of injury, leaving the tournament wide open. No. 3 Angelique Kerber lost to Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (11), with the Russian converting on her eighth match point to end a 2-hour, 39-minute match. Makarova also upset Kerber at Roland Garros this season. Kerber fell behind 5-2 in the third set, rallied to a tiebreaker, then got up 8-7. She wasted her only chance to finish it off. “The third set was a

completely up-and-down set,” Kerber said. On the men’s side, wild card Frances Tiafoe broke through against No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who was coming off his second ATP Masters title in Montreal. The 19-year-old American hadn’t taken a set in his two career matches against Zverev, but rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that ended Zverev’s streak of 10 straight match wins. The men’s bracket is without Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and defending champion Marin Cilic because of injuries. The women’s bracket is missing Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. Venus Williams is enjoying a comeback season, reaching the finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon at age 37. She faded in the heat and humidity on Wednesday against a player who is 3-13 career against Top 20 players. “I’m going to take a break,” Williams said. “Just have a rest and just go big. That’s my plan.” After knocking off Williams, Barty had to head for her doubles match, still buoyed by the biggest win

of her singles career. “It really is a privilege to be able to share the court with Venus,” Barty said. “She’s an amazing champion and how she’s still playing so well, still making Slam finals — it’s amazing. To be able to share the court with her and play well today, it was really exciting.” Madison Keys reached the round of 16 for the first time, needing just 50 minutes to beat past Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1. Keys, who withdrew from last week’s Rogers Cup in Toronto with a forearm injury, next will meet fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza, the Wimbledon champion. The men’s bracket lost one of its hottest player of late. Zverev won back-toback titles in Washington and Montreal, leaving him little time to rest. It showed against Tiafoe, who was more aggressive as the match went along. “I’m completely dead right now,” Zverev said. “I have been dead for the past two days. I could have easily pulled the plug in the second set, but I’m not going to retire just because I’m tired. And he’s too good of a player to beat when I’m in this stage.”

ASHLEIGH BARTY, of Australia, (above) in action against Venus Williams (below). (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Mostly sunny with a shower in spots

Partly cloudy

Sun and clouds, a t‑storm in spots

Partly sunny with a thunderstorm

Intervals of clouds and sunshine

Clouds and sun with a shower

High: 93°

Low: 79°

High: 93° Low: 78°

High: 92° Low: 80°

High: 93° Low: 82°

High: 93° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

103° F

90° F

103°-87° F

103°-89° F

103°-91° F

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

MIAMI

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 83° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 79° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

N E

tiDes

For

nassau

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

4:02 a.m. 4:47 p.m.

2.8 3.4

10:17 a.m. 0.3 11:16 p.m. 0.6

Friday

5:08 a.m. 5:48 p.m.

2.8 3.6

11:20 a.m. 0.2 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Saturday

6:09 a.m. 6:45 p.m.

3.0 3.7

12:16 a.m. 0.4 12:21 p.m. 0.0

Sunday

7:06 a.m. 7:38 p.m.

3.1 3.7

1:12 a.m. 1:17 p.m.

0.2 ‑0.1

Monday

8:00 a.m. 8:27 p.m.

3.2 3.7

2:03 a.m. 2:11 p.m.

0.1 ‑0.1

Tuesday

8:50 a.m. 9:15 p.m.

3.3 3.7

2:51 a.m. 3:02 p.m.

0.0 ‑0.1

Wednesday 9:38 a.m. 10:00 p.m.

3.4 3.5

3:36 a.m. 3:51 p.m.

0.0 0.1

sun

anD

Sunrise Sunset

moon

6:45 a.m. 7:43 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

2:25 a.m. 4:10 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Aug. 21

Aug. 29

Sep. 6

Sep. 13

CAT ISLAND

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 93° F/34° C Low .................................................... 82° F/28° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/32° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/26° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 19.63” Normal year to date ................................... 22.40”

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N W

N E

E S

10‑20 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND

CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots NE at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots ENE at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 12‑25 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots

WAVES 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 4‑7 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 4‑7 Feet 4‑8 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F 83° F 83° F 86° F 86° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 87° F 87° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 87° F 84° F 84° F 82° F 82° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, August 17, 2017

RONALDO SAYS HIS BAN FOR PUSHING REFEREE IS ‘PERSECUTION’ MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo has bitterly criticised his five-game suspension for pushing a referee who had sent him off, describing the ban as “persecution.” Ronaldo wrote on his Instagram account on Wednesday that “it is impossible to remain silent in this situation, 5 games!! It seems exaggerated and ridiculous to me, this is called persecution!” Ronaldo’s outburst came after the Spanish soccer federation ratified his suspension, which was announced on Monday. The Real Madrid forward will miss the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona later on Wednesday. Madrid holds a 3-1 advantage. He will also miss the first four matches of the Spanish league, which Madrid opens on Sunday at Deportivo La Coruna. Ronaldo was suspended for one match after being sent off during Sunday’s first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Spanish media reports said Madrid appealed Ronaldo’s second yellow card, when the Portugal forward was booked for diving. Ronaldo was given an additional four-match ban for shoving the referee in the back after he was shown the red card. Ronaldo concluded his Instagram message with “Thanks to my teammates and fans for their support.” The message was accompanied by a photo of the moment when referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea showed Ronaldo the red card. Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has also criticised the extended ban of his best player.

CARLOS BACCA JOINS VILLARREAL, BOATENG LEAVES LAS PALMAS MADRID (AP) — Colombia striker Carlos Bacca joined Spanish club Villarreal on loan from AC Milan on Wednesday. Villarreal said the oneseason loan agreement includes the option to buy the player at the end of the season. Bacca returns to a Spanish league where the 30-year-old forward flourished in two seasons at Sevilla before joining Milan in 2015 Bacca has made 39 appearances for Colombia, scoring 13 goals. According to Villarreal, he has scored 165 career goals in 336 matches. He scored 14 goals for Milan last season. Elsewhere in Spain, Las Palmas announced that Kevin-Prince Boateng was leaving the club after both sides agreed to end his contract two days before its season opener. Las Palmas said that Boateng was leaving due to “personal reasons of an irreversible nature.” The club thanked the former AC Milan standout for his “professionalism” that he displayed during his single season on the Canary Islands. He scored 10 goals for the club last campaign. Boateng said he was leaving “because I miss my family.” “It’s not a decision based on sports,” he told a news conference. “For a father it is very difficult to be so far from one’s child and wife. Family comes first.” Las Palmas opens the Spanish league season on Friday at Valencia.

THE TRIBUNE

MADRID BEAT BARCA WITHOUT RONALDO TO WIN SUPER CUP

By ERIC NUNEZ, Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 to complete a 5-1 victory on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday, dominating their fiercest rivals without the need of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale. Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema provided the goals in the second leg for a Madrid side that showed every ounce of confidence that Barcelona sorely lacked. While Bale was rested on the bench, Ronaldo watched the game from the Santiago Bernabeu stands as he completed the first game of a five-match ban for pushing the referee who sent him off in Sunday’s 3-1 first-leg win. Asensio filled in perfectly for Madrid’s star, scoring five minutes into the match for his second goal in the season’s curtain raiser. Benzema added a second goal in the 39th after Lucas Vazquez had already hit the post for the hosts. Last season’s Liga and Champions League winners, Madrid also beat Manchester United to win the European Super Cup last week. Barcelona struggled to score for a second match since the shocking departure of Neymar on a worldrecord transfer to Paris SaintGermain. The closest they went to scoring was Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hitting the woodwork in the second half after the title was already in Madrid’s grasp. “Our first 20 minutes were magnificent,” Madrid defender Dani Carvajal said. “We ran right over them and they felt overwhelmed.” After seeing his team being soundly beaten on its home pitch in his debut with the team on Sunday, Barcelona’s new coach Ernesto Valverde decided to revamp both his starting 11 and its formation. He ditched Barcelona’s classic 4-3-3 formation for a 3-5-2, with only Messi and Suarez up front. Neymar had accompanied them for the past four seasons before he bolted for PSG. Valverde also gave starts to midfielders Andre Gomes and

REAL MADRID’S Karim Benzema, second left, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Barcelona. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Sergi Roberto and defender Javier Mascherano, in place of Sunday’s starters Aleix Vidal, Gerard Deulofeu and the injured Andres Iniesta. It didn’t matter. Barcelona had no answer for Madrid’s pressure, lost ball after ball in their own half, and clearly missed Neymar’s presence on the left flank to start quick attacks. The only bright spot on another long night for Barcelona was the positive contribution of Roberto, who provided the only consistent attacking spark besides Messi. Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane also rested Francisco “Isco” Alarcon and Casemiro, along with Bale. Luka Modric was back from suspension and outplayed all of Barcelona’s midfielders. Asensio picked up right where he had left the first leg, stunning goal-

keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a long strike that floated overhead before landing in the net. Asensio earned a place in Zidane’s starting 11 after going on as a substitute on Sunday and capping Madrid’s victory by scoring a 90thminute goal with a long shot that Ter Stegen failed to stop. Messi took over 10 minutes to finally touch the ball, and once he did Barcelona showed signs of life with two Messi-led attacks that made Madrid work in defence. But despite having five midfielders, Barcelona never established control. A bad pass by Mascherano almost led to a goal from Vazquez, who hit the post in the 33rd. That was just a warning of was about to come when Sergio Busquets lost another ball near Barcelona’s area. Madrid left back Marcelo pounced by sending a low

NAPOLI BEAT 9-MAN NICE 2-0, CLOSE IN ON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

NAPOLI’S JORGINHO, background second from left, is cheered by teammates after he scored during the Champions League playoff round, first leg match between Napoli and Nice at San Paolo stadium in Naples, Wednesday. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP)

By DANIELLA MATAR, Associated Press DRIES MERTENS started this season where he left off the last, setting Napoli on its way to a 2-0 win over nine-man Nice in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday. Mertens scored more than 30 goals last season for Napoli, with five of them in the Champions League. And it took the Belgium international less than 13 minutes to open his account for this campaign. Mertens sprung the offside trap to race onto a through-ball, take it past onrushing goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale and slot it into the empty net. The 30-year-old forward was instrumental in Napoli’s second, winning a penalty when he was tripped by Christophe Jallet just inside the area. Jorginho converted the spot-kick in the 70th minute. “Today was a very important match, we told ourselves that. “The team played well and gave everything,” Mertens said. “But I think 2-0 is too little. It’s not bad, but if we watch the match again I think it’s too little looking at

NAPOLI’s Dries Mertens scores against Nice. (Cesare Abbate/ANSA Via AP) our performance.” Nice’s night went from bad to worse 12 minutes from time when midfielder Vincent Koziello was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski and teammate Alassane Plea followed him off the pitch after receiving a second yellow for dissent. “We could have avoided the two red cards, but it’s a bit harsh,” Nice coach Lucien Favre said. “It’s regrettable to finish with nine men, but what’s good is that we kept the scoreline the same because at 3-0 down we would have been done

cross into the area, when Benzema twisted around Samuel Umtiti and swept in his goal. Valverde gave Nelson Semedo his debut for the club in the 50th when he replaced Gerard Pique, and shifted back to a four-man defence. It took almost an hour for Messi to finally produce Barcelona’s first serious threat when he forced Keylor Navas to palm his shot onto the bar in the 53rd. Suarez headed a rebound of Messi’s strike parried by Navas off the upright in the 71st. The striker finished the match favouring his right knee after running into Navas. Madrid start the defence of their Spanish league title on Sunday at Deportivo La Coruna, while Barcelona will try to rebound at home against Real Betis.

for. While now, there’s still hope.” Nice struggled to create anything without injured duo Mario Balotelli and Wesley Sneijder, who both used to play in Italy. The French side will hope to have them back for the second leg on Tuesday. A look at the other playoff first legs: CELTIC 5, ASTANA 0 Celtic will be confident of reaching the group stage for a second successive season after recording the biggest margin of victory for a home side in a Champions League

play-off match. The Scottish side knocked Astana out in the third qualifying round last season 3-2 on aggregate and only a remarkable turnaround in Kazakhstan will prevent a repeat. Astana defender Evgeni Postnikov turned Tom Rogic’s strike into his own net shortly after the half hour and Scott Sinclair doubled Celtic’s lead just before halftime. Sinclair scored his second on the hour and further goals from James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths sealed a comfortable victory.

HAPOEL BEER-SHEVA 2, MARIBOR 1 There was an early scare for Beer-Sheva in its bid for a first appearance in the group stage. Marcos Tavares took advantage of a defensive error to fire Maribor ahead in the 10th minute, but Anthony Nwakaeme equalised two minutes later with a spectacular volley into the roof of the net. Shir Tzedek converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to put the home side ahead after Maor Melikson was fouled by Blaz Vrhovec.

ISTANBUL BASAKSEHIR 1, SEVILLA 2 Champions League newcomer Istanbul Basaksehir faces a tough task to reach the group stage after allowing Sevilla two away goals. Under a torrential downpour, Sergio Escudero opened the scoring for the Spanish side in the 16th minute with a low shot into the bottom far corner. Eljero Elia levelled shortly after the hour mark, but Wissam Ben Yedder secured the win six minutes from time. Sevilla reached the round of 16 last season, but lost 3-2 on aggregate to Leicester.

OLYMPIAKOS 2, RIJEKA 1 Alaixys Romao scored in stoppage time to complete a turnaround for Olympiakos against Rijeka. Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe had scored an emphatic equalizer in the 66th minute to cancel out Heber’s first-half opener for Rijeka. But the Croatian side went down to 10 men when Leonard Zhuta was shown a second yellow card seven minutes from time. And Romao hooked in the winner from close range for Olympiakos, who had also hit the bar moments earlier.