Monday 23rd May 2016

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T H I S D AY • MONDAY MAY 23, 2016

MONDAYSPORTS

R O L A N D G A R R O S D AY T W O

Serena, Aga and Angie Battle for Number One Spot Serena Williams might hold a colossal lead in the WTA rankings, but if results unfold in a certain way, she may not sit atop the perch for much longer. Such has been the domination of Serena Williams in recent times that the 34-year-old will have held the world No. 1 ranking for a staggering 172 consecutive weeks when the second week gets underway at Roland-Garros. But the second-longest streak in WTA history could come to an end here with Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber both in with a chance of overtaking the American if they were to embark on a deep run. If reigning champion Williams loses before the final, it could leave the door open for second seed Radwanska, who is

defending just 10 first-round points. A Williams loss before the semi-finals also gives Kerber – defending 130 third-round points – a chance, with there being three potential scenarios in which there can be a change at the top of the rankings. If Radwanska were to win the title and Williams was knocked out in the semi-finals or earlier, the 27-year-old Pole would become world No. 1 for the first time in her career. An appearance in the final may also be good enough for her if Williams lost before the third round and Kerber did not win the title. Radwanska arrives here at Roland Garros, though, with just two wins on the clay this year, both coming in Stuttgart when she reached the semi-finals. Her

Total Prize Money

Men’s Events 14 880 000 Men’s Singles 12 032 000 Men’s Doubles 2 176 000 Men’s Qualies 672 000 Women’s Events Women’s Singles 12 032 000 Women’s Doubles 2 176 000 Women’s Qualies 504 000 Mixed Doubles Events 431 000 Trophee des Legendes Events 477 500 Women’s Doubles 153 500 Men’s Doubles - Over 45’s 162 000 Men’s Doubles - Under 45’s 162 000 Wheelchair Events 217 000 Men’s & Women’s Singles 175 000 Men’s & Women’s Doubles 42 000

appearance in Madrid lasted just one match as she lost to Dominika Cibulkova in three sets and she did not compete in Rome. It would take some effort to better her best performance here of a quarter-final in 2013. Radwanska opens against Serbian Bojana Jovanovski and could face home hope Caroline Garcia in the second round. Other potential opponents include Barbora Strycova in the third round, 2012 Roland Garros runner-up Sara Errani in the last 16 and 2014 runner-up Simona Halep in the last eight. Kerber claimed one of the great upsets in January when she beat Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Another championship victory here and a loss for Williams before the semi-finals would see the 28-year-old German reach the top spot. Kerber comes here with a clay title under her belt this year after winning Stuttgart last month, although consecutive defeats to Strycova in Madrid and Eugenie Bouchard in Rome followed. Like Radwanska, Kerber’s best run here was a quarterfinal appearance in 2012. This year she plays the Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens in the first-round and could face a potentially tricky encounter with Italian Camila Giorgi in the second round. Russian rising star Daria Kasatkina and Rome finalist Madison Keys are other potential obstacles before even

reaching the last eight. If Williams does retain her No. 1 spot come the end of

Scenarios

*Radwanska becomes No. 1 if she wins the title and Williams loses before the final * Radwanska becomes No. 1 if she reaches the final, Williams loses before the third-round and Kerber does not win the title * Kerber becomes No. 1 if she wins the title and Serena loses before the semi-final

this fortnight, the 34-year-old will move another week closer to beating the record of the great Steffi Graf, who spent 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1 from August 1987 to March

R1 Williams

R2

R3

7040

7100 7160

Radwanska 5850

5910 5970

Kerber

5680 5740

5620

1991. It would arguably be one of the greatest achievements in the history of the sport. Player ranking points totals (Depending on round reached at Roland-Garros)

R4

QF

SF

7270 7460 7810 6080 6270

F

W

8330 9030

6620 7140 7840

5850 6040 6390 6910 7610

Serena Williams

NPFL…NPFL…NPFL…

Wikki Piles Pressure on Flying Antelopes Wikki Tourists yesterday moved into second place on the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) table after a 3-0 spanking of bottom team Ikorodu United in Bauchi. Wikki now have 31 points, same as Rivers United, but enjoy a superior goals difference. The Bauchi club is just a point behind leaders Rangers, pending the final determination of the expulsion of Giwa FC

from the league. The leading scorer in the league Godwin Obaje did not score for Wikki yesterday, but Saidu Abdullahi got a brace with Hamza Tiya also on target for the home team. There were also home wins for Warri Wolves and Lobi Stars. Wolves beat El Kanemi 3-1, while 10-man Lobi pipped Rivers United 1-0. Lobi defender Solomon Kwambe was sent off after his second booking and Rivers United

had the chance to draw level at the stroke of full time but Chinonso Okonkwo blasted wide his penalty. Meanwhile, Rivers United coach, Stanley Eguma, has warned that it is too early in the campaign to start talking of his club winning the Nigeria league crown. Rivers United failed to go top of the table after the loss to Lobi as the league reaches the halfway mark. However, experienced coach Eguma insisted the journey to

the championship is still a long way off. “Talking about us winning the title at this stage of the season is an insult to all the other teams in the league,” he maintained. “It is still too early to start talking about such things because we have not even got to the half way stage of the season. “There are still so many games to be played, but our objectives are clear to us. “We will continue working

hard and taking things one game at a time.” Eguma is still without first choice defenders, Yaovi Douhadji and Chigozie Ihunda, while Ghanaian marksman Godbless Asamoah, who suffered a hamstring strain in midweek, did not travel to Makurdi. Ivorian star Guy Kuemian however made a welcome return to first-team action when he played for the first time since April 10 in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Akwa United in Port

Harcourt. Eguma also said his side was the underdogs in yesterday’s match in Makurdi. Rivers United has won four of their last six games.

MATCH DAY 19 Plateau Utd 0-0 Pillars Lobi 1-0 Rivers Utd Wikki 3-0 Ikorodu Akwa Utd 2-0 3SC Wolves 3-1 El Kanemi Abia War’ 1-2 Sunshine

LVG Says ‘It’s Over’ at Old Trafford Amid Mourinho Speculations

Obaje (left) with teammate-

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal left the squad’s hotel yesterday insisting“it’s over” amid reports he was about to be replaced by Jose Mourinho. Dutch boss van Gaal was greeted by waiting Red Devils fans following United’s FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday. When asked by a Sky Sports reporter if he had time to talk, Van Gaal replied: “It’s over.” Whether that meant he had been sacked by United was not immediately clear. But the 64-year-old former Netherlands manager’s brief remark will fuel speculation he

is on his way out of Old Trafford. No sooner had United lifted the FA Cup then reports in the British media emerged that former Chelsea boss Mourinho would be replacing one-time mentor van Gaal. For all that they ended this season with a trophy, United didn’t make a sustained challenge for the Premier League title and failed to qualify for the Champions League. United fans were also unhappy with the brand of football their team played underVan Gaal, which many felt ran counter to the club’s traditional attacking style. Mourinho saw his second spell as Chelsea manager end with the

sack in December after last season’s champions made a miserable start to the defence of their Premier League title. The Portuguese manager may have won trophies in several European leagues but has never stayed at one club longer than three years and three months he racked up in his first spell with Chelsea. But former United defender Phil Neville said even if Mourinho was only at Old Trafford for a brief time, he would bring trophies to the club. “I can’t see him staying too long at Man United, maybe two or three years, that seems to be

his shelf life at a football club,” Neville told BBC Radio yesterday. “When Jose finishes at a club it tends to be a pattern where he falls out with a few players, he gets disgruntled and the team dips. “It happened at Chelsea, it certainly happened at Real Madrid where there were rumours he fell out with a few players. “It’s a pattern with Jose, he comes into a club, he gets success but he doesn’t stay for too long.” United has now failed to finish higher than fourth in the Premier League in any of the three seasons since legendary manager Alex Ferguson retired.


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Monday 23rd May 2016 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd - Issuu