CHINTHANA WASALA THE PENINSULA

Former champions Al Sadd yesterday went on goal scoring spree to crush Al Ahli 7-1 in their fifth game of the QNB Stars League (QSL), climbing to the top of the standings.

The big win at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium was powered by a bril-liant double by Hashim Ali (5', 36') and goals from Rodrigo Tabata (12'), Akram Afif (30'), Santi Cazorla (45'), Nam Tae-hee (58') and Ahmed Sayyar (91'). Al Ahli’s goal was scored by Nabil El Zhar (54').

Yesterday’s win lifted the Wolves’ point tally to 13 as they overtook Al Ahli, who were unbeaten before the Round 5 encounter. Al Ahli now occupy the second spot with four wins and 12 points.

Al Sadd have shown dominant form this season and they are the only unbeaten team in the League so far.

Their four-win record includes two big victories before yesterday’s 7-1 thumping of Al Ahli.

They beat Al Sailiya and Al Kharaitiyat in similar margins of 5-1 and went on to overcome the reigning champions Al Duhail 3-1 in the third round before sharing points with Al Khor.

Yesterday, Hashim gave a dream start to the Wolves as he curled the ball into the far corner just five minute into

the game. It was the 20-year-old’s first goal of the season.

Tabata, who is having a brilliant season with his new team, doubled the lead, seven minutes later.

Spaniard Cazorla got a touch to Hashim’s cross from the right, but the ball fell to Tabata who made no

mistake from just outside the six-yard box.

The AFC Player-of-the-Year, Afif made it 3-0 in the 30th minute after receiving a long ball from his Qatar team-mate Khoukhi as the charismatic striker got past the advancing Al Ahli goalkeeper to crisp finish.

Hashim then scored his second goal of the match after receiving a through ball from Cazorla.

The Spanish star made it 5-0 right before halftime. Afif’s low cross from the left was deflected onto Cazorla’s path by Hashim, and the Spaniard scored with a powerful shot into the

top corner to give the Wolves a com-manding lead.

Upon resumption, Al Ahli opened the goal account through El Zhar who headed into an empty goal. South Korean Tae-hee restored Al Sadd’s five-goal advantage.

Substitute Sayyar finished off by making it 7-1 after receiving a pass from Akram inside the box and calmly fin-ishing past the keeper to send Xavi-Her-nandez-coached side to the top of the QSL standings.

In the day’s second match, holders Al Duhail overcame Al Rayyan 2-1 thanks to an injury-time goal by Iranian international Ramin Rezaeian (93’). At Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan had taken the lead through a goal by Yaccine Brahimi before Dudu levelled the scored in the 68th minute off a penalty kick.

AFP – PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL

Lewis Hamilton became Formula One’s record all-time race-winner yesterday when he claimed his 92nd victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix to pass Michael Schumacher at the top of the list.

His win lifted him one clear of Schumacher’s 14-year-old record

of 91 triumphs after a thrilling inaugural F1 race at the

Algarve Interna-tional Circuit.

After a long hug with his father Anthony

w h o ,

together with step-mother Linda, had witnessed his historic achievement, Hamilton heaped praise on his Mer-cedes before joining his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington and Bottas on the podium.

“I owe this and so much to all these guys here and the team at the factory,” said Hamilton.

“For their tremendous work, they are always pushing the barrier higher and higher. It is a privilege working with them... Working with them is inspiring.” Hamilton fought back after an early scare, when he led but dropped to third after a rain shower, to demon-strate impeccable tyre management and flawless judgement as he claimed an eighth win in 12 races this year.

The six-time world champion fin-ished 25.5 seconds clear of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a familiar third.

Hamilton’s triumph added another unprecedented feat to his roster of records. He now has the most wins, a record 97 pole positions, a record 161 podium finishes and a record 45 con-secutive points finishes.

The 35-year-old Briton extended his championship lead over Bottas to 77 points. A seventh world title, which would equal another Schumacher record, now looks all but inevitable with only five races remaining this year.

The 35-year-old Hamilton said the race had been “tough” and he had suf-fered cramp.

“Yes, it’s a very physical sport and I had it in my right calf. I was lifting down the straights and it was painful.”

Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari ahead of a surging Pierre Gasly after an excellent drive in his Alpha Tauri.

Carlos Sainz came home sixth for McLaren to beat Sergio Perez, who recovered from a first lap clash with Verstappen, to finish seventh for Racing Point ahead of the two Renaults of Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, in his final season at Ferrari, finished 10th.

On a cool and breezy day, with light rain forecast, an appreciative crowd of 27,500 were scattered around the new 90,000-capacity circuit, hosting the first Portuguese Grand Prix since 1996, as the drivers completed the pre-race ceremonial, including an anti-racism salute led by Hamilton, in a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, taking a knee.

At the start, Hamilton led away from his record 97th pole while, from third, Verstappen passed Bottas before the Finn surged back to pass him and his team-mate to take the initiative.

As gentle rain fell, Hamilton slithered, while Sainz, on softs, found grip to take the lead, evading a Verstappen-Perez collision, which sent the

R a c i n g Point car

s p i n n i n g . Briefly, it was wild stuff.

In the “ice-rink”-like con-ditions, the Mer-cedes men, on mediums, needed time to warm their

tyres before catching and passing Sainz on laps six and seven respectively. By lap eight, Bottas led Hamilton by 1.8 seconds and Verstappen, third, by four.

Despite the blustery conditions, normal service was, it seemed, resuming.

Raikkonen, in his record-increa-sisng 324th race, was first to pit from softs to mediums, prompting a series of stops as grip diminished.

“Left front is dead, mate,” reported Verstappen before Hamilton echoed that sentiment within two laps.

Almost immediately, he set a fastest lap and by lap 20 had closed on Bottas, passing him with a bust of DRS on

the straight. Verstappen pitted

and re-joined sixth as Hamilton pulled clear.

All this left Hamilton leading his team-mate by 7.3 seconds on lap 30 with Leclerc third, adrift by 27 seconds.

Hamilton pitted after 40 laps, taking hards and slotting in behind Bottas who led again. The Finn suggested a switch to softs, but when he came in Mercedes gave him the white-walled hards.

For the Englishman, recovered from the early dramas, it was almost a Sunday stroll in the park. He led by 12 seconds with 21 laps to go, with little more than light rain threatening his

progress on another record-breaking day.

WINNERS OF MOST F1 GRANDS PRIX

92: Lewis Hamilton, Britain91: Michael Schumacher, Germany53: x-Sebastian Vettel, Germany51: Alain Prost, France41: Ayrton Senna, Brazil32: Fernando Alonso, Spain31: Nigel Mansell, Britain27: Jackie Stewart, Britain25: Jim Clark, Britain25: Niki Lauda, Austria24: Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentina23: Nico Rosberg, Germany23: Nelson Piquet, Brazil

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES - GAME 4: Tampa Bay Rays 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 7 (Series tied 2-2)

MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 2020

Sabalenka clinches Ostrava Open crown I’m happy with this week, it was a thrilling week for me and

I’m really happy with this result. I would say that the first six games were really tough, she played really well and

she made me move. After each point I was really tired, she pushed me a lot in this match.

Sport | 08

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Lewis Hamilton

Al Sadd's players celebrate with Hashim Ali (left).

Hamilton surpasses Schumacher's record tally

‘F1 Maestro’ clinches 92nd win

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton crossing the line to win the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix as his team-mates celebrate at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal, yesterday.

Al Sadd crush Al Ahli 7-1 to go top; Al Duhail win

ROUND 5 YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Al Sadd 7-1 Al AhliAl Rayyan 1-2 Al DuhailTODAY'S FIXTURESAl Sailiya vs Al Gharafa

At Al Ahli Stadium (17:30)Al Kharaitiyat vs Al Khor

At Al Khor Stadium (19:45)

AP – LONDON

The Manchester rivals are rolling the clock back six years in a way neither desires.

A pair of draws on Saturday left the teams with their lowest English Premier League points tallies after five games since 2014 - leaving both languishing in the bottom half of the standings.

City is on eight points after being held at West Ham to 1-1.

United is a point worse off after a goalless encounter with Chelsea.

While City at least has the comfort of winning the title since it last started as badly - in 2018 and 2019 - United’s heavy spending hasn’t got them much closer to lifting the trophy since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

Even Liverpool has managed to end its 30-year championship drought, and the title defense is back on the winning path. After being humiliated 7-2 by Aston Villa and drawing with Everton, the champion came from behind to beat Sheffield United 2-1 to go second behind Merseyside rival Everton.

The Blades remain stuck on a single point along with Fulham, which lost to Crystal Palace 2-1.

FODEN TO RESCUE After scoring 22 goals and conceding only

once across five previous visits to West Ham, City found this trip to east London far harder going.

Fresh from grabbing a draw at Tottenham on Sunday, West Ham took the lead through Michail Antonio’s overhead kick in the 18th minute.

The point was rescued only by substitute Phil Foden’s second-half strike, after bringing down João Cancelo’s cross on the turn. But Foden going on for Sergio Aguero is a concern for City, with the striker facing a spell out with a hamstring injury.

City manager Pep Guardiola is blaming coronavirus cases and the congested, pan-demic-impacted season for City’s sluggish start to the campaign.

“We need time and we don’t have enough regeneration for the players,” Guardiola said. “I’m just saying what the situation is - it’s time to struggle. We knew it that we won’t draw many points, so this is the reality.”

MENDY’S SAVES At Old Trafford, United captain Harry

Maguire escaped punishment for wrestling Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta to the ground in the penalty area.

“I felt his arms around my neck and shoulder,” Azpilicueta said. “The referee can make the decision and VAR is there. It is dif-ficult but I would encourage the referee to go and look at the monitor. It is there to help so why not take 20 seconds to go and review it?” In the second half, Edinson Cavani came off the bench for his United debut and flicked the ball into the side netting with his first touch.

A bigger impact was made by another new Premier League arrival, as Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made a string of fine saves including a diving block to keep out Marcus Rashford’s late shot.

“You rely on goalkeepers in those moments if it’s a tight game,” Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said.

After being beaten by Crystal Palace and Tottenham, Manchester United is still waiting for a home win after three matches. It’s been 48 years since United opened a season without winning any of its first three home matches, although this time there have been no fans allowed into games to see the frustrating start due to the pandemic.

LIVERPOOL RECOVERSIt’s now 62 matches unbeaten for Liverpool

in the league at Anfield - one short of the club record.

But Jürgen Klopp’s side had to come from behind to preserve the run after Sander Berge in the 13th scored a penalty awarded conten-tiously. Fabinho appeared to tackle Oli McBurnie on the edge of the penalty area but the free kick was upgraded to a penalty.

Liverpool leveled in the 41st when Sadio Mane’s header was only palmed away by goal-keeper Aaron Ramsdale and Roberto Firmino was well placed to score. And Diogo Jota made it two goals in four league matches for Liv-erpool by heading in Mane’s cross in the 64th.

EAGLES FLYINGPalace is fifth in the standings, a point

ahead of Chelsea.Wilfried Zaha’s reverse pass set up Jairo

Riedewald’s opener in the eighth and he knocked in the second in the 64th from Michy Batshuayi’s cross.

Fulham finished with 10 men after Abou-bakar Kamara was sent off for a high chal-lenge on Eberechi Eze, although Tom Cairney still managed to net a consolation goal.

11MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 2020 SPORT

England call off Germany friendlyAP – LONDON

England has cancelled its women’s friendly match against Germany today after a member of its backroom staff tested positive for the corona-virus.

The Football Association says it has made the decision in light of current protocols in Germany that would require any individual who tested pos-itive once in Germany to self-isolate for 14 days.

An FA statement says “we cannot take the risk that this may happen to a player or member of England staff.”

The match against Germany in Wiesbaden would have been England’s first fixture since the SheBelieves Cup in March. England’s next match is scheduled to be against Norway on Dec. 1.

Barcelona hit by Coutinho injury blowREUTERS – BARCELONA

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho injured his left hamstring in his side’s 3-1 home defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, effectively ruling him out of his side’s Champions League showdown away to Juventus on Wednesday.

A statement from Barca on Sunday said the Brazilian was una-vailable due to the injury, without saying when he would return to action. Barca’s most expensive ever signing, Coutinho, who played the full 90 minutes, passed up a clear chance to put his side ahead in the ‘Clasico’ when the game was poised at 1-1, missing the target with a header from close range.

The Brazilian had been on a pos-itive run of form in his first season back with the club after spending the last campaign on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring two goals and pro-viding two assists in six competitive matches.

AS newspaper said Coutinho could be out for three weeks. He

looks set to miss the game at Juventus plus Barca’s La Liga fixtures away to Alaves and at home to Real Betis as well as the Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kyiv.

His injury could spell good news for Barca’s two other most expensive players Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, who were both left out of the starting line-up against Real Madrid.

Italy going back to games with no fansAP – ROME

Italy is shutting its stadiums to fans again.

A new government decree that will go into effect today for at least a month eliminates the current rule allowing up to 1,000 spectators at stadiums for soccer games and other sports.

The move is part of a series of new measures put into place after new virus cases in the country approached 20,000 over the past two days.

Serie A was finished without fans last season during the restart. Then the gov-ernment decided last month to allow a maximum of 1,000 spectators into stadiums.

The new decree says pro-fessional games are allowed in outdoor venues “without fans in attendance.”

Inter question Hakimi's virus test beforeCL gameAFP – MILAN

Inter Milan have questioned the positive coronavirus test which ruled out defender Achraf Hakimi before their Champions League stalemate midweek.

The Moroccan international missed the 2-2 draw against Borussia Moenchengladbach after testing positive hours before kick-off.

The 21-year-old, who was asymptomatic, had tested neg-ative the morning of the match and twice since.

“We are disappointed and regret the way events unfolded and the decisions we had to accept,” Inter CAO Giuseppe Marotta told Sky Sports Italia before Saturday’s league game in Genoa.

“On the morning the player was negative, while in the afternoon he became positive. This must not become an excuse but it created some upset. We must hope that in the future UEFA can be a little more precise with their communication.”

Jota heads winner to put Liverpool back on trackREUTERS – LIVERPOOL

Diogo Jota’s second-half header secured a 2-1 win for Liverpool over struggling Sheffield United at Anfield on Saturday but the Premier League champions were made to dig deep for the points.

Liverpool were seeking a first win in three league games and in a frantic start to the encounter they fell behind in the 13th minute when Sander Berge netted from the penalty spot.

Sheffield United, looking for their first win of the season, could have doubled their lead but Roberto Firmino levelled in the 41st minute with a tap-in.

Jota then rose to thump home a header in the 64th minute, shortly after Mohamed Salah had a goal ruled out by VAR.

Unconvincing it was but Liv-erpool extended their unbeaten run at Anfield to 62 games in the Premier League and moved joint top with Everton on 13 points, although their Merseyside rivals play against South-ampton on Sunday.

Sheffield United more than matched Liverpool in spells throughout the game but remain second from bottom with one point from their opening six games.

“I am only interested in the men-tality in our changing room and I see hunger, resilience, character to dig in and win if you are not playing at your best,” Liverpool skipper Jordan

Henderson said. “We showed we can dig in and see results out.”

United keeper Aaron Ramsdale was in the thick of the early action, almost gifting Liverpool a goal after getting caught in no man’s land but Sadio Mane’s shot was hacked clear by John Egan.

Ramsdale then had to back-pedal to tip over an audacious free kick from near the halfway line by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

It was the visitors who took the lead, however, when Fabinho made contact with Oli McBurnie right on the edge of the penalty area and the referee Mike Dean awarded a free kick.

Yet VAR checked the decision and ruled that the tackle had taken place inside the area, although it looked inconclusive.

Berge calmly sent Alisson the wrong way.

Sheffield United left back Ben Osborn went close to a second when he met a cross with a powerful volley but Alisson saved it.

Liverpool were struggling to assume control but got level shortly before the break when Mane’s close-range header drew a reaction save from Ramsdale but the ball fell kindly for Firmino to sidefoot into an empty net.

Things did not get any easier for a labouring Liverpool after the break and the visitors had a decent chance when Berge headed a ball

down for George Baldock who fired wide. Salah thought he had put Liv-erpool ahead just past the hour with a brilliant dinked finish after a deft control but VAR ruled the Egyptian marginally offside.

But any sense of injustice was quickly wiped away as Jota timed his leap to perfection to head past Ramsdale.

Still Sheffield United threatened and substitute David McGoldrick rifled a half-volley just over with his first touch.

At the other end Salah was denied by the woodwork after another exquisite piece of skill and Liverpool were relieved when the final whistle arrived.

Manchester misery: City, United in worst starts since 2014

Rashford inspires Leeds players to donate to charityREUTERS – LONDON

Leeds United players have donated £25,000 ($33,000) to a campaign providing free school meals to children in Britain after

being inspired by Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford’s efforts,

captain Liam Cooper said.On Thursday, Rashford

urged local businesses to tweet using the hashtag #endchildfoodpoverty, which would allow the 22-year-old to locate them. Several have

come forward to supply free school meals during half term

in the United Kingdom.“Let’s do this Leeds. No children

should ever go hungry. £25k

guaranteed from the @lufc squad. We stand with you @Marcus Rashford,” Cooper tweeted on Saturday, adding the team would continue to back the cause.

Rashford forced a gov-ernment U-turn in July when he won his battle to ensure free school meals during the summer holidays. He then proposed extending the campaign for families receiving financial assistance from the government.

Parliament on Wednesday rejected a Labour Party motion to extend free school meals until Easter 2021 from the cut-off before the half-term and winter holidays, prompting the England international to launch his campaign on social media.

Rashford has received widespread praise for his efforts, including from United’s rivals, with Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard among those expressing their admiration.

“I’m not sure I can find any better words than much smarter people, but what Marcus has started is absolutely incredible, it’s so nice,” Klopp said.

Liverpool’s Portuguese striker Diogo Jota (second left) heads the ball to score their second goal during the Premier League match against Sheffield United at Anfield, in Liverpool, on Saturday.

PREMIER LEAGUE:SATURDAY'S RESULTS

West Ham 1, Man City 1West Ham: Michail Antonio (18).

Man City: Phil Foden (51).

Halftime: 1-0.

Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2Fulham: Tom Cairney (90).

Crystal Palace: Jairo Riedewald (8), Wilfried

Zaha (64).

Halftime: 0-1.

Man United 0, Chelsea 0Halftime: 0-0.

Liverpool 2, Sheffield United 1Liverpool: Roberto Firmino (41), Diogo Jota

(64).

Sheffield United: Sander Berge (13).

Halftime: 1-1.

REUTERS – LO

Leeds Unit£25,000 ($33free school m

being insforwa

capta

scin

“shoulMarcus Rashford

Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho (left) in action with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane during the La Liga El Clasico on Saturday.

10 MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 2020SPORT

Geoghegan Hart wins duel with Hindley to claim Giro d’Italia titleAFP — MILAN

Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart of Team Ineos won cycling’s Giro d’Italia yesterday ahead of Australian rival Jai Hindley after the final stage race against the clock.

Geoghegan Hart had been on the same time as Hindley going into the final 21st stage but finished 38seconds ahead of the Team Sunweb rider.

“It’s going to take a long time to sink in,” said the Londoner.

“He kept giving me a few seconds and I knew not to take any risks.”

“It feels incredible to arrive here in front of the Duomo,” Geoghegan Hart said.

World champion Filippo Ganna of Italy was first in the 15.7km time-trial which fin-ished in front of Milan’s Duomo Cathedral.

Geoghegan Hart won Sat-urday’s 20th stage, edging Hindley, with for the first time in a Grand Tour two riders going head-to-head for the title in the final time-trial.

But the suspense did not last until the line with Hindley, wearing the pink jersey, dropping 22 seconds at the

intermediary stage after 10.3km.

The 24-year-old never-theless becomes the first Aus-tralian on the Giro Podium.

Geogeghan Hart, 25, is the second British rider to win the race around Italy, two years

after Chris Froome. Neither rider had been their team leader when the race got underway in Sicily three weeks ago.

Ineos lost Geraint Thomas to a broken pelvis in stage four.

The victory was a boost for

Ineos who had a disappointing Tour de France with defending champion Egan Bernal’s with-drawal, while Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz did not defend his Giro d’Italia title but competed in the Vuelta a Espana.

Overall race winner Team Ineos rider Great Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart wearing the leader’s pink jersey holds the “Never ending trophy” (Trofeo Senza Fine) as he celebrates on podium in front of the Duomo cathedral, after the 21st and final stage of the Giro d’Italia 2020 cycling race, yesterday.

Stage1. Filippo Ganna (ITA/Ineos) 17min 16sec (average: 54.556 km/h), 2. Victor Campenaerts (BEL/LOT) at 32sec, 3. Ro-han Dennis (AUS/INE) 32, 4. Joao Almei-da (POR/DEC) 41, 5. Miles Scotson (AUS/FDJ) 41, 6. Josef Cerny (CZE/CCC) 44, 7. Chad Haga (USA/SUN) 44, 8. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE) 46, 9. Kamil Gradek (POL/CCC) 47, 10. Jan Tratnik (SLO/BAH) 47, 11. Wilco Kelderman (NED/SUN) 55.

Selected13. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR/INE) 58, 38. Jai Hindley (AUS/SUN) 1:37.

Final overall standings1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR/Ineos) 85hr 40min 21sec, 2. Jai Hindley (AUS/SUN) at 39sec, 3. Wilco Kelderman (NED/SUN) 1:29, 4. Joao Almeida (POR/DEC) 2:57, 5. Pello Bilbao (ESP/BAH) 3:09, 6. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 7:02, 7. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/TRE) 8:15, 8. Patrick Konrad (AUT/BOR) 8:42, 9. Fausto Masnada (ITA/DEC) 9:57, 10. Hermann Pernsteiner (AUT/BAH) 11:05.

Selected11. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/NTT) 11:40, 12. Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 19:17, 15. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE) 38:22, 92. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) 4 h 20:58.

STAGE RESULTS AND STANDINGS

Carapaz takes Vuelta lead as Roglic slips to fourth positionREUTERS — FORMIGAL

Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz earned the leader’s red jersey after a thrilling summit finish on the notorious Formigal mountain in stage six of the Vuelta a Espana yesterday as Primoz Roglic slid down from first to fourth overall.

Spaniard Ion Izagirre of Astana won the stage by 25 seconds with a brilliant solo performance but the real drama took place further back, with Carapaz finishing strongest of the overall favourites to cross the finish line 55 seconds behind in 12th.

Slovenian Roglic, who suffered a mechanical problem inside the final 30 kilometres as the pouring rain intensified, came in one minute 38 seconds behind in 20th to sur-render his lead to 2019 Giro champion Carapaz.

Carapaz holds an 18-second lead over second-placed Briton Hugh John Carthy, with Irishman Dan Martin 20 seconds down in third.

Roglic, who surrendered the leader’s yellow jersey on the final day of the Tour de France in Sep-tember, is 30 seconds back in fourth.

Today is the first rest day of the Vuelta, which has been trimmed down from 21 stages to 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic, disrupting the cycling calendar.

MMA champ Nurmagomedov announces shock retirement

AFP — PARIS

MMA world lightweight champion Khabib Nurmago-medov announced his shock retirement from the sport on Saturday after revealing he “promised his mother” that his clash with Justin Gaethje would be his last fight.

The Russian, who won by a second-round technical knockout, was fighting for the first time since the death of his father and coach Abdulmanap in July.

“I’m the UFC undisputed, undefeated champion with a 13-0 record (in UFC), and 29-0 in all of my pro MMA career,” he said after his win in Abu Dhabi.

“Today I want to say this is my last fight. No way am I coming here without my father. When UFC comes to me about Justin I spoke with my mother for three days.

“She didn’t want me to fight without father and I said this is my last fight - and I have given her my word.

He added: “Thank you so much Justin. I know you are great, I know how you take care of your people. Be close with your parents, because you never know what is going tohappen tomorrow.

"Thank you coach, thank

you guys. Today is my last fight in the UFC.

“It was my father’s dream. Justin and Conor (McGregor) will fight in January, I have choked both out, I am not inter-ested in this.”

Abdulmanap Nurmago-medov, 57, passed away after suffering complications from Covid-19 in the summer.

Long time rival McGregor of Ireland, who lost to Nurma-gomedov in 2018, was amongst the first to congratulate the 32-year-old Russian on his career.

“I will carry on. Respect and condolences on your father again also. To you and family.

Yours sincerely, The McGregors,” he tweeted.

UFC president Dana White joined the tributes and revealed at a news conference as Fight Island ended that Nurmago-medov had broken his foot in the build-up to Saturday’s event.

“What this guy’s been through, we’re all lucky we got to see him fight tonight,” said White.

“Apparently he was in the hospital. He broke his foot three weeks ago. So he has two broken toes and a bone in his foot that’s broken - that’s what his corner was telling me. Never told anybody."

Khabib Nurmagomedov

IPL: Chennai thrash Bangalore; ton-up Stokes stars in RR's winIANS — DUBAI

After completing a hat-trick of defeats, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finally tasted victory as they hammered Royal Chal-lengers Bangalore (RCB) by eight wickets here, yesterday.

In what was a low-scoring match as CSK’s clinical bowling performance saw RCB, who opted to bat after winning the toss, being restricted to 145/6 in the allotted 20 overs.

The three-time champions then rode on opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s (65 not out) measured knock to finish things off with eight balls and as many wickets to spare.

Despite the defeat, RCB remain third on the table after Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians. They are level on points with the two teams above them with their inferior net run-rate making the difference.

RCB kept losing wickets at regular intervals but captain Virat Kohli maintained his good form with the bat, chipping in with a valuable 43-ball 50 before departing.

Apart from Kohli, AB de Vil-liers and opener Devdutt Padikkal contributed with 39 and 22 runs respectively. Kohli’s half-century included a four and a six, with which he also became the second fastest Indian to reach 200 sixes in IPL.

In return, Gaikwad and his opening partner Faf du Plessis (25) offered a safe start to their side, adding 46 runs in the first five overs.

Du Plessis was dismissed by fellow South African Chris Morris off the very first ball of the sixth over after which Ambati Rayudu (39) joining Gaikwad in the middle.

The duo then anchored the CSK innings with a 67-run stand and got their team over the 100-run mark in 12 overs. It seemed as the pair would comfortably drive their team home but Yuzvendra Chahal castled Rayudu in the 14th over, leaving CSK 113/2.

Captain MS Dhoni (19 not out) then joined Gaikwad and didn’t let the opposition make any further inroads. The duo steadily accumulated the remaining runs as CSK crossed the line in 18.4

overs. Gaikwad’s unbeaten knock was laced with four fours and three sixes.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson made a mockery of a target of 196 set for them by the Mumbai Indians (MI) by helping Rajasthan Royals (RR) chase down with eight wickets and nearly two overs to spare.

Stokes remained unbeaten on 107, thus scoring his second Indian Premier League (IPL) century and his highest score in T20s yet, while Samson was unbeaten on 54 as they ended their innings on 196/2 in reply to MI's 195/5. Stokes and Sam-son's stunning assault produced as many as 65 runs between the 11th and 16th overs, thus leaving them needing 24 runs to chase off the last 24 balls.

Their unbeaten third wicket partnership was worth a whopping 152 runs off just 82 balls after Stokes hit a six and a four off the first two balls of the 19th over bowled by James Pattinson to end the game.

Pattinson was the only bowler to take wickets for MI, dis-missing Stokes' opener Robin Uthappa and RR captain Steve Smith early on in the innings.

Stokes is the first England player to have scored two cen-turies to his name in the IPL. He had earlier scored an unbeaten 103 for Rising Pune Supergiant against Gujarat Lions in the 2017 season.

RCB vs CSKRCB 145/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 50, AB de Villiers 39; Sam Curran 3/19) vs CSK 150/2 in 18.4 overs (Ruturaj Gaik-wad 65 not out, Ambati Rayudu 39; Yuzvendra Chahal 1/21)

MI vs RRMI 195/5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 60 not out, Suryakumar Yadav 40; Shreyas Gopal 2/30) vs RR 196/2 in 18.2 overs (Ben Stokes 107 not out, Sanju Samson 54 not out; James Pattinson 2/40)

BRIEF SCORES

Volleyball: Al Rayyan, Police take lead in semis

Al Rayyan's players celebrate a point during first match of the best-of-three Amir Cup Volleyball Tournament semi-final against Al Arabi at QVA Hall, yesterday. Al Rayyan won the five-set thriller (25-23, 23-25, 18-25, 25-19, 15-11) to take 1-0 advantage. Police also secured a 1-0 lead in the other semi-final after thrashing Qatar SC 25-18, 25-22, 25-21 in straight sets. The second round of semi-finals will be played today.

Basketball: Al Arabi,Al Ahli claim wins

Action during the Amir Cup 2020 match between Al Shamal and Al Ahli at Al

Gharafa Sports Club yesterday. Al Ahli won the match 85-56. In other match, Al Arabi claimed a 73-59 win over Al Khor. Al Rayyan and Al Sadd will be seen in action tomorrow.

AFP - PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL

Lewis Hamilton cemented his position as one of Formula One’s true greats when the six-time world champion claimed a record 92nd race win yesterday, another staggering achievement “for a boy from a council house”.

His victory at the Algarve International Circuit allowed him to pass the previous best mark set by seven-time world c h a m p i o n M i c h a e l Schumacher.

The son of a black father and a white mother, who survived a broken home in his youth, Ham-ilton, 35, grew up on a municipal housing estate where his father Anthony at one time held down three jobs to fund his son’s embryonic racing career in karts.

His journey was unprivi-leged and without luxury, but it was clear from an early age that he had an outstanding gift for speed and all the gutsy natural instincts of a born racer.

In 1995, aged 10, and wearing a jacket and shoes bor-rowed from his predecessor as British Formula Cadet karting champion, he went to a glittering awards ceremony in London where he met McLaren’s then-boss Ron Dennis.

He asked for an autograph and told him “one day I want to race for you”. Dennis replied: “Phone me in nine years and I’ll sort you a deal.”

Bold, determined and indi-vidual, he almost won the title in his first record-breaking season as he reeled off nine suc-cessive podiums from his debut in Melbourne, rocking the estab-lishment along the way with his

speed and his racing style.On and off the track, he was

fast, somewhat mercurial and occasionally tempestuous and this combination led to a fierce rivalry with team-mate and two-time champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

That was a signal of how tough it was to be for all his future team-mates as Hamilton, who narrowly missed out on the 2007 title, returned to triumph in 2008 with a dramatic last-gasp fifth-place finish in Brazil. He also showed frustration as McLaren failed to deliver the speed to beat Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, who reeled off four

straight title triumphs from 2010 to 2013, by when Hamilton had departed for Mercedes.

Escaping the management regime of Dennis and his father, Hamilton found freedom at Mer-cedes alongside team-mate Nico Rosberg, his teenage karting friend and rival.

This enabled Hamilton to express himself with a headline-grabbing trans-Atlantic lifestyle, mixing with musicians and ‘fashionistas’.

He showed little love for any duty to obey conventions and, for many observers, gave his sport a welcome injection of freshness and diversity as

champion again in 2014 and 2015.

Rosberg broke Hamilton’s sequence of supremacy in 2016 and then retired, leaving the Englishman to dominate.

His former McLaren team-mate Jenson Button summed up Hamilton’s pure speed when he said: “For me, over one lap, I don’t think there is anyone as quick as Lewis and I don’t think there ever has been.”

That speed, which has always been a natural talent, has in recent seasons been allied to a more mature attitude to his job as team leader.

Mercedes team chief Toto

Wolff once summed up: “He is never satisfied. He never settles. He is never happy with where he is as a racing driver and a human being.”

Having achieved so much as his sport’s best-known ambas-sador, Hamilton’s interest in social issues has emerged more frequently.

Last season, he posted his concerns for the environment and revealed a fleeting despair at the state of the world when he used Instagram to declare that the planet was “a messed-up place” and he felt he wanted “to give up”.

That commentary, including revelations about his vegan life-style, led to him being accused of hypocrisy.

“I’m only human,” he said. “Like everyone, we have up and down days.

“That’s what I’ve been really trying to convey.”

This year has seen him press for greater diversity in the paddock, a push sparked by his vocal support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

His own career and his quest for self-expression and freedom has shaped his advice for young drivers.

“What I can definitely advise any kid that’s out there trying to race is don’t listen to people who tell you that you need a mental coach or you need someone to help control your mind,” he said.

“You need to let it run wild and free and discover yourself. It is all about discovery. And only you can do it.”

When Hamilton wrapped up his sixth world title in Texas last year, his father Anthony summed up his son’s achievement: “It’s absolutely amazing and not bad for a boy from a Stevenage council house.”

09MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 2020 SPORT

Lewis Hamilton: ‘Not bad for a boy from a council estate’

Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the race yesterday.

Portuguese Grand Prix

ResultsAt Algarve Autodrome in

Portimao, PortugalLap length: 4.00

kilometers(Start position in

parentheses)

1. (1) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 66 laps, 1:29:56.828, 26 points.2. (2) Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 66, +25.592 seconds, 18.3. (3) Max Verstappen, Neth-erlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 66, +34.508, 15.4. (4) Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 66, +1:05.312, 12.5. (9) Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 65, +1 lap, 10.6. (7) Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 65, +1 lap, 8.7. (5) Sergio Perez, Mexico, Racing Point BWT Mer-cedes, 65, +1 lap, 6.8. (11) Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 65, +1 lap, 4.9. (10) Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 65, +1 lap, 2.10. (15) Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 65, +1 lap, 1.11. (16) Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 65, +1 lap.12. (6) Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 65, +1 lap.13. (8) Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 65, +1 lap.14. (14) George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 65, +1 lap.15. (17) Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 65, +1 lap.16. (19) Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 65, +1 lap.17. (18) Romain Grosjean, France, Haas Ferrari, 65, +1 lap.18. (20) Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 64, +2 laps.19. (13) Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 64, +2 laps.20. (12) Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mer-cedes, did not finish, 51.

DRIVER STANDINGS1. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 230 points.2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 161.3. Max Verstappen, Nether-lands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 147.4. Daniel Ricciardo, Aus-tralia, Renault, 78.5. Sergio Perez, Mexico, Racing Point BWT Mer-cedes, 68.6. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 65.7. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 64.8. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 63.9. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mer-cedes, 57.10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 53.11. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 51.12. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 36.13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 17.14. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scu-deria Toro Rosso Honda, 14.15. Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1016. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 317. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 2

MANUFACTURERSTANDINGS

1. Mercedes, 391.2. Red Bull Racing Honda, 211.3. Racing Point BWT Mer-cedes, 120.4. McLaren Renault, 116.5. Renault, 114.6. Ferrari, 80.7. Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 67.8. Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 5.9. Haas Ferrari, 3.10. Williams Mercedes, 0.

AFP - PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL

Lewis Hamilton yesterday won a record-setting 92nd Formula One race when he claimed victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, breaking away from the 91 wins he shared with Michael Schumacher.

We look at six of his greatest and most signif-icant race wins:

2007 - Canada (maiden win in his sixth race) -- On a circuit that was to become one of his favourite hunting grounds, a 22-year-old Hamilton claimed his maiden F1 triumph to take over the lead of the championship, winning a brutal contest with four Safety Car interven-tions. In beating his then teammate Fernando Alonso at McLaren, he proved that the rare and precocious talent that saw him finish third on his debut in Australia was here to stay.

2008 - Britain (his seventh win in his 26th race) -- Arguably the most famous and memorable victory of all, this was a titanic triumph for the Stevenage-born racer. He came to Silverstone from two pointless races and under pressure and he qualified fourth, but he passed team-mate and pole-sitter Heikki Kovaleinen to lead on lap five. In teeming rain, he drove with enthralling elan to win by 68 seconds. It was a landmark statement of his ability, a virtuoso wet-weather drive

and it paved the way to his first dramatic title win accomplished by gaining a place at the final corner of the final race in Brazil. McLaren even asked him to slow down - to which he responded: “If I go any slower, I’ll lose concentration.”

2013 - Hungary (his 22nd win in his 120th race) -- Many believed Hamilton’s switch to Mercedes, as suc-cessor to Michael Schumacher and team-mate to Nico Rosberg, was a risky move. A tyre failure had ruined his outing at the British Grand Prix, but he proved himself with this flawless, if unexpected, win in searing heat at the Hungaroring a few weeks later. He won from pole with notable passes of Jenson Button and Mark Webber following his pit stops.

2018 - Germany (his 66th win in his 219th race) -- Ten years and four championships later, this race probably decided the outcome of the 2018 title race.

Hamilton, from 14th on the grid due to hydraulics problems, stormed through the field and relentless heavy rain to a famous win while cham-pionship rival Sebastian Vettel ran off ignomini-ously into a gravel trap at Hockenheim’s Sachskurve in his Ferrari. It was the Englishman’s only win from outside the top ten on the grid.

2018 - Italy (his 68th win in his 222nd race) -- On Ferrari’s home ground, in front of the passionate tifosi, this was a swashbuckling win for the purist racing afficionadas. Hamilton qual-ified third behind the two Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, but triumphed thanks to some bold passing moves and sheer determination. His audacity in passing Vettel on the opening lap was a crushing setback for the German’s race and title ambitions.

2019 - Monaco (his 77th win in his 235th race) -- On an emotional weekend following the death of his friend and mentor Niki Lauda, this was a triumph of judgement and flawless defensive driving that confirmed Hamil-ton’s status as a legendary champion. He won pole and led, but Mercedes gave him ‘mediums tyres’ during an early Safety Car spell - an error that put him under intense pressure from Max Verstappen for 60 laps. The team dedicated their win to Lauda.

The six great race wins by Hamilton

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the Portuguese Grand Prix at Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal,

yesterday.

08MONDAY 26 OCTOBER 2020Sport

Rays rally with walkoff stunner to level World SeriesAFP — ARLINGTON, UNITED STATES

Brett Phillips’s single scored two runs and the Tampa Bay Rays walked off with a stunning 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday that knotted the World Series at two games apiece.

The Rays became the first team in post-season history to homer in four straight innings, but they trailed 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

With two out and two on, Phillips was down to his last strike in the ninth when he singled to right center field off Dodgers closing pitcher Kenley Jansen and Kevin Kiermaier scored from second base.

Randy Arozarena raced around from first but tripped between third and home and looked done for. However, when Dodgers catcher Will

Smith bobbled the throw to the plate, Arozarena was able to pick himself up and throw himself across the plate in time.

“Golly, what a special moment,” Phillips said.

“I am having a hard time putting my emotions into

words. Baseball is fun. Wow.” Kiermaier called the ending

-- which sent the Rays into a frenzy of celebration Globe Life

Field in Arlington, Texas, “truly incredible.”

“We have no quit,” Kier-maier added.

Arozarena notched a record-breaking ninth home run of the post-season. Kier-maier, Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Lowe also homered for the Rays, who are seeking the first World Series title in fran-chise history.

The Dodgers, back in the World Series for a third time in four years after disappoint-ments in 2017 and 2018, are seeking their seventh title -- but a first since 1988.

The spectacular ending, capped a tense back-and-forth battle with a World Series record eight straight half-innings with a run scored.

Justin Turner and Corey Seager homered for the Dodgers. Seager’s was his eighth of the play-offs, temporarily

tying the single post-season record until Arozarena notched his ninth in the fourth frame.

For the second game in a row Turner got things rolling with a solo homer in the first inning.

Seager added a solo shot in the top of the third that put the Dodgers up 2-0, but Arozarena pulled back a run in the bottom of the fourth with a lead-off blast to right centerfield off a 95 mph fastball from Julio Urias.

Los Angeles stretched the lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Seager singled off Rays relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks and reached second on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning Max Muncy reached first on a sharp line drive to right field that scored Seager.

The Rays responded with a home run from Renfroe to cut the margin to one run in the bottom of the fifth.

Tampa Bay Rays players celebrate after driving in the winning runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field.

AFP — ALCAÑIZ, SPAIN

Franco Morbidelli streaked home to win the Teruel MotoGP yesterday as Joan Mir took third to extend his lead in the world championship with only three races to go.

Morbidelli started from second on the grid behind pole sitter Takaaki Nakagami whose dream weekend turned into a nightmare when he parted company with his LCR-Honda at turn five on lap one.

With the Japanese rider cruelly out of the picture Mor-bidelli was left with clear air in front of him, and the Yamaha-SRT rider made the most of his good fortune.

Unchallenged, he crossed the line well over two seconds up on Alex Rins, last week’s winner at the Motorland Aragon

circuit, with Mir taking third from 12th on the grid.

Mir, who unusually has never won a MotoGP race, is now emerging as the unex-pected favourite to assume the crown left vacant by Marc Marquez, the six-time champion sidelined by the fractured arm he suffered in his first race fall.

Suzuki rider Mir leads the coronavirus-disrupted 2020 season on 137 points, 14 clear of Fabio Quar-tararo, who finished eighth.

Maverick Vinales is placed third on 118 points, six clear of Morbidelli who reflecting on his second win of the season said: “Amazing! “I knew I had to make an aggressive race, when I saw clean air in front of me I decided to give everything I

could for every lap. “The 23 laps went away like this,” he smiled, clicking his finger.”

The serenity surrounding Morbidelli’s success was at odds with the dramatic scenes filling his wing mirror.

Before Nakagami’s exit the race had already lost Jack Miller, who was tailgated by Brad Binder in turn two on the opening lap, both riders sliding into the gravel.

With around 11 laps left it was Alex Marquez’s turn to hit the deck, the Honda rookie becoming another victim of turn two. Morbidelli’s

‘Motorland masterclass’ earned him the distinction of becoming the first non-Spanish winner at the Aragon circuit since Aus-tralian Casey Stoner in 2011.

The most exciting MotoGP title run in for years with only 32 points covering the top six riders takes a breather next weekend before returning for two races in Valencia and the season-finale in Portugal.

In Moto3, Honda rider Jaume Masia followed up last weekend’s win with fourth-placed Albert Arenas moving 19 points clear in the champi-onship from Ai Ogura.

Franco Morbidelli celebrates on the podium.

Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Italian rider Franco Morbidelli competes in the MotoGP Grand Prix of Teruel at the Motorland circuit in Alcaniz, yesterday.

Masterclass from Morbidelli as Mir extends overall lead

Teruel MotoGP

MotoGP1. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha-SRT) 41mins 47.652sec, 2. Alex Rins (ESP/Suzuki) at 2.205sec, 3. Joan Mir (ESP/Suzuki) 5.376, 4. Pol Espargaro (ESP/KTM) 10.299, 5. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Avintia) 12.915, 6. Miguel Oliveira (POR/KTM-Tech3) 12.953, 7. Mav-erick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 14.262, 8. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) 14.720, 9. Iker Lecuona (ESP/KTM-Tech3) 17.177, 10. Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati) 19.519

MotoGP standings after 11 of 14 races1. Joan Mir (ESP) 137 pts, 2. Fabio Quartararo (FRA) 123, 3. Maverick Vinales (ESP) 118, 4. Franco Morbidelli (ITA) 112, 5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) 109, 6. Alex Rins (ESP) 105, 7. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN) 92, 8. Pol Espargaro (ESP) 90, 9. Jack Miller (AUS) 82, 10. Miguel Oliveira (POR) 79.

RESULTS AND STANDINGS AFTER THE TERUEL GRAND PRIX

Loose kicks can sink Wallabies hopes, says SioREUTERS — SYDNEY

Australia need to tighten up their kicking game if they are to keep Caleb Clarke and the other All Blacks outside backs quiet in the third Bledisloe Cup test next weekend, Wallabies prop Scott Sio said yesterday.

Clarke’s rampaging per-formance on the left wing in his first test start was one of the major differences between the two sides as Australia crashed to a 27-7 loss in the second test last week following a 16-16 draw in the first.

Avoiding aimless kicks towards Clarke or his back-three partners Beauden and Jordie Barratt was one of Aus-tralia’s biggest takeaways from the Eden Park defeat, Sio said.

“Obviously there were many parts of the game there where we need to be better as a team if we want to beat the All Blacks,” he told reporters yesterday.

“Within our kicking game, I don’t think we gave ourselves the best chance to cut space down. They’ve got a pretty electric back three, and if you give them time and space they’re very talented.

“The most important thing we took out of that game was kicking on our terms techni-cally and making sure we’re set

early in the defensive line so we can make the right reads.” Saturday’s test at Sydney’s Olympic stadium, which doubles as the Rugby Champi-onship opener, will be Aus-tralia’s first match on home soil since they beat the All Blacks 47-26 in Perth in August 2019.

“We know how passionate our fans are, so to be able to play in front of many people with gold jerseys on is very special to us,” Sio added.

“Just being back at home you can feel the vibe - everyone got a bit of time to see family, partners and kids and it’s created a lot of positivity in and around the group, which is something I think we can put into our week.”

This file photo shows action during the Bledisloe Cup rugby union match between New Zealand and Australia in Auckland.

Within our kicking game,

I don’t think we gave

ourselves the best chance

to cut space down.

They’ve got a pretty

electric back three, and if

you give them time and

space they’re very

talented.

Scott Sio

Sabalenka clinches Ostrava Open crownAFP — PRAGUE

Third seed Aryna Sabalenka (pictured) of Belarus won the Ostrava Open WTA tournament after beating her visibly struggling compatriot Victoria Azarenka in straight sets yesterday.

World number 12 Sabalenka took only an hour and eight minutes to ease past 14th-ranked Azarenka 6-2, 6-2.

It was Sabalenka’s second title this year after a win at the Qatar Open in February, before the coro-navirus pandemic broke out.

“I’m happy with this week, it was a thrilling week for me and I’m really happy with this result,” Sabalenka said in the empty ice hockey arena.

The first-ever all-Belarusian final on the WTA Tour offered a fierce battle from the start with both showing the best of their offensive

styles. The 22-year-old Sabalenka started on a high and earned two break points in the first game, but Azarenka survived the scare and they both held on to their serve until 2-2.

But Sabalenka turned out the more aggressive of the two as she then broke Azarenka’s serve to love before adding another break two games later to win the set.

“I would say that the first six games were really tough, she played really well and she made me move,” said Sabalenka.

“After each point I was really tired, she pushed me a lot in this match.”

Playing her 40th WTA final, Aza-renka won the first game of the second set before losing the next two as she visibly started struggling with an apparent health problem, finding it hard to move.

The former world number one and this year’s US Open finalist took a medical timeout for work on her neck.

“I don’t know what hap-pened with her, but you have to stay focused and you have to keep thinking what you are doing on the court,” Sabalenka said.

“So I just tried to stay focused, make sure I hit clean shots.”

The 31-year-old A z a r e n k a t h e n returned to the court, despite looking dizzy and struggling with her movement.

She lost another two games before sud-denly breaking Sabalenka’s serve to cut the gap to 4-2.

“There were winners

from her shots, she closed her eyes and hit every point and I couldn’t do anything,” Sabalenka said.

But that turned out to be a momentary lapse from the energetic youngster who took the

break back and then won

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Tyson Fury to fight unnamed opponent on Dec 5 in London

REUTERS — LONDON

Tyson Fury confirmed that his next fight will take place in London on December 5 against an as yet unnamed opponent.

The 32-year-old Briton’s last bout was against Deontay Wilder in February, where he won the WBC world heavyweight title in Las Vegas with a seventh-round stoppage.

“I’d just like to announce that I’m definitely fighting on December 5 in London in the UK,” Fury said in a video posted on Twitter.

“Opponent to be announced very, very soon." Fury said earlier this month that he had

moved on from facing Wilder in a rematch, moving a step closer to a possible meeting with IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO champion Anthony Joshua for the undisputed world heavyweight title.