THE PENINSULA – DOHA

The reigning champions, Al Duhail began their QNB Stars League (QSL) title defence in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 win over Umm Salal at the Education City Stadium yesterday.

Luis Martin (fifth minute), Mohammed Muntari (36th minute) and substitute Ali Afif (90+3) scored for The Red Knights.

Al Duhail started from where they left off, having recently won their seventh league title. They edged Al Rayyan by one point in the final round of the previous QSL season to secure the Falcon Shield two weeks ago.

Al Duhail dominated Umm Salal, who put up a brave fight in the game after conceding two goals. However, The Orange For-tress conceded a late goal as well.

Al Duhail had two new faces in Eduardo Rodriguez (Dudu) and Ramin Rezaeian, who switched from relegated side Al Shahania. Overall, their players more than made up for the absences of injured key players like Edmilson Junior, Karim

Boudiaf, Yousef Msakni and Bassam Al Rawi.

Luis Martin put Al Duhail in the lead with a long-range left-footer. Captain Almoez Ali set him up after Luis Martin played a one-two with him following Baba Malick’s clearance.

The second goal came when Muntari rose high to head in Rezaeian’s measured cross from the right.

Ali Afif, who came off the bench for Dudu, added the third goal of the match by giving fin-ishing touches to his own effort off a counter-attack on behalf of the champions who are pre-paring for the 2020 AFC Cham-pions League, which will resume soon with all West Zone

matches being scheduled in Doha.

Umm Salal, who finished in the 10th position in the 2019-20 season after staring

at relegation and even occu-pying the bottom of the table at one stage, had reinforced the squad in the new season, but that was not enough for

them in front of the might of Al Duhail.

Meanwhile, at the Al Ahli Stadium, the hosts fought back from a goal down to beat Al

Wakrah 2-1 in their opening match of the season. Khalid Muneer took Al Wakrah ahead in the 25th minute, but Al Ahli replied through Omid Ebrahimi (38th minute) and Nabil El Zhar (51st-minute penalty).

Al Wakrah had more of the ball and chances, but they lacked in finishing.

On the other hand, Al Ahli were more pragmatic in their approach and reaped the rewards for it.

Khalid Muneer found the target with an opportunistic strike when Al Ahli goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodrigues fumbled with collecting Jassim Ali Al Hashimi’s cross from the left.

Omid helped The Brigadiers draw level by slotting the ball home following a corner kick from Nabil El Zhar.

Nabil struck what turned out to be the winner when he con-verted a penalty, awarded for a foul by Murad Naji on Hazem Shehata.

Later, at the same venue, Al Khor and Al Arabi shared points following a thrilling contest which saw the teams scoring two goals each.

SPORT | 14

US Open: Serena

advances to

last 32, Murray

crashes out

SPORTBelgian rider

Van Aert wins

wind-blown Tour

de France stage

SPORT | 15

SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2020

Messi staying at 'club of his life' to avoid court fightAFP – MADRID

Lionel Messi said yesterday he will stay at Barcelona, insisting he could never

go to court against “the club of his life”.

But he launched a stinging attack on Barca {resident

Josep Maria Bartomeu, accusing him of going

back on an agreement to

let him leave for free at the end of l a s t season.

“The President always

said that at the end of the season I could decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay and in the end he didn’t end up keeping his word,” Messi said in an interview with Goal, released yesterday.

“I thought and we were sure that I was free. The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not and now they hold on to the fact that I did not say it before June 10 when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for the league in the middle of this shitty virus and this disease that altered all the dates.”

Messi, 33, added: “And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club... because the President told me that

the only way to leave was to pay the 700-million-euro release clause.

“This is impossible, and then the other way was to go to trial. I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, that gave me everything since I arrived, it is the club of my life, I have made my life here.”

Messi had said he wanted to leave the club he joined as a boy after Barce-lona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in August.

His lawyers sent a burofax stating his intention to go for free on August 25 but Messi says he had made his feelings clear to Bartomeu many times before.

“It wasn’t because of the Champions League result against Bayern, I had been thinking about it for a long time. I told the President and the President always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay and in the end he did not end up keeping his word.”

Despite his unhappiness, Messi insists he will give his all for Barcelona next season under their new coach Ronald Koeman, with his current con-tract due to expire in June next year.

“I will do my best. I always want to win, I am competitive and I don’t like to lose ever... I said before we couldn’t win the Champions League. Now I don’t know what will happen," Messi said.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTSAl Duhail 3-0 Umm Salal

Al Ahli 2-1 Al Wakrah Al Khor 2-2 Al Arabi

Alkedri lands first groupwin for Al Shaqab RacingTHE PENINSULA – LA TESTE-DE-BUCH

Three-year-old Purebred Arabian Alkedri (Mister Ginoux) landed her first Group victory when taking the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge-Pouliches (Gr2 PA) by a two-length margin at the line at La Teste-de-Buch, France yesterday.

The filly, owned by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Charles Gourdain, scored for the second time in succession, having landed her first victory over a mile back in July.

Hafsa De Monlau (Saladin de Monlau) took the field along during the

early stages of the 2,000m contest race before Alkedri, who was ridden by Jean-Bernard Eyquem, showed a nice turn of foot in the straight, going on to win deci-sively. The Ali bin Hamad Al Attiya-owned My Belle Du Soleil (General) fin-ished second.

Bred by Al Shaqab Racing, Alkedri is the second Group winner for the first crop of the sire Mister Ginoux (Amer). The Al Shaqab Racing stallion is based at the Haras de Thouars and the same Qatari connections are also responsible for breeding Alkedri. Incidentally, this filly is a granddaughter of the much-her-alded Bergeronnette (Djouran).

AFP – MADRID

Lionel Messi said yesterday heat Barcelona, insisting he co

go to court against “the clife”.

But he launched aattack on Barca

Josep Maria Baaccusing him

back agree

let fot

“The Presiden

Al Duhail kick off title defence in style

Naomi Osaka of Japan hits a forehand against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine (not pictured) on day five of the 2020 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,

yesterday.

Osaka battles

into last 16AFP – NEW YORK

Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka battled into the last 16 of the US Open yesterday, requiring three sets to defeat 18-year-old Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.

Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, needed 2hr 33min to beat the unseeded world number 137 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 inside an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Japanese fourth seed will play either Estonia’s 14th seed Anett Kontavelt or Magda Linette of Poland for a place in the quarter-finals.

Osaka walked onto the court wearing a facemask emblazoned with the name of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man who was shot dead in broad daylight while jogging in the town of Brunswick, in southern Georgia, in February.

Osaka, an activist against racism and police brutality, is wearing different masks honoring victims of social injustice throughout the tour-nament. Ahead of her second-round win on Wednesday she wore a covering with the name Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old African-American man who died in police custody last year after being placed in a chokehold and injected with a sedative.

RESULTS: Men's

Singles: Third Round

Alejandro

Davidovich Fokina,

Spain, def. Cameron

Norrie, Britain, 7-6 (2), 4-6,

6-2, 6-1.

David Goffin (7), BEL, def. Filip

Krajinovic (26), Serbia, 6-1, 7-6

(5), 6-4.

Women's Singles: Third RoundPetra Martic (8), Croatia, def. Varvara

Gracheva, RUS, 6-3, 6-3.

Yulia Putintseva (23), KAZ, def. Aliaksandra

Sasnovich, Belarus, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Angelique Kerber (17), GER, def. Ann Li, USA, 6-3, 6-4.

Naomi Osaka (4), JPN, def. Marta Kostyuk, UKR, 6-3,

6-7 (4), 6-2.

Jennifer Brady (28), USA, def. Caroline Garcia (32),

FRA, 6-3, 6-3.

Al Duhail's Mohammed Muntari is being congratulated by

team-mates after he scored the team's second goal against Umm

Salal, yesterday.

Alkedri, ridden by Jean-Bernard Eyquem, reaching the finish line to win her first Group victory, the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge-Pouliches (Gr2 PA) at La Teste-de-Buch, France yesterday.

14 SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2020SPORT

NBA: Anunoby’s buzzer beater gives Raptors crucial win over Boston CelticsAFP — MIAMI

OG Anunoby drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer as the Toronto Raptors resuscitated their NBA title defense on Thursday with a 104-103 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Kyle Lowry, tasked with inbounding the ball with half a second on the clock and the Raptors down 103-101, lofted a perfect arcing pass over Boston’s towering Tacko Fall to Anunoby on the opposite sideline.

“I had confidence in him,” Lowry said. “We’ll take that win.”

Anunoby set his feet and fired and the Raptors narrowed the deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series to 2-1 -- avoiding an 0-3 hole from which no NBA team has come back to win a post-season series.

“We scrapped and clawed and fought,” said Lowry, who led the Raptors with 31 points, six rebounds and eight assists. “We never quit.”

Fred VanVleet scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and Pascal Siakam scored 14 of his 16 after the interval and Anunoby contributed 12 points for the Raptors, who battled back from a 57-47 halftime deficit.

In a fourth quarter that saw seven lead changes -- neither team leading by more than four points -- Boston looked set to take a stranglehold on the series when center Daniel Theis, fed by Kemba Walker’s savvy pass through traffic, slammed home a dunk for a 103-101 lead with 0.5 seconds on the clock.

During the ensuing timeout, Boston brought in Fall, who tops out at 2.26m, to defend the inbounds play, but he couldn’t hold back the 2019 champions.

Walker led the Celtics with 29 points. Jaylen Brown added 19 with 12 rebounds and Jayson Tatum chipped in 15, but Boston have a series on their hands now.

OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics.

Eastern Conference (Semi-finals)Toronto 104 Boston 103(Boston lead series 2-1)Western Conference (Semi-finals)Denver 97 LA Clippers 120(Clippers lead series 1-0)

NBA PLAY-OFF RESULTS

Warriors Sports Center introduces innovative coaching methods

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Innovative training methods and a scientific approach to cricket coaching will be at the forefront at the newly-opened Warriors Sports Center (WSC) at Ideal Indian School in Doha.

For the first time in Qatar, WSC has taken the initiative to introduce players development pathway program from age group 4 years to Under-19 and above.

The academy was inaugurated recently by chief guest Dr. M P Hassan Kunhi, President of Ideal Indian School, along with guest of honor, Syed Shoukath Ali Principal, Ideal Indian School, Gul Khan, Head of Domestic Cricket at Qatar Cricket Association (QCA), Salim Kainikkara, General Manager, One FM Radio, and Mohammed Ibrahim, Managing Partner, WSC.

“We will be coaching children from the age of 4 years and onwards till the age of 19 years and above. Our players development pathway program will start with the age group Under-7 years to Under-19 and above. The program will identify and evaluate the players skill set within the different age groups and develop them to compete at local and inter-national level. The courses offer Group Coaching, and 1 to 1 coaching sessions to both male and female cricketers,” Kushal Kumar, an official

of WSC said. Dr. MP Hassan praised the facility constructed by WSC and ensured full support to Warriors. Syed Shoukath Ali said since WSC is based at Ideal Indian School (IIS), the boys team of IIS will perform better in the inter school completions organised by QCA.

Gul Khan of QCA said that such facilities will not only promote cricket in Qatar but will also produce many cricketers for Qatar National team. On behalf of QCA management, he wished good luck to the man-agement and all the staff of WSC and

appreciated their efforts in pro-moting cricket in Doha.

WSC has up to date equipment’s for coaching, including a bowling machine, feed buddy machine and ball pitching machine, they employs high class coaching faculty, certified coaches from International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa and Pakistan Cricket Board. The facility includes 4 astro turf nets, open field playground, running track, and high standard modern cricket coaching equipment.

Dr. M P Hassan Kunhi, President of Ideal Indian School inaugurating the Warriors Sports Center at Ideal Indian School in Doha.

Harbhajan pulls out of virus-hit Indian Premier League AFP — NEW DELHI

Former India Test off-spinner Harbhajan Singh yesterday added to a growing list of top names to pull out of the corona-virus hit Indian Premier League.

The 40-year-old has also become the second key player to withdraw from three-time champions Chennai Super Kings ahead of the start on September 19 in United Arab Emirates.

“Dear Friends, I will not be playing IPL this year due to personal reasons,” Harbhajan announced on Twitter.

“These are difficult times and I would expect some privacy as I spend time with my family.”

Harbhajan, who had been at the centre of growing speculation as he had not joined the other players in Dubai, said Chennai had been “extremely supportive” and he wished them a “great IPL”.

Former Test batsman Suresh Raina went to Dubai with Chennai but flew back last weekend, also for “personal reasons”.

He cited a deadly attack on his family by robbers after leaving.

The tournament was moved out of India because of the pandemic. But two Chennai players -- Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad -- and 11 officials and support staff have tested positive for coronavirus and this has delayed the start of Chennai’s training.

Harbhajan, who has claimed 150 wickets in 160 IPL appearances, was part of the Mumbai Indians squad for 10 years before joining Chennai in 2018.

Other big name players have also withdrawn from the tournament in recent days.

England’s Jason Roy of the Delhi Cap-itals will not go because of injury. Aus-tralian international Kane Richardson pulled out of Royal Challengers Bangalore to be at the birth of his first child.

The IPL has yet to release a fixture list for the league, which runs through to November 10.

Harbhajan Singh

US Open: Serena advances to last 32, Murray crashes outAFP — NEW YORK

Serena Williams continued her hunt for a record seventh US Open title with a straight-sets win on Thursday as Andy Murray crashed out in the second round at Flushing Meadows.

Williams, the tournament’s third seed, dispatched unseeded Russian Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4 under the roof of a near-empty Arthur Ashe Stadium on a wet New York evening.

The 38-year-old closed out the first set with ease before a slight wobble in the second when she was broken twice by Gasparyan, before progressing into the third round.

“I’m just happy to get through it and try to focus on the next round,” said Williams, who will take on 2017 champion Sloane Stephens in the last 32.

Williams is seeking a record-equalling 24th singles Grand Slam title at a subdued, spectator-free Billie Jean King US National Tennis Center in New York.

A tournament victory next week would also see her break away from Chris Evert, on six titles, as the most decorated US Open champion of the women’s game in the modern era.

Williams’ chances have been

improved by the absence of several top players, included top-ranked Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep, over coronavirus fears or injury.

She was handed a further boost on Wednesday when top seed Karolina Pliskova tumbled out of the tournament.

The Czech was stunned in straight sets by France’s world number 50 Caroline Garcia.

Williams’ American compa-triot Sofia Kenin, the number two seed, continued her impressive form this year with a straight-forward 6-4, 6-3 victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez to progress into the third round.

The reigning Australian Open champion Kenin is yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows as she bids for her second Grand Slam title of the year, and of her career.

“I feel like I found a groove. I’m really focused on every shot,” said the Moscow-born player who will take on 27th seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the next round.

In the men’s draw Andy Murray, slumped to a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, defeat against a dominant Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The 15th seed Canadian smashed 24 aces and 52 winners in a one-sided affair that saw Murray muster just two and nine respectively.

“I just felt like everything was coming in, my toss, my rhythm. Everything was going well through the whole match,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime.

In early men’s matches, second seed Dominic Thiem celebrated his 27th birthday with an easy straight-sets win against India’s Sumit Nagal.

The Austrian triumphed 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 against Nagal, who became the first Indian man since 2013 to reach the second round of a Grand Slam.

Thiem will play 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic for a place in the fourth round after the Croatian advanced in four sets

against Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos. Third seed and beaten finalist last year Daniil Medvedev made light work of Australia’s 116th-ranked Christoper O’Connell, easing into round three 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Elsewhere, sixth seed Italian Matteo Berrettini brushed aside France’s Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) while Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut progressed against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

In the women’s competition on Thursday, Tsvetana Pironkova, returning after a lengthy time away from the game following the birth of her son, advanced at the expense of Garbine Muguruza.

The unseeded Bulgarian knocked out the 10th Spaniard 7-5, 6-3 in 1hr 21 min.

Seventh seed Madison Keys of the USA also progressed, making light work of Spain’s Aliona Bolsova 6-2, 6-1, while Stephens easily overcame Belarusian Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-2.

British ninth seed Jo Konta became another high-ranking woman to be sent packing, losing in three sets to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea after going a set ahead.

Serena Williams of the United States serves the ball against Margarita Gasparyan of Russia on day four of the 2020 US Open.

Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada serves during his men’s singles second round match against Andy Murray of Great Britain.

I’m just happy to get through it and try to focus on the next round: Serena Williams

In early men’s matches,

second seed Dominic

Thiem celebrated his 27th

birthday with an easy

straight-sets win against

India’s Sumit Nagal. The

Austrian triumphed 6-3,

6-3, 6-2 against Nagal, who

became the first Indian man

since 2013 to reach the

second round of a Grand

Slam.

15SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2020 SPORT

Stage winner Team Jumbo rider Belgium’s Wout van

Aert (left) celebrates as he crosses the finish line at the end of the 7th stage

of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, in Lavaur, yesterday.

Van Aert wins wind-blown stageAFP – LAVAUR

Wout Van Aert picked up a second win of the 2020 Tour de France yesterday as aggressive tactics and crosswinds combined to produce an enthralling race that claimed several victims.

British rider Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey while Peter Sagan took the green points jersey after his Bora team led a carefully plotted and brilliantly executed attack to drop his sprint rivals.

From 150km out, Bora launched an unexpected assault, cranking up the pace with attacks which succeeded in exploiting the crosswinds, splitting the pack and shedding Sagan’s rivals in the points classification, Irishman Sam Bennett who started the day in green, and Australian Caleb Ewan.

Among the other victims was young Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who started the day in third overall and was left behind late on due to a puncture with the peloton hitting speeds of 70 km/h in a crosswind.

Jumbo’s Belgian all-rounder Van Aert also won stage five and on Friday outsprinted a small leading group.

“All the sprinters were dropped already and afterwards it was totally hectic,” said the Jumbo rider at the finish line.

“It was a good day for the team as some favourites from the GC lost time too,” said Van Aert, whose team leader Primoz Roglic is the favourite to win the Tour.

“I got a slipstream, found a gap and timed my sprint perfectly,” said Van Aert. “But this is more of a surprise than the last win.” The stage embarked within sight of the 336m-high Millau viaduct that reaches across the Tarn Gorge, where winds also hit the Tour in 2019. “The next two days should be quite difficult,” admitted Yates.

“Everyone expected a quiet day before the mountain but Bora had their ideas. It was very hard from start to finish. It means that the next two days will be harder.”

PSG announce ‘three new positive’ virus cases, six in totalAFP – PARIS

Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday announced “three new positive cases” of Covid-19 in their squad, a day after Neymar and two teammates were revealed to have contracted the virus, casting serious doubt over the start of their season in France.

“The latest Sars CoV2 tests carried out on the Paris Saint-Germain playing staff have confirmed that there are three new positive cases,” the French champions said in a tweet, taking the total number of cases in their squad to six.

Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes were the first three to test positive, all after a recent holiday on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Ibiza.

Sports daily L’Equipe reported that Brazilian defender Marquinhos, Argentine striker Mauro Icardi and goal-keeper Keylor Navas -- who were also in Ibiza -- were the new positive cases.

Another PSG player, midfielder Ander Herrera, is also known to have been in Ibiza.

PSG are due to play their first game of the new Ligue 1 season away at Lens next Thursday, September 10, but there are increasing doubts as to whether that match will now go ahead.

The Lens game was initially due to go ahead last Sat-urday, but was controversially postponed to give the PSG squad a break after their run to the Champions League final in Lisbon on August 23, in which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. That was despite PSG -- by far France’s richest club -- having played just five competitive games in the preceding six months.

Instead of playing the game, their squad were granted time off but the club has now been left to deal with a cluster of coronavirus cases which raise questions about why the French league decided to postpone PSG’s match in Lens, only for so many of their players to travel abroad on holiday during a pandemic.

PSG are also due to entertain bitter rivals Marseille on September 13, three days after the new date for the Lens match.

TOUR DE FRANCE RESULTS

1. Wout Van Aert, Belgium,

Jumbo-Visma, 3:32:03.

2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Norway,

NTT Pro Cycling, same time.

3. Bryan Coquard, France, B&B

Hotels-Vital Concept, same time.

4. Christophe Laporte, France,

Cofidis, same time.

5. Jasper Stuyven, Belgium, Trek-

Segafredo, same time.

6. Clement Venturini, France,

AG2R la Mondiale, same time.

7. Hugo Hofstetter, France, Israel

Start-Up-Nation, same time.

8. Egan Arley Bernal Gomez,

Colombia, Ineos Grenadiers,

same time.

9. Adam Yates, Britian, Mitchelton-

Scott, same time.

10. Alejandro Valverde, Spain,

Movistar Team, same time.

OVERALL STANDINGSOverall standings after stage 7 of

the Tour de France from Millau

to Lavaur yesterday:

1. Adam Yates (GBR/Mitchelton)

30hrs 36mins 0sec

2. Primoz Roglic (SLO/JUM) at

3 sec

3. Guillaume Martin (FRA/COF) 9

4. Egan Bernal (COL/INE) 13

5. Tom Dumoulin (NED/JUM) 13

6. Nairo Quintana (COL/ARK) 13

7. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 13

8. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL/

AST) 13

9. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 13

10. Rigoberto Uran (COL/EF1) 13

Johnson, Rahm set for battle in play-off finaleREUTERS – ATLANTA

The PGA Tour wraps up a season unlike any other with this week’s Tour Champi-onship in Atlanta where the winner from an elite 30-player field will be crowned FedExCup champion and take home an eye-popping $15m.

Due to a staggered scoring system that gives a head start to the top players in the points standings, Dustin Johnson will begin at 10 under par, fol-lowed by Spaniard Jon Rahm at eight under and former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas at seven under.

Yet despite the early edge to begin the third playoff event, East Lake has not been kind to favourites as the top seed has been winless over t h e l a s t 1 0 T o u r Championships.

“It’s not like I’ve got a two-shot lead going into the final round. I’ve still got four rounds to play,” said Johnson, who is seeking his first Fed-ExCup title in his PGA Tour-best 12th consecutive Tour Championship appearance.

“I’m still going to have to go out and play some really good golf for four days.”

Johnson enters the final event of a season that resumed in June after a three-month COVID-19 hiatus in top form having won the first playoff event before falling to Rahm in a play-off at last week’s BMW Championship.

Rahm, who with his win vaulted seven spots up the standings, said he prefers being the pursuer rather than starting with a target on his back like Johnson.

“Oh, there’s a difference, yeah. You essentially have the pressure of the FedExCup on your shoulders four days in a row, even though you still need to play really good golf for four rounds,” said Rahm.

Rory McIlroy, who earlier on Thursday announced that his first child was born on Monday, returns as defending champion and will start the Tour Championship seven s h o t s o f f J o h n s o n (pictured).

Tour Championship sevens h o t s o f f J o h n s o n(pictured).

Italian GP: Hamilton fastest ahead of Bottas in 2nd practiceAP – MONZA

Mercedes again topped the leader-board as Lewis Hamilton posted the fastest time ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas in second practice yesterday for the Italian Grand Prix.

The championship leader finished .262 ahead of Bottas, who was quickest in first practice. McLaren driver Lando Norris was third, .897 slower than Hamilton.

“The car didn’t feel great in the first session but in the afternoon, it felt like we made some encouraging improvements and it was much better,” Hamilton said. “We have a few more steps to make overnight and then I think it’ll be where it needs to.

“The field is typically a lot closer here, compared to Spa, as it’s such a fast lap and there aren’t many corners. Valtteri’s quick here, too, so it’s going to be a fun battle.” Ferrari improved slightly in the second session at its home track. Sebastian Vettel went

from 19th in P1 to 12th, and Charles Leclerc moved from 11th to ninth, but both were more than a second slower than Hamilton.

Both Ferrari drivers ran off track and Leclerc was heard saying over team radio, “The car is so hard to drive.” Hamilton has won five of the seven races and is 47 points ahead of Red Bull rival Max Verstappen and 50 ahead of Bottas.

Verstappen was fifth in the second session, 1.036 slower than Hamilton. He finished in the same position in first practice after spinning at the Ascari chicane, sidelining him for 25 minutes as his car was repaired.

“Not a good day struggling with grip and balance in general,” Ver-stappen said. “So quite a bit of work to do.” Earlier, Bottas posted the fastest time in first practice. The Finnish driver’s best lap was .245 seconds quicker than Hamilton and .797 ahead of Red Bull driver Alex-ander Albon.

It was the fourth consecutive time that Bottas has been quickest in the first practice session but he has only won one race.

A third and final practice takes place Saturday ahead of qualifying in the afternoon.

“It’s going to be interesting in qual-ifying ... I think the last corner will be a bit of a nightmare with everyone trying to get a gap, so it’s going to be hard work,” Hamilton said.

There will be a smattering of spec-tators at Monza on Sunday with 250

health workers invited to attend in recognition of their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, FIA President Jean Todt and Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, visited nearby Bergamo to pay tribute to the work carried out worldwide against COVID-19. Bergamo is one of the Italian cities hardest hit by the coronavirus.

“Bergamo is a symbol, in Italy and in the world, for the spirit with which doctors, nurses, hospital and Red Cross personnel have worked and are working in these difficult times,” said Angelo Sticchi Damiani, president of the Automobile Club of Italy.

“This is why ACI has decided to invite 250 of them to attend the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, so that institutions, ACI, FIA, drivers, teams and fans all over the world can give them the thanks and applause they deserve.”

AFC ‘confident’ of completing CL season, says top official

AFP – KUALA LUMPUR

Asia’s football body is “confident” of completing its coronavirus-hit Champions League this year, a senior official said yesterday, as it heads into a frantic period of games with some venues still unknown.

The region’s showpiece tour-nament has been on hold since March, creating a heavy backlog before West Asia group games resume in Qatar on September 14.

Two of the East Asia groups will be played from October 16 in Malaysia, but no host has been announced for the two remaining pools or the knockout stages for the Eastern clubs.

Only two rounds of games were possible before the shutdown, and teams from China have played no matches at all. But Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said everything will be completed before the year’s end.

“We remain committed and confident of completing the com-petition within the 2020 calendar year,” he said.

John said more details on East Zone matches would be announced after an AFC executive meeting next week. The competi-tion’s single-leg final is scheduled for December 5.

The pandemic continues to spread worldwide and several

countries in Asia are battling serious outbreaks. But John said he believes the Champions League can restart safely.

“We have engaged with our medical experts to establish several guidelines taking reference the industry’s best practices to minimise the risks,” he said.

When asked separately about a Japanese report claiming the AFC had asked for a further post-ponement, an official reiterated that the governing body was “con-fident” of finishing the tournament this year.

A bio-secure “bubble” has been put in place for the resumption of matches in Qatar, similar to one implemented for the UEFA Cham-pions League.

Under the arrangement in Lisbon, players and officials were subject to strict rules. These included having to undergo virus

tests, and only being allowed to leave their hotels with prior agreement.

Asked if Asian football will continue to be disrupted even into next year, John said the AFC was working on the 2021 calendar, but that safety was paramount.

“The safety of our teams, players, officials, broadcast partners and stakeholders will always remain the highest priority, and we will not hesitate to make difficult decisions if necessary,” he said.

“Our commitment remains focused on completing our com-petitions as much as possible and the safe resumption of Asian football.” John also played down concerns over the introduction of VAR, which is due to be used from the quarter-finals of this year’s Champions League for the first time.

Video assistant referees have been used in competitions worldwide from the Premier League to the 2018 World Cup, but their decisions have often sparked controversy.

John said VAR had already been used in Asian tournaments, including the 2019 Asian Cup, and that officials had been trained to use the technology.

“The AFC has a proven track record in the implementation of the VAR system,” he said.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during

practice ahead of the Formula One

Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza,

in Monza, Italy, yesterday.