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Fri/Sat/Sun August 18~20, 2017

MARIA SHARAPOVA was granted a wildcard invitation for the U.S. Open’s main draw on Tuesday and will take part in a Grand Slam event for the fi rst time in more than one and a half years.

Sharapova is among eight women given entry into the 128-player fi eld by the US Tennis Association — and by far the most noteworthy.

The former No. 1-ranked player and owner of fi ve major titles, including the 2006 U.S. Open, has not entered a major tournament since the Australian Open in January 2016, when she tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium.

That led to a 15-month doping ban, which expired in April. She returned to the tour, but her rank-ing — currently 148th — was too low to allow entry into major tournaments, and the French Open denied her a wildcard.

Sharapova planned to try to qualify for Wimbledon, but the 30-year-old Russian wound up skipping the grasscourt portion of the season because of an injured left thigh.

Sharapova tweeted Tuesday: “Thank you, @usopen. This is so so special. #goosebumps.”

The USTA didn’t consider her suspension in awarding the wildcard, saying it was following past practice of granting them to former U.S. Open champi-ons who needed them, such as Martina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Cljisters and Juan Martin del Potro.

“Her suspension under the terms of the tennis anti-doping program was completed and therefore was not one of the factors weighed in our wildcard selection process,” the USTA said in a statement.

The organization added that Sharapova had volunteered to speak to young players at the USTA national campus about the importance of the tennis anti-doping program and the responsibility each player has to comply with it.

Sharapova has been participat-ing in tournaments via wildcard invitations, beginning in April on red clay at Stuttgart, Germany. She’s only played nine matches this season. (SD-Agencies)

A LAST-MINUTE goal by defender He Guan gave Shang-hai SIPG a 2-1 victory over Guangzhou Evergrande in the fi rst leg of their CFA Cup semi-fi nal at Shanghai Stadium on Wednesday night.

It was also SIPG’s fi rst victory over its title rival in Shanghai.

Evergrande manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said it was an acceptable result, as SIPG showed more desire for victory by sending on a much stronger squad.

His SIPG counterpart Andre Villas-Boas was serving the second game of his two-match ban in the CFA Cup.

Hulk, Oscar and Odil Ahm-edov started for SIPG while former Evergrande player Elke-son was rested.

Losing Brazil international Paulinho, who joined Barcelona on Tuesday, Scolari made quite a few changes to his line-up, resting key players like Zheng Zhi and Zhang Linpeng, and giving starts to Brazil duo Alan Carvalho and Muriqui as well as South Korea defender Kim Young-gwon.

Evergrande had never lost to SIPG at Shanghai Stadium before. The visitors did the early running as usual, with captain Liu Jian scoring with a header from a corner in the 18th minute.

SIPG made an early substitu-tion, replacing Under-23 player Zheng Zhiyun with Lu Wenjun in the 22nd. Lu could have equalized for the hosts when his header hit Evergrande’s post at the end of the fi rst half.

Having their attack strength-ened after the break, SIPG pulled one back nine minutes into the second half. Hulk’s shot was blocked by Guangzhou goalie Liu Dianzuo. The ball fell to Ahmedov in the box, and he got the equalizer.

Ahmedov and Hulk then hit the post and bar in turn as SIPG went all out for the winner. Just when the 25,000 home fans thought they had to settle for a draw, He came to SIPG’s rescue, heading in a free kick from Hulk.

“It’s was an exciting match and a well-deserved result for SIPG,” said Scolari. (SD-Agencies)

REAL MADRID romped to the Spanish Super Cup on Wednes-day, as the side breezed past Barcelona 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and to a 5-1 aggregate win.

With just four minutes on the clock, Marco Asensio offered another indication of his incredible talent, thudding a stunning 25-yard shot into the top corner. Karim Benzema doubled Madrid’s advantage before the interval.

After the break, Barca did improve, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both hitting the woodwork in pursuit of a consolation. But Madrid play-ers were able to see the game out with ease, making a major statement of intent ahead of the new La Liga season.

Madrid carried a 3-1 advan-tage into the second leg after its emphatic win at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

From the off, the hosts were the stronger side, as they swarmed over the Blaugrana. Asensio scampered down the left, and Luka Modric’s shot was well blocked after just two minutes.

The opener wasn’t far behind, though, with Los Blancos’ bright-est young talent taking a grip of the game again. As he did in the fi rst leg, Asensio picked up the ball from distance, chose his spot and struck a sweet shot beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

While Madrid sizzled, Bar-celona toiled. The three-man defense utilized by manager Ernesto Valverde was being consistently exposed, while the midfi eld wasn’t keeping the ball long enough to get Messi or Suarez into the game.

SOURCES close to LeBron James are strongly denying a report that surfaced Wednes-day stating that the star for-ward is certain to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers when his contract expires.

On Wednesday, a report emerged stating that James was “100 percent leaving,” with his relationship with owner Dan Gilbert irreparably broken.

NBA source said: “This will be LeBron’s fi nal season in Cleveland. Relationship with owners beyond repair.”

NBA writer Chris Sheridan was ahead of the crowd in 2014, reporting James would likely leave the Heat for the Cavaliers — which obviously happened.

But Sheridan called it a “90 percent chance,” a small — but large enough — hedge.

He also said LeBron would announce the decision on LeBron’s personal website.

The LeBron camp is vehe-mently denying this report.

“That source is totally off,

Maria Sharapova

US Open wildcard for Sharapova

LeBron camp denies report he intends to leave Cavs

Real wins Super Cup over Barca

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (L) celebrates after scoring against Barcelona during their match Wednesday SD-Agencies

Los Blancos were so vibrant in comparison and came so close to doubling their advantage when Lucas Vazquez rattled a left-footed effort off the outside of the post. Barcelona players were clinging on, but they were put out of their misery quickly.

Marcelo scampered down the left and fi red the ball across into Benzema. The Frenchman’s fi rst touch set up the chance perfectly, and he slammed home from close range.

At half-time, the visitors would have been delighted to get off the pitch, with the tie over and Madrid rampant.

There was a reaction of sorts

from Barcelona in the early stages of the second half, as they carried some threat in the fi nal third. Messi got closest to reducing the defi cit, as his shot crashed off the crossbar and back into play.

But it was Madrid that con-tinued to control the ball and create chances, with Benzema and Asensio, in particular, run-ning riot.

With the match ambling to a conclusion, the hosts did start to become a little complacent in their play, allowing Barce-lona to create more openings. Suarez should have got on the scoresheet after Sergi Roberto’s

shot was parried but could only guide his header onto the post.

Madrid took the fi nal stages of the match as a chance to give new signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos a Bernabeu bow. Gareth Bale wasn’t needed on the night, while Cristiano Ron-aldo was sitting in the stands, serving the fi rst match of his fi ve-game ban.

At the fi nal whistle, heads in blue and red jerseys were down, as their rivals in white celebrated. Barcelona, having sold Neymar, is a team in need of a major spark ahead of the season. They lack cohesion, confi dence and attacking thrust. (SD-Agencies)

especially about the relation-ship between LeBron and ownership.”

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKen-nedyNBA) August 16, 2017

There have already been plenty of warning signs about LeBron’s relationship with Gilbert, which didn’t restart in a great place.

It’s entirely believable LeBron would leave Cleveland, in large part due to Gilbert.

But it’s also fun to speculate about that salacious storyline.

(SD-Agencies)

LeBron James

Late goal gives SIPG win over GZ