NHL: STANLEY CUP, Tampa Bay Lightning beat Dallas Stars (2-0) in Game 6 to win best-of-seven championship series (4-2)

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James faces former Miami Heat team in NBA Finals I'm extremely proud to be a part of this franchise getting back to where it belongs, and that's playing for championships and competing for championships. This is what I came here for.

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Qatar drawn with Honduras, Panama in Gold CupTHE PENINSULA — MIAMI

Debutants and Asian Cup cham-pions Qatar yesterday were drawn with Honduras, Grenada and Panama in Group D of the 2021 Gold Cup.

This will be second major North American football event to feature Qatar, hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Last year, Qatar made its debut in Copa America in Brazil where it played matches against Paraguay, Columbia and Argentina.

Qatar is one of the invited teams for the 2021 edition of CONCACAF Gold Cup.

CONCACAF has not announced sites of the tournament.

Qatar are the seventh guest nation to compete in a Gold Cup and the first since 2005, joining the ranks of Brazil (1996, 1998, 2003), Colombia (2000, 2003, 2005), Peru (2000), Ecuador (2002), South Africa (2005) and South Korea (2000, 2002).

Along with South Korea, Qatar will become the second nation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to appear in a Gold Cup tournament.

The draw was broadcast live and was hosted by Emmy award

winning TUDN sportscaster Lindsay Casinelli and Fox Sports Lead Soccer Analyst and United States Men’s National Team

legend Alexi Lalas. In the draw conducted

yesterday, the United

States was drawn to play Canada, Martinique and either Barbabos, Bermuda, Haiti or St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the group stage of next sum-mer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, a tournament many top players

are likely to skip. The Confed-eration of North American and Caribbean Football Association Football held its first draw for the tournament on Monday night rather than its past practice of announcing the

group stage match-ups. The tournament was originally scheduled for July 2-25 but was pushed back to July 10 to August 1, with three nations to advance from a preliminary round on July 2-6.

Many top Europe-based players from CONCACAF nations have reported to their clubs for preseason by the knockout stage and will not return to national teams until World Cup qualifiers during the international fixture window starting August 30.

Mexico are defending champions of the event.

Qatar players celebrate after winning the Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi, in this February 1, 2019 file photo.

Asian champions to make debut in North American event next year

The tournament was

originally scheduled for

July 2-25 but was pushed

back to July 10 to August

1, with three nations to

advance from a

preliminary round on July

2-6.

It will be a good experience for Qatar: SanchezCoach Felix Sanchez

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER3-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v Renata Zarazua (Mexico)

Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) v 6-Serena Williams (US)Mackenzie McDonald (US) v 2-Rafa Nadal (Spain)

6-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France)

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN16-Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) v Dominik Koepfer

(Germany)Jack Sock (US) v 3-Dominic Thiem (Austria)

1-Simona Halep (Romania) v Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania)Caroline Garcia (France) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU10-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) v Anna Karolina Schmiedlova

(Slovakia)Lorenzo Giustino (Italy) v 12-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina)

23-Benoit Paire (France) v Federico Coria (Argentina)Coco Gauff (US) v Martina Trevisan (Italy)

Yesterday's Results (Selected)Men's First Round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-0, 6-2, 6-3Ricardas Berankis (LTU) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4Christian Garin (CHI x20) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4,

4-6, 6-1, 6-4Matteo Berrettini (ITA x7) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3ey Rublev (RUS x13) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7),

7-5, 6-4, 6-3Women's First Round

Sofia Kenin (US x4) bt Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 7-5, 6-3Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 6-2, 6-2Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-2, 6-1Karolina Pliskova (CZE x2) bt Mayar Sherif (EGY) 6-7 (9/11),

6-2, 6-4

FRENCH OPEN: ORDER OF PLAYDjokovic eases through opener; Rublev back from brink to advance in five sets AFP — PARIS

Novak Djokovic was described as a “snake killing its prey” by vanquished Roland Garros opponent Mikael Ymer yesterday as the world number one’s bid to become the first man in half a century to win all four Grand Slam titles twice got off to a convincing start.

Djokovic eased to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 victory, reaching the second round in Paris for a record-equalling 16th time.

It was also his 32nd win in 33 matches in 2020, his only loss coming when he was defaulted from the US Open.

“It felt like when a snake kills its prey,” was the blunt verdict of 23-year-old Ymer who never recovered from dropping the first set in just 20 minutes under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.

“He hits it pretty big. I had chances to rally but then I got suffocated. It was corner to corner and he rarely misses.

“At the beginning, it was

just surreal. The court felt big and I was nervous because I was facing the best on the other side.”

Yesterday’s demolition was the not the first time Ymer, the world number 80 from Sweden, had faced Djokovic who is chasing a second French

Open title and 18th career major.

The two hit together at Wimbledon in 2015 on the morning of the men’s final when Djokovic went on to beat Roger Federer for the title and Ymer was readying for the boys championship match which he lost to Reilly

Opelka of the United States.Meanwhile, Djokovic

insisted his New York dis-qualification, handed out when he swiped a ball which felled a line judge, was defi-nitely a thing of the past.

“I have not had any traces of New York in my mind. I’m over it,” he said.

Top seed Djokovic will meet Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis for a place in the last 32. Berankis, the world number 66, won his first main draw match at Roland Garros after six losses when he saw off Hugo Dellien of Bolivia 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Russian 13th seed Andrey Rublev came back from the brink to beat American Sam Querrey in five sets, yesterday.

Trailing by two sets and 5-2 to the big-serving Querrey it seemed as though Rublev was about to suffer a similar first-round fate to his fourth-seeded compatriot Daniil Medvedev.

The 22-year-old had never recovered a two-set deficit before but showed incredible fight to gradually turn the match around to win 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 17 minutes.

Rublev’s first French Open match win sets him up for a second-round clash with Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his first round match against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, yesterday.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Coach Felix Sanchez yesterday said Asian Cup champions Qatar must ‘be

ready to face any situation’’ when they take part in

2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup tour-

nament next year. On Monday

night, Qatar, who won the 2019 Asian

Cup, were drawn with

Honduras, Panama and Granada in Group D of the 16-team tournament.

“I think it is important to be ready to face any situ-ation. These days other teams demand of you to play well in any situation,” Sanchez said yesterday in reaction to the draw announced by CONCACAF Gold Cup organisers in Miami, Florida.

“Our is a young team. It is growing. It is getting inter-national experience. They

are playing well outside Asia and that is good experience for us,” Sanchez added.

“Since we are playing the World Cup (in 2022), it will be good to play other type or style of football. It will be good for us to get this experience and to improve our international level. We need to adapt any possible scenario and that’s how we are trying to play,” the Spaniard said.

“Nowadays, I think, every team is well prepared. They have technical staff

and all the resources to see and to follow other teams and the players. It is not advantage for any side these days. We will know all the other teams, and surely, our rival teams will know about us, our teams and the players profiles etc. This does not give any advantage to anyone,” Sanchez said.

“Regards to Group D that Qatar has to be play, our rival teams have qualified to play in the tournament. They have a good level to play in

this competition. Honduras and Panama national teams have also played World Cups in recent past. They have good level.

“Their players play in Mexico, Europe and else-where and they have good experience. They will be be a big challenge for us. It will be another experience to play in this league. We hope we will compete well against these teams and try to get good results in group stage,” Sanchez added.

nation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to appear in a Gold Cup tournament.

The draw was broadcast live andwas hosted by y

yEmmy awardd

winning TUDN sportscasterLindsay Casinelli and Fox SportsLead Soccer Analyst and UnitedStates Men’s National Team

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Coach Felix Sanchez

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Coach Felix Sanchyesterday said Asian Cchampions Qatar must

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IPL: Hyderabad open account with 15-run win over DelhiIANS — ABU DHABI

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) yesterday recorded their first win of the IPL season as they beat Delhi Capitals by 15 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here.

After scoring 162/4 in 20 overs, spinner Rashid Khan led the way with figures of 3/14 as SRH restricted DC to 147/7 in 20 overs. Rashid was adjudged the Man of the Match.

Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck early for SRH, dismissing DC opener Prithvi Shaw (2) in the first over of the innings.

DC captain Shreyas Iyer joined Shikhar Dhawan in the middle and while the pair ensured that the team didn’t lose any more wickets in the powerplay, they could not take the attack to the opposition.

Shreyas Iyer eventually fell on 17 off 21 balls to become Rashid’s first wicket.

Rishabh Pant struggled to get the run rate up, taking 27 balls to get to his 32. Shimron

Hetmyer (21) also struggled to get going before hitting a couple of sixes off Khaleel Ahmed in the 15th over.

He tried to keep up the pace and ended up falling to Bhuvneshwar off the very first ball of the next over.

Pant eventually fell to Rashid and in the next over, Marcus Stoinis was out LBW to T Natarajan.

Khaleel bowled the last over with 27 to defend and he rarely gave the batsmen a chance to get going. He dis-missed Axar Patel off the third ball and Kagiso Rabada ended the match with a six.

Earlier, Kane Williamson, playing his first match of the season, helped SRH to 162/4 with a quickfire 41 off 26 balls. Jonny Bairstow played the role of anchor, scoring 53 off 48 while his opening partner and SRH captain David Warner made 45 off 33.

Meanwhile, in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) will aim for a hat-trick of wins when they square-off against two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dubai International Cricket stadium today.

After defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their campaign opener, the Steve Smith-led RR overhauled the highest tournament total of 224 against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their previous match.

They are high on confi-dence as they take another step towards qualifying for the play-offs, though that is a bit far at the moment.

RR opener Sanju Samson and skipper Smith smashed half-centuries in the game against KXIP.

11WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 SPORT

Brief Scores

SRH 162/4 in 20 overs

(J Bairstow 53, D

Warner 45; K Rabada

2/21) beat DC 147/7 in

20 overs (S Dhawan 34,

R Pant 28; Rashid Khan

3/14) by 15 runs

Kristina Mladenovic reacts as she plays against Germany’s Laura Siegemund, yesterday.

Mladenovic calls for VAR in tennis after double bounce controversyAFP — PARIS

Kristina Mladenovic called for a football-style VAR system to be introduced in tennis after her Roland Garros opponent profited from a double bounce to help knock the Frenchwoman out of her home Grand Slam yesterday.

Mladenovic was 5-1 up and with a set point against Laura Siegemund when the German scooped a winner despite the ball appearing to bounce twice. The incident was missed by chair umpire Eva Asderaki.

World number 44 Mladenovic pleaded in vain before Siegemund took

full advantage, racing into the next round with a 7-5, 6-3 win.

“It would be great to have that,” said Mladenovic when asked if video replays should be introduced in tennis.

“It’d be a pity to replace a human with a camera but to err is human. I don’t see how the umpire could not see it. Unfortunately, she continues at Roland Garros but I do not.”

It was a second successive miserable Grand Slam for the 27-year-old French-woman who was withdrawn from the doubles at the US Open earlier this month in a row over coronavirus.

Despite her disappointment,

Mladenovic refused to blame Siegemund for not calling the incident on herself yesterday.

“Well, she would have been the best and most fair player on the tour if she would have done that. Unfortunately, she didn’t. I didn’t expect her to do it,” added Mladenovic.

“But if she would have done it, she would have all my respect and be super-fair play. She’s not the one responsible. I think the chair umpire is the one that should be really focused on that call. The set was mine. It was just unlucky for me that the chair umpire didn’t do her job,” she said.

No leeway: French Open players under strict lockdown off-courtAFP — PARIS

This year’s Roland Garros is not just about what happens on the court, it is also very much about what goes on off it as organisers try to reduce any chance of the coronavirus rearing its ugly head.

That has meant strict san-itary conditions for the players who have been corralled into two hotels close to the courts which they cannot leave other than to play or to see a doctor.

In part this was to counter the controversies that emerged during the US Open when French player Benoit Paire, who was ruled out of the tournament following a positive test for Covid-19, spoke of a “false bubble”.

The French Tennis Feder-ation (FFT) has given no leeway to French players, who might be tempted to stay with friends or family, and none also for three-time champion Serena Williams who owns an apartment in the French capital.

“I have serious health problems which make me try to stay away from public places,” Williams said during the US Open, obviously con-cerned about being in close proximity to anyone.

“I have found myself several times in the hospital in serious states. I will make the best decision for my health,” she added.

So far so good for Williams who cruised through her first round match against Kristie Ahn as she started her bid for a record-equalling 24th Major.

But the players are not com-pletely bubbled as the two hotels are not being used exclu-sively for Roland Garros. It is not uncommon for the players

to mingle with hotel guests, ordinary tourists, in the lobby of the building or in one of the elevators.

‘Bubbling is impossible’“Our objective was not to

create a bubble because the bubble is impossible,” Bernard Montalvan, responsible for the health protocol at Roland Garros, said.

Opinions differ among the players about that ‘non-bub-bling’ approach.

The American John Isner “feels very safe” while Britain’s Dan Evans said he felt “nervous” at the sight of the public in the hotel.

“If we are forbidden to leave (the establishment), then we should not see the public there, that’s my opinion “, he said at a press conference on Sunday.

Evans lost his first round singles match but must hang around for his opening doubles match.

There is an area which is reserved purely for the athletes but the “players’ lounge” up on the 9th floor is a small joy for those who have already spent several weeks confined to New York for the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati -- which was relo-

cated to Flushing Meadows -- and the US Open.

But there was enough laughter and noisy discussion emerging from the lounge on Saturday, on the eve of the launch of the third and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, to suggest it was a popular place.

Waltz of vehiclesPlayers are only allowed to

leave the hotel for three reasons: a match, training or something medical.

For this, they have to book a tournament shuttle which leads to a continuous waltz of vehicles stamped with the Roland Garros logo in front of the hotel.

Many opt to have meals delivered rather than eat with the public. Delivery men and

women follow one another through the hall, leaving the hotel restaurant to the few tourists braving the start of autumn in Paris. To help seal the hotels, the lobby is littered with security guards ensuring that everyone wears a mask, social distancing measures are respected and that the players are not disturbed by over enthusiastic fans looking for an autograph of a selfie.

Most of the time, their work is limited to guiding disoriented customers to reception, the res-taurant or the elevators.

All these restrictions are in place for a reason. The players are only too well aware of the threat of Covid-19 which yes-terday officially passed the one million fatalities mark worldwide.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves the ball to Belarus’ Egor Gerasimov during their men’s singles first round match on second day of French Open on Monday.

Players are only allowed to leave the

hotel for three reasons: a match,

training or something medical.

Canada’s Pospisil criticises ‘bad bubble’REUTERS — PARIS

Canadian player Vasek Pospisil has criticised the ‘bubble’ in which players at the French Open must remain, saying it is nowhere near as good as the one provided at the US Open.

Pospisil bowed out of the singles with a whimper yes-terday to Italian seed Matteo Berrettini and while he is in the doubles with American Jack Sock he gave the impression that his departure from Paris could not come soon enough.

“As soon as I’m done with doubles, I will leave the bubble because it’s not a very good bubble here they made for us,” said Pospisil, who along with Novak Djokovic is one of the main players driving the PTPA, a proposed new men’s players’ union.

“It’s not easy mentally to be in it. As soon as I have an opportunity to leave the bubble, I will.”

“It’s much worse,” Pospisil said. “At least for the players, the hotel we’re staying at, it’s tough. We don’t have anything.

“The US Open there was a much bigger effort I felt from the organisation to make the time in the bubble a little bit more comfortable for the players. That’s for sure.

“I mean, I think almost every player I’ve spoken to was sharing the same opinion. It’s not easy to be stuck in the bubble. You don’t want to be on-site all day because it’s also a stressful environment, right?

“The only place you can go is the hotel. It’s not easy because you can’t even get fresh air. But that is what it is,” he said.

Kiwis to end cricket drought with T20s against West Indies

AP — WELLINGTON

The New Zealand cricket team’s long drought of international matches will end in November when it plays its first of three Twenty20s against the West Indies, the start of a busy domestic summer.

The Black Caps last took the field in March when they played Australia in a one-day interna-tional without fans in Sydney. All scheduled series in the last six months have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

While some Black Caps players took part in the Indian Premier League and have played in other T20 leagues around the world, the New Zealand team itself has been inactive.

That T20 series against the West Indies will be followed by two test matches.

New Zealand will then play Pakistan in three T20s and two Tests, the second test starting at Mount Maunganui on December 26, Boxing Day. It will play Australia in five T20s in February and March, then

Bangladesh three one-day internationals and three T20s.

The first ODI at Dunedin on March 21 will be New Zealand’s first in the 50-over format for more than a year.

The New Zealand gov-ernment has granted condi-tional approval to allow the West Indies and Pakistan series to go ahead.

“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the New Zealand government for helping us navigate this complex process,” New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said.

“Hosting these tours is incredibly important to us for two reasons: inter-national cricket brings in revenue that funds the entire game of cricket in New Zealand and, also, it’s crucial that we look after the fans of the game and sport in general, especially during these difficult times,” he added.

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WWW.THE-AFC.COM - DOHA

Al Nassr FC will be looking to create club history by reaching their first-ever AFC Champions League semi-final when they face compatriots Al Ahli Saudi FC in the quarter-final of the 2020 competition today.

While both Saudi teams have never won the competition, Al Ahli did reach the final in 2012, losing to Ulsan Hyundai 3-0. They have since reached the quarter-finals on two occa-sions; in 2013 and 2017. Al Nassr, meanwhile, are in the quarter-final for the second time in a row, having never reached this stage before 2019.

Despite Al Ahli having a relatively superior record in the AFC Champions League, Al Nassr boast nine Saudi Pro League titles to Al Ahli’s three. The two head coaches have taken dif-ferent perspectives to a match that brings together two sides who know each other so well.

“It is an advantage for both teams to face a fellow Saudi team,” said Al Nassr head coach Rui Vitoria.

“It makes it easier for the coaches to prepare for the match because we know each other. I like the fact a Saudi team is guaranteed to reach the West final. Of course, I want us to be that team, but I am happy that a team from our league will be in the final of this part of the competition.

“The players will not only be tired in their legs, they will also be tired mentally and with time there is a tendency to lose concentration, so the team that retains more concen-tration until the end and stays mentally stronger will win.”

A 75th minute Abderazzak Hamdallah strike settled Al Nassr’s Round of 16 encounter against Al Taawoun, while Al Ahli had to fight to come from behind against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, with a second-half Omar Al Soma penalty cancelling out Azizjon Ganiev’s opener.

Head coach Vladan Milojevic’s men needed 30 minutes of extra time and a penalty shootout which saw Al Soma miss from the spot, but he was spared the punishment after Abdullah Al Naqbi fired wide for Shabab Al Ahli, handing the Saudis a 4-3 win with Ahmed Khalil having earlier missed Shabab Al Ahli’s first penalty.

“We know in the last game we played extra time and had a long and tiring game, but I feel my players are preparing very well for the game,” said Milojevic.

“Al Nassr are a strong team with good players. They have a lot of quick and skillful players like Hamdallah, Abdulfattah Asiri and Pity Martinez, but for me, it is about having a good team, not just good indi-viduals, and I am confident that we have a good team."

This is the second time in AFC Cham-pions League history that two Saudi teams have faced off in the quarter-finals. Coinci-dentally, the only other time this happened was last year with Al Nassr and Al Ahli’s two city rivals.

On the occasion, Riyadh-based Al Hilal beat Jeddah-based Al Ittihad 3-1 on aggregate at the same stage and went on to be crowned champions.

THE PENINSULA - DOHA

Uzbekistan football giants Pakhtakor FC will be eyeing a place in the AFC Champions League semi-finals when they take on Iranian side Persepolis in the last-eight clash today.

The mouth-watering quarter-finals will take place at 2022 FIFA World Cup venue Education City Stadium.

Pakhtakor FC last played the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League way back in 2003 and 2004.

Long-serving club captain Egor Krimets said his team is keen to make the most of today’s opportunity for a place in the semi-finals of the region’s premier club tournament.

“The quarter-final is a very important match, we do not know when will our next chance to be in this stage again come, so this is our chance,” said Krimets who has been at the club since 2011.

“We know Persepolis are good in set-pieces, so it is important to be cautious with them. Our aim is not to give them such chances to score goals, so we will try not to commit many fouls near our penalty box,” the 28-year-old added.

Krimets said he looks forward to playing along side fellow Uzbekistan international veteran Anzur Ismailov.

“Ismailov and I played in the national team together for

so long and he joined us at Pakhtakor this year, so our understanding is important, especially in such a difficult game,” Krimets said.

“But against Persepolis, we are not only being tested in our defensive solidity, but also in team character, how we can play in attack and build up against such a strong team,” he added.

The 12-time Uzbek cham-pions, who reached made a quarter-final appearance in 2009, topped Group B of the 2020 AFC Champions League with an unbeaten record and only one goal conceded fol-lowing the annulment of Al Hilal SFC’s results.

Persepolis, on the other hand, are in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals for the third time in four years, having reached the semi-finals in 2017 then the final in 2018, losing to Al Hilal SFC and Kashima Antlers respectively.

Today’s game comes a day before the fifth anniversary of the death of former Persepolis captain Hadi Norouzi.

The attacking midfielder spent seven years at the club and had just been named captain when he passed away after a heart attack on October 1, 2015. Head coach Yahya Gol-mohammadi, himself a former Persepolis player, wants his players to win the quarter-final tie in memory of Norouzi.

“First of all, I would like to

wish a quick recovery to Pakhtakor head coach Shota Arveladze,” said Golmo-hammadi on his opposite number who tested positive for COVID-19 last week. “Our thoughts are with the family of Norouzi on the memory of his passing. The players want to put in a fight tomorrow and ded-icate the win to his soul.”

“We worked really hard to reach this stage, we faced Al Sadd who are one of the best teams in the competition and it

was an exhausting game. But we are well motivated and in good spirits. Pakhtakor had one more day to rest and they will be coming at us like machines. We will need to consume more energy and fight in this game, but hopefully we can win and reach the next stage.”

“Pakhtakor are an organized well-disciplined team and we will have to play with more energy against them,” he added.

“It will not be an easy match

10 WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020SPORT

ACL: Pakhtakor sense their ‘chance’ in Persepolis clash

Pakhtakor’s defender Egor Krimets reacts during the AFC Champions League Round of 16 match between Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and Iran’s Esteghlal, at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday.

Al Nassr and Al Ahli eye AFC Champions League semi-final ticket

for us for sure but we are deter-mined to fight for our place in the semis. There will always be ups and downs and you will likely score an early goal and concede and early goal too but I think our players have already experienced these parts of football and can fight back,” the former Iran defender said.

“Persepolis players will never get tired of winning and our fans send us their positive energy and support us from dis-tance. We hope we can make

our fans happy,” Golmo-hammadi concluded.

Persepolis have never beaten Pakhtakor in three pre-vious encounters in the AFC Champions League.

The Uzbeks won 1-0 in the group stage of the 2002-03 edition, pipping Persepolis to the top of Group D thanks to that win. In 2019, they were again pitted together in Group D and played out a 1-1 draw at Azadi Stadium before Pakhtakor won 1-0 in Tashkent.

Persepolis’ players and coaching staff celebrate their win during the AFC Champions League Round of 16 match between Iran’s Persepolis and Qatar’s Al Sadd at the Education City Stadium in Doha on Sunday.

London Marathon virus testing finds runner, coach positiveAP - LONDON

An Ethiopian runner had to pull out of the London Marathon after she and the coach of two other elite marathoners tested positive for the coronavirus, the race director said yesterday.

Degitu Azimeraw, who won the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon, and coach Haji Adilo tested pos-itive in Ethiopia.

“As a result (of the positive tests), they didn’t get on the plane,” London Marathon event director Hugh Brasher said in a conference call ahead of Sun-day’s race.

Adilo is the coach of Ethi-opian runners Shura Kitata and Alemu Megertu, both of whom will remain in the race because there was no “face-to-face contact” with their coach in the past two weeks, Brasher said.

The London race has all the trappings of a 2020 sporting event: hotel bubble for athletes, competition modifications and no spectators. Athletes and their coaches are staying at a hotel reserved only for them outside London.

Protocols required virus testing before athletes left for

London and on the day of their arrival. They’ll also be tested on Friday.

Instead of snaking along the River Thames, the athletes will compete on a 26.2-mile (42.2 kilometer) closed-loop course consisting of 19.6 clockwise laps around St James’ Park, ending on the Mall.

It should be a fast course for defending champions Eliud Kip-choge, Brigid Kosgei and their challengers, but potential wet weather could dampen hopes of world records.

“Heavy rain is not ideal con-ditions to do a world record in,” Brasher said of current fore-casts. “You want light winds, you want dry conditions.

“We, whatever the condi-tions, believe that there will be some incredible racing that will live long in people’s memory, and it could be incredibly quick.”

Only one other World Mar-athon Major - Tokyo - was held this year as Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York all can-celled because of the pandemic. Like Tokyo, London’s field was reduced to elites only.

Even with prize money slashed nearly in half, the event has drawn elite runners who have had few opportunities to compete during the pandemic.

All eyes will be on the 35-year-old Kipchoge as he

seeks his fifth London victory. The Kenyan is the world record holder (2 hours, 1 minute, 39 seconds) who last year became the first person to run a mar-athon distance in under 2 hours, in an unofficial exhibition.

Kipchoge’s top challenger is expected to be Kenenisa Bekele, a three-time Olympic champion on the track. The 38-year-old Ethiopian won the 2019 Berlin Marathon in a time that was only 2 seconds off Kip-choge’s world record set the year before, also in Berlin.

Kosgei is back to defend her title. The 26-year-old Kenyan holds the world record of 2:14:04, set in winning the Chicago Marathon last October.

Kosgei will be challenged by Kenyan team-mates Ruth Chepngetich and Vivian Cheruiyot. Manuela Schar and David Weir will feature in the wheelchair events.

“We have, we believe, some athletes in great shape, but they’ve all been training in unique conditions, so it is probably the most difficult mar-athon to predict,” Brasher said.

Another modification is

prize money. The men’s and women’s winners each get $30,000, down from $55,000 last year, excluding a potential bonus of $125,000 for the men’s and women’s winner if they set a world record. The men’s and women’s wheelchair category winners will take home $20,000 each.

The race was expected to draw 750,000 spectators. An estimated 45,000 registrants will also compete in a “virtual marathon” and have a full 24 hours on Sunday to run or walk

the distance, all tracked by a marathon app.

Times will be eligible for qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, which were post-poned until 2021 because of the pandemic. British running great Mo Farah - a four-time Olympic champion on the track - will be among the pacemakers.

The London Marathon is usually held in April. Next year’s race has been rescheduled for October 3 in hopes of allowing all qualifying runners to compete.

A handout picture released by the London Marathon shows Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge (left) training within the grounds of the official marathon hotel. This year’s London marathon will be an elite-athlete only event run in a “secure biosphere” due to coronavirus restrictions. “Elite races for men, women and wheelchair athletes will take place on an enclosed looped course in St James’s Park in a secure biosphere.

** Only one other World Marathon Major - Tokyo - was held this year as Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York all cancelled because of the pandemic. Like Tokyo, London’s field was reduced to elites only.** Another modification is prize money. The men’s and women’s winners each get $30,000, down from $55,000 last year, excluding a potential bonus of $125,000 for the men’s and women’s winner if they set a world record. ** The men’s and women’s wheelchair category winners will take home $20,000 each.

09WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 SPORT

Golfers walk along the 18th fairway

during the second round of the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship

in this September 25, 2020 file photo

taken in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Japan to California for record-chasing Tiger Woods

Wednesday, September 30TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10); Australia Women v New Zealand Women at Brisbane, 3rd T20I; England Women v West Indies Women at Derby, 5th T20IFOOTBALL: UEFA Champions League play-off second legs BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers, Game OneCYCLING: Binck Bank Tour (until Oct 3)

Thursday, October 1TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-erson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi (until Oct 4)FOOTBALL: UEFA Europa League 2020/21 play-offs; UEFA Champions League group-stage drawCYCLING: Binck Bank Tour (until Oct 3)

Friday, October 2TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers, Game TwoCRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-erson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-prite Classic, New Jersey (end Oct 4)FOOTBALL: UEFA Europa League group-stage drawCYCLING: Binck Bank Tour (until Oct 3)

Saturday, October 3TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-erson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-prite Classic, New Jersey (end Oct 4)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25); Binck Bank Tour (ends)

Sunday, October 4TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25); Liege-Bastogne-LiegeGOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-erson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-prite Classic, New Jersey (end)BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat, Game ThreeRACING: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Paris LongchampCRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-erson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-prite Classic, New Jersey (end)

Monday, October 5TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

Tuesday, October 6TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French O p e n a t Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)

BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat, Game FourCRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

Wednesday, October 7TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

Thursday, October 8TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (until Oct 11); US PGA Tour at TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (until Oct 11); Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania (until Oct 11)RALLYING: Rally of Italy (until Oct 11)

Friday, October 9TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers, Game Five (if necessary)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (until Oct 11); US PGA Tour at

TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (until Oct 11);

W o m e n ’ s PGA Champi-

onship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania (until Oct

11)RALLYING: Rally of Italy (until Oct

11)

Saturday, October 10TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros

(until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (until Oct 11); US PGA Tour at TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (until Oct 11); Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania (until Oct 11)RALLYING: Rally of Italy (until Oct 11)FOOTBALL: UEFA Nations League Matchday 3 (until Oct 11)

Sunday, October 11 TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (ends)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25); Ghent-Wevelgem one-day classicBASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat, Game Six (if necessary)FOOTBALL: UEFA Nations League Matchday 3 (until Oct 11)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (ends); US PGA Tour at TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (ends); Women’s PGA

Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania (ends)

RALLYING: Rally of Italy (ends)MOTOGP: French Grand Prix (Le Mans) FORMULA ONE: Eifel Grand Prix, Nurburgring

Monday, October 12CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne

and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Tuesday October 13CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)

BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers, Game Seven (if necessary)FOOTBALL: UEFA Nations League Matchday 4 (until Oct 14)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Wednesday, October 14CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)FOOTBALL: UEFA Nations League Matchday 4 (until Oct 14)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Thursday, October 15CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour CJ Cup Shadow Creek (until Oct

18); Scottish Championship, St. Andrews (until October 18)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Friday, October 16CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour CJ Cup Shadow Creek (until Oct 18); Scottish Championship, St. Andrews (until October 18)RUGBY UNION - European Challenge Cup final, venue to be decidedTENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Saturday, October 17CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)RUGBY UNION: European Champions Cup final, venue to be decidedGOLF: US PGA Tour CJ Cup Shadow Creek (until Oct 18); Scottish Championship, St. Andrews (until October 18)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Sunday, October 18CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour CJ Cup Shadow Creek (ends); Scottish Cham-pionship, St. Andrews (ends)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and Sardinia (ends)MOTOR CYCLING: Aragon MotoGP, Spain

Monday, October 19CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at Antwerp and Cologne; WTA at Ostrava (until Oct 25)

Tuesday, October 20FOOTBALL: UEFA Champions League group stage matchday 1 (until Oct 21)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)BASEBALL: World Series Game 1TENNIS: ATP at Antwerp and Cologne; WTA at Ostrava (until Oct 25)

Wednesday, October 21FOOTBALL: UEFA Champions League group stage matchday 1 (ends)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at Antwerp and Cologne; WTA at Ostrava (until Oct 25)

Thursday, October 22FOOTBALL: UEFA Europa League group stage matchday 1CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks; EPGA Italian Open in San Vigilio di Pozzolengo; LPGA Drive On Championship at Greensboro (all until Oct 25)TENNIS: ATP at Antwerp and Cologne (until Oct 25); WTA at

Ostrava (until Oct 25)

Friday, October 23CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)

CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour at Sherwood

Country Club, Thousand Oaks; EPGA Italian Open in San Vigilio

di Pozzolengo; LPGA Drive On Championship at Green-

sboro (all until Oct 25)FIGURE SKATING: Skate America Grand Prix (until October 25)TENNIS: ATP at

Antwerp and Cologne (until Oct 25); WTA at Ostrava (until Oct 25)

YCLING: Giro d Italia ((Until Oct 25);); Liegeg -Bastogng e-LieggeOLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-rson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-rite Classic, New Jersey (end)ASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers v Miami Heat, ame ThreeACING: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Paris LongchampRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)OLF: EPGA at Scottish Open at North Berwick; USPGA at Sand-rson Farms Championship, Jackson, Mississippi; LPGA at Sho-rite Classic, New Jersey (end)

Monday, October 5ENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open t Roland Garros (until Oct 11)YCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 55))RICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov0)

uesday, October 6ENNIS: ATP and

WTA at French p e n a toland Garros until Oct 11)YCLING: Giro ’Italia (Until Oct 55))

CRICKET: IPL in UAE (u( ntil Nov 10))GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (until Oct 11); US PGA Tour at TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (until Oct 11);Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvania (untilOct 11)RALLYING: Rally of Italy (until Oct 11)

Friday, October 9TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros (until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los AngelesLakers, Game Five (if necessary)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (until Oct 11); US PGA Tour at

TPTPCC SuSummmmererlilinn, L LasasVegas (until Oct 11);

W o m e n ’ sPGA Champi-

onship at Aronimink, PePennnnsysylvlvananiaia ( (ununtitill OcOctt

11)RALLYING: Rally of Italy (until Oct

11)

Saturday, October 10TENNIS: ATP and WTA at French Open at Roland Garros

(until Oct 11)CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)

CRICKET: IPL in UAE (u( ntil Nov 10))GOLF: BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth (ends); US PGTour at TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas (ends); Women’s PG

Championship at Aronimink, Pennsylvani(ends)

RALLYING: Rally of Italy (ends)MOTOGP: French Grand Prix (Le MansFORMULA ONE: Eifel Grand PrixNurburgring

Monday, October 12CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologn

and Sardinia (until Oct 18)

Tuesday October 13CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)

BASKETBALL: NBA Finals, Miami Heat v Los AngLakers, Game Seven (if necessary)FOOTBALL: UEFA Nations League Matchday 4 (uOct 14)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and S(until Oct 18)

Wednesday, October 14CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)FOFOOTOTBABALLLL:: UEUEFAFA N Natatioionsns L Leaeaguguee MaMatctchdhdayay 4 (until Oct 14)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)TENNIS: ATP at St Petersburg, Cologne and SardOOctt 1818))

Thursday, October 15CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour CJ Cup Shadow Creek (un

OsOstrtravavaa (u(untntilil O Octct 2 25)5)

Friday, October 23CYCLING: Giro d’Italia (Until Oct 25)

CRICKET: IPL in UAE (until Nov 10)GOLF: US PGA Tour at Sherwood

Country Club, Thousand Oaks;EPGA Italian Open in San Vigilio

di Pozzolengo; LPGA Drive OnChampionship at Green-

sboro (all until Oct 25)FIGURE SKATING: SkateAmAmerericicaa GrGranandd PrPrixix(until October 25)TENNIS: ATP at

Antwerp and Cologne((u tntilil O O tct 2 25)5); WTWTAA tatOstrava (until Oct 25)

geles

until

Sardinia

dinia (until

ntil Oct

Sports Diary for September 30 to October 23

AFP - HONG KONG

Big names, wild weather and a steady slide feature in golf talking points this week:

EYE OF THE TIGER ON 83

Tiger Woods achieved his record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour win at the Zozo Championship in Japan 11 months ago, but he won’t have to travel as far to defend the title.

Woods this week committed to playing at the 2020 Zozo Champi-onship which has been shifted to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, beginning October 22, because of coronavirus-induced travel restrictions. The 15-time major winner triumphed at the first PGA Tour event to be held in Japan last year to

tie Sam Snead’s all-time wins record, and Woods will be back on familiar ground for his defence.

Woods hosted the World Challenge event at the Sherwood layout from 2000 to 2013, winning five times. If he is to add to that tally he will have to overcome a Zozo Championship field that is shaping to be even tougher than last year’s, the PGA Tour announced yesterday.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who pushed Woods all the way in finishing runner-up last year, and Rory McIlroy, who finished third, have entered again. They will be joined by the world’s top two Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm, plus Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood, Ricky Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose for the no-cut, 78-player shootout.

SCOTLAND FOR THE BRAVEThe European Tour this week

returns to semblance of normality, at least in terms of prize money, with the Scottish Open carrying a $7m purse -- big enough to attract several big names back from playing for the riches on offer in the US.

Moved back from its traditional slot, a week before the Open Champi-onship in July, the North Berwick venue will see top names braving the October elements on what looks certain to be a blustery week on the coast just east of Edinburgh.

Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, Matt Fitzpatrick and 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett will be among the luminaries arriving from America armed with handwarmers, mittens and rain gear as they go in search of

winning one of the European Tour’s “Rolex Series” of mega-money events.

Good luck to them -- the forecast for the weekend is bleak, to say the least. Maximum temperatures might only nudge 11C (52F) with rain and 30 kilometres per hour (20 mph) wind thrown in on the exposed links edging the Firth of Forth. At least it should be slighter more clement the following week when the tour heads south for another big-money event -- its flagship PGA Championship at leafy Wentworth near London.

FALLING GARCIASergio Garcia dropped out of the

world’s top 50 this week, ending a remarkable run at the top. The Spaniard broke into the top 50 as a 19-year old in 1999 and, apart from one form blip between August 2010

and July 2011, had been there ever since.

He is one of only five players in history to have spent more than 1,000 weeks in the top 50, though never reached the summit, with being second-ranked in 2008 the closest he got to number one. The other four are Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.

Since winning his sole major at the Masters in 2017, Garcia has been on a steady slide. He dropped out of the top 20 in late 2018 and fell to 51st from 48th in the new rankings revealed on Monday. Garcia is entered this week at the US PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship, where a good result could see only his second fall from golf’s top table in 21 years be very short-lived.

08WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2020Sport

Lightning shut out Stars in Game 6 to win Stanley Cup REUTERS — EDMONTON

As the Stanley Cup was being passed around by his Tampa Bay Lightning team-mates, captain Steven Stamkos struggled to find the words.

The Lightning have been among Cup favorites for the past few years, but they kept falling short.

The worst example occurred in 2019, when, despite being the far-and-away reg-ular-season champions, they were swept aside by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the opening round of the playoffs.

A season later, the Lightning are atop the hockey world, having claimed the Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night in Edmonton to clinch the best-of-seven series in six games.

“I’m so proud of this team and everything we’ve accom-plished. I’m speechless,” Stamkos, who was only able to play one period during the series due to injury, said on the CBC broadcast.

“It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

The “heartbreak” of the 2019 postseason, as coach Jon Cooper called it, taught his team what it took to win.

“Sometimes in failure you find success,” Cooper said.

“It doesn’t come easy. I truly believe the heartbreak we suf-fered brought us here today.”

“We’re going to be Stanley Cup champs forever,” added Tampa Bay lynchpin defenseman Victor Hedman, who collected 10 goals and 12 assists during the championship run and was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the top player in the postseason.

“Our kids, our grandkids, if they look at the Stanley Cup, they’re going to see our names.”

Tampa Bay, which won the Cup for the second time in fran-chise history, rode a 22-save shutout by goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy -- the first playoff shutout of his career. Goals by Brayden Point and Blake Coleman provided enough offense against a Stars team that simply couldn’t match up.

“We had a lot of confidence

in our group,” said Point, whose goal was the 14th of the play-offs and fifth in the Stanley Cup Final.

“We played so hard, played our system well. We weren’t thinking about the game ahead of us.

“It’s a special group. I’m so proud of our guys.” Point opened the scoring 12:23 into the first period. He gained the puck off the rush, and after his first shot was stopped, he con-trolled the rebound and hit the mark for a power-play goal.

The Lightning won every playoff game in which Point lit the lamp. He led all NHL players in goals during the 2020 posts-eason, edging Dallas’ Joe Pav-elski (13).

Coleman doubled the Light-ning’s lead 7:01 into the second period when he blasted a one-timer set up by Cedric Paquette to conclude a three-way passing play that also included Pat Maroon.

The Stars managed only four shots on goal in each of the first two periods, a testament to the strong defensive play by the Lightning. Dallas finally managed to generate an attack during the third period, but Vasilevskiy stood tall in blocking all 14 shots that came his way in the final frame.

At the other end, Stars

netminder Anton Khudobin made 27 saves. Khudobin sparkled throughout the playoffs upon taking the net when No. 1 goalie Ben Bishop went down due to injury, but it wasn’t enough.

“There’s no feelings right now,” Khudobin said.

“Just ended, you know? We battled hard, especially with the situation. It’s not easy to stay without families for two months, stuff like that. We stick together, we stick to each other. But right now, there’s nothing.” Nothing but disappointment, which is a shame considering all the Stars overcame en route to reaching the final round, including upset series victories over the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights despite a plethora of injuries.

“We gave it our all,” Dallas defenseman John Klingberg said. “Key players got hurt, we grinded it out. I’m proud of this team.”

Stars captain Jamie Benn could barely contain his disap-pointment during the postgame news conference.

“It sucks. You go through a lot with our group and...,” said Benn, who was too distraught to finish the sentence.

“It was a good run. It’s tough here. You’re two games away from the Stanley Cup.”

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos hoists the Stanley Cup after win in game six.

I’m so proud of this team

and everything we’ve

accomplished. I’m

speechless. It’s one of the

greatest feelings in the

world.

Steven Stamkos

Schumacher and Ilott handed F1 practice slots

WA opens door for ‘innovative’ formats at Olympics

REUTERS — LONDON

Mick Schumacher will take part in first Friday’s practice with Alfa Romeo at the Nuer-burgring next week as Ferrari seek to give their three leading junior drivers Formula One race weekend experience.

Britain’s Callum Ilott will take part in the same session with the Ferrari-powered Haas team while Russian Robert Shwartzman will get his chance on the final on Friday of the season in Abu Dhabi with Haas or Alfa.

Schumacher, son of Ferrari great and seven-times world champion Michael, is leading the Formula Two standings ahead of the Eifel Grand Prix weekend at the German circuit.

“The fact that my first par-ticipation in a Formula One weekend will take place in front of my home audience at the Nuerburgring makes this moment even more special,” said Schumacher, 21.

Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo and Haas both have potential vacancies for 2021.

All three Ferrari Academy drivers will also test a 2018 Ferrari SF71H at the Italian team’s Fiorano track on Wednesday in preparation for their F1 practice debuts, having already had seat fittings.

Mick Schumacher has won two races in F2 this season and leads Ilott by 22 points. Shwartzman, a rookie in the series, is fifth in the standings but has won three races.

Schumacher and Ilott have driven F1 cars before in test sessions.

Schumacher also drove Michael’s 2004 Ferrari around the Mugello circuit this month at a Tuscan Grand Prix cele-brating the Italian team’s 1,000th Formula One cham-pionship race.

Mick Schumacher

Lakers’ James faces former Heat team in NBA Finals

REUTERS — NEW YORK

An unexpected NBA Finals match-up between the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat begins this week, capping an unprece-dented season interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak before resuming without fans at Disney World in Florida.

This year’s showdown marks the first NBA Finals between two teams who missed the play-offs the previous season and it is the Lakers, powered by three-times champion James and Anthony Davis, who are favored in the best-of-seven games series.

James, who has reached nine of the last 10 NBA Finals, won his first two champion-ships with Miami in 2012 and 2013, picked up a third in 2016 with Cleveland and joined the Lakers in 2018 with the goal of restoring the fran-chise’s glorious past.

The West’s top-seeded Lakers last appeared in the NBA Finals in 2010 when they picked up the franchise’s 16th championship, one shy of the Boston Celtics’ all-time mark.

“I’m extremely proud to be a part of this franchise getting back to where it belongs, and that’s playing for champion-ships and competing for cham-pionships,” said James.

“This is what I came here for.”

The Lakers missed the play-offs last season for the

sixth consec-utive year as James battled a g r o i n i n j u r y but his return to h e a l t h

a n d

the acquisition of Davis in July 2019 put them back on the path toward the NBA’s elite.

Awaiting the Lakers in Game One today will be the East’s fifth-seeded Heat, a battle-tested team led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo and whose surprising run to the Finals has been no fluke.

The Heat swept aside fourth-seed Indiana in the first round, upset league Most Val-uable Player Giannis Antetok-ounmpo’s top-seeded Mil-waukee team in five games in the East semi-final and then dumped third-seed Boston in six games.

For their part, the Heat have embraced the underdog role and feel they have yet to play their best basketball.

“We have to be near perfect to beat the Lakers. We’re capable of it,” said former first-round draft pick Butler.

“But we’re not worried about no five-seed or one-

seed. We’re worried about us and being the

best Miami Heat team that we

can be.”

AFP — PARIS

World Athletics (WA) paved the way for changes to competition formats at the world championships or the Olympic Games when it published its 2020 guide to the regulations and competitions.

The two major meetings of interna-tional athletics have been precluded thus far in hosting an “inno-vative” format, such as the introduction of a decisive final test in the long jump.

“World Champion-ships and Olympic Games (are) no longer excluded from competi-tions where events may be held in an alternative format,” said World Athletics.

In search of a larger and younger audience, international athletics regularly tr ies to innovate in its compe-tition formats, by modi-fying competitions or by introducing elimination races.

The formats have attracted some criticism from athletes.

In August, US triple-jumper Christian Taylor led the offensive at the D i a m o n d L e a g u e meeting in Stockholm which offered a modified long jump competition with the best three jumpers after five attempts qualifying for a final jump which decided the winner of the competition.

“I hope this idea will stop after this season,” the double Olympic and f o u r - t i m e w o r l d champion tweeted at the time.

“I would like to understand how this could be better than the traditional format?” he said.

After falling foul of coronavirus, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will now start in July 2021 with the world champi-onships in Eugene, Oregon pushed back to 2022.

Mahomes dominates QB duel as Chiefs top RavensREUTERS — NEW YORK

Patrick Mahomes passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a score as the Kansas City Chiefs recorded a 34-20 victory over the host Baltimore Ravens in Monday night’s showdown between two of the NFL’s best teams.

Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes and repeatedly spread the ball around as five Kansas City players topped 60 receiving yards.

Left tackle Eric Fisher and fullback Anthony Sherman caught touchdown passes as did receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman.

Chris Jones stood out on the defensive side with two of Kansas City’s four sacks and he also two forced fumbles as the Chiefs started 3-0 for the fourth consecutive season.

Lamar Jackson completed 15 of 28 passes for a mere 97 yards and one touchdown for Baltimore (2-1). The passing output was Jackson’s lowest in 25 games as a starter.

He also had 83 rushing yards on nine carries for the Ravens, who also received a

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacts after throwing a fourth quarter touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

ween two teams who missedplay-offs the previous

son and it is the Lakers, wered by three-timesampion James and Anthonyvis, who are favored in thet-of-seven games series.James, who has reachede of the last 10 NBA Finals, n his first two champion-ps with Miami in 2012 and3, picked up a third in 2016 h Cleveland and joined the

kers in 2018 with the goalrestoring the fran-se’s glorious t.

for. The Lakers missed the play-

offs last season for thesixth consec-

utive year as James battled a g r o i n i n j u r y but hisreturn toh e a l t h

a n d

uable Player Giannis Aounmpo’s top-seedewaukee team in five gthe East semi-final andumped third-seed Bosix games.

For their part, the Heembraced the underdand feel they have yettheir best basketball.

“We have to be nearto beat the Lakers.capable of it,” said formround draft pick Butler

“But we’re not wabout no five-seed

seed. We’re wabout us and be

best Miamteam t

can b

LeBron James

kickoff return score from Devin Duvernay.

The Ravens had just 228 yards of total offense after aver-aging 394 yards and 35.5 points over their first two games.

The Chiefs had 517 yards while holding a 29-16 edge in first downs and converting 10 o f 1 3 t h i r d - d o w n opportunities.

Travis Kelce led Kansas City with 87 receiving yards on six receptions.

Also topping 60 were Hardman (four for 81), Hill (five for 77), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (five for 70, plus 20 for 64 rushing) and Sammy Watkins (seven for 62).

Baltimore trailed by 17 at halftime but got back into the game on a 42-yard field goal by Justin Tucker with 6:13 left in the third quarter and Jackson’s

5-yard touchdown throw to Nick Boyle on the first play of the final stanza to pull within 27-20.

But Kansas City answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive and coach Andy Reid pulled out one of his trick plays on first-and-goal from the Ravens’ 2-yard line.

Fisher pretended he was blocking and then slid into the left flat to catch the scoring pass from Mahomes on the tackle-eligible play with 8:14 remaining to make it a 14-point margin.

The Ravens reached the Chiefs’ 13 on their next drive but Ben Niemann and Frank Clark sacked Jackson on back-to-back downs (second and third) to account for 18 yards in losses and Jackson’s fourth-and-24 pass was incomplete with 4:55 left to end the suspense.