16/06/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | JUNE 16, 2025

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WORLD NO. 1 Jannik Sinner wants to use the Halle Open as a chance to bounce back from sleepless nights after his agonising loss to rival Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final this month. In a thrilling showdown, Sinner took the first two sets and had three Wei-Ling Hsu of Chinese Taipei tied Sagstrom for the low round of the day and is tied for 12th at 7-under par. – Reuter/Field Level Media US VETERAN Lexi Thompson birdied two of the last three holes to card a four-under-par 68 and join a six-way tie for the lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic yesterday. On a day when multiple players threatened but failed to break free atop the crowded leaderboard at Blythefield Country Club, Thompson was tied on 11-under 205 with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, South Korean Choi Hye-jin, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Sofia Garcia of Paraguay. The leaders were two strokes clear of Australian Karis Davidson, who fired a one-under 71 for 207, with another four players tied on 208. For Thompson, it’s another crack at a title she missed out on in a playoff last year, and a chance to add to her tally of 11 LPGA titles for the first time since 2019. “Of course it was a close call last year, but it’s fair game tomorrow,” said Thompson, who lost to Lilia Vu in a playoff at the Blythefield CC layout in 2024. “Everybody is going to come out swainging. Good weather tomorrow, so I know birdies will have to be made and I’ll have to go pin seeking. I will hope for the best, go out there and embrace the opportunity, and really love on the fans.” Thompson is making just her sixth start of the season as she plays a limited schedule. “Hopefully I won’t need my short game as much tomorrow. That’s the goal. I didn’t hit it my best today, but I tried to stay in the moment, stay positive and make the saves when I needed them.” Sagstrom dazzled the crowd, producing eagles on the fourth and sixth holes, sandwiched around a birdie on the fifth. The 2025 LPGA Match Play winner, who holed out from the fairway on the sixth, got to 12 under with a birdie at 14, but bogeyed the par-4 16th hole to drop to 11 under. “At the end of the day I knew I was rolling the putter well,” said Sagstrom. “It was kind of – keep it in the fairway and give myself some chances.” Koerstz Madsen said: “I’m just trying to stick to my drills and hopefully they’ll work for tomorrow. I think I still have some good confidence on the green. There was just some speed things today.” Australia’s Karis Davidson is two strokes behind at 9 under, while four players – including Megan Khang – are tied at 8 under. Thompson in six-way tie at Michigan

Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the 125th US Open. – AFPPIC

BRIEFS Tel to Spurs permanent

crown at the tournament, which starts today, as he gears up for Wimbledon, which will be held from June 30 to July 13 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. “The first practice session was OK. I hadn’t played since Paris, so my general feelings on the court were not so perfect,” Sinner said. “I think a good grass-court player can move well. The ball can bounce a bit funny because of the grass, and you have to serve intelligently. “But in general, it is a surface on which I took a step forward last year and we will see how it goes this year.” – Reuters AL AHLY midfielder Emam Ashour will miss the remainder of the 2025 Club World Cup after scans confirmed he had suffered a broken collarbone, the Egyptian club announced yesterday. Ashour left the opening match of the revamped competition against Inter Miami, which ended in a goalless draw, in tears after injuring his shoulder. “Medical examinations on Emam Ashour in a Miami hospital showed he sustained a broken collarbone, and he will miss the remaining matches in the Club World Cup,” Al Ahly doctor Ahmed Gaballah said via the club’s account on X . FORWARD Mathys Tel has signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal after a four-month loan spell at the Premier League team from Bayern Munich, both clubs said yesterday. The France U-21 international has signed a contract at Tottenham until 2031, with media reports saying the deal was worth around £30 million (RM173m). “Mathys Tel came to FC Bayern as a very young player and mastered his first steps at the top level of European football here,” Bayern’s head of sport Max Eberl said in a statement. “He was a popular figure in the squad, who always gave his all for the club and the team. The move to Tottenham has turned out to be the right one for his development.” Tel becomes the first signing under new coach Thomas Frank, who was appointed on Thursday to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou. Players cannot dictate plan: Pochettino PLAYERS cannot pick and choose which games they will be available for, United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said after forward Christian Pulisic skipped the Concacaf Gold Cup but offered to play in a pair of friendlies. Pulisic, who played 50 games for AC Milan in the recently concluded season, said he would miss the Gold Cup to rest and recover, with former US stalwarts Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas among those who criticised the decision. Pochettino told reporters yesterday: “Players (do) not need to understand or not understand. Players need to listen and to stick with our plan. They cannot dictate the plan. Because if not, OK, we invert – we swap the position (coach and player), no? That is obvious. The most important thing is that we explain why we decided not to include (him) in the two friendly games. And then if you have some problems, no, that is not my problem to understand … I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.” Mexico win in Gold Cup opener EDSON ALVAREZ registered a goal and an assist to help Mexico post a 3-2 victory over the Dominican Republic in Concacaf Gold Cup Group A play yesterday in Inglewood, Calif. Defending champion Mexico also got goals from Raul Jimenez and Cesar Montes. Peter Gonzalez and Edison Azcona scored goals for the Dominican Republic, which qualified for the Gold Cup for the first time. Al-Ahly’s Ashour injured

‘I’ve earned the right’ McIlroy opens up on silence after post-Masters funk

R ORY MCILROY, who has come under fire for avoiding media after six consecutive major championship rounds, ended that silent run yesterday at the US Open where he said he felt he earned the right to do as he pleases. PGA Tour players are not obligated to speak to the media after their rounds but for someone like world number two McIlroy, who has been the de facto spokesman of the US-based circuit in recent years, it has come to be expected. Following a four-over 74 that left well out of contention at Oakmont Country Club, McIlroy spoke to reporters and was asked if his drop in form since winning the Masters was why he decided to avoid the media outside of pre-tournament availabilities. “No, not really. It’s more a frustration with you guys,” McIlroy told reporters at Oakmont Country Club before being asked to elaborate. “I’m just, yeah, I don’t know. I have, I’ve been totally available for the last few years, and I’m not saying – maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.” McIlroy’s silent stretch at the majors began at last month’s PGA Championship where he declined to speak to the media after a poor first round and held firm after news of his driver failing a conformance test leaked during the second round. McIlroy said the leaked news was part of his decision to go silent but also reminded the assembled media that he walked by them without taking questions after his opening

round of this year’s Masters. “It’s not as if – it’s not out of the ordinary. I’ve done it before; I’m just doing it a little more often,” said McIlroy. “I feel like I’ve earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah.” The 36-year-old Northern Irishman knows the rules do not permit him to talk to media after he walks off the course and it was suggested that he was almost daring the PGA Tour to alter its rules on the matter. “No, I’m not daring them to do anything. I hope they don’t change it because… it’s a nice luxury to have,” said McIlroy. “But I’m just pointing out the fact that we have the ability to do it.” The five-times major champion, who like many top players struggled mightily at a treacherous Oakmont layout where some rounds have been well above five hours long, rallied to make the cut on Friday with little to lose. “Yeah, it’s funny, like it’s much easier being on the cut line when you don’t really care if you’re here for the weekend or not,” said McIlroy. “I was sort of thinking, do I really want two more days here or not. So it makes it easier to play better when you’re in that mindset.” When McIlroy was asked what his expectations were for the final round he made it crystal clear that he is counting down the hours until he can get home.

“Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here,” said McIlroy. – Reuters Sinner seeks to put French Open defeat behind him

don’t know how it will look in the future. “I think that it is not the most important thing, but I nevertheless try to forget the negative things and see what I can do here” in Halle. “I think that for me to play another tournament is positive, because every match is a new beginning, and I must be mentally ready to give my all on the court. Therefore, it is great I can be here in Halle. Yes, I had already a few sleepless nights, but I think every day it gets better.” The 23-year-old Italian is the reigning champion at Halle and will seek to defend his

Spaniard Alcaraz persevered to grind out a 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7 6(10-2) win in five hours and 29 minutes – the longest final at Roland Garros.

Asked if he had thought about the championship points he failed to convert, Sinner

Sinner. – REUTERSPIC

ma t ch points in the f ou r t h set,

told reporters yesterday: “Often. It happens. I

but