29/09/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | SEPT 29, 2025

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Profane insults and distracting yells Europe used ‘anti-fragile mentality’ to cope with Cup hecklers E UROPE captain Luke Donald credits an “anti-frag ile mentality” for how well his golfers have handled rau cous New York hecklers and taken a record lead at the Ryder Cup. it fired them up even more,” Donald said. “They were able to get better through those difficult moments out there. That’s what makes me most proud as a captain, just their ability to take the punches and come back even stronger.”

USA Ryder Cup disaster

UNITED STATES captain Keegan Bradley defended raucous New York crowds that seemed to cross a sportsmanship line yesterday in heckling Europe golfers at the Ryder Cup. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, a six-time winner this year with two majors among them, was no help, making the first 0-4 pairs start by an American in Cup history. “I thought the fans were passionate,” Bradley said. “Their home team is getting beat bad. They are passionate fans. I wasn’t at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well. “The fans of New York from what I have seen have been pretty good. You’re always going to have a few people that cross the line, and that’s unfortunate. I was happy to see our players trying to quiet down some people that were like that.” Bradley sees US futility as partly to blame. “Part of it our fault,” he said. “We’re not playing up to the standards they want to see, and they are angry, and they should be.” He said that amid Scheffler’s struggles the world NNo. 1 “has been the best teammate in our team room this week, without question. “This is tough. This is what happens in sports all the time,”

third set then I saw (Atmane) struggling a bit physically. “It’s not how you want to win a match but very happy to be again in the next round.” In the women’s draw, qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus stunned 14th-ranked Naomi Osaka of Japan, the four-time major champion. The 31-year-old world no. 130 fought back to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Elsewhere, it was more routine as Swiatek breezed past home player Yuan Yue, cruising into round three with a 6-0, 6-3 victory. The world No. 2 from Poland next faces Colombia’s Camila Osorio, ranked 83rd. The six-time major cham pion is the top seed in Beijing after world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew with injury. World No. 5 Mirra Andreeva of Russia swept aside Zhu Lin of China 6-2, 6-2 and American Jessica Pegula dispatched Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-0, 6-3. – AFP Bradley said. “We’ve had some wacky stuff go on.” Bradley said he was proud players did not mope as the score grew more lopsided against them “and Scottie is at the top of that list.” The Americans imposed the most lopsided victory in the current format on Europe in 2021 at Whistling Straits with a 19-9 triumph, but now face being on the wrong end of such a rout unless they can mount the greatest last-day comeback in Cup history. “It’s doable,” American Sam Burns insisted. “Every guy has to go out and basically win a point. That’s our mission.” Bradley told players how he had attended the 2017 Super Bowl when NFL legend Tom Brady rallied New England from 28-3 down to win the title over Atlanta, the Patriots scoring the last 31 points. He also appealed to their dreams. “My message was, if you were a 16-year-old kid and you were going to get to go play for your country in singles in New York at Bethpage Black, you would be so excited,” Bradley said. “Of course I want to go out there and make history tomorrow. They all do. But I think you’ve got to relish in the opportunity to get out on the course and play for your country.” – AFP white strapping visible underneath the sock on his left ankle. He did not appear to be restricted in his movement but he limped briefly after chasing a shot that won Bergs a break early in the first set. “In some movements I’m scared about going crazy so most of the time I take it a little easy,” he said. “Sometimes I feel a little bit the ankle, which I would say is normal.” – AFP

Donald avoided the question when asked if US fans crossed the line. “It was loud. It was raucous. What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are trying to go into their routines,” Donald said. “That did happen a little bit. It has happened at other Ryder Cups, too. It’s something we prepared for and I can see, I think, how well they have dealt with it.” Donald, who praised Europe’s “relentlessness,” had stressed coping with a vocal crowd in his preparation for he hopes will be the first road win in the Cup since 2012. Donald learned yesterday that Norway’s Viktor Hovland has a neck injury that might sideline him on the final day. England’s Tommy Fleetwood could go 5-0 and become the first player to win five matches on the road since American Tony Lima in 1965. – AFP

Shrugging off profane insults and distracting yells as players tried to make shots, Europe seized an 11.5 4.5 lead over the United States yestedrday – the largest lead entering the final day singles in the event’s current format. “I didn’t expect to have as big a lead like this,” Donald said. “A lot of things have gone well for us, but very happy with how strong our team is, the firepower they have, the intensity – kind of the anti-fragile mentality.” Europe went 3-1 in yesterday foursomes and four-ball sessions despite harsher remarks as the day wore on, prompting police to walk with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in their 2-up four-ball win over Justin Thomas and Cam Young at Bethpage Black. “Things got tougher out there and

McIlroy made an obscene gesture to the crowd on Saturday and cursed at rowdy fans to “shut up” yesterday after multiple times being forced to back off putts. “Sometimes the crowd going at you can be a motivator for some of these players and I think Rory and Shane certainly looked like they were sort of almost enjoying the difficult environment out there,” Donald said. “We talked about that in the lead up. We’ve talked about it for a long time. People have individually different ways to deal with it. “Crowds have energy and you can use it however you want. It’s however you frame it. There’s a stimulus, a response, and in between that is how you decide what you want to do with it. Some people find that motivating.”

Sinner survives, Swiatek launches Beijing bid

Jobs

302

ITALIAN Jannik Sinner sur vived a scare to sink French qualifier Terence Atmane 6 4, 5-7, 6-0 at the China Open on Saturday as Iga Swiatek launched her title bid. The world No. 2 will face 57th-ranked Fabian

Iga Swiatek in action. – REUTERSPIC

Marozsan of Hungary in the Beijing quarterfi nals. “It was a very tough match today,” four-time Grand Slam champion

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Sinner said. “I felt like he was serving great.” Sinner said that he lost a bit

of concentration during the second set but quickly recovered to steamroll past the 68th-ranked Atmane in the deciding set. “I started off very well in the

Petaling Jaya (Five-day week)

Alcaraz reach Tokyo quarters CARLOS ALCARAZ admitted his ankle injury had worried him and was on his mind as he beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-4, 6-3 at the Japan Open on Saturday.

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evidence of discomfort as he returned to the court to beat world No. 45 Bergs in front of an adoring Japanese crowd. “I was a bit worried before the match so I just wanted to warm up and let’s see how it’s going to feel,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t feel anything in the ankle, so after the warm-up I decided I can go and I can play.” Alcaraz took to the court with

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The world No. 1 hurt himself two days earlier in his opening match in Tokyo, crumpling to the ground before playing on with his ankle heavily strapped. The Spaniard was left sweating on his fitness but he showed no

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