08/03/2026

theSun on Sunday MAR 8, 2026

SPORTS 12

Russell takes pole Down Under Teammate Antonelli second as four-times world champion Verstappen crashes out

GEORGE RUSSELL took pole position and teammate Kimi Antonelli locked up the front row as Mercedes confirmed their off season promise by dominating qualifying at Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday. Briton Russell lapped Albert Park’s street circuit in one minute, 18.518 seconds, a mark that was 0.293 seconds ahead of Italian Antonelli, who came back from a huge crash in the final free practice earlier in the day. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was third quickest but ߑ nearly eight tenths of a second slower than Russell’s best lap, the Silver Arrows’ first pole since Lewis Hamilton in 2019. “It was a great day, we knew WORLD NO. 2 Jannik Sinner overwhelmed Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1 yesterday to launch his bid for a first Indian Wells hardcourt crown. Sinner, back in the California desert after missing last year’s edition serving a drugs suspension, controlled every aspect of the 64 minute contest in which he faced just one break point. After Svrcina held serve for 1-1 in the first set, Sinner won nine straight games before Svrcina managed another hold. The Czech fought valiantly to force Sinner to serve it out, saving three match points in the final game before Sinner closed it with one more service break. It was an auspicious start to a tournament in which the four-time Grand Slam champion’s best runs ended in semifinal defeats to Carlos Alcaraz. This year he can’t meet top seeded Alcaraz – or third-seeded five-time champion Novak Djokovic – until the final. “I feel mentally I’m in a good place,“ said Sinner, who lost to Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open and was surprised by Jakub Mensik in the quarters at Doha last month. “I’m calm, I’m relaxed. But I’m also very happy to compete. We did a lot of work. Many, many hours on court. Many hours in the gym. I’m trying to get a little bit stronger.” Women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, also chasing a first title DANIEL BERGER opened up a substantial five-shot lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday, as he chases his first PGA Tour win in half a decade. The 32-year-old American is sitting at 13-under at the midway point, after carding an impressive 68 at Florida’s challenging Bay Hill course. Despite having sunk nine birdies a day earlier, Berger said he had played even better yesterday, as

Arvid Lindblad will line up eighth and ninth. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto sneaked into Q3 but was unable to take part due to an unconfirmed technical issue, the team said. He was 10th quickest in Q2 but rolled to a halt on his in-lap at ߑ the end of the session after losing his gears. Struggling Aston Martin’s two times world champion Fernando Alonso was eliminated in Q1, along with both the new Cadillac team’s drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll was unable to take part in Q1, with the team running out of time to rebuild his car following morning repairs. – Reuters in the prestigious ATP/WTA Masters 1000 event, opened in similarly dominant style, beating Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2. Sabalenka showed no sign of rust in her first tournament since a runner up finish to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open. “I’m really happy with the way I was serving, with the way I was putting her on the back foot,” said Sabalenka, who has twice reached the Indian Wells final but lost to Rybakina in 2023 and to Mirra Andreeva last year. Men’s fourth-seed Alexander Zverev also sailed into the third round, beating Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 without facing a break point. It was an encouraging start for the German, who fell in his opening match last year and has never made it past the quarterfinals in the California desert. “I have struggled in Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year,” he said. Home hopes Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff had to battle into the third round. Ailing eighth seed Shelton clawed out a 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6 3 victory over Reilly Opelka in an all-American clash. Women’s fourth seed Gauff rallied from two breaks down in the second set for a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory over qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova. – AFP defend his Masters title next month – also carded one of the best rounds yesterday, declaring himself “very pleased” to finish in 68 after an erratic even-par opening round. “I really felt like that kept any momentum that I had for the round going. I played the last 10 holes really, really well,” he said. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler capped a frustrating day with a bogey on 18 to finish 3-under, in a tie for 15th. – AFP

learning curve for drivers, putting a greater onus on managing power deployment and regeneration. Verstappen came unstuck when he locked up on turn one of his first flying lap, skidded over gravel and smashed into the barrier. The Dutchman swore over the team radio before ߑ exiting the car unscathed. “The car just locked on the rear axles. Fantastic,” said Verstappen, last year’s runner-up. Norris slammed F1’s engine overhaul, saying the cars had gone from the “best to the worst” in a season. Seven-times world champion Hamilton will be seventh on the grid for Ferrari, while Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and rookie

practice. “But the mechanics today were the heroes. We couldn’t even set up the car, we just went out.” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will line up fourth in today’s race, one ahead of McLaren’s fifth-placed Oscar Piastri. Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen crashed out of the first qualifying session (Q1) without recording a lap time, allowing his new teammate Hadjar to shine. “It was a very smooth qualifying,” said the 21-year-old Frenchman. “We kind of ߑ built up to it, and it was a very good last lap. I want to keep my position, as a second podium would be good.” The new chassis and power unit changes have meant a steep

there was a lot of potential in the car,” said Russell. “It really came alive this afternoon. Also really happy that Kimi’s here, All in all a pretty good day.” Antonelli had a nervous wait for his position to be confirmed after his patched-up car dropped cooling fans onto the track early in the final session of qualifying. McLaren’s defending champion Lando Norris, who qualified sixth, ran over one, sending debris ߑ flying and triggering a red flag. Stewards fined Mercedes €7,500 euros (RM35,000) for releasing Antonelli’s car from the garage in an unsafe condition. “It’s been a very, very stressful day,” said Antonelli of his crash which also caused a red flag in

Sinner, Sabalenka make dominant starts

Jannik Sinner returns a shot against Dalibor Svrcina (not pictured) during the second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Berger extends lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational

around Bay Hill.” Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and recent Pebble Beach champion Collin Morikawa were among the players a shot further back on 7 under, along with Sahith Theegala, who shot up the leaderboard with a bogey-free round of 67. The American managed five birdies, holing in from a bunker on the 10th and putting from 14 feet on the 16th. Rory McIlroy – gearing up to

Good start to the day,” said Berger. Akshay Bhatia sat in second place after notching the day’s best round with a 66 that featured seven birdies, including a 36-foot chip-in on eight. “I’m just going to keep plodding along, (Berger) could run away with it and I could be playing for second or it could be a little bit of a challenge,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys within six shots of the lead, which is not much

“the course was a little tougher.” “The green speeds are up there. The pin positions are tough,“ he said. “It’s just one of those courses. It’s treacherous,” Berger added. A four-time winner on the PGA Tour, whose last triumph came at Pebble Beach in 2021, Berger started his second round with intent, immediately sinking a 24-foot putt from the fringe for a birdie on the opening hole. “I hit a nice putt, just walked it in.