05/05/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAY 5, 2026

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Back to work for Kimi Miami champ Antonelli shrugs off success, says road still long

FRESH from making history in Madrid, Jannik Sinner wasted lit tle time turning his thoughts to completing the “Golden Masters” by triumphing on home soil in Rome this week – which would make him only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. The 24-year-old Italian became the first man to win five successive Masters 1000 crowns yesterday after dismantling Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in 57 minutes, adding Madrid to recent triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. With only Rome missing from his collection, Sinner will be hop ing to go one better than last year when he was beaten in the final by Carlos Alcaraz in what was his first event back after a three-month doping suspension. Should he emerge victorious, he will follow in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic as the only men to have won all nine Masters titles. “Playing at home is always special. Physically, I’m good and there is no reason not to play at Rome and I’m happy to be going to Rome; it’s very special to me,” Sinner told a press conference in Madrid yesterday. “Last year I made a comeback after a difficult period and it cer tainly gave me a lot emotionally and in terms of support in gen eral playing there. “So I’m very happy to be returning there, and on the other hand, winning the tournament isn’t easy; all tournaments are very difficult. So we’ll see how it goes there. “But right now, honestly, I’m just thinking about resting men tally for the next 2–3 days, because I’ve given so much and there’s so, so much energy behind what you put into a tour nament, so we’ll see.” Asked about Zverev’s sugges tion that there is a sizeable gap between Sinner and the rest of the field, the Italian said: “It’s tough to say. “Sometimes you have good days, sometimes bad days. Today it was a really, really good per formance for myself. Very solid serving… But I don’t compare myself with other players. I try to be the best possible version of myself, and that’s it.” – Reuters Sinner eyes Rome return after Madrid masterclass

BRIEFS Momentum will swing back, says Russell GEORGE RUSSELL lost his tag of Formula One title favourite to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli yesterday but remained confident the momentum would swing back his way. The Briton had started the season as frontrunner for the cham pionship, and won the opener in Australia, but after three wins in a row for the Italian is now 20 points adrift.“ Clearly Kimi’s in a really great place at the moment and momen tum is with him,” said Russell, who finished fourth at the Hard Rock Stadium. “But I’ve got enough expe rience myself in championships I’ve won on how momentum swings throughout a year and also looking at the championship last year. To be honest, I’m not even considering it. I just want to get back onto the top step of the podium.” Young cruises to PGA title at Doral WORLD NO. 4 Cameron Young cruised through yesterday’s final round despite a penalty to win the Cadillac Championship by six strokes, taking his third career PGA Tour triumph. The 28-year-old American called a penalty on him self in the second fairway when he saw the ball move then salvaged par on his way to firing a 4-under 68. He finished 72 holes on 19 under 269 for the US$3.6 million (RM14.5m) top prize at Trump National Doral. Young became only the third wire-to-wire winner at Doral, the first since Andy Bean in 1977. “When the golf course is diffi cult, when the playing conditions are difficult, that tends to make it easier for me mentally,” Young said. “That’s a big part of keeping your self in it out here, thankfully I was able to stay where my feet were and hit a bunch of good shots.” Top ranked Scottie Scheffler birdied three of the last four holes to shoot 68 and finish second on 275, one stroke ahead of fellow American Ben Griffin. Korda cruises to Mexico crown TOP-RANKED Nelly Korda cruised through yesterday’s final round to win the Riviera Maya Open, captur ing her 18th career LPGA triumph and second in as many weeks. Korda matched the sensational 2001 start of Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam with her sixth top-two finish in as many events this season, taking her third victory of the year. Coming off her third major title last week, the 27-year old American fired a 3-under 69 to finish 72 holes on 17-under 271 for a four-stroke victory at El Camaleon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Korda shattered the old 72-hole event record of 12-under. “I’m just enjoy ing myself and I love the competi tion,” Korda said when asked if she was playing the best golf of her life. I love traveling to places like Mexico, all over the world, and I’m just hav ing fun. We always put in the same exact amount of work and you just never know. It’s golf.” Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol fired a closing 70 to finish second on 275 with China’s Liu Yu third on 276, American Brianna Do fourth on 278 and Colombian amateur Maria Jose Marin fifth on 280.

A NTONELLI SMILED, thanked his team and his family and pledged to “get back to work” as soon as he could after making a slice of Formula One history by winning yesterday’s Miami Grand Prix. The Italian teenager – already the youngest driver, at 19, to lead an F1 title race – had just become the first to win his first three races from consecu tive pole positions, an unprecedented feat that delighted Italy’s legion of motor racing fans. “This is just the beginning,” he said, shrugging off the mounting excitement and expectation in his homeland. “The road is still long. We are work ing super-hard and the team is doing an incredible job and without them, I wouldn’t be here.” He added: “I’m going to enjoy this one and then get straight back to work because Canada is in two weeks’ time.” Antonelli’s win was aided by an undercut pit stop that enabled him to pass world champion Lando Norris midway through the race. Antonelli drove with determined

aplomb to resist the McLaren driver in the closing stages. He will travel to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix later this month with a 20-point lead over teammate George Russell, the pre-season favor ite, and praised by his peers and rivals for his precocious talent. “I hope all of Italy doesn’t go mad now,” said team chief Toto Wolff. “I know it is the World Cup and they will not be there so … We have to keep our feet on the ground “If the whole country is behind us it is important and going to be difficult to keep our feet on the ground.” Norris mischievously eaves dropped on Antonelli’s post-race interviews and slapped his back in congratulations after. “He’s doing a great job and hats off to him. He’s under pressure to beat his teammate who has been here a long time,” said Norris. “He is proving everyone wrong, and he’s a nice guy too – and it is so annoying because I want to beat him.” With Norris expressing disappoint ment over his team’s pit-stop strategy, Antonelli agreed that coming in at “just the right moment” had been “the key” to his win. “When I came out, I had no traffic and I pushed,” he said. “Now I am feel ing stronger and stronger all the time and I have more control.

“I know I can be calmer and I got stressed today in the car with the downshifts and some issues, but over all it was a great race and I am so happy that I won.” His teammate Russell, who fin ished fourth behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, admitted it had been a difficult weekend for him. He also showed praise on his “fan tastic” young teammate Antonelli. “He has great talent and speed, but it is only four races down and there is a long way to go.” – AFP MIAMI GRAND PRIX RESULTS 1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) 3. Oscar Piastri (Mercedes) 4. George Russell (Mercedes) 5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 8. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 9. Carlos Sainz Jr (Williams) 10. Alexander Albon (Williams) STANDINGS DRIVERS (Top 5) : 1. Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 100pts, 2. George Russell (GBR) 80, 3. Charles Leclerc (MON) 63, 4. Lando Norris (GBR) 51, 5. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 49. CONSTRUCTORS (Top 5) : 1. Mercedes 180pts , 2. Ferrari 112, 3. McLaren 94, 4. Red Bull Racing 30, 5. Alpine 21.

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (inset) celebrates after winning the Miami Grand Prix yesterday. – AFPPIC

Holder shines as Gujarat beat Punjab in nervy win JASON HOLDER stood out with figures of 4-24 in an inspired pace attack to set up a four-wicket win for Gujarat Titans in a thrilling IPL contest against Punjab Kings yesterday. mate delivery. Shubman Gill-led Gujarat stay fifth in the 10 team table with four teams on 12 points each. “I think in chases like these, we would have liked to not take it as deep as it went, but two cru cial points,” said Shubman. “Luckily we had Washi and he finished the game for us.”

left-handed Sudharsan in the 15th over. Gujarat slowed down in their chase in front of disciplined bowling and good fielding, but Sundar stood firm. Earlier Siraj rattled Punjab with two wickets in two balls upfront including Cooper Connolly caught behind for a duck. Siraj’s new-ball partner Kagiso Rabada took down Prabhsimran Singh for 15 and West Indies pace bowler Holder came in as the third seamer to push Punjab on the backfoot. “KG and Siraj were excellent,“ said player of the match Holder. “They make my job easier in the middle overs, but I still had to come in and exe cute.” – AFP

Pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj set the tone with two wickets in the first over of the match as hosts Gujarat reduced top-of-the-table Punjab to 47-5 before they managed 163-9 in Ahmedabad. Gujarat lost regular wickets in their chase but opener Sai Sudharsan’s 57 and an unbeaten 40 off 23 balls by Washington Sundar guided the team home with one ball to spare. Needing 11 to win from the last over, Sundar, a left-handed batter, kept his nerve and smacked Marcus Stoinis for a winning six on the penulti

Punjab, led by Shreyas Iyer, still hold the top spot with 13 points after they went down to just their second defeat in the season. The top four teams after the league stage will qualify for the playoffs. Punjab attempted to defend their modest total after impact substitute Vijaykumar Vyshak took 2 30 including the scalp of Jos Buttler, for 25, and the