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Wednesday August 23, 2017

RAFAEL NADAL described his climb back to the world No. 1 spot for the fi rst time in three years as “unbelievable.”

His top spot was confi rmed in the latest ATP rankings released Monday.

The Spaniard, who learned he was going to reclaim the ATP summit a week ago, last topped the men’s charts in July 2014.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, who won his 15th Grand Slam title this year at Roland Garros, deposes Britain’s Andy Murray, who withdrew from the tourna-ments in Montreal and Cincinnati with a hip injury.

Nadal, who has spent 141 weeks in the top spot, has struggled with knee injuries since fi rst becom-ing No. 1 in August 2008 after a Cincinnati semifi nal run. He has admitted doubting he could ever regain the No. 1 spot after so many years.

“Being No. 1 after all the things that I have been going through the last couple of years is something unbelievable,” the Spanish great told the ATP.

Nadal, knocked out in the Cin-cinnati quarterfi nals last week by Australian Nick Kyrgios, had slipped to as low as 13th in the ATP rankings midway through 2015.

And his path back to the top one week before the closing Grand Slam of the season at the U.S. Open was hailed by Chris Kermode, ATP executive chair-man and president. “To regain the No. 1 ranking nine years after having fi rst reached it is unprecedented,” he said.

“Rafa has been setting records throughout his remarkable career and this one is as impressive as any. It shows incredible dedica-tion and longevity, ” Kermode added.

Kyrgios’s progress to Sunday’s Western & Southern Open fi nal in Cincinnati earned him a fi ve-rung rise to 18th with the man who beat him 6-4, 7-5, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, breaking into the top 10 in 9th.

The women’s winner in Cin-cinnati, Garbine Muguruza of Spain, meanwhile, climbed three places to third in the latest WTA rankings.

The Wimbledon champion beat Simona Halep 6-1, 6-0 in Sunday’s fi nal, thwarting the Romanian’s bid to overhaul Czech Karolina Pliskova as world No. 1. (SD-Agencies)

REAL Madrid defender Sergio Ramos believes English refer-ees are more lenient than their Spanish counterparts and has asked La Liga match offi cials to take a leaf out of the Premier League book after being sent off in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Deportivo La Coruna.

The captain earned a second booking for elbowing Deportivo’s Borja Valle while challenging for an aerial ball, adding to the yellow card he received in the second half for slapping Fabian Schar in an off-the-ball scuffl e.

“In some areas we need to look more at English football and let the players play on more, I like their system better,” Ramos, who received the 23rd red card of his Real career, told reporters Monday.

Ramos is Real’s most sent off player, with former defender Fernando Hierro trailing way behind on 12 red cards.

Out of Ramos’s 23 red cards, 18 have come in the La Liga, three were shown in the UEFA Champions League and two in the Copa del Rey.

Five players were sent off in eight Liga games over the week-end, compared to two in nine Premier League games.

(SD-Agencies)

A SCANT six months after taking the reins of the Los Angeles Lakers as the franchise’s presi-dent of basketball operations, franchise legend Magic Johnson now fi nds himself at the heart of a tampering investigation.

The NBA confi rmed Sunday that it has “opened an investiga-tion into alleged tampering by the Los Angeles Lakers,” at “the request of the Indiana Pacers,” as fi rst reported by veteran NBA scribe Peter Vecsey.

Shams Charania of The Verti-cal reported that “the investiga-tion centers on” All-Star forward Paul George, whose agent report-edly informed Pacers brass two months back that he planned to join the Lakers when he hits unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.

Faced with the prospect of losing their franchise centerpiece for nothing next year, the Pacers instead chose to trade George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for shooting guard Victor Oladipo and power for-ward Domantas Sabonis.

If the league offi ce’s probe can prove that the Lakers tampered with George while he was under contract with Indiana, they can be punished in several ways, including a loss of draft picks, fi nes up to US$5 million, future restrictions on acquiring George and pos-

WAYNE ROONEY wheeled away in delight after scoring his 200th goal in the English Premier League, cupping both of his ears with his hands in front of the Manchester City fans who jeered his name and his every touch.

The Everton striker had just joined an exclusive scoring club and, as a former Manchester United player, he was deter-mined to enjoy the moment at Etihad Stadium. He didn’t have the last laugh, though.

Substitute Raheem Sterling smashed home an 82nd-minute volley as City fought back for a 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium after playing with 10 men for more than a half of a chaotic game Monday.

The late equalizer slightly soured another landmark occa-sion for Rooney, the record scorer for England and United — and now only the second player to reach a double-cen-tury of Premier League goals after Alan Shearer.

“It was a sweet moment,” he said, before adding with a smile: “I am sure the red half of Manchester will have enjoyed it as well.”

The 31-year-old Rooney is enjoying something of a career renaissance since leaving United in the offseason to return to his boyhood club. It’s now two goals in two league games for a player whose international career might not yet be over.

“It is not bad for someone who

is not fi t anymore and can’t get about the pitch,” Rooney said, taunting his critics. “I have always put a shift in for the team and tonight is no different.”

On his chances of a recall by England ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifi ers, Rooney said: “I am focusing on Everton. I am sure I will speak to Eng-land manager Gareth Southgate over the next few days and we will see what happens.”

Rooney scored Everton’s goal against the run of play in the 35th minute, meeting Dominic

Calvert-Lewin’s cross with a fi rst-time shot that struck City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes’ heel and defl ected into the net off the post.

City was already getting frus-trated by its failure to pierce a deep-lying and compact Ever-ton defense, and its chances of victory further receded in the 44th when right back Kyle Walker was sent off for a second yellow card in the space of two minutes. The second booking looked harsh, with Walker barely brushing Mason

Holgate’s midriff with his elbow as he backed into the Everton full back.

City manager Pep Guardiola didn’t want to talk about the incident, except to say: “It was so clear.”

Sterling gave City energy after coming on as a halftime substi-tute. And after smashing a glar-ing opportunity over the bar from close range, he made amends by meeting Holgate’s poor headed clearance with a sweetly struck left-footed volley from just inside the area. (SD-Agencies)

Rooney scores 200th goal in Everton draw

NBA investigating Magic Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson (L) and general manager Rob Pelinka watch a game at the NBA’s 2017 Las Vegas Summer League. SD-Agencies

Ramos seeks more leniency from refs

sible suspensions of offending offi cials.

If the NBA fi nds evidence that the Lakers had engaged in a side agreement with George, he could be prohibited from sign-ing a free-agent deal with Los Angeles or being part of a trade to the Lakers.

Team offi cials aren’t allowed to make contact with players or their agents to discuss future plans unless it’s after the open-ing of the players’ free-agency year July 1.

The NBA said in its Sunday statement that the Lakers “have been cooperative and, at this

point, no fi ndings have been made.”

During an April visit to ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Johnson spoke with host Jimmy Kimmel about the steep learning curve he faced as he took over as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, and about the players he hoped to import to help turn around the fortunes of a fran-chise that has gone a combined 91-237 over the past four sea-sons. “I wish I could talk about all those guys,” Johnson said.

“But you’d be contract tamper-ing now,” Kimmel said.

(SD-Agencies)

Rafael Nadal

Nadal is top again

Everton’s Wayne Rooney and Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany fi ght for the ball during their match Monday. SD-Agencies