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Al Sadd midfilder Akram Afif, Al Duhail striker Michael Olunga and Al Arabi star Youssef Msakni are in running for the Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) best player award, according to the final list of nominees announced by the Qatar Stars League yesterday.Afif, who started the domestic football season after representing the national side at the FIFA World Cup, helped Al Sadd reach the Amir Cup final and his tally of 10 goals in the QNB Stars League steered the Wolves to third spot with one match remaining. Olunga is also a strong contender for the award, helping Al Duhail to top of QSL standings besides triumphs in the Ooredoo Cup and Qatar Cup. The Kenyan star is currently the joint top scorer in the top flight with 18 goals. Msakni has also enjoyed a fine season with Al Arabi, who remained among top four sides in the QSL in which the Tunisian has scored 13 goals.The Board of Trustees of QFA Awards approved the final names nominated for the best awards for 2022-2023 football season after assessing voting and screening processes of nomination forms sent to the participants including top football officials, coaches and media representatives. Al Duhail’s Hernan Crespo, who is hoping to seal a treble today with QSL title along with Al Arabi’s Younes Ali and Al Wakrah’s Marquez Lopez have been shortlisted for best coach award. Osama al-Tairy of Al Rayyan, Jassim Jaber of Al Arabi and Khaled Mohamed Saleh of Al Duhail were declared frontrunners for the best under-23 player award. The winners of the awards will be announced during the closing ceremony of the season which will be held at the Qatar National Convention Center in Education City on May 13.NOMINATIONS LISTBest Player:Akram Afif (Al Sadd)Michael Olunga (Al Duhail)Yousef Msakni (Al Arabi)Best Coach:Bartolome Marquez Lopez (Al Wakrah)Hernan Crespo (Al Duhail)Younes Ali (Al Arabi)Best Under-23 Player:Osama al-Tairy (Al Rayyan)Jassim Jaber (Al Arabi)Khaled Mohamed Saleh (Al Duhail)

Arsenal kept the Premier League title race alive as Martin Odegaard’s strike and Fabian Schar’s own goal beat Newcastle 2-0 yesterday to close to within one point of leaders Manchester City.City have a game in hand on top of their slender lead, but the Gunners are refusing to give up the fight in their hunt for a first league title in 19 years.Newcastle’s second home defeat of the season slows the Magpies’ charge towards Champions League football next season as their lead over fifth-placed Liverpool remains three points.Arsenal held an eight-point lead at the top of the table just a month ago but had won just one of their previous five league games to let the destiny of the title slip out of their hands. Mikel Arteta’s men, though, showcased their improvement over the last 12 months since defeat at St. James’ Park last season cost them a place in the top four.“It is a big step for a young team like ours to come here and do the things we did. It shows we have come a long way,” said Odegaard.“Last year here was one of the toughest days of my career, to be honest. After dropping points against Man City, to win against Chelsea and then come here and win shows the mentality.“We have to keep going and digging in and fight until the end. It is football, anything can happen and we need to be ready.”The visitors wobbled early on as Jacob Murphy smashed the inside of the post after just three minutes before the home side thought they had a penalty when Bruno Guimaraes’ effort hit the arm of Jakub Kiwior. However, the Polish defender was handed a reprieve by a VAR review as the ball appeared to come off his thigh first.Having ridden their luck, Arsenal took full advantage to go in front with their first shot on goal as Odegaard took aim from long range and arrowed the ball low beyond Nick Pope’s left hand on 14 minutes.Pope then had to make a series of big saves just to keep Newcastle in a pulsating game before the break. Three times the England goalkeeper stood up tall to block one-on-ones with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard.The unrelenting pace did not let up after the break as both sides hit the woodwork inside the first six minutes of the restart.Alexander Isak’s header came off the post before Aaron Ramsdale produced a remarkable save from Fabian Schar to keep Arsenal in front.At the other end, Martinelli finally had Pope beaten only for the ball to come back off the crossbar. Tempers started to flare on both sides of a feisty contest before another piece of brilliance from Martinelli produced the crucial second goal.The Brazilian ran half the length of the field and then fired in a low cross that Schar could only turn into his own net.While Arsenal still need favours from City in the run-in to achieve their goal, a top-four finish is still within Newcastle’s reach.Eddie Howe’s men likely need just six points from their final four games to guarantee Champions League football for the first time in 20 years. However, they could slip to fourth later on Sunday if Manchester United win at West Ham.“We have four games remaining and need three results,” said Howe. “Liverpool and other teams are coming. They are top level. We can only do what we can do and I believe in the character of the team to get it over the line.”

World number two Carlos Alcaraz defended his Madrid Open title with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Jan-Lennard Struff yesterday.The US Open champion earned his 10th career title and can reclaim the world top ranking from Novak Djokovic simply by playing a single match at the Rome Masters next week, before the French Open.Alcaraz continued his Roland Garros build-up by adding the Madrid trophy to victories in Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Indian Wells this year, although he was below his vibrant best against lucky loser Struff, the world number 65.The 20-year-old was given a tricky time by his German opponent but eventually became the youngest player since Rafael Nadal in 2006 to defend an ATP Masters 1000 title.“Today I enjoyed it in parts, in other parts I suffered more than I enjoyed it, but it’s what you have to live with,” said Alcaraz.“Nerves come into play and it’s difficult, but I think I enjoyed it more than I suffered today.”Despite being 13 years Alcaraz’s senior, Struff showed nerves in the first game and conceded a break when he double faulted and then sent a volley too long.It was only his second tour-level final and he was aiming to be the first lucky loser ever to win a title at this level. Struff could also have become the oldest first-time Masters 1000 winner.Alcaraz consolidated for a 2-0 lead under pressure, surviving a break point as Struff found his range.The German broke to love for 2-2 as he showed Alcaraz he would be no pushover, despite the strong home support and their disparity in ranking, and then won a third consecutive game.However Alcaraz broke again for a 4-3 lead when Struff committed another double fault and he survived a triple break point to win the first set, pulling off a fine drop shot and lob combination. Alcaraz’s speed in defence helped him against Struff’s power game, which created plenty of problems - his opponent hit 14 winners in the first set to the Spaniard’s seven, with points split evenly at 35 each.Honours were even after their two prior meetings, although Alcaraz needed five sets to beat Struff at Wimbledon last year and the veteran showed the same grit again in the Spanish capital to make the youngster sweat. Dominant at the net, Struff roared into a 3-0 lead in the second set and produced a remarkable hold in the 15-minute fifth game for 4-1, saving five break points as Alcaraz’s hitting deserted him.Struff served it out as Alcaraz dropped only his second set of the tournament and first in a Masters 1000 final.The top seed saved a break point at 1-1 and then broke for a 3-1 lead in the decisive third set when Struff hit a volley long.Alcaraz forced another break point at 4-1 but Struff stayed resilient until the end and held, with the Spaniard eventually clinching victory when his opponent sent a backhand long.On Saturday world number two Aryna Sabalenka beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek to win the women’s title in the Spanish capital.Murray wins first title since 2019 Former world number one Andy Murray won his first title since 2019 yesterday with victory at the Aix-en-Provence Challenger in France. Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray had gone without a title since he triumphed in Antwerp in October 2019.Murray, now ranked 52, defeated top seed Tommy Paul, the world number 17 from the United States, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the final of the clay court event.The 35-year-old Briton, who is hoping to boost his ranking to ensure a seeded spot in the Wimbledon draw in July, last won on the second-tier Challenger tour at American events in Aptos and Binghamton in 2005.“This last year, 18 months has been a bit of struggle with my game. But my team have been there supporting me and working with me to try and get better,” said Murray at the trophy presentation.“We keep going from here.”Both Murray and Paul were looking for crucial time on clay before the French Open starts in three weeks’ time.Murray will also return to the top 50 at 42 when the new rankings are released today.

Italy’s Jonathan Milan of Bahrain Victorious claimed his first Grand Tour stage win at the Giro d’Italia yesterday after powering through to the finish line in the final sprint of stage two, a 202km ride from Teramo to San Salvo.After Remco Evenepoel obliterated the competition in the opening time trial on Saturday, stage two was a chance for the sprinters while points were up for grabs for climbers as well.The route’s home straight was one km long and a bunch of riders set themselves up for the sprint with Alpecin-Deceuninck in the lead as Ramon Sinkeldam went on the final leadout to give his team mate Kaden Groves the upper hand.Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) were also in the mix but Milan put his head down, emerged from behind Groves and pedalled hard in the last 100 metres to take victory after nearly five hours of cycling. “It’s something incredible. Yesterday I tested my legs before today, I wanted to go for the sprint,” Milan, 22, said.“My team mates positioned me to perfection. This is my first win at the Giro, I’m lost for words. Yesterday I did a nice time trial, I was quite happy, I was pushing good but I could never imagine that today a victory was coming.”David Dekker of Arkea-Samsic was second while Groves had to settle for third place.With less than four km to go, there was a crash in the bunch when the road narrowed with Mark Cavendish of Astana-Qazaqstan among the riders to fall, taking out a couple of fans lining the road in the process.Evenepoel was at the heart of the bunch at the time but he escaped the crash to retain the leader’s maglia rosa jersey with a 22-second lead over Ineos Grenadiers rider Filippo Ganna.“Everything was pretty fine. We were in front so we were out of trouble but it was a nasty crash,” the Belgian said. “I actually saw it happen. We know who we can blame for this crash, but that’s racing, it’s not a nice move but luckily we stayed out of trouble and arrived safe.”Results from Stage 21. Jonathan Milan (ITA) Bahrain Victorious 4:55:11 2. David Dekker (NED) Team Arkéa - Samsic 3. Kaden Groves (AUS) Alpecin - Deceuninck 4. Arne Marit (BEL) Intermarché - Circus - 5. Marius Mayrhofer (GER) Team DSM “ 6. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 7. Fernando Gaviria (COL) Movistar Team 8. Niccolò Bonifazio (ITA) Intermarché - Circus - 9. Jake Stewart (GBR) Groupama - FDJ 10. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team Jayco - AlUla Overall leaders 1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Soudal - Quick-Step 5:16:29

Henry Shipley and Rachin Ravindra shared six wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 47 runs in the fifth and final one-day international in Karachi yesterday.The victory meant New Zealand avoided being swept in the five game series, which Pakistan won 4-1.New Zealand batted first and were bowled out for 299 in 49.3 overs with half centuries from Will Young and Tom Latham.Fast bowler Shipley then took 3-34 and spinner Ravindra a career best 3-65 as New Zealand survived a brilliant 72-ball 94 not out by Iftikhar Ahmed to dismiss Pakistan for 252 in 46.1 overs.The defeat means Pakistan’s rise to number one in the ODI rankings lasted just 48 hours and they are now third behind Australia and India.Ahmed led Pakistan’s fightback from 66-4 as he added 97 for the fifth wicket with Agha Salman who scored run-a-ball 57 but New Zealand held their nerve to get last man Haris Rauf run out for one. Ahmed’s fiery knock contained eight fours and two sixes.A holiday crowd of around 20,000 had come in anticipation of Babar Azam making his 100th ODI memorable but they were left disappointed when Pakistan skipper was caught off a miscued shot off Shipley for a five-ball one.Before that opener Shan Masood had fallen for seven. Fakhar Zaman managed a laborious 64-ball 33 and Mohamed Rizwan fell for nine, leaving Pakistan struggling on 66-4.Usama Mir scored 20, Shadab Khan 14, Shaheen Shah Afridi nought and Mohammad Waseem six but could not offer enough to support Ahmed.New Zealand’s innings was built around Young’s 91-ball 87 and a 58-ball 59 from Latham after the visitors won the toss and opted to bat at the National Stadium.New Zealand lost Tom Blundell for 15 and then Henry Nicholls for 23 before Young steadied the innings in a 74-run third wicket stand with Latham. Young hit eight fours and two sixes and was looking set for a hundred but was smartly caught by wicketkeeper Rizwan off leg-spinner Shadab in the 30th over.Mark Chapman upped the tempo with a breezy 33-ball 43 with two sixes and five fours, adding 56 for the fourth wicket with Latham. Chapman was unlucky to be caught behind off the glove as he tried to sweep Shadab to leg side. He took 22 off one over from spinner Agha Salman.Pakistan won the first two matches by five and seven wickets in Rawalpindi before taking the next two in Karachi by 26 and 102 runs.BRIEF SCORESNew Zealand 299 all out in 49.3 overs (W. Young 87, T. Latham 59, M. Chapman 43; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-46, Usama Mir 2-53, Shadab Khan 2-67)Pakistan 252 all out in 46.1 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 94 not out, Agha Salman 57; H. Shipley 3-34, R. Rachindra 3-65)Toss: New ZealandResult: New Zealand won by 47 runsSeries: Pakistan 4, New Zealand 1

Hardik Pandya got the better of his big brother Krunal yesterday as holders Gujarat Titans thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by 56 runs in the Indian Premier League.In the first ever IPL match with two teams captained by brothers, Lucknow’s Krunal won the toss and elected to field at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.The brothers joked and hugged at the start but things turned serious when a destructive opening stand of 142 between Wriddhiman Saha (81) and Shubman Gill (94 not out) powered Gujarat to their highest ever IPL total of 227-2.Lucknow put up a spirited reply with Kyle Mayers (48) and Quinton de Kock (70) leading the charge but they ended on 171-7 to allow Gujarat to consolidate their top spot in the 10-team table.Saha, a diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman, set up Gujarat’s domination with sixes and fours to reach his fifty in just 20 balls before he fell to Avesh Khan.Hardik, 29, and Gill extended the batting onslaught but the younger Pandya departed after Krunal, 32, took his catch. He made 25 off 15 balls.The in-form Gill, who struck his fourth fifty of the season, put on another fiery stand with South Africa’s David Miller, who smashed 21, as Gujarat finished on this year’s fourth highest team total.The left-handed Mayers began the chase strongly as he hit Hardik for a hat-trick of boundaries and then took on Mohammed Shami in a 19-run over.India fast bowler Mohit Sharma sent back Mayers to break an 88-run opening stand and later took down dangerous Australian batsman Marcus Stoinis to dent the chase.De Kock, a left-hand wicketkeeper-batsman, reached his fifty in his first IPL appearance this season but was bowled by Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan as the Lucknow chase fell off track.Krunal was out for a first-ball duck off Mohit, who returned figures of 4-29.Pandya, the Titans captain, said: “Can’t ask for anything better, especially after playing post a day’s gap and in the afternoon. Rashid’s catch changed the game, we started controlling the game. Both teams were driving at 100kph but that wicket caused a bump. I don’t think there’ll be bragging rights with Krunal. Our love is too strong, I hope he does well. I’d have been happier if things had gotten closer and he had some bragging rights too.”BRIEF SCORESGujarat Titans 227 for 2 (Gill 94*, Saha 81) beat Lucknow Super Giants 171 for 7 (de Kock 70, Mayers 48, Mohit 4-29) by 56 runs

The World Judo Championships- Doha 2023 kicked off in style Sunday at the Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. Sunday saw the first day of competition, which featured women under 48kg and men under 60kgs, battling it out for the championship crown.In the women's under 48kg category, it was a closely fought contest, with the gold medal eventually going to Japan's Natsumi Tsunoda. She was followed by France's Shirine Boukli in second place, and Japan’s Koga Wakana and Italy’s Assunto Scuto in third.Meanwhile, in the men's under 60kg category, the gold medal was claimed by Spain's Francisco Garrigós. In second place was Uzbekistan’s Dilshodbek Baratov, while in third place was Korea's Lee Harim and Georgia’s Giorgi Sardalashvili.Speaking after the event, the Director of the Sports Committee for the championships, Eid Ali Al Muraikhi, said: "The Judo World Championship - Doha 2023 has kicked off with fiercely competitive matches. We've seen exceptional performances from all the participating athletes, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners. Additionally, we'd like to highlight that the opening ceremony of the championship will take place Monday evening. We're looking forward to a momentous event that celebrates both Arab and Qatari cultures, while also serving as a global occasion."The tournament is scheduled to take place from 7 to 14 May, and will witness the participation of 657 players from 99 countries across five continents, namely Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia, and America.According to the International Judo Federation's draw, the competition features 343 players across seven weight categories for men's singles: under 60 kg (37 players), under 66 kg (55 players), under 73 kg (55 players), under 81 kg (51 players), under 90 kg (58 players), under 100 kg (44 players), and over 100 kg (43 players). For women's singles, the competition has 314 players across seven weight categories: under 48 kg (45 players), under 52 kg (46 players), under 57 kg (50 players), under 63 kg (46 players), under 70 kg (49 players), under 78 kg (37 players), and above 78 kg (41 players).For more information on the World Judo Championships - Doha 2023 and ticket purchases, visit the official website, judodoha2023.com.

The 3rd Khalifa Squash Complex Open tournament, organized by the Qatar Tennis, Squash, and Badminton Federation (QTSBF) kicks off tomorrow and is set to conclude on May 11.Around a 100 players will compete under age and gender-based categories: Girls U-15 and Boys under 11, 13, 15, and 17 years old, in addition to the men's, the women's, and the champion categories.QTSBF Executive Director and Tournament Director Saad Al Mohannadi said in a statement that this tournament is part of BTSBF's efforts to organize an array of local tournaments that enable national team players as well as regular squash practitioners in the State of Qatar to practice and improve their skills, in addition to increasing the sport's popularity.Al Mohannadi asserted that the Federation is committed to hosting the tournament in accordance with the highest of standards, and hopes for a heated and exciting tournament.

The stage is set for the opening day’s action today at the World Judo Championships Doha 2023 where the experienced judokas will be looking to pick up points in their build-up to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.Around 670 athletes from nearly 100 countries will be aiming for glory knowing the championships in Doha will also count towards qualification for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris with each judoka in a position to earn up to 2,000 points - the highest possible - for the Olympic ranking.With 15 world titles up for grabs, including 7 individual categories for men and women, and a team event on the final day, the championships promises to be a thrilling spectacle until the last day on May 14.According to Vlad Marinescu, the Director General of the International Judo Federation (IJF), the judokas are ready for what would be a ‘thrilling world championships’.“This is a very interesting event. We have the world number oness, twos and threes and so on. We have the Olympic champions trying to take the world titles back. We have young athletes trying to win their first world titles There are people trying to make a name for themselves because the Olympic Games are coming next year. Everyone is properly focused at these world championships,”Marinescu said at a pre-event press conference.“The development of growth within the judo family relies on a bigger funnel; this is imperative. All the work that we have undertaken has been to grow our base,” he said. “We are in this beautiful city Doha to organise these world championships. It’s a pleasure to see such a large number of media folks here. Your voice is our voice. We are here to support you so that you can report on the championships with accuracy and ease. It has been an honour to work with Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Thani and his team,” he said.“We are grateful to QOC president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani for all the support given to us in our preparations for this championships. I am positive that with great synergy between IJF, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the fans, we will break all records. There are 50 million judo fans around the world, I am positive we will have a great time here,” he added.Sheikh Hamad, Chairman of Media and Broadcasting Committee, said: “Qatar is no stranger to hosting world-class sports events. Hopefully we will have the best ever judo championships here in Doha. The LOC has made tremendous efforts to set up everything to cater to world and local media. We will provide the best environment for all those associated with the championships. I want to thank IJF for their help. They have been very supportive right throughout our preparations phase.”Stars to watch in each weight classMen-60kg Takato Naohisa (Japan), Yang Yung Wei (Chinese Taipei)-66kg Abe Hifumi (Japan), Maruyama Joshiro (Japan)-73kg Hashimoto Soichi (Japan), Lasha Shavdatuashvili (Georgia)-81kg Matthias Casse (Belgium), Tato Grigalashvili (Georgia)-90 kg Lasha Bekauri (Georgia), Davlat Bobonov (Uzbekistan)-100 kg Ilia Sulamanidze (Georgia), Michael Korrel (Netherlands)+100kg Teddy Riner (France), Saro Tatsuru (Japan)Women-48kg Tsunoda Natsumi (Japan), Shirine Boukli (France)-52 kg Abe Uta (Japan), Amandine Buchard (France), Distria Krasniqi (Kosovo)-57kg Rafaela Silva (Brazil), Nora Gjakova (Kosovo)-63kg Clarisse Agbegnenou (France), Horikawa Megumi (Japan)-70kg Barbara Matic (Croatia), Niizoe Saki (Japan)-78kg Alice Bellandi (Italy), Audrey Tcheumeo (France)+78kg Romane Dicko (France), Akira Sone (Japan)Schedule. Final Blocks start at 6:00pmSunday 7 May: women’s -48kg; men’s -60kgMonday 8 May: women’s -52kg; men’s -66kgTuesday 9 May: women’s -57kg; men’s -73kgWednesday 10 May: women’s -63kg; men’s -81kgThursday 11 May: women’s -70kg; men’s -90kgFriday 12 May: women’s -78kg, men’s -100kgSaturday 13 May: women’s +78kg, men’s +100kgSunday 14 May: mixed teams event

Manchester City opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win against Leeds on Saturday as Liverpool beat Brentford 1-0 to close on the top four. Just hours after the pomp and ceremony of the coronation of King Charles III in London’s Westminster Abbey, City underlined their desire to extend their own reign as they chase a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.Ilkay Gundogan scored both goals for Pep Guardiola’s men inside the first 27 minutes, but the City boss was left annoyed after Erling Haaland handed the German the chance to secure a hat-trick from the penalty spot. Gundogan hit the post and within a minute Leeds were back in the game when Rodrigo fired home. “The game is not over. It shows how nice and generous Erling is. If it is 4-0 with 10 minutes left, OK. But at 2-0? Erling is the best penalty taker right now so he has to take it,” said Guardiola.In tribute to the King, the national anthem was played before kick-off at all four afternoon Premier League games. But it is City who lord it over the Premier League and are well on course for a third consecutive title. Arsenal face a tricky trip to third-placed Newcastle today, but even if the Gunners revive their title bid, City need just three wins from their last four matches to be certain of retaining the title.Relentless City have won their last 10 league games and are unbeaten in 20 matches in all competitions. Defeat in Sam Allardyce’s first match in charge left Leeds one place above the relegation zone on goal difference. Liverpool closed to within one point of fourth-placed Manchester United as Mohamed Salah’s solitary goal was enough for a sixth consecutive win for Jurgen Klopp’s men.The controversy came before a ball was kicked at Anfield as boos and jeers from the Liverpool fans drowned out the national anthem to mark the coronation. Once the action got underway, Liverpool’s goal king Salah fired home his 30th goal of the season from Virgil van Dijk’s header.It was also Salah’s 100th goal at Anfield as he scored for a ninth consecutive home game to break another club record. “It means a lot to me,” said the Egyptian. “I feel at home here, I’m happy. We need to finish the season the best possible way.”United and Newcastle are still strong favourites to secure a place in the Champions League as they have two games in hand. But Liverpool are at least applying the pressure thanks to their best run of form in a disappointing season.Chelsea ended a six-game losing streak since Frank Lampard’s return as caretaker manager by beating Bournemouth 3-1 to end any threat of being pulled into the relegation battle.Conor Gallagher headed Chelsea into a ninth minute lead, diverting N’Golo Kante’s cross beyond Neto. Matias Vina equalised with a 21st minute curler, but Benoit Badiashile volleyed in Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick for his first Chelsea goal in the 82nd minute. Joao Felix’s 86th-minute strike wrapped up Chelsea’s first victory in 10 matches in all competitions. “They should enjoy it and we’re happy because when you don’t have that feeling for a while, it gradually knocks you down,” said Lampard.Harry Kane moved into second place in the Premier League’s all-time scoring list as his goal sealed a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace. The England captain broke the deadlock in first half stoppage-time with a powerful header from Pedro Porro’s cross. Kane climbed ahead of Wayne Rooney onto 209 Premier League goals, with Alan Shearer’s record of 260 in his sights next.Sixth-placed Tottenham are six points adrift of the top four after winning for the first time in five games. Aston Villa’s bid for a place in Europe next season was dented after Toti Gomes’ first goal for Wolves earned a 1-0 win that secured survival for Julen Lopetegui’s men.Results Bournemouth 1 (Vina 21) Chelsea 3 (Gallagher 9, Badiashile 82, Felix 86); Manchester City 2 (Gundogan 19, 27) Leeds 1 (Rodrigo 85); Tottenham 1 (Kane 45) Crystal Palace 0 Wolves 1 (Gomes 9) Aston Villa 0; Liverpool 1 (Salah 13) Brentford 0Playing today (Times in GMT): Newcastle v Arsenal (1530), West Ham v Manchester United (1800)Playing tomorrow: Fulham v Leicester (1400), Brighton v Everton (1630), Nottingham Forest v Southampton (1900)

Urawa Red Diamonds coach Maciej Skorza said the wait was worth it after the Japanese side won the Asian Champions League on Saturday – almost nine months after reaching the final. Urawa lifted the trophy for a third time after beating Saudi Arabia’s defending champions Al Hilal 1-0 at home in the second leg of the final, giving them a 2-1 aggregate win one week after drawing the opener 1-1 in Riyadh.The final marked the end of a 2022 competition that began in March last year and was delayed by the winter World Cup in Qatar and travel complications arising from the pandemic. Urawa beat South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors in the semi-finals in August last year but Skorza – who only arrived at the club in January – was happy to finally finish the job.“From the beginning of our preparation at our training camp, I was thinking about it and trying to prepare the team for this very difficult stage,” said the Pole. “It’s just amazing – it’s difficult to find a way to describe this feeling.”An own goal by Al Hilal’s Andre Carrillo early in the second half made the difference in front of almost 55,000 fans in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Al Hilal dominated possession in the first half but Urawa held firm and forced the lead when Marius Hoibraten’s 48th-minute header forced Carrillo into a mistake amid strong winds.The final whistle sparked wild celebrations among a crowd known for being Japan’s most boisterous supporters. Urawa captain Hiroki Sakai, who was named player of the tournament, said the fans had created “a special atmosphere” and urged his team-mates to give them more to celebrate in the months to come.“Whether they continue to support us is all up to us,” said the defender. “We still have league and cup games to come and if we keep winning then they will support us, but we can’t take them for granted.”Al Hilal were looking to win a record fifth continental title and a third in four seasons. The Saudi side were without injured captain Salman al-Faraj and suspended star winger Salem al-Dawsari, who was sent off late in the first leg for kicking out at Urawa’s Ken Iwao. Coach Ramon Diaz refused to blame his team’s busy schedule, which saw them lose 5-3 to Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final in February.“This is normal when you play for Al Hilal,” said the Argentine, whose club have been linked with a multi-million dollar move for Lionel Messi. “It was a tough game and we have played many tough games in a short space of time, but this is our destiny. We can’t do anything about it.”The two teams were meeting in the final of Asia’s premier club competition for the third time in six years. Urawa won in 2017 but Al Hilal came out on top two years later. The Saudis had early chances through Odion Ighalo and Michael but Urawa’s Shinzo Koroki, who scored his team’s goal in the first leg, hit the crossbar with a flying volley midway through the first half.Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa kept his team in the game and the home team defended with calm assurance once they took the lead in the second half. “As a defender you’re trying to keep a clean sheet – if you keep a clean sheet, you won’t lose,” said Sakai. “I believed that my team-mates would score, and after we got the goal, all I had to do was do my job.”

Edmilson Junior of Al Duhail was crowned the AFC Champions League’s top scorer yesterday, finishing with a tournament-best of eight goals. Edmilson’s feat of eight goals in six games makes him the second Al Duhail player to win the prestigious award following Michael Olunga’s achievement in 2021, who finished with nine.The Belgium-born winger led the overall scoring charts in the AFC Champions League 2022 thanks to a stellar group stage that saw him rack eight goals, including a hat-trick against Pakhtakor and braces against Al Taawoun and Sepahan.Despite not finding the back of the net again in the knockout stage before Al Duhail’s 7-0 defeat to Al Hilal SFC, Edmilson’ feat was enough to edge closest rivals Al Hilal striker Odion Ighalo and Daegu FC’s Jose Carvalho - both on seven goals.

Serge Gnabry scored his second goal in two games to help Bayern Munich to a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday, moving his side a step closer to an 11th successive Bundesliga title.Gnabry netted the opener as Bayern battled to a hard-fought win which strengthened their grip on first place and heaped pressure on title rivals Borussia Dortmund. The league leaders are now four points ahead of Dortmund, who have a game in hand against Wolfsburg today.Bayern toiled in the first half and were lucky not to concede when Christian Gross fired a shot inches over the bar on 35 minutes. Sadio Mane came close to putting the champions ahead after the break, but it wasn’t until just after the hour mark that Gnabry broke the deadlock. Pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area, the Germany international slotted the ball past Jiri Pavlenka in the Bremen goal.Leroy Sane added a second from the bench ten minutes later, before Niklas Schmidt pulled a goal back with a spectacular long-range effort. But that wasn’t enough for Bremen to avoid a 13th straight home defeat to Bayern, in a run stretching back to 2009.Elsewhere, a late goal from Kevin Kampl put RB Leipzig back on course for the Champions League spots with a 1-0 win over fellow top-four hopefuls Freiburg. Kampl’s dainty chip on 73 minutes gave his side a 1-0 win in an otherwise stagnant game in Freiburg, just days after Leipzig had won a German Cup semi-final in the same stadium.The win lifted Marco Rose’s side to third, leapfrogging both Union Berlin and Freiburg in the race for the Champions League. Union remained in the top four despite slipping to a 1-0 defeat away to Augsburg. Dion Beljo’s neat first-time finish early in the second half was enough for Augsburg, who have still never lost to Union at home.The win moved Augsburg closer to safety. Enrico Maassen’s side are now six points clear of the bottom three. Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim also landed crucial victories in the relegation fight. Bottom side Hertha kept their slim hopes of survival alive with a tense 2-1 win against fellow strugglers Stuttgart.Former Stuttgart player Marc Oliver Kempf put Hertha into the lead on half an hour, climbing high in the box to meet a Marco Richter cross.Serhou Guirassy levelled for Stuttgart with a tap-in, but Hertha restored the lead through Florian Niederlechner in first-half stoppage time.Hoffenheim pulled four points clear of danger with an eventful 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Bochum slipped back into the bottom two after they lost 2-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Jonas Hofmann and Lars Stindl scored for the home team.

Bowler Matt Henry is hopeful New Zealand can avoid a series whitewash in Pakistan by producing an improved display in today’s fifth and final one-day international against the world number one side.New Zealand landed in Pakistan without regular skipper Kane Williamson, who is likely to miss this year’s World Cup with a knee injury, while several frontline players are busy honouring franchise commitments in the Indian Premier League. The team under Tom Latham managed to draw the preceding T20 series 2-2 but Pakistan have taken an unassailable 4-0 lead in the one-day series.In the fourth ODI on Friday, skipper Babar Azam smashed 107 to help Pakistan post a commanding 334-6 at the National Stadium in Karachi. In reply, New Zealand were all out for 232 in the 44th over to succumb to a 102-run defeat.“It’s a shame we really haven’t had the success that we wanted to ... “ Henry told reporters after the loss.“Even though it’s not nice not to have won, we’re definitely taking some positives out of this tour so far. We’ve still got one game to go and hopefully we can put that performance together.”The tourists are hoping the experience of playing nine limited-overs matches in subcontinent conditions would stand them in good stead at the ODI World Cup in India later this year. Henry had no hesitations admitting Pakistan had outplayed his team in home conditions.“First and foremost, our focus has been on this tour. We’re coming here to Pakistan to challenge ourselves and compete the best we can,” said the 31-year-old who has been New Zealand’s best bowler on this tour.“Obviously it’s frustrating to be four-nil but sometimes you’ve got to give kudos to the way that Pakistan have been playing their cricket. They are obviously number one in the world at the moment and playing in their home conditions. “They’ve been able to really adapt to these conditions and put the squeeze on key moments.”

England’s Phil Salt hit a blazing 87 to power Delhi Capitals to a thumping seven-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.Salt struck his second half-century in his debut IPL season to steer Delhi’s chase of 182 as the home team won with 20 balls to spare at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.Salt, a wicketkeeper-batsman, began with a 60-run stand with skipper David Warner, who hit 22, and then put together 59 runs with Mitchell Marsh, who smashed 26. The batting effort trumped Virat Kohli’s 55 and an unbeaten 54 by Mahipal Lomror which helped Bangalore to 181-4 after electing to bat first.Salt got into a mid-pitch exchange with opposition pace bowler Mohamed Siraj and the verbal duel only spurred him to finish with six sixes in his 45-ball knock.Leg-spinner Karn Sharma bowled Salt before Rilee Rossouw hit an unbeaten 35 off 22 balls and sealed the match with a six.Delhi, who started the season with five losses, moved up from the bottom to ninth in the 10-team table with slim chances of making the top four for a place in the play-offs. Delhi’s South African import Anrich Nortje missed the match after he flew back home late Friday due to a “personal emergency”.The spotlight remained on the Delhi-born Kohli as the former captain set foot on the ground in front of a capacity crowd, mostly wearing the star’s Bangalore jersey.His every run was cheered and the superstar, who was playing his first game after an ugly spat with Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir, obliged the fans with his fifth half-century of the season.In-form skipper Faf du Plessis, who consolidated his top spot in the batting chart with 511 runs, put on an 82-run opening stand with Kohli. But it was Lomror who set the Bangalore innings on fire with his blitz after Mitchell Marsh sent back Du Plessis, for 45, and Glenn Maxwell, for a first-ball duck.Pathirana leads Chennai to big win over MumbaiIn Chennai, Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana led an inspired pace attack to help Chennai Super Kings hammer Mumbai Indians by six wickets in a clash of heavyweights. Pathirana, who is called “Baby Malinga” for his slinging action similar to former Sri Lankan pace ace Lasith Malinga, returned figures of 3-15 to limit five-time winners Mumbai to 139-8 in Chennai.New Zealand opener Devon Conway made 44 as M.S. Dhoni’s Chennai – four-time IPL champions – romped home with 14 balls to spare. Dhoni praised Pathirana, saying, “People who don’t have any clean action, batsmen have a difficult time picking it. But his consistency, pace makes him special.” Dhoni advised the youngster to stay away from Test cricket and concentrate on playing “only ICC tournaments with ODIs”.The left-handed Conway put on a strong opening stand of 46 with Ruturaj Gaikwad and moved second in the batting chart with 458 runs behind Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis (466). The 41-year-old Dhoni hit the winning run at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium as fans, who are coming in numbers to cheer the superstar cricketer in what it is expected to be his last IPL season as player, went wild.Shivam Dube hit an unbeaten 26 off 18 balls as Chennai jumped a spot to second behind table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the 10-team table. Chennai’s bowlers set up victory after they rattled the Mumbai top-order including the key wickets of Cameron Green, out for six after opening the batting, and skipper Rohit Sharma, dismissed for a second successive duck after coming at number three.The opening pace duo of Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande reduced Mumbai to 14-3 inside three overs before Nehal Wadhera (64) and Suryakumar Yadav (26) attempted to rebuild in their stand of 55. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja sent back Suryakumar and the 20-year-old Pathirana, who has played one T20 for Sri Lanka, bowled Wadhera with a yorker – his main weapon – to take the steam out of the Mumbai batting.Pathirana with a unique celebration of his hands in front of his chest and eyes in meditation said, “I’m a die-hard fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and have modelled my celebration after him.”Wickets kept tumbling as the dangerous Tim David fell for two off Deshpande and Pathirana got South African batsman Tristan Stubbs for 20.Brief scoresRoyal Challengers Bangalore 181/4 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 55, Mahipal Lomror 54; Mitchell Marsh 2-21) lost to Delhi Capitals 187/3 in 16.4 overs (Philip Salt 87, Rilee Rossouw 35; Josh Hazlewood 1-29) by 7 wickets.Mumbai Indians 139/8 in 20 overs (Nehal Wadhera 64; Matheesha Pathirana 3-15, Deepak Chahar 2-18) lost to Chennai Super Kings 140/4 in 17.4 overs (Devon Conway 44, Ruturaj Gaikwad 30; Piyush Chawla 2-25) bysix wickets

Remco Evenepoel won the first stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday, speeding over the 19.6km run along the Adriatic coast in 21min 18sec and leaving key rival Primoz Roglic 43 seconds adrift in sixth. Italy’s Filippo Ganna was second at 22sec and Joao Almeida of Portugal was third at 29sec on the long straight route that rarely left the shoreline on the first of 21 stages in the three-week race.The 23-year-old Soudal-Quick Step rider Evenepoel opted to ride the Giro rather that the Tour de France as it features three individual time-trials at which he excels. Setting off in his Belgian national time-trial champion’s shirt, the world road race and Vuelta a Espana winner did most of the damage in the first 10km. Ineos rider Tao Geoghegan Hart, the 2020 Giro champion, set a better-than-expected time on the sun-kissed course, some 40sec down in fourth.His teammate Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France champion, also did well with a respectable ninth just 55sec off Evenepoel’s blistering 56kph effort. “I said on the bus that I thought it would need 21min 30sec to win, and in the end it was 21:18 so I was quite close to my guess,” said Evenepoel.“I felt from the start in a good rhythm, always the same gear. I’m not really focusing on the time gaps. I just wanted to try to win the stage and in the end we won it, so mission one accomplished.”On the winner’s podium, Evenepoel looked toned and happy with a short-back-and-sides haircut and his world champion’s rainbow jersey, over which he pulled the Giro’s iconic leader’s pink jersey. Taking the overall lead so early in the race carries aprice as the pink-jersey wearer is obliged to spend up to an hour after the race giving interviews.The now 33-year-old Roglic not only lost 43sec on the day, he also lost four Jumbo-Visma teammates in the run up to the start, three to Covid-19 and Jan Tratnik to a fall. The Giro winds up on May 28 in Rome with the penultimate stage another individual time-trial up a mountainside. Stage two is a largely flat run over 201km from Teramo to San Salvo, with the first of the fearsome mountain stages where Roglic may excel on Friday.Stage 1 Results1. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/QST) 21min 18sec, 2. Filippo Ganna (ITA/INE) at 22sec, 3. João Almeida (POR/UAE) 29, 4. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR/INE) 40, 5. Stefan Küng (SUI/GFJ) 43, 6. Primoz Roglic (SLO/JUM) 43, 7. Jay Vine (AUS/UAE) 46, 8. Brandon McNulty (USA/UAE) 48, 9. Geraint Thomas (GBR/INE) 55, 10. Aleksander Vlasov (RUS/BOR) 55.Selected: 12. Mads Pedersen (DEN/TRE) 1min 02sec, 31. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BAH) 1:28, 16. Rigoberto Uran (COL/EF1) 1:35, 46. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/GFJ) 1:43.

India batting great Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma should take a break from the Indian Premier League and focus on preparations for next month’s World Test Championship Final instead.Yesterday, against Chennai Super Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Sharma, who had scored a three-ball duck in his previous game against Punjab Kings at Mohali, batted at number three, with Australia all-rounder Cameron Green opening the batting with Ishan Kishan.But the plan backfired spectacularly as Green fell in the second over, while Kishan was dismissed in the third over. Rohit Sharma did not last long at number three, offering a simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja at backward point while trying to play a lap shot against Deepak Chahar.In 10 matches of IPL 2023, Sharma has scored just 184 runs at an average of 18.40 and strike-rate of 126.90, with a highest score of 65 against Delhi Capitals last month. Through the duck in Chennai, Rohit now has the most number of zeroes by a batter in the tournament’s history.“I would say that Rohit should maybe take a break for the time being, and keep himself fit for the World Test Championship Final. He can come back again for the last few matches, but right now, (he should) take a little bit of a breather himself,” Gavaskar said.Ireland pacer Little takes IPL break for Bangladesh seriesIreland pacer Josh Little will miss the next few Indian Premier League matches for defending champions Gujarat Titans after flying home for national duty, the Indian franchisee said. Little, 23, has been named in Ireland’s squad for the three-match one-day international series against Bangladesh in Chelmsford, England, starting on May 9.Little travelled home following Gujarat’s match against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Friday. The bowler took one wicket while giving away 24 runs off his four overs as Gujarat thumped Rajasthan by nine wickets. “We wish Josh the best as he heads back to represent Ireland in the ODIs,” said Gujarat cricket director Vikram Solanki.Solanki said the team looked forward to welcoming him back once he finished the ODI series. Little will travel back to India to join the Titans after the third ODI against Bangladesh on May 14. Gujarat are currently on top of the points table in India’s domestic Twenty20 competition. They take on Lucknow Super Giants today in their next outing.Meanwhile, Paul Stirling has been included in Ireland’s 15-man squad for their one-off Test against England at Lord’s next month, completing a U-turn on his decision to skip Ireland’s red-ball commitments this year.Stirling held discussions with Cricket Ireland at the end of last year in which it was agreed that he would sit out of their Test fixtures in 2023 in a bid to manage his workload. But after Ireland’s two scheduled ODIs in Sri Lanka last month were converted into a second Test, Stirling returned to red-ball cricket and made his maiden Test hundred in Galle. He has now been included in their squad for the Lord’s Test, which starts on June 1. Stirling spent a decade calling Lord’s home when he was a Middlesex player, and featured in Ireland’s defeat there in 2019. Ireland will play a first-class, three-day warm-up match against Essex from May 26-28, and Stirling’s involvement in that will, bizarrely, depend on Bangalore’s progress in the IPL.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka played a superb attacking game to beat top ranked Iga Swiatek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and win the Madrid Open for the second time on Saturday.The big-hitting Belarusian gained revenge for defeat by her Polish rival in the Stuttgart final a fortnight ago with a thrilling triumph to end Swiatek’s nine-match winning streak ahead of her French Open defence.Two-time Roland Garros winner Swiatek fought her way back into the match after an explosive start by Sabalenka, but the second seed came back strongly in the third set to win the first WTA 1000 final featuring the top two ranked players since 2014.Sabalenka earned her 13th career title, and only her second won clay in two hours and 25 minutes, clinching victory on her fourth championship point with a forehand cross-court winner.“I’m just super happy with this win, especially against Iga on the clay, it’s always tough matches against her,” said Sabalenka.The Australian Open champion started with great intensity in her serve and forehand, given some extra zip because of the altitude - Madrid is the second highest European capital city.Sabalenka earned two break points but sought a winner too keenly to convert and Swiatek held for 3-3.She did the same again on Swiatek’s next service but this time earned the break for a 5-3 lead when the top seed sent a backhand long.The 2021 Madrid victor consolidated to clinch the first set, her first ever against Swiatek on the dirt, having lost in straight sets in their three previous clay clashes. Swiatek, who failed to earn a single break point in the opening set to Sabalenka’s four, converted her first for a 2-0 lead in the second set as her opponent pushed a return into the net.The world number one consolidated it to love, showing a flash of her usual prowess on clay. However at 3-1 down, the relentless Sabalenka earned four break points, getting back on serve with a beefy backhand winner down the line.The Belarusian, who turned 25 on Friday, consolidated and again put Swiatek under the cosh on her serve, but the Pole dug deep and saved two break points to hold.Swiatek showed her fine defensive game as she broke again for 5-3 and served it out to force the decisive third set.Sabalenka broke for a 2-0 advantage as Swiatek went a fraction long, and saved a break point with a vicious forehand and another after that to consolidate.Swiatek broke back but Sabalenka did it again for a 5-3 lead and, after missing three championship points as the 21-year-old battled until the end, eventually triumphed.In the men’s final on Sunday home favourite and world number two Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to defend his title against German lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff.Miami champion Kvitovawithdraws from Italian OpenPetra Kvitova has withdrawn from next week’s Italian Open with an injury to her right foot, she said on social media yesterday. The Czech world number 10, who won the Miami Open last month, added that she hopes to recover in time for the second Grand Slam of the year at the French Open.“I will miss the beautiful site, the Italian fans and wish the tournament a great week,” the two-time Wimbledon champion wrote on Twitter.The Italian Open in Rome starts on Tuesday and ends on May 20, while Roland Garros begins on May 28.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton made an eagle and two birdies in his last four holes to grab a share of the lead after Friday’s second round of the PGA Wells Fargo Championship.Hatton matched his low round of the season with a six-under par 65 to stand on eight-under 134 after 36 holes at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 31-year-old Englishman shared the halfway lead in the $20 million event with Americans Wyndham Clark and Nate Lashley.Back-nine starter Hatton’s closing heroics included a 33-yard birdie putt at the par-3 sixth, a 26-foot eagle putt at the par-5 seventh and a 31-foot birdie putt at the ninth.“They’re not the type of putts that you hole consistently, so to finish the round that way, I’m obviously very pleased,” Hatton said. “Nice to see some putts go in.”Australia’s Adam Scott, reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and 2022 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas were in a fourth-place pack on 135 with South Korean Im Sung-jae, American J J Spaun and Canada’s Adam Svensson.South Korea’s Lee Kyoung-hoon, who next week seeks a third straight PGA Byron Nelson title, looked set to join the leaders but went way right off the ninth tee and closed with a double bogey to finish on 136 in a group with American Michael Kim and England’s Tommy Fleetwood. World number 18 Hatton, a six-time winner on the European Tour, captured his only PGA title at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational.Back-nine starter Hatton opened with a birdie and sank birdie putts from inside 4 1/2 feet at 13, 14 and 15 before taking bogeys at 16 and the par-3 17th.“Short game helped me out. That kept me in it,” Hatton said. “Thankful to have a good finish, start hitting in the middle of the clubface again and hope that continues over the weekend.”World number 209 Lashley, 40, fired a bogey-free 66. His only PGA triumph came at 2019 in Detroit.Lashley opened with a tap-in birdie and added birdie putts from 17 feet at the third hole, just inside five feet at par-5 seventh, 18 feet at the par-3 13th and seven feet at 14.“I drove the ball in the fairway, hitting solid irons, getting up and down when I need to and making putts,” Lashley said. “Anytime you get a round at Quail Hollow with no bogeys, it’s a great round.”Clark, who shot 67, seeks his first PGA title.Unhappy at squandered early birdie chances, 10th-hole starter Clark birdied the par-3 17th from just inside eight feet and sank a 13-foot birdie putt at nine.“Kind of got the round going,” Clark said. “Felt like it rewarded my patience in not getting frustrated. Then I got into a nice groove on the back nine.”Clark, ranked 80th, sank a 17-footer for birdie at the par-3 fourth and followed a bogey at the par-3 sixth with an eagle at the par-5 seventh from just inside 27 feet. “I’m glad it hit the cup,” he said of the eagle putt. “It might have been off the green it was hit so hard. The shot in there was very lucky and unbelievable.”World number three Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner and three-time champion at Quail Hollow, made three consecutive bogeys starting at the fifth hole on his way to a 73 but made the cut on the number at 141. American Mark Hubbard aced the par-3 17th hole using a 6-iron from 198 yards to also finish on 141. It was his third career PGA hole-in-one and first since last year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Sweden, Thailand and Australia secured their semi-final berths at the LPGA International Crown on Friday as the United States edged close with two wins over England.Sweden and Thailand remained perfect with another pair of wins each. Madelene Sagstrom and Maya Stark defeated China’s Yin Ruoning and Lin Xiyu 2&1 and Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall defeated Liu Yu and Liu Ruixin by the same score to put the Swedes a point clear of the United States atop Pool A.Thailand top Pool B with four points after Patty Tavatanakit and Atthaya Thitikul beat South Koreans Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo 3&2 while sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn downed Choi Hye-jin and Chun In-gee 2&1.“I love this course,” Tavatanakit said. “I feel like it is a really tight course, but it doesn’t seem tight for me just because I really love this course and I feel like I can really get it going with a lot of confidence.“That really helped with my flow, too. That’s why I really hit it well.”Australia secured their spot from Pool B with a win and one tie against Japan on Friday.Minjee Lee and Stephanie Kyriacou beat Japan’s Nasa Hataoka and Ayaka Furue 2-up while Hannah Green and Sarah Kemp tied their match with Hinako Shibuno and Yuka Saso. The event at TPC Harding Park is the fourth edition of the eight-team tournament featuring four-woman teams from eight nations.Four-ball (best ball) matches continue through Saturday, and the top two teams in each will play semi-finals consisting of two singles and foursomes match on Sunday, to be followed by a final in the same format.“I feel like we’ve had a lot of fun this week, and I feel like that’s been working to our advantage,” Nordqvist said.She and Hedwall birdied five of the first six holes to go 3-up on the way to victory over Liu and Liu.Japan was the only team that made a switch to their partnerships from the first day, but they were still unable to get a win that would keep them in the hunt. Australia’s Kemp said the chilly temperatures at Harding Park required some adjustments.“We grew up playing in just a shirt, that’s it, and shorts. So this is very different for us,” Kemp said. “When I have this many layers on I’m probably at least half a club less, and it got really windy out once we came out the back.”The Americans, who split their first two matches with China on Thursday, are on the brink of advancing after Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu beat England’s Alice Hewson and Liz Young 2&1 while Lexi Thompson and Danielle Kang beat Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart-Shadoff 3&2. Thompson sealed the win with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 16th.“It was breaking quite a bit so I played it about two and a half cups out,” Thompson said. “(It was) a little bit uphill, so I knew I could be a little aggressive with it.”SCORESMadelene Sagstrom/Maya Stark (SWE) bt Yin Ruoning/Lin Xiyu (CHN) 2&1Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (SWE) bt Liu Yu/Liu Ruixin (CHN) 2&1Minjee Lee/Stephanie Kyriacou (AUS) bt Nasa Hataoka/Ayaka Furue (JPN) 2 upHinako Shibuno/Yuka Saso (JPN) v Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp (AUS) tiedLilia Vu/Nelly Korda (USA) bt Alice Hewson/Liz Young (ENG) 2&1Danielle Kang/Lexi Thompson (USA) v Bronte Law/Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (ENG) 3&2Patty Tavatanakit/Atthaya Thitikul (THA) bt Ko Jin-young/Kim Hyo-joo (KOR) 3&2Moriya Jutanugarn/Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) bt Choi Hye-jin/Chun In-gee (KOR) 2&1.