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Verlander gets AL start; Yelich will play for NL

Published in Baseball
Monday, 08 July 2019 11:15

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander will get the start for the American League All-Stars on Tuesday, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers' Hyun-Jin Ryu, manager Alex Cora announced Monday.

Verlander, an eight-time All-Star, is 10-4 this season, with a 2.98 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 126⅔ innings. It's his second All-Star start.

Ryu, a left-hander from South Korea, leads the majors with a 1.73 ERA and is tied for the National League lead in wins with 10. His manager, Dave Roberts, had named Ryu to start when the teams were announced last week. He is the second Asian All-Star starter after Dodgers rookie Hideo Nomo of Japan in 1995.

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich, who bowed out of the Home Run Derby with a back issue, will play in the game, leading off for the NL. Yelich leads the majors with 31 home runs.

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez hits second, followed by Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger, Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, Pittsburgh's Josh Bell at designated hitter, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte and Atlanta center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

The National League has the youngest starting lineup in All-Star Game history, with an average age of 25.75. The previous record was 26.4 by the 2017 AL starters.

Houston's George Springer leads off and plays right field for the AL and is followed in the batting order by New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana, Boston designated hitter J.D. Martinez, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, Astros left fielder Michael Brantley and Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco.

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw and New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom will follow Ryu, Roberts said.

New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, a late addition to the squad, is up second for the AL. Cora, who has no closer on his Boston Red Sox team, said he will use Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

As the Year of the Home Run collides with an annual All-Star home run tradition with $1 million on the line for the first time, we dive into the numbers behind the home run spike and the sluggers you'll be watching swing for the fences in Cleveland on Monday night.

Here's what you need to know about how home runs are taking over baseball and how the Home Run Derby proves it.

All-Star coverage: All-Star Week guide | ESPN+: How sluggers are preparing | Rosters, how to watch

The new sultans of swat

Baseballs are leaving the yard more frequently than ever, and the game's top sluggers are taking advantage of the rise. We could see the game's first 60-plus home run season since Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa eclipsed the mark in 2001. And even if Christian Yelich can't break 60, you can expect to see several 50- and 40-homer campaigns come October.

It all adds up to a lot

Remember that record-setting year of long balls way back in 2017? Well, that number isn't looking so big these days. With 14 teams projected to set their franchise record, MLB is on a pace not just to best that total -- but to smash the mark.

The big payoff comes tonight

The stakes will be higher than ever during tonight's Home Run Derby, as one powerful slugger will be rewarded with a $1 million prize for one night of long-ball work. For some of the contestants competing in Cleveland, that means they could make more money in a few hours than they'll be paid for the entire 2019 season.

And we'll be watching

Remember the days when the Home Run Derby was a clear warm-up act for the main event of the Midsummer Classic? That's not how it works anymore. While the game itself is still baseball's marquee of attraction of the summer, more and more fans are watching their favorite stars go deep as a part of how they celebrate the festivities.

Jacob Adkin wins European mountain running title

Published in Athletics
Sunday, 07 July 2019 12:30

British trials champion claims individual senior gold and leads GB team win, while Joseph Dugdale claims U20 title in Zermatt

Jacob Adkin made history for Great Britain at the European Mountain Running Championships in Zermatt, Switzerland, on Sunday as he won the nation’s first ever senior men’s gold medal at the event.

Clocking 53:21.5 for the 10.1km uphill course (1020m of ascent), the 23-year-old British trials champion won by 24 seconds ahead of Norway’s Stian Øvergaard Aarvik, with Italy’s Xavier Chevrier finishing third.

Adkin also led his team to the title, as he was joined in the top 20 by his coach and Commonwealth marathon bronze medallist Robbie Simpson who placed seventh, plus Andrew Douglas, who has won the opening two stages of the World Mountain Running Cup this year, in ninth and Sebastian Batchelor in 18th.

Italy claimed team silver and Norway team bronze.

There was also cause for double celebration for Britain in the under-20 men’s event as Joseph Dugdale won the individual title and his team-mates Matthew Mackay and Euan Brennan finished fourth and fifth respectively, with Ben Bergstrand 15th to secure the team gold.

Dugdale, Mackay and Brennan were all part of the silver medal-winning team from the world (uphill) championships last year and clocked respective times of 28:48.4, 29:30.7 and 29:38.0 for the 5.9km race with 448m of ascent, while Bergstrand ran 30:53.6.

In the senior women’s race, Switzerland’s Maude Mathys won her third consecutive European mountain running title, as Britain’s Sarah Tunstall placed fourth.

Mathys ran 60:18.1 on home soil to finish a minute ahead of Austria’s three-time winner Andrea Mayr, who has also won the world title six times.

France’s Christel Dewalle was third in 62:48.2, while British trials winner Tunstall, who won individual silver last time this event was staged in its uphill format two years ago, ran 63:33.6 in fourth.

Italy won the team title from France and Switzerland as Britain were fifth, with Tunstall joined by last year’s bronze winner Emma Gould (24th), 2017 team gold medallist Rebecca Hilland (27th) and former UK steeplechase record-holder Hatti Archer (29th).

Barbora Havlícková of Czech Republic won the under-20 women’s title as Eve Pannone led the GB team home in sixth.

Italy won the team title ahead of Turkey and Romania, while GB finished fifth as Pannone was joined by Lauren Dickson (12th), Florence Duff (23rd) and Pippa Carcas (26th).

Full results can be found here.

Heptathlete leads GB to overall bronze at European Combined Events Team Championships Super League, while Holly Bradshaw is among weekend’s winners

Coverage of the Night of the 10,000m PBs in London can be found by clicking the links below, while a European Mountain Running Championships report is here.

REPORT: Steph Twell victorious at Night of the 10,000m PBs

REPORT: Crippa and Connor take Highgate honours

Other recent highlights are below.

European Combined Events Team Championships Super League, Lutsk, Ukraine, July 6-7

Daryna Sloboda won the heptathlon on home soil with a PB of 6165 points, while Vitali Zhuk of Belarus claimed the decathlon title with 8237 points as Estonia took the team win in the last ever edition of this event.

Katie Stainton (pictured) secured silver in the heptathlon with a PB performance which helped the GB team to bronze overall.

Stainton broke 6000 points for the first time, scoring 6029 after personal bests in the high jump (1.78m) and shot put (12.30m) on day one before leaping 6.29m in the long jump and throwing a 38.95m season’s best in the javelin on day two.

She ran the fastest time of the field in the 800m, her 2:09.31 a PB by almost four seconds.

Estonia’s Maicel Ubo was second in the decathlon with 8181 points, while top Brit was John Lane who scored 7726, including a 59.89m javelin PB, to place seventh.

Andrew Murphy improved his PB to 7594 points to place 11th, setting lifetime bests in six of the events and season’s bests in two.

Lewis Church was 13th in the decathlon with a PB of 7422 points, while Jo Rowland was 14th in the heptathlon with 5399 points.

Ben Gregory and Ellen Barber both placed 18th.

International Stabhochsprung Meeting, Rottach-Egern, Germany, July 7

British pole vault record-holder Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.71m to win ahead of Alysha Newman and Angelica Bengtsson, both with 4.66m.

The men’s competition was won by Kostas Filippidis with 5.72m.

UK Women’s League Premier Match, Eton, July 6

Reigning title-holders Thames Valley Harriers consolidated their position at the top of the league with another strong performance.

Rachel Miller won the 100m A race in 11.65 and 200m B in 24.11.

Marcia Sey achieved a European U20 Championships qualifying standard with a PB of 13.65 in the 100m hurdles.

Kirsten McAslan won the 400m hurdles in 57.45, as Nicole Kendall and Jessica Tappin both set PBs with 57.46 and 57.48 respectively.

British Athletics League Premiership, Sheffield, July 6

League champions Birchfield Harriers won the match.

Samuel Gordon won the 100m in 10.50 and Elliott Powell the 200m in 21.19.

Sadam Koumi won the 400m in 46.47 ahead of Rabah Yousif.

Zane Duquemin won the discus with a 58.36m throw.

Making his comeback after injury, Paralympic and world high jump medallist Jonathan Broom-Edwards cleared 1.95m, with David Smith the winner with 2.10m.

NACAC U18 Championships, Querétaro, Mexico, July 5-7

Jamaica’s world U20 champion Briana Williams won the 100m in 11.11, while the boys’ title was won by Conroy Jones with a wind-assisted time of 10.32.

Ralford Mullings threw a Jamaican U18 best of 20.96m to win the shot put.

NACAC U23 Championships, Querétaro, Mexico, July 5-7

USA’s Tonea Marshall impressed to win the 100m hurdles in a PB of 12.57.

Samson Colebrooke of The Bahamas won three medals with gold in the 200m in 20.58, silver in the 4x100m behind USA, 40.03 to 40.33, and 100m silver as the top three all ran 10.01 – Waseem Williams of Jamaica got the win while Mario Burke of Barbados finished third.

USA claimed a 1-2 in the women’s 100m as Teahna Daniels ran 11.03 and Twanisha Terry 11.08.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Andwuelle Wright leapt a national record of 8.25m to win the long jump.

Gold Coast Marathon and Half-Marathon, Australia, July 7

Japan’s Yuta Shitara took almost a minute off the Australian all-comers’ record with his winning marathon time of 2:07:50, while Kenya’s Rodah Chepkorir Tanui won the women’s race ahead of Australia’s Milly Clark, 2:27:56 to 2:28:08.

There was an Australian double in the half-marathon as Jack Rayner won the men’s race in 62:30 and Sinead Diver the women’s in 69:45.

AJC Peachtree Road Race, USA, July 4

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei and Rhonex Kipruto both broke course records at the 10km event.

Kosgei clocked 30:22 (14:57/15:25) as Agnes Tirop recorded the same time and Fancy Chemutai completed a Kenyan clean sweep in third in 30:32.

Britain’s Tish Jones clocked 33:32 in 14th.

Kipruto won the men’s race in 27:01 (13:12/13:49) from his brother Bravin Kiptoo (27:29) with Kennedy Kimutai third in 27:54 to complete another Kenyan clean sweep.

Simplyhealth Great North 10K, Gateshead, July 7

Tonbridge’s Ashley Gibson (35:40) and James McKenzie of Heaton (33:11) claimed titles at the 10km event in Gateshead.

Healthspan Porthcawl 10K, Wales, July 7

World Championships marathoner Josh Griffiths won the men’s race in 29:54 from Welsh cross-country champion James Hunt (29:58) and Phil Wylie (30:41), while Natasha Cockram won the women’s title in 34:51 ahead of Jenny Spink (35:20) and Ruby Orchard (37:31).

Cross country will return to the Scottish city in January despite the end of the Great Stirling XCountry

A Stirling fixture has been added to the British Athletics Cross Challenge circuit for the 2019/20 season.

This means cross country action will return to the Scottish city in January despite the popular Great Stirling XCountry having come to an end earlier this year.

In May it was confirmed that the Great Stirling XCountry and Great Stirling Run events would not be staged from 2020.

The televised international event had moved to Stirling for this year’s edition after 14 years in Edinburgh.

“We are thrilled that the Cross Challenge series is able to add the Stirling Cross Country to its list of fixtures, incorporating the Scottish Inter-District championships,” said interim CEO of UK Athletics, Nigel Holl.

“The Cross Challenge series has such a strong and prestigious reputation of attracting the best distance runners in the country to our shores and it is fantastic that we will have the chance to see some of the best runners on the cross country circuit in action in Stirling.”

The Cross Challenge fixture at Kings Park on January 11 will also incorporate the Home Country and Celtic Internationals, alongside maintaining the Scottish Inter-District Championships.

The series will once again kick off at Cardiff’s Llandaff Fields on October 12, before heading to Milton Keynes’ Teardrop Lakes on November 9.

Liverpool’s Sefton Park will again host the GB trials for the European Cross Country Championships on December 8 and the series will culminate with the Inter-Counties race at Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall on March 7.

The Northern Ireland International Cross Country event in Dundonald has this year been cancelled due to fixture congestion at the start of 2020, but the meet is expected to return for the 2020/21 series.

“Cross country is etched into the very heart of endurance runners’ training and preparations for the indoor and outdoor season,” added Holl.

“Furthermore, with Scotland leading the way in terms of running all cross country races at equal distances, the Cross Challenge event in Stirling will be yet another example of how this approach is the way forward – a model we are striving to achieve in all Cross Challenge events.

“On a personal level I am particularly pleased that a Cross Challenge event is now heading back to Scotland. With my background in the sport in Scotland, I know the passion for cross country that exists in clubs and among athletes the length and breadth of Scotland – including the Islands! A British Cross Challenge is what athletics in Scotland deserves, and I know it will be a #muddybrilliant day.”

Coach and mum Liz McColgan says Night of the 10,000m PBs, where her daughter placed third, was a learning experience ahead of the Olympics

Saturday’s Night of the 10,000m PBs had been viewed as a chance for Eilish McColgan to gain experience of the 25-lap event ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games and she made the most of the opportunity by placing third in an impressive time of 31:16.76.

The Scottish European 5000m silver medallist is coached by her mum Liz McColgan and, speaking with AW ahead of her daughter’s race at Parliament Hill, the 1991 world 10,000m champion stressed the importance of the Highgate Harriers-organised event in her charge’s journey to the Olympics in Japan.

“For Eilish to be here (at the Night of the 10,000m PBs), it’s all about learning what to do for Tokyo because at the Tokyo Olympics we want to do the 10,000m,” said the 1988 Olympic silver medallist. “She has got to start learning.

“It’s important for her to get a feel of what it’s like to run 25 laps and I think in this atmosphere it will probably be a better environment to do it.

“Eilish has had lots of ups and downs,” added Liz, with Eilish having struggled with some injury and illness setbacks in the past, including a foot problem which forced her to switch from the steeplechase, her specialism up to 2014.

“She’s running really well, she’s taken advantage of running well, she’s trained really hard.

“If Eilish is healthy, she will run well. My problem is keeping Eilish healthy. That’s the difficulty for any coach, keeping their athlete healthy. The training is the easy part!”

Before Saturday’s race, which saw Eilish claim individual silver and team gold in the incorporated European Cup, the 28-year-old had previously only completed one other 10,000m race on the track, at the Stanford Invitational in California in 2017 when she ran 32:10.59.

Her 31:16.76 at Highgate, which is inside the qualification standard for Tokyo 2020 (31:25.00), ranks her seventh on a UK all-time list which sees her mother sit fourth with 30:57.07 and means Eilish now ranks inside the top 10 on the national lists at 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and the steeplechase.

“I think it was all about finishing, for one, because last month I dropped out in a 10km and I was so gutted, it’s such a horrible feeling, not finishing a race,” said Eilish after her race. “I thought, you know what, no matter what happens, finish it.

“My first one (10,000m) was two years ago and I had food poisoning and I spent the whole race thinking ‘don’t throw up everywhere!’ It was a bit of a mental barrier.

“I wanted to challenge myself and I think it was just to get away the gremlins from the last 10km. I wanted to have a good experience and the fact I’ve ticked off qualifying for next year’s Olympics is a huge relief to be honest. It’s nice to know that’s in the bag.”

Her focus remains on the 5000m this year and she added with a laugh: “The thought of doing another 10km is definitely not appealing!”

Liz is now based in Doha, host city for this year’s IAAF World Championships in September and October, and in her interview with AW she also shared her thoughts on the global event and the Highgate 10,000m festival.

Watch the videos above for more from the interview.

Coco Gauff will face the toughest challenge of her Wimbledon campaign when she takes on Simona Halep on 'Manic Monday', with British number one Johanna Konta also in action.

After a day off on Sunday, play will resume as Konta plays Petra Kvitova.

Elsewhere in the women's singles, world number one Ashleigh Barty - who is yet to drop a set - plays Alison Riske.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and former winners Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also return in the fourth round.

Djokovic will take on Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Court One, while on Centre Court, eight-time champion Federer faces Italian Matteo Berrettini and Nadal plays Portugal's Joao Sousa.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams plays Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and Karolina Pliskova faces fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.

'It's cool that Michelle Obama knows I exist'

Week one of the Championships was a whirlwind for 15-year-old American qualifier Gauff, beating one of her "idols" Venus Williams before victories over Magdalena Rybarikova and Polona Hercog followed.

Twelve months ago, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the juniors competition at SW19 but has now become a household name around the globe, the world mesmerised by her journey.

Yet for this teenager, who can only enter 10 professional tournaments between her 15th and 16th birthdays, it's the social media messages from Michelle Obama and Jaden Smith that have given her the biggest smile.

On the tweet by Obama, Gauff - who describes herself as "weird" and "goofy" - said: "I was super excited. She's one of my role models, so it was just cool to see that she knows I exist.

"We don't talk personally. I don't have her number or anything. I would like that."

In former world number one Halep, Gauff faces a player who, like herself, has dropped just one set in the tournament so far. Halep, though, has experience of the latter stages at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals in 2014 and two quarter-finals since then.

'Kvitova will be very inspired' - Konta ready for battle

British number one Konta, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017, faces Czech two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova in the fourth round. It is their fifth meeting, but only their second at a Grand Slam.

They have twice met on grass, the latter occasion coming in Birmingham last year, with Kvitova winning in straight sets.

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, has yet to drop a set this campaign and Konta said she was looking forward to playing a "great champion".

"I'm going to be coming up against a very, very inspired and very, very tough Petra," said Konta.

"She's also been playing incredibly well in the past couple of years."

Kvitova acknowledged the British support for Konta, adding it would be a "difficult match".

"Jo, I think for her, the grass is really going in the good way when she's playing flat shots from both sides, especially from the backhand," she said.

"I think she likes to play on the grass. Of course, the crowd will be on her side. I know what she's able to do."

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who has won 27 singles titles on the WTA Tour, is writing a column for the BBC Sport website during the championships at the All England Club.

The 29-year-old Czech, who before this week had not played since pulling out of the French Open in May with an arm injury, beat Poland's Magda Linette 6-3 6-2 in the third round on Saturday to set up a last-16 match against Britain's Johanna Konta.

It is a great feeling to have not dropped a set after three difficult rounds.

I think I played my best tennis of the tournament against Magda Linette in the third round, serving well, moving well and playing aggressively.

I even managed to smile on the first match point, which I didn't convert, because she struck the ball with the frame of her racquet and still managed to hit a winner on the line.

I didn't move at all as I thought it was going two metres out but suddenly it was on the line! This made me smile. Sometimes you have these things that you can be more relaxed about - this was a nice one so we smiled at each other.

Being back in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2014 is amazing. I won the title that year but winning it again is just not something I am even thinking about at the moment - I'm worrying about my forearm injury, which could still flare up any time.

It will be great if I can continue the stats, though, of never having lost in the fourth round in the five times I have been there!

'Special to play Britain's Konta at Wimbledon'

Facing Johanna Konta in the fourth round will be special. I played her at Birmingham last year and also Heather Watson one year at Eastbourne, so I know what it is like to play a Briton at home.

It is always special because the crowd is cheering for the British player. British people are very polite and they are great at supporting other players, so I don't think it will be that crazy on Monday.

Jo likes to play on grass and she is having a good grass season. It goes well for her when she plays kind of flat shots from both sides, especially from the backhand.

It is great that we are playing on Centre Court. Being there will bring back some nice memories of winning my two titles and I am glad to get that experience again.

I don't think anything changes in the second week of a Grand Slam. You're just deeper in the tournament, which means you are playing really good tennis - and that is always good for your confidence. It does mean, though, that every opponent will be very, very difficult.

Advice for Coco & dealing with distractions

It is great to see 15-year-old Coco Gauff doing so well. She has a big future in front of her.

When I was 15, I didn't even know I was going to play professional tennis.

I was in my home town of Fulnek in the Czech Republic and practising with my dad and I was just enjoying time on the court. I never thought that I would play at Wimbledon at that time.

If I was to give her any advice, it would be to be patient.

Everybody has ups and downs and that will come to her for sure. She just needs those experiences where she has to handle pressure and to keep up the hard work.

One of the other things you sometimes have to deal with is distractions in the crowd, like the sprinkler spraying or the corks popping that we have had this week. For me, it's been screaming from the crowd - it is not a positive distraction but you just have to keep focused.

Petra Kvitova was speaking to BBC Sport's Sonia Oxley at Wimbledon.

World (#1) domination

Three time World Champion, Chen Meng had no more than a small hiccup in claiming yet another Gold in the women’s singles final against Chinese compatriot Ding Ning (11-5, 11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9).

In her 4:1 victory, the World #1 was rarely pushed by the otherwise impressive “Queen of hearts”. Chen’s signature backhand to forehand corner shot was on display repeatedly until the fourth game, when Ding dialed things up. Chen, who lost the final here in Korea last year however, was not to be denied as she kept her cool and claimed her first title in Shinhan with aplomb.

Slaying the Dragon

Ma Long is probably the finest Chinese player of his era, and it takes another fine player to make him look even slightly off his game. Xu Xin was that player today, as he took the Gold in the men’s singles’ 2019 Shinhan Korea Open.

Xu-perman was at his commanding best, taking no prisoners versus Ma ‘The Dragon’ Long. After dropping the first game, Xu maintained the pressure on Ma with his snake-shots and big wellie, assuring himself a much more defensive opponent. The World #1 was still pushed into difficult backhand returns in almost every game, meaning the final 4:1 score did not tell the full story. Having lost repeatedly to ‘The Dictator’, Xu ‘Cloudwalker’ Xin will have certainly enjoyed this championship win and maintaining his status at the top (7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8).

The final before the final

The Chinese elite clashed in what turned out to be a game worthy of the final, just before the final. Wang Manyu faced off against Chen Meng as the top 2 in the world gave the fans a treat in an epic battle.

Taking the first game with utter ease (11-3), Chen seemed to be in control until the next game was snatched away by Wang 11-8. This pendulum continued with neither athlete giving up the con, as they were both too strong on their serves. Then Chen found a chink in Wang’s armor and never let go, winning two games on the bounce and seeing off her doubles partner in a seven game thriller (11-3, 8-11, 11-3, 12-14, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6). Ding Ning, who has yet to win on the World Tour since last year’s Bulgarian Open, lies in wait.

Ding takes control

The Queen of hearts, Ding Ning was put through her paces by her fellow Chinese Sun Yingsha as the veteran booked a place in the finals after an incredible comeback 4:3 win in 2019 Shinhan Korea Open (8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8).

Starting strong, the 18-year-old Sun kept up her end of the bargain by keeping her shot play short and challenging Ding’s backhand. This meant that World #3 Ding had to dig deep and use her timeouts to perfection, taking the match to the deciding seventh game. After that it was all about the composure in Ding’s play and how well she handled the pressure that has been on her since the start of the tour.

Cloud walking into the final

Once Xu Xin gets a sniff of the gold, there is very little that can stand in his way. After winning the Gold yesterday in the men’s doubles, the World #1 saw off Chinese compatriot Wang Chuqin 4:2  (8-11, 20-18, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5), setting up an all-Chinese final versus Ma Long.

The match was dominated by the speed of shots from either end, as neither Xu nor Wang let up. The veteran Xu held his own for longer, but only just. After coming as close as 3:2 in the match, Wang was all about pushing his way for a comeback with his flicks and close-to-the-table-play. Xu did what he does best, riding out the youthful exuberance of Wang and slowly etching the sixth game to a close. Now his date with the Dragon awaits.

Ma Long books final place

China’s Ma Long, the no.4 seed, ended the hopes of the host nation; in the penultimate round of the men’s singles event he beat Jeoung Youngsik in five games (11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9).

Success for Ma Long but it was not a vintage performance. Was there a slight sense of anxiety? One month earlier in the second round in Sapporo he had stood on the brink of defeat in the fifth game against the 27 year old Korean (11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-5). However in Busan, to his great credit when potential crisis loomed, Ma Long retained his focus, there was no hint of panic; simply he went back to basics, put the ball on the table, by performing that skill you make your opponent play, you force errors from your adversary; such was the scenario. Trying to force the play, Jeoung Youngsik made mistakes.

A thoroughly professional performance secure a semi-final place for Ma Long.

“All matches are equally hard and it’s about how you come through the tough moments that keeps you in the game. No matter who I meet in the final, I believe it’s always going to be as hard as any other match.”

Day Four commences

The final day has arrived and there’s plenty to look forward to – here’s what’s on the schedule for today:

Mixed fortunes for top Chinese players in Busan

Published in Table Tennis
Saturday, 06 July 2019 20:00

Ma going long 

He may be taking the circuitous route to victory, but Ma Long is getting his wins in all the same. 

After a blazing start to the year with wins at the Qatar and China Opens, ‘The Dragon’ and reigning world champion has quelled dry spell rumours by defeating his opponents so far in Busan, albeit while making his fans sweat. 

After an easy 4-0 opening round rout of Japan’s Takuya Jin in Busan, Ma struggled to close the door on hometown hero Lim Jonghoon. Despite his initial 2-0 lead, Ma faltered, allowing Lim to even the score at 3-3 before prevailing 14-12 in the final game to eke out a 3-2 victory, hardly a firebreathing performance on the part of the Dragon.

It didn’t get any easier against Sweden’s surging Kristian Karlsson, who took the first two games, forcing Ma to dig deep into his reservoir of mental and physical endurance for the 4-2 victory:

It just goes to show that more of our opponents are starting to analyse the players from the Chinese team. So for us to be behind – we are used to being in front for most matches – it is good that we are put through different situations. It is a learning experience.” Ma Long

Ma may be 30 years old and considered almost a veteran in the sport, but he – more than anyone – is still prepared to keep learning and keep growing. That, after all, is what is aiding his longevity.

Next up in the semi-final, he faced the Korean fans’ favourite Jeoung Youngsik, a player who eliminated no less than Fan Zhendong in Saturday’s quarter-final. It was not Ma at his best, it was Ma at his most professional; he prevailed in five games.

“All matches are equally hard and it’s about how you come through the tough moments that keeps you in the game.” Ma Long

Find out if Ma can finish the job in today’s final against compatriot and current world #1 Xu Xin. The match will be live from 17.00 GMT+9 on itTV.

Wan days for Fan

What’s going on with Fan Zhendong?

The Chinese maestro’s 15-month stint as the #1 player in the world came to an end this week when he was overtaken by surging teammate Xu Xin, which dropped the 22-year-old affectionately nicknamed “Little Fatty” to #3 in the rankings.

Faced with Korea’s Jeoung Youngsik in the men’s quarter-finals in Busan this weekend, Fan dropped the first game but looked on track to secure the victory with solid second and third games. That first round would come back to haunt China’s top player, though, as Jeoung rallied to a 13-11 win in the fourth and never looked back, taking the next two in quick succession to secure a 4-2 victory despite tough resistance from Fan.

“Actually I did have some chances in the match. I was leading 9-4 in the 4th game, but eventually lost, even though I was battling so hard to win it. Today the biggest problem came from my backhand, which is an obvious weakness, especially when we both played on our backhand.” Fan Zhendong

For his part, Jeoung was quick to acknowledge that the raucous home crowd in Busan may have played a role in the contest. 

“I have never seen any other match where the crowd had such enormous reactions. The cheers definitely gave me a lot of energy and it was an important contribution to the victory, so I want to thank them a lot for that.” Jeoung Youngsik

But the question remains: What’s going on with Fan? After a superb 2018, where he was victorious at the Hungarian, Qatar and Swedish Opens, Fan has yet to appear in a final, let alone vanquish his rivals in one, on the World Tour this season. Rather, his best results have been semis appearances in Sapporo and Budapest.

Follow live updates from Busan and watch the action on itTV!

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