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Dialuna 21 Februari 2022

Stormy six-goal thriller: Man United sinks Rublev beats Auger-Aliassime to

Leeds in EPL win Open 13 for 9th title

(AP) — Second-seeded
Andrey Rublev beat No.
3 Felix Auger-Aliassime
7-5, 7-6 (4) to win the
Open 13 tournament on
Sunday, clinching his
ninth career title and
first for almost a year.

Since winning in Rotter-
dam in March last year,
Rublev had lost three fi-
nals. He improved to 5-0 in
indoor finals and 9-5 over-
all, while Auger-Aliassime
dropped to 1-9 in finals.
cially this season, he is on
The 21-year-old Canadian top now.”
arrived in southern France
in top form after beating Auger-Aliassime led the
Rublev in the semifinals serving contest 12-9 in aces
and then upsetting top- but Rublev showed again
seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas why he is considered one
6-4, 6-2 in the Rotterdam of the best returners and
final last Sunday. It was retrievers on the tour.
(AP) — Celebrating scor- the inception of the Premier United. his first title after losing his He played the shot of the
ing Manchester United’s League. previous eight finals. match in the fifth game
fourth goal, Anthony After soaking up the celebra- He led 2-0 in the first set of the first set, returning a
Elanga held a finger to Time hasn’t dissipated the tions, the home supporters against Rublev and squan- smash close to his body and
his lips. No way were the intensity of the rivals who are didn’t have to wait long to see dered a set point in the 12th turning it into a two-hand-
Leeds fans being silenced, geographically separated by another. Dan James crossed game of the second set. ed backhand winner.
though. the Pennine mountains and to the far post where Raph-
less than an hour on the road inha slid ahead of Shaw to “All the battles I have had “I had to increase my level
No chance. Not when they’d in northwest England. nudge the ball over the line. with Felix since the first otherwise I would have had
waited 19 years to see their There were still the chants Leeds survived a VAR re- time back in 2018 have had no chance against Felix,”
fiercest rival at Elland Road about the Munich air disaster view for a potential foul on drama,” the 24-year-old Rublev said. “I was think-
in the Premier League, ini- that killed eight United play- Fernandes in the build-up to Rublev said. “All have had ing it would go to three
tially because of relegation ers in 1958. revel in its recovery. at least one set that went sets. But somehow I was
and then pandemic curbs on United was reeling until a 7-6 and now he is one of able to raise my level and in
fans. And objects were showered slick team goal in the 70th re- the greatest players. Espe- the end it was tough.”
Not when they’d already on the United players after gained the lead. It began with
come back from two goals captain Harry Maguire head- Fernandes gaining possession
down by scoring twice in 24 ed in the opener in the 34th inside his own half and run- Taiwan premier wants athlete
seconds to wipe out United’s minute from Luke Shaw’s ning through unchallenged
lead on Sunday. corner and then celebrated in before laying the ball off to punished for wearing China suit
front of the home fans. Ronaldo.
Ultimately, though, the tide
turned back in United’s favor It looked game over when Fred received a pass from (AP) — Taiwan’s pre- cation and the Sports Ad-
to win a six-goal thriller on Bruno Fernandes headed in the Portuguese before laying mier wants a Taiwanese ministration to investigate
a drenched pitch. Fred and another in the fifth minute the ball off to Sancho. A run Olympic speedskater to so Huang would “receive
Elanga secured the 4-2 victo- of stoppage time at the end of into the penalty area gave the be punished for wearing an adequate punishment,”
ry and kept United on course the first half from Jadon San- England international time what appeared to be a suit CNA reported, citing a Cabi-
to stay in fourth place. cho’s cross. for the return pass to Fred from China’s team during net spokesperson, Lo Ping-
“The atmosphere was great,” The downpour only intensi- and the Brazilian beat Mes- training. cheng. The Olympics are
United manager Ralf Rang- fied during halftime. Water lier at his near post. one facet of a wide-ranging
nick said. “At times we had splashed off the turf as play- The worst excesses of this Symbols of the two sides are campaign by Beijing to iso-
to cool down things on the ers passed the ball when they traditional rivalry were evi- especially sensitive at a time late Taiwan. The Interna-
pitch.” returned. dent again in the celebrations when China’s ruling Com- tional Olympic Committee
Soon, United was no longer as Elanga was hit by an object. munist Party, which claims requires Taiwanese athletes
Leeds can’t yet escape the coasting. Taiwan as part of its territory to compete under the name
fear that its return to the Pre- But another comeback was even though the island has “Chinese Taipei,” which ob-
mier League after a 16-year All it took was 24 seconds of beyond Leeds as United’s long operated with its own scures the island’s longstand-
exile will end after two sea- play for Leeds, starting with quality prevailed to put the government, is trying to in- ing self-ruled status.
sons. Just five points separate the goal as unpredictable for game away. Fernandes flicked timidate the democracy by Taiwan’s Sports Administra-
Marcelo Bielsa’s side from David de Gea in the visiting the ball over Pascal Struijk flying fighter jets and bomb- tion said Huang would face
the relegation zone. goal as the weather. before passing for Elanga to ers nearby. Huang Yu-ting, no penalty but should be
It appeared that Rodrigo was apply the finishing touch to one of four Taiwanese ath- “more aware of the sensi-
Certainty of its Premier sending in a cross from the complete a thrilling match. letes at the Winter Games, tivity of cross-Taiwan Strait
League status is needed to left but the ball bent beyond posted a video on her social politics,” according to CNA.
invest in a stadium shorn of the goalkeeper’s reach and “It was old school,” Magu- media page Jan. 23 showing The Taiwanese team leader at
much investment since Leeds inside the post in the 53rd ire said. “There was so many her training in what appeared the Olympics, Steven Chen,
was relegated in 2004 from minute. tackles. I’m sure it was good to be a Chinese suit, the Cen- said the Chinese Taipei
the world’s richest league. For the first time since Har- to watch but thankfully we tral News Agency reported. Olympic Committee would
Parts look little changed ry Kewell’s headed winner came out on top.” It said Huang apologized and review in April whether
from the era that saw Leeds in September 2002, the fans Sunday’s late game saw removed the video. Huang was wearing the ap-
pip United to the title in at Elland Road witnessed a Wolverhampton host Leices- Premier Su Tseng-chang propriate clothing, according
1992, the last season before Premier League goal against ter. asked the Ministry of Edu- to CNA.