Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/523863
58 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 JUNE 2015 TENNIS FOOTBALL (+356) 800 737 70 Freephone: cabs t minivans t vip transport t luxury coaches t vintage buses 2138 9575 / 9921 5286 info@cabs.com.mt w w w . c a b s . c o m . m t Sport Serena secures 20th grand slam Serena Williams won a third French Open title and her 20th grand slam after she beat Lucie Safarova in three sets to be crowned champion at Roland Garros WILLIAMS had been hampered by illness in the lead-up to the Paris showpiece but the world number one showed her mettle to hold off a late Safarova fight- back and win 6-3 6-7 (2/7) 6-2. It means Williams, who also won the Australian Open in January, is now only two short of Steffi Graf 's 22 major titles and four away from Margaret Court's all-time best 24. While Williams was playing her 24th major final, it was Safa- rova's first, and the Czech pushed her world number one opponent to the limit in an enthralling contest. "It was a very complicated match," Williams said. "Lucie was a magnificent op- ponent for me, she was very ag- gressive. "I was a set up and a break and I got nervous but I came through and I so happy to be part of his- tory, winning my 20th grand slam. "I can't believe I have won my 20th here in Paris on this court. It is very special." All the talk in the build-up to the match had been about Wil- liams' health after the American spluttered her way through a semi-final victory against Timea Bacsinszky and then skipped practice and press duties on Fri- day to recuperate in her Parisian apartment. The world number one said she was suffering from severe symptoms of f lu and she took a bathroom break before play even started, asking to leave the court for a short time after the knock- up. Any extra encouragement Safa- rova had drawn from Williams' pre-match problems, however, were quickly extinguished as the American announced her arrival with a crashing backhand win- ner in the opening game. Safarova had relied on her whip- ping forehand to beat both Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic on route to the final but Williams gave her no opportunity to un- leash as she peppered her oppo- nent's backhand with power and precision. In the fourth game, the Ameri- can struck the first blow as a fearsome forehand return cross- court sealed a break of serve and while Safarova dug deep to hold at 5-2, Williams served out to clinch the first set. Safarova's serve was consistent enough but it lacked potency and Williams slapped away a series of thundering returns to break in both the first and fifth games to lead 4-1. Complacency, or perhaps ten- sion, suddenly took hold as Wil- liams served three double faults to hand one break back, and then another at 4-3 to allow Safarova to pull level. Williams unleashed another stupendous return to break again and serve for the match at 6-5 but Safarova had now found her rhythm and she hit back im- mediately to force an unexpected tie-break. A combination of Williams' unforced errors and some bril- liant defence gave Safarova four set points and she converted at the first opportunity to force a decider. The momentum was now with Safarova, who was faster in her movement and more confident in her shot-making, and another break fired her into a 2-0 lead at the start of the third. It was now Safarova's turn to lose her nerve, however, as a double fault gifted a break back to Williams, who seized the op- portunity, winning five games in a row to turn the set on its head. One game away for a second time, Williams made no mis- take as Safarova failed to retrieve a booming forehand and the American wrapped up another grand slam triumph in two hours and one minute. Serena Williams English FA rejects World Cup talk THE Football Association is "not interested" in stepping in to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups if they are taken away from Russia or Qatar. In the wake of the FIFA corrup- tion scandals, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale put England forward as a ready-made replace- ment to host either tournament if necessary earlier this week. But new FA chief executive Martin Glenn has denied that his organisation is thinking in those terms, telling Sky News: "We are really not interested. It has gone to Russia in good faith, they have not had a World Cup, why shouldn't they play there, and 2022 was never going to be in Europe so it should be outside of Europe. So we support the World Cup being dispersed around the world, as the name suggests." Speaking publicly for the first time since FBI investigations sent shockwaves through FIFA that led to Sepp Blatter stepping down as president, Glenn said he was relieved change is finally happening at the world govern- ing body. "We are very pleased that there is going to be change at FIFA, and we will work with UEFA and FIFA to make sure there is progress. We need someone who is strong and will professionalise the set-up," he added. International Olympic Com- mittee president Thomas Bach also told Sky News that the way his organisation has remodelled itself following its own Salt Lake City scandal can be an example for FIFA. "It's absolutely important for FIFA to regain credibility for FIFA so I can only advise that they work hard at reforms and work hard on addressing these grave allegations," he said. "We had our difficulties 15 years ago and we did two things. We took swift action with regard to members, 10 members ex- pelled or retired, and we under- took reforms. "I am very proud that we elect- ed athletes to the IOC, we have a system of accountability, strict rules on the election of host countries and we have even more reforms for transparency com- ing."