Top Sports News

Zhou: Bottas a great reference and a strong teammate

F1

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January 25, 2022

Zhou: Bottas a great reference and a strong teammate

Guanyu Zhou, the only rookie to feature on the 2022 Formula 1 grid, will partner Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo, and believes the Finn will be great reference for him and a very strong teammate.

Zhou became China’s first F1 driver when he was announced at Alfa Romeo back in November, as the team features an all new driver lineup as Valtteri Bottas replaced the retiring Kimi Raikkonen, with the Chinese rookie taking the seat of Antonio Giovinazzi who was shown the door after 62 uninspiring races with the Swiss-based team.

Speaking to the social media, Zhou expressed his delight for sharing the garage with Bottas, he said: “For a rookie, there is no better option than to have Bottas as your teammate in your first season.

“If I’m going to beat him, I know I need to work very hard and adapt very quickly to the whole of F1, and to the new car, from the very beginning.

“But I think what’s more important is that he can help me get through the learning curve,” Zhou went on. “He is a very open driver. He shares his information and discusses with the team and with me, which is a very helpful point.

“After all, he’s had so many podiums and wins in F1. Among all the drivers, there are only a few who can outqualify Hamilton, and he is one of them.

“I think he’s a great reference and a very strong teammate. I hope to improve together with him next year,” the 22-year old revealed.

Zhou’s small goal for 2022

Zhou, who will be given time to improve as per his team boss Frederic Vasseur, will not be shooting for the stars in his debut F1 season, but has set himself a modest target of scoring points.

“First of all, I set a small goal to get points,” he said. “I don’t know how competitive the car will be next season. We need to wait until the beginning of the season to get a clear picture.

“Personally, I would like to get points,” Zhou admitted. “But at the beginning of the season, I won’t be thinking if it will be achievable at the first two races; just not to have too much pressure.

“I want to enjoy racing in F1, to learn from my teammate and the engineers, and improve myself in all aspects.

“When I make improvement in all areas, the results will then naturally come,” he concluded.

Zhou will join F1 on the back of an F2 season where he finished third overall with five wins to his name.

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Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James

Basketball

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January 25, 2022

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MIAMI — Anthony Davis‘ left knee injury coincided with an offensive explosion from LeBron James, as his 33 points in Sunday night’s 113-107 loss to the Miami Heat marked the 17th straight game that the Los Angeles Lakers star has scored 25 points or more. All with Davis out.

With Davis potentially returning as soon as Tuesday from the sprained MCL in his left knee when L.A. plays the Brooklyn Nets, James made it sound like his offensive output could continue at a prolific pace.

“I don’t need to score 30 a night, but I’m in one of the best zones offensively I’ve been in, in my career,” the 19-year veteran said. “And I don’t plan on stopping. That’s just how I feel. I feel fantastic. Shooting the ball extremely well. Didn’t shoot the 3-ball well tonight, but all eight of them felt great. Shooting efficient from the free throw line, shooting efficient from the field. Very efficient at the rim.

“So I don’t go into the game saying you got to score 30 or you guys don’t have a chance to win the game. I just play the game. The scoring has been happening organically.”

James went 12-for-22 against the Heat but was 11-for-14 if his 3-point attempts are subtracted. He also went 8-for-11 from the free throw line.

He is averaging 32.5 points over the past 17 games — the second most in the league in that stretch behind only Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (33.9) — while shooting 53.4% from the field. L.A. has gone 7-10 in the stretch.

The scoring run has lifted James’ average to 29.0 points per game, second in the league behind Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant (29.3). It’s the fourth-highest scoring average of his career and the most he has averaged in more than a decade, since he put up 29.7 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009-10.

James, who turned 37 last month, is also averaging his most minutes, 36.7, since his 2017-18 season with the Cavs when he played 36.9.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said he will welcome Davis’ return to carry some of the burden alongside James.

“Anthony helps in all ways, and that’s definitely one of them — to spread out some of the load,” Vogel said before the Heat game. “But LeBron feels good with the load that he’s been carrying. We continue to communicate with him, if it’s too much within his minutes and the total minutes, and he’s felt in a good rhythm. Playing mostly every other day. So, that’s in a good place, but having Anthony back definitely helps with that.”

James bristled at any suggestion of the workload being too much, pointing out that he came into the league “saving the [Cavaliers] franchise” when he was 18 years old, so he is not fazed by what he needs to bring to the Lakers this year.

James, who is 2,006 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s record atop the all-time scoring list, also acknowledged that he’s aware of the approaching milestone.

“As I’ve continued to climb the ranks, it’s natural, human to look at it and see where you are and see if it’s even possible. See if you’re capable,” James said. “Obviously health plays the most important part and then just continuing to give your everything to the game. I’ve never cheated the game. I’ve never wanted to feel like I was content.

“I wanted to continue to get better and I mean, I am, like you said, I will be within 2,000 points, when did you say? Soon? Well, listen, we’ll see what happens. I’ve never chased a record in my life. I’ve never sat down and said, ‘OK, let me see if I can get this record, let me see if I can get that record.'”

Cameroon into AFCON quarters despite Comoros heroics, Gambia win | The Guardian Nigeria News

Football

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January 25, 2022

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Cameroon into AFCON quarters despite Comoros heroics, Gambia win | The Guardian Nigeria News

Hosts Cameroon set up an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Gambia but only after labouring to a 2-1 win over a Comoros side who were forced to start an outfield player in goal and played most of Monday’s game with 10 men.

Left-back Chaker Alhadhur started between the posts for Comoros in Yaounde after two of their three goalkeepers were ruled out due to Covid-19 while the other was missing due to injury.

They then had captain Nadjim Abdou sent off after just seven minutes, and Karl Toko-Ekambi put Cameroon in front before skipper Vincent Aboubakar netted his sixth goal of the tournament.

Despite that, it was a heroic performance from the Comoros, who kept the last-16 tie alive until the end thanks to Youssouf M’Changama’s stunning late free-kick.

“I don’t think I am the only hero. I did what I could. I think I gave hope to the team and they all tried to help me,” Alhadhur, usually a back-up left-back for French Ligue 2 side Ajaccio, told broadcaster Canal Plus.

He had to use tape to mark out his number three on the back of his goalkeeper’s jersey.

Of being chosen to go in goal he added: “It was something that at first we spoke a bit about and laughed about, but then it became serious.

“I was chosen but I didn’t believe it until I put on the gloves and the top. Then I realised it was serious. There were lots of emotions going through my head but then I just got on with it.”

The tiny Indian Ocean island nation qualified for the last 16 in their first-ever appearance at the Cup of Nations after finishing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage.

However, their dream turned into a nightmare as a total of 12 players and staff tested positive for Covid-19 two days before the tie, including goalkeepers Ali Ahamada and Moyadh Ousseini.

Their other goalkeeper, Salim Ben Boina, was injured but they had hoped Ahamada would be able to start after he tested negative on the day of the game.

The 30-year-old Ahamada flew from Garoua, where he had been isolated, to Yaounde on Monday afternoon in the hope of being able to play, only for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide otherwise as his positive result had come just two days earlier.

The islanders, whose coach Amir Abdou was among those missing after testing positive, had their skipper harshly sent off following a VAR review for a foul on Moumi Ngamaleu but they never gave up.

– Sickness bug doesn’t stop Gambians –
Nevertheless, it is the Indomitable Lions who keep their dream of winning the Cup of Nations on home soil alive as they advance to a last-eight tie in Douala against Gambia on Saturday.

Like Comoros, a Gambia side ranked 150th in the world are appearing at their first-ever AFCON but they upset the odds to beat Guinea 1-0 in the western city of Bafoussam earlier on Monday thanks to a terrific second-half strike by Bologna’s Musa Barrow.

Gambia then held on with 10 men at the end after Yusupha Njie was sent off, as Guinea hit the woodwork twice in quick succession in stoppage time.

The Guineans, deprived of suspended Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, had Ibrahima Conte sent off at the death as they bow out.

Gambia’s achievement was all the more remarkable as coach Tom Saintfiet revealed the squad was affected by food poisoning during the night.

“We didn’t have a good feeling about today because many of us had food poisoning, including me. I didn’t sleep and was up at the toilet all the time, vomiting and with diarrhoea,” he told Canal Plus.

The last-16 action continues on Tuesday as Senegal play Cape Verde in Bafoussam before Morocco take on Malawi in Yaounde.

The Brier returning to London, Ont. in 2023: Curling Canada

Sport News

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January 24, 2022

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The Brier returning to London, Ont. in 2023: Curling Canada

For the first time in more than a decade, London, Ont., will host the Tim Hortons Brier.

Officials with Curling Canada announced on Monday that the annual Canadian men’s curling championship will return to the Forest City in 2023.

The multi-day event will be played from Mar. 3 to Mar. 12 at Budweiser Gardens.

The downtown London arena hosted the Brier in 2011, when it was named the John Labatt Centre. London first hosted in 1974 when the Brier was held in London Gardens, the southend arena later named the London Ice House, prior to its closure in 2002.

During a virtual media conference Monday morning, Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said selecting a host for the 2023 event was made “a much easier decision” due to London’s “outstanding” bid for the job.

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“It’s a fabulous city, they knock it out of the park every time they host a sporting event,” Henderson said said.

“We’ve partnered with them before … they’ve proven to us over and over again that they know how to do this and they know how to do it really well.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined countless opportunities for in-person sporting events, with Ontario’s latest restrictions leaving fans unable to attend games for most of January. Come 2023, Henderson says Curling Canada is planning for a “full Brier.”

“We always take advice from public health, we always play the game as safely as we possible can, but at this point, with Canada’s commitment to public health, our vaccine rates and what we are seeing right now with peaking numbers, we are quite confident that coming to London we’re going to have a really terrific time,” Henderson added.

“The plan at this point is that we want to be partying in that patch, together.”

Canadian Curling Hall of Famer Peter Inch played a pivotal role in sweeping London to another shot at hosting the Brier.

“We’ve been working on this bid since 2012. We’ve been talking about it and determining when the best year would be to have it and how we could make it all work out,” Inch said.

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“The Continental Cups (in 2018 and 2020) were a couple of what I call ‘steps’ that we had to take before we felt confident of putting that bid forward again.”

Tourism London also lent support for the city’s bid. Its director of sport tourism Zanth Jarvis says the Brier will bring some much needed business, given the financial toll of the pandemic.

“Just alone, for the participants in Curling Canada, that’s 2,200 hotel rooms right there. We’re looking at a projected economic impact between $8-million to $10-million,” Jarvis said.

“This one event won’t be all of the recovery, it’s going to take a while, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”

Tickets, including full event packages, are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks, according to Curling Canada.

The organization says volunteer opportunities will also be available later this year and those interested are invited to check out Curling Canada’s volunteer webpage to sign up for receive updates on volunteering at the 2023 Brier.

Click to play video: 'Man keeps passion for curling alive'

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Man keeps passion for curling alive

Man keeps passion for curling alive – Dec 27, 2021

Anthony Joshua ‘to accept £15m step-aside fee’ so Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk staged next | Boxing | Sport

Boxing

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January 24, 2022

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Anthony Joshua ‘to accept £15m step-aside fee’ so Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk staged next | Boxing | Sport

Anthony Joshua looks set to receive a bumper £15million paycheck in order to allow Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk to take place next for all the marbles. The two-time world champion has been left to lick his wounds since he was outboxed by the slick Ukrainian southpaw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in September when Usyk reigned supreme on the scorecards by unanimous decision.

Since then, Joshua has been eagerly awaiting his shot at revenge but so far, negotiations have struggled to get off the ground.

Eddie Hearn confirmed in December that Joshua had triggered his rematch clause to face Usyk for a second time but a date is yet to have been agreed.

Out of the blue, Fury’s promoter Bob Arum confirmed last week that talks were ongoing over Joshua potentially stepping aside.

AJ himself has shown a willingness to move out of the way, permitting he receives a significant payoff and a guaranteed shot at the winner.

Now The Telegraph are reporting that Joshua looks set to accept a proposal of around £15m.

Later this year, he would then be in with a shot at the winner for all the titles.

Joshua’s rematch with Usyk looked set to land in London once again while the Ukrainian is expected to fight the Gypsy King in the Middle East.

Dillian Whyte is also part of the equation as his gruelling wait for a world title shot rumbles on.

Speaking last year, Joshua refused to shut down the idea of stepping aside in order to allow Fury and Usyk to pursue the undisputed fight.

“I want to make the smart decisions and if the money is right we would have to look at it but respect has more value than money,” he said at the time.

“Will I take the step-aside money? If it’s a smart business move, will it affect my reputation and respect?

“Will I still get to fight the best fighters? Those are the three things I have to consider.”

Joshua’s promoter Hearn confirmed last week in an interview with Boxing Social that talks were ongoing between all parties.

“It’s true,” Hearn said, when quizzed on Arum’s confession. “We’re right in the midst of those negotiations as well.

“I think he also said he’s not very confident that will happen, I still think there’s a chance of that, we’re still moving towards Joshua-Usyk and Fury-Whyte.

“But there are still people who would like to see Usyk fight Fury and there is a lot of money there for it.

“And if there’s a lot of money in the pot and everybody can be taken care of and more importantly a plan can be put in place for those fighters then there is a chance of that happening then it’s time.

“These are conversations that started a month ago, but they’re also very complicated conversations that take time, but right now AJ is focused on fighting Oleksandr Usyk.”

Damian Lillard, content to ‘make decisions that suit you for the long haul,’ slowly works his way back to Portland Trail Blazers’ lineup

Basketball

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January 24, 2022

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Damian Lillard, content to ‘make decisions that suit you for the long haul,’ slowly works his way back to Portland Trail Blazers’ lineup

During the Tokyo Olympics last summer, when Damian Lillard‘s abdominal injury flared up, Jrue Holiday suggested it was time for surgery.

Lillard finally took his fellow Olympian’s advice and had the procedure Jan. 13. The Portland Trail Blazers‘ star point guard spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since the injury sidelined him on Jan. 3.

Holiday, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, had similar core surgery during the 2018-19 NBA season when he was with New Orleans. He and Lillard were teammates in Japan last summer on the gold-medal-winning U.S. team.

“He was the first person that pretty much confirmed that I needed to have surgery, because I sat out of practice one day and I was like, ‘I can’t move,’ and I was kind of just holding it. And he just started describing every single symptom,” Lillard said. “And he was like, ‘I had it.'”

Lillard, a six-time All-Star, averaged 24 points and 7.3 assists in 29 games this season for the Blazers. It was clear from the start that the injury — lower abdominal tendinopathy — was bothersome.

“It was just one of those things where I’ve always had control over how I moved and everything, and it had reached a point where my body couldn’t do what my mind wanted it to do and go places that I wanted it to go,” he said. “At some point you’ve got to play chess; you’ve got to make decisions that suit you for the long haul and not just right now.”

While the injury flared up in Tokyo, Lillard said he first felt the abdominal pain in 2015, and it had been gradually getting worse ever since.

The Blazers have struggled without Lillard, the undisputed leader of the team. Playing under first-year coach Chauncey Billups, Portland is 19-26 and in 10th place in the Western Conference.

Anfernee Simons has taken over as Portland’s point guard and has averaged 15.1 points per game. Portland was also playing for an extended period without Lillard’s backcourt teammate CJ McCollum, who had a collapsed right lung before becoming a father for the first time.

McCollum recently returned and had 24 points in Portland’s 109-105 victory at the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

There was no timeline for Lillard’s return, but he’s already been doing yoga. The team previously said he would be reevaluated in six weeks.

“I’m just a week from surgery. We said we’ll reevaluate my situation weeks out, six to eight weeks, and we’ll talk about it then. But I’m not in a rush,” he said. “My No. 1 goal is to win a championship. I’ve got to be in the best form of myself to make that happen and to be a part of that. So I’m not in a rush. We’ll talk about whatever that timeline is when we get to that point.”

The Trail Blazers, as play began on Saturday night, occupied the 10th spot in the Western Conference race. They were two games ahead of the Sacramento Kings.

Lillard was asked if he’d play if the Blazers decided to forgo a playoff push and play for a draft pick.

“I mean, if we’re gonna play for a draft pick, it wouldn’t make sense to me. Because I’m not gonna play for no draft pick. I’m just not capable of that,” he said. “So it’d be best if that was what we were doing, or what was decided, then it wouldn’t make sense for me to play.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Horner: The engine will be branded as a Red Bull engine

F1

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January 24, 2022

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Horner: The engine will be branded as a Red Bull engine

red-bull-turbo5 honda engine badge red bull horner

An old April Fool joke has become a reality, Red Bull branded engines will power the RB18s of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship conforms team boss Christian Horner.

On 1 April 2014, when Red Bull was having huge problems with Renault – Christian Horner at war with Cyril Abiteboul – despite having been partners that won four straight titles before that first season of the turbo-hybrid area which caught all F1 engine builders at the time by surprise, except Mercedes of course.

Now eight years later, with Honda pulling out of F1 at the end of last year and over time transferring their operation to the newly formed Red Bull Powertrains, Horner confirmed the engines will be branded accordingly.

The Red Bull team principal told RacingNews365: “It will be branded as a Red Bull engine. As part of our agreement with Honda, the engines continue to be assembled in Japan, in Sakura, with support and technical assistance from Japan.

Asked if they would be transferring the process to their factory, Horner replied: “Most likely. It’s something we’re in discussion about at the moment. The probability is that the engines will, as per 2022, continue to be produced and built in Japan and shipped to us.”

All the working personnel from HRD UK will transfer over to us

He added: “We’re very grateful to Honda to provide that olive branch as we transition into being an engine manufacturer. They’ll come as sealed units from Japan; all the race support will happen from Japan as well this year. It’s a technical agreement, so it’s very broad brush at the moment.”

As for the personnel involved with the project, Horner revealed all the Honda staff involved will transfer to Red Bull’s payroll adding that Masashi Yamamoto will become a consultant, with Toyoharu Tanabe possibly remaining the link to Honda.

He added: “All the working personnel from HRD UK will transfer over to us, so the engines will continue to be serviced out of Honda’s service until Red Bull Powertrains dynos and work are finalised around May or June.”

Meanwhile the team’s new car – Red Bull Racing RB18 – is on schedule, according to Horner, with plans to shakedown the car at nearby Silverstone (behind closed doors) under the pretext of a film day before the first test in Barcelona which all teams are granted.

“We will do it as usual before going to Barcelona and Bahrain. Three days is not enough for a driver, especially when it comes to a new car. It’s a fairly intense program but it will certainly make the first part of the season interesting, especially for fans,” predicted Horner.

Test 1 takes place in Barcelona from 23 to 25 February, with Test 2 set for Bahrain from 11 to 13 March ahead of the season-opening Grand Prix weekend in the kingdom, beginning with FP1 on Friday, 18 March at Sakhir.

Tyson Fury calls out Francis Ngannou as UFC heavyweight champion ‘unsure of future’ | Boxing | Sport

Boxing

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January 24, 2022

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Tyson Fury calls out Francis Ngannou as UFC heavyweight champion ‘unsure of future’ | Boxing | Sport

After Ngannou’s victory, UFC president Dana White did not put the belt around his waist, as has become tradition, amid an ongoing dispute between the pair.

Ngannou is said to be pursuing a contract which would allow him to venture into the world of boxing, with a mixed rules cross-over clash eyed between him and Fury. Sky Sports therefore claim that the Cameroonian faces an uncertain future.

“As I always say, boxing is always in the back of my pocket. It’s something that I must do before the end of my career,” said Ngannou in his post-fight press conference, which White did not attend.

“It’s not simply money, obviously, money is a part of it, but it’s also the terms of the contract that I don’t agree with,” he said.

“It’s not simply money, obviously, money is a part of it, but it’s also the terms of the contract that I don’t agree with,” Ngannou told reporters when asked about his contract. “I don’t feel like it’s fair. I don’t feel like I’m a free man. I don’t feel like I’ve been treated good.

Beijing district orders mass COVID-19 testing ahead of 2022 Winter Olympics – National

Sport News

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January 23, 2022

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Beijing district orders mass COVID-19 testing ahead of 2022 Winter Olympics – National

People in a Beijing district with some 2 million residents were ordered Sunday to undergo mass coronavirus testing following a series of infections as China tightened anti-disease controls ahead of the Winter Olympics.

The government told people in areas of the Chinese capital deemed at high risk for infection not to leave the city after 25 cases were found in the Fengtai district and 14 elsewhere.

The ruling Communist Party is stepping up enforcement of its “zero tolerance” strategy aimed at isolating every infected person as Beijing prepares to open the Winter Games on Feb. 4 under intensive anti-virus controls.

On Sunday, Fengtai residents lined up on snow-covered sidewalks in freezing weather for testing.

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The Chinese capital must “take the most resolute, decisive and strict measures to block the transmission chain of the epidemic,” a city government spokesman, Xu Hejian, told a news conference.

Click to play video: 'Former ambassador weighs in on Canada’s China strategy following diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics'

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Former ambassador weighs in on Canada’s China strategy following diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics

Former ambassador weighs in on Canada’s China strategy following diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics – Dec 11, 2021

“In principle, personnel in risk areas shall not leave Beijing,” Xu said.

Nationwide, 56 new confirmed infections were reported in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday. The National Health Commission said 37 were believed to have been acquired abroad.

China has reported 4,636 deaths out of 105,603 confirmed cases and seven suspected cases since the pandemic began.

The Olympics are being held under strict controls that are meant to isolate athletes, reporters and officials from the outside world. Athletes are required to be vaccinated or undergo a quarantine after arriving in China.

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Other outbreaks prompted the government to impose travel bans on the major cities of Xi’an and Tianjin.

Scott Jamieson retains lead into final round in Abu Dhabi

Golf

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January 23, 2022

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Scott Jamieson retains lead into final round in Abu Dhabi

Scott Jamieson retained a one-shot lead going into the final round of the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi after a four-under-par 68 on Saturday ahead of Shane Lowry and Thomas Pieters.

Scotland’s Jamieson struck five birdies, including one on the final hole, to finish on an 11-under-par total.

Irishman Lowry and Belgium’s Pieters, who matched each other with bogey-free rounds of five-under 67, piled the pressure on Jamieson but the Scot showed great composure in his fight for a second title on the European Tour.

“After yesterday, certainly the whole day seems a little more straightforward but it still wasn’t easy,” Jamieson, who won his first title in 2013, said.

“The greens were considerably quicker and there was still a decent amount of breeze.

“It would be massive, a game-changer, to win a tournament of this stature. There’s definitely been some great champions here, and that’s an awful long way to go.”

India’s Shubhankar Sharma and Norway’s Viktor Hovland sat in a share of fourth place on eight-under, while Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello was a shot further back alongside Englishmen James Morrison and Ian Poulter.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy carded a five-under 67 to reach two-under for the tournament, while world No. 2 Collin Morikawa sat on two-over after a third-round 71.