the times | Tuesday September 15 2020 1GM 59
TennisSport
Gareth Bale is open to the possibility of
joining Manchester United if a deal can
be struck with Real Madrid.
It is a move that had been deemed
impossible by those close to Bale, 31,
because of the player’s high wages —
£650,000 a week — and even now there
is an acceptance that it is unlikely to
happen. But United have not ruled out
bringing in an experienced forward on
loan if they fail to sign their first-choice
target, Jadon Sancho.
Bale appears to fit the bill. The Wales
CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGESFrench Open
September 21 to
October 11
TV: ITV4
Radio: BBC Five Live
Sports ExtraOne downside for Rafael Nadal in
deciding not to defend his US Open
title because of health concerns was
that it increased the likelihood of a
player outside the big three winning a
grand-slam title. And so it proved as the
eventual champion Dominic Thiem
now returns to Europe standing a little
taller, before mounting what is likely to
be a considerable challenge to the
Spaniard’s long-standing domination
at Roland Garros.
Thiem, 27, has led the rest behind
Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djok-
ovic in recent years, so it felt right that
his Flushing Meadows triumph late on
Sunday night made him the first man
born in the Nineties to win a grand-
slam singles title. He is made of sterner
stuff than many of those who have
struggled to break the stranglehold of
the big three, as shown through produc-
ing the first comeback from two sets
down in a US Open final since 1949.
The match between Thiem and Alex-
ander Zverev will not be remembered
for high-quality tennis, more the grip-
ping drama towards the end of four
hours inside the bizarre surroundings
of an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Thiem is a workhorse renowned for
packing as many tournaments into his
schedule as possible, but sensibly he has
decided against throwing himself
straight into the European clay-court
swing at the Italian Open this week.
Instead, a few days of rest await before
he commences his preparations on the
practice court for the French Open,
where he will bid to go one step
further than his runner-up
finishes of the past two years.
“I think physically I’m going to
be fine, 100 per cent,” he
said. “But the question is
how I’m going to do it
with the men-
tal emotions. I
achieved a big,
big goal. I don’t
know how I’m
going to feel in
the next days. I
hope I’m going to
be a little bit more
relaxed and play more
freely at the biggest events.”
Watching on television from Rome in
the early hours of yesterday were Nadal
and Djokovic, who both said they man-
aged to stay awake for the first four sets
but called it a night before the fifth at
about 1.30am local time. Djokovic was
particularly pleased for Thiem, given
that he denied him in a five-set final at
the Australian Open this year.
“It will be interesting to see how his
career goes from here,” Djokovic said.
“Obviously getting that first monkey
off your back is a huge relief and after
that you start believing in yourself
much more and feeling maybe a bit less
pressure. We have Roland Garros in a
couple of weeks’ time and Dominic is
right behind Rafa on clay as the favour-
ite to go all the way.”
If ever there is a time for Thiem to
overcome one of the toughest tests in
sport by defeating the 12-times French
Open champion, Nadal, over the best of
five sets on clay, then perhaps this is the
year. Despite losing to Nadal in both of
the finals he has contested at Roland
Garros, the Austrian has beaten him on
the red stuff elsewhere on four occa-
sions in best of three-set matches.
But history shows it does not take
long for Nadal, 34, to find his feet on a
clay court. Just as well, because he
has been drawn to face his compatri-
ot Pablo Carreno Busta, a semi-final-
ist at the US Open, in his first match
since March in Rome this week.
“It’s obvious that to feel
you’re 100 per cent, you need
matches,” Nadal said. “I
know I have a tough first
match against Pablo. He’s
playing great.”
Andy Murray was last
night awarded a wild card for
the French Open. The 2016
runner-up, ranked No 110 in
the world after his hip troubles,
is not scheduled to play any
tournament in the build-up,
preferring instead to practice
on clay courts.Thiem ready
to dethrone
king of clay
Stuart Fraser Tennis Correspondent
Djokovic is keen to move on at the Italian Open in Rome this week to put the memory of his disqualification behind him
I could hit another judge, says Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has revealed that his
recent disqualification from the US
Open left him in shock for days, but he
admitted that his fiery personality on
the court means he “cannot promise or
guarantee” that he will not hit a line
judge again.
Before his return to action at the
Italian Open in Rome this week, the
17-times grand-slam champion from
Serbia addressed the media for the first
time since the incident a week ago last
Sunday, when he unintentionally
struck a ball at the throat of the line
judge Laura Clark during his fourth-
round match at Flushing Meadows.
“It was very hard for me to accept
right after it happened,” Djokovic said.
“For a couple of days I was in shock and
I was shaken by the whole thing. I called
Laura right away and checked on her,
and she was doing fine. That was
important for me. She was good, so that
gave me relief, and of course time healsthese kind of things. It was very unex-
pected and very unintended as well, to
hit her. But when you hit the ball like
that, to have a chance to hit someone
who is on the court, the rules are clear,
so I accepted it and had to move on.”
For those who have watched Djokov-
ic’s career, the scenes in New York were
not necessarily a surprise. The 33-year-
old has come close in the past to making
contact with line judges and ball boys
and girls, and he acknowledged this
during a long and contrite acceptance
of responsibility for his misbehaviour.
“I understand that I have outbursts
and this is the personality and the
player that I have always been,” Djok-
ovic said. “I went through ups and
downs in my career and managed to
control my emotions more or less, but
you are alone out there, it’s a lot of pres-
sure and you have to deal with that.
Sometimes situations like this happen.
“I cannot promise or guarantee I will
never ever do anything similar to that
in my life. I am definitely willing to trymy best. But anything is possible in life,
so I’m going to take this in as profound-
ly as possible for me as a big lesson.”
Djokovic is one of the greats yet has
never quite received the same level of
adoration as Roger Federer and Rafael
Nadal. The controversy is unlikely to
endear him to his detractors, and he
was asked if he believes it could affect
his legacy. “I will leave that to other
people and their judgment,” Djokovic
said. “Time will tell, I guess.”
The fast turnaround between the
American hard-court stretch and the
European clay-court swing offers Djok-
ovic the chance to move on and focus
on his preparations for the French
Open, beginning on September 27. He is
the top seed for the Italian Open and
will play his first match against Tennys
Sandgren or Salvatore Caruso
tomorrow. “I don’t think I will have any
major issues coming back to the tour,”
he said. “I feel like the earlier I get back
in competition mode, the faster I will
overcome that memory.”Stuart Fraser Tennis Correspondent
Bale open to signing for United on loan
forward is unhappy at Real after losing
his place in the team. He started only 14
games last season and has been deemed
surplus to requirements by Zinédine
Zidane, the manager.
Douglas Costa, the 30-year-old
Juventus forward, is another possible
target for United if they do not
complete the signing of Sancho from
Borussia Dortmund before the transfer
window closes on October 5.
Sources within the German club
yesterday reiterated that Sancho will
not be allowed to leave. They insist that
United failed to meet the €120 million
(about £110.7 million) asking price forthe 20-year-old before a deadline — set
by the German club — of August 10.
Lucien Favre, the Dortmund coach,
is counting on Sancho for the new
season. “We need him, no question,” he
said. “He scores and sets up a lot of goals
and can often make all the difference.”
United are considering making a bid
for Sergio Reguilón, 23, the Real full
back who had a successful season on
loan at Seville, where he starred in the
Spanish team’s victory over United in
the Europa League semi-final in Co-
logne. Talks have taken place but a deal
seems unlikely as United are unwilling
to meet Real’s £23 million asking price.Football
Paul Hirst
would ease fears about the risk of trans-
mission of the virus on public transport
and in pubs before and after matches. It
would also provide ticket money for
clubs in Leagues One and Two.
Whitehall insiders say there is still an
aim to get as many fans as possible into
stadiums from October 1, but that they
will have to be guided by Public Health
England. A decision must be taken soon
as the RFU needs to start selling tickets
for the autumn internationals at Twick-
enham, as does the FA for England
matches against Wales, Belgium and
New blow to fan return plan
Denmark at Wembley next month.
Top-flight clubs reacted angrily to the
government announcing last week that
pilot events would be limited to 1,000
supporters, claiming that they had
measures in place to allow fans to
return safely, and said they would not
take part in any such events until more
fans are allowed. It is understood that
Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa
are particularly unhappy.
The EFL, however, will push ahead
with pilot events. Queens Park Rangers
v Middlesbrough, on September 26,
could be one match at which 1,000 fans
are present.Thiem had previously lost
three grand-slam finals
Most wins on tour since 2016
1 Novak Djokovic ................................... 233
2 Dominic Thiem ................................... 227
3 Rafael Nadal ......................................... 223
4 Alexander Zverev...............................217
5= Roberto Bautista Agut..................185
5= David Goffin........................................185continued from back