the times | Friday July 31 2020 2GM 63
Sport
Ashleigh Barty has become the most
high-profile player to decide against
competing in the US Open because of
concerns over the coronavirus. The
world No 1 from Australia believes
there are “significant risks” involved
with the staging of the grand-slam
tournament in New York next month.
While US Open organisers are going
to great lengths to ensure a biosecure
bubble, they are braced for more
withdrawals ahead of the entry
deadline on Monday. Simona Halep,
the world No 2 from Romania, is known
to be concerned about the present
health situation in the United States.
Barty, 24, also expressed uncertainty
Surrey: Exhibition, UK Pro Series 4
(All GB): B Harris bt L Johnson 4-6,
6-4, 11-9; J Cash bt D Fox 7-5, 6-1; J
Paris bt S Hodkin 6-0, 7-6 (7-3); M
Whitehouse bt T Martin 7-6 (7-3),
6-3; A Canter bt M Basing 6-2, 7-6
(15-13); H Patten bt A Jhun 6-0, 6-1;
E Maloney bt E Appleton 4-6, 6-3,
10-8; N Rawson bt D Daley 7-6 (7-3),
6-3; A Bissett bt A Gillan 5-7, 6-4, 10-
4; E Arbuthnott bt F Christie 6-1, 6-4;
S Kartal bt C Verden Anderson 6-0, 6-
0; E Richardson bt E Morton 6-2, 6-0.Fixtures
Golf
European Tour: Hero Open,
Birmingham. Round two of four.Snooker
2020 Betfred World Snooker
Championship, Sheffield (England
unless stated): S Bingham v A Carty
(10.0); J Trump v T Ford (10.0); J Ding
(Ch) v M King (2.30); M Williams
(Wal) v A McManus (Sco) (7.0).US PGA Tour: World Golf
Championships-FedEx St Jude
Invitational, Tennessee: early first-
round leaders
(United States unless stated)
(Par 70)
-8 B Koepka (thru 17)
-6 R Fowler (64); B Todd (64)
-5 S Kang (S Kor) (65)
-4 M Kuchar (66); M Homa (66);
C Reavie (66); J Thomas (66)
-3 P Mickelson (67)Tennis
St James’s Place Battle of the Brits
2: Day four: British Bulldogs 31 Union
Jacks 25 (British Bulldogs names
first): L Broady lost to J Choinski 2-6,
3-6; A McHugh lost to A Matusevich
3-6, 6-1, 6-10; K Edmund bt R
Peniston 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 10-6; M
Lumsden bt N Broady 6-3, 7-5; H Dart
lost to J Burrage 7-5, 4-6, 6-10; E
Raducanu lost to H Watson 2-6, 4-6;
D Inglot & A Gray lost to A Murray &
L Glasspool 4-6, 4-6; B Grey & E Silva
lost to A Barnett & O Nicholls 4-6,
3-6; J Salisbury & E Raducanu lost to
J Murray & H Watson 4-6, 4-6.World No 1 Barty opts out of US Open
about defending her French Open title.
A European clay-court swing will
immediately follow the US Open,
which ends on September 13, with tour-
naments in Madrid and Rome before
Roland Garros on September 27.
“My team and I have decided that we
won’t be travelling to the US this year,”
Barty said. “It was a difficult decision
but there are still significant risks
involved and I don’t feel comfortable
putting my team and I in that position.
I will make my decision on the French
Open and the WTA European tourna-
ments in the coming weeks.”
Andy Murray responded to Barty’s
announcement with understanding but
reiterated that he will compete in the
US Open, though he does expect
withdrawals in the men’s draw.“I have heard that some of the top
male players are not going to play,”
Murray said. “It’s everyone’s personal
decision. If they don’t feel safe travel-
ling, and don’t want to put themselves
and their team at an increased risk, it is
completely understandable.”
The difficulties of resuming inter-
national tours were highlighted last
night when an unnamed doubles player
tested positive for the virus ahead of
next week’s Palermo Open, which
marks the return of the WTA Tour. The
event is still going ahead as she did not
come into contact with other players.
Murray, 33, won his men’s doubles
match at the St James’s Place Battle of
the Brits mixed team event yesterday,
joining Lloyd Glasspool to beat Domin-
ic Inglot and Alastair Gray 6-4, 6-4.Tennis
Stuart Fraser Tennis Correspondent
Football
Sky Bet Championship play-
off semi-final second leg
Fulham 1 Cardiff 2
Kebano 9 Nelson 8
Tomlin 47Golf
European Tour: Hero Open,
Birmingham: round one of four
(Par 72; England unless stated):
62 S Rodriguez (Sp)
64 P Larrazabal (Sp); M Jiménez (Sp)
65 O Farr (Wal)
66 A Chesters; R Hojgaard (Den); J
Walters (SA)
67 W Besseling (Ned); L Canter; S
Crocker (US); T Detry (Bel); S Kim
(US); M Korhonen (Fin); R Roussel
(Fra); M Southgate; A Levy (Fra); J
Salter (Fra); C Syme (Sco)
68 A Bjork (Swe); D Coupland; R
Enoch (Wal); E Ferguson (Sco); J
Guerrier (Fra); J Hansen (Den); S
Horsfield; R Karlberg (Swe); A
Rozner (Fra); K Samooja (Fin); C
Shinkwin.Results
shop. It was all very sultry, very sleepy.
Even the huge crane erecting Fulham’s
new stand by the Thames seemed to be
wilting in the heat, almost dropping its
head towards the water in search of
sustenance.
On a day for slow batting innings,
leisurely boundaries, not quick singles,
the sight of two football teams going full
pelt at each other was impressive.
Even with a pause for lockdown,
these players have been giving
everything for almost a year, and this
was no different. There was so much at
stake, the chance of Wembley, the shot
at promotion glory. So they tore into
each other right from Paul Tierney’s
first whistle.
Cardiff, organised and powerful,
were immediately a threat from set
pieces, whether Will Vaulks’s long
throws or Joe Ralls’s left-footed corners
and free kicks. Within six minutes,
Vaulks launched a long throw that
Rodak tipped over.
Ralls delivered an inswinging corner
and Curtis Nelson arrived at pace,
rising above everyone to power his
header in. Cardiff immediately raced
back to their own half, wanting to get on
with the game.
Fulham certainly did. They played in
Parker’s image, always looking for the
pass, always positive. Cyrus Christie
looked to push down the right from full
back, his stamina remarkable. Harrison
Reed sat in midfield, picking up posses-
sion, building moves, dovetailing withhis captain, Tom Cairney. Josh Ono-
mah was a target man who dropped off,
always showing for the ball, taking the
buffeting attentions of his markers.
Bobby Decordova-Reid and Neeskens
Kebano buzzed around like fireflies.
So they took Cardiff’s goal in their
nimble stride and were level within 24
seconds. Cairney was swiftly on the
ball, sliding it right to Christie, who
quickly found Decordova-Reid. He
sprinted towards the Hammersmith
End, full of lights but empty of life. His
cross was low and hard, and Kebano got
ahead of the sluggish Leandro Bacuna
to steer his shot in from ten yards.
Neil Harris was decisive at the break,
sending on Lee Tomlin and Nathaniel
Mendez-Laing for Marlon Pack and
Junior Hoilett, and the change drew
instant reward for Cardiff.
Another Vaulks throw-in was met by
Michael Hector, but it was a poor clear-
ance. Mendez-Laing reacted quickly,
heading goalwards. Rodak saved, but
Tomlin played the poacher.
The tide was now with Cardiff, flood-
ing towards Rodak’s area. Fulham didbreak out, as Aboubakar Kamara was
denied, first by Alex Smithies and then
by the post. But the main action was in
the hosts’ half. Rodak again rescued
Fulham, clawing over a Vaulks strike,
keeping Parker’s men on course for
Wembley. Parker admired his team’s
strength to hold on. “A wounded animal
who had nothing to lose put us under
pressure,” he said.
As Parker heads to Wembley in a
lengthening season, Harris will focus
on his fine job reviving Cardiff.
“There’s been some really strong,
positive words in the changing room
from me, and the players as well,” he
said. “Our football club should be built
on hard graft, determination, repre-
senting the part of south Wales we
come from.
“I showed my disappointment with
strong words. I want more. But I’m also
proud of them. Our fanbase should be
proud of how far we’ve come. But let’s
use that pride and passion to drive us
into next season.”Fulham (4-2-3-1): M Rodak 8 — C Christie 8, M
Hector 6, T Ream 6, J Bryan 6 (M Le Marchand
90min) — H Reed 6, T Cairney — A Knockaert 6
(D Odoi 76), J Onomah 7, N Kebano 8 (A Kamara
45, 8) — B Decordova-Reid 7. Booked Decordova-
Reid, Christie, Rodak, Onomah.
Cardiff City (4-2-3-1): A Smithies 8 — L Bacuna 7,
S Morrison 7, C Nelson 8, J Bennett 7 — M Pack 6
(L Tomlin 45, 8) (G Whyte 84), W Vaulks 7 — J
Murphy 7, J Ralls 7, J Hoilett 6 (N Mendez-Laing
45, 7) — D Ward 7 (R Glatzel 71). Booked Bacuna,
Morrison, Vaulks, Ralls.
Referee P Tierney.Moments after Cardiff went ahead on eight minutes, Kebano equalised, restoring Fulham’s two-goal first-leg advantage
Championship play-off final
Brentford v
Fulham
Tuesday August 4, 7.45pm
(Wembley Stadium)In the longest, strangest season,
Fulham lost and yet won, and will now
contest the Championship play-off
final on Tuesday, August 4, a year and a
day after their campaign began with
defeat away to Barnsley.
It has been a draining challenge,
physically and mentally, and at times
Fulham were only just holding on in
sweltering conditions last night. Scott
Parker remained immaculate in his
jacket and tie but, in truth, Craven
Cottage was more of a sauna.
As the sun dropped behind the
elegant poplars on the far bank of the
Thames, Fulham’s hopes rose of a
return to the Premier League at the first
attempt. It is testament to the resilience
of Parker’s side, and the reflexes of their
goalkeeper Marek Rodak, that they
withstood a Cardiff City team who gave
absolutely everything, creating so
many chances but lacking a finisher.
Fulham’s own marksman, Aleksan-
dar Mitrovic, was sitting in the Johnny
Haynes Stand, not risking his slight
hamstring strain, but still contributing
loudly with constant exhortations to
his sweating team-mates: “Let’s go, let’s
go,” and “Time, time, time.”
The noise swelled at the final whistle
as Fulham fans began to gather on
Stevenage Road, wanting to salute their
team within, and singing of Wembley,
where they will face Brentford in a west
London derby guaranteed to be
watchable given the passing and move-
ment of both sides.
As the Fulham fans sang louder and
louder, as their chants took in ancient
rivalries, the evening’s genteel feel
evaporated. Earlier, it had felt more a
time for sitting in Bishops Park
watching the world and the Thames
float by. It felt more a time for drinks
breaks in the hostelries by Putney
Bridge, not during matches of a winter
sport that had invaded the summer.
For local residents strolling past, the
cries of 22 men in a near-deserted
football stadium filled the warm air.
Outside, a street back from Fulham’s
ancestral home, a middle-aged man
practised his tennis backhand against a
wall, pausing only for the occasional car
and skateboarders.
Two pupils from Ampleforth College
waited patiently in the sun for the
queue to move outside a nearby corner
Fulham survive Cardiff onslaught
0
2Fulham win 3-2 on agg
Sky Bet Championship
Play-off semi-final, second leg
Henry Winter Chief Football Writer
1
0
Fulham
Kebano 9Cardiff City
Nelson 8, Tomlin 47 21
ANDREW FOSKER/BPI/REXParker: Forget
loss and focus
on Wembley
Molly Hudson
Scott Parker has urged his side to get
over the disappointment of losing the
second leg of their Championship play-
off semi-final against Cardiff City,
despite winning on aggregate, with less
than a week until their Wembley final
against Brentford.
In contrast to Brentford’s jubilation
at their victory over Swansea City at
Griffin Park on Wednesday night,
Parker’s side were shocked by the per-
formance of Cardiff City, who bounced
back from being two goals down in the
first leg to win 2-1 on the night and
almost push the tie into extra time.
“It was our 48th game [of the season]
tonight, Parker, the Fulham manager,
said. “We live in a world where it is easy
to lose sight of achievements, I can
sense disappointment [in the team] but
we have a massive game on Tuesday, a
totally different game to tonight and we
need to stay bright, positive and go into
Tuesday ready. We all know it’s a coin
toss for who will win in the final.”
“The way the game panned out
tonight was not how we expected, to be
honest. We realised the task ahead of us
today, against a team wounded from the
first leg, a wounded animal came here
with nothing to lose.
“We did a good job away from home,
tonight we struggled at times but we
can’t lose sight of the [aggregate] win.
We move on, dust ourselves off and
the Championship [play-off] final is up
for grabs.”
Neil Harris, the Cardiff City manag-
er, was proud of his side’s performance
but was left ruing a half-chance for his
striker Robert Glatzel deep into stop-
page time, which he could only blaze
over from a tight angle.
“In these big games there is always a
chance, and Robert had a chance right
at the end... I thought the character of
the players [was good], we got in front
and started really well, but Fulham
scored at key moments over the course
of the two games,” Harris said.
“To get to where we are tonight, with
a 2-1 win over Fulham, I couldn’t be
prouder of the players. We ran them
really close. It shows we can compete
with top sides. We feel the capital city of
Wales should have a team in the Pre-
mier League, but we have to earn that.”
Fulham will face local rivals Brent-
ford at Wembley on Tuesday night.