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SINGAPORE — Lewis Hamilton took a huge stride towards a fourth Formula One title on Sunday with victory in an incident-packed Singapore Grand Prix after Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel crashed out at the start.

The Mercedes driver now has a 28-point cushion over the German with six of the 20 races remaining.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who also emerged from the opening lap carnage unscathed, was second for the third year in a row with Finland's Valtteri Bottas completing the podium for Mercedes.

"God blessed me today for sure," said Hamilton, who set a lap record on his way to a third win in a row, in podium interviews.

"I capitalised on the incident. Who would've known that would happen. It's really unfortunate for Ferrari but great for the team [Mercedes]."

The Briton cashed in after Vettel, Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's front row contender Max Verstappen smashed into each other as they raced off the wet starting grid and into the first corner.

Ferrari blamed Verstappen, while Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said the 19-year-old was a victim "of somebody else's accident".

The race, the first to be hit by rain in the decade that Singapore has hosted Formula One, had started in treacherous conditions after a formation lap behind the safety car.

Vettel was on pole position, with Hamilton fifth, and everything looked set for the German to retake the overall lead he had surrendered only two weeks earlier at Monza in Italy.

And then it all went wrong. The collision left Vettel's car with a hole punched in the side and he spun into the wall at turn three.

"For sure, it's bitter but it's done," said the four times Singapore GP winner, whose retirement ended a run of 18 successive points finishes.

The incident brought out the safety car and allowed Hamilton into a lead he would keep through two more safety car periods and a perfectly-timed switch to dry weather tyres.

Australian Ricciardo had been confident of victory, despite missing out on pole on Saturday but could not keep up with the Briton's pace on Sunday.

"I can't win the bloody thing. I'm trying," he said afterwards. "I'm a little bit disappointed to miss out on the win. But I'm still going to be grateful and happy with another podium."

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who will move to Renault next season, finished fourth for Toro Rosso to score the best result of his career.

Force India's Sergio Perez was fifth with Briton Jolyon Palmer, making way for Sainz at Renault, scoring his first points of the season with sixth.

Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne was seventh for McLaren ahead of Canadian teenager Lance Stroll in the Williams and Romain Grosjean in the Haas.

French rookie Esteban Ocon scored the final point for Force India in tenth.

With three safety car interruptions, the race ended with 58 of the 61 laps completed after hitting the two-hour mark. Only 12 of the 20 cars finished.

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-16 team plays Sri Lanka on Monday in their second match at the qualifiers for the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Championship.

The squad beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening match of Group A, which also includes Uzbekistan and Bahrain. Bahrain beat Sri Lanka 6-0 and plays Uzbekistan on Monday.

Organised by the AFC, and held once every two years for Asian U-16 teams, the competition also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The top 4 countries qualify to participate in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. 

Iraq are the reigning champs. Since the event kicked off in 1995, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and Oman have each won the title twice. Qatar, Iran, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Iraq won once.

Jordan failed to qualify to the 2016 AFC U16 Asian Championship and Coach Abdullah Qitati hopes to turn things around this time. After playing two friendlies in the UAE drawing 1-1 and winning 2-1 in the countdown to the qualifiers he noted the team’s “agenda was on course”. 

Similarly, the U-19 men’s team is readying to play in Group E alongside Syria, Palestine and the host Iran in AFC U-19 Championship qualifying stage scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8.

Jordan previously qualified to the Asian championship four times and reached the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007. Jordan finished fourth in 2006, but exited the group stages in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters, in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify to the 2014 championship. 

On the other hand, the U-23 team which qualified to the 3rd AFC U-23 Championship in 2018 is preparing in two phases for the AFC Championship as well as the qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Palestine and Jordan moved from Group E, Oman moved from Group A, Iraq and Saudi from Group B, Qatar and Syria from Group C, Uzbekistan from Group D, Australia form Group F, North Korea from Group G, Malaysia and Thailand from Group H, South Korea and Vietnam from Group I and China and Japan from Group J.

In 2016, Jordan was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship and failed to make it to the top four and a possible Olympic slot as the continent’s top three advanced to the Rio Games football tournament. In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship in 2014, Jordan took third place when it beat South Korea, while Iraq won the title after defeating Saudi Arabia.

Jordan’s U-23 squad was eliminated from the 1st West Asian U-23 Championship in 2015, and in 2014 the line-up represented Jordan at the Asian Games where it made to the quarter-finals.

Jordan hopes to advance this year after it was eliminated from the qualifying rounds of the 2016 championship.

AMMAN — Tennis enthusiasts once again have a week of action packed activity with the Tennis Academy Amman hosting its third annual Lexus Tennis Festival.

Held in collaboration with Markazia Lexus and continuing until September 22 , the 2017 Lexus Tennis Festival’s highlight will be hosting Toni Nadal, legendary coach, uncle and mentor of World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who will be attending the Family Tennis Day on Friday.

The festival which started over the weekend will include local tournaments which will last throughout the week. The Amman Masters tournament begins September 19 with the final match taking place at 3pm on Friday. 

The Tennis Academy Amman was established with a mission to build champions both on and off the court, with the firm belief that tennis builds character, teaches perseverance, and has the power to mould a whole new generation of athletes the Kingdom and the region can be proud of.

“It is with this understanding and the continued support of our partners and sponsors, we have worked to build long-lasting partnerships with the best coaches, academies and players in the world so that when the time comes, we can lean on their wealth of expertise to take our players to the highest levels of the game,” said Tennis Academy founder and Director Khalid Naffa.

“In that spirit, we are thrilled to welcome Mr Nadal, the most successful coach in the history of Tennis, to Jordan, to the academy, and to the festival!” Jordan’s former top ranked player Naffa added.

In his first visit to the Kingdom, Nadal will be the Guest of Honour during the 8-day Tennis Festival, which will feature local tournaments open to all age groups, the Amman Masters tournament featuring for the first time, internationally ranked female players, and a Family Tennis Day.

Born in Mallorca, Spain, Antonio Nadal Homar, is considered the most successful tennis coach in terms of Grand Slam titles in the history of the game. Better known as “Uncle Toni” by tennis lovers worldwide, he has earned a total of 16 Grand slams with his nephew Rafael, including 10 French Open titles, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon and 1 Australian Open title. Their partnership has lasted 27 years, one of the longest and most successful coach-player duos in sports history.

“After meeting in Mallorca part of the enthusiastic team from the Tennis Academy Amman I am looking forward to being a guest at the Lexus Tennis Festival,” Nadal said ahead of his arrival in Jordan. “I have always loved working with young players and so I will love to share with them all that I can, not only my knowledge and experience, but also my love and passion for this sport. I am really excited about it,” he added.

Last year, the guest of honour was Moroccan Karim Alami, who retired in 2002. As a junior, he reached World No.2 in singles and World No.1 in doubles.

In 2015, the festival featured an exhibition match between top international players former world #13 Jarkko Nieminen and Tunisian tennis star Malek Jaziri, as well as a Family Tennis Day with legendary and multiple Grand Slam Champion Mary Pierce. The French champion, is a winner of four Grand Slam titles, including the 1995 Singles Australian Open, the 2000 Singles French Open, the 2000 doubles French Open, and the 2005 mixed doubles Wimbledon title.

AMMAN — Jordan dropped two spots to 110th in the latest FIFA Rankings issued on Thursday.

The squad is still out of the Asian top 10 trailing Iran (25), Japan (40), Australia (50), South Korea (51), Saudi Arabia (53), China (62), Uzbekistan (69), the UAE (72), Syria (75), Qatar (85), Iraq (88), Palestine (91) and India (107). Jordan’s best FIFA ranking was 37th in 2004, while its lowest ranking was 152nd in 1996.

Germany leads the top 10 World Rankings, followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, France, Chile and Columbia.

Egypt is the top-ranked Arab team at 30th, followed by Tunisia 31st, Morocco 56th and Algeria 62nd.

Jordan resumed 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers this month and beat Afghanistan 4-1 to maintain Group C lead after earlier holding Vietnam 0-0 and scoring a 7-0 win over lowly Cambodia.

Vietnam is second in the group after they held Afghanistan 1-1 and beat Cambodia 2-1. Cambodia beat Afghanistan 1-0.

Ahead of restarting their Asian Cup qualifying journey Jordan held Bahrain 0-0 in a friendly. They will next play Oman in another friendly on October 5 before playing Afghanistan in the return leg of the qualifiers on October 10.

Qualifying to the 2019 Asian Cup should not be a difficult task for Jordan given the limited capabilities of their qualifying group. 

After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, advancing to the Asian finals is a priority. The Kingdom has steadily slid down FIFA rankings and the team has had an inconsistent two years compared to 2013 when Jordan was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time.

The national team is set play two friendless against Kenya on September 17 and 19 before playing Oman on October 4 ahead of resuming return leg away qualifiers against Afghanistan on October 10 and Cambodia on October 14.

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972, Jordan reached the Asian Championship three times. The pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup, when they lost to Japan in the quarter-finals. They also reached the Asian Cup in 2011 and 2015.

During the 2013 World Cup qualifying journey, Jordan advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie for a place in the 2014 World Cup. They, however, lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in the qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers since 1986.

AMMAN — Khaled Juma’ on Friday was crowned champion of the fourth round of the Jordan National Rally Championship held at the Dead Sea area with the participation of 11 drivers.

Juma’ and co-driver Mohammed Juma’ clocked 40m43s in their Mitsubishi EVO 10, leaving Ihab Shurafa and co-driver Hazem Atteyat in the second place (41m449s) in their Mitsubishi EVO 9, and Salameh Qamaz and co-driver Faisal Qamaz in third spot (42m20s) in their Mitsubishi EVO 5. Amjad Sheikh and co- driver Abdullah Edah settled in fourth place (43m20s).

AMMAN — The fourth round of the National Rally Championship kicks off on Friday with the participation of 11 drivers.

The crucial round will be a decisive one due to the fact that several drivers are sharing the same total of points with Marouf Abu Samra positioning himself in first place, having the same total of points with second-placed Ehab Shurafa, with 37.5 points each.

Third-placed Ahmed Shaban and fourth-placed Asem Aref have 25 points each, while Ziad Meqdad settled in fifth place, with 24 points, followed by Khaled Juma, with 18 points.

With the absence of Abu Samra in the fourth round, the road will be open for Shurafa to take the lead and although the competition will be fierce Shurafa has a better chance to lead the standings especially with his hard-earned 37.5 points.

“It is definitely a very vital round for all drivers as there will be a need to focus more and take advantage of every second. The rally will be a very good challenge for all drivers and we expect a very good and thrilling round,” Othman Naseef, Jordan Motorsport CEO told The Jordan Times.

“Drivers will have to go through Bahra, Kroum and Ghernata three times each with a total distance of 145.55km, including 62.70km of special stages,” he added.

Meanwhile, the challenge will also hit the co-drivers title with Malek Hariri and Yousef Juma’ leading with 37.5 points each.

Musa Jahryan is in third place, with 33 points, followed by Shadi Shaban, with 25 points and Hassan Meqdad in fifth spot, with 22 points.

LIMA — Los Angeles 2028 chiefs say that giving up their challenge for the 2024 Games became a no-brainer after securing a package of financial sweeteners that means the city International Olympic Committee (IOC) will get an Olympic boost years before they stage the extravaganza.

Tomorrow, in Lima, the IOC will make history with an unprecedented double award that sees the 2024 Games goes to Paris while Los Angeles is handed 2028.

Los Angeles agreed to step aside for Paris after thrashing out a series of perks, some of which will be felt almost immediately.

These include a financial guarantee from the IOC which is $100 million higher than will be awarded to Paris in 2024, with Los Angeles receiving $1.8 billion compared to Paris’s $1.7 billion.

Los Angeles will also receive an immediate, interest-free advance of $180 million to help finance the costs of the organising committee for an additional four years. As much as $160 million of that money could be pumped into youth sports throughout Los Angeles, helping to lay the foundations of an Olympic legacy more than decade before the games take place.

Finally the IOC will give up its share of any surplus arising from the games, projected to be as much as $500 million.

Normally the IOC takes a 20 per cent cut of the surplus; for 2028 the organisation has waived its share, potentially handing Los Angeles an additional $100 million.

Los Angeles has also obtained the right to exploit Olympic symbols for longer than usual, another factor that is likely to allow it to maximise revenues. Usually host city marketing programmes start around five years before the games, as will be the case with Paris, beginning in 2019. However Los Angeles will be able to start in 2021.

‘Deliver our legacy

“If these terms were presented to me today and I could choose between 2024 and 2028 with the terms we have, I would be derelict in my duty not to choose 2028,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told AFP in Lima this week.

“What we can do is begin to deliver our legacy next year, instead of waiting until the year after the 2024 Olympics. To give my people eight years earlier, access to sports, young people in impoverished neighbourhoods access to sports — that’s a no-brainer for me.”

The longer lead time also means the likelihood of overruns is minimised. By accepting 2028, Los Angeles, which has a bid based almost entirely on existing or temporary facilities, will have more time to ensure that venues are fully operational, said Patrick Rishe, the director of the sports business programme at Washington University in St Louis.

“They played their cards extremely well, especially when you consider that if it had gone to a vote Paris probably would have won,” Rishe said.

Some have even wondered whether Los Angeles could have extracted a more generous package from the IOC.

Los Angeles bid chief Casey Wasserman brushed off that point of view when speaking to reporters in Lima this week.

“It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback,” said Wasserman. “I was there on the phone every day and I think we got a good deal. It was good for both sides and that’s where we ended up.”

NEW YORK — Belonging to a generation of era-defining champions is of greater importance to Spanish juggernaut Rafa Nadal than his long-term rivalry with Roger Federer.

World No. 1 Nadal won his third US Open and 16th grand slam title with a 6-3 6-3 6-4 demolition of South African Kevin Anderson, triggering speculations on his chances of surpassing Federer’s record of 19 major championships.

“Of course this rivalry has been important for our sport, in my opinion,” Nadal said of his battles with the Swiss great.

“That involved a lot of people, and because of different styles, different characters, and we played for the most important things for such a long time, I think that was the great promotion for our sport,” Nadal told a news conference.

“I feel happy to be part of this rivalry, but at the same time, I played even more matches with Novak [Djokovic] than with Roger in such important matches, too.”

Since Nadal won the first of this 10 French Open titles, he, Federer and Djokovic have won 43 of the 51 grand slams.

“In my career, I have been involved in different rivalries. I feel lucky to be part of all of them in some way. In another way, I have been in an era where three players achieved 19, 16 and 12 [grand slams],” he said, referring to himself, Federer and Djokovic.

“That’s a lot, no? There is a remarkable part of the history of our sport. So that means was difficult for everybody to win titles in this part of the, in this era.”

Since then, only Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic have managed to win major titles.

“That’s difficult to find some players in the same generation that achieve all the things that we achieved,” Nadal said.

“We are in an era that is not nice to say, because I’m part of it, but we are in an era that some players make incredible things in this sport, no?

“Happy to be part of it, and I feel lucky to be part of it and enjoying the fact that I have been involved in some way in the two rivalries. That is amazing, no?”

Nadal and Djokovic have played each other 50 times, the Serbian prevailing 26 times but losing three of their four grand slam final encounters.

The Spaniard has a 23-14 win-loss record against Federer and he won six of their nine finals at a major.

“I think nobody played more matches against each other like Novak and I and with Roger, because we competed for such a long time for the first and second spots and competed for most important events,” said Nadal.

“It’s been great but at the same time, there have been difficult moments to win a lot of titles, but in some way, we should be very happy, no? Because us three, we still won a lot of things, and probably even Roger and me or Novak even much more than we ever dreamed.”

“We feel very happy about all the things that happened to us, and probably everybody, we feel lucky in some way.”

AMMAN — The semifinals of the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield kick off on Tuesday with the four teams battling for the second title of the season.

Ramtha will take on Wihdat while Faisali play Jazira on Wednesday with the winners advancing to the September 19 final.

Jordan Professional Football League teams played in three groups with the top team from each group as well as the best second placed team moving to the knock-out semifinal round: Jazira advanced from Group A edging titleholders Shabab Urdun, newcomers Aqaba and Manshieh. Faisali topped Group B which included Baqaa, Yarmouk and Hussein while Wihdat led Group C which included Ahli, That Ras, and Ramtha who advanced as best second place team. 

The season started earlier this month when league and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat runner-up Jazira 2-1 to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup — the first major competition on the 2017/18 football calendar. The league kicked off on the weekend while the Jordan Cup is set to start September 25.

The JFA brought back the Shield on the calendar last year following an absence of four seasons. Faisali, twice winner of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, won the league and Jordan Cup titles last year while Ahli beat Wihdat to win the Super Cup and Shabab Urdun took home the JFA Shield.

This summer, Faisali finished runner-up to Tunisia’s Tarajji at the Arab Championship after an impressive performance which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli. 

Looking back at the history of the Shield tournament, Wihdat are a record eight time winners, Faisali seven, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman and Shabab Urdun twice each, Kufrsoum and Yarmouk once each. Hussein were finalists seven times. Amman have since scrapped football while Qadissieh were relegated and have since merged with Shabab Urdun. The winner will get JD15,000 in prize money.

NEW YORK —  Sloane Stephens, sidelined for 11 months by a left foot injury until returning in July, captured her first Grand Slam title by routing fellow American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-0 in Saturday’s US Open final. 

Stephens took a $3.7 million (3.07 million euros) top prize from the biggest victory of her career, pitted against one of her closest friends in the first all-US final since 2002 on the New York hardcourts. 

“I should just retire now,” Stephens said. “I’ll never be able to top this. Talk about a comeback. Things just have to come together and the past six weeks they really have.” 

With the 15th victory in her past 17 matches, Stephens became only the fifth unseeded player to win a women’s Slam title, although Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko managed the feat at this year’s French Open. 

The only prior unseeded US Open women’s champion was Kim Clijsters, who came back from retirement to take the 2009 title. 

“It’s incredible,” Stephens said. “I had surgery January 23. If sone told me then I’d win the US Open, it’s imposssible I’d say, absolutely impossible. 

“This journey has been incredible and honestly I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

Stephens made only six unforced errors in the match to 30 for Keys, who had 18 winners to 10 for the champion. 

It was the first final set of a US Open women’s championship match where the loser did not take a game since Chris Evert beat Evonne Goolagong 6-3, 6-0 in 1976. 

“I didn’t play my best tennis today and I’m disappointed in that but Sloane was very supportive and if there’s someone I have to lose to today I’m glad it’s her. Sloane is truly one of my favourite people. 

“If you told me two months ago I’d be holding a US Open finalist’s trophy I’d have been really happy and proud of myself.” 

Presented with the winner’s check, Stephens said, ‘That’s a lot of money. Wow,” but then handed the check envelope to best pal Keys, who she sat next to after the victory rather than on opposite sides of the umpire’s chair, to take hold of the winner’s trophy. 

“Maddie is my best friend on tour,” Stephens said. “I told her I wished there could have been a draw. I’m going to support her no matter what and she’s going to support me no matter what. 

“To stand here with her today is incredible — that’s what really friendship is.” 

Keys, seeded 15th, and 83rd-ranked Stephens each fought off injuries to reach the title showdown. 

Stephens returned at Wimbledon and slid to 957th in world rankings before semifinal runs at US Open tuneups in Toronto and Cincinnati, while Keys underwent her second left wrist surgery after the French Open and won a tuneup title at Stanford. 

Stephens will jump to 17th in Monday’s world rankings while Keys, who took hom $1.825 million as runner-up, will rise to 12th. 

In the firset set, Stephens broke to seize a 3-2 lead, Keys swatting a forehand beyond the baseline to surrender the game, and Stephens broke again when Keys send a backhand long to take the set after 30 minutes. 

Keys made 17 unforced errors in the opening set to just two for Stephens, both in the last game. 

In the second set, Stephens broke with a forehand crosscourt winner past on outstretched Keys to grab a 2-0 edge, then broke again on a double fault for a 4-0 lead, Keys swatting the ball with her left hand as it bounced back at her. 

Keys forced triple break point in the fifth game, but Stephens saved them all and held to 5-0. 

The end came after 61 minutes on Stephens’ third break and championship point when Keys netted a forehand.

Hands on hips, Stephens simply stood for a few seconds with a stunned expression, then smiled and made a tiny fist pump before going to the net to share a teary-eyed hug with Keys. 

Neither Keys, 22, nor Stephens, 24, had ever reached a Slam final, only the seventh time in the Open Era (since 1967) two first-timers met for a women’s Slam title. 

But it was the second time in three years it happened at Arthur Ashe Stadium after Flavia Pennetta beat Roberta Vinci in 2015’s all-Italian final.