Thailand were no match for the 15-time Copa America champions who showed no mercy to the Thai side with a 4-0 demolition win in the China Cup in Nanning on Monday.

The Thai FA chief said he would now let Sirisak and assistant Choketawee Promrut take a break while he continues looking for a qualified candidate for the national coach position. However, he may need them for other jobs.

“I’ve never left behind anyone who used to work with me as long as they can still perform their duties well,” said Somyot upon his arrival in Bangkok.

“They’ve done a good job [reaching the round of 16 in the Asian Cup and beating China last week]. They may help in other areas, if not as a coach or assistant, and they have agreed to do so.”

The FAT president explained he would love to keep both men in their jobs but he has to abide by the rules which requires national coaches and their assistants to have a pro licence and A licence respectively.

“We are obliged to international rules which we have to respect,” he said.

Sirisak said he had no qualms about being offered another position as long as he was still able to help the national team.

“Somyot and I even discussed about this before going to China. As long as I can help the team, I don’t mind any position I am assigned to,” Sirisak said.

The Thai players will have a long break before the four-team King’s Cup in June. Somyot said India and Vietnam were two of the others but the last team has yet to be confirmed.

“It’s our policy that if we are to organise an event, we will invite only teams with higher FIFA rankings than ours. We will choose only teams who can provide an opportunity for our team to learn and get experience,” Sonyot said.

He revealed that the last team would be either a big team in Asia or a team from Europe.

The Swiss superstar produced an excellent all-round performance despite being tested by the world number 103 who belied his lowly ranking by producing some excellent tennis during an exciting first set.

Federer, however, stylishly weathered the storm to seal the win – the 52nd of his career in Miami – to move into the quarter-finals and a match with either American Reilly Opelka or Daniil Medvedev.

“It was a difficult start, he’s a great returner so I knew I had to up my percentages and I served really well,” said Federer, who hit 14 aces and won an impressive 74% of points on his first serve.

“It was more humid today so I am just delighted to get through.”

Krajinovic struggled badley with injury last year, problems with his ankle, left foot and hand restricting him to just seven tournaments in the first seven months of 2018.

Yet the Serb had looked impressive in his run to the third round, especially after dispatching Stan Wawrinka on the way to Monday’s meeting with Federer.

Some fierce hitting from the back of the court surprised the predictably pro-Federer crowd at Hard Rock Stadium and a brilliant run and flick over the net handed helped set up an early break for 3-2.

Keeping the pressure on, however, was a different matter.

Federer immediately broke back and although chances continued to present themselves to Krajinovic – he missed the opportunity to break the Swiss star’s serve at 5-5 – it was the 20 time Grand Slam winning champion who prevailed.

At 6-5, Federer went 15-40 up on the Serbian’s service game and another backhand winner gave the 37-year-old the lead.

The second set wasn’t as competitive, Federer easing 3-0 up as the wind was taken out of the Serb’s sails.

He lost the final game to love with the three time Miami Open winner easing home in style to finish with 36 winners compared to the 27 year-old’s 18.

In the women’s draw, Bianca Andreescu, the 18-year-old Canadian sensation who won the title in Indian Wells, was forced to withdraw in the second set of her fourth round match with Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit.

Andreescu was 1-6 0-2 down before a shoulder injury ruined her chances of another run to the finals.

Petra Kvitova, the world number 3, booked her place in the last eight, beating Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-3 in a match which was held up for one hour and 40 minutes because of rain in South Florida.

Kvitova plays Australian Ashleigh Barty for a place in the semi-finals.

Ko played the weekend bogey-free to finish with at -22 and earn a one-stroke victory over Jessica Korda, Nelly Korda, Carlota Ciganda and Yu Liu.

The win is Ko’s third career LPGA victory and second since becoming an LPGA Member in 2018. She is a 10-time winner on the KLPGA, but Sunday’s victory was her first ever in the U.S. The 23-year-old said she felt relieved to finally break through for that first win in the United States.

“Last year I think too much, so I lose a little bit confidence,” Ko said. “But my friends told me, You can do it. Also my manager and my parents, my caddie, all people say, You can. So I got lots of confidence for this year. Really good for third win in the States, so I’m really happy.”

The win at Wildfire Golf Club was extra special for Ko with LPGA Founders Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork and Marlene Hagge cheering her on from their usual perch on the 18th green.

“I want to say thank you to the Founders,” she said. “I wouldn’t have won if there was no Founders here, because if they weren’t here, we don’t have a chance to win on this Wildfire Golf Course. I really want to appreciate the Founders and all the girls out here today and for the weekend.”

KORDA SISTERS TIE FOR SECOND

Among Sunday’s hot rounds at the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup, none were hotter than those from the Korda sisters. Nelly Korda and Jessica Korda posted rounds of -6 and -8, respectively, and came just short of a victory, both finishing at 21-under 267.

Jessica, who has not competed since the 2018 CME Group Tour Championship, cared more about the opportunity to play again rather than the result.

“I’m always just so grateful to be out here, and obviously playing pain-free it shows,” said Jessica. “I’m so grateful and thankful to be back that whatever I did this week I’m just going to be happy with.”

Nelly was excited to see her sister out on the course again this week. “Obviously at the end of the day we’re trying to beat each other, but I’m proud of the way she played this week her first week back, and I’m sure she is as well,” said the younger Korda.

Nelly, who was playing two groups behind Jessica on Sunday, said she was doing her best to keep up with Jessica’s pace. “I have a friend out here and right as I got on the tee on 10 she was like, ‘Oh, my God! Jess made an eagle,’” said Nelly. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God! Where did she make the eagle?’ I was trying to watch and I saw her at 21 and I’m like, ‘Oh, damn. Need to catch up a little.’”

Competing against Nelly, who already has a win under her belt at the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, made Jessica a proud sibling. “It’s been so great watching her. Just not being able to play, to be out here, just seeing how she carries herself and how she represents herself has been fantastic,” said Jessica. “She’s one up on me this year so I got to put my butt in gear.”

LIU, CIGANDA COME UP JUST SHORT

Playing in the day’s final group, Yu Liu and Carlota Ciganda came up a heartbreaking one stroke behind Jin Young Ko at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. Both players were looking for breakthrough wins – Liu for her first career LPGA Tour win and Ciganda for her first victory since she visited the winner’s circle twice in 2016.

Liu started the final round with the lead for the first time in her young LPGA career. The second-year player played steady golf for 17 holes, making three birdies and, more importantly, keeping the mistakes at a minimum. Unfortunately, her one big mistake came at No. 18. Stepping to the tee in a tie for the lead, she left her approach just short of the green. After sending her chip past the hole, her comebacker for par just brushed the right lip, the ensuing bogey dropping her just short of that maiden win.

“On the last shot I didn’t know what to expect because I don’t know exactly where I stood, if I needed to make birdies or just save par and get to a playoff,” said Liu, who had fellow Chinese player Shanshan Feng waiting greenside for support. “So I wasn’t as focused as I would’ve liked. I think that’s why I made bogey.”

Starting the day one stroke off Liu’s lead, Ciganda opened hot, carding birdies at four of the opening seven holes and pulling one stroke clear of Liu. But bogeys at holes 8 and 11 derailed her round, and a birdie at No. 14 was just not enough for the Spaniard to catch the surging Ko.

“The bogey on 11 killed me a little bit, but I tried my best,” said Ciganda. “I played aggressive, which is my nature, and made a bogey there. Then hit good shots. Just wasn’t as control with my putting on the last few holes, so I didn’t make any putts at the end.”

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 9 Jin Young Ko (65-72­-64-65)

• In 2019, Ko has played four events with four cuts made, with one victory and two additional top-10 finishes
• Ko is the sixth different winner of the 2019 LPGA season
• She is the season’s fourth winner from the Republic of Korea, joining Eun-Hee Ji, Sung Hyun Park and Amy Yang
• This is her first LPGA win in the United States, joining wins in the Republic of Korea (the 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship) and Australia (the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open)
• Won the 2018 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award
• With her win, Ko earns $225,000; she has earned $450,159 this season and $1,609,164 for her career

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE

With her win, Ko earns 500 points and is projected to move from seventh to second in the Race to the CME Globe with 1,032 points

CME GROUP CARES CHALLENGE – SCORE 1 FOR ST. JUDE

The CME Group Cares Challenge is a season-long charitable giving program that turns aces into donations. CME Group will donate $20,000 for each hole-in-one made on the LPGA Tour in 2019, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Xiyu Lin recorded the fifth ace of the 2019 LPGA Tour season on Thursday at the par-3 17th hole at The Wildfire Golf Club, from 142 yards with a 9-iron. It raises the total to $100,000 donated thus far in 2019.

LEADERS TOP 10 COMPETITION

The LEADERS Top 10 competition awards a $100,000 bonus to the LPGA player with the most top-10 finishes through the completion of the event held immediately prior to the CME Group Tour Championship. In the event of a tie in total top-10 finishes, the award will go to the player with the most official wins, followed by most second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc., until the tie is broken.

Nelly Korda’s runner-up finish at the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup is her fifth top-10 finish of the season as she leads the competition through the first six events of the year.

Djokovic is hoping to eclipse Andre Agassi’s six ATP crowns in South Florida over the next week and although the 31-year-old endured some shaky moments at Hard Rock Stadium, he still possessed enough quality during the key moments to see off the battling Delbonis.

The Serbian, though, wasn’t happy with letting a 5-2 advantage slip in the first set and became furious with himself as the second squirmed from his grasp.

He will need to tighten up his game if he is to reach next Sunday’s final with Roberto Bautista Agut waiting in the fourth round after the Spaniard defeated Italian Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-4.

“To be honest, I lost my focus,” said Djokovic who smashed 36 winners compared to 24 from Delbonis. “I should have done better I think mentally than I have done at the end of the first two sets.

“I managed to really play well last couple games of first set, go up a break, put myself in front, then I played a couple of really bad service games. Credit to Federico, he stepped in.”

Djokovic had looked impressive in the second round win over Bernard Tomic and the Serbian continued his decent form by immediately imposing himself onto the Argentine.

Djokovic moved 5-2 ahead but after he missed a set point opportunity on the Delbonis serve, his game deserted him and suddenly, the South American had a spring in his step.

Delbonis had opportunities to steal ahead, yet calling on all his experience and mental resolve, the Serbian was able to hold firm and take the opener.

The world number one was getting incredibly frustrated , he received a warning for racquet abuse and was furious for allowing a 3-1 lead to slip in the second, yet credit to Delbonis who stayed calm and served out confidently to force a decider, something which looked beyond him midway through the opening set.

He couldn’t keep the pressure on, however, and when Djokovic managed to get 3-1 ahead, this time there was no way back for the 28 year-old from Azul who rightly received an ovation from the center court crowd for his monumental efforts.

“I think last four games were terrific, so I ended up in a positive way,” Djokovic added.

Defending champion John Isner blew Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas off court with serves touching 139 mph as the American sealed an ultimately comprehensive 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) win to set up an intriguing match with Kyle Edmund in the last 16 after the British number one impressively saw off Canadian Milos Raonic 6-4 6-4.

In the women’s draw, Simona Halep kept alive hopes of regaining the world number one ranking Sunday, beating Polona Hercog 5-7, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 to reach the last 16 where she will play Venus Williams.

Halep, 27, lost her place at the top of the rankings following Naomi Osaka’s triumph at the Australian Open earlier this year.

But with the Japanese faltering here on Saturday, Halep can return to the position she last held at the end of 2018 if she lands the Miami Open for the first time.

“It’s always tough against Venus,” said the current world number three, who has beaten the American in their previous three encounters.

“I’m not going to say that it’s going to be easier because I won the last matches against her. It’s a big challenge for me.”

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams, meanwhile, swept past Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1.

“Simona always plays flawless tennis against me, so I have to be ready for that,” Williams said.

Elsewhere in women’s action, American Sloane Stephens’s title defense ended in a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Germany’s Tatjana Maria.

It was another disappointing ending for Stephens, who fell in the third round at Indian Wells.

Elsewhere, World Cup finalists Croatia stumbled to a 2-1 defeat in Hungary, and Eden Hazard celebrated a century of caps with the opening goal in Belgium’s 2-0 win over Cyprus.

A revamped Germany raced into a 2-0 lead in Amsterdam with thrilling strikes from Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry but the hosts struck back with a second half header from Matthijs De Ligt before Memphis Depay pounced for an equaliser on 63 minutes.

The four-time world champions were put under immense pressure from a Netherlands side seeking a winner but the visitors, who were booed by their own fans in a 1-1 friendly draw against Serbia last Wednesday, snatched victory in the 90th minute through 25-year-old Schulz. The Hoffenheim midfielder, who made his international in August, tapped home a loose ball after a tireless Sane had taken the defence with him on a run into the box.

The win comes after Loew took an axe to Germany’s squad ahead of the qualifying campaign in the aftermath of last year’s calamitous World Cup elimination, when he told Bayern Munich trio Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels they had no future in the national side.

Bayern stopper Manuel Neuer may also come under pressure for his place after De Ligt beat him with a flying header just after the restart. Neuer, 32, was also slow to react as Depay pounced for the equaliser.

Dutch ‘keeper Jasper Cillesen was left with little chance after Gnabry ended his mazy run by outwitting Virgil Van Dijk before sending a rasping long-range effort into the bottom corner in the early action.

– Modric powerless –

Chelsea star Hazard celebrated his 100th cap by scoring the opener in their 2-0 win over Cyprus in Group I with Michy Batshuayi grabbing the second as Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois went largely untested in the Belgian goal.

Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric was powerless to stop beaten World Cup finalists Croatia from slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Hungary in Group E on Sunday as Mate Patkai notched a 76th minute winner in Budapest.

Croatia had struggled against Azerbaijan in their opening qualifier last Thursday before escaping with a 2-1 win, but they made the perfect start in the Hungarian capital when Ante Rebic put them ahead on 13 minutes.

But Hungary pulled level through Adam Szalai’s fifth goal in as many games and with a quarter of an hour left, 31-year-old Patkai scored his first international goal to pull off a famous victory.

Scotland got back to winning ways with an uninspiring 2-0 win at perennial makeweights San Marino, following an embarrassing defeat at Kazakhstan in their opening qualifier.

“It was a wee bit nervy, it’s been a tough few days for everyone,” admitted Scotland coach Alex McLeish.

Minnows Israel made it four points from their opening two qualifiers as they swept past Austria 4-2 thanks to a Eran Zahavi hat-trick, setting them up nicely for a tilt at qualification.

NATIONAL assistant coach Choketawee Promrut says Thailand must find a loophole in Uruguay’s game if his side is to cause a major upset in the China Cup final in Nanning tonight.

Thailand caused a huge impact in the four-side friendly tournament by beating the hosts 1-0 with a goal scored by Chanathip Songkrasin in the first round on Thursday. Interim coach Sirisak Yodyadthai and his Thai team now face world-class Uruguay, who beat Uzbekistan 3-0, in tonight’s final which is being broadcast live from 7pm on Thairath TV (Channel 32).

Former national-team midfielder Choketawee acknowledged Uruguay would be a hard nut to crack but said his team will seek their weaknesses to achieve the impossible.

“It will be a tough game against Uruguay. I saw them play against Uzbekistan, they are very strong defensively and offensively. We have to maximise our effort and remain disciplined throughout the match,” said the 44-year-old assistant coach.

“But in football, no team is 100 per cent perfect. Uruguay may be tough, but they are vulnerable occasionally and will give chances for us to attack,” added Choketawee, who was also with the team for January’s Asian Cup when Thailand managed to reach the round of 16 before losing to China.

The assistant coach said Thailand players like the J-League trio of Chanathip (Consadole Sapporo), captain Theerathon Bunmathan (Yokohama Marinos) and Thitiphan Puangchan (Oita Trinita) were capable of causing a stunning result.

“Our players will be nervous but if they summon their top form, I believe we will have opportunities. If we |succeed, it will be something huge,” he added.

Choketawee also underlined the importance of mental concentration in his team’s bid to score a famous victory today.

“We can’t expect anything to come easy in this match, every moment will be tough. If we lose the ball and our position, we have to fight back as quickly as possible. We hope for a surprise, but it will be a great experience for our team whatever happens.”