Sharmila shares 1st round lead in China

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New Delhi: Sharmila Nicollet carded a four-under 68 to take a share of the lead in the first round of the Le Coq Sportif Beijing Ladies Classic on Thursday. The lanky Indian, who is on the comeback trail, was one-over through the first three holes. She then had five straight birdies and she thereafter played steady golf to chalk up 10 pars in a row and end the day at 68. “I played really well today. I could have had a lot more birdies on the back nine but I missed a lot of putts within 10 feet. I had one three-putt on the second hole, the only bogey I got today. I could get much lower but it is okay,” said Sharmila, the Bengaluru native who is playing full-time on the CLPGA Tour this year. “The competition is very good as well. I am having fun. It’s nice to be here.” Sharmila shared the lead with three Chinese players, two of them amateurs, Ji Yifan and Yin Xiaowei, besides pro Li Xiya and Thailand’s Wanchana Poruangrong. London, May 24: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says a rousing speech by manager Jurgen Klopp following defeat in the Europa League final laid the foundations for their exhilarating Champions League run.

The England midfielder said he has inspired by the manager’s motivational words after the bitter disappointment of Liverpool’s 2016 loss to Sevilla in the showpiece in Basel, where he was an unused substitute because he was not fully fit.

Klopp predicted there would be more finals, outlining his vision of where he wanted the club to go, and Henderson was hooked.

“We were obviously down but when we got back to the hotel the manager had something different to stay,” he said.

“He looked at the bigger picture and the future and he felt as though it could be a big moment in our careers to learn from the experience.

“He had this sort of vision that made me think, in the future, we’d get to another final. He wanted to use the experience of that final to keep us together and use it as a positive. If we got to another final we’d be ready.”

Liverpool have played some sensational football this season and are top scorers in the Champions League with 40 goals. Their place in the final may have surprised many but Henderson believes it shows the positive mentality bred by Klopp.

“He is our leader and everyone looks up to him,” he said. “I have spoken about the manager having a massive impact since