Carthy on course for Vuelta glory

HUGH CARTHY is on the verge of an unexpected podium finish at the Vuelta a Espana.

Barring incident in today’s largely processional final stage to Madrid, the Brit (above) will take third behind Primoz Roglic and Richard Carapaz.

Carthy’s finish comes a fortnight after Londoner Tao Geoghegan Hart won the Giro d’Italia for Team Ineos.

Yesterday’s gruelling mountainous stage was won by Groupama-FDJ’s David Gaudu.

RAFA NADAL’S bid for a maiden Paris Masters title was halted when beaten in the semi-finals.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion, who has only reached the final at Bercy once before, in 2007, was beaten 6-4 7-5 by German Alexander Zverev.

It was a second-successive win against the Spaniard for world No.7 Zverev, who faces Daniil Medvedev in today’s final after the Russian saw off Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6 in their semi.

MATTHEW JORDAN and fellow Englishman Richard Bland are eyeing a first European Tour win after advancing into today’s final round of the Cyprus Showdown.

Jordan (below) eased his way into the final day after carding a 64 but Bland needed a par on the last to make sure of his place.

Nine Brits are among the 19 through to the final 18 holes.

POL ESPARGARO stormed to pole at Valencia as the rain failed to dampen his qualifying pace.

The Red Bull KTM rider saved his best until last to deny Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins his first premier-class pole as he splashed to a lap of 1min 40.434secs.

Rins was second quickest ahead of LCR Castrol IDEMITSU’s Takaaki Nakagami, who held onto the final front-row spot despite a crash on his last lap.

SNOOKER

AUSSIE ace Neil Robertson is desperate to cement his place in history tonight in the Champion of Champions final.

The defending champion wants to make it a memorable hat-trick of titles at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, a feat only previously achieved by star Ronnie O’Sullivan.

And Robertson said: “Ronnie’s defended this title before, but no one else has, so to defend it would be very special.”