
Li keeps the heat on leading rookie Couvra in Turkey
France's Martin Couvra will take a two-shot lead into the weekend as he looks to win his first DP World Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya.
The 22-year-old rookie started the day in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard but pulled clear of the chasing pack courtesy of a five-under 66 at Regnum Carya on Friday.
Couvra has impressed during his maiden campaign at this level, having already posted four top-10 finishes, including fifth at the Hainan Classic last time out.
"I'm really happy about my game today - it's always good to have a bogey-free round," said world No.247 Couvra.
At 11-under par, Couvra leads by two from South Africa's Wilco Nienaber (65), with Li Haotong (65) a shot further back in third.
The 29-year-old from Shanghai, China remains in contention to win his fifth European tour event after claiming the Qatar Masters in Doha in February.
Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald (72) missed the cut on three over par, with Todd Clements (68) leading the British challenge on seven under in a tie for fourth.
The two Australians in the field both missed the weekend cut, with Daniel Gale (75) at even and Danny List (78) five-over the card.
With AAP.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Gauff recovers to stun Sabalenka in French Open final
Coco Gauff beat world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win the French Open women's title. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP Coco Gauff has won her maiden French Open women's singles title after battling back from a set down to beat top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in Paris. After a topsy-turvy opening set that Belarusian Sabalenka edged after a tiebreak, second seed Gauff responded with an immediate break and won the second set 6-2. And the 21-year-old American, who lost the 2022 French Open final as an 18-year-old, maintained her momentum to serve out for victory in the deciding set 6-7 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4 for her second Grand Slam title and her first on clay.

Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘The players are so angry': Tottenham face revolt over Postecoglou sacking
In the aftermath of winning his first trophy with Tottenham, captain Son Heung-min said: 'He [Postecoglou] won the trophy. Nobody did it, so …. look, it is not up to me or the players, but we just have to look at the facts, at the fact that we have not won in 17 years, today is the day we finally won it. It is the manager who wins the trophy. So we see what is going to happen.' Son left some teammates and staff with the impression that he could leave Tottenham this summer and there is believed to be interest in the South Korean from Saudi Arabia. Atletico Madrid want to sign defender Cristian Romero, another player who was close to Postecoglou. Levy was not directly quoted in the Tottenham statement that confirmed Postecoglou's sacking. It said: 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Following Tottenham's announcement, Postecoglou released his own statement: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. Loading 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.' He added: 'I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.' Tottenham's Europa League success changed the minds of many supporters over Postecoglou's future. But a 17th place Premier League finish, alongside the Europa League win, ultimately cost him his job, even though his squad was decimated by injuries. Levy has put himself under huge pressure to appoint a successor to Postecoglou who can out-perform the Australian. Frank has never won a major trophy as a manager and has not managed in a full European competition. Silva won the Greek title with Olympiacos and coached them in the Champions League.

The Age
17 hours ago
- The Age
‘The players are so angry': Tottenham face revolt over Postecoglou sacking
In the aftermath of winning his first trophy with Tottenham, captain Son Heung-min said: 'He [Postecoglou] won the trophy. Nobody did it, so …. look, it is not up to me or the players, but we just have to look at the facts, at the fact that we have not won in 17 years, today is the day we finally won it. It is the manager who wins the trophy. So we see what is going to happen.' Son left some teammates and staff with the impression that he could leave Tottenham this summer and there is believed to be interest in the South Korean from Saudi Arabia. Atletico Madrid want to sign defender Cristian Romero, another player who was close to Postecoglou. Levy was not directly quoted in the Tottenham statement that confirmed Postecoglou's sacking. It said: 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Following Tottenham's announcement, Postecoglou released his own statement: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. Loading 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.' He added: 'I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.' Tottenham's Europa League success changed the minds of many supporters over Postecoglou's future. But a 17th place Premier League finish, alongside the Europa League win, ultimately cost him his job, even though his squad was decimated by injuries. Levy has put himself under huge pressure to appoint a successor to Postecoglou who can out-perform the Australian. Frank has never won a major trophy as a manager and has not managed in a full European competition. Silva won the Greek title with Olympiacos and coached them in the Champions League.