Qatar Exxonmobil Open Preliminary Rounds Begin Today QNA — DOHA
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SATURDAY 4 JANUARYARY 2020 SPORTSPORT 17 Australian batsman This time last year I was sitting here and there were Marnus Labuschagne a lot of questions. I believed that I had the ability. After scoring his fourth century in five For me it was a lot of mental stuff and just making matches this summer sure I stayed focus for long periods of times. Qatar ExxonMobil Open preliminary rounds begin today QNA — DOHA The preliminary rounds of Qatar ExxonMobil Open will begin at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha today, with main rounds starting on Monday. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and 2012 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France are among the top stars set to open their season in Doha. Wawrinka reached Doha on Wednesday and was given a warm welcome while Canadian Milos Raonic, the 2016 Wimbledon finalist, was also given a traditional welcome at the Hamad Inter- national Airport. In all, 21 players made the entry list for the singles event of the annual ATP World Tour 250 series tournament with three slots allotted for wild card entrants and four for qualifiers. The doubles event will feature 16 teams. Other key players expected to feature at the event include 2018 finalist Andrey Rublev and Doha-resident Fernando Verdasco, who is the 2009 Australian Open semi-finalist. Richard Gasquet, the 2013 champion in Doha, Serbia's Filip Krajinović and Russia's Andrey Rublev (right) in action during training sessions has suffered a setback ahead of the new season ahead of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash as he has withdrawn and his place is taken by Complex in Doha yesterday. PICTURES: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund. Goffin ‘motivated’ Ruud helps Norway upset after Belgium US at ATP Cup make winning start AFP — PERTH AFP — SYDNEY has 24 nations split into six Emerging youngster Casper groups across the three cities, Ruud notched the biggest World number 11 David with eight teams emerging victory of his career after Goffin said he was “very from the round-robin to beating big-serving John Isner motivated” after getting his compete in a knockout phase yesterday to spearhead season off to a winning start in Sydney until one country Norway’s stunning upset over Friday at the ATP Cup in is left standing. the United States on the first Sydney, which was marred Under the format, the day of the inaugural ATP Cup. by a national anthem gaffe second-ranked singles The 21-year-old levelled by organisers. players from each team face the Group D tie with a 6-7 Belgium’s top player led each other first before the (3/7), 7-6 (12/10), 7-5 win over his team to a win over Group top players take to the court, the world number 19 in two C rivals Moldova at the inau- followed by a doubles. hours and 43 minutes. gural 24-nation event that is Belgium’s Steve Darcis He saved two match points Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in action during his Group F singles match against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov also being played in Brisbane earlier scrapped past Alex- in the second set and at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane yesterday. and Perth. ander Cozbinov 6-4, 6-7 weathered 33 aces from Isner, He cruised past an error- (4/7), 7-5 to hand his country after Taylor Fritz thrashed laden Radu Albot 6-4, 6-1, a perfect start, with the Viktor Durasovic 6-2, 6-2 in rarely threatened by the match marred by the the opening match in Perth. world number 46 who broke Romanian anthem being Young gun Shapovalov shocks Ruud then backed up in new ground in 2019 by played beforehand instead the decisive doubles alongside becoming his country’s first of Moldova. Durasovic to down Rajeev ATP Tour title winner at “We are sincerely sorry Tsitsipas as ATP Cup kicks off Ram and Austin Krajicek 4-6, Delray Beach. and have apologised per- 6-3, 10-5 and trigger jubilant “I was very good sonally to Team Moldova,” AFP — BRISBANE He went into the match as ATP CUP RESULTS scenes from the Norwegian intensity, good energy, good the ATP said. slight favourite over the IN SYDNEY - GROUP C contingent, who were the last attitude. That made the dif- Cozbinov, ranked 818 Canadian young gun Denis Canadian, ranked nine places Belgium 3 Moldova 0 team to qualify for the ference,” said Goffin, who and who had never played Shapovalov edged world below him. Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Alexander Cozbinov 24-nation event which is also made two ATP Tour finals an ATP Tour match before, number six Stefanos Tsitsipas Both players were relatively (MDV) 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 being played in Brisbane and last year at Halle and insisted it was “not a big in his country’s clean sweep untroubled on serve but Shapo- David Goffin (BEL) bt Radu Albot (MDV) Sydney. Cincinnati. deal”. against Greece on the first day valov made the clutch points in 6-4, 6-1 “I didn’t have much time “I’m very motivated, “But it wasn’t that hard of the inaugural ATP Cup the two tie-breakers to take the Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen (BEL) bt Radu to recover from my singles,” happy to start the year with to pick the right anthem,” he yesterday. match in just over two hours. Albot/Alexander Cozbinov (MDV) 6-7 Ruud said. new ambitions, so maybe told AFP. “Moldova and The 20-year-old Shapo- “It’s definitely a huge win for The world number 54 has (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 11-9 that’s why today was a very Romania have the same flag valov downed the world me,” Shapovalov said. risen up the rankings over the good match.” so probably that’s why they number six 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7/4) “Obviously, he had an unbe- past year since training “It’s never easy to start made a mistake. Hopefully in Brisbane to give Canada an lievable end to the season and IN BRISBANE - GROUP F alongside Rafael Nadal at the the season with the first next time it’s going to be the unassailable 2-0 lead after Felix he’s definitely one of the top Canada 3 Greece 0 world number one’s academy match, first team compe- right one.” Auger-Aliassime thrashed players in the world right now Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) bt Michail in Mallorca. tition, the new format, with The Tim Henman-skip- Michail Pervolarakis 6-1, 6-3. so to beat a guy like this first Pervolarakis (GRE) 6-1, 6-3 Ruud, whose father the team on the bench. And pered Britain, minus the The two then combined in match of the year, it’s really Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Stefanos Tsit- Christian is Norway’s captain, the way I played, I’m very injured Andy Murray, take on the doubles to beat Pervolarakis special for me.” sipas (GRE) 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7/4) clawed back into the singles pleased and so it’s good for Bulgaria in the second Group and Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3. Tsitsipas conceded he had Denis Shapovalov/Felix Auger (CAN) bt match and stormed out to a the next tie.” C tie later Friday, with Grigor “It was definitely a great returned poorly, which proved Petros Tsitsipas/Michail Pervolarakis 6-4 lead in the second set tie- The ATP Cup, which Dimitrov acting as playing- start to the event -- these boys the difference. (GRE) 6-2, 6-3 break, but was thwarted on allows on-court coaching, captain of his country. played awesome,” Canadian World number 21 Auger-Ali- his set points by a desperate captain Adriano Fuorivia said. assime was far too strong for IN PERTH - GROUP D Isner. Shapovalov’s left-handed Pervolarakis, 466 places further He saved two match points Norway 2 USA 1 serve was working beautifully down the ATP rankings. in a see-sawing set before Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Viktor Durasovic in his match against Tsitsipas, The Canadian cruised finally converting on his fifth who faltered at key moments in through the first set before Per- (NOR) 6-2, 6-2 attempt to keep Norway alive. both tiebreaks. volarakis -- playing his first Casper Ruud (NOR) bt John Isner (USA) It appeared the match was Tsitsipas, 21, had a superb match on the main ATP tour -- 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (12/10), 7-5 going the distance in the third end to 2019, winning the ATP could adjust to the pace, but the Casper Ruud/Viktor Durasovic (NOR) bt set until an inspired Ruud Finals in his tournament debut 19-year-old was never in Rajeev Ram/Austin Krajicek (USA) 4-6, broke in the 12th game to and reaching a career-high trouble and wrapped up the 6-3, 10-5 clinch his first victory over a world ranking of five. match in 69 minutes. top-20 ranked player. De Minaur's stunning comeback hands Australia win David Goffin of AFP — BRISBANE faults -- and give Australia an downed the world number six 7-6 slight favourite over the Canadian, Belgium hits unassailable 2-0 lead in their (8-6), 7-6 (7/4) after Felix Auger- ranked nine places below him. a forehand Alex de Minaur came from a set Group F tie. Aliassime thrashed Michail Per- Both players were relatively return during and a break down to overhaul Earlier, the mercurial Nick volarakis 6-1, 6-3.