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GGOLFOLF | Page 2 SSHOOTINGHOOTING | Page 7 Oman Open Spain clinch set for thrilling mixed team fi nal day trap title, double showdown for Marin Sunday, March 1, 2020 CRICKET Rajab 6, 1441 AH Jamieson takes fi ve GULF TIMES as New Zealand rock India in Christchurch SPORT Page 4 Germany’s Deusser wins Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab Presented by Longines Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, Commercial Bank Board member Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah (front, second from left), Longines’ VP of Marketing Matthieu Baumgartner (front, left) and ExxonMobil Qatar president and general manager Alistair Routledge (front, right) pose with the winners of Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab Presented by Longines at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab yesterday. Germany’s Daniel Deusser won the event ahead of Max Kuhner and Roger Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani presents the winner’s Yves Bost. trophy to Daniel Deusser (second from left) of Germany in the presence of second-placed Max Kuhner (left) of Austria and third-placed Roger Yves Bost (right) of France after his victory in the More on Page 8 Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab Grand Prix presented by Longines yesterday. TENNIS / QATAR TOTAL OPEN Sabalenka blows past Kvitova to win Qatar title Belarusian lifts her sixth career title with a straight sets victory over Czech By Anil John was just like focused, really Doha focused on each point and played every point like the last point and like I’m actu- ryna Sabalenka ally losing. So, yeah, that was won the Qatar To- the secret, I think.” tal Open yesterday, Sabalenka also revealed and she did it in her focus and determination Aher inimitable style. Seem- grew after she lost her father ingly blessed with bound- Sergey at the young age of 44 less energy and the attitude last year. of a champion heavyweight “He was my biggest mo- boxer, the 21-year-old from tivation, and I’m doing it Belarus blew past the sea- for him,” said Sabalenka, in- soned Czech Petra Kvitova stantly tearing up. 6-3, 6-3 to lay her hands on Kvitova, who won the Qa- the magnifi cent falcon tro- tar title in 2018, was full of phy and claim the $605,000 praise for her young rival. cheque in front of an appre- “Well, fi rst of all defi nitely ciative audience that also Aryna played an amazing included His Highness the (From left) Managing Director Total E&P Qatar and Country Chair – Total Laurent Wolff sheim, match. For sure she didn’t Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation president Nasser al-Khelaifi, Qatar Total give me anything for free. I mad al-Thani. Open 2020 finalist Petra Kvitova and tournament director Saad al-Mohannadi pose during the had one chance in the second In a world that fawns over prize distribution ceremony yesterday. set for break of her serve, but sportspeople blessed with I just couldn’t make it,” said deft touch, the World No “I love playing in China, Sabalenka nevertheless pro- deuce after Sabalenka missed Kvitova. 13 doesn’t off er any apolo- it’s like I’m doing well there. I duced a cracking ace to fi nish break point after break point. “But it was a very tight gies about her overwhelm- enjoy it there, but I’m happy it in style. But a shot into the net by game and probably that re- ingly explosive style. Indeed to fi nally win a trophy not in The second set was a bit Kvitova gave Sabalenka the ally helped her to win the her crunching serves and China (laughing.) And, yeah, more fi ercely fought, with the championship point, and the second set. But defi nitely power-packed forehands I’m really happy, it feels so fourth game proving a battle Belarusian duly capitalised she played really great as she left Kvitova unnerved, with special for me.” of endurance. A bit too eager, on it to seal her sixth title on played all week, so defi nitely Sabalenka wrapping up the After beating top seed and errors crept into Sabalenka’s the Tour. she deserves it, for sure. match in 73 minutes with a World No 1 Ashleigh Barty in game, but Kvitova couldn’t In the end the numbers “I wasn’t playing prob- shot from the baseline, the the semi-fi nals on Friday in a capitalise on them as she told their own story. Sabalen- ably what I wanted to, but ball luckily bouncing off the three-setter, her third in the missed fi ve break points. ka’s fi rst serve had a win per- she didn’t give me anything net and inducing a mis-hit. tournament, Kvitova was ob- The game continued for centage of 73, while Kvotova’s to play my game. But, yeah, That was kind of anticli- viously stretched. She strug- 11 minutes but on the eighth was just 47. Kvitova couldn’t that’s how it is and anyway mactic, and the Belarusian gled for rhythm and hardly deuce Sabalenka decided win any of her fi ve break I’m glad for the great week.” reacted with a sheepish grin found any momentum worth she’d had enough. She pro- points, while Sabalenka made Kvitova also conceded even as Kvitova threw her the name. That obviously duced two thundering aces good on three out of eight. that Sabalenka’s serve was head back, eyes closed and proved disastrous against an out of nowhere to draw level Sabalenka’s fi rst and second key to her success. frustration writ large over opponent whose understand- at 2-2. serve average speeds were “Well, defi nitely the big- her face. ing of the game is refreshingly The next two games went more than 10kph faster than gest diff erence was the serve, “I mean it feels so amazing uncluttered as is her attitude with serve, but in the sev- Kvitova’s. And on top of it all, for sure. I couldn’t put the and I couldn’t really expect towards life in general. enth Sabalenka broke Kvi- Sabalenka produced seven fi rst in, she put like 80 per- the title during my fi rst time Sabalenka opened pro- tova at love to go up 4-3 and aces as against her rival’s two. cent or something like that. I in Doha,” said Sabalenka at ceedings by winning the then retained her serve to Sabalenka added that the couldn’t get to the rally with Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her post-match press con- fi rst game at love, and after put the Czech in a now-or- key to her success was that my shots and my power. her Qatar Total Open victory ference where she giggled all missing two break points in never situation. she played every point as it “I tried to go a little bit for with the winner’s falcon trophy the way. the next, broke Kvitova in Kvitova had one last chance were the last of the match. the rallies and I wasn’t lucky at Khalifa International Tennis Of her fi ve titles before the fourth with a series of but her serves were met with “It’s a fi nal, it’s something over there. But, yeah, it’s & Squash Complex yesterday. Doha, four came in China — fi erce returns to go 3-1 up. some ferocious returns as diff erent. It’s always diff er- been tough. It is my game as PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil two in Wuhan, one in Shen- The remainder of the set was Sabalenka went ahead 40- ent than like every match well, for sure, but today she zhen and one in Zhuhai. pretty much uneventful, but love. Kvitova rallied to force in the tournaments. Yeah, I was just better.” Gulf Times 2 Sunday, March 1, 2020 SPORT GOLF SPOTLIGHT Tiger to skip Bay Hill with stiff back as Oman Open set for Masters looms AFP up for the year’s fi rst major tour- Miami, United States nament next month in Augusta. “My prep has been just like it usually is,” Woods told reporters eigning Masters cham- earlier this week. “It’s what I need thrilling fi nal day pion Tiger Woods will to do to get ready for the Masters.” skip next week’s Arnold Last year, Woods withdrew Palmer Invitational to from the Arnold Palmer Invita- Luiten, Stone, Shinkwin, Valimaki, Rrest a stiff back and continue tional with a neck strain, then preparations for Augusta Na- played in the Players and the Korhonen and Hojgaard top the tional, according to multiple re- WGC Match Play before going to ports on Friday. Augusta National. leaderboard in six-way lead ESPN and Golf Digest report- Woods captured his fi fth green showdown ed that the 15-time major win- jacket and fi rst major triumph in By Our Correspondent ner will not compete at Bay Hill, 11 years, an epic comeback tale Muscat, Oman a course where he has captured from spinal fusion surgery and eight titles. multiple back operations that “He’s not going to play,” had him doubting at one stage if he third edition of the Woods’s agent, Mark Steinberg, he would have a normal life much Oman Open is set for an told ESPN. “Back still stiff and less play golf again. epic fi nal day showdown just not quite ready.” Woods struggled with left with six players tied at Woods, 44, felt back stiff ness knee issues much of last year af- Tthe top of the leaderboard on 11 at Riviera two weeks ago, saying ter the Masters and underwent under par, including 2018 cham- it was his new normal after mul- arthroscopic surgery, then won pion Joost Luiten and Rolex Se- tiple back surgeries.

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