TTENNISENNIS | Page 2 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 Djokovic sets Allen leads WI all-time record to three-wicket as world’s top win and series player triumph Tuesday, March 9, 2021 FOOTBALL Rajab 25, 1442 AH Al Sadd’s goal GULF TIMES is to win all the tournaments: Xavi SPORT Page 7 TENNIS / QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Thiem looks to bounce back from ‘devastating’ AO loss Austrian top seed and US Open champ will face Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev in his Round of 16 clash By Mikhil Bhat His best fi nish in Doha had ATP Tour returned post the Doha also not ended according to plan Covid-19-enforced break, win- as he pulled out of the semi-fi nal ning the US Open, reaching against Gael Monfi ls in 2018 due quarters at Roland Garros and n the third round of the Aus- to fever. in Vienna, before missing out tralian Open last month, Joining Thiem at the tourna- on the ATP Finals title to Daniil Dominic Thiem mounted ment in the Qatari capital will be Medvedev, Thiem felt the halt in a fi ghtback from two sets former world No. 1 and 20-time action felt like it was longer than Idown against home boy Nick Grand Slam champion Roger Fe- it really was. “…three years or Kyrgios. Again down two sets derer, who only a day earlier had something, felt like a very long against Grigov Dimitrov in the spoken of the Austrian’s fi rst time,” he said. fourth round, Thiem couldn’t hit Grand Slam win at the US Open. “Many things have happened repeat. Thiem said he was looking for- on and off the court. Everyone He was candid after that loss ward to the Swiss’ return to the was preparing for Indian Wells, that he wasn’t a 100 percent, Tour after a year’s gap. and then the tournament was even though he took nothing cancelled. In the beginning I away from his Bulgarian op- I just love to watch him thought that Tour is going to be ponent, adding that he wished play tennis. It looks so back in 2-3 weeks, and every- Dimitrov “can make a great beautiful, it looks so thing is going to be normal again. breakthrough at a Grand Slam”. nice the way he plays, But slowly of course me and eve- And that was that. ‘the way he approaches the ryone else realised that it is all Less than a month later, the game of tennis. I am a big very serious, a dangerous thing Austrian is at the Khalifa In- fan of him and that’s why I is going on and it is going to be a ternational Tennis and Squash really love that he is back longer break. Memories are still Complex for the Qatar Exxon- and I can watch him again very clear, but the daily routine Mobil Open as the top seed and is of myself and all the athletes is hoping to forget what he referred — Dominic Thiem, back for months now, so feels a to as a “pretty devastating loss”. on Roger Federer’s return bit more normal, I guess.” “It is going to be fi rst matches, Thiem, who received a fi rst fi rst tournament in a month since “I think I speak for everybody, round bye, is up against Russian a pretty devastating loss at the even though we are rivals and we wildcard Aslan Karatsev, who Australian Open; I still had to want to beat each other in tour- won his fi rst round match against digest that one, to settle every- naments, but I just love to watch Qatari wildcard Mubarak Shan- thing,” the world No. 4 told a vir- him play tennis. It looks so beau- nan Zayid 6-4, 6-0 yesterday, in tual press conference in the Doha tiful, it looks so nice the way he the second round. yesterday. plays, the way he approaches the Karatsev had impressed many “But I guess, that’s done now, game of tennis. I am a big fan of with his run through the qualify- and it’s time to focus on new him and that’s why I really love ing rounds before falling to even- things and the tournament here Dominic Thiem’s best finish at Qatar ExxonMobil Open was when he had reached the semi-finals in the 2018 edition. that he is back and I can watch him tual champion Novak Djokovic in in Doha is the fi rst chance to play again. That’s pretty much what the Australian Open semi-fi nals better again, to get confi dence, to tions over the last weeks for this I will try to have some good re- level from the very fi rst point.” the Qatari capital, and fi rst time everybody’s thinking. I hope that last month. The two players, who get good results and to forget the tournament, and it is going to be sults. But the draw is unbeliev- This will be the fourth time since a forgettable exit against he is coming back strong as well,” were born a day apart in Septem- pretty tough start of the season. my last tournament on the hard ably strong, I will just try to have that the 27-year-old will play Frenchman Pierre-Hughes Her- Thiem said yesterday. ber of 1993, have never played “I have had good prepara- courts for a pretty long time, so a good start, be there on a good in the ATP 250 tournament in bert in 2019. While he did play after the each other on the Tour. SPOTLIGHT Former champs Gasquet, Bautista Agut win on Day 1 By Sports Reporter a crucial break point each in the id 6-4, 6-0 in 65 minutes. Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Wawrinka (SUI) Doha next two sets. Karatsev won 24 of 27 fi rst- Q-Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) 6-D. Goff in (BEL) vs F. Kraji- Frenchman Gasquet took only service points and now plays top- 6-4, 6-2 novic (SRB) an hour and 15 minutes for his seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Lorenzo COURT A start 2:30 pm he two former champi- fi rst victory of the season, beat- in the second round of the ATP 250 Sonego (ITA) 7-6 (5), 6-4 Q-C. O’Connell (AUS) vs V. ons in action had con- ing Rola 6-4, 6-4. Gasquet, who event. Thiem is competing in his Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Pospisil (CAN) trasting victories on the had lost his only match of 2021 to fi rst tournament since a fourth- Q-Blaz Rola (SLO) 6-4, 6-4 J. Millman (AUS) / D. Vega fi rst day of the Qatar Mackenzie McDonald of the US round exit at the Australian Open. WC-Aslan Karatsev (RUS) Hernandez (ESP) vs WC-B. Rola TExxonMobil Open yesterday. in the second Melbourne tourna- American Taylor Fritz took a bt WC-Mubarak Shannan Zayid (SLO) / M. Zayed (QAT) While the 2013 winner Rich- ment before the Australian Open 2-1 lead in head-to-head with (QAT) 6-4, 6-0 Not Before 5pm ard Gasquet eased past Slovenian last month, faces the in-form Lorenzo Sonego by beating the 5-Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) D. Lajovic (SRB) vs M. Fucso- qualifi er Blaz Rola in straight Russian Andrey Rublev next. Italian 7-6 (5), 6-4. Elsewhere, bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 vics (HUN) sets, the 2019 champion Roberto Rublev, the defending cham- Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilash- Doubles (Round of 16) M. Arevalo (ESA) / M. Middelk- Bautista Agut faced a tall task, pion, is fresh off his victory in vili snapped a fi ve-match losing 1-Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL)/ oop (NED) vs 2-N. Mektic (CRO) / even literally, when he fought back Rotterdam. streak by beating John Millman Robert Farah (COL) bt WC-Malek M. Pavic (CRO) from a set down to beat American “It’s great for me to come of Australia 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in one Jaziri (TUN)/Mubarak Shannan COURT B not before 3:30 pm Reilly Opelka 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the here... I have great memories hour and 52 minutes. Basilashvili Zayid (QAT) 6-3, 6-2 N. Basilashvili (GEO) / A. last singles match of the day at the playing here. It’s one of the best will next face the winner of the Marcus Daniell (NZL)/Philipp Bublik (KAZ) vs F. Nielsen (DEN) / Khalifa International Tennis and tournaments in the world, so of match between wildcard Malek Oswald (AUT) bt 3-Ivan Dodig T. Puetz (GER) Squash Complex. course it’s great for me to come Jaziri of Tunisia and Slovakian (CRO)/Filip Polasek (SVK) 6-3, 6-7 Not Before 5pm Opelka, at 6 feet 11 inches, is back and I hope to play good,” Richard Gasquet and Roberto Bautista Agut (right) lucky loser Norbert Gombos. The (2), 11-9 K. Krawietz (GER) / R. Opelka the joint tallest player on the ATP Gasquet said in an on-court in- latter found place in the main (USA) vs 4-M. Melo (BRA) / J. Tour with Croatian Ivo Karlovic, terview after the win. “I know the kumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-2 in ternational Tennis and Squash draw after Croatian eighth seed TODAY’S ORDER OF PLAY Rojer (NED) and made full use of his booming next opponent will be tough, but 73 minutes. Bublik has already Complex to qualify for the Aus- Borna Coric pulled out citing a CENTRE COURT start 2:30pm A.