FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 NBA | Page 5 Late Alves Cavaliers goal gives and Warriors PSG victory win as Blazers, over Nice Rockets roll Monday, March 19, 2018 CRICKET Rajab 2, 1439 AH Karthik hits last-ball GULF TIMES six to help India claim triangular series title SPORT Page 4 MOTORCYCLING Dovizioso wins battle with Marquez in Losail thriller Crowd favourite and nine-time champion Valentino Rossi came third on his Yamaha as he proved his mettle once again By Sahan Bidappa Doha eigning champion Marc Marquez had singled out Andrea Dovizioso as the most dangerous opponent, heading into the opening race of the MotoGP Rseason. The Ducati rider had started from the fi fth position to Marquez’s second. But it hardly mattered for the Italian when the lights went out as he edged out Marquez’s Honda by just 0.027seconds to clinch the Grand Prix of Qatar last night. The Losail International Circuit is known to produce close races and once again the crowd were on their feet as Dovizioso and Marquez jostled for victory in the fi nal corner. In the end, it was Ducati’s superior straight speed and Dovizioso’s tyre management that gave the Italian his ninth MotoGP career victory and fi rst in Qatar. The crowd favourite Valentino Rossi came third on his Yamaha as the nine-time world champion proved he still has it in him – three days after signing a new contract to race until the end of 2020 season, when he will be 41! It was a forgettable night for Tech 3 Yama- ha’s Johann Zarco, who followed his record- breaking lap in the qualifying, by finishing a disappointing eighth. Frenchman Zarco knew he had a real fight on his hand, despite start- ing from the front, with factory riders hold- ing the advantage over him with superior race pace. And he his did best to thwart the danger of Marquez and Dovizioso, before being pushed to Ducati Team’s Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso leads the pack during the third. Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. Dovizioso and Marquez fi nally made their PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil and agencies moves during lap 18 of 22, both passing Zarco at Turn 1 and quickly leaving the Frenchman Results behind to engage in their own private duel for “The bike worked very well so it was easier will one of the strong favourites for the world added they needed to do more to beat Ducati MotoGP victory. Rossi, too, passed Zarco on the same lap than in the past. Our front tyre worked very title. and Honda. 1. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 42:34.654, as Dovizioso and Marquez but couldn’t keep up well, our bike and my riding style worked real- “I tried to push my 100 percent. I knew be- “I expect more compared to last year, because 2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) at 0.027, the pace in the closing laps. ly good for the tyre. But the rear was very soft, fore the race here, maybe it is one of the most with this year’s bike I feel good,” said Rossi, who 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 0.797, 4. It was an enthralling fi nal fi ve laps though softer than the softest last year. That’s why diffi cult tracks for me. But even then I tried and also fi nished third in Qatar in 2017. “I know Cal Crutchlow (GBR/LCR Honda) 2.881, 5. as the Dovizioso and Marquez continued their we didn’t push for three-quarters of the race; when Dovi was pushing, I went to the limit,” that Marquez and Dovizioso are faster at the Danilo Petrucci (ITA/Ducati Pramac) 3.821, battles from last year in Austria and Japan. Both that’s why when (Johann) Zarco was in front, Marquez said. moment, they have a little bit more, so when 6. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Yamaha) 3.888, 7. times Dovizioso had managed to beat Marquez nobody pushed,” he added. “It was close in the last corner and I thought Dovi went in front I tried to give 120 percent to Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 4.621, 8. Johann on the last lap. And he did it again on the night, Marquez said the second-place fi nish was Dovi would overtake me before the fi nish line stay with them. Thanks to my team, thanks to Zarco (FRA/Yamaha Tech3) 7.112, 9. Andrea but not without some drama. like a victory for him and Honda, having in with the slipstream, which he did. But I am very Yamaha and we try to continue this It’s a very Iannone (ITA/Suzuki) 12.957, 10. Jack Miller With Marquez attempting a pass at the fi nal the past struggled at the Losail circuit. And happy because podium here was the main tar- good way to start the season.” (AUS/Ducati Pramac) 14.594 corner on the last lap, Dovizioso managed to Dovizioso couldn’t agree more with the Span- get. I have fi nished second and we lost only fi ve Meanwhile, Cal Crutchlow was fourth on the Moto2 edge back ahead exiting the turn, getting supe- iard, admitting Marquez had a better bike than points - really happy,” he added. LCR Honda, ahead of Danilo Petrucci’s Pramac 1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Kalex) 40:19.802, rior traction and out-dragging Marquez to the last year. Rossi, who won one race in 2017 and fi n- Ducati. 2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA/Kalex) at 0.12, 3. fi nish line by a tiny margin of 0.027secs. “That is the bad part of the race, because it ished fi fth overall despite breaking his leg at There was heartbreak for Suzuki as Alex Rins, Alex Marquez (ESP/Kalex) 5.625 Dovizioso said the pressure was on him going confi rms Honda has improved the bike and the end of August, had a good race compared to who was in for a podium fi nish in the fi rst half Moto3 into the race, admitting there was an ‘obliga- Marc is there to give a good fi ght,” Dovizioso his Spanish teammate Maverick Vinales. Last of the race but crashed out at turn two on lap 13. 1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Honda) 38:18.207, tion’ for him to win in Qatar. “I did three second said. year’s winner here in Qatar, Vinales fi nished His teammate Andrea Iannone picked up points 2. Aron Canet (ESP/Honda) at 0.023, 3. positions (in previous years in Qatar), so be- For Marquez, it was the best he could do and sixth this time. for the Japanese manufacturer in ninth place, Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA/Honda) 6.746 fore I came here it was like an obligation to win was clearly outdone by Ducati’s straight speed. Rossi was happy with the podium and said while Jack Miller rounded out the top ten on his here,” he said. But it also showed the 22-year-old Spaniard the Yamaha was in good shape this year but he Pramac Ducati debut. Losail Circuit Sports Club Vice-President and GM Khalid al-Remaihi applauds Valentino Rossi, while at right, winner Andrea Dovizioso (C) second-placed Marc Marquez (L) and Rossi celebrate on the podium. Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 19, 2018 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Qatar to take part in Iraq friendly tournament By Sports Reporter Doha atar coach Felix Sanchez named a 21-member squad for the International QFriendly Championship to be held in Basra, Iraq, from March 22 to 27. Hosts Iraq and Syria are the other teams in the tournament that comes against the back- drop of a three-week break in the QNB Stars League of which week 21 games were played on March 17. Qatar will leave Doha tomor- row after winding up their train- ing at Aspire Zone. The squad includes many promising play- ers who were part of the third place-winning team at the Asian Under-23 Championship in Chi- na in January this year. THE SQUAD Saad al-Dossari, Yousuf Hassan, Mohamed Bakri, Pedro Miguel, Asim Madbo, Akram Afif, Has- san al-Haydous, Salim al-Hajri, Mohamed Alaaeldin, Tarek Salman, Ahmed Alaa, Abdulaziz Hatem, Ahmed Fathi, Bassam al- Rawi, Almoez Ali, Muad Hassan, Ahmed Moen, Karim Boudiaf, Ismail Mohamed, Abdulkarim Iraq-bound Qatar players in action during a training session at the Aspire Academy yesterday. (Right) Qatar coach Felix Sanchez supervising the training session prior to their International Friendly Championship in Hassan and Sultan Breik. Basra, Iraq. PICTURES: Fadi El Assaad LIGUE 1 SERIE A Icardi breaks goal drought by scoring Late Alves goal gives four in Inter rout AFP through injury this season, he Rome has scored 22 goals in the Italian league. Sampdoria - who were beaten 4-1 by Crotone last week aptain Mauro Icardi - drop to eighth place six points PSG victory at Nice scored four times to off the Europa League berths. break through the 100- In Calabria, Roma followed ‘We were lacking that little something to forget the defeat. Perhaps a tiny element of goal mark in Serie A as on their from a 4-2 win over Na- CInter Milan returned to the top poli and booking their spot in it will never leave. But we’ve won against Metz, Angers, and now here and I like that’ four with a 5-0 rout of Samp- the Champions League quarter- doria yesterday, while AS Roma fi nals with a third league win consolidated third place with a on the trot.