SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015 SPORTS

Top players roll into Kuwait Open Tennis final

By Abdellatif Sharaa Abdelreda Al-Shatti reached the final final and will have to wait for the winner Malabitan and Avrim Garcia. Sheikh net which contributes to its success and and in the junior category Hussein Ali between Majdi Al-Bitar and Avrim Ahmad Al-Jaber expressed his content- thanked the media for their coverage. KUWAIT: Kuwait sixth Open Tennis Jamal and Tamim Al-Hallaq made it to Garcia. In the masters category Ali ment towards the success of the tourna- He also thanked the tournament’s Tournament 2015 continued its success the final. In the men’s singles Nasser Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb, Milos Ojonovitc, ment since its start with a large number committees headed by Faleh Al-Otaibi since it started on April 7 under the Abdelsalam Al-Obaidly and Ali Abdelhameen Abdelreda Al-Shatti and of players participating especially mem- and his assisstant Abbas Al-Basri. He also patronage of President of Arab and Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb reached the final Nasser Al-Obaidly reached the quarter bers of the national teams and players thanked the officiating team led by Kuwait Tennis Federations Sheikh as well as in the U-18 girls singles finals. of clubs. Sheikh Ahmad lauded the high Abdelraouf Al-Abdelsalam and the Ahmad Al-Abdallah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Fareeda Al-Ayyat and Banisa reached the In the men’s doubles the semi finals technical level the tournament wit- board of Al-Yarmouk Sports Club. The tournament will conclude tomorrow same round. will see Mohammad Al-Ghareeeb, nessed so far. He said the tournament is Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber wished play- at the main court of Kuwait Tennis The ladies singles will see Sarah Mohammad Sadiq, Hamid Al-Sulaiteen , a good opportunity for positive compe- ers all success and invited fans to attend Federation located at Yarmoouk Sports Behbehani and Latifa Al-Sayyed Omar in Abdallah Al-Qallaf, abdelaziz Maayouf, tition in a highly sporting atmosphere the final match which will take place at club. the final. In the pioneers singles above Ali Al-Sheikh, Ali Hussein Ghareeb and among all. 4.30 pm on Al-Yarmouk Club’s main The tournament reached its final 45 Mohammad Tounieh and Majdi Ahmad Ashoor. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber thanked court, to be followed by the closing cer- rounds as in the U-13 beginners catego- Khamis made it to the finals, while in the In the pioneers category the final will ambassadors and the diplomatic core in emony and distribution of prizes to the ry Ahmad Mufid Khamis and Ali over 55 category Ringan reached the see Majdi Al-Bitar, Majdi Khamis, Ray Kuwait who participated in the tournam- winners. Rebels stun Brumbies

SYDNEY: The Melbourne Rebels stunned as fly-half Jack Debreczeni kicked low Australian Super 15 conference leaders ACT allowing the ball to skate across the wet Brumbies with a history-making 13-8 win in surface and causing problems for the trying conditions at Canberra Stadium yes- Brumbies back three. terday. Scrum-half Nic Stirzaker also played a The upset win by the 11th-placed significant role giving his opposite Michael Rebels also snapped the Brumbies 11- Dowsett, one of three players on debut in game home winning streak dating back to the injury-ravaged Brumbies side, a torrid February last year. time around the rucks and scrums. Points were hard to come by on the wet The make-shift Brumbies looked every and greasy ground with the Rebels leading bit a patched-up unit through the first half 13-5 at half-time and a sole penalty by and with what ball they won they had diffi- Christian Lealiifano 23 minutes into the culty making good use of it. second half the only points after the break. Stirzaker, who made several incisive runs It was the first time the Rebels have beaten from the base of the ruck, sparked the the Brumbies in Canberra and, for the first Rebels first try when he carved through a time since 2013, they have posted back-to- faltering defence to put Sefanaia Naivalu back wins after beating the Queensland over in the corner. Reds 23-15 in their last outing. It was also Mike Harris landed the conversion and payback for the 15-20 loss to the Brumbies two penalties to have the Rebels 13-0 up in Melbourne earlier in the year. before Henry Speight broke his try-scoring For the Brumbies it meant back-to-back drought for the season when he put the losses after falling to the Auckland Blues Brumbies on the board on the stroke of last week, and it was their first loss at home half-time. There were no further points since going down to the Reds in February until the final quarter when Christian last year. Lealiifano landed a handy penalty to put They remain at the head of the the Brumbies within striking distance of Australian conference although their lead taking the lead. has been cut to three points after the NSW With five minutes remaining they made Waratahs beat the Wellington Hurricanes a concerted effort from a lineout drive to 29-24 earlier yesterday. score a match-saving try but were held With the rain creating greasy conditions, back by a determined Rebels defence and the Rebels played basic wet-weather rugby eventually turned the ball over.—AFP United States survive Russia blitz to win gold

TOKYO: World champion Elizaveta like that is the essence of this event and it’s Tuktamysheva produced a majestic display wonderful,” he added. to win the women’s free skate at the World Earlier, world champions Meagan Team Trophy yesterday but the United Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada some- States pipped Russia to the title. what controversially won the pairs free Tuktamysheva’s poise and elegance swept skate, edging out China’s Sui Wenjing and her to a top score of 134.21 points after Han Cong in a repeat of their victory in Japan’s world silver medallist Satoko Shanghai. The pint-sized Miyahara, who Miyahara had brought the Tokyo crowd to charmed fans skating in a red dress deco- its feet with a sparkling “Miss Saigon” rou- rated with sequins, rated her performance tine. as better than in China. However, Gracie Gold’s final skate was “Of course there’s extra pressure ANTIGUA: West Indies batsman Jason Holder plays a shot before making his on day five of the first cricket Test match between West just good enough to give the Americans a because it’s a team event,” said the 17-year- Indies and England. —AFP winning total of 110 points to Russia’s 109, old. “But I didn’t make any mistakes with with hosts Japan finishing third of the six my jumps as I did at the world champi- teams at the season-ending event on 103. onships, so it was a nice way to finish the Canada took fourth on 82 points with season.” Holder earns Windies draw China on 77 and France 59. Miyahara was cheered on in Japan’s box After a final day of fluctuating fortunes, by Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, who Miyahara and Kanako Murakami briefly put had dominated the men’s free and short Japan in the driving seat until Elena programmes to end a bruising season on a despite Anderson record Radionova and Tuktamysheva took to the positive note, having recently lost his world ice. title to Spain’s Javier Fernandez in China. Radionova overhauled Miyahara’s sea- In the pairs, Duhamel and Radford ANTIGUA: Jason Holder struck his maiden vived on a flat pitch and the hosts took tea at Samuels in his next over, Buttler missing a dif- son-best 129.12 with a score of 129.73 to earned 140.70 points to 139.73 for Sui and first-class century to lead West Indies to a 268 for six. Anderson equalled Botham’s total ficult stumping chance from a sharply turning take second behind Tuktamysheva, who Han, despite Duhamel falling on a quad draw in the first test in Antigua on Friday after in the morning session when Samuels, on 23, . skated to gold at the world championships throw and crash-landing a triple toeloop. James Anderson had become England’s lead- flashed at a wide ball and was well caught by Samuels soon fell to a full delivery from in Shanghai two weeks ago. The Chinese, who had won the short ing test -taker. Tredwell in the gully. Anderson before Chanderpaul and “It was so much more stressful watching programme, looked stunned in the kiss and and Holder shared a res- Off-spinner Tredwell had already tempted Blackwood dug in. The limpet-like than actually skating,” said American team cry area as the judges announced their olute seventh-wicket stand of 105 and Smith to try to drive him over the top but the Chanderpaul appeared well set for another Evan Bates. “Especially when the score to audible gasps from a sympathetic although the former became Anderson’s opener holed out to Gary Ballance at mid-on marathon knock but, on 13, he was trapped ladies were skating-they were some of the Japanese crowd. American sweethearts 384th test victim in the final session, the hosts for 65. Tredwell should have dismissed lbw by part-time spinner Joe Root. —Reuters most nerve-wracking moments I can Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim took third remember. “To have our fate tied together with a career-best 127.87. —AFP did enough to ruin England’s hopes of going 1-0 up in the three-match series. Holder ended unbeaten on 103 and was 15 as West Indies finished SCOREBOARD on 350 for seven, 88 runs short of their improbable victory target of 438. NORTH SOUND: Scoreboard at the end of play on the final day of the first Test between the Paceman Anderson surpassed Ian Botham’s West Indies and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday. tally of 383 test victims when he had Ramdin caught by captain Alastair Cook at first slip for England 1st Innings: 399 (I Bell 143, J Root D. Ramdin c Cook b Anderson 57 83, B Stokes 79; K Roach 4-94, J Taylor 3-90) 57. J. Holder not out 103 West Indies 1st Innings: 295 (J Blackwood K. Roach not out 15 Holder held his nerve, however, and he 112 no; J Tredwell 4-47) Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-2) 6 reached three figures by hitting James England 2nd Innings: 333 for 7 declared (G Tredwell for four in the penultimate over of Ballance 122, J Root 59, J Buttler 59, J Taylor 2- Total (7 , 129.4 overs) 350 the match. 42) Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Brathwaite), 2-90 (Bravo), Earlier, England looked to be closing in on 3-119 (Smith), 4-127 (Samuels), 5-155 victory when they dismissed Devon Smith, West Indies 2nd Innings (Chanderpaul), 6-189 (Blackwood), 7-294 and (overnight 98 for 2) (Ramdin) in the morning session, leaving West Indies on K. Brathwaite c Root b Broad 5 To bat: , 162 for five at lunch. First-innings centurion D. Smith c Ballance b Tredwell 65 Jermaine Blackwood fell for 31 soon after the D. Bravo c Jordan b Root 32 Bowling: Anderson 24.4-3-72-2, Broad 21-5- interval, aiming a wild heave at Chris Jordan M. Samuels c Tredwell b Anderson 23 61-1, Tredwell 40-14-93-1, Jordan 18-6-48-1 and edging a catch to wicketkeeper Jos S. Chanderpaul lbw Root 13 (2nb), Stokes 13-0-50-0, Root 13-6-22-2 JAPAN: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia performs during the free skating in the Buttler. J. Blackwood c Buttler b Jordan 31 Result: Match drawn women’s singles event at the ISU World Team Trophy figure skating competition. —AFP But Ramdin and Holder comfortably sur-