NBA| Page 5 CCRICKET|RICKET Page 7 Wolves halt South Africa’s To Advertise here Rockets’ Amla slams Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 nine-game ton in his win streak 100th Test Friday, January 13, 2017 GOLF Rabia II, 15, 1438 AH ‘Quiet leader’ GULF TIMES Furyk relishes Ryder Cup challenge SPORT Page 6 LOCAL FOOTBALL Thriller on cards as Al Sadd take on leaders Lekhwiya The teams had drawn 3-3 when they clashed in the Qatar Stars League in October Sports Reporter have to be at their very best if they Doha are to come away with a famous win. Pedro Miguel could hold the key for the Wolves in this game. The former l Sadd will have to play out Al Ahli man has been a leading fi gure of their skins when they take in the Sadd back-line this season, and on table-toppers Lekhwiya in has also popped up with some impor- a crucial Qatar Stars League tant goals at times. Amatch today. The match will be played As for Lekhwiya, coach Djamel Bel- at Al Sadd stadium at 6.30pm. madi will be looking to win the mid- Both teams are unbeaten so far in 15 fi eld battle and keep Al Sadd captain matches, but Lekhwiya are two points Xavi quiet. Qatar international mid- ahead, on 39, having drawn just three fi elder Karim Boudiaf will be charged matches against Al Sadd’s four. with trying to disrupt the Al Sadd tem- Incidentally, one of the draws the po in the centre of the park. Boudiaf teams played was in a match in Octo- certainly has the attributes to be a dif- ber when they clashed with each other. ference maker in this high stakes game, The thrilling 3-3 result was enough in- and it will be interesting to see how he dication that there is precious little to is deployed for his side against Al Sadd. choose between the two teams in terms “Both teams are strong in defence of resources. and attack. Lekhwiya have improved Al Sadd come into today’s tie after in front of the goal this season and it a hard-fought 1-0 win over Al Ahli. promises to be a close game. The dif- The Wolves seemed to struggle with ference is two points, both teams are the absence of leading scorer Bagdad suff ering from key absences in strik- Bounedjah, who has left the side to ers and we are both looking to win the represent Algeria at the African Na- title,” said Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Fer- tions Cup. riera. Despite this, Al Sadd still came away Ferriera noted that a defeat wouldn’t with the all- important three points harm his side’s title chances. “My thanks to a fi ne strike from Meshaal side’s aim is to win the title this season, al-Shammari. and this will be a big challenge for both Lekhwiya, meanwhile, registered teams this week. For me it’s not the one of their best performances of the crucial game for the championship as season in round 15, easily defeating in- we have ten games left after this game. form Al Gharafa 3-0. We will look to maintain our perform- Even more impressive was the fact ance, I think if we keep at the same it’s good for the league and it’s good for they have stepped up this year and it that Lekhwiya didn’t seem to lose any level we can come away with a result.” the country.” has been shown on the pitch.” of their attacking verve with the ab- Lekhwiya’s assistant coach Bruno Olivera believes his side have im- “This will be a tough battle in mid- sence of top scorer Yusef al-Arabi who Olivera is expecting a thrilling encoun- proved signifi cantly from last season. fi eld. We don’t have any special con- It will be battle of wits between is also playing the African tournament, ter. “We feel that we have been stronger cerns over individuals in Al Sadd. We Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi representing Morocco. “It will be an exciting game on Fri- mentally. The fact we did not win the will be aiming to play the same way and his Al Sadd counterpart With Al Sadd taking on the best at- day, this is type of game we want to title certainly will help us. However, that we have done always over the Jesualdo Ferriera (R). tack in the league, their defence will play, and it’s fi rst against second and our squad has a winning mentality and course of the season.” TENNIS Sir Andy to get royal treatment in Melbourne AFP SEEDINGS FOR AUSTRALIAN OPEN Melbourne Men’s singles Williams (USA), 3. Agnieszka Radwan- 1. Andy Murray (GBR), 2. Novak Djoko- ska (POL), 4. Simona Halep (ROM), 5. he men’s world number one is vic (SRB), 3. Milos Raonic (CAN), 4. Stan Karolina Pliskova (CZE), 6. Dominika set to be treated as tennis roy- Wawrinka (SUI), 5. Kei Nishikori (JPN), 6. Cibulkova (SVK), 7. Garbine Muguruza alty at the Australian Open Gael Monfils (FRA), 7. Marin Cilic (CRO), (ESP), 8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS), next week with the offi cial local 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT), 9. Rafael 9. Johanna Konta (GBR), 10. Carla Tbroadcaster planning to refer to him as Nadal (ESP), 10. Tomas Berdych (CZE), Suarez Navarro (ESP), 11. Elina Svitolina “Sir Andy Murray”. 11. David Goffin (BEL), 12. Jo-Wilfried (UKR), 12. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), The Scot was knighted in Britain’s Tsonga (FRA), 13. Roberto Bautista Agut 13. Venus Williams (USA), 14. Elena New Year Honours list after a magnifi - (ESP), 14. Nick Kyrgios (AUS), 15. Grigor Vesnina (RUS), 15. Roberta Vinci (ITA), cent 2016 and tennis chiefs have been Dimitrov (BUL), 16. Lucas Pouille (FRA), 16. Barbora Strycova (CZE), 17. Caroline mulling what to call him, according to 17. Roger Federer (SUI), 18. Richard Gas- Wozniacki (DEN), 18. Samantha Stosur the Sydney Morning Herald. quet (FRA), 19. John Isner (USA), 20. Ivo (AUS), 19. Kiki Bertens (NED), 20. It said Channel Seven had decided to Karlovic (CRO), 21. David Ferrer (ESP), Zhang Shuai (CHN), 21 Caroline Garcia reference the three-time Grand Slam 22. Pablo Cuevas (URU), 23. Jack Sock (FRA), 22. Daria Gavrilova (AUS), 23. champion by his new offi cial title when (USA), 24. Alexander Zverev (GER), 25. Daria Kasatkina (RUS), 24. Anastasia he plays his fi rst match in Australia Gilles Simon (FRA), 26. Albert Ramos- Pavlyuchenkova (RUS), 25. since being recognised by the Queen. Vinolas (ESP), 27. Bernard Tomic (AUS), Timea Babos (HUN), 26. Laura Siege- “Not only is he tennis royalty, he’s 28. Feliciano Lopez (ESP), 29. Viktor mund (GER), 27. Irina-Camelia Begu now a Knight Bachelor, so yes of course Troicki (SRB), 30. Pablo Carreno Busta (ROM), 28. Alize Cornet (FRA), 29. we will be showing him the respect he (ESP), 31. Sam Querrey (USA), 32. Philipp Monica Puig (PUR), deserves and refer to him as Sir Andy Kohlschreiber (GER) 30. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS), 31. Murray,” the broadcaster’s head of sport Women’s singles Yulia Putintseva (KAZ), 32. Anastasija Saul Shtein said. Andy Murray of Britain hits a return during a 1. Angelique Kerber (GER), 2. Serena Sevastova (LAT) Murray’s brother, Jamie, playing practice session ahead of the Australian Open doubles at the Sydney International, tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. said it would be “weird” to hear broad- Grand Slam having upset Serena Wil- foe Rafael Nadal, also returning from in- casters and announcers in Melbourne liams, seeded two this year, in the de- jury, is ninth. call his sibling “Sir”. cider last year. Big-serving Canadian Serena Williams, gunning for a 23rd “If he is walking out on to court and Milos Raonic, who lost to Murray in the Grand Slam title to beat Steffi Graf’s the announcer is calling him as Sir Andy ting to me about it and asking how it He enters the opening Grand Slam rent rankings. Scotland’s Murray is 2016 semi-fi nals, is the third men’s seed Open-era record, is scheduled to again Murray, that would be a bit weird, yeah,” works, what does it mean and what do of the year as a fi ve-time loser in the chasing his fi rst title at Melbourne with 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka meet Kerber in the women’s fi nal. he told the Herald. we call you,” Murray said. “Andy is fi ne.” Melbourne Park fi nal and determined Park after losing in the fi nal fi ve times, fourth and Japanese hope Kei Nishikori But there are a host of dangerous players Earlier this week, Murray told British Murray’s stellar 2016 saw him to end the jinx. Meanwhile, Murray including in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 fi fth. looking to stop her, with Poland’s Agniesz- media he wants his rivals on the circuit crowned Wimbledon champion, enjoy and Angelique Kerber were named to Serb rival Novak Djokovic, who is Swiss legend Roger Federer starts ka Radwanska seeded three and Romania’s to keep calling him Andy. a successful Olympic title defence and the top seeds for the Australian Open seeded two. at 17 as he makes a comeback after six Simona Halep four. US Open fi nalist Karo- “A few of the players have been chat- end the year with the top ranking. with organisers aligning with the cur- Kerber will be defending her fi rst months out with a knee injury.