TTENNISENNIS | Page 2 CRICKET | Page 3 France’s Garcia Pakistan’s overpowers Azhar keeps Barty to clinch Sri Lanka at Wuhan title bay in fi rst Test Sunday, October 1, 2017 FOOTBALL Muharram 11, 1439 AH United rout Palace, GULF TIMES De Bruyne rocket sinks Chelsea SPORT Page 7 QNB STARS LEAGUE Arabi secure season’s fi rst win In-form Umm Salal beat Al Ahli 2-0 QNA Brazilian midfi elder Diego Jardel Doha opened the scoring for Al Arabi in the ninth minute before Syrian forward Mardik Mardikian doubled their lead l Arabi have managed their fi rst two minutes from the break. Youssef al- win of the season thanks to a 2-1 Kubaisi pulled one back for Qatar SC in defeat of Qatar SC in the third the 63rd minute, but they couldn’t fi nd week of the QNB Stars League the net again. Aat Grand Hamad Stadium yesterday. Gameweek 3 had kicked off on Thurs- The win comes on the back of two de- day with a 5-2 win for Al Sailiya over Al feats for Al Arabi, having lost 1-3 to Al Markhiya. On Friday, Al Duhail beat Al Sailiya and 0-2 to Al Duhail. It should Rayyan 5-3, Al Sadd defeated Al Ghara- also be a catalyst for the team that boasts fa 2-1, while Al Kharaitiyat and Al Ahli of the widest fanbase in Qatar to get back shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. to winning ways. Al Arabi will next take on Umm Salal, The team have not really been chal- who beat Al Ahli 2-0 in the second match lenging for titles in the past few years of the day yesterday. Yannick Sagbo and are led this season by Tunisia’s Kais put Umm Salal on the board in the 23rd Yaakoubi, who should be relieved with minute, before Mahir Yousef doubled the the win. lead in extra time. On the other hand, Qatar SC remain Umm Salal are in third spot with seven on three points, courtesy their 1-0 win points behind the unbeaten Al Duhail over Al Markhiya in the second week of and Al Sadd, who have nine points each. Al Arabi’s Diego Jardel (left) celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal with the season. They had lost their opening Qatar SC face Al Sadd in their next teammate Khalfan Ibrahim against Qatar SC during their QNB Stars League match at Umm Salal players celebrate a goal during their QNB Stars League match match to Al Duhail 2-3. match. Grand Hamad Stadium yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil against Al Ahli yesterday. PICTURE: Anas Khalid Gulf Times 2 Sunday, October 1, 2017 SPORT FORMULA ONE Hamilton seizes Malaysian pole, Vettel to start last Reuters lost power,” Ferrari’s Vettel, who threat in Malaysia and a typical I’m very grateful.” Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) Sepang, Malaysia had an engine change before tropical downpour could also aid Daniel Ricciardo, who led Ver- 2nd row qualifying after running into Vettel in his recovery. stappen in a one-two for Red Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) problems at the end of yester- The four-times champion’s Bull in Malaysia last year, will Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) ewis Hamilton of Mer- day’s fi nal practice session, told qualifying setback left the way start fourth. He will share the 3rd row cedes pulled out the stops reporters. Vettel trails Hamilton clear for Hamilton to take the second row of the grid with the Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) to seize pole position for by 28 points in the overall stand- 70th pole position of his career Dutchman who engaged in a bit Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) the Malaysian Grand Prix ings heading into Sunday’s race. which makes the 32-year-old, of fun banter with Raikkonen af- 4th row Lin an inspiring display of speed, The German crashed out of who surpassed Michael Schu- ter qualifying. Stoff el Vandoorne (BEL/ even as a power unit problems pole position on the opening lap macher’s record haul of pole posi- “I don’t want to be sand- McLaren) left title rival Sebastian Vettel of the last race in Singapore, with tions with his 69th at Monza, the wiched,” said Verstappen, pin- Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) stranded in the garage. Hamilton capitalising from fi fth fi rst driver to reach the landmark. cered by the Ferraris in the open- 5th row The championship leader to win. The gap between the pair It was also his ninth of the ing-lap Singapore crash. Sergio Perez (MEX/Force India) scorched the 5.5-kilometre long is the biggest it has been all year season and fi fth in Malaysia. “I don’t want to be hit,” re- Fernando Alonso (ESP/McLaren) Sepang track in one minute 30.076 and if Hamilton triumphs on But, even with Vettel out of sponded Raikkonen. 6th row seconds, the fastest lap ever set at Sunday, with Vettel lower than contention it did not come easy, Frenchman Pierre Gasly, Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) the track, to beat Kimi Raikkonen second, the Briton will not need with Mercedes having struggled drafted in as a last-minute re- Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) and birthday boy Max Verstappen to win another race to clinch his all weekend to extract pace from placement for under-perform- 7th row in a hard-fought session. fourth title. their car. Hamilton’s team mate ing Russian Daniil Kvyat at Toro Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) Vettel, however, failed to set The Malaysian Grand Prix has Bottas was only fi fth. Rosso, will make his Formula Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Toro Rosso) a time and will start dead last never been won from lower than “Those laps, particularly the One debut from 15th on the grid. 8th row in yet another blow to his title eighth on the grid. But retired fi rst Q3 lap, was very well put The 21-year-old lost out to Pierre Gasly (FRA/Toro Rosso) hopes, after a power unit issue champion Nico Rosberg recov- together, very nice lap, I don’t Renault-bound team mate Car- Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) on his fi rst fl ier in the opening ered to third last year after a spin really know where it came from los Sainz by less than two-tenths 9th row phase of qualifying forced him to at the start dropped him to the to be honest,” Hamilton, whose of a second. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton (centre) celebrates taking limp back to the pits. back of the fi eld. fi rst fl ying lap in the fi nal part of Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) pole position next to second fastest Ferrari’s Finland driver Kimi “I went out, everything was qualifying remained his fastest, Starting Grid 10th row Raikkonen (right) and third fastest Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max fi ne and then during the fl ying RAIN THREAT said. 1st row Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) Verstappen after the qualifying session of the Malaysia GP in Sepang lap in turn fi ve very abruptly I Rain is also an ever-present “It’s a surprise to be up here. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) yesterday. (AFP) TENNIS FOCUS Ferrari’s Vettel smiling through the pain Garcia overpowers of qualifying last Reuters and Mercedes struggling to Sepang, Malaysia extract speed from their chal- lenger. Instead, Hamilton, who re- ebastian Vettel still had tired from a commanding lead Barty to clinch a smile on his face after in Malaysia last year, goes into qualifying for the Ma- Sunday’s race poised to make laysian Grand Prix yes- another huge stride toward his Sterday, as the German put on a fourth title. brave face despite the pain of The gap between the cham- the latest setback to strike his pionship contenders is already championship challenge. the biggest it has been in an The Ferrari driver, trails otherwise hard-fought season Wuhan Open title Mercedes rival Lewis Hamil- between the pair. ton by 28 points in the stand- The Briton will not need to ‘A title is the best thing you can have in tennis, that’s why you fight all year long’ ings, will start Sunday’s race win another race this year if he dead last after power unit triumphs on Sunday with Vet- AFP end.” problems prevented him from tel lower than second or if he Wuhan, China Barty, who was also playing in setting a time. outscores the German by more her fi rst ever Premier 5 level fi - Hamilton, meanwhile, will than seven points. nal, said it had been “a hell of a begin on pole. “It’s very bit- The Malaysian race has nev- aroline Garcia overpow- week, probably the best week of ter but then it’s motor racing,” er been won from lower than ered Australia’s Ash- my tennis career”. said the four-times champion, eighth on the grid. leigh Barty 6-7 (3/7), “My fi rst serve deserted me a who ran into trouble in Satur- Still, retired champion Nico 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to claim bit but I put myself in a position day’s fi nal practice session and Rosberg fi nished third last Cher fi rst Wuhan Open title yes- where I was only a few points had his engine changed before year after dropping to the back terday in a thrilling see-saw fi nal away from the fi nal,” said Barty, qualifying.