17 WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018 sports

Eldar Eldarov confident Serena reaches semis about the KHK MMA TDT | Manama Kingdom of Bahrain had se- cured multiple medals in the Serena Williams to face Julia Goerges for a place for Wimbledon final ldar Eldarov, Head Coach 2017 edition of the champi- Eof Bahrain National Team onships. Abdulmanap Mag- AFP | London for Amateur MMA, stated he omedov won the gold medal, is confident regarding a dom- Nayef Fikry, Hussain Abdulla erena Williams survived inant performance by KHK and Abbas Khan won bronze a major scare before seal- MMA fighters in the upcom- for the Kingdom of Bahrain. ing her 11th Wimbledon ing 2018 IMMAF Asian Open The consistent performance S I knew after the semi-final appearance, while Championships. showcased by the Kingdom of Angelique Kerber remains the first set, ‘all right, The China International Bahrain for over a year pushed seven-time champion’s main ti- let’s go three Mixed Martial Arts Federation Bahrain in the global rankings tle rival after the German joined sets’. I’ll just keep (CIMMAF) will host the IMMAF to the second place. her in the last four yesterday. fighting Asian Open Championships The fight camp had already Williams was in danger of a in China, in 2018 from 3 to 8 undergoing with 2018 IMMAF stunning quarter-final exit after SERENA WILLIAMS September in Beijing. Asian Open Championships to world number 52 Camila Giorgi go ahead of the 2018 IMMAF became the first player in this World Championships that year’s tournament to take a set will be hosted by the Kingdom off the former world number of Bahrain during the 2018 one. But Serena bludgeoned Williams is into the 35th Brave International Combat her way out of trouble, winning Grand Slam semi-final of her Week. 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to stay on course career and her first since win- “We are determined to give for an eighth All England Club ning last year’s Australian Open. our best to the Kingdom of triumph. Having shaken off the rust Bahrain. We expect great per- It was Serena’s 100th career following her lengthy lay-off formances and more medals to main draw victory on grass. after the birth of her daughter be won this year. The support The 36-year-old will play Ger- Olympia in September, Williams and leadership by HH Shaikh man 13th seed Julia Goerges on is on the verge of a 10th Wimble- Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa is Thursday for a place in Satur- don final appearance. a great motivation for the team day’s final. Her path to the title has been to focus on excellence and to “I knew after the first set, ‘all wide open from early in the make the Kingdom proud,” right, let’s go three sets’. I’ll just tournament as Garbine Mugu- Eldar Eldarov said Eldar Eldarov. keep fighting,” Williams said. ruza, Maria Sharapova, Simo- “This is only my fourth tour- na Halep, Petra Kvitova, Venus nament back so I don’t feel pres- Williams, Caroline Wozniacki sure, I don’t feel I have to win and Sloane Stephens have all this. “I still have a long way to been eliminated. ’s Shehzad faces go to be where I was.” Williams, a 23-time major Serena is the first woman to winner, is hoping to join a select ban on failed drug test reach a Grand Slam semi-final group of women who have won without facing a top 40 ranked Grand Slams after becoming US player Serena Williams celebrates after winning against Camila Giorgi -AFP AFP | opponent since 2013. mothers. averick Pakistan opener MAhmed Shehzad failed a drug test conducted during a Djokovic relegates Federer in q-final line-up domestic tournament in April, the country’s author- AFP | London ities confirmed Tuesday, and could face a ban of up to four ovak Djokovic won his years. The offence is the latest Nbattle to be promoted to in a long litany of Pakistani Centre Court billing for today’s players charged with doping, quarter-finals, forcing eight- KNOW WHAT and is a severe blow to the time champion Roger Feder- 26-year-old’s stuttering career. Ahmed Shehzad (file pic) er off the sport’s most famous The arena for the first time in three will issue a formal charge ended Sunday. years. At the age of 14, sheet “later today” it said in a Pakistan’s cricketers have Three-time champion Djok- Djokovic began his release, confirming reports in a history of failing tests for ovic will open the Centre Court international career, recent days that Shehzad had performance enhancing drugs. programme against Kei Ni - winning European tested positive for a banned Pace bowlers shikori followed by two-time championships in substance. and Mohammad Asif were winner and world number one singles, doubles, and Shehzad lost his Test place both caught using banned Rafael Nadal facing Juan Martin following Pakistan’s tour to the substances in 2006 but later del Potro. Defending champion team competition West Indies in mid-2017 and reprieved after a tribunal set Federer, who has played all of has not played a one day in- aside their drug tests. his Wimbledon matches since Serbia’s Novak Djokovic practices at the training courts ternational since last October. Later rule changes led to a the 2015 semi-finals on Centre tended to lobby the All England He was part of Pakistan’s two-year ban for left-arm spin- Court, will instead open pro- schedule. Djokovic has featured Novak Djokovic had told re- Club. Djokovic has played twice squad for the team’s ner Raza Hasan, who failed a ceedings on Court One against just once on Centre Court in the porters that he had been hope- on the 11,000-capacity Court two international matches doping test in 2015. Kevin Anderson. opening four rounds. ful of playing his quarter-final One this year but was shunted last month, managing scores Two other Pakistan spinners, The other last-eight tie, be- By contrast, Federer and Na- match on Centre Court before off to the 4,000-seater Court of 14 and 24, but missed out and , tween Milos Raonic and John dal have played exclusively on telling Serbian media that he Two for his second round clash on playing for the tri-series have also received temporary Isner, finishes off the Court One the 15,000-seater Centre Court. “deserved” the honour and in- against Horacio Zeballos. Twenty20 in Zimbabwe which bans in recent years. Tour de France: Gaviria clinches fourth stage

AFP | Sarzeau tenders to top the overall standings finished safely in the main pack. olombian ace Fernando Gaviria Gaviria won Saturday’s first stage on Cedged a breathtaking bunch sprint his Tour debut and looks to be the man to win the fourth stage of the Tour de to beat in the sprints this year. France yesterday, his second stage “Everyone in Colombia is watching success after also winning the open- the Tour de France and I feel like my ing ride. The 23-year-old Quick Step nation’s representative,” said Gaviria. at Seef District too rider timed his sprint to perfection to “The team had to work really hard overtake German Andre Greipel and to catch the escape, nobody else was Um al Hassan +973 17728699 hold off a fast-finishing Peter Sagan, helping,” he added. Seef District +973 17364999 who just got second, in a photo finish. Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria (R) reacts after The frenetic finish was so close, Team Sky leader Chris Froome, crossing the finish line ahead of Slovakia’s the riders all watched the replay on a seeking a record-equalling fifth Tour Peter Sagan (L) and Germany’s Andre Greipel giant screen to see how the shares had de France victory, and all the key con- (Rear) -AFP been spoiled.