Higuain misses penalty, apologises for being sent off against Juve TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 PAGE 19 Team energy will power Mercedes to TENNIS PAGE 18 more titles, says Lewis Hamilton ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS Tottenham’s Dembele to receive treatment at Aspetar IKOLI VICTOR suffered an ankle ligament Aspetar, world’s leading Abdoulay Diaby. DOHA damage during his 250th specialised orthopaedic and As the official medical Spurs appearance in the 3-2 sports medicine hospital, has partner to French club Paris- TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR away win at Wolverhampton. become the treatment and Saint Germain (PSG), As- and Belgium midfielder Mou- Speaking before their Pre- rehabilitation destination of petar’s experts have also pro- sa Dembele was to arrive in mier League game against choice for elite athletes from vided surgical treatment for Qatar on Monday night to Crystal Palace on Saturday, around the world including players like Thomas Meunier receive treatment at Aspetar Tottenham boss Mauricio Po- Ankle injury Nigerian captain and former and Ivan Kurzawa. as he continues his rehabilita- chettino told Sky: “We hope Tottenham will be sans Chelsea midfielder John Obi Aspetar is the first and tion from an ankle injury. that from the beginning of Mikel, Manchester City leg- only of its kind in the Middle The club’s verified Twit- January he will be ready. Mousa Dembele for the rest end Yaya Toure, Icelandic East. Since 2007, the hospital ter account (@spursOfficial “It is always about the pa- of 2018 since the Belgian footballers Eidur Gudjohnsen with its team of world experts announced on Monday, “@ tients, how he is going to re- midfielder suffered an ankle and Alfred Finnbogason, AFC has provided top-level com- mousadembele has flown act to the injury but we hope ligament damage during his Bournemouth striker Cal- prehensive medical treatment out to @Aspetar for world- he is going to be ready by the 250th Spurs appearance in lum Wilson, Stoke City goal- to various athletes at its state- class treatment as he contin- early January. the 3-2 away win at keeper Jack Butland, North- of-the-art facility that sets new ues his rehabilitation from “We always miss all of the Wolverhampton. ern Ireland and Watford FC standards internationally. an ankle injury.” players when they are injured. footballer Craig Cathcart, In 2009, Aspetar was Tottenham will be sans In 13 days we have played five former French International accredited as a “FIFA Medi- Dembele for the rest of 2018 games, every two and a half & Sunderland player Younes cal Centre of Excellence” since the Belgian midfielder days we are competing.” Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur. Kaboul, and Club Brugge’s by F-MARC. Nishikori shocks Federer to end losing streak DPA LONDON AIBA submits report KEI NISHIKORI ended a six-match losing streak against to IOC with sport’s Roger Federer with a 7-6 (7- 4), 6-3 win on the opening day of the ATP Finals in London Tokyo fate at stake on Sunday. Japan’s Nishikori had only AFP beaten the 37-year-old Swiss LAUSANNE On the eve of his election record-breaker twice previ- as AIBA president, Gafur ously, with his last success THE International Boxing coming in the quarter-finals of Association is counting on a Rakhimov had assured the 2014 Miami Masters. crucial report being submitted delegates and fans that Federer, who had been to the International Olympic “boxing will naturally be aiming to claim a 100th ca- Committee on Monday to lift at the Olympic Games in reer title at the season-ending the threat over its inclusion at 2020, Paris in 2024 and event, started strongly on Tokyo 2020 and beyond. serve but his work was undone Boxing risks ejection from Los Angeles in 2028.” through a plethora of 34 un- the Games after controversial forced errors. Uzbek businessman Gafur tegrity, democracy, assessment, “You could tell it was sort Rakhimov was elected AIBA and WADA,” AIBA’s general of a first round,” Federer said. president this month. director Tom Virgets told AFP. “I had my chances maybe Whether the IOC delivers Bach says Rakhimov is not a bit more than he did. Yeah, a KO on its Tokyo presence boxing’s only issue. “The prob- then I started to feel better in will be decided at an executive lem with the AIBA is not just the the second set. I think we both commission meeting in the election of someone as its presi- did. The level went up.” 2020 host city next month. dent,” he commented last week. His poor run of fortune Rakhimov’s election has “For more than a year we continued though and with his caused consternation at the have expressed our deep con- usual trusted backhand out of Olympic movement with the cern over its general govern- tune, Federer conceded two 67-year-old linked to organ- ance and finances. It’s all this breaks in the second set to lose ised crime by the US Treasury that has pushed us to take an ATP Finals opening match Department. such a rigid stance. “We’ve for the first time since 2013. Rakhimov vehemently given them the opportunity in “He deserves credit and denies the allegations, telling November to submit a report respect,” Federer said of Nishi- AFP his appearance on the US outlining their point of view. kori. “I think we all have that for Treasury’s list was “a mistake”. “Once we’ve got it we’ll study Kei because he’s a great fighter.” IOC president Thomas it in Tokyo at the start of Dec.” The first set was deservedly Bach has said he was “ex- With the AIBA’s Tokyo decided by a tie-break after an tremely worried about the presence in jeopardy the IOC intense display of first-attack Japan’s Kei Nishikori gestures after defeating Switzerland’s Roger Federer 7-6, 6-3 on Day One of the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in governance of AIBA”. says it “will do everything to tennis from both men who have London on Sunday. (Inset) Federer greets Nishikori after their match. (AFP) The IOC, which has frozen protect the athletes. In the a combined total of 20 appear- relations with the AIBA, was event of exclusion it plans to ances at the ATP Finals, with serve, but the world num- though he fought to save two cease the opportunity as his consolidating his work behind already losing patience with stage a boxing championship six-time champion Federer be- ber nine stood firm to force a set points, a seventh mistake 28-year-old opponent hit back a heavy serve with victory now one of the blue riband Olympic during the Games in Tokyo. ginning his 16th campaign. breaker where into the net secured the lead with an immediate break to in sight. sports since a judging scandal “Irrespective of the deci- The 20-time Grand Slam for Nishikori. remain on level terms. On his next service game, at the 2016 Rio Games. sion taken we will make the champion could have won the Federer unravelled Federer put his first set And Nishikori finally found Nishikori rallied to win in The substance of Monday’s necessary efforts to ensure first set in game 12 if he had The world number three frustrations to good use in the the crucial breakthrough he one hour and 27 minutes, report is being kept under that athletes have the possi- capitalised on the 0-30 pres- gave away six straight points second set to gain an open- needed to topple Federer as which ended with one more wraps but it concerns “govern- bility to pursue their Olympic sure he put on Nishikori’s through errors and even ing break but he could not he broke for a 4-2 lead before Federer misfire. ance, finance, ethics, sport in- journey,” Bach said. Zverev launches campaign, sees off Cilic threat AFP who has a reputation for falter- player ever to compete at the taking care of my serve games LONDON ing when under intense pres- year-end championships. nicely, created quite a few op- sure, kept his nose in front but The Serb, guaranteed to portunities on his serve.” ALEXANDER ZVEREV saw was broken as he served for the end the year in top spot, has A netted return from Thiem off the challenge of Marin Cilic set at 5-3. The set went to a tie- enjoyed a remarkable second opened two break point chances 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1) at the ATP break and, infused with fresh half of the year, winning Wim- for Anderson, and even though Finals on Monday as Novak belief, third-seed Zverev estab- bledon and the US Open as he he saved one with a lashed fore- Djokovic prepared to launch lished a foothold, taking it 7/5. surged up the rankings. hand, his next attempt landed his campaign for a record- In the second set, Cilic Earlier, South Africa’s long to fall 3-1 behind. equalling sixth title. again drew first blood, break- Kevin Anderson opened the Thiem faced six more break In a match littered with ing Zverev in the seventh game eight-man tournament with a points and he erased them all dozens of unforced errors to establish a 4-3 lead but the 6-3, 7-6 (12-10) success over but the single break was enough at London’s O2 Arena, the German responded immedi- Austrian Dominic Thiem. for Anderson to seal the first set 21-year-old Zverev recovered ately to level at 4-4.