Stenson wins Bolt and Fraser-Pryce in Dubai win 2013 World 17 Athlete18 awards MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013 Vettel on pole as Red Bull sweep front row Page 18 BELGRADE: Czech Rebublic’s team members hold the Davis Cup after winning the last singles Davis Cup tennis match finals betweenCzech Republic and Serbia at the Kombank Arena in Belgrade. —AFP Czechs beat Serbia to retain Davis Cup BELGRADE: The Czech Republic retained the Davis Cup emotions were “mixed” as 2010 champions Serbia “tried to from a noisy group of Czechs in the sold-out arena. point for a 6-4 lead. He went on to take the second set in after Radek Stepanek beat outclassed Serbian youngster do our best” despite being weakened considerably. “I controlled the rubber except in the first game, and I tie-break after letting off some steam and destroying a rac- Dusan Lajovic in the decisive fifth final rubber in straight Lajovic replaced 36th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic, out with played in the best form of my life the whole weekend,” said quet, and before taking the third set in style, 6-2. sets yesterday. a heel injury, and Serbia also missed 76th-ranked Viktor Stepanek. Lajovic admitted he found it hard to predict Berdych admitted that Djokovic’s victory was deserved. The 44th-ranked, 34-year-old Stepanek beat the 23- Troicki over a doping ban. Stepanek’s moves. “I think it was his biggest advantage in “I tried to hold on to him from the beginning to the end year-old Lajovic, world number 117, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in under Lajovic, who has lost all four ATP-level matches he has this match.” but it wasn’t enough,” he said. “He’s in an excellent shape, two hours, handing the Czechs an overall 3-2 win. played this year, started the decisive rubber in high spirits, Earlier, Serbia’s world number two Novak Djokovic he plays great tennis and moreover in front of such a On the hardcourt of the Belgrade Arena, the Czech breaking Stepanek’s very first serve. forced the decisive rubber as he beat seventh-ranked crowd.” In Friday’s singles, Djokovic beat Stepanek 7-5, 6-1, Republic, playing the third Davis Cup final in five years, But his enthusiasm was short-lived as the Czech veter- Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 for his 24th victory in a 6-4, and Berdych then saw off Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. scored a ninth straight victory in Davis Cup ties. an, betting on patience and changing the rhythm of his row. Propelled by a noisy home crowd, Djokovic relied on On Saturday, Berdych and Stepanek won the 14th of “I was under the biggest pressure that can be,” said a play at will, broke Lajovic’s next two serves to win the set. his serve, while Berdych tried to indulge him in long their 15 Davis Cup doubles rubbers together as they swept jubilant Stepanek. “We are one of only five teams that have Clad in his lucky blue t-shirt emblazoned with a lion exchanges, combining a fast forehand with a wicked sliced Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). defended the cup.” “I want to say how proud I am to be design-which Andy Murray’s mother Judy described as backhand. “It was very emotional, both of us got into the A year ago, the Czechs beat Spain 3-2 in Prague for their with these lads. They are absolutely great, they deserved to “staggeringly bad” on Saturday-Stepanek raced to take the match with a lot of pressure because of the importance of first triumph as an independent country with Stepanek win the trophy,” said interim Czech captain Vladimir Safarik, next two sets in style. the game,” Djokovic said. again winning the decisive final rubber. Former who replaced an ill Jaroslav Navratil for the final. Casting desperate looks around him, Lajovic let his Djokovic earned ten break points against none for Czechoslovakia, which split into the Czech Republic and His counterpart Bogdan Obradovic admitted that his game crumble and allowed Stepanek to enjoy the ovations Berdych in the first set and finally converted his fourth set Slovakia in 1993, won the cup in 1980. — AFP Olympic dream still flickering Cameroon book for China’s Pang and Tong PARIS: Chinese veterans Pang Qing and cult if not impossible to have gold. But we World Cup spot Tong Jian admitted that they were still try to put our heart into skating so that is dreaming of an Olympic pairs figure skat- why we’ve chosen this music.” YAOUNDE: Two second half goals from and they did nothing in the first half to test ing gold despite the odds being stacked The Chinese pair, who have often been Jean Makoun saw Cameroon to a comfort- Charles Itandje in the Cameroon goal, against them of taking the title at the Sochi written off, have not been on the world able 4-1 win over Tunisia to book their whose heroics in Rades set them up for the Games. podium since their bronze medal in 2011. Pang, 33, and Tong, 34, who started Among their main rivals in Sochi will be place in the World Cup finals for an African second leg. skating together as six-year-olds, are also a Germany’s four-time world champions record seventh time yesterday. The visitors’ only significant foray for- couple in life having got engaged last year Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, the In the Yaounde sunshine, Cameroon ward saw Wissem Ben Yahia swing in a free- when Tong proposed during an ice show in Olympic bronze medallists, and reigning wasted no time in taking the advantage kick from the right side only for the China. Over a career spanning 20 years the world champions Tatiana Volosozhar and after last month’s goalless first leg in Rades. unmarked Syam Ben Youssef at the back 2006 and 2010 world champions have won Maxim Trankov of Russia. There were just three minutes on the post to head over with the goal at his mer- every major title possible apart from the They will match themselves against clock when Pierre Webo pounced on a cy. Olympic gold. their rivals at the ISU Grand Prix final in defensive mix-up by the Tunisians, firing Tunsia’s Dutch coach Ruud Krol, who In Vancouver the pair from Harbin chose Japan next month after booking their tick- across goal, the ball bouncing in off the was drafted in at the last minute to fire up the music ‘Impossible Dream’ for their free et with their Paris win and a silver in the post. the team for the return leg, appeared to skate and it inspired a silver medal. That led Cup of China two weeks ago. But it took a majestic goal on the half- have pulled off a masterstroke by throwing them to chose ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Tong admitted that he would have to hour by Benjamin Moukandjo to give the on striker Ahmed Akaichi as a half-time Les Miserables for their final season. “In iron out errors in both programmes after Indomitable Lions breathing space as substitute for Amine Chermiti. 2010 we chose the music ‘Impossible he fell on a triple toeloop during their rou- Tunisia paid the price for sitting back and Just four minutes into the half Akaichi Dream’,” explained Tong, after the couple tines. Despite the glitches, the Olympic sil- letting the home side carry the game to produced a perfect finish, chasing a long won their first Trophee Bompard Grand Prix ver medallists scored their season’s best them. Moukandjo, brought in to add width through ball and powering a first-time vol- title in Paris this weekend on their sixth 126.17 points for the free skate and 193.86 and pace on the left, produced just that, ley beyond the reach of Itandje from the attempt. In Vancouver the music helped overall for their fifth medal in the French collecting the ball and with a burst of edge of the area. them set a new world record for the free capital. Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and speed, glided through three defenders and But Makoun restored the Lions’ two- skate and take silver behind fellow Chinese Eric Radford won silver and American Caydee Denney and John Coughlin the fired an unstoppable shot past Moez Ben goal advantage, rising above the defence Xue Shen and Zhao Hongbo, who won thanks to their world record short pro- bronze. After retiring Tong said the couple Charifa from the edge of the area. to head home Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s corner YAOUNDE: Cameroon’s forward Jean Makoun waves a gramme as China broke Russia’s 46-year were hoping to study languages, but But his over-exuberant celebrations, in the 65th minute and wrapped it up four Cameroonian flag as he celebrates qualifying for the Olympic gold medal streak in pairs. hoped to remain within the world of skat- which saw him rip off his shirt and race in minutes from time when he slotted home 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after winning the second “This is our final dream. It’s our final sea- ing as judges or technical advisors to the to the crowd, brought him a booking. the rebound after substitute Eric Choupo leg qualifying football match between Cameroon and son and we know it’s going to be very diffi- sport. — AFP There seemed no way back for Tunisia Moting’s shot hit the post.