SPORTS Wednesday, February 28, 2018 21 Aussie attack makes dilemma Passes for South Africa Durban, South Africa ome of the world’s best fast bowlers will square up when GulbisDubai Test In Dubai the first Test between South Africa and Australia starts Sat Kingsmead on Thursday. wo days after a three-set loss They may find, however, that some of their sting drawn to in the by pitch conditions. OpenT 13 Provence final, Lucas Kingsmead has lost the reputation it once had as a Pouille successfully returned fast bowler?s paradise. It has been many years since to action at the Dubai Duty wicketkeepers had to leap around as balls soared and sped Free Championships on off the playing surface. Tuesday. Indications are that the pitch will offer encouragement The Dubai resident, who but not excessive help to the fast men, with enough grass on reached the semi-finals in 2017 the surface to assist movement off the seam. (l. to Murray), defeated former The South African team, it seems, has given up on Top 10 player Ernests Gulbis trying to influence conditions after their “requests” to 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second groundsmen resulted in pitches that were less than ideal round. Pouille played the crucial for a recent three-Test series against India. The surface for points expertly throughout the the third Test at the Wanderers was condemned as poor by 79-minute clash, breaking serve International Cricket Council match referee Andy Pycroft. on each of his three break point “Everybody knows what happened at the Wanderers, opportunities, while saving so we’ve left the groundsmen to prepare the best possible eight of the nine chances his pitches that they can,” coach Ottis Gibson said last week. Latvian opponent managed to Assuming the conditions are fair, it should be a red- create. blooded battle between the teams ranked second and third “I have won many matches in Test cricket behind India. over the past three weeks, so Both have potent fast bowlers and exciting, if fragile, I’m arriving here with a lot of batting line-ups. confidence,” said Pouille. “I South Africa won the first two Tests against India with think that helped me in the tough a four-man pace attack, left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj moments today. Especially on and just six top-quality batsmen. But may be tempted the break points, I served pretty to strengthen their batting at the expense of one of the well and played good rallies. Lucas Pouille specialist bowlers. That is very positive.” Coric will meet another to go and practice some serves Thomas Fabbiano 0-6, 6-2, That decision may be influenced by a lack of form of key Pouille now waits to see Frenchman for a place in the now. Otherwise... it was good 6-2. The Rolex players as well as injuries which kept several out of action if a Marseille final rematch quarter-finals, after Benoit performance.” finalist won just 12 points in a in recent weeks. against Khachanov will come to Paire’s three-set win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert saved quick opening set, but found Captain Faf du Plessis is expected to play, although fruition in the next round, with Yoshihito Nishioka on Monday. three match points in a thrilling a way to wrestle control away the right index finger he broke four weeks ago remained the Russian needing to beat Coric leads their FedEx 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) first round win from the Italian before cruising bandaged and he took a minimal part in the team?s first later on Tuesday ATPHead2Head series 1-0. over Portugal’s Joao Sousa. to victory. The Serbian will practice in Durban on Monday. (AFP) to set up a second FedEx ATP The 2015 semi-finalist (l. The Frenchman rallied from meet 2016 runner-up Marcos Head2Head meeting. to Federer) hit six aces and 4/6 down in the final-set tie- Baghdatis in the second round. Borna Coric began his broke the Frenchman’s serve break and saved another match Germany’s Jan-Lennard campaign in style, beating fifth on four occasions to move point at 6/7 before eventually Struff also advanced to the seed 6-4, 6-3 into the last 16. “I think I was clinching victory after two second round, needing just 56 in 76 minutes. ”He did come returning pretty good today,” hours and four minutes. minutes to dispatch of Andreas back in the both sets,” said reflected Coric. “I was happy Herbert will meet third seed Haider-Maurer 62, 6-4. Struff Coric. “It was a pretty good with my return. I think it got for a spot hit 13 aces and dropped just two effort from him... but I managed me through the match also. I in the last eight. points behind his first serve in a to stay calm. I didn’t panic. It was not serving very well. I was Filip Krajinovic recovered dominant serving performance. was good.” not happy with my serve. I need from a bagel first set to beat (atpworldtour) Nadal unfazed by rankings race Acapulco Top seed Nadal will start as afael Nadal says he will the favourite to win in Mexico not be thinking about this week, where he also won reclaimingR his world number in 2005 and 2013. one ranking when he makes Nadal meanwhile said he his return from injury at the has fully recovered from the Mexico Open in Acapulco on right leg injury that scuppered Tuesday. his The 31-year-old Spanish campaign. star will play his first match “I took a couple of weeks since limping out of the of rest and worked hard on quarter-finals at the Australian rehabilitation,” he said. “Last Open when he faces Feliciano week I started practising hard Lopez. again. I feel ready. Injuries are Following his exit in part of my career. It’s not the Melbourne last month, Nadal first time. has ceded his number one the Swiss star at Indian Wells because I’m trying to be “Of course it’s tough, ranking to , who or Miami next month. number one in the world,” especially at this point when became the oldest player to Nadal however insists he is Nadal said. you feel ready to compete well. claim top spot on February 19. not motivated by a desire to “At this point in my career, “For me it was a good While a victory this week reclaim the position from his I’m looking to be happy, and chance to be fighting for an would not be good enough long-time rival. play in the proper weeks, important title in Australia. to overhaul Federer, it would “I play this tournament whether No. 1 or No. 5 in the But it happened and I can’t South Africa’s Captain Faf du Plessis leave Nadal primed to replace because I like it and, not rankings.” complain.” (AFP)