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Serena follows Ronaldo hits seeds out of four as Real ease Wuhan17 Open past18 Elche WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 FIFA ethics judge hesitates on hosting of WCup Page 17 INCHEON: Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Muzayen (right) and India’s Saurav Ghosal (left) compete in the men’s individual squash finals at the Yeomurul squash courts during the 2014 Asian Games. (Inset) Al Muzayen bites his gold medal after defeating Saurav Ghosal. — AP Kuwait’s Al-Mezayan wins squash gold Amir congratulates Al-Mezayen INCHEON: Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Mezayen claimed The Asian Games, which this year combines a performance with some flashes of brilliance. his country’s first gold medal of the Asian Games total 45 nations from across the continent, is con- The 24-year-old world number seven came fly- Medals Table yesterday in the men’s squash singles with a sidered the second largest multi-sport event after ing out of the blocks to take the first game as David remarkable comeback against India’s Saurav the Olympics. struggled to find her rhythm. Ghosal. Trailing by two games in the best-of-five Meanwhile, Malaysia’s world squash number But David stepped up a gear from the second INCHEON: Yesterday’s Asian Games medals table (Gold, silver, bronze, total): encounter, the 26-year-old Kuwaiti turned the one Nicol David declared yesterday she wants four game, dominating the centre of the court and China 40 22 20 82 Hong Kong 1 1 9 11 tables on the world number 16 in a bruising more years at the top of the sport after fighting sending Low scurrying with an array of disguised South Korea 19 19 21 59 India 1 1 9 11 encounter at Incheon’s Yeorumul Squash Courts. back from a game down to claim the Asian Games drop shots and clever angles. Japan 16 22 22 60 Thailand 1 0 5 6 Afterwards Mezayen said he was thrilled to win singles gold. David eventually outclassed her com- The decisive fourth game was a fiercely-contest- Kazakhstan 4 4 10 18 Indonesia 0 3 2 5 the first gold for Kuwait, while a despondent patriot Low Wee Wern 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 12-10 in the ed affair, culminating in a titanic rally with Low North Korea 3 4 7 14 Macau 0 3 0 3 Ghosal could only pay tribute to his opponent. final, but had to work to regain her Asian Games leading 9-7. With Low on the edge of three game Mongolia 3 3 6 12 Uzbekistan 0 1 6 7 “I didn’t play badly but he put together some title. The 31-year-old, who now has four Asian points and the prospect of a fifth set looming, Malaysia 2 2 2 6 Singapore 0 1 5 6 Turkmenistan 0 1 2 3 very very good periods, some great shots-things Games golds to add to her seven World Open titles, David dug deep to produce a superb winner. Taiwan 2 1 5 8 which other people at that stage wouldn’t think of warned rivals that she felt her game was still The defending champion got the game back to Laos 0 1 1 2 Myanmar 2 0 0 2 Philippines 0 1 1 2 doing,” the Indian told reporters. improving-and she had no plans to hang up her parity before an unforced error from Low gave her Vietnam 1 2 9 12 Mezayen, who admitted thinking all was lost racquet yet. the opening she needed to wrap up the match in Lebanon 0 1 0 1 Iran 1 2 1 4 Iraq 0 0 1 1 after slumping in the second game, eventually won “When I’m feeling this good I don’t want to set- 53 minutes. David praised her opponent. “She’s got Kuwait 1 2 0 3 10-12, 2-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9. tle down any time soon, so in another four years or a lot of experience as well coming into this game Pakistan 0 0 1 1 Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir Sheikh so I’ll be playing this game for sure,” she told and she’s not in the final for nothing and I knew it Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent yesterday reporters. “After all these years I’m understanding it was going to be a great battle and it showed today,” And the years have done nothing to dim the that court so that’s what motivates me and that’s a congratulatory cable to Kuwaiti squash player a lot more and it’s even more exciting so every time she said. Low, singles bronze medallist at the smiling David’s enthusiasm for the game. It has what gives me that drive to keep wanting to play Abdullah Al-Mezayen for winning a gold medal for I step on court it’s something new and for me it’s games in Guangzhou, China four years ago, said been 16 years since she won her first Asian Games and wanting to win.” Kuwait at the 17th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Incheon, just a challenge that I love.” she was pleased with her performance despite gold in Bangkok but the thrill of big stage still Despite her enthusiasm David is set to end her South Korea. In the cable, His Highness the Amir Rounding out the podium behind the coming up short. “It was a very good match, the drives her on. career with at least one disappointment after fail- praised Al-Mezayen’s sports achievement, wishing Malaysian one-two were India’s Dipika Pallikal and two of us gave it our all, but Nicol is the world num- “Playing in that show court, the glass court, you ing in her cherished ambition to get the sport him lasting success and progress in attaining fur- Hong Kong’s Annie Au Wing Chi. ber one and seven-time world champion, so it’s work so hard and you want everything to come added to the Olympics. “It’s tough, but what I want ther sports prizes and hoist Kuwait’s name high at Low, facing her idol in a major final for the first obviously very hard to break her down and her together all at once,” she said. to see is a squash player one day being on the regional and international sports events. time, was far from overawed and put in a spirited experience helped her towards the end,” she said. “That buzz-you can’t get it anywhere else but on medal podium at the Olympics,” she said. — AFP Sun shines as first drugs case hits Asiad INCHEON: Chinese swimming superstar Sun Yang wearing a pair of gold headphones and he kept his Olympic champion Ye Shiwen crushed the com- shooting, wushu, weightlifting, synchronised swim- stormed past his rivals to an emphatic 400 metres cool when Hagino shot out to an early lead. petition in the women’s 400m medley, Ning Zetao ming and gymnastics, where Yao Jinnan won the freestyle win yesterday as the Asian Games was The towering Chinese reeled him in by the won the men’s 50m freestyle and Chen Xinyi won women’s individual all-round title. rocked by its first positive drugs test. halfway mark and powered away over the second the women’s 100m butterfly before China’s women Eighteen-year-old hooting sensation Yang The world and Olympic champion hit back from 200m to take Park’s Asiad crown, as he did in the finished off with 4x200m freestyle gold. Haoran led a sweep of the men’s 10m air rifle event his shock 200m loss to Kosuke Hagino to dominate same event at the 2012 Olympics. China claimed 14 golds on day four across as the world champion claimed the individual title the Japanese and South Korea’s Park Tae-Hwan, after helping China to team gold. Teammate Cao winning comfortably by 1.3 seconds. Yifei picked up the silver, conceding the lead to Sun roared in celebration at the win, among six Yang in the last two shots of a well-contested eight- for China on the night as they finally hit form in the man final. Bronze went to Abhinav Bindra, India’s pool and leapt ahead of Japan 11-7 in the swim- first and only individual Olympic gold medallist ming titles tally. It completed a triumphant day for who has announced he is retreating from full-time Asia’s powerhouse, which has long dominated the shooting. “I have been shooting for the last 20 regional Olympics and has now accumulated 39 years-there is nothing else I have done all these gold medals, more than double the 17 of second- years-and I know it’s time to rethink my future,” placed South Korea. There was controversy else- Bindra said. Another rush of weightlifting records where after it emerged that a footballer from saw Taiwan’s Lin Tzu-chi break two world bests to Tajikistan had become the first athlete at the win the women’s 63kg, while China’s Lin Qingfeng Incheon Games to fail a doping test. “It’s a con- took gold in the men’s 69kg. China’s world and firmed case,” a source told AFP, adding that the as Olympic champion Lyu Xiaojun summoned up a yet unidentified player would be kicked out of tour- glorious final lift, staggering to his haunches but nament. The Central Asian republic are due to play then recovering with sheer determination to clean Iraq in the second round of the men’s football and jerk 200kg and win the men’s 77kg.