FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 WWINTERINTER OOLYMPICSLYMPICS | Page 7 Real face fi nal Korean unity, rehearsal handshake as before PSG Pyeongchang showdown Olympics open Saturday, February 10, 2018 CRICKET Jumada I 24, 1439 AH Silva fifty puts Sri GULF TIMES Lanka in command against Bangladesh SPORT Page 4 GOLF / COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS Players arrive for Major men ready Qatar Total Open 2018 for return at Qatar A strong field, including Open champions Clarke and Lawrie, to line up for 21st edition of the European Tour event at Doha Golf Club Former wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez (left) and 2017 Masters Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza pose at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex ahead of the Qatar By Sports Reporter Total Open yesterday. Martinez has rejoined Muguruza’s Doha coaching team after guiding her to success at All England Club last year. (Twitter/GarbiMuguruza) ormer Open champions Darren Former world number one Clarke and Paul Lawrie will head Angelique Kerber arrives in a strong challenge from some of Doha for Qatar Total Open European Tour’s most experi- yesterday. Fenced players when they are joined by Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn and his vice-captain, Robert Karlsson, at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. A strong fi eld will once again assemble at Doha Golf Club for the 21st edition of the event, which boasts a star-studded list of former winners including the 1999 Open champion Lawrie, who has twice triumphed in the Qatari capital. The Scot’s fi rst win came in the early stages of a season which would defi ne his career, when he soared to a seven-stroke victory in February 1999, before mount- ing a late charge to famously defeat Jean van de Velde to the Open Championship later that season. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska Clarke, meanwhile, plays the event for arrives in Doha for Qatar Total the seventh time but for the fi rst time Open yesterday. since 2011, when he fi nished in tied-12th before lifting the Claret Jug later that season courtesy of a dominant display at Royal St George’s. The Northern Irishman played in the inaugural edition of the event back in 1998, when he claimed his best fi nish to Paul Lawrie has twice won in the Qatari capital. (Below) The 2018 Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn has two top-ten finishes in Qatar. date in the event, a tied-ninth, even as Andrew Coltart earned his maiden Euro- after fi nishing two strokes clear of Spain’s pean Tour victory. Alvaro Quiros for the tenth of his 11 Euro- The 2018 Ryder Cup captain Bjorn will pean Tour titles. land in Qatar confi dent of a strong per- Having made the cut in 15 of his 17 formance on a course upon which he has appearances at Doha Golf Club, he will played 13 times, and claimed victory in surely be confi dent of rekindling the kind 2011. of form which earned him two Ryder Cup The great Dane has made the weekend appearances as a player. in ten of those 13 appearances, with two Other former Ryder Cup stars in the top-ten fi nishes to add to his win seven fi eld for this year’s Commercial Bank years ago. He has been playing his way Qatar Masters include Englishmen Chris back into form early in the 2018 campaign Wood and Andy Sullivan, who appeared with eight of his ten rounds thus far this in the most recent contest at Hazeltine in season under par, six of them sub-70. 2016, while Nicolas Colsaerts – a star of While a second victory in Qatar will the famous Miracle at Medinah in 2012 – undoubtedly be at the forefront of Bjorn’s also plays. mind in Doha, his fi erce competitive spir- Jamie Donaldson, who famously struck it will also mean he always has one eye the winning shot of the 2014 Ryder Cup on September’s showpiece in Paris as he at Gleneagles, is also joined in the fi eld leads Team Europe into battle against Jim Tour number one Karlsson is the only tar for his 17th appearance in an event by his teammates for that triumph un- A Qatar Total Open participant practises at Doha’s Khalifa Furyk’s USA team. vice-captain Bjorn has selected thus far, which he has also won. der Paul McGinley, Victor Dubuisson and International Tennis and Squash Complex. PICTURE: Jayan Orma His close friend and former European and the Swede will also be present in Qa- Karlsson emerged victorious in 2010 Stephen Gallacher. TENNIS Serena to make comeback in Fed Cup doubles tomorrow AFP morrow see Venus Williams face Ho- end of last year, but this is a great way “Maybe this goes without saying, but Asheville, United States genkamp and Vandeweghe play Rus for her to start the year and get a couple it needs to be said in a powerful way: I before the concluding doubles. matches or a match behind her. absolutely want more Grand Slams,” Since giving birth to her daughter “She enjoys Fed Cup, and Serena and she told Vogue in an interview last erena Williams will make her Alexis Olympia in September, Williams Venus have been extremely supportive, month. “I’m well aware of the record long-awaited competitive has played only once, in an exhibi- and it happened to be a good fi t. It’s an books, unfortunately. It’s not a secret comeback in the doubles of this tion match in Abu Dhabi in December, honour to have them on the team. We that I have my sights on 25.” weekend’s Fed Cup clash be- where she lost to French Open cham- had a great team last year at every tie Williams, who married Reddit co- Stween the United States and the Neth- pion Jelena Ostapenko. and again this year starting off .” founder Alexis Ohanian in November, erlands in Asheville, according to the Williams had initially targeted last Williams will use the match as prep- said being a mother may boost her quest, draw made yesterday. month’s Australian Open for a come- aration for her full-fl edged return to believing that it has given her a more re- The former world number one, who back, but abandoned that ambitious the WTA circuit at the March 5-18 BNP laxed perspective on her profession. has not played in more than a year fol- goal after declaring she was not “where Paribas Open at Indian Wells before “Actually, I think having a baby lowing pregnancy and the birth of her I personally want to be”. heading to Florida for the Miami Open. might help. When I’m too anxious, I daughter, will partner Lauren Davis in Williams will be bidding to emulate lose matches, and I feel like a lot of that tomorrow’s fi fth rubber against Dutch TARGETING 25TH SLAM Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong anxiety disappeared when Olympia was duo Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs. US captain Kathy Rinaldi said the Fed and Kim Clijsters, who all won Grand born,” Williams said. It means the 23-time Grand Slam Cup was the perfect venue for Williams Slam titles after having children, when “Knowing I’ve got this beautiful baby champion will not feature in today’s to launch her comeback. she returns to the circuit. to go home to makes me feel like I don’t opening two singles, where sister Ve- “She’s been out, becoming a new She is currently one title short of have to play another match. I don’t nus Williams will face Aranxta Rus be- mom, and she’s looking to get back into matching Court’s all-time record for need the money or the titles or the fore Coco Vandweghe takes on Richel playing,” Rinaldi said. Slam singles titles of 24 — a mark she is prestige. I want them, but I don’t need Serena Williams takes part in a training session ahead of the Fed Cup tie between Hogenkamp. The reverse singles to- “We saw her play an exhibition at the determined to better. them. That’s a diff erent feeling for me.” the United States and the Netherlands in Asheville. (Twitter/USTA) Gulf Times 2 Saturday, February 10, 2018 FOOTBALL LA LIGA FOCUS US football Real face fi nal rehearsal to choose president today before PSG showdown AFP Orlando Zidane’s side are still 19 points behind leaders Barcelona, who remain unbeaten volution or revolution? Football in the United AFP day. The Catalans do not face Chelsea States faces a potentially Madrid in their Champions League last-16 tie pivotal leadership elec- until February 20 so can focus on fur- Etion today in a hotly-contested ther consolidating their nine-point lead ballot that could have far-reach- ust days before Paris Saint-Ger- over Atletico Madrid at the summit of ing ramifi cations for the game. main touch down in the Spanish La Liga. Atletico visit bottom club Ma- Four months after the United capital, Zinedine Zidane’s Real laga today, while third-placed Valencia States’ shock failure to qualify Madrid have the chance to boost host local rivals Levante today having for the 2018 World Cup, the in- Jtheir fragile confi dence when they face suff ered six consecutive losses in all quest into what went wrong con- Real Sociedad in La Liga today. The competitions. tinues to dog American football. reigning European champions have The former Dutch international, and In the aftermath of that crush- been shipping a worrying number of ex-Real Madrid midfi elder, Clarence ing setback, United States Soc- goals in the build-up to their Champi- Seedorf, will take charge of Deportivo cer Federation President Sunil ons League last-16 showdown with the for the fi rst time when they take on Real Gulati opted to step down.