WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014 SPORTS Shabana defies years to reach world q-finals DOHA: Amr Shabana, the 35-year-old four times an opponent, and there are certain points which former world champion, defied the years in are very important,” said Shabana. “At the end of emphatic fashion to reach the World Open quar- the second game I got a bit too excited, which is ter-finals for the 12th time in a row. The resilient- not good in squash. “If you go overboard you ly brilliant Egyptian did that by overwhelming stop thinking, but I managed to stay in control. Max Lee, the rising Hong Kong player, by 11-6, Playing only 30 minutes means I saved a lot of 11-7, 11-4 with an encouragingly incisive per- energy. You can have one bad rally where it formance in less than half an hour. The focussed sucks the energy out of you, and that didn’t hap- and rapid success could be a significant help for pen. It was a good win for me.” the oldest man in the draw, who may conse- Shabana thus remains in contention for quently have a better chance of further becoming the oldest male world champion of all progress, possibly at the expense of Nick time, an accolade currently held by Geoff Hunt Matthew, the defending world champion. of Australia, who won his fourth world title aged Shabana’s result was all the more notable 33 years and six months. because Lee, the first Chinese player to reach However Matthew also began the tourna- the world’s top 20, came within three points of ment with this ambition. The 34-year-old beating him at last month’s US Open in Englishman was due for a third round meeting Philadelphia. Now though he was almost contin- Saurav Ghosal of India, for the right to meet uously outplayed. Shabana. “If you don’t control the game you will be at Earlier another Egyptian, the young and tal- the wrong end of it,” Shabana said. “Maybe I ented Fares Dessouki who has been tipped as a played better today. Maybe he wasn’t moving at top five player of the near future, was beaten 11- his best, I don’t know. But for me I had a game 8, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5 by Borja Golan, the sixth seed- plan and stuck to it. And I felt good.” ed Spaniard. This was a fine performance by the Shabana mixed the short and the long 31-year-old Galician, who almost lost to games superbly, taking Lee in short whenever Dessouki in the China Open in September but he had half a chance, and striking the ball heavi- who has improved his tactical options by devel- ly and with meticulous accuracy when he want- oping his front court game. “My two previous ed to send his opponent plunging to the back matches with him helped me learn about my again. There was an important phase as Lee game,” said Golan. “I am happy with that. I think I reached 6-5 and then 7-6 in the second game, am still improving.” He may need to improve when the match might have changed character. some more however as the draw suggested he Instead Shabana produced five superb attacks should next play the twice former world cham- and finished them all with winners, two to the pion Ramy Ashour, another Egyptian. Ashour front, three to the back, snuffing out the was due to face Miguel Rodriguez, the 12th younger man’s recovery. seeded Colombian, for a place in the quarter- “It’s always push and pull, pull and push with finals. — AFP DUBAI: New Zealand batsman BJ Watling (center) plays a shot as Pakistani wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed (right) and teammate Shan Masood look on during the second day of the second Test match. — AFP Pakistan in trouble after Kiwis pile up 403 runs DUBAI: Pakistan were under pressure after losing both their openers for 34 in reply to SCOREBOARD New Zealand’s big total of 403 in the second Test in Dubai yesterday. DUBAI: Scoreboard at close on the second day of the second Test between Pakistan and New Azhar Ali (four) and Younis Khan (one) were Zealand at Dubai stadium yesterday: unbeaten at close on the second day after Shan Masood (13) and Taufeeq Umar (16) New Zealand Ist innings (overnight 243-3) (Williamson), 3-226 (Taylor), 4-245 (Anderson), departed early to give New Zealand an edge T. Latham c Ahmed b Rahat 137 5-245 (Latham), 6-278 (Neesham), 7-346 for the first time in the series. B. McCullum c Masood b Adil 43 (Watling), 8-348 (Craig), 9-387 (Southee) Pakistan still need 170 runs more to avoid K. Williamson b Babar 32 Bowling: Rahat 32-8-69-1, Adil 29-9-73-2, Babar the follow-on with eight wickets intact. R. Taylor c Masood b Shah 23 45-8-137-4, Shah 41-7-92-2, Ali 9-1-23-1 MELBOURNE: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (second right) presents a gift C. Anderson c Ali b Adil 9 Pakistan’s new opening pair, after Ahmed to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (third left) during a reception at the J. Neesham c Misbah b Shah 17 Pakistan Ist innings Melbourne Cricket Ground. Modi is in Melbourne after attending the G20 Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez were ruled B.J. Watling c (sub) Sohail b Ali 39 Shan Masood b Sodhi 13 Summit in Brisbane. — AFP out due to injuries, flopped as Masood played M. Craig lbw b Babar 43 Taufeeq Umar st Watling b Craig 16 over a sharp turning delivery from Ish Sodhi T. Southee b Babar 17 Azhar Ali not out 4 Modi talks ‘shirtfronting’ and was bowled between the gap. I. Sodhi not out 32 Younis Khan not out 1 Umar, playing his first Test in two years, was T. Boult c Rahat b Babar 2 Total: (for two wkts; 19 overs) 34 and cricket Down Under stumped as he was beaten by off-spinner Extras: (lb9) 9 Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Masood), 2-32 Mark Craig. That capped a good day for New Total: (all out; 156 overs) 403 Bowling: Boult 5-1-9-0, Southee 3-0-5-0, Craig SYDNEY: Indian Prime Minister Narendra In the end, the two men were all smiles for Zealand who added 160 runs in the day. Fall of wickets: 1-77 (McCullum), 2-153 6-3-8-1, Sodhi 5-0-12-1. Modi injected some humour into his address the cameras. Modi is the second leader to use Besides opener Tom Latham’s brilliant 137, to Australia’s parliament yesterday, using the the obscure term in his address, after New Zealand owed their total to tail-enders term “shirtfront” to make fun of his host while Cameron recalled his concern when Australia’s who added 125 runs for the last four wickets enth wicket in the post-lunch session to leave Corey Anderson and Tom Latham in the space also talking cricket. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was purposefully the Pakistani bowlers frustrated on an unre- of two runs in the first three overs of the day. Modi’s official visit, the first by an Indian heading his way at a summit in Italy. “I won- after they had seemingly squandered a chance to post a big total at 278-6. Mark Craig sponsive pitch. Adil had Anderson (nine) caught in the leader in 28 years, follows on from Prime dered for a moment whether I was heading It was left to part-timer Azhar Ali to break covers before fellow new-ball partner Rahat Minister Tony Abbott’s hosting of G20 world for what I’m told we now need to call a ‘shirt- (43), BJ Watling (39) and Ish Sodhi (32 not out) leaders in Brisbane on the weekend. fronting’,” he said, before going on to say she fought hard to ensure New Zealand get past the stand when he had Watling caught in the had Latham caught behind. “(As) the third head of the government had merely wanted to offer help to fight the 400-mark, a total which could put an in- slips and then two runs later Babar trapped Latham, who scored 103 in New Zealand’s you are listening to this week, I do not know Ebola. Modi’s speech also included a reference form Pakistan batting under pressure. Craig leg-before to leave New Zealand at 348- 248-run defeat in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, how you are doing this,” Modi told members to cricket, saying that both Australia and India Watling said New Zealand had the better of 8. Craig hit five boundaries in his 110-ball fell in the next over as he edged a ball from of parliament, who were addressed by celebrated the legend of Australian batsman Pakistan on the day. “Obviously after losing knock while Watling had three hits to the Rahat to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday and Don Bradman and the class of India’s Sachin two early wickets we had to try and put up a fence in his two-hour stay. Sodhi and Tim Latham failed to add to his overnight score Britain’s David Cameron last Friday. Tendulkar. But he noted this relationship Southee (17) added a further 39 for the ninth of 137. He batted for 394 minutes and hit 11 “Maybe this is Prime Minister Abbott’s way broke down somewhat when Australian decent total and we managed that and then their two wickets made a good day for us,” wicket and Sodhi lofted Babar for a six to post fours and a six.