FOOTBALL | Page 4 NNBABA | Page 5 Spurs major Butler’s big To Advertise here obstacle to night lift s Bulls, Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 record bid: Cavs and Conte Warriors win Wednesday, January 4, 2017 CRICKET Rabia II 6, 1438 AH Warner emulates GULF TIMES Bradman with ton before lunch SPORT Page 7 QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Murray eases past Chardy to extend win streak to 25 ‘The first match of the year is always diff icult and we were probably both a bit nervous at the start’ By Joe Koraith Doha n a way, if you looked at the open- ing round matches of the top two seeds here at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, you could say that it refl ect- Ied their mentality. Novak Djokovic was down 1-5 dur- ing his fi rst set against Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday but he then produced a fi ghtback that saw him win the fi rst set and then wrap up the second set and the match with ease. Yesterday, Andy Murray, playing his fi rst round match against Jeremy Char- dy, came out guns blazing, and took the fi rst set 6-0. And then in the second set, he huff ed and puff ed, was broken once and then pulled it back together in the tie-breaker to claim a straight sets victory. The scoreline read 6-0, 7-6 (2) but the second set could have gone in either direction. The characters com- ing through, don’t you think? It’s, undoubtedly, reading too much between the lines but it does make for an interesting comparison. What’s good is that the fans at the Khalifa In- ternational Complex – quite a few had turned up to support Murray – saw good tennis being played in the second set. And they would also be happy that ‘their man’ had progressed into the second round. “He (Chardy) stepped it up big time but didn’t start too well,” said Mur- ray after the match. “The fi rst match of the year is always diffi cult and we were probably both a bit nervous at the start,” the Scot added. In the fi rst set, Chardy couldn’t get his rhythm with shots being missed and it looked like Murray would double- bagel him. But in the second set, the Frenchman began to serve better and his shots too started staying inside the tramlines. “He didn’t serve too well in the fi rst set but was a lot more aggres- sive in the second and pushed me hard,” said Murray on his opponent’s resur- gence in the second set. Andy Murray en route to a straight-set win over Jeremy Chardy in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open at the Khalifa International Complex in Doha yesterday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil The world No. 1 said that he “liked the conditions” here and was looking forward to doing better as the tourna- ment and the season goes on. “The last fi ve or six months of last year were the best I have played consistently but I’ve got to keep getting better. I fi nally made it to number one after 12 months of try- ing. I had a lot of tough losses but I got there,” said Murray. This win now takes Murray’s unbeaten run to 25 matches. The Brit will now take on Austrian Gerald Melzer, who came from a set down to defeat Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2. The match lasted an exact two hours. Chardy and Mathieu - two French- men bowed out of the tournament yesterday but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en- sured that his country’s fl ag continued to blow in the Doha wind after he de- RESULTS Fans cheer for Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during his win over Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia. FIRST ROUND (X denotes seeding) Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Jérémy feated Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1, In the third set I came back to played stay healthy and try to rise my level,” Chardy (FRA) 6-0, 7-6 (7/2); 4-6, 6-2. In the fi rst set, Tsonga was like the fi rst set and it was good,” said said Tsonga, who now take on German Gerald Melzer (AUT) bt Paul-Henri on song but his game dropped in the Tsonga yesterday. Dustin Brown next. Mathieu (FRA) 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2; second and the Russian was ready to “It was a good match to win. It’s a From Qatar’s perspective, Mubar- Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x7) bt pounce on that. But then, just like the pretty good level I played in these two ak Shannan Zayid lost his fi rst round Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3); Jo- fi rst set, Tsonga was a dominant force sets and that will help me in the next match to Russia’s Karen Khachanov Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x5) bt Andrey in the third and won it with ease. match,” he added. 6-1, 6-3. Zayid had received a wild card Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2l Ivo Tsonga said he got a bit tentative The 31-year-old also said that he for this event and lost the fi rst set eas- Karlovic (CRO x6) bt Illya March- with his shot selection in the second was relieved to be fi t after an injury- ily but did put up a better performance enko (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/0)l Karen set and that cost him. “I played pretty prone 2016. “I’m feeling good now. To in the second. In the doubles the Qatar Khachanov (RUS) bt Mubarak Shannan good in the fi rst set. Then I was wait- be honest, 2016 was long. I’m fi nally pairing of Jabor Mohamed Ali Mutawa Zayid (QAT) 6-1, 6-3; Tomas Berdych ing a little bit more in the second for a healthy. It’s good because I feel like I and Mousa Shanan Zayed lost their fi rst (Cze) bt Alessandro Giannessi (ITA) good shot to come along. In the fi rst set, can play 100% every day. I can practice round match 3-6, 1-6 to Robin Haase of 7-6 (1), 6-2 I didn’t seem to hesitate but I can’t ex- consistently. For me, it’s something the Netherlands and Germany’s Philipp Wild card Mubarak Shannan Zayid of Qatar lost his first round match to Russia’s plain why that happened in the second. new, so I will, yeah, enjoy it and try to Petzschiner. Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-3. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, January 4, 2017 SPORT SPOTLIGHT Stars attend Qatar ExxonMobil Gala Dinner xxonMobil Qatar and the Qatar partnership their organisations share; and Tennis Federation hosted a gala the people behind the tournament’s suc- dinner to celebrate the tourna- cess. “This year is a very important one for ment’s 25th anniversary and its the tournament – it’s our 25th Anniversa- E2017 edition, that began on Monday. ry, and we are thrilled that you are here to The event was attended by Qatari offi - celebrate with us,” said Routledge. cials, key business and community lead- “While we’re all here to watch some in- ers, and several of the tennis players who credible tennis, let’s not lose sight of what are competing in this year’s tournament, the Qatar ExxonMobil Open means for the including: World No. 1 Andy Murray; 2016 country and its people. It’s one of the many defending champion and No.2 Novak projects Qatar has created for the world to Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas enjoy, and it has contributed signifi cantly Berdych. Each year, the gala features a va- to its standing as an international business riety of unique activities and performances and investment hub,” Routledge added. by world-renowned entertainers. In a spe- Thanks to the guidance of His High- cial performance for the tournament’s 25th ness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad anniversary, famed magician and mental- al-Thani and his Qatar National Vision ist Oz Pearlman intrigued the audience 2030, Qatar continues to thrive as a posi- with an interactive show. His performance tive example for the world across numer- featured a dazzling mind-reading routine ous fronts. ExxonMobil Qatar remains and involved the tennis stars to the audi- committed to supporting his vision of a ence’s amusement. knowledge-based society, and to working Nasser al-Khelaifi , President of the hand-in-hand with local partners like the Qatar Tennis Federation, and Alistair Qatar Tennis Federation to support educa- Routledge, President and General Manager tion, professional workforce development, for ExxonMobil Qatar, welcomed guests and active and healthy lifestyles programs Players and off icials pose at a gala dinner hosted by ExxonMobil Qatar and the Qatar Tennis Federation to celebrate the tournament’s 25th anniversary. and spoke about the history of the strong within Qatar’s community. BRISBANE OPEN TENNIS ROUND-UP Serena shakes Nadal storms into off rust to win AFP 18 minutes. Britain’s Johanna Auckland Konta, who has begun 2017 as a top 10 player for the fi rst time in her career, had a scare of her own erena Williams overcame against 77th-ranked Vania King second round rust and a troublesome of the US on Tuesday, losing the wind to launch her come- fi rst set 1-6. Konta recovered to Spaniard took only 74 minutes to see off Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-3 back from a four-month prevail 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in an hour Slay-off with a 6-3, 6-4 win over and 35 minutes.