TENNIS| Page 3 FFOOTBALL|OOTBALL Page 4 Illness, Spanish star To Advertise here injuries didn’t Xavi extends Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 stop Venus stay with believing Qatar’s Al Sadd Friday, January 27, 2017 FOOTBALL Rabia II 29, 1438 AH Ali, Morgan star GULF TIMES in big England win over India SPORT Page 6 GOLF/ THE COMMERCIAL BANK QATAR MASTERS Dredge shoots 64 to take one-shot lead at benign DGC The 43-year-old Dredge, who finished in a tie for fourth last year, scorched the back nine for his eight-under total By Satya Rath Doha t was an unusually calm day at the Doha Golf Club yester- day. The trademark gusty winds, which have almost become syn- Ionymous with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, stayed away. These were conditions in which Bra- dley Dredge excels, and the Welsh- man shot a superb 64 to sit atop the leaderboard, one shot ahead of Fin- land’s Mikko Korhonen, after the Graeme McDowell shot a 66 to set fi rst round of the landmark 20th himself up for a great finish. Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. The 43-year-old Dredge, who fi n- good,” said the 36-year-old Finnish ished in a tie for fourth at the CBQM golfer, competing in Doha for a third last year, picked up birdies on the fi rst, straight year and looking for his fi rst fi fth and eighth on the front nine but European Tour win. Thailand’s Aphib- scorched the back nine with birdies on arnrat birdied his last two holes on the the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th for eighth and ninth to join McDowell on his eight-under total. six-under. “My confi dence is high af- “I’m obviously delighted with the ter last week. I just need to keep doing score. I’m a bit surprised as I thought I well and keep things positive and just was going to hit the ball a bit better off believe. I’m hitting the ball well. Solid the tee. I putted really well and I think golf. I just missed one green and it was 64 is a good number out there,” said a good way to fi nish, with two birdies,” Dredge, who is playing the Commer- said the three-time European Tour cial Bank Qatar Masters for the 16th winner, who fi nished tied-fourth in time, having played in the fi rst edition Abu Dhabi last week. Today’s second- in 1998. round action starts at 6.30am, with “I’ve played the course enough over the last groups teeing off at 12.20pm. the years and I felt as though I really got my eye in, apart from my last two Leading scores putts. Apart from that, I putted really 64 - Bradley Dredge (Britain) well. Without the wind, it was the op- 65 - Mikko Korhonen (Finland) portunity to go at more fl ags and get 66 - Nathan Kimsey (Britain), Graeme the ball a bit closer to the pin. It makes McDowell (Britain), Kiradech Aphibarnrat it a lot easier to get the score going and (Thailand) get the putts in,” the Welshman, who 67 - Alexander Knappe (Germany), Simon won European Tour titles in 2003 and Bradley Dredge of Wales tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the 20th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters yesterday. Picture: Getty Images Dyson (Britain), Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa), 2006 besides 13 runner-up fi nishes, Joakim Lagergren (Sweden), Thomas Detry added. total after just 11 holes. He started his this morning,” said McDowell, who der par and feel like you left a few out winner Martin Kaymer, Spain’s Rafa (Belgium), Raphael Jacquelin (France), Igna- Two strokes behind the leader were back nine with his seventh gain on won the most recent of his 10 Euro- there. Just the start I was looking for,” Cabrera Bello and Austria’s Bernd Wi- cio Elvira (Spain), Paul Dunne (Ireland) the trio of Graeme McDowell, Thai star the second before a lone bogey on the pean Tour titles in 2014. added the four-time Ryder Cup star, esberger. 68 - Sam Walker (Britain), Thomas Aiken Kiradech Aphibarnrat and England’s par-four sixth ruined his near-fl aw- “It was great to get off to a fast start who last played the CBQM in 2012. Second-placed Korhonen was (South Africa), Callum Shinkwin (Britain), Nathan Kimsey. Starting from the less round as he fi nished with a 66 to right out of the gates, birdieing the World No. 10 Alex Noren, four-time happy with his round of 67. “It feels Gregory Bourdy (France), Chris Hanson 10th tee, Northern Ireland’s McDowell lie tied for third with Aphibarnrat and fi rst three holes, and that kind of set major winner Ernie Els, 2018 Ryder good. I thought I would probably have (Britain), Alexander Noren (Sweden), Ernie Els shared the clubhouse lead for much of Kimsey. the tone for the day. I really felt like I Cup captain Thomas Bjorn and 2016 a chance because it’s defi nitely the (South Africa), Andy Sullivan (Britain), Daniel the day after scorching the front nine “I’m very happy with that. Incredi- gave myself a lot of chances, even on Ryder Cup rookie Andy Sullivan each most calm day I’ve ever seen here. I hit Im (US), Anton Karlsson (Sweden), Thomas with three straight birdies on the 10th, bly benign conditions for Doha… Even the tougher front nine, my second shot 68 to lie in a share of the 14th. it solid, made a couple of long putts Bjorn (Denmark), Richie Ramsay (Britain), 11th and 12th, and further gains on the when it doesn’t blow here, it typically nine. I felt like I left a couple out there Chris Wood, the 2013 champion, card- and made all the short ones, so basi- Graeme Storm (Britain), Daniel Brooks (Brit- 14th, 16th and 18th for a seven-under blows 15 and it was perfect conditions and it’s always nice to shoot six-un- ed 69, a shot ahead of two-time major cally no mistakes, no bogeys. That was ain), Anthony Wall (Britain) TENNIS Federer, Williamses set up fi nals for the ages AFP the exits of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, weeks, singles, doubles. I played semi-fi nals of Melbourne the top two seeds. singles, quarters of doubles. I would sign for that Federer, back from a six-month injury break, every time, for sure,” said the Croatian. took full advantage as he weathered a fi ghtback America’s Vandeweghe, who was also un- oger Federer survived an all-Swiss from fourth-ranked Wawrinka, who destroyed a seeded, was bitterly disappointed as she blew a thriller to push his incredible run all the racquet and took a medical time-out along the one-set lead against Venus to lose 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, way to the Australian Open fi nal yes- way. 6-3. “Straight after the match I was pretty up- terday, as Serena and Venus Williams “It feels amazing,” Federer said. “I never set. I had a feel-sorry-for myself moment,” the Rclinched a dream women’s decider. thought in my wildest dreams that I would be 25-year-old said, calling her loss from one set up Federer was taken to fi ve sets by a belliger- going to be coming this far here... it’s beautiful, a “missed opportunity”. ent Stan Wawrinka before he pounced for a 7-5, I’m so happy.” “But what made me feel a lot better was when 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory to reach his fi rst Grand Federer now has a golden opportunity to add my team came over when I was in the gym sitting Slam fi nal since the 2015 US Open. to his record 17 major titles and potentially gain by myself, they came over, gave me a big hug.” It makes Federer, 35, the oldest major fi nalist revenge against Nadal, who has won the last four Attention will now switch to today’s men’s since a 39-year-old Ken Rosewall at the 1974 US of their eight Slam fi nals. semi-fi nal, when Nadal will play Bulgaria’s Open, with his long-time rival Rafael Nadal or While the Williams sisters marched on, it was Dimitrov hoping to set up his ninth fi nal against Grigor Dimitrov awaiting on Sunday. at the expense of brave Croatian Lucic-Baroni, Federer. Federer wasn’t the only one to turn back the whose astounding Grand Slam comeback was And the Williamses will prepare for their big clock as Serena and Venus Williams, aged 35 and halted by Serena. moment tomorrow when Serena is seeking an 36 respectively, set up their fi rst major fi nal to- Lucic-Baroni, 34, took a selfi e on court and Open-era record 23rd major title and a return to gether in eight years. blew kisses to her fans after her fi rst Grand Slam world number one. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Coco Vandeweghe semi-fi nal in 18 years ended in a 50-minute, 6-2, Venus stands to clinch her eighth Grand Slam were the semi-fi nal victims as the jubilant sis- 6-1 defeat. crown — eight years after her last, and 20 years ters went into their ninth Grand Slam title The 79th-ranked former teenage prodigy dis- after she inaugurated the Williams’ Grand Slam match. appeared from the scene after fl eeing her abu- reign by winning the 1997 US Open.