FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 6 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 7 Mercedes Fourth Test retain black pitch another livery, unveil turner, says new cars India’s Rahane Wednesday, March 3, 2021 FOOTBALL Rajab 19, 1442 AH Al Duhail and Al GULF TIMES Rayyan reach Amir Cup semis SPORT Page 3 TENNIS USA’s Keys outclasses Bencic, Jabeur sails past Blinkova ‘I’m a little bit surprised with myself but hoping to keep the momentum going tomorrow’ Agencies Doha adison Keys of the US made a success- ful return to the WTA at the Qatar MTotal Open yesterday, defeating No.6 seed Belinda Bencic, 6-4, 6-1 in the opening round in Doha. In her fi rst match since 2020 Roland Garros — a gap of fi ve months — Keys came out the vic- tor in a battle between Top 20 players. The 2017 US Open fi nal- ist needed just over an hour to start off her season with a victory and gain a 2-1 head-to-head edge against Bencic. “I’m really happy with how I came out and played today,” Keys said in her post-match press conference. “I’m a little bit sur- prised with myself but hoping to keep the momentum going to- morrow.” In her fi rst meeting with Ben- cic since their two previous clashes in 2015, Keys powered 24 winners to 17 unforced errors, and saved four of the fi ve break points she faced. American Madison Keys hits a forehand against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex yesterday. At right, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in action against Anna Blinkova. World No.12 Bencic, just three days removed from a runner-up to break Bencic in the very next something that I focused on a lot. Siegemund had the tighter lead off the bat, and then a 5-3 the second set, Siegemund would lyuchenkova would hold back the showing in Adelaide, had won six game. Obviously tonight it showed that contest, edging Rybakina 7-6(7), advantage in the second set. miss a match point serving at 5-3, tide of qualifi ers, though. Jabeur, of her last eight matches. How- Exceptionally deep returns when I’m serving well and hitting 7-6(5) in two hours and 29 min- Rybakina battled back game- and another at 5-4, but wrapped who thrilled the 2020 Doha ever, against Keys, she was un- by Keys helped her grab another my spots, I can get ahead in the utes. The German had lost both ly, blending her easy power up victory on her fourth with a crowd by reaching the quarter- done by 20 unforced errors and early lead in the second set, mov- point.” of her previous encounters with with finesse of her own, but service winner. fi nals, beat Anna Blinkova 6-2, won just 28% of points off of her ing ahead 3-1. Another superb Keys will attempt to extend her Rybakina in 2019, but this time was almost always on the back Elsewhere, World No.44 Peg- 6-2 in one hour and eight min- second serve. return game gave Keys one more comeback week against Maria managed to hold off comeback foot scoreboard-wise. Siege- ula’s defeat of World No.35 Wang utes to set up a rematch against Ferocious forehands by Keys break, this time at love, for 5-1. Sakkari in the second round. attempts from her opponent in mund remained committed to may have been an upset on paper, No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova, helped her build an early 3-0 Keys coolly served out the match Sakkari won their only previous each set. her strategy despite seeing her but refl ected the form of each whom she defeated in the third lead in the opening set. Keys with one more love game, fi ring meeting in straight sets at last An entertaining stylistic con- leads chipped away, and was this season. The American, fresh round here last year. extended her lead to 5-3, but an ace to claim her tenth straight year’s Australian Open. trast saw World No.56 Siege- rewarded at the business end of off her maiden Grand Slam quar- Pavlyuchenkova defeated she was unable to serve out the point. Earlier yesterday, qualifi ers mund take the lead fi rst in both each set. ter-fi nal at the Australian Open, qualifi er Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, set as Bencic’s improving shot “If I’m serving well, things are Laura Siegemund and Jessica Peg- stanzas. The Roland Garros The 32-year-old needed to needed just one hour and 15 min- 6-3 in an hour and a quarter on selection forced errors from usually going well for me,” said ula proved the value of match play quarter-fi nalist used dropshots save a set point in the fi rst-set utes to progress 6-2, 6-1. Wang, Tuesday. With her win, Pavly- the American. Nevertheless, Keys, who won 83% of her fi rst- at the event by pulling off fi rst- and sudden injections of pace to tiebreak, but ultimately snatched by contrast, falls to just 2-6 in uchenkova lines up a hard-hit- Keys claimed the one-set lead service points. “I think it’s a re- round upsets of Elena Rybakina keep Rybakina off -balance, and it as Rybakina’s backhand broke 2021 so far. ting second-round encounter by crushing a forehand winner ally important part of my game, and Wang Qiang respectively. leapt out to a 3-0 double-break down on the fi nal two points. In Ons Jabeur and Anastasia Pav- with No.4 seed Petra Kvitova. BOTTOMLINE Svitolina sets sights on ‘beautiful’ Doha trophy By Yash Mudgal aiming for the Golden Falcon trophy. career-high World No. 3 ranking in 2017, Doha “I really love this trophy. I’m really also said she has moved on from the dis- sad that I don’t have it in my collection appointing loss in Melbourne to focus yet because it’s one of the most beauti- on winning titles. orld No 5 Elina Svitolina ful trophies on the tour. I’ll do my best to “I was playing really well in the be- reached the Qatar To- have this trophy in my collection,” Svi- ginning at Australian Open and I was tal Open semi-fi nals last tolina said yesterday. feeling really good. I was really sad that Wyear but this time she The 26-year-old, who was one of the I couldn’t go further than the fourth wants to go one better and lift ‘one of the title contenders in last month’s Austral- round. I think I could go much further, game’s most beautiful trophies’ in Doha. ian Open but fell to America’s Jessica and for sure my goal was to win the tour- Svitolina turned pro in 2010 and since Pegula in the fourth round there, reck- nament. Unfortunately, I did not play then she has won 15 WTA singles titles, ons she has a better chance this year in that match well but I have to move for- including the 2018 WTA Finals and three Doha. ward,” she said. of fi ve Premier 5-level tournaments in “Last year was a bit tough for me in Talking about Doha conditions 2017, but she has never reached the fi nal these two tournaments — Dubai and she said: “I always like to play here in at the Khalifa International Tennis and Doha. I was not in the right mindset. I Doha. This year is a bit diff erent be- Squash Complex. was not feeling good on the court. Now cause I think the surface is a bit diff er- Her best result in Doha was in the last this year is a diff erent story. I feel that ent because they made it for the Aus- edition where Romanian Simona Halep I have a good chance to play well, but tralian Open qualifi ers, but I’m happy won fi ve games in a row in the fi nal set to anyway, there are lots of good players to be here,” she said. beat Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the semi- and I have to bring my best game in each Svitolina will start her singles cam- fi nals. match,” she said during a video confer- paign today with a second round match This year Svitolina is the top seed and ence. The Ukrainian, who achieved a against Japan’s Misaki Doi. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, March 3, 2021 SPORT SPOTLIGHT Al Arabi, Al Sadd win at HH The Amir Cup basketball Nasser al-Khelaifi praises support of wise leadership for Qatar Total Open QNA ceiving from the wise leadership. Doha He explained that the compe- titions started very strong, add- ing that he expects the competi- atar Tennis Squash and tion to get a lot more exciting as Badminton Federa- the tournament progresses. tion president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that fed- al-Khelaifi praised the eration will continue to support Qunlimited support of His High- Arab players to help improve ness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin their levels and ranking and Hamad al-Thani, which had the praised Ons Jabeur from Tunisia greatest impact on achieving the and Mayar Sherif from Egypt, impressive successes in the tour- who are taking part in Qatar. naments held in Qatar. He stressed that the organising Al-Khelaifi said that the committee is keen to provide all Amir’s attendance of the open- that contributes to the success of ing day of the 19th Qatar Total the tournament in a manner be- Open gave a push to everyone to fi tting Qatar’s global position in continue working to ensure the organising sporting events, with success of the competition.