Nadal in the Pink, Sharapova Hits All-Time
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CRICKET | Page 3 RUGBY | Page 6 Mathews in Jones wants control as Sri England to Lanka close clear air over in on lead World Cup Wednesday, January 22, 2020 TENNIS Jumada I 27, 1441 AH Zverev pledges GULF TIMES A$4mn to bushfi re fund if he wins Open SPORT Page 2 Nadal in the pink, Sharapova hits all-time low Spain’s Rafael Nadal in AFP The 32-year-old, playing on a wildcard Jannik Sinner, last year’s NextGen cham- action against Bolivia’s Melbourne as she wrestles with a shoulder injury, pion, who earned his first Grand Slam Hugo Dellien in the first lost 6-3, 6-4 to Croatian 19th seed Donna victory against Australia’s Max Purcell. round of the Australian Vekic, making her an opening-round Australia’s Kyrgios, who has spear- Open yesterday. op seed Rafael Nadal turned on loser at three straight Grand Slams for headed fundraising efforts for the the style as he launched his bid the first time. country’s deadly bushfire disaster, kept for a record-equalling 20th Ma- The future looks uncertain for the former his notorious temper in check despite Tjor title at the Australian Open world number one, who won Wimbledon being taken to two tie-breaks in a 6-2, yesterday, but falling star Maria Shara- when she was just 17 but has not reached 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7-1) win over Lorenzo pova hit a career low. a Grand Slam final since she lifted the Sonego of Italy. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios also cantered 2014 French Open trophy. “I feel super-comfortable, you guys are into the second round, but fourth seed “I can speak about my struggles and the the best. I feel the support.... I am ready Daniil Medvedev had to fight his way past things that I’ve gone through with my to go again,” Kyrgios told the crowd. American Frances Tiafoe in four sets. shoulder, but it’s not really in my charac- Medvedev, the narrow loser to Nadal in Nadal, one shy of Roger Federer’s Grand ter to,” Sharapova said. September’s US Open final, dropped the Slam mark, dropped only five games as “I was there, I put myself out there (play- second set against Tiafoe before recover- he swatted aside Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien ing). As tough as it was, I finished the ing to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 in just over two hours at a match — it wasn’t the way that I wanted.” Austria’s Dominic Thiem, who has sunny Rod Laver Arena. Britain’s Johanna Konta, a two-time Slam reached the last two French Open finals, “It was a positive start,” said the reigning semi-finalist, also fell at the first hurdle as went through in straight sets against Roland Garros and US Open champion, she battles to overcome a knee problem, Adrian Mannarino, while 2014 champion wearing a bright pink singlet and match- losing 4-6, 2-6 to unseeded Tunisian Ons Stan Wawrinka needed four to get past ing trainers. Jabeur. Damir Dzumhur. “What you want in the first round is just to On a bumper day of 88 first-round Seventh seed Alexander Zverev beat win, and it’s better if it’s in straight sets.” matches, after rain wiped out half of Marco Cecchinato in straight sets but He joins Federer and defending cham- Monday’s schedule, former US Open there was disappointment for France’s pion Novak Djokovic in round two as the champion Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 finalist, Big Three look to tighten a stranglehold both moved safely through. who retired with a back injury against that has brought them all but one of the Italy’s Fabio Fognini, two sets down Australia’s Alexei Popyrin. last 14 Australian Open titles. against America’s Reilly Opelka when Elsewhere, women’s fourth seed Simona Nadal, the first player to be world their match was suspended on Monday, Halep survived some painful-looking number one in three diff erent decades, returned to win it in five after a stormy falls to beat America’s Jennifer Brady, is still thriving at 33 but it’s a diff erent encounter when both players argued and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber story for five-time Grand Slam winner furiously with the umpire. dropped only four games against Elisa- Sharapova. A new star emerged in 18-year-old Italian betta Cocciaretto of Italy. SPOTLIGHT QNB Stars League on way to becoming Asia’s best By Anil John have foreign players from more than 20 Doha countries in the league. It refl ects our diversity. QNB STARS LEAGUE FACTS AND FIGURES “We also have some top coaches in hen Qatar won the Asian Cup Xavi (Al Sadd), Rui Faria (Al Duhail) U-23 players in league to 25% at the end of first leg as only against all expectations last and former Iceland boss Heimir Hall- The level of participation of under-23 three coaches were changed. Wyear, it marked a pivotal mo- grimsson (Al Arabi). players in the QNB Stars League in ment in the country’s footballing his- Apart from the quality of the players the past three seasons reached 10%. Goal difference tory. It was a tour de force that in one and coaches, a whole lot of statistics It increased to 14.5% in the current After 11 rounds (at the end of the instant stripped away the self-doubt also point to the QNB Stars League’s su- season (2019-20). In this respect, the league’s first leg last season), the Qatari teams were affl icted with when it periority, for example the average pace QSL is better than the Saudi, Chinese, goal difference percentage reached came to a sport which they professed to of matches. UAE and English leagues. Qatar aims 3 goals in 28.7% of the matches. be passionate about but couldn’t claim The playing pace is calculated through to increase this number to 20% as is One victory was by a 10-1 margin as their own. the number of passes per minute. The the case of the German, French and and 3 games were won by 6-0 That it happened against the back- higher the number, the faster the playing Belgian Leagues. margins. The number of matches drop of a cruel regional blockade only pace. Previously, the playing pace in the in which the difference was 3 goals came as poetic justice. Not only were league reached 16.3 passes per minute. More rapid playing pace in the first leg last season reached the perpetrators of the blockade forced It is now 16.5 passes and this number is The league wants to get faster. The 19. At the end of the league, the to eat humble pie on the fi eld – Qatar one of the best in Asian leagues com- playing pace is calculated through number reached 38 games. beat both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in pared to European leagues, where the the number of passes per minute. That percentage changed for the the tournament on the way to the title – ratio in the English, Italian, German and The higher the number, the faster best at the end of this season’s they were also reminded that sport is a French leagues reaches 17.3 passes. The the playing pace. Previously, the league and reached 12 games, great leveller, that sometimes it can even league aims to top17 passes per minute playing pace in the league reached down to 18%. The ratio in Europe trump the viciousness of politics with in order to reach European levels. 16.3 passes per minute. is 17-18%, which indicates that the nothing more than a gentle slap on the “These sort of indicators help set the It is now 16.5 passes and this teams have evolved and the level wrist. benchmark. On a technical level we are number is one of the best in Asian has become closer among the The victory couldn’t have come at a better than the Chinese, In certain as- leagues compared to European clubs. more opportune time: Qatar was just a pects better we are better than Japan and leagues, where the ratio in the Examples are second-placed Al little over three years away from hosting Saudi. We are in a better position than English, Italian, German and French Rayyan being held to a 2-2 draw by the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and prepa- most of the top teams.” Abbassi added leagues reaches 17.3 passes. The lowly-placed Al Shahania in Week rations had gathered an extra zing. The that even off the fi eld, the QNB Stars league wants to top17 passes per 10 of the QNB Stars League. traditional bastions of football which League steals a march over its peers. minute. had previously been condescending “We have the most developed frame- Goal ratio of Qatar if not brazenly contemptuous Ahmed Khellil Abbassi, the QNB Stars League’s Executive Director of work when it comes to fi nancial, social Change of coaches With regards to the percentage after it won the hosting bid, suddenly Competitions and Football Development. and environmental sustainability, be- Qatar has seen a significant drop in of goals, the number reached 212 developed a new admiration. Respect sides club professionalism.” the percentage of change among goals at the end of first leg in the started replacing snobbery, reason be- nised by the Asian Football Confedera- last year with the AFC recognising of- Another factor is that the gap be- the coaches.