THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2016 SPORTS Kyrgios hit by Open injury scare at Kooyong MELBOURNE: Nick Kyrgios suffered an warm-up event. “I started feeling it again characterises the club, said he was sorry that Spaniard said. “I played some good tennis match before a sparse crowd, 2014 champion Australian Open scare yesterday when he today when the treatment wore off. “I have to the match was unable to be completed. against a good player. I tried a few drop shots Kei Nishikori of Japan beat Australian teenage pulled out of his opening match at the think about next week, I really hate to do this “Even if it was a set and a half, it was hard near the end just to change things a bit and hopeful Omar Jasika 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 10-4. Asia’s Kooyong Classic with a right foot injury. but I had to.” The colourful contender finished to play,” he said. “It was very hot on court they worked. “It’s good to play in the heat top player was cruising 6-1, 4-1 and seeming- The 20-year-old Australian handed David with 15 aces, including four in his final service (around 40 Celsius) and there is always a which we will be experiencing next week.” A ly in command when his challenger launched Goffin victory as he retired with the score at 6- game of the second set. “Hate withdrawing, wind. “I understand Nick’s worry and the pull- final match between German Alexander a fightback, breaking Nishikori as he served 7 (5/7), 3-2 to the Belgian. The year’s first so sorry to everyone @KooyongClassic I just out. He’s never easy to play with that big serve Zverev and Britain’s Kyle Edmund was can- for the match. Jasika took the set into a Grand Slam starts on Monday in Melbourne. have to make sure I’m right for next week & I and forehand.” Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta celled. Organisers were vague about the rea- tiebreak which he won as Nishikori put a “I felt it in training yesterday,” said Kyrgios, will be,” he tweeted after. Belgium’s Goffin, earlier beat the 2006 Australian Open finalist son, at one point suggesting excessive heat backhand long. But Nishikori claimed victory the world number 30, after pulling the plug as who had to deal not only with an injured Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-4, without dropping and later citing what they claimed was a a few minutes later with success in the match- a precaution at the 12-man Grand Slam opponent but with the swirling wind which serve. “I had a good finish, I’m very happy,” the shoulder problem for Zverev. In an exhibition tiebreak. — AFP ‘Perfect’ Djokovic raises hopes of Golden Slam MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic is hitting four Melbourne finals-three of them to ever greater heights ahead of the Djokovic-but is continuing his dogged Australian Open-posing problems for his pursuit of a breakthrough. rivals, and raising distant hopes of the “I’m doing everything I can to try and first ever men’s “Golden Slam”. win here,” said the 28-year-old Scot, who Picking up where he left off after a has promised to leave early if his wife blistering 2015, Djokovic destroyed Kim Sears gives birth. Rafael Nadal in last week’s Qatar Open “My number one goal is to try and win final, in a performance the Spaniard here. It’d mean a lot because of how called “stratospheric”. many times I’ve been close.” Federer, as “I played against a player who did the third seed on rankings, could face everything perfect. I know nobody play- either Djokovic or Murray in the semi- ing tennis like this ever,” said the 14-time finals as the 17-time Grand Slam champi- Grand Slam-winner. on looks to win his first major title since No male player, and only Steffi Graf on Wimbledon 2012. the women’s side, has ever achieved the “Golden Slam”: winning all four major CLASSIC FINAL titles and Olympic singles gold in a single The Swiss maestro has won four year. Last season Djokovic fell just one Australian Opens, but lost to Djokovic at victory short of the first calendar-year last year’s Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969, after finals. At 34, he is running out of time to losing the French Open final to Stan add to his all-time record haul of Grand Wawrinka. Slam titles. Acknowledging his form, the 28-year- “Of course, Novak is the favourite for old said in Doha: “I’m hoping that I can the Australian Open. Plus he’s played well actually peak and play as well as I did there historically,” Federer said last week. today in Melbourne.” Nadal has won once in Australia, over A strong performance looks likely in Federer in a classic five-set final in 2009, Melbourne, Djokovic’s most successful and has had some of his career low Grand Slam where he has won five out of points with tournament-ending injuries five finals, including last year against in Melbourne. But he maintains he can SYDNEY: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria hits a return to Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay during their men’s singles second round match at the Sydney Andy Murray. do well as he pursues his comeback from International tennis tournament in Sydney yesterday. — AFP But the 10-time major champion will a disappointing 2015, when he failed to not be looking too far beyond the year’s any Grand Slam titles. opening Grand Slam, which starts on “I am playing well, and I’m gonna Dimitrov face Dolgopolov Monday. “My thoughts are only directed keep working hard to try to be ready for to Melbourne and what I need to do Australia. And I think I will be. I am moti- there,” he said. vated for it,” the Spanish left-hander said. Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka will also in Sydney quarters ‘IT’S A HUGE CHALLENGE’ be a contender after he conquered Murray, who will be in the bottom half Djokovic on the way to winning the 2014 SYDNEY: Grigor Dimitrov reached his second second set with his only break of the match. The 2013 champion will face Russian of the men’s draw and seeded to face Australian Open, and beat him again in consecutive quarter-final of he new season with That was all he needed as he worked his way to Teymuraz Gabashvili in the quarters. In other Djokovic in the January 31 final, sees the last year’s French Open final. a straight-sets win over Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas victory in one hour 37 minutes. matches Wednesday, Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller Serb as a huge challenge. “What Novak is The world number four tuned up by at the Sydney International yesterday. The The Bulgarian will face Dolgopolov in the was leading second seed Dominic Thiem 7-6 doing... last year he had an incredible beating Croatia’s Borna Coric for a third Bulgarian world number 28, looking for more quarters after the Ukrainian knocked out (7/2), 2-2 when the young Austrian retired with year,” he said. “Final of every tournament straight Chennai Open title in India last matches under new coach Franco Davin, ousted American qualifier Alexander Sarkissian 7-6 blisters on his right foot. bar one. “It’s been tough playing in an week. Outside the top five, Japan’s world Cuevas 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 and will next play Ukraine’s (8/6), 6-2. “Dangerous player. Never know what Thiem was coming off a semi-final loss to era with Novak, Roger (Federer) and Rafa number seven Kei Nishikori will be look- Aleksandr Dolgopolov in the quarters. to expect. Especially here. The conditions are Federer in Brisbane. Muller, a Sydney semi-final- (Nadal) but at the same time to have ing to get past the quarters for the first Dimitrov, who reached a career-high ranking pretty suitable for him,” Dimitrov said of ist last year, has now dropped just seven points guys like that to always be trying to time in Melbourne. Meanwhile, local of eight in 2014, lost in three sets to Roger Dolgopolov. “It’s a faster court and a little bit on his first serve over two matches, in defeating catch up to, to have to improve to try interest will focus on the antics of talent- Federer in the quarters of last week’s Brisbane windy. So it’s going to be definitely a tricky young guns Thiem and Croatia’s Borna Coric. and beat them, it’s a huge challenge.” ed but wayward young Aussies Bernard International. “I think right now I need to play match for me.” Muller, who also reached the fourth round of Murray carries the baggage of losing Tomic and Nick Kyrgios. — AFP more matches, as many matches as I can get ear- Australia’s top seed Bernard Tomic claimed a the Australian Open last year, will face ly on in the year,” Dimitrov said. quarter-final spot in the tournament for a fourth Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the quarters. Sixth “It’s going to help me with my ranking, but straight year with a 6-2 6-2 romp over compatri- seed Chardy ousted Australian James also with the level that I’m trying to achieve. “I’ve ot Jordan Thompson in just 48 minutes in the Duckworth 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, while French qualifier worked a lot on a lot of things this off-season, so evening match.