Sports Tuesday, February 9, 2021 15 Nine of the world’s top-ten stars confirmed for Qatar Total Open TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA TENNIS lovers are in for a splendid time as nine of the World’s top-ten players have confirmed their participation at this year’s Qatar Total Open to be held from March 1 to 6 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha. Except for World No. 3 and three-time Grand Slam win- ner, Naomi Osaka of Japan, We are very excited with the all the superstars in the upper echelon of the Women’s Ten- array of stars on parade at nis Association (WTA), led by this year’s tournament, World No.1 Ashleigh Barty of which is one of the Australia, will be strutting their strongest. Having nine out stuff in Doha in what promises of the ten top stars to be one of the best tourna- ments in the region so far. confirmed for this Joining the 2019 French tournament indicates the Open champion Barty at the importance they’ve placed annual WTA Tour Premier on the Qatar Total Open. tournament are world second- Australia’s Ashleigh Barty (left), and Romania’s Simona Halep, seen in action during her opening round Australian Open match against Lizette Cabrera of Australia in Melbourne on ranked Simona Halep, the Monday, will be among those strutting their stuff in the Qatar Total Open to be held at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex from March 1 to 6. (AFP) Tariq Zainal, 2014 champion, and 2020 Secretary-General, Australian Open champion last year’s semi-finals, will be (2012, 2013) – have had the sports lovers in Doha, and we Qatar Tennis Federation. Sofia Kenin. hoping to lay her hands on the privilege of lifting the trophy on look forward to another ex- Others on the cards for the golden Falcon trophy for the more than one occasion. citing time this year as well. 19th edition of the annual tour- first time with her second ap- “We are very excited with We cannot wait enough to round of exciting tennis is nament are 2019 Wimbledon pearance in Doha. the array of stars on parade at welcome all the stars come here, and we are happy to be Open semi-finalist Elina Svito- Barty, a former cricketer this year’s tournament, which March,” Tariq Zainal, QTF hosting the World’s best play- lina, 2017 champion Karolina who became the second Aus- is one of the strongest. Having Secretary-General, said. ers in Doha again. We are de- Pliskova, 2020 champion Ary- tralian to capture the WTA Fi- nine out of the ten top stars In all, a total of 32 players, lighted with the superstars’ na Sabalenka, 2018 champion nals crown following 1974 and confirmed for this tourna- including four qualifiers, are interests, which is a testimony Petra Kvitova, 2019 US Open 1976 champion Evonne Gool- ment indicates the importance expected to feature in the sin- to the wonderful hospital- champion Bianca Andreescu agong Cawley, and the fifth She secured the ninth title of Since the tournament be- they’ve placed on the Qatar gles event of the WTA Premier ity they’ve always enjoyed in and Kiki Bertens, the 2016 player to win the tournament her professional career on Sun- gan in 2001, only three play- Total Open. 5 tournament while 16 teams Doha - the home of hospitality. French Open semi-finalist. as a debutante, is having her day at the Yarra Valley Classic ers - Anastasia Myskina (2003, “The tournament has al- will slug it out in the doubles. We look forward to welcoming The 24-year-old Barty, second successive season on after defeating Spain’s Garbine 2004), Maria Sharapova (2005, ways lived to its promise of Tournament Director Saad everyone to this exciting tour- who Petra Kvitova stopped in the top of the WTA rankings. Muguruza in straight sets. 2008) and Victoria Azarenka bringing the best of tennis to Al Mohannadi said, “Another nament come March.” AUSTRALIAN OPEN Djokovic makes short work of Chardy Serena Williams of the US hits a return against Germany’s Laura Siegemund during their women’s singles match on day one of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. (AFP) ‘Vintage Rena’ races into round two with Siegemund demolition AGENCIES She sustained a serious knee MELBOURNE injury shortly after that zenith, which kept her off tour for al- SERENA Williams produced most 12 months. But she has a statement performance on since worked her way back in- Monday at Rod Laver Arena to side the top 50, and is one of the move into the second round of game’s grittiest competitors. Australian Open 2021. Williams, clad in an eye- And it was a statement in catching, multi-coloured every way possible, from the bodysuit with legs of varying outfit she emerged onto court length, began slowly, winning wearing, to her response to just won point in her opening getting broken in the very first service game. Serbian Novak Djokovic hits a return against France’s Jeremy Chardy during their men’s singles match on game, to the scoreline at the But after clawing her way day one of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. (AFP) end of the 56-minute rout. through a tight second game Williams, the 10th seed, by breaking back on her third dismissed Germany’s Laura opportunity, she was untouch- Play in Melbourne took place with the show courts filled to one-third with spectators Siegemund 6-1 6-1 set up a able. The 23-time Grand Slam as local authorities are allowing 30,000 fans to Melbourne Park each day. clash with Nina Stojanovic, a champion collected the next straight-sets winner against 10 consecutive games, hit- “Thank you so much, I really up where she left off, winning at Margaret Court Arena, Irina-Camelia Begu. ting several winners as Siege- Japanese Naomi Osaka in action against Russian Anastasia Pavly- appreciate your support.” her first match in 15 months - 40-year-old Venus Williams “This was a good start. mund’s game disintegrated at uchenkova at the Australian Open on Monday. (AFP) Djokovic was hardly trou- since the New York final - after defeated Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, Definitely vintage ‘Rena’,” the the other end of the court. bled by Chardy as he advanced skipping the whole 2020 sea- 6-2 while; and Swiatek ousted 39-year-old American said. After Williams had extend- DPA There were also first-round in the night session to a date son due to injury and opting Dutch Arantxa Rus 6-1, 6-3. “It’s definitely good. I think ed her second-set lead to 4-0 SYDNEY victories for US Open champi- with American Francis Tiafoe, out when the tour resumed On the men’s side, Aus- I’m pretty good at pacing my- with a searing ace down the T, on Dominic Thiem and French and Williams was also in full after a break due to the coro- tria’s Thiem dispatched Ka- self in a Grand Slam. Siegemund got on the board EIGHT-TIME champion No- Open winner Iga Swiatek but control as it took American navirus pandemic. zakh Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 “I was happy just to get in the next game with a cross- vak Djokovic made short work former world number one 10th seed Williams under an Kerber meanwhile crashed (7-2), 6-2, 6-4. big serving through it. Wasn’t sure how court backhand – just her of Jeremy Chardy and Serena and 2016 Melbourne champ hour to get past Siegemund against American Bernarda Canadian Milos Raonic made my serve would be after a lit- fourth winner for the match. Williams also wasted no time Angelique Kerber of Germany and now face unseeded Ser- Pera 6-0, 6-4. quick business of Argentina’s tle bit of that shoulder, but it’s But it did nothing to alter in dismissing Laura Siege- went out. bian Nina Stojanovic. Kerber was among the Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, feeling good, I’m feeling good. the course of the encounter; mund on the first day of play at Play in Melbourne took Second seed Simona Halep players who were not permit- and last year’s Melbourne So it felt really good. two games later, she double- the Australian Open Monday. place with the show courts of Romania routed Australian ted to leave their hotel rooms semi-finalist Alexander Zverev “Last year was very crazy faulted on match point. World number one Djok- filled to one-third with spec- wild-card Lizette Cabrera 6-2, at all for two weeks after arriv- of Germany rallied to defeat for the world, and to be able to Williams remains unde- ovic took 91 minutes to clinch tators as local authorities are 6-1, and number three seed ing in Australia because other Marcos Giron of the US 6-7 do what I love and to be able to feated in 2021, impressive in a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory over his allowing 30,000 fans to Mel- and 2019 winner Naomi Osaka passengers aboard their char- (8-10), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-2. come out and compete and play wins over Daria Gavrilova, French opponent, paving the bourne Park each day. cruised past Russian Anastasia ter flights had tested positive Three-time Grand Slam at a Grand Slam, after the last Tsvetana Pironkova and Dan- way to victory with a break It is a welcome change for Pavlyuchenkova with an almost for the new coronavirus.