CCRICKETRICKET | Page 3 NNBABA | Page 5 Steyn waits to Rockets end see if he will losing streak, get chance to Mavs silence break record Thunder Tuesday, January 2, 2018 FOOTBALL Rabia II 15, 1439 AH Schedule against GULF TIMES us, says Arsenal manager Wenger SPORT Page 7 QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN Thiem set for the week as Dominic advances Austrian top seed opens 2018 with straight set win over Donskoy By Anil John Garros, after his exploits in 2017 when too much for Donskoy, and with the “So Doha he won 24 of his 29 games on the tur- Austrian also peppering him with a there’s gid surface, reaching two semi-fi nals few aces – 11 of 13 coming in the sec- always and fi nals each before clinching the ond set – there was no doubt where a little young Austrian with dreams title in Rio de Janeiro. the match was headed. bit, for of breaking the ‘Big Four’ That was his eighth singles title Thiem said the victory was par- sure, luck dominance set what could be since he turned pro in 2011, and with ticularly pleasing as it came on a hard in there as the recurring ‘Thiem’ for the six of them coming on clay, one could court and that it would be his endeav- well to make Arest of the week at the Qatar Exxon- easily forgive him if he tended to get a our this year to do well on all surfaces. the next step and to Mobil Open yesterday. bit hustled on the faster hard courts as “For sure last year was not good on make a big fi nal or a big title. Of course Top seeded Dominic Thiem, a power- was the case yesterday. hard courts. Two years ago it was way I’m working hard to maybe achieve it ful hitter of the tennis ball, nevertheless That gave World No 72 Donskoy some better. So I’ll try to improve again or this season.” had to shake off some early-season rust encouragement, especially in the fi rst to make better results on hard courts,” Seventh-seeded Fernando Verdasco and a tendency to get easily frustrated set, when the languid Thiem was found said Thiem. “Especially on hard also advanced, winning the fi nal 10 before seeing off Russian Evgeny Don- wanting in pace and timing which re- courts, for sure I want to play better. games for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 win over skoy in straight sets in the fi rst round of sulted in a few mis-hits, including a At the end of the year, the indoor hard Israeli Dudi Sela. the ATP season-opener in Doha. really wild shot that ended up in the courts are going to be much faster, so Spaniard Verdasco, who now re- “I think it was a good victory against stands. that’s a little bit more diffi cult for me. sides in Doha, appeared headed for a a tough opponent and that too on the But his overall supremacy was never But still I’ll try to improve there, but shocking defeat when he lost the fi rst 1st of January, after a pretty long pe- in question as the Austrian always en- I think it’s not the right time now to set after being broken thrice by the riod without any matches on the ATP sured he retrieved lost ground to put think what happens in eight or nine Israeli. tour,” Thiem said after his 7-6 (3), 6-3 pressure on Donskoy as he broke back months.” Sela broke Verdasco three times to centre court win at the Khalifa Inter- in the ninth game to eventually draw Thiem said players need a bit of luck clinch the opening set and secured national Tennis and Squash Complex. level at 6-6 and went on to dominate to win a Grand Slam title if they ended breaks in the left-hander’s fi rst three “After a good start, it got pretty the tie-breaker. up facing any of the big guns, such as service games in the second set to take close in the fi rst set. At the end I’m A few minutes into the second set Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. a commanding 4-2 lead. satisfi ed with most parts of my game,” and it was plainly evident that Don- “Of course I hope so, but there are But after breaking back to close the Thiem, who won a stunning 92 per- skoy had lost his initial feistiness as many, many question marks about it. gap at 4-3, Verdasco battled through cent of his fi rst-service points, added. Thiem settled in nicely and began to Because if you play a Grand Slam semi- a 12-point service game, saving two World No 5 Thiem is billed as a po- dictate the rallies, breaking the Rus- fi nal against Rafa, who is playing amaz- breaks points to avoid getting beaten, tential Grand Slam winner this year, sian in games fi ve and seven. ing, you can almost play whatever you before closing the match with a great especially on the red clay at Roland The angles on Thiem’s shots proved want and you won’t win. degree of comfort. RESULTS Jaziri (TUN)/Mousa Shanan Zayed Court 1 (Q) Matteo Berrettini (ITA) Singles (1st Round): Andrey Rublev (QAT) 7-5, 6-2; Pablo Carreno Busta 8-Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs Guill- (RUS) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) (ESP)/Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) bt ermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) Court 3 7-6, 6-1 (retd); 7-Fernando Verdasco Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)/Albert Ramos- followed by Aljaz Bedene (GBR) vs Florin Mergea (ROU)/Nenad (ESP) bt Dudi Sela (ISR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Vinolas (ESP) 6-2, 7-6(4). (WC) Malek Jaziri (TUN) Zimonjic (SRB) vs 4-Ivan Dodig (CRO)/ 1-Dominic Thiem (AUT) bt Evgeny followed by (WC) Jabor Al-Mu- Fernando Verdasco (ESP) Donskoy (RUS) 7-6 (3), 6-3; Nikoloz TODAY’S ORDER OF PLAY (from tawa (QAT) vs (Q) Stefano Travaglia followed by Daniel Nestor (CAN)/ Basilashvili (GEO) bt Thomas Fab- 3:30pm) (ITA) Philipp Oswald (AUT) vs 2-Oliver biano (ITA) 6-4, 6-3. Centre Court followed by Guido Pella (ARG) vs Marach (AUT)/Mate Pavic (CRO) Doubles (1st Round): 1-Jamie Murray Borna Coric (CRO) vs 2-Pablo Car- 4-Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) followed by Nikola Mektic (CRO)/ (GBR)/Bruno Soares (BRA) bt Marcin reno Busta (ESP) Alexander Peya (AUT) vs Nikoloz Matkowski (POL)/Aisam ul-Haq followed by 3-Tomas Berdych Court 2 Basilashvili (GEO)/Andreas Haider- Qureshi (PAK) 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-5; Borna (CZE) vs Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) vs Maurer (AUT) Coric (CRO)/Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) followed by Victor Estrella Burgos (Q) Mirza Basic (BIH) followed by Peter Gojowczyk Austria’s Dominic Thiem in action bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB)/Viktor Troicki (DOM) vs 5-Richard Gasquet (FRA) followed by Peter Gojowczyk (GER)/Florian Mayer (GER) vs (WC) against Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy (SRB) 7-6 (6), 6-4; 3-Feliciano Lopez followed by Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) vs (GER) vs 6-Filip Krajinovic (SRB) Tuna Altuna (TUR) & Elias Ymer during their first round Qatar (ESP)/Rajeev Ram (USA) bt WC-Malek (WC) Gael Monfils (FRA) followed by Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs (SWE) ExxonMobil Open match at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil GOALS Murray will trim 2018 schedule to I would like to continue in top 10: Busta avoid injury issues Reuters physically do it, and most of the players ablo Carreno Busta of Spain is the sec- particular skill sets that you worked on in the time. Bengaluru would feel the same way... giving yourself ond seed in Qatar. The World No 10 the preseason? But the important thing for me is to continue breaks, especially as you get older, is very spoke to journalists ahead of his match A: Of course I would like to continue in the top improving my level, you know. We know that the important and something that I’ll certainly today against Croatian Borna Coric. 10. It would be fantastic to fi nish the year again last season is diffi cult to repeat, but we are here to ormer world number one Andy Mur- be looking to do.” PExcerpts: in the top 10 and to play the Masters Finals again. do it. ray plans to trim his schedule in the Murray returned to action in an exhibition We know that is really diffi cult. There are a lot of Fnew season to prevent a recurrence match against Roberto Bautista Agut last Q: You had a great season last year. You had players who were injured and now they are kind Q: A lot of the focus this year or the coming of the injuries that blighted his campaign Friday and is confident his hip has healed a breakthrough season. You reached the top of starting again, like Murray, Djokovic; it will be year is on the – outside the big four players in 2017. suff iciently to allow him to compete at the 10, so did you exceed your expectations and fun to start the new season. because of their injuries and their age. Do Murray, who has struggled with a persist- top level. what are your thoughts for the new season? you think players from around your rank- ent hip injury since a quarter-final exit at “My hip feels way better than it did at Wim- Do you have any targets on winning a Grand Q: Can you tell us what you learned last ing and yourself can win a Grand Slam this Wimbledon in July last year, pulled out of bledon,” he said.