SPORT That’S Because I Am Rafael Nadal TODAY’S QNB Stars League - Round 13 Al Sadd Vs Al Sailiya - at Al Sadd Stadium (4.25Pm) Doing the Right Things
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SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2018 21 I am in the fourth round. SPORT That’s because I am Rafael Nadal TODAY’S QNB Stars League - Round 13 Al Sadd vs Al Sailiya - At Al Sadd Stadium (4.25pm) doing the right things. Australian Open top seed ACTION said after defeating Bosnia’s Al Rayyan vs Al Kharaitiyat - At Al Sadd Stadium (6.35pm) Let’s see how far I can go Damir Dzumhur yesterday. Umm Salal vs Al Gharafa - At Al Gharafa Stadium (6.35pm) Asian Handball Championship: Qatar in big win against China THE PENINSULA Al Annabi outplayed the experience to overcome the two New Zealanders by an impres- challenges. SEOUL: Qatar’s handball team sive margin of 58-14 to lead the He added that the team was recorded their second win of the group. taking the first round seriously, 18th Asian Men’s Handball Yesterday’s win lifted as a team’s performance during Championship to occupy the top Qatar’s point tally to four points. that round determines their spot of Group D yesterday. They lead group D, ahead of path towards the final. He main- Al Annabi yesterday beat Saudi Arabia on goal difference. tained however that every China 34-19 to continue their The Saudi team defeated New player is taking things one step impressive run in the tourna- Zealand yesterday. at a time rather than looking ment which is being held in Member of the Qatari dele- forward to playing in the latter Suwon, South Korea after gation in the competition Adel stages. leading 16-8 at half time. Al Enzi said that the team is The championship acts as a On Thursday, the defending giving their best so far. He qualifier to the Handball World champions, Qatar opened its added that the match against Cup which will take place in campaign in the 14-team Cham- China was relatively more chal- Denmark and Germany in 2019 A Qatari players shoots at goal during pionship on high note, defeating lenging than its predecessor Today, Al Annabi will take on the Asian Handball Championship New Zealand in their opening against New Zealand, but the Saudi Arabia in a bid finish the match against China in Suwon, South match of the tournament. Qatari team has enough stage as Group D leaders. Korea yesterday. Dominant Nadal storms past Dzumhur REUTERS Rafael Nadal of Spain signs autographs after his win MELBOURNE: Top seed Rafael Nadal against Damir Dzumhur Wozniacki cruises stormed into the fourth round of the of Bosnia-Herzegovina Australian Open with a bludgeoning at the Australian Open, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Bosnia’s Damir in Melbourne, Australia into pre-quarters Dzumhur yesterday. yesterday. Melbourne’s heatwave had relented by the time the 31-year-old AFP Nadal walked on Margaret Court Arena, but the Spaniard was on fire MELBOURNE: World as he battered the 28th seed into number two Caroline submission. Wozniacki kept her bid The sole blemish was a dropped for a first Grand Slam service game early in the second set title on course as she but it only briefly slowed his charge. stormed into the last 16 “I am in the fourth round. That’s of the Australian Open because I am doing the right things. yesterday. Let’s see how far I can go,” Nadal, The second seed only beaten in the final by Roger Federer scraped through to the last year, told reporters. third round by the skin Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki hits a return against Nadal arrived in Australia with of her teeth, saving two Netherland’s Kiki Bertens during their women’s singles question marks over the state of his match points at 5-1 down knees after he was forced to with- in the third set against third round match of the Australian Open yesterday. draw mid-tournament from the ATP 119th ranked Jana Fett. Finals in November. But on Friday she blocks, breaking Bertens’ unreturned first serves to Yet back in the kind of sleeveless gave her most assured opening service game. quell any nerves. top in which he launched his spec- performance of the tour- Apart from one Serving for the match, tacular assault on the Grand Slams in nament so far, cruising dropped serve of her however, Wozniacki 2005, and wielding his trusty fore- past Kiki Bertens of the own in the first set and a wobbled again. hand like a lethal weapon, doubts Netherlands 6-4, 6-3 in row with the umpire She had to save four about Nadal’s title prospects have an hour and 26 over a slippery patch on break points and at one quickly been cast aside. minutes. the court, she remained point slammed her rac- “I needed hours on court, hours Wozniacki had called composed and in control quet to the ground after of practice, hours of playing sets with her second round come- throughout, taking the another altercation with different players,” Nadal said of his back her “greatest opener in 41 minutes. the umpire about an build-up to the year’s first Grand escape” but she was Wozniacki, unlike overrule. Slam. never in need of a rescue her previous match, kept Eventually she “I think I did a good preparation. act as she easily dealt the unforced errors to a secured victory in on her I feel I’m playing well.” with the challenge from minimum, committing fourth match point. Argentina’s 24th seeded Diego the number 30 seed, who just 12, while forcing her She next faces 19th Schwartzman, who Nadal plays next, was playing in the third opponent into making seed Magdalena Ryba- might prove a tougher obstacle than round for the first time. 34. rikova of Slovakia for a Dzumhur. “Right now I’m The Dane, who is place in the quarter-finals The 25-year-old from Sarajevo playing with house drawn to face fourth seed and said she expected a had actually walked off court a money, playing with Elina Svitolina in the similar challenge. winner against Nadal in 2016 when nothing to lose,” said the semi-final, raced into a “She has a good fore- the Mallorcan retired from their Dane. “I was already out 4-0 lead in the second. hand and a good serve so match at the Miami Masters with an of the tournament.” She had a brief I will need to be ready for illness. And it showed as the moment of anxiety at everything. Serve well This time it was Dzumhur who former world number 0-30 when leading 4-2 and get my returns in,” might have sought a quick way out one was fast out of the but banged down two said Wozniacki. after being allowed two points in the first four games as Nadal started like the scorching wind that had blown AUSTRALIAN OPEN RESULTS through Melbourne Park earlier in the Kyrgios topples Tsonga day. MEN’S SINGLES Nadal was 5-0 up in no time Third round before Dzumhur managed to hold AFP “It was amazing. I’ve never won a Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 7-6 (7/0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 serve, prompting a sympathetic cheer match on this court before but playing Jo Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x10) bt Gilles Muller (LUX x23) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 from the crowd. MELBOURNE: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios I was obviously very nervous,” Kyrgios Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x3) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS x30) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Another flurry of forehand win- won an electric four-setter with his idol said on court. Diego Schwartzman (ARG x24) bt Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 ners helped Nadal into a 2-0 lead in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to advance to the “He was a guy I looked up to as a kid, Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (5/7), 9-7 the second set but Dzumhur, who Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH x28) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 round of 16 at the Australian Open still do, he’s a great guy. I’m just so happy became the first Bosnian to win a Nick Kyrgios (AUS x17) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x15) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5) yesterday. to get through. At 5-2 down in the fourth Tour level title last year, broke back Marin Cilic (CRO x6) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) Kyrgios, seeded 17, needed three tie- set breaker, I was getting ready for a fifth with a dipping backhand that was too breakers to win a crunch match with the set mentally. I somehow just hung in and good for Nadal. WOMEN’S SINGLES former finalist 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), got a couple looks (at the serve). Normal service was quickly Third round 7-6 (7/5) in 3hr 17min in a spectacular “I knew my best chance was prob- resumed though and Nadal hammered Petra Martic (CRO) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 night match on Rod Laver Arena. ably to get in a couple tiebreakers. He home a backhand winner to end a Denisa Allertova (CZE) bt Magda Linette (POL) 6-1, 6-4 It pitches the mercurial Australian served extremely well throughout the superb 26-stroke rally on his way to Elise Mertens (BEL) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 7-5, 6-4 into a round of 16 showdown with Bul- whole match.