Kerber, Svitolina Gear up for the 2019 Qatar Total Open Challenge Strong Field, Weather Make for a Fascinating Six-Day Show at the Khalifa
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Manchester City hit Chelsea for a six to go atop standings PAGE 18 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019 Abdulla al Khelaifi wins Qatar Touring Car Championship title PAGE 19 QATAR TOTAL OPEN FIRST ROUND Kerber, Svitolina gear up for the 2019 Qatar Total Open challenge Strong field, weather make for a fascinating six-day show at the Khalifa VINAY NAYUDU DOHA AN absorbing draw and the windy weather conditions pre- vailing in Doha provide for a challenging 17th edition of the Qatar Total Open which will swing into big action with Oman’s Fatma al Nabhani tak- ing on Czech Barbora Strycova on Monday night. It will, however, be preced- ed by the keen final qualifying rounds action in the afternoon. With the top four seeds led by World No. 3 Simona Halep – a winner here in 2014, and World No. 6 Angelique Kerber of Germany (left) and World No. 7 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their interaction with the media at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex on Sunday. (HANSON K JOSEPH) World No. 5 Karolina Pliskova (champion in 2017) scheduled to play from Tuesday, the bat- It’s a tough draw. There are a lot of players here. But this is a This tournament here is always tough. Everyone wants to play, and tle in only expected to heat up. challenge, and I’m always looking forward to coming here. everyone wants to play well. That’s why it makes it not easy at all. As a pre-cursor on Sunday, Halep overcame Pliskova in a Angelique Kerber of Germany Elina Svitolina of Ukraine Fed Cup classic in Ostrava. The former World No. 1 won after two hours and 37 minutes to put Romania a win away from ousting the defending champi- MONDAY ORDER OF PLAY ons Czech Republic. CENTRE COURT START 3.30PM Two of Latvia’s players Qualifying - (1) Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) vs (7) Polona Hercog (SLO) – Anastasija Sevastova and Qualifying - (4) Samantha Stosur (AUS) vs Anna Blinkova (RUS) Jelena Ostapenko (finalist in 2016) – who will also be action Qualifying - (2) Alison Riske (USA) vs Lin Zhu (CHN) in Qatar, also served remind- NOT BEFORE 8PM ers as they took their nation Barbora Strycova (CZE) vs (WC) Fatama al Nabhani (OMA) past Slovakia to the World Group in the Fed Cup for the COURT 1 START 3:30PM first time. Qualifying - Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) vs Karolina Muchova (CZE) All the four will soon be making a dash to Doha. Given that there are twelve The Seedings out of world’s top-20 at the 1. Simona Halep (Romania, World Rank No. 3) $916,131 Qatar Total Open 2. Karolina Pliskova (Czech Rep, World No. 5) 2019 show, no one seems to 3. Angelique Kerber (Germany, World No. 6) be sure about what the next six 4. Elina Svitolina (Ukraine, World No. 7) days have in store for them at 5. Kiki Bertens (Netherlands, World No. 8) the Khalifa International Ten- 6. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark, World No. 10) nis & Squash Complex. 7. Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia, World No. 12) Former World No. 1 and 8. Ashleigh Barty (Australia, World No. 13) three-time Grand Slam cham- pion Angelique Kerber, who tough. Everyone wants to play, The Dane, now No.10, accepted lost in the final to Halep in and everyone wants to play a wild card and is another con- 2014, has been the first to arrive well. That’s why it makes it not tender for the title. She had in Doha as she seeks to erase the easy at all,” she said. finished as the runner-up to memory of her fourth-round Svitolina hasn’t pro- Pliskova in 2017. loss to American Danielle Col- gressed beyond the third Also expected to shake up lins at the Australian Open. round here as yet, but she and surprise the mix are Dutch “It’s nice to being back acclimatized saying, “It’s dif- Kerber, however, would Also underlining the ing in Doha after initially de- showed great form at the Kiki Bertens (World No. 8) here. I came a little bit earlier ferent playing during the day be more concerned about the toughness of competition in ciding she needed more rest year’s first Grand Slam in and Australian Ashleigh Barty to get ready for this tourna- and night in Doha as condi- path ahead than the weather. Doha was World No. 7 Elina after Australia where she Melbourne and can topple the (World No. 13). ment and to get used to the tions can change quickly.” “It’s a tough draw. There Svitolina. struggled with a shoulder and applecart of many. All in all it should be an courts, to the weather, condi- Interestingly, there was are a lot of players here,” she A wildcard replacement neck injury. Among the who’s who in the exciting tournament and the tions and everything,” said the benign sunshine as she spoke said, adding, “But this is a chal- for Naomi Osaka, the fourth- But the 24-year-old said 32-player list is another former fans would love to be there 31-year-old German. during the afternoon and by the lenge, and I’m always looking seeded Ukrainian, said she she was ready. “This tourna- World No.1 and Grand Slam on each of the six days at the She seemed happy to have evening gusty winds swirled in. forward to coming here.” changed her mind about play- ment, you know, here is always champion Caroline Wozniacki. Khalifa Complex. Attiyah to debut new Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 in MERC opener TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK at Lusail Sports Arena for a teams will need to ensure that DOHA second year. their cars are in full working The Qatar Motor and Mo- order for a repeat of the QATAR’S premier rally driver torcycle Federation (QMMF) two specials at 12.20hrs and recent Dakar Rally win- have also released route de- and 12.58hrs, respectively. ner Nasser Saleh al Attiyah tails for the two-day gravel Saturday’s timetable will give a Middle East debut event over loose surface tracks makes up 122.60km of the to a brand new Volkswagen around remote parts of Qa- event’s competitive action and Polo GTI R5, when he tops tar. The timed action will get consists of three special stages the entry for the Manateq Qa- underway with a timed two- that are repeated after a re- tar International Rally, which kilometre special stage at group and service at Lusail. opens the FIA Middle East Al Wakra from 20.00hrs on The action gets underway Rally Championship (MERC) March 14. with passes through Eraida on March 14-16. After an overnight Parc (19.00km) and Al Dhakira The Qatari has won his home Fermé at the Lusail Sports Are- (24.00km) from 08.40hrs and event on 13 occasions in the past na, Friday’s action (March 15) 09.10hrs and this precedes the 17 years and will take part in the takes place over two repeated 18.30km of the Al Khor stage new car alongside French navi- Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Nasser al Attiyah of Qatar (left) and his desert stages in the north east from 09.50hrs. gator Matthieu Baumel. Artist’s impression of Nasser al Attiyah’s new Polo R5. French navigator Matthieu Baumel at the finish line after the last of Qatar. The 20.10km The three specials are re- Ken Skidmore’s Autotek stage of Rally Dakar 2019 in Peru on January 17. Al Ghariyah special gets peated at 12.30hrs, 13.00hrs Motorsport operation take R5 regulations and made its four-cylinder engine and fol- proceedings underway from and 13.40hrs before a quick delivery of the new Polo from competitive debut at the 2018 lows on from the Polo R WRC 27, while the Rally Guide for The start (18.45hrs – March 10.17hrs and precedes the final service in Lusail and the Volkswagen Motorsport this Rally Catalunya at the hands with which the German team prospective entrants will be 14) and finish (16.55hrs – first of two passes through the road section to Souq Al Wakra week and it will be refettled in of the 2003 world dominated the FIA World Ral- available online from tomor- March 16) will be located on 19.70km of Al Ruwais, start- for the post-event press con- the colours of Attiyah’s spon- champion Petter Solberg ly Championship. row (February 11). the beach in front of the Souq ing at 10.58hrs. ference and finish ceremony. sors and Qatar. and Frenchman Eric Camilli. Entries for the season’s re- Reconnaissance of the spe- Al Wakra Hotel, although the The traditional midday In a route of 810.52km, The Polo was built by Volk- The four-wheel drive ma- gional rallying curtain raiser cial stages will be permitted event’s rally headquarters service has been replaced by 204.20km will be timed swagen Motorsport to Group chine is powered by a 1.6-litre, close on Wednesday, February on March 12 and March 13. and service park will remain a remote refuelling stop and against the clock..